Cowen (NASDAQ: COWN) may not be a household name in the financial services industry, but that doesn't mean you should shove it in the junk drawer.
The New York-based firm offers investment banking, brokerage, research, and investment management services for investors. The stock returned 18% last year and is up about 9% already this year on a strong fourth-quarter earnings report.
The company is split into two primary segments: the broker-dealer division, which includes investment banking, research, and prime brokerage, among other services; and an investment management division, which runs about $11.4 billion in primarily alternative investment strategies for institutional investors.
Source Fool.com