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Six popular dividend stocks sitting in a taxable account quietly hand a portion of every payout to the IRS, and the gap between what you earn and what you keep widens sharply depending on which bracket you occupy and which account holds the shares.

Stellar hosts more tokenized real-world assets than the XRP Ledger, yet XLM trades at a fraction of XRP's price. The reason comes down to a structural flaw in how Stellar's tokenization boom actually works.

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Stellar (CRYPTO:XLM) has emerged as a leader in hosting tokenized real-world assets, boasting a total of $3.5 billion. This figure puts it ahead of every other chain, including the XRP Ledger, which hosts $2.5 billion in tokenized assets. However, Stellar’s coin, XLM, has not seen a corresponding price increase. As of October 11, 2026, XLM trades at $0.20, bringing Stellar’s total market value to $6.85 billion.

In contrast, XRP (CRYPTO:XRP) is valued at $1.39, giving it a market capitalization of $88 billion. This means XRP is now worth 12.8 times more than Stellar, even though its ledger hosts less tokenized value. Additionally, XLM’s price is down 77.7% from its January 2018 high of $0.88, while XRP is currently 61.8% below its July 2025 peak. So why does a blockchain with more tokenized assets have a lower coin value?

Stellar Leads the XRP Ledger With $3.5 Billion in Tokenized Assets

A tokenized real-world asset represents financial products, such as Treasury bills or money market funds, recorded on a blockchain. This allows for ownership transfers without the usual banking processes. For example, a money market fund is a low-risk investment that primarily holds short-term government debt and cash. In this context, a token serves as a digital receipt for the asset.

Stellar’s $3.5 billion in tokenized assets places it in the lead, followed closely by Solana at $3 billion, the XRP Ledger at $2.5 billion, and Avalanche at $1.7 billion. Much of Stellar’s value comes from a Franklin Templeton (NYSE:BEN | BEN Price Prediction) money market fund and tokenized U.S. Treasuries. Meanwhile, Circle (NYSE:CRCL) provides the cash component through its USDC and EURC stablecoins, pegged to the U.S. dollar and the euro, respectively, to facilitate payments for fund shares during transactions.

Previously, reports showed the XRP Ledger led in tokenized commodities with $2.2 billion, compared to Ethereum‘s $1.6 billion. Both rankings remain, with the XRP Ledger maintaining its leadership in commodities and Stellar excelling in overall tokenized asset value thanks to its Treasury and money market products.

Why Stellar’s Tokenized Assets Don’t Drive Demand for XLM

While the ranking reflects the dollar value of assets on each chain, it doesn’t account for activity, revenue, or demand for the underlying cryptocurrencies. A tokenized fund that remains static ranks the same as one that sees frequent trading.

Stellar exemplifies the disconnect between asset value and demand for XLM. Although Stellar transaction fees are paid in XLM, they are only fractions of a cent. Consequently, users have little incentive to hold significant amounts of XLM when moving tokenized funds around the network.

Furthermore, investors holding a tokenized Franklin Templeton fund own a claim solely on the fund itself, which provides exposure to Treasury yields and the fund manager without requiring any ownership of XLM.

XRP Has ETF and Treasury Buyers That XLM Lacks

Stellar lacks key components that bolster demand for XRP: a spot exchange-traded fund (ETF) and corporate treasury buyers. A spot ETF directly holds the cryptocurrency and trades on a stock exchange, while corporate treasury buyers are public companies that acquire the coin and hold it on their balance sheets. Without either, institutions have no obligation to purchase XLM when new investments come in.

Conversely, XRP benefits from both attributes. Spot XRP funds currently hold $1.57 billion in assets, according to SoSoValue, and Evernorth, a treasury company set to list on Nasdaq, owns about 473 million XRP, or around $657 million. Additionally, Ripple, the company behind XRP’s payment solutions, supports the market through its own balance sheet.

