T. ROWE PRICE GROUP INC. $71 - Nasdaq symbol TROW

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP INC. $71 (Nasdaq symbol TROW; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Finance sector; Shares outstanding: 260.1 million; Market cap: $18.5 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 5.7; Dividend yield: 2.1%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.troweprice .com) has agreed to sell its banking subsidiary, which mainly offers certificates of deposit.

The company will receive $24 million for this business when the deal closes, probably by the end of 2013. That’s just 12% of the $206.8 million, or $0.79 a share, it earned in the second quarter of 2013. However, selling the banking business will let T. Rowe Price avoid new banking regulations that could interfere with its main mutual fund and wealth management operations.

T. Rowe Price is a buy.

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.