Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN) Stock Analysis
Financial Services · Asset Management
Hold if already holding. Not a fresh buy at $32.67, but acceptable to hold if already in. Reasons: Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (-0.6% away).
Franklin Resources manages $1.6 trillion in assets under management through 17 specialist investment managers including Western Asset Management, Putnam Investments, and Lexington Partners, offering equity, fixed income, alternative, and multi-asset strategies to retail,... Read more
Hold if already holding. Not a fresh buy at $32.67, but acceptable to hold if already in. Reasons: Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (-0.6% away). Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Mixed signals. Hold existing position. Score 5.6/10, moderate confidence.
Passes 7/8 gates (positive momentum, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, news events none recent, earnings proximity 45d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on favorable risk/reward ratio. Suitability: aggressive.
About Franklin Resources, Inc.
About Franklin Resources, Inc.
Franklin Resources managed $1.6 trillion in assets under management at September 30, 2025, with equity strategies representing 41% of AUM at $686.2 billion—the largest single asset class—followed by fixed income at 26% ($438.7 billion), alternatives at 16% ($263.9 billion), and multi-asset and cash management at 17% combined. The firm's 17 specialist investment managers—including Western Asset Management, Clarion Partners, Putnam Investments, and Lexington Partners—operate as SEC-registered investment advisers under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
Franklin Resources earns revenue primarily from investment management fees calculated as a percentage of AUM, with generally higher rates from international and alternative strategies than from U.S. equity products. The company primarily distributes through third-party broker-dealers, banks, and investment advisers—channels it does not control, and in which competing products are also sold. The 10-K explicitly identifies rising distribution costs and increasing competition for third-party channels as structural pressures on margins. Retail separately managed account programs ($164.5 billion in AUM) and institutional separate accounts ($237.9 billion) provide vehicle diversification beyond fund products. The Putnam acquisition closed January 2024 and Apera Asset Management in October 2025. Fee rates remain subject to downward pressure from the secular shift toward lower-fee index funds and ETFs, a trend the 10-K identifies as potentially causing a shift in AUM mix toward lower-margin products.
Show full overview
Franklin Resources' U.S. mutual fund management agreements must be renewed annually under the Investment Company Act, with termination permitted at relatively short notice without penalty—exposing a substantial portion of U.S. fund AUM to annual re-authorization risk. Canada, the U.K., the Netherlands, and EU member states have adopted or are implementing regimes banning or limiting adviser commissions on certain fund sales, which may shift flows to competitors offering substitute products outside commission-based distribution. The 10-K notes that if several major financial advisers ceased distributing Franklin Resources products, the resulting impact on revenues and income could be significant.
See also: Financial Services · Asset Management
From Franklin Resources, Inc.'s most recent 10-K filing, extracted June 9, 2026.
Recent developments
updated 2026-06-15Recent Developments — Franklin Resources, Inc.
Latest news
- NEWS Franklin (BEN) Q4 2024 Earnings Transcript - The Motley Fool — The Motley Fool neutral
- NEWS Morgan Stanley cuts Franklin Resources stock price target on expense outlook - Investing.com — Investing.com negative
- NEWS Franklin Resources (BEN) Rises 2.79% in Premarket Trading Amid M - GuruFocus — GuruFocus positive
- NEWS Ben Stokes reflects on recovery from serious facial injuries - MSN — MSN neutral
- NEWS Ben Stokes on Jofra Archer: ‘He is committed and loves playing for England’ - The Indian Express — The Indian Express neutral
Generated 2026-06-15T18:11:46Z.
Upcoming dated catalysts
Thesis
Key Metrics
Quality Signals
Options Flow
Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)
- MEDIUMProductequity AUM41%10-K Item 1: 'Equity| | $| 391.8 ... | | | 41| %'
Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Show full disclosure ▾Hide full disclosure ▴
About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.
Not investment advice. TrendMatrix is not a registered investment adviser. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult your own licensed investment adviser, broker, or tax professional before making any investment decision.
Conflicts and positions. The TrendMatrix editorial team frequently holds personal long-term positions in securities discussed. We disclose positions held at the time of publication on each piece. We maintain a trading-window policy: we do not initiate or close positions in the same direction as a TrendMatrix publication within 24 hours before or 72 hours after publication.
No paid promotion. TrendMatrix does not accept payment from any issuer, broker, or third party in exchange for coverage of any security. Our sole compensation is subscription revenue.
No fiduciary duty. No fiduciary, advisory, or agency relationship is created between you and TrendMatrix by reading our content or subscribing to our service.
Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.
Rating Breakdown
2 floor-breakers
Ranks in the bottom of its industry peers on the composite signal. Better names in the same sector exist.static
Technicals below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static
Price Targets
Position Sizing
Risk Alerts
Earnings
Verdict History
Frequently Asked Questions
Hold if already holding. Not a fresh buy at $32.67, but acceptable to hold if already in. Reasons: Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (-0.6% away). Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Mixed signals. Hold existing position. Target $32.27 (-1.2%), stop $30.93 (−5.6%), A.R:R -1.9:1. Score 5.6/10, moderate confidence.
Take-profit target: $32.27 (-1.2% upside). Target $32.27 (-1.2%), stop $30.93 (−5.6%), A.R:R -1.9:1. Stop-loss: $30.93.
Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Near 52-week high (-0.6% away); Consecutive earnings misses (2).
Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at a P/E of 24.5 (forward 10.8). TrendMatrix value score: 7.0/10. Verdict: Hold.
16 analysts cover BEN with a consensus score of 3.3/5. Average price target: $31.
What does Franklin Resources, Inc. do?Franklin Resources manages $1.6 trillion in assets under management through 17 specialist investment managers including...
Franklin Resources manages $1.6 trillion in assets under management through 17 specialist investment managers including Western Asset Management, Putnam Investments, and Lexington Partners, offering equity, fixed income, alternative, and multi-asset strategies to retail, institutional, and high-net-worth clients globally. Investment management fees, which represent the majority of revenues, are calculated as a percentage of AUM levels.