The correct answer is      (A.)  U.S. Bancorp (USB)

For well over a century, U.S. Bancorp -- the nation's sixth-largest bank in terms of assets -- has given shareholders stellar cash rewards for their loyalty. Today the Minneapolis-based firm operates over 2,500 branches in 24 states, mostly in the western and midwestern parts of the country.

USB is easily the most profitable among its immediate peers, and with returns on equity (ROE) north of +22% on average and management's ongoing goal to give back 80% of profits, shareholders have certainly been a happy bunch. In fact, including its predecessors, U.S. Bancorp has paid dividends for 145 consecutive years!

But USB is just one of many banks that are generally fond of returning the bulk of their profits to shareholders. Most banks have payout ratios of 50% or higher, and a good chunk of the remainder is often spent on share repurchases. However, few industries have felt the direct brunt of the painful subprime mortgage sell-off quite like the banking group. Fortunately, chaos often creates opportunity for selective bargain hunters.

But the more than 800 banks trading on U.S. exchanges operate in many different subsectors and respond differently to changing economic conditions. Investors need some way to tell which bank stocks are money-making opportunities. With this in mind, StreetAuthority editor Nathan Slaughter took a look at the industry in a recent issue of the Half-Priced Stocks newsletter, and offers an in-depth analysis of today's banking business, as well as a tutorial on how to find the right bank investment. Nathan specifically lists five undervalued bank stocks -- most of which are yielding well over 5% -- that are poised to survive today's economic morass and take shareholders on a swift ride up the charts. To learn the names of these stocks, and to learn more about the Half-Priced Stocks newsletter, please visit this link.