Obviously, every bank and mortgage company has a slightly different portfolio of loans to grapple with. The ones with a lot of subprime loans, and even Alt-A loans, have suffered the most. Beyond that, which companies are best positioned to weather the storm? Friedman, Billings, Ramsey analyst Gary Townsend suggests that the percentage of first lien debt is a decent indicator. They're the most protected should the customer have trouble. Wachovia falls into this category. The bank also holds a lot of its own mortgages and thus relies relatively little on the secondary market for these loans. Bank of America, PNC and U.S. Bancorp also seem to be well positioned. Fifth Third Bancorp, SunTrust Banks seem to be on the opposite end of the spectrum.  

For more:
- here's the AP article