Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) Given Consensus Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) has earned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the eleven analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation, four have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $32.4444.

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on BEN. Barclays increased their price target on Franklin Resources from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded Franklin Resources from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Sunday, June 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Franklin Resources from $30.50 to $34.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Franklin Resources from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Franklin Resources from $28.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th.

Franklin Resources Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:BEN opened at $34.32 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Franklin Resources has a 12 month low of $21.10 and a 12 month high of $36.28. The company has a market capitalization of $17.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.35, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.55. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $33.51 and its 200 day moving average is $29.72.

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, July 31st. The closed-end fund reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.06. Franklin Resources had a net margin of 8.72% and a return on equity of 11.55%. The business had revenue of $2.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.49 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 14.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Franklin Resources will post 2.88 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Azimuth Capital Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Franklin Resources in the 2nd quarter valued at about $4,507,000. Compass Financial Management LLC bought a new position in Franklin Resources in the 2nd quarter worth about $36,000. Oakmont Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Franklin Resources during the second quarter worth approximately $523,000. Syon Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Franklin Resources by 6.1% during the second quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 20,884 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $695,000 after acquiring an additional 1,196 shares during the period. Finally, United Community Bank raised its stake in shares of Franklin Resources by 0.9% during the second quarter. United Community Bank now owns 37,849 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $1,259,000 after acquiring an additional 320 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.56% of the company’s stock.

Franklin Resources Company Profile

Franklin Resources, Inc, doing business as Franklin Templeton, is a global investment management organization that offers a wide range of asset management solutions to institutional and individual investors. The firm’s core focus is on delivering active portfolio management across equities, fixed income, multi-asset strategies and alternative investments. Franklin Templeton’s product lineup includes mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closed-end funds, separately managed accounts and sub-advisory services designed to meet varying risk-return objectives and income needs.

Founded in 1947 by Rupert H.