The disparity between the two coins largely stems from their respective demand dynamics. When fresh investments flow into a spot XRP fund, the fund acquires XRP. In contrast, when money enters a tokenized Treasury fund on Stellar, the fund manager invests in Treasuries instead of XLM.

Will Stellar’s Tokenized Assets Close the Gap With XRP? It seems unlikely this gap will narrow if the current structure remains unchanged. For XLM holders drawn to tokenization headlines, note that the benefits primarily accrue to entities like Franklin Templeton, Circle, and their investors, as their funds invest in Treasuries and stablecoins. Stellar’s total value increases when fund managers issue new tokens, which doesn’t require buying XLM, so the 12.8x gap between XRP and XLM may persist even as tokenized asset figures grow.

Only if a spot XLM fund emerges, a publicly traded company adopts XLM for its treasury, or a protocol change links tokenized asset activity to XLM purchases might the situation improve. If Stellar’s total tokenized assets continue to grow while all three are still missing, the market will likely keep pricing each coin based on who needs to buy it rather than on the assets its network hosts.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Looking for a stock that has been consistently beating earnings estimates and might be well positioned to keep the streak alive in its next quarterly report? Franklin Templeton (BEN - Free Report) , which belongs to the Zacks Financial - Investment Management industry, could be a great candidate to consider.

This investment manager has an established record of topping earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The company boasts an average surprise for the past two quarters of 19.09%.

For the most recent quarter, Franklin Templeton was expected to post earnings of $0.66 per share, but it reported $0.72 per share instead, representing a surprise of 9.09%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $0.55 per share, while it actually produced $0.71 per share, a surprise of 29.09%.

Price and EPS Surprise

With this earnings history in mind, recent estimates have been moving higher for Franklin Templeton. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the company is positive, which is a great sign of an earnings beat, especially when you combine this metric with its nice Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.

Franklin Templeton currently has an Earnings ESP of +2.39%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner. We expect the company's next earnings report to be released on November 6, 2026.

When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss.

Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.

Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

Shares of Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN – Get Free Report) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Hold” from the ten ratings firms that are covering the firm, Marketbeat reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $35.38.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on BEN shares. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Franklin Resources from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, September 25th. Zacks Research lowered Franklin Resources from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 25th. Wall Street Zen raised Franklin Resources from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, September 27th. TD Cowen increased their target price on Franklin Resources from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods initiated coverage on Franklin Resources in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $38.00 price target on the stock.

Get Our Latest Analysis on BEN

Shares of BEN stock opened at $32.46 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $16.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.08, a PEG ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a quick ratio of 1.48 and a current ratio of 1.48. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $33.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $31.31. Franklin Resources has a twelve month low of $21.10 and a twelve month high of $36.28. Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The closed-end fund reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.06. Franklin Resources had a net margin of 8.72% and a return on equity of 11.55%. The company had revenue of $2.36 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.76 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.49 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 14.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that Franklin Resources will post 2.9 EPS for the current year.

Franklin Resources Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 9th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 30th will be paid a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 30th. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.1%. Franklin Resources’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 89.80%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Franklin Resources A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BEN. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in Franklin Resources during the first quarter valued at about $6,254,000. Cibc World Market Inc. acquired a new position in Franklin Resources in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $4,418,000. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new stake in shares of Franklin Resources in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $37,742,000. Man Group plc bought a new stake in shares of Franklin Resources in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,429,000. Finally, Kinloch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Franklin Resources during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $5,737,000. Institutional investors own 47.56% of the company’s stock.

About Franklin Resources (Get Free Report)

Franklin Resources, Inc, operating under the Franklin Templeton brand, is a global investment management organization. The company provides investment solutions for individual investors, financial professionals, institutions and retirement-plan participants through a range of actively managed and specialized strategies.

Its products and services include mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, separately managed accounts, institutional mandates and alternative investment strategies. Franklin Templeton offers capabilities spanning equities, fixed income, multi-asset investing, private markets and other specialized areas, with investment teams and brands serving different market segments and regions.

