Franklin Templeton (BEN) oznámila, že AUM v srpnu vzrostlo na rekordních 1,83 bilionu USD díky 8 miliardám USD čistých dlouhodobých přílivů. Růst podpořilo všech pět hlavních kategorií aktiv.
Key Takeaways BEN's preliminary AUM rose 1.86% in August to a record $1.83 trillion, aided by $8 billion in net inflows.BEN's diversified asset mix supported August growth, with all five major AUM categories rising.BEN is expanding alternatives, private markets, and digital assets through buyouts and strategic partnerships. Franklin Templeton, Inc. (BEN - Free Report) reported assets under management (AUM) of $1.83 trillion as of Aug. 31, 2026, up 1.9% from the prior month. The increase in preliminary AUM primarily reflected favorable market movements and $8 billion in long-term net inflows.
Franklin Templeton has demonstrated steady AUM growth over the years despite periodic market volatility. Although AUM declined in fiscal 2022 and 2025, the metric increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1% over the five fiscal years ended 2025.
Growth momentum strengthened in 2026, with long-term net inflows of $18.4 billion in the quarter ended June 30 compared to net outflows of $9.3 billion in the prior-year quarter. This improvement helped drive AUM to a record $1.79 trillion at the end of June. The positive momentum continued into the following months, with $6 billion of long-term net inflows in July and $8 billion in August, helping lift preliminary AUM to a new record as of Aug. 31, 2026.
AUM Growth Trend
Image Source: Franklin Templeton, Inc.
The company’s diversified asset mix also supported AUM growth in August. Equity AUM increased 2.3% month over month to $775.1 billion, while alternative and multi-asset AUM rose 1.8% and 1.7%, respectively, to $301.6 billion and $225.1 billion. Fixed-income AUM increased 0.6% sequentially to $440.6 billion, while cash management assets grew 5.3% to $85 billion.
Beyond traditional asset classes, Franklin is expanding its presence in higher-growth alternatives and private markets through acquisitions and partnerships. Its 2025 acquisition of Apera Asset Management strengthened alternative credit capabilities, while partnerships with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, DigitalBridge and Actis expanded its private infrastructure offerings, supporting growth in its alternatives franchise.
Digital assets provide another growth avenue. In June 2026, Franklin acquired 250 Digital and launched Franklin Crypto, expanding institutional trading, separately managed account and tokenization capabilities. Its partnerships with MoonPay, Payward and Binance have further broadened its institutional digital-asset offerings, diversifying its platform and supporting long-term AUM growth.
However, private-credit risks related to liquidity, valuations and credit quality might moderately pressure near-term investor flows. Nevertheless, strong inflow momentum, a diversified AUM base, expanding alternatives, private markets and digital-asset capabilities, along with strategic partnerships, acquisitions, favorable international flows and a regionally focused distribution model, should support continued AUM growth.
AUM Performance of Franklin’s PeersApollo Global Management, Inc. (APO - Free Report) witnessed strong AUM growth, with a 19.6% CAGR during 2022-2025. The growth trend continued in the first half of 2026, with AUM increasing 25% year over year to $1.05 trillion as of June 30, 2026, supported by robust capital formation and continued growth in Asset Management and Retirement Services.
Strategic expansion in wealth and retirement solutions and real estate, including the Schroders partnership and Bridge Investment Group acquisition, has strengthened APO’s investment capabilities and client reach and should support continued AUM growth.
Similarly, Lazard, Inc. (LAZ - Free Report) witnessed steady AUM growth, with a 2.8% CAGR during 2016-2025. The growth trend continued in the first half of 2026, with net inflows of $7.4 billion, marking Lazard’s strongest first-half inflow performance in nearly 20 years and reflecting improving client demand.
Strategic expansion in wealth management and private markets, including the Truvvo Partners acquisition and increased ownership of Elaia Partners, has strengthened LAZ’s investment capabilities and diversified its asset base, and should support continued AUM growth.
BEN Price Performance & Zacks RankThe company’s shares have gained 30.3% in the past year against the industry’s 10.1% decline.
Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, BEN carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Franklin Templeton uzavřela své první Collateralized Fund Obligation a od globálních investorů získala 1,5 miliardy USD. Produkt má nabídnout diverzifikovanou expozici vůči strategiím na private markets.
Franklin Templeton, a global investment leader, today announced the successful closing of Franklin Templeton Structured Solutions 2026, L.P., its first Collateralized Fund Obligation (CFO), raising $1.5 billion from global investors.
