Bank of America BAC

Founded in 1904 by Amadeo Giannini as the Bank of Italy, which he set up to help the working-class immigrants of San Francisco, Bank of America (BofA) has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Known for its global reach and those ubiquitous ATMs that seem to multiply faster than the interest on your savings, the bank has had its share of defining moments, like the 2008 financial crisis where it became the poster child for “too big to fail” and paid billions in fines for its part in the mortgage mess. Valuation-wise, it’s a titan, but not without its share of blemishes. The 2014 scandal involving aggressive sales practices and fake accounts was a PR disaster that made headlines and cost it dearly. Notable leaders like CEO Brian Moynihan have tried to steer the ship through stormy waters, but the bank’s reputation has always been a rollercoaster of high profits and low public opinion. Despite its vast size and occasional awards for customer satisfaction, the bank remains a symbol of everything that can go wrong when giant institutions stumble through a minefield of ethical and financial missteps.