Hoovers.com starts its overview of Dover Corporation (DOV) as follows:“

The ‘D’ in Dover could stand for diversity.” Hoovers.com is referring to the more than 45 businesses that Dover owns. On its Web site, Dover says that the firm’s mission is as follows:“Dover Corporation is a world-wide, diversified manufacturer of industrial products. Our goal is to be the leader in every market we serve, to the benefit of our customers and our shareholders.”Yahoo Finance lists Dover as a “conglomerate” on its Web site. In this exercise, you will determine for yourself what kind of firm Dover is and what you think about the ability of its corporate office to create value for the firm’s shareholders.

Examine the explanation that Dover’s management gives for how its corporation creates more value for the firm’s business units as part of Dover Corporation than those would be able to create when operating as stand-alone companies. Follow this up by checking out Dover in the Value Line Investment Survey and with analysts’ reports that you can obtain from the library or a brokerage office. Compare how these independent sources evaluate Dover’s ability to create value through its diversified portfolio with that of management. Are the analysts’ arguments consistent with the logic advanced by Dover’s top-level managers? Why or why not? Provide as much objective evidence as you can to support your assertion