The CFO is designed to provide investors with diversified and efficient exposure to Franklin Templeton’s flagship private markets strategies spanning private equity secondaries and continuation vehicles managed by Lexington Partners,a pioneer in secondary private equity and co-investments, and U.S. middle-market direct lending managed by Benefit Street Partners (BSP), Franklin Templeton’s alternative credit specialist, across multiple investment vintages and a broad range of underlying portfolio companies.
“We are seeing growing demand from clients for access to differentiated private markets strategies in structures that are efficient and scalable,” said George Stephan, Global Chief Operating Officer, Wealth Management Private Markets at Franklin Templeton. “This inaugural CFO is a direct response to that demand - combining the specialized expertise of our private markets managers into an offering that reflects the full breadth of what Franklin Templeton can deliver.”
“This transaction demonstrates how structured solutions can bring together different private markets capabilities to address the evolving needs of institutional portfolios,” said Jake Williams, Co-Head, Private Markets Product at Franklin Templeton. “It draws on the breadth of Franklin Templeton's private markets platform and our continued focus on developing innovative solutions that help clients achieve their outcomes.”
Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions (FTIS), the firm’s solutions platform, will serve as collateral manager for the transaction, bringing its experience in portfolio construction, liquidity and risk management across public and private markets.
The successful close marks an important milestone for Franklin Templeton, establishing a new capital formation channel for its private markets platform and positioning the firm to capture growing demand for structured private markets solutions as adoption expands across a broader range of investors, including RIAs, family offices, insurance companies and wealth distributors.
Franklin Templeton has $295 billion in alternative assets under management as of July 31, 2026 and offers a diversified private markets platform that includes Lexington Partners, focused on private equity secondaries and co-investments; Clarion Partners, specializing in private real estate; Benefit Street Partners, a leader in private credit, Franklin Ventures, hedged strategies, and digital asset capabilities, providing investors with broad access across alternative asset classes.
Evercore served as structuring advisor and placement agent for the transaction. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as issuer counsel.
Note: The information provided herein concerns a closed offering that is no longer open to new investment. This material is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered individualized investment advice, a recommendation or a solicitation to adopt any investment strategy. It does not constitute legal or tax advice.
About Franklin Templeton
Franklin Templeton is a trusted investment partner, delivering tailored solutions that align with clients’ strategic goals. With deep portfolio management expertise across public and private markets, we combine investment excellence with cutting-edge technology. Since our founding in 1947, we have empowered clients through strategic partnership, forward-looking insights, and continuous innovation – providing the tools and resources to navigate change and capture opportunity.
With $1.80 trillion in assets under management as of July 31, 2026, Franklin Templeton operates globally in more than 35 countries.
To learn more, visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
Franklin Templeton, Inc. [NYSE: BEN]
About Benefit Street Partners
Benefit Street Partners is an alternative credit pioneer with $94 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2026 (including Apera). It seeks to deliver attractive, risk-adjusted returns through its deep specialism, long-term relationships and global reach. A wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Templeton, BSP is focused on credit. Through its disciplined, solutions-oriented approach, BSP unlocks opportunities across market cycles and geographies. The firm manages strategies spanning private debt, real estate debt, structured credit, and liquid loans. For more information, visit bspcredit.com.
About Lexington Partners
Lexington Partners is one of the world’s largest and most successful managers of secondary private equity and co-investment funds, with over $84 billion of total capitalization. The firm helped pioneer the development of the institutional secondary market over 36 years ago and created one of the first independent, discretionary co-investment programs 28 years ago. Lexington provides strategic, customized liquidity solutions to global investors and private equity sponsors alike, supported by its dedicated and well-capitalized secondary, continuation vehicle, and co-investment platforms. Lexington’s experienced professionals are strategically located in major centers for private equity and alternative asset investing across North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Latin America. Lexington is the global secondary private equity and co-investments specialist investment manager of Franklin Templeton. Additional information can be found at lexingtonpartners.com.
Franklin Resources oznámila rekordní AUM 1,79 bilionu USD k 30. červnu 2026, meziročně o 11,2 % více. Alternativní AUM dosáhla rekordu 294,2 miliardy USD díky získávání kapitálu na soukromých trzích.
