conglomerate

Berkshire Hathaway's Future Weighs on Investors' Minds

Berkshire Hathaway investors have two key questions for CEO Warren Buffett and vice chairman Charlie Munger -- but whether the answers are forthcoming remains to be seen.

ITT Dismantles Its Empire, Ending the Age of Conglomerates

The 91-year old company was once the leading diversified industrial company, the product of hundreds of leveraged buyouts in the 1960s and '70s. But its breakup is yet more proof that the conglomerate model makes little sense today. Why? Activist investors have a lot to do with it.

HP After Hurd: Just Break Up the Bloated Beast

Ex-CEO Mark Hurd built HP into a sprawling, ungainly mishmash, a "one-stop-shop" for info tech that few companies are clamoring for. It's probably better off chopped into three smaller outfits that could manage growth more easily on their own.