Founded in 1947 by Rupert H.

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SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Franklin Templeton, Inc. (NYSE: BEN) today reported preliminary month-end assets under management (AUM) of $1.79 trillion at September 30, 2026, compared to $1.83 trillion at August 31, 2026. This month's decrease in preliminary AUM reflected the negative impact of markets, partially offset by long-term net inflows of $6 billion. For the quarter ended September 30, 2026, preliminary AUM reflected the negative impact of markets, partially offset by long-term n.

Key Takeaways Franklin Templeton's AUM reached a record $1.79T, with long-term net inflows of $18.4B.Investment management fees rose 13.7% as AUM growth boosted revenues and alternatives expanded.Stoneshield deal could add $9B in AUM and strengthen European real estate and infrastructure capabilities. Franklin Templeton (BEN - Free Report) continues to benefit from solid assets under management (AUM) growth, aided by improving net flows, favorable market performance and expansion across private markets and alternative investments. With AUM reaching record levels, the growing asset base could remain an important driver of fee revenues and earnings. However, elevated expenses and sensitivity to market movements may limit the extent of bottom-line growth.

At the end of the fiscal third quarter on June 30, 2026, Franklin Templeton’s AUM reached a record $1.79 trillion, up 11.2% year over year. Average AUM climbed 11.8% to $1.75 trillion. More importantly, the company recorded $18.4 billion in long-term net inflows, a notable turnaround from long-term net outflows of $9.3 billion in the year-ago quarter.

AUM growth is particularly important for Franklin Templeton because investment management fees represent its largest revenue source. In the fiscal third quarter, investment management fees increased 13.7% year over year to $1.87 billion, while total operating revenues advanced 14.3% to $2.36 billion. The increasing contribution from alternative assets could further support the revenue mix. Alternative AUM reached $301.6 billion in August, up 1.8% from July.

Franklin Templeton has been expanding in private credit, infrastructure and real estate, areas that continue to attract client demand. Its planned acquisition of a majority stake in Stoneshield Capital should further strengthen this business. The transaction is expected to add $9 billion in AUM and expand Franklin Templeton’s European real estate and infrastructure capabilities. The deal is also expected to support fee-earning AUM growth across institutional and wealth-management channels.

Overall, Franklin Templeton’s improving net flows, record AUM and growing alternatives franchise provide support for continued earnings growth. For the next 3-5 years, BEN’s earnings are expected to rise 30.4%.

AUM Performance of BEN’s PeersApollo Global Management’s (APO - Free Report) AUM witnessed a CAGR of 19.6% over the past three years (2022-2025), with the rising trend continuing in the first half of 2026. The increase in Apollo’s AUM is primarily driven by growth in its retirement services client assets, subscriptions across the platform and new financing facilities.

By 2029, Apollo Global Management expects its total AUM to reach $1.5 trillion by scaling its private equity business.

Similarly, Blackstone Inc. (BX - Free Report) has been witnessing a rise in its AUM balance. Over the past five years (2020-2025), total AUM and fee-earning AUM have recorded a CAGR of 15.6% and 14.4%, respectively. The total AUM rose 12% year over year in the first half of 2026.

Blackstone’s robust AUM base supports its long-term earnings growth by providing a larger pool of fee-generating capital across its private equity, real estate, credit and infrastructure platforms.

Key Takeaways BEN's AUM growth is fueled by strong inflows, private markets and alternative investment expansion.LAZ recorded $7.4 billion of net inflows in the first half of 2026, its strongest in nearly 20 years.BEN trades at 1.3X P/B versus 4.4X for LAZ, while LAZ offers a higher 5.6% dividend yield. Franklin Templeton, Inc. (BEN - Free Report) and Lazard, Inc. (LAZ - Free Report) are prominent global financial services firms with diversified platforms spanning asset management and investment-related services. Both companies benefit from broad client bases, global operating footprints and expanding investment capabilities. However, their business models and strategic priorities differ, with BEN having a broader asset management platform across equity, fixed income, alternatives, multi-asset and cash management strategies, while LAZ generates a significant portion of its revenues from financial advisory services.