Key Takeaways BEN's AUM reached a record $1.79 trillion as of June 30, 2026, up 11.2% y/y.Alternative AUM hits a record $294.2 billion, driven by private markets fundraising.BEN's 250 Digital acquisition and Franklin Crypto launch expand its digital-asset capabilities. Driven by strong inflows across asset classes and continued expansion into alternatives and private markets, Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN - Free Report) has been witnessing steady growth in its assets under management (AUM). Over the last five fiscal years (2021-2025), AUM recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1%, despite declines in fiscal 2022 and 2025. The growth trend continued in the first nine months of fiscal 2026, with AUM reaching a record $1.79 trillion as of June 30, 2026, up 11.2% year over year.
AUM Growth Trend
Image Source: Franklin Resources, Inc.
A key strength for Franklin is its diversified AUM mix across traditional and alternative asset classes. The company’s alternative AUM reached a record $294.2 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2026, driven by strong fundraising momentum in private markets and greater exposure to higher-growth asset classes. The acquisition of Apera Asset Management further strengthened its alternative credit capabilities, lifting alternative credit AUM above $90 billion and total alternatives AUM to about $270 billion in 2025.
Beyond alternatives and private markets, digital assets have emerged as a new growth area for Franklin, with AUM reaching $3.2 billion in the third quarter of fiscal 2026. In June 2026, the acquisition of 250 Digital and the launch of Franklin Crypto expanded its institutional trading, separately managed account and tokenization capabilities. Further, partnerships with MoonPay in June 2026 and Payward in May 2026 broadened access to tokenized money market funds and institutional digital-asset services. These initiatives are expected to provide additional avenues for AUM growth while further diversifying the company’s asset base.
The upward trend in AUM continued in July, with Franklin reporting preliminary AUM of $1.80 trillion as of July 31, 2026, up from $1.79 trillion at the end of June. The increase was driven by $6 billion in long-term net inflows and favorable market conditions. Continued AUM growth reflects sustained client demand and momentum across Franklin’s diversified investment platforms.
Private credit concerns may moderately slow Franklin’s near-term AUM growth amid investor concerns around liquidity, valuations and credit quality. Nevertheless, the company’s diversified asset mix, strong private markets fundraising, strategic acquisitions and expanding digital-asset capabilities are expected to drive further AUM growth.
AUM Performance of Franklin’s PeersT. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW - Free Report) has witnessed steady AUM growth, supported by its diversified asset mix. AUM recorded a 6.5% CAGR during 2020-2025, with the growth trend continuing in the first half of 2026.
TROW’s growth was driven by market appreciation and strength in multi-asset and fixed-income products, despite continued equity outflows.
Similarly, Lazard, Inc. (LAZ - Free Report) has witnessed steady AUM growth, with a 2.8% CAGR during 2016-2025. Growth continued in the first half of 2026, supported by positive net flows that marked its best first-half inflow performance in nearly 20 years.
LAZ also expanded its private market capabilities through strategic acquisitions, with its Elaia Partners stake adding $1 billion to AUM in the second quarter of 2026.
BEN Price Performance & Zacks RankThe company’s shares have gained 23.8% in the past six months compared with the industry’s 3.6% rise.
Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, the company carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Franklin Resources očekává, že upravená provozní marže za fiskální 4. čtvrtletí se přiblíží 30 %. Zároveň zvýšil výhled na fundraising v private markets pro fiskální rok 2026 na zhruba 40 miliard USD.
Key Takeaways Franklin Resources expects its fiscal fourth-quarter adjusted operating margin to approach 30%.BEN raised fiscal 2026 private markets fundraising expectations to about $40 billion.Franklin Resources' AI hub lifted client contacts 25% and sales more than 11% in deployed territories. Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN - Free Report) used its third-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings call to emphasize faster margin expansion and private markets fundraising. Management said it is ahead of its five-year plan after positive flows across every asset class and geography.
Adjusted earnings of $0.72 per share topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.66, while revenues of $2.36 billion exceeded the consensus mark of $2.27 billion. The call emphasized higher fundraising expectations and a faster path to a 30% adjusted operating margin.
BEN Raises the Private Markets Fundraising BarResponding to a TD Cowen analyst, CEO Jennifer Johnson said that fiscal 2026 private markets fundraising should reach about $40 billion, above the original $25-$30 billion target. Fiscal year-to-date fundraising was $33 billion.
Johnson said Lexington generated about 40% of the quarter’s $10.3 billion private markets raise. More than 30 strategies contributed, and real estate regained traction.
