Bank results have dominated the news lately with four of the Big 5 announcing financial results in the past week.

For investors who hold shares in RBS, Lloyds, HSBC, Standard Chartered or Barclays, which posted its results in early February, the negative headlines can be somewhat unnerving.

And the past 12 months have seen their fair share of bad news. Banks have been rattled by Libor rigging claims, interest rate swaps miss-selling and the on-going saga around payment protection insurance (PPI) compensation.

These scandals had a negative impact on the health – and share prices – of all the major banks and have contributed to some less than favourable results. Lloyd’s, for example, has had to set aside a whopping £6.77bn to cover PPI mis-selling claims, with the situation proving much worse than anticipated.

Bankers’ bonuses, particularly for state-owned firms, have also been hot on the agenda, with criticism around taxpayers’ money being used to fund these windfalls.

On top of this, banks are facing increased regulation and will have to up the amount of capital they hold.

However, the bad headlines have at times masked important numbers and overshadowed positive news.

Take Barclays for example. Its latest results indicate the new management wants to create a leaner business by increasing efficiency and improving shareholder returns at its sizeable investment bank.

Its universal banking business model, which offers diversification attractions, is also encouraging.

For now, despite a 60% plus gain in the share price over the last six months alone, the new chief executive looks to have done enough, with analyst opinion remaining positive.

It is also worth remembering Barclays did not receive any government aid during the financial crisis and it continues to pay out a dividend to shareholders – a bonus for investors seeking income.

Standard Chartered also continues to pay-out a dividend and according to analysts, inclduing Hargreaves Lansdown’s head of equities, Richard Hunter, is the pick of the banking bunch.

The bank has just reported its 10th consecutive year of growth in income and profit, which is a stunning achievement given the tough market environment, according to a Charles Stanley analyst note.

It has also announced a hike in its dividend payment which, says Hunter, signifies an optimistic management outlook. The company remains well placed to benefit from any future growth in emerging markets as it does 90% of its business in Asia.

That’s not to say it has been plain sailing for the business. It paid $667m of fines relating to US sanctions, which was a big hit to the 2012 results.

However, the UK bank’s geographical and product spread makes it a particularly attractive proposition.

Turning to HSBC, although its pre-tax profit results were down 6% from the previous year and below general expectations, £13.7bn is substantial.

Its capital cushion is strong and reflects the bank’s financial health, while a boost to the dividend will add to an already attractive 3.5% yield, a pull for income seeking investors.

“Its shares have risen 28% over the last year, as compared to an 8% hike for the wider FTSE 100, and when the dust has settled, there seems little doubt that the market consensus of the shares as a buy will remain firmly intact,” says Hunter.

Elsewhere, the negative headlines surrounding Lloyds Banking Group and PPI mis-selling claims will have been frustrating for the management which has made good progress getting the non-core business into shape, cutting the cost base and improving the Group’s capital and funding positions.

However, management comments at the time of the results were cautiously positive. They indicated further improvements in both asset quality and the de-risking of the balance sheet.

Finally, RBS where there were also some glimmers of hope.

The bank reported an operating profit of over £3.5bn and the intended partial sale of Citizens, its US banking business, should be a positive.

There were also signs of improvement at the investment bank and management comments indicated that 2013 may be the final year of any major transformation.

“From an investment perspective, the ongoing absence of a dividend and overhang of the government stake are negatives which need to be resolved,” says Hunter.

As Charles Stanley analysts put it: “There is much work still to do.”