Let us take a closer look at the growth drivers, business mix and financial outlook of BEN and LAZ to determine which stock offers better long-term upside potential.

The Case for BENFranklin has been expanding and diversifying its investment platform through strategic acquisitions and partnerships. In September 2026, its real estate investment arm, Clarion Partners, agreed to acquire a majority stake in Stoneshield Capital, adding $9 billion in assets under management (AUM) and strengthening its European real estate and infrastructure capabilities. The deal is expected to lift Franklin’s alternatives AUM above $300 billion. Earlier, the company acquired 250 Digital and launched Franklin Crypto to expand its digital-asset capabilities, while the acquisition of Apera Asset Management strengthened its alternative credit platform. These initiatives, along with partnerships across private infrastructure, tokenization and digital assets, have broadened BEN’s investment capabilities and strengthened its position across high-growth alternative asset classes.

Supported by this broader investment platform, Franklin’s AUM has continued to grow. In the third quarter of fiscal 2026, AUM reached a record $1.8 trillion. The increase was driven by strong inflows across asset classes, robust growth in private markets and alternatives and favorable international flows. The company’s continued focus on alternative investments is also helping diversify its business mix and increase exposure to asset classes benefiting from growing client demand. Record alternative AUM, solid private-market fundraising and a broad distribution network are expected to support further AUM growth and strengthen its long-term growth prospects.

Organic growth remains another key strength for BEN. Strong inflows into ETFs, separately managed accounts and private-market offerings, along with a healthy institutional pipeline, have supported revenue growth. The company’s broad distribution platform and established presence across international markets have further helped drive client flows. Going forward, continued diversification across alternatives, multi-asset solutions and digital assets, combined with favorable international flows, is expected to broaden the revenue base.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 revenues is pegged at $9.4 billion and $9.7 billion, respectively, indicating year-over-year growth of 6.6% and 3.5%, respectively.

BEN Revenue Estimates
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

However, Franklin’s rising expense base remains a concern. Higher compensation, distribution and general and administrative expenses have kept costs elevated, while investments in technology, fundraising and specialist investment platforms are adding to spending. The company expects the Apera acquisition to add $30 million in expenses in fiscal 2026, although planned efficiency savings are expected to offset these costs. Continued investment and integration expenses could weigh on near-term profitability even as the company expands its higher-growth businesses.

The Case for LAZLazard has been strengthening its platform through strategic acquisitions and partnerships, with a focus on expanding its financial advisory and private markets capabilities. In April 2026, the company entered into an agreement to acquire Campbell Lutyens, strengthening its private capital advisory business and expanding its global private markets platform. The deal is expected to be earnings accretive in 2027. Earlier, LAZ formed a strategic alliance with Arini Capital Management to expand its access to private capital solutions across Europe, particularly in direct lending across the EMEA region. Together, these initiatives have broadened Lazard’s advisory and investment offerings, strengthened its private markets platform and created additional avenues for long-term growth.

Building on these initiatives, LAZ’s AUM has continued to expand, supported by its diversified Asset Management platform and broad client base. The company recorded positive net flows of $7.4 billion in the first half of 2026, its strongest first-half inflow performance in nearly 20 years. Client demand has remained broad across quantitative strategies, emerging markets, Japanese and international equities, fixed income and private markets. Further, the addition of assets through the Truvvo Partners and Elaia transactions, along with the expansion of its private markets capabilities, is expected to support future AUM growth. Continued demand across its investment strategies should further support the Asset Management business.