A Jefferies analyst pressed on economics. Johnson said about 80% of the private markets platform is fee-generating. Co-president, CFO and COO Matthew Nicholls put the blended fee near 65 basis points, plus performance fees.
Franklin Templeton Recasts Credit as One PlatformA Goldman Sachs analyst asked how public and private fixed income would work together. Johnson said that Franklin Templeton wants clients to view the business as one $620 billion platform, including more than $100 billion in private credit.
Johnson added that Brandywine and Putnam are integrated, while Western Asset is moving closer. Investment teams will retain independence while sharing resources and origination capabilities.
Co-president and chief commercial officer Daniel Gamba cited a new multi-asset credit mandate from a public pension. New offerings include a target-date strategy with 2-8% private market exposure.
BEN Pulls Forward the Margin TimelineAn Autonomous Research analyst sought fourth-quarter cost details. Nicholls guided to $850 million of compensation, $165 million for technology, $70 million of occupancy expense and $200 million of general and administrative expense.
Nicholls expects the fiscal fourth-quarter adjusted operating margin to approach 30%, with the full-year margin at least in the mid-27% range. The outlook assumes flat markets.
For fiscal 2027, Nicholls projected a 29-30% margin and at least 30% later in the year. Johnson called 30% a waypoint, while Nicholls put the industry range at 30-35%.
Franklin Shows AI in Commercial UseA Morgan Stanley analyst asked where AI was producing measurable returns. Johnson said that the Microsoft-linked Intelligence Hub increased client visits or contacts by 25% in deployed territories and lifted sales by more than 11%.
Johnson said that investment teams use more than 1,000 agents and are testing three strategies focused on research, portfolio construction and AI-driven investing. She stressed balancing adoption with operating costs.
Nicholls said that management tracks AI spending against productivity targets across front-office, risk and finance functions. Johnson added that operations teams apply AI to coding, RFP processing and due diligence.
BEN Keeps Capital Allocation OpportunisticA Goldman Sachs analyst asked about increased repurchases. Nicholls said that the company returned $521.5 million to shareholders, including $348.1 million in buybacks, while preserving capital for organic growth.
Nicholls stated that BEN has $3 billion of balance-sheet capital invested in funds, including $1.75 billion in private markets, and expects that amount to grow in fiscal 2027. Dividend growth and opportunistic repurchases remain priorities.
An Autonomous Research analyst raised platform fee pressure. Johnson called revenue-sharing negotiations normal industry practice and said the economics of newer wrappers such as ETFs and SMAs limit how high those fees can move.
Franklin’s Priorities Stay ConsistentJohnson closed with an emphasis on diversified organic growth. Long-term net inflows were $18.4 billion, assets under management reached $1.8 trillion, and the won-but-unfunded institutional pipeline rose to $28.6 billion.
Management is focused on scaling private markets, integrated credit, personalized portfolios and technology while maintaining expense discipline. The Aug. 17 corporate name change to Franklin Templeton, Inc. reinforces that unified model, with the BEN ticker unchanged.
Zacks Signals for BENBEN sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) at present, indicating favorable earnings estimate revisions and stronger near-term performance potential under the Zacks methodology. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
The Value Score of C, Growth Score of F, Momentum Score of D and VGM Score of D offer less support across the main trading styles, where A and B are preferred. The Zacks Rank can change as analyst estimates are revised after the results.
Franklin Resources (BEN) ve 3. čtvrtletí vydělal 0,72 USD na akcii a tržby dosáhly 2,36 miliardy USD, obojí nad odhady. Zisk i tržby tak překonaly konsensus.
Franklin Resources (BEN - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.72 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.66 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.49 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +9.09%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this investment manager would post earnings of $0.55 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.71, delivering a surprise of +29.09%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.
Franklin Resources, which belongs to the Zacks Financial - Investment Management industry, posted revenues of $2.36 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.11%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $2.06 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Franklin Resources shares have added about 38.9% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.7%.
What's Next for Franklin Resources?While Franklin Resources has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Franklin Resources was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.74 on $2.36 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $2.81 on $9.26 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Financial - Investment Management is currently in the top 26% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, Capital Southwest (CSWC - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 3.
This business development company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.55 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -6.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 1.2% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.
Capital Southwest's revenues are expected to be $60.4 million, up 8% from the year-ago quarter.
