The weak European economy is allowing firms to unlock extra value via restructurings and spin-offs, but it's better to invest while firms are still cheap conglomerates, says Evermore's David Marcus.
T. Rowe Price Group Inc., the asset manager that has posted a profit every quarter since going public in 1986, said fourth-quarter earnings rose 23 percent as stock markets gained boosted assets and the fees they generate.
Goldman Sachs Group Inc., the fifth- biggest U.S. bank by assets, said quarterly profit almost tripled as gains in the value of the firm's own investments contributed to the first year of revenue growth since 2009.