Meanwhile, the company’s diversified business mix provides multiple avenues for organic growth. Improving deal-making activity is expected to support Financial Advisory revenues, while the diversified AUM mix in Asset Management is poised to drive overall revenue growth. Lazard is targeting a doubling of revenues by 2030, supported by the continued expansion of its Financial Advisory and Asset Management businesses. The Campbell Lutyens acquisition is expected to further strengthen its private capital advisory capabilities and provide an additional avenue for revenue growth over the longer term.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2026 and 2027 revenues is pegged at $3.3 billion and $4.1 billion, respectively, indicating year-over-year growth of 9.2% and 22.3%, respectively.

LAZ Revenue Estimates
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

On the cost front, Lazard has been making efforts to reduce expenses and improve operating efficiency while continuing to invest in growth. Its Lazard 2030 initiatives focus on cost savings, moderated hiring and productivity improvements, while greater use of artificial intelligence across research, portfolio construction, client servicing and internal processes is expected to further enhance efficiency. Management is targeting a compensation ratio of 60% or below and a non-compensation ratio of 16-20% over the near term. These cost-management initiatives, combined with operating leverage from revenue growth, are expected to support profitability over time.

How Do Earnings Estimates Compare for BEN & LAZ?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BEN’s fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2027 earnings implies year-over-year increases of 30.2% and 10.9%, respectively. Earnings estimates for both fiscal 2026 and 2027 have been revised upward over the past 60 days.

BEN Estimates Revision Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for LAZ’s 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year decline of 10.7%, while the same for 2027 earnings implies a year-over-year increase of 83.6%. Earnings estimates for both years have been revised downward over the past two months.

LAZ Estimates Revision Trend
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

BEN & LAZ: Price Performance, Valuations & Other ComparisonsOver the past six months, BEN shares gained 42.6%, while LAZ shares plunged 11.3%. In the same time frame, the industry reported growth of 10.8%.

Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, BEN’s trailing 12-month price-to-book (P/B) ratio is 1.3X, while LAZ has a trailing P/B ratio of 4.4X. This indicates that LAZ shares are trading at a premium to BEN shares.

Price-to-Book TTM
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Meanwhile, both Lazard and Franklin reward their shareholders through dividends. In July 2022, LAZ increased its quarterly common dividend by 6% and has kept the payment steady since then. It has a dividend yield of 5.6%. Similarly, BEN announced a 3.1% hike in its common stock dividend in December 2025. It has a dividend yield of 4.0%.

Dividend Yield
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

BEN or LAZ: Which Stock Offers More Value?Franklin and Lazard both benefit from diversified financial-services platforms, broad client bases and expanding investment capabilities. Both companies are also pursuing strategic acquisitions and partnerships to strengthen their businesses and support long-term growth.

However, BEN appears better positioned based on its stronger earnings growth outlook, positive estimate revisions, recent share-price performance and lower valuation. While LAZ offers a higher dividend yield and continues to expand its Asset Management and Financial Advisory businesses, its earnings estimates have been revised downward and its shares trade at a higher price-to-book multiple.

Therefore, BEN appears to have an edge over LAZ, backed by its stronger earnings outlook and more attractive valuation.

Currently, BEN carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), while LAZ carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Investors in Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN - Free Report) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Oct 16, 2026 $15 Put had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.

What is Implied Volatility?Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy.

What do the Analysts Think?Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for Franklin Resources shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, Franklin Resources is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) in the Financial - Investment Management industry that ranks in the Bottom 32% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 60 days, two analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while one analyst has revised the estimate downward. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from 76 cents per share to 77 cents in that period.

Given the way analysts feel about Franklin Resources right now, this huge implied volatility could mean there’s a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected.

Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Franklin Templeton (BEN - Free Report) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Finance sector should help us answer this question.

Franklin Templeton is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 873 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #7. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

The Zacks Rank is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. Franklin Templeton is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BEN's full-year earnings has moved 4% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Our latest available data shows that BEN has returned about 37% since the start of the calendar year. At the same time, Finance stocks have gained an average of 5%. As we can see, Franklin Templeton is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Another stock in the Finance sector, Bank of Montreal (BMO - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 33%.