Franklin Resources vykázala ve 3. fiskálním čtvrtletí čisté dlouhodobé přílivy ve výši 18,4 mld. USD a rekordní aktiva pod správou ve výši 1,8 bilionu USD. Upravený provozní zisk vzrostl meziročně o 35 % na 508,9 mil. USD.
3 of the Most Highly Anticipated IPOs of 2026Franklin Resources NYSE: BEN reported positive long-term net inflows across every asset class and geography during its fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2026, as the asset manager cited broad demand for public markets, private markets, exchange-traded funds and customized portfolio solutions.
Chief Executive Officer Jenny Johnson said the company generated $18.4 billion of long-term net inflows in the quarter, bringing fiscal year-to-date long-term net inflows to $63.3 billion. Long-term inflows reached a record $122 billion, while assets under management rose to a record $1.8 trillion.
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Safe Space? 3 Dividend Aristocrats With 5% Yield “This was another strong quarter for Franklin Templeton that demonstrated our strategy is working,” Johnson said, pointing to positive flows across all asset classes and geographies and record assets in alternatives, ETFs, retail separately managed accounts and Canvas, its custom portfolio platform.
Private-Market Fundraising Exceeds Original Target Alternatives AUM reached a record $294 billion after $3 billion of realizations and distributions. The company raised $11.8 billion across its alternatives platform during the quarter, including $10.3 billion in private markets. Fiscal year-to-date fundraising totaled $33 billion, exceeding Franklin’s original full-year private-markets fundraising target of $25 billion to $30 billion.
Johnson said the company expects to end the fiscal year with about $40 billion in private-markets fundraising. She said Lexington Partners accounted for roughly 40% of quarterly private-markets fundraising, with contributions from its flagship, middle-market, continuation and perpetual strategies. However, she emphasized that more than 30 strategies across secondaries, real estate, private credit and venture capital contributed to fundraising.
Franklin’s Evergreen platform, which includes secondary private equity, private credit and real estate strategies for wealth-management clients, grew to $8.9 billion in AUM. Wealth management represented about 20% of private-markets fundraising year to date across Evergreen and drawdown vehicles.
Co-President and Chief Commercial Officer Daniel Gamba said the wealth channel raised $3 billion for alternative strategies during the quarter and $6.6 billion year to date. He added that 29% of alternative sales came from international markets, including 18% from Europe and the Middle East and 11% from Asia-Pacific.
Public Markets and Credit Platform Draw Inflows Equities returned to positive net flows of $2 billion, supported by demand for U.S. large-cap value and core, international equity, infrastructure and systematic strategies. The global fixed-income platform posted $2.6 billion in net inflows, driven by enhanced liquidity, municipal, multi-sector and stable-value strategies, as well as customized institutional mandates.
Excluding Western Asset, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income reported its 10th consecutive quarter of positive net flows, totaling $3.5 billion. Johnson said Franklin is integrating its liquid and private credit capabilities more closely, with $520 billion in fixed-income AUM and more than $100 billion in private-credit AUM.
Gamba said the company won a U.S. public-pension multi-asset credit mandate and is participating in additional requests for proposals. Franklin has also repositioned a target-date strategy, Retirement Advantage Plus, to include between 2% and 8% in private real estate and private credit, he said.
Multi-asset solutions generated $4.7 billion of positive net flows, led by Canvas, the Franklin Income Fund and Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions.
ETF, SMA and Canvas Businesses Set Records Franklin’s ETF business ended the quarter with a record $75.6 billion in AUM and $7.1 billion in net inflows. Active ETFs accounted for 61% of ETF net flows, according to Johnson.
Retail SMA AUM reached $187.6 billion after $4.4 billion of net inflows. Canvas, which provides custom portfolio and tax-overlay capabilities, reached $30.3 billion in AUM and recorded $3.7 billion of net inflows.
Johnson said Canvas has expanded from $2 billion in AUM when Franklin acquired it to $30 billion. Gamba said the platform added 26 partners during the quarter, bringing its total to 220. The company also introduced a preferred-partner program that allows strategic partners to use Canvas’s tax-overlay technology with their active investment strategies.
Profitability, Capital Returns and Corporate Name Change Adjusted operating income was $508.9 million, up 7% sequentially and 35% from a year earlier. Johnson attributed the increase to higher average AUM, expense management and efficiency initiatives.
