Investors who closely follow Capital One Financial (COF) shouldn't be very surprised to hear that the company has agreed this weekend to buy New Orleans-based Hibernia Corporation (HIB), a bank with over $22 billion in assets, for $5.3 billion in cash and stock. The writing for a deal like this has been on the wall for a while. Capital One, which focuses on marketing directly to customers, is seeking to boost its reach by acquiring a regional bank, opening up new avenues for growth.

From an investing standpoint, it makes little sense to bet against Capital One based on this acquisition. The company is run brilliantly, having increased earnings per share at least 20 percent every year since its IPO in 1994. Wall Street will likely sell off COF shares tomorrow, given the company is paying a 24% premium and many will likely question the decision for a direct marketing lender to spend over $5 billion for a bank with branches in Louisiana and Texas.

In such a case, investors who have missed out on Capital One's magnificent track record thus far should consider stepping up to the plate and buying the stock on any merger-related weakness. The stock trades at only 11 times 2005 earnings, and that valuation will only get more compelling should the stock get hit tomorrow. And who knows, an analyst downgrade or two might spark enough of a sell-off that existing shareholders, such as myself, should consider adding to their positions.