Over the past three months, Bank of Montreal's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 15.5%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Franklin Templeton belongs to the Financial - Investment Management industry, which includes 37 individual stocks and currently sits at #103 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 11.7% so far this year, so BEN is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Bank of Montreal belongs to the Banks - Foreign industry. This 85-stock industry is currently ranked #60. The industry has moved +17% year to date.

Going forward, investors interested in Finance stocks should continue to pay close attention to Franklin Templeton and Bank of Montreal as they could maintain their solid performance.

Key Takeaways Franklin's Clarion Partners is acquiring a majority stake in Stoneshield to expand European alternatives.The deal adds $9 billion in AUM, lifting Clarion's European AUM to $13 billion and total AUM to $82 billion.Franklin's alternatives AUM is set to surpass $300 billion following the Stoneshield transaction. Franklin Templeton, Inc. (BEN - Free Report) is deepening its presence in European alternatives as its real estate investment arm, Clarion Partners, LLC (“Clarion”), agrees to acquire a majority stake in Stoneshield Capital (Stoneshield). The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to customary conditions and regulatory approvals.

Stoneshield is a specialized European real estate platform focused on living and student housing, digital infrastructure, hospitality and critical infrastructure. Its presence across Spain, Portugal, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Luxembourg expands Clarion’s European footprint and strengthens its exposure to specialized real asset markets.

The deal brings Stoneshield’s $9 billion in assets under management (AUM) onto Clarion’s platform, taking its European AUM to $13 billion and total AUM to $82 billion. The transaction comes as BEN continues to expand its alternatives business, which recorded a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.7% in alternative AUM over the five years ended fiscal 2025. Growth continued in the first nine months of fiscal 2026, driven by demand for private credit, infrastructure, real estate and other alternative investments. The transaction will bring Franklin’s total alternatives AUM to more than $300 billion, further expanding its scale in private markets.

The acquisition will strengthen BEN’s European alternatives platform by adding complementary real estate and infrastructure capabilities. Stoneshield’s exposure to living and student housing, hospitality, digital infrastructure and critical infrastructure will expand its investment offerings and create additional opportunities across institutional and wealth-management channels. Its presence across multiple European markets can also help Franklin broaden distribution, attract new capital, grow fee-earning AUM and support long-term fee revenue growth.

Franklin has been expanding its alternatives platform through acquisitions and strategic partnerships. The 2025 acquisition of Apera strengthened its European private-credit capabilities and helped push alternative-credit AUM above $90 billion. Earlier acquisitions of Alcentra and Lexington Partners added private debt and secondaries capabilities, while partnerships with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, DigitalBridge and Actis expanded its infrastructure business. These investments have helped the company diversify its alternatives platform beyond traditional asset management.

With the Stoneshield acquisition, Franklin will add another established platform to its growing alternatives business. The deal will increase AUM, broaden its European real estate capabilities and provide additional investment strategies for institutional and wealth-management clients. Continued expansion in alternatives remains an important part of Franklin’s strategy to diversify its asset-management business and drive long-term fee revenue growth.

How Are Other Asset Managers Scaling Their Alternatives Platforms?Similar to BEN, other asset managers like BlackRock (BLK - Free Report) and T. Rowe Price (TROW - Free Report) are expanding their alternatives platforms through acquisitions, partnerships and new product launches.

BlackRock has strengthened its alternatives platform through strategic acquisitions, including Global Infrastructure Partners, HPS Investment Partners, Preqin, ElmTree Funds and SpiderRock. These deals have expanded its presence in infrastructure, private credit and alternative investments, while supporting fundraising, cross-selling and higher-margin revenue growth. The initiatives are expected to diversify BlackRock’s business further and support long-term growth.

T. Rowe Price is similarly expanding its alternatives platform through new products, partnerships and acquisitions. In March 2026, it introduced the T. Rowe Price OHA Flexible Credit Income Fund in partnership with OHA. Its partnership with Goldman Sachs also led to the July 2026 launch of the T. Rowe Price Goldman Sachs Private Markets Fund. Earlier acquisitions of OHA and Retiree strengthened T. Rowe Price’s alternative investment capabilities, while its focus on private credit and private markets is expected to support AUM and revenue growth.

