For most investors, regional banks are either boring or terrifying. There doesn't seem to be much middle ground. When technology stocks are soaring, regional banks become invisible. Nobody rushes onto financial television to celebrate a bank growing deposits by 4% or improving its net interest margin by 15 basis points. There are no viral social media posts about a regional lender successfully managing its loan portfolio. Nobody gathers around a barbecue discussing the exciting future of commercial real estate exposure. Then a banking scare happens. Suddenly, everyone becomes an expert. Financial media transforms into a 24-hour emergency broadcast system. Deposits are analyzed like military troop movements. Balance sheets are dissected with the intensity normally reserved for crime scene investigations. Every regional bank becomes either the next great bargain or the next great disaster. Over the years, I have learned that the best opportunities often emerge during these peri...