Stocks we love: 5 big earners

You may be surprised that a financial firm passed our screens, especially since Thomson expects the banking sector's earnings to plummet 52% this quarter. But Northern Trust's target clientele -- the very affluent -- has helped the investment bank through the most recent economic slump. Analysts are forecasting a profit of $1.06 per share, up from 92 cents a share a year ago.

That's because the rich only get richer and there are more of them. While the overall U.S. population is growing by about 1% annually, the millionaire population is growing in the high single digits, and the very wealthy are growing by 15%, according to William Blair & Co. analyst David Long. That means Northern Trust is gaining customers.

"The overall trends in Northern Trust's businesses remain favorable," said Long. "The market for the company's business is growing rapidly."

Also, due to the kind of clients the financial firm serves, they had no exposure to the subprime mortgage mess. Furthermore, the company doesn't issue consumer loans, and only 25% of Northern Trust's revenue comes from banking, which results in a minimum credit risk for the company -- an issue that has plagued the majority of the financial sector.

Northern Trust also insulated itself from the poor U.S. economy by pouring half of its assets into foreign securities, which generate 35% of the company's revenue.

"Growth prospects remain much higher than other banks and other financial institutions as well," said Long. Accordingly, analysts believe Northern Trust's profits will grow 12% annually over the next five years, compared to 8% for the rest of the banking industry.

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