Chief Financial Officer Matt Nicholls said Franklin expects its effective fee rate to remain in the mid-to-high 37 basis-point range in the fiscal fourth quarter. The company expects to be near a 30% operating margin in the fourth quarter and at least in the mid-27% range for fiscal 2026. Nicholls said Franklin expects a full-year operating margin of roughly 29% to 30% in fiscal 2027, assuming flat markets.
The company returned $521.5 million to shareholders during the quarter, including $348.1 million in share repurchases. Nicholls said the repurchase total included an opportunistic transaction with Great-West Lifeco, which sold more than 1% of Franklin’s outstanding shares above its previously disclosed 4.9% long-term strategic investment.
Franklin also said it will change its corporate name from Franklin Resources Inc. to Franklin Templeton Inc. effective Aug. 17, 2026. The company said the change will not affect its capital structure, shares, CUSIP number or shareholder rights, and its stock will continue trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the BEN ticker.
Digital Assets and AI Investments Digital-asset AUM ended the quarter at $3.2 billion, including $2.4 billion in tokenized funds and about $600 million in crypto ETFs. Franklin completed its acquisition of 250 Digital, launched Franklin Crypto, and announced partnerships with MoonPay and Payward, Kraken’s parent company, to expand access to tokenized investment products.
Johnson said Franklin’s Microsoft-supported Intelligence Hub has helped territories increase client visits or contacts by 25% and sales by more than 11%. The company is also using artificial intelligence across investment research, operations, marketing, risk management and other functions, while tracking the costs and expected productivity benefits of its AI initiatives.
About Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN)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.
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Franklin Templeton dokončila akvizici 250 Digital a spustila Franklin Crypto pro aktivně spravované kryptoměnové strategie určené institucionálním klientům. Součástí transakce je i tým 250 Digital a veškeré likvidní digitální strategie dříve spravované CoinFund.
Key Takeaways BEN's arm acquired 250 Digital, adding a crypto investment team and CoinFund's liquid digital strategies.Franklin Templeton launched Franklin Crypto to offer active crypto strategies for institutional clients.The buyout aids BEN's broader push into blockchain finance alongside partnerships with MoonPay and Binance. Franklin Resources, Inc.'s (BEN - Free Report) asset management arm, Franklin Templeton, has completed its previously announced acquisition of 250 Digital, an active cryptocurrency investment management firm led by industry veterans Christopher Perkins and Seth Ginns. The transaction, announced in April 2026, includes the 250 Digital investment team and all liquid cryptocurrency strategies previously managed by CoinFund.
The acquisition marks another step in Franklin Templeton's efforts to strengthen its presence in digital assets and expand its active cryptocurrency investment capabilities. Following the closing of the transaction, the company formally launched Franklin Crypto, a dedicated active digital asset management division.
The move underscores Franklin Templeton’s long-term focus on building infrastructure across the digital asset ecosystem and expanding its institutional cryptocurrency investment offerings. As part of the agreement, the company will also invest in the acquired cryptocurrency strategies.
What Does BEN’s Franklin Crypto Offer?Franklin Crypto is Franklin Templeton’s newly established active digital asset division focused on delivering actively managed cryptocurrency strategies to institutional clients. The platform integrates the investment capabilities of the former 250 Digital team with Franklin Templeton’s established research, portfolio construction and risk management framework.
The division also builds on Franklin Templeton’s existing digital asset capabilities, including dedicated resources for digital asset research, active portfolio construction and institutional risk oversight. By combining crypto-native expertise with traditional asset management infrastructure, Franklin Crypto is designed to enhance the company’s ability to deliver regulated digital asset investment solutions.
How the 250 Digital Acquisition Benefits BENThe acquisition is expected to strengthen Franklin Templeton’s active digital asset management capabilities at a time when institutional demand for regulated crypto exposure continues to increase, positioning the company to scale its digital asset offerings more effectively.
The initiative also aligns with Franklin Templeton’s broader strategy of expanding beyond traditional asset management and increasing its presence in blockchain-enabled finance. Earlier this month, Franklin Templeton partnered with MoonPay to integrate its Benji Technology Platform with institutional trading infrastructure, enhancing access to its tokenized money market funds.
In February 2026, the company also collaborated with Binance to launch an off-exchange institutional collateral program designed to improve capital efficiency and reduce counterparty risk in digital asset trading. These initiatives strengthen Franklin Templeton’s digital asset ecosystem, spanning research, portfolio management and blockchain-based investment solutions.