BEN’s Price Performance & Zacks RankOver the past year, BEN shares have gained 41.1% against the industry’s 7.8% decline.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

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.

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.

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Franklin Templeton, Inc. (NYSE: BEN) today reported preliminary month-end assets under management (AUM) of $1.83 trillion at August 31, 2026, compared to $1.79 trillion at July 31, 2026. This month's increase in preliminary AUM reflected the positive impact of markets and long-term net inflows of $8 billion. By Asset Class: (In USD billions) Preliminary 31-Aug-26 31-Jul-26 30-Jun-26 31-Mar-26 31-Aug-25 Equity $775.1 $757.6 $756.9 $669.7 $672.7 Fixed Income 44.

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Franklin Templeton, Inc. (the “Company”) [NYSE:BEN] announced a quarterly cash dividend in the amount of $0.33 per share payable on October 9, 2026 to stockholders of record holding shares of common stock at the close of business on September 30, 2026. The quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share is equivalent to the dividend paid for the prior quarter and represents a 3.1% increase over the quarterly dividend paid for the same quarter last year. About Franklin.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 4,589,483 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock, valued at approximately $152,692,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp owned approximately 0.90% of Franklin Resources at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in BEN. Norges Bank bought a new position in Franklin Resources during the fourth quarter valued at about $98,168,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in Franklin Resources by 188.2% in the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 4,131,559 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $98,703,000 after acquiring an additional 2,697,743 shares in the last quarter. Azora Capital LP raised its position in Franklin Resources by 78.8% in the fourth quarter. Azora Capital LP now owns 5,796,575 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $138,480,000 after acquiring an additional 2,554,105 shares in the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP acquired a new stake in Franklin Resources in the 2nd quarter valued at about $51,384,000. Finally, Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in Franklin Resources by 49.8% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,118,686 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $95,265,000 after acquiring an additional 1,370,132 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.56% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets BEN has been the subject of several research reports. Wall Street Zen raised Franklin Resources from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Sunday, June 14th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $34.00 target price on shares of Franklin Resources in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Evercore reiterated an “underperform” rating and issued a $35.00 price target on shares of Franklin Resources in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target 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, Barclays boosted their price objective on Franklin Resources from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $32.44.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Franklin Resources Franklin Resources Price Performance NYSE BEN opened at $34.32 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.48, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.44 billion, a PE ratio of 23.35, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.69 and a beta of 1.55. Franklin Resources, Inc. has a 12-month low of $21.10 and a 12-month high of $36.28. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $33.51 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $29.74.

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $2.36 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.76 billion. Franklin Resources had a return on equity of 11.55% and a net margin of 8.72%.The firm’s revenue was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.49 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Franklin Resources, Inc. will post 2.88 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Franklin Resources Profile (Free Report)

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, 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.

Copyright © 2026. Franklin Templeton. All rights reserved.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260820538395/en/

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.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 7th, 2026

Amundi trimmed its position in Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN – Free Report) by 84.1% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 99,372 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock after selling 526,765 shares during the quarter. Amundi’s holdings in Franklin Resources were worth $2,347,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Franklin Resources by 8.1% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 10,882,860 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $259,988,000 after acquiring an additional 816,952 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. increased its holdings in Franklin Resources by 8.2% during the 4th quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 10,122,937 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $241,837,000 after purchasing an additional 768,707 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Franklin Resources by 3.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,069,495 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $192,774,000 after purchasing an additional 272,335 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Franklin Resources by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 7,083,168 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $169,217,000 after buying an additional 243,836 shares during the period. Finally, Azora Capital LP grew its position in shares of Franklin Resources by 78.8% in the 4th quarter. Azora Capital LP now owns 5,796,575 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $138,480,000 after buying an additional 2,554,105 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.56% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities analysts recently commented on BEN shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $34.00 target price on shares of Franklin Resources in a report on Monday. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Franklin Resources from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, June 3rd. Evercore reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $35.00 price target on shares of Franklin Resources in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Zacks Research raised shares of Franklin Resources from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on Franklin Resources from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $32.44.

