As the Credit Crisis unfolded over the past two years, banks made headlines by reporting unprecedented losses. Some of the most prominent financial institutions collapsed or teetered on the brink of insolvency, prompting the government to mount a massive, unparalleled rescue program. While the specifics of this last crisis may vary from those that came before it, we believe that the cyclicality of the banking industry continues to be relevant. As with every cycle, the losses are cleared away to make room for improvement. But the potential for this cyclical improvement, in our view, is currently being underestimated by investors.