Are bank stocks a good bet for investors after the stress test?

— -- The stress now for bank stock investors is the fear of missing out.

After the release of bank stress test results last week, bank stocks are racing ahead, prompting investors to wonder if they should jump in.

Investors' view on banks "went from certain death to possible survival," says David Ellison of FBR Equity Funds. "You make money on financials when you go from ugly to OK."

While bank stocks are already up, some analysts think there's still room to make money because some stocks are:

Also, the easing of mark-to-market accounting rules this year reduces the risk of sudden write-downs, he says.

•Likely to benefit from a better banking climate. Not only is the economy expected to heal, but banks may borrow at historically low rates, says Jim Paulsen at Wells Capital Management. There's also strong demand for mortgage loans. "It's a good operating environment for banks," Paulsen says.

Banks can just do their normal business and generate earnings that may exceed estimates, Ellison says. In addition, many of the mortgages being written now will be highly profitable because they're based on depressed prices and conservative assumptions, he says.