View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Franklin Resources

Franklin Resources Trading Down 2.6% NYSE:BEN opened at $34.02 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $17.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.14, a PEG ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.87. Franklin Resources, Inc. has a one year low of $21.10 and a one year high of $36.28. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $32.96 and its 200 day simple moving average is $29.11.

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The closed-end fund reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 $2.28 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 business’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Franklin Resources, Inc. will post 2.85 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Franklin Resources Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 10th. Investors of record on Monday, June 29th were paid a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 29th. This represents a $1.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.9%. Franklin Resources’s dividend payout ratio is presently 89.80%.

Franklin Resources Company Profile (Free Report)

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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SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Franklin Resources, Inc. (“Franklin Templeton”) (NYSE: BEN) today announced the pricing of its underwritten public offering of $750 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.500% Notes due 2036 (the “Notes”) at an issue price of 99.137%. The offering is expected to close on August 10, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. BofA Securities, Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC are acting as bookrunners and representatives.

Franklin Templeton, a global investment leader, today announced the continued expansion of its Global Client Group leadership team with the appointments of Eliz

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Franklin Resources, Inc. (Franklin Templeton) (NYSE: BEN) today reported preliminary month-end assets under management (AUM) of $1.80 trillion at July 31, 2026, compared to $1.79 trillion at June 30, 2026. This month's increase in preliminary AUM reflected long-term net inflows of $6 billion and the positive impact of markets. By Asset Class:   (In USD billions)   Preliminary   31-Jul-26 30-Jun-26 31-Mar-26 31-Dec-25 31-Jul-25 Equity   $758.4 $756.9 $669.7 $6.

Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In "long context," investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at Franklin Resources (BEN - Free Report) , which currently has a Momentum Style Score of A. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Franklin Resources currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market? In order to see if BEN is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this investment manager holds up.

Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It is also useful to compare a security to its industry, as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.

For BEN, shares are up 4.22% over the past week while the Zacks Financial - Investment Management industry is up 0.86% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 2.32% compares favorably with the industry's 0.2% performance as well.

While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. Shares of Franklin Resources have increased 11.7% over the past quarter, and have gained 40.23% in the last year. On the other hand, the S&P 500 has only moved 5.43% and 23.19%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to BEN's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. BEN is currently averaging 5,008,063 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score encompasses many things, including estimate revisions and a stock's price movement. Investors should note that earnings estimates are also significant to the Zacks Rank, and a nice path here can be promising. We have recently been noticing this with BEN.

Over the past two months, 6 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost BEN's consensus estimate, increasing from $2.74 to $2.84 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 7 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.

Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that BEN is a #2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of A. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Franklin Resources on your short list.

HomeStock IdeasLong IdeasFinancials 

SummaryFranklin Resources is rated a buy, supported by four consecutive earnings beats and robust organic growth in client inflows and AUM.BEN’s global diversification, A-level credit ratings, and resilience in volatile markets position it well versus peers, despite weaker ROE and operating margins.Dividend yield is attractive near 4%, but declining growth and a high payout ratio raise sustainability concerns.Modest valuation, technical momentum, and a forecasted outperformance versus hurdle rate reinforce the long-term bullish thesis, though fund underperformance remains a key risk. BalkansCat/iStock Editorial via Getty Images

The Company Behind the Iconic Financial Brand, Beating 4 Earnings Estimates in a Row Years ago, I would often see print and TV ads for the Franklin-Templeton financial brand, something I would take little notice of other than the iconic Benjamin Franklin

1.91K Followers

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN) Q3 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

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.

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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