With $1.78 trillion in assets under management as of May 31, 2026, and operations across more than 35 countries, Franklin Templeton is well-positioned to scale its digital asset offerings globally. Overall, the acquisition of 250 Digital is expected to expand its cryptocurrency investment capabilities and reinforce its position among traditional asset managers, building out blockchain-enabled financial market infrastructure.
BEN’s Price Performance & Zacks RankThe company’s shares have gained 39.7% in the past six months against the industry’s 12.1% decline.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Currently, Franklin sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
How Other Financial Firms Are Scaling Up in Crypto?Similar to BEN, the other financial firms, such as Interactive Brokers Group, Inc. (IBKR - Free Report) and Charles Schwab (SCHW - Free Report) are also actively expanding and enhancing their crypto offerings.
In April 2026, Interactive Brokers launched a unified crypto trading platform for European Economic Area clients through its Ireland-based unit, integrating digital assets into its brokerage ecosystem. Developed with Zerohash, it enables secure trading alongside traditional assets. Earlier, in March 2026, Interactive Brokers also introduced crypto transfer functionality, allowing clients to move assets into brokerage-linked accounts without liquidation, improving portfolio efficiency.
In April 2026, Charles Schwab also moved toward direct crypto exposure with the planned launch of Schwab Crypto, a spot trading service for Bitcoin and Ethereum. The rollout will follow a phased approach, starting with limited access before broader availability, supported by its research, education and advisory ecosystem. Until now, Charles Schwab has mainly relied on indirect exposure through ETFs and related products, but this marks a shift toward integrating crypto into its core brokerage platform.
Franklin Resources (BEN) včera vystoupil na nové 52týdenní maximum 33,29 USD a za posledních šest měsíců posílil o 38,9 %. Růst táhne především rozšiřování alternativ a digitálních aktiv.
Key Takeaways BEN reached a 52-week high of $33.29 and outperformed IVZ and TROW over six months.BEN's AUM grew at a 3.1% CAGR over five years, with continued momentum in the first half of fiscal 2026.BEN is expanding through acquisitions and partnerships across alternatives and digital assets. Shares of Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN - Free Report) touched a new 52-week high of $33.29 during yesterday’s trading session before closing slightly lower at $33.18.
Over the past six months, BEN shares have rallied 38.9% against the industry’s decline of 9.7%. The stock has also fared better than its close peers, Invesco Ltd. (IVZ - Free Report) and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW - Free Report) , which gained 10.3% and 5.5%, respectively, over the same period.
Price Performance
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Does Franklin have more upside left after touching a new 52-week high? Let us find out.
Other Factors Supporting Franklin’s GrowthAUM Growth Driven by Diversification Efforts: Franklin has continued to deliver healthy growth in its assets under management (AUM) over the years, registering a 3.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past five fiscal years through fiscal 2025, despite declines in fiscal 2022 and 2025. The upward momentum continued in the first half of fiscal 2026.
AUM Growth Trend
Image Source: Franklin Resources, Inc.
The company’s strategic push into higher-demand asset classes, especially alternatives, is expected to remain a key driver of AUM expansion going forward. In addition, its regionally diversified distribution network has helped strengthen its non-U.S. franchise and supported steady net inflows.
Solid Organic Growth: Organic growth has been a key strength for Franklin over the years. Although revenues declined in fiscal 2023, the company recorded a CAGR of 1.9% over fiscal 2022-2025. The growth momentum continued in the first six months of fiscal 2026, with revenues increasing year over year.
Going forward, revenues are likely to benefit from BEN's relatively strong distribution platform, which has supported diversification inflows across funds, vehicles and asset classes. The company also enjoys a first-mover advantage in several international markets and continues to diversify its business to build broader sources of revenues, primarily driven by a solid fixed-income pipeline. These initiatives, along with expanding investment capabilities, are expected to support long-term revenue growth.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BEN's fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 revenues is pegged at $9.1 billion and $9.2 billion, indicating year-over-year growth rates of 3.6% and 0.9%, respectively.
Revenue Estimates
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Strategic Acquisitions and Partnerships to Expand Capabilities: As part of its ongoing strategy to diversify investment offerings and strengthen its presence in high-growth asset classes, Franklin has continued to expand through acquisitions and strategic partnerships. In April 2026, the company agreed to acquire 250 Digital, a crypto investment firm spun out of CoinFund, and launch the Franklin Crypto unit to enhance its digital asset capabilities and broaden its institutional reach. Earlier, in February 2026, BEN partnered with Binance to introduce an off-exchange institutional collateral program aimed at improving the safety and capital efficiency of digital asset trading.
