Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) posted its earnings results on Friday. The closed-end fund reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.06, FiscalAI reports. The company had revenue of $2.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.76 billion. Franklin Resources had a return on equity of 10.58% and a net margin of 8.12%.The company’s revenue was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.49 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Franklin Resources’ conference call:

• Broad-based organic growth: Franklin Templeton reported $18.4 billion in long-term net inflows for the quarter and $63.3 billion year to date, with positive flows across every asset class and geography; assets under management reached a record $1.8 trillion.
• Private markets exceeded expectations: Alternatives AUM reached a record $294 billion, while private-markets fundraising totaled $10.3 billion in the quarter and $33 billion year to date. Management now expects roughly $40 billion of private-markets fundraising for fiscal 2026, above its original $25 billion–$30 billion target.
• Growth platforms continued to scale: ETF AUM reached $75.6 billion with $7.1 billion of quarterly inflows, retail SMAs reached $187.6 billion with $4.4 billion of inflows, and Canvas AUM grew to $30.3 billion with $3.7 billion of inflows.
• Profitability improved: Adjusted operating income rose 35% year over year to $508.9 million, supported by higher average AUM, expense discipline and efficiency initiatives. Management expects operating margins near 30% in the fiscal fourth quarter and 29%–30% for full-year 2027, assuming flat markets.
• Public-private integration is a key strategic focus: Management is positioning its $620 billion combined public- and private-credit platform to win multi-asset credit mandates, while continuing to re-engage clients of Western Asset. Executives also noted ongoing pressure from distribution and platform fees, though they characterized it as a normal feature of the industry.

Franklin Resources Trading Up 2.2%

NYSE BEN opened at $33.91 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 1.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.89, a PEG ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.54. Franklin Resources has a one year low of $21.10 and a one year high of $34.92. The business’s fifty day moving average is $32.67 and its 200-day moving average is $28.83.

Franklin Resources Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 29th were issued a dividend of $0.33 per share. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, June 29th. Franklin Resources’s payout ratio is currently 100.76%.

Trending Headlines about Franklin Resources

Here are the key news stories impacting Franklin Resources this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings and revenue beat estimates: Franklin reported adjusted earnings of approximately $0.72 per share, above the $0.66 consensus estimate and up from $0.49 a year earlier. Revenue reached about $2.28 billion, exceeding the $1.76 billion estimate and increasing 14.3% year over year. Franklin Resources Tops Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Record AUM and healthier flows: Assets under management reached approximately $1.79 trillion at June 30, supported by market gains and $18.4 billion of long-term net inflows. Western Asset Management’s $1 billion of long-term outflows represented an improvement over recent periods, suggesting better asset-gathering momentum. Franklin Q3 Earnings Beat on Higher Revenues, AUM Hits Record High
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns supported the investment case: Franklin repurchased 10.4 million shares for $348.1 million and returned $521.5 million to shareholders during the quarter, including dividends and buybacks. Franklin Resources Reports Quarterly Net Income
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate rebranding: The company will change its name to Franklin Templeton, Inc. on August 17, 2026, while retaining the NYSE ticker BEN. The change may improve brand alignment but does not directly alter operations or shareholder economics. Franklin Resources Rebrands as Franklin Templeton
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP results and expenses remain concerns: Reported net income was $171.5 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, below the prior quarter’s $268.2 million and $0.49 per share. Higher expenses also tempered the otherwise strong quarter.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BEN has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Franklin Resources from $30.50 to $34.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Franklin Resources from $28.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Evercore reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $35.00 target price on shares of Franklin Resources in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Wall Street Zen raised Franklin Resources from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 14th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Franklin Resources from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Franklin Resources has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $32.00.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Franklin Resources

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Franklin Resources by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 10,122,937 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $241,837,000 after acquiring an additional 768,707 shares during the period. Corient Private Wealth LLC raised its position in shares of Franklin Resources by 70.1% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 29,943 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $714,000 after buying an additional 12,339 shares in the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its stake in Franklin Resources by 2.6% during the fourth quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 225,478 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $5,387,000 after buying an additional 5,782 shares during the period. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Franklin Resources by 1.6% during the fourth quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC now owns 47,784 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $1,142,000 after buying an additional 763 shares during the period. Finally, First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. grew its position in Franklin Resources by 5,903.4% during the fourth quarter. First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. now owns 546,491 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $13,056,000 after buying an additional 537,388 shares in the last quarter. 47.56% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.