Franklin has also been strengthening its alternatives and technology capabilities. In November 2025, the company partnered with Wand AI to bolster AI-driven research and operations. Earlier, in October 2025, BEN acquired Apera Asset Management, expanding its alternative credit AUM to more than $90 billion and increasing its overall alternatives platform to approximately $270 billion. In September 2025, partnerships with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, DigitalBridge and Actis broadened its private infrastructure offerings, while the alliance with SBI Holdings in 2024 strengthened its exchange-traded fund and digital asset capabilities.
Together, these acquisitions and partnerships are expected to enhance Franklin's alternative investment capabilities, diversify revenue streams and support long-term AUM growth across its global asset management platform.
Strong Liquidity to Aid Shareholder Returns: Franklin maintains a healthy liquidity profile, providing financial flexibility and supporting its ability to pursue growth opportunities while returning capital to shareholders. As of March 31, 2026, the company had no short-term debt, while its liquidity position, comprising cash and cash equivalents, receivables and investments, stood at $6.6 billion.
As such, Franklin's strong liquidity position continues to support its shareholder-friendly capital distribution activities. In December 2025, the board authorized the repurchase of an additional 20.8 million shares, taking the total authorization to 40 million shares. As of March 31, 2026, shares worth $35.9 million remained available under the authorization. Further, the company raised its quarterly cash dividend by 3.1% to 33 cents per share in December 2025 and has increased dividends five times over the past five years. BEN currently offers a dividend yield of 3.9%, above the industry average of 2.5%. Meanwhile, Invesco and T. Rowe Price offer dividend yields of 2.9% and 4.8%, respectively.
Dividend Yield
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Concerns Prevailing for BENInvestment Management Fees Remain a Key Concentration Risk: The company's total revenues are heavily dependent on investment management fees, which represent its largest revenue source. These fees accounted for 79.3% of total revenues as of March 31, 2026, and have witnessed a volatile trend over the years. While the metric has generally trended upward in recent years, it largely depends on the level and mix of AUM, which are influenced by market conditions, client flows and investor preferences.
Further, Franklin's AUM is exposed to foreign exchange movements, regulatory changes and broader economic conditions. Thus, any sustained decline in AUM levels may pressure investment management fees and adversely impact the company's financial performance.
Higher Expenses Could Pressure Profitability: Franklin has been witnessing elevated operating expenses over the years. Though expenses declined in fiscal 2022, the metric recorded a CAGR of 7.9% over fiscal 2022-2025, with the upward trend continuing in the first six months of fiscal 2026.
Moreover, the acquisition of Apera Asset Management is expected to add roughly $30 million in expenses in fiscal 2026. While management expects efficiency savings to offset these costs, ongoing investments in technology, higher fundraising expenses and integration costs related to specialist investment managers may continue to pressure margins and limit bottom-line growth.
Analyzing BEN's Earnings Estimates and ValuationAnalysts are optimistic regarding Franklin’s earnings growth potential. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s fiscal 2026 and 2027 earnings has been revised upward. The estimated figures reflect respective year-over-year growth rates of 23.4% and 8.4%.
Earnings Revision Trend
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In terms of valuation, BEN stock appears inexpensive relative to the industry. The company is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 11.4X, which is below the industry’s P/E of 13.8X.
Price-to-Earnings F12M
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Meanwhile, Invesco holds a P/E ratio of 10.62X, while T. Rowe Price’s P/E ratio stands at 11.3X.
How to Approach BEN Stock Now?Franklin’s expanding alternatives platform, along with its strategic acquisitions and growing digital asset capabilities, is expected to support long-term AUM and revenue growth. Strong liquidity and consistent capital return initiatives further highlight the company’s financial strength and shareholder-friendly approach.
Improving earnings performance, a diversified product suite and a strengthening global distribution network continue to support Franklin’s long-term growth outlook. Additionally, BEN stock appears attractively valued relative to the industry.
However, volatility in investment management fees, along with a rising expense base driven by acquisitions and integration costs, is likely to pressure margins and earnings in the near term.
Hence, despite the recent rally, investors may prefer to wait for a more attractive entry point. Existing shareholders, however, may continue to hold the stock, given Franklin’s solid fundamentals and long-term growth initiatives.
The company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
