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BEN

S&P 500
Neutral · 56/100

Franklin Resources

Financials
Asset Management & Custody Banks

$33.74

0.8%

Updated Aug 7, 11:30 AM ET

Report Card

BEN at a glance — five pillars scored 0–100 from real filed financials.

Value
0
Growth
0
Profitability
0
Health
0
Dividends
0

Overall: Neutral · 56/100. A wider, greener shape means more pillars look healthy. Dividends scores 0 when a company pays none — that is a choice, not a flaw.

Price — Past Year

▲ Up 46.3% over the last 12 months

Price 50-day average 200-day averageDCF fair value ±15%Source: Yahoo Finance · refreshed daily
Key Metrics

Market Cap

$17.72B

P/E

23.89x

Forward P/E (est.)

17.07x

ROE

6.0%

Revenue Growth

3.8%

EPS Growth

81.9%

Profit Margin

8.1%

FCF Yield

9.5%

Debt / Equity

1.02x

ROIC

3.0%

Interest Coverage

6.37x

Current Ratio

5.3x

Dividend Yield

4.1%

Implied Growth (rev. DCF)

3.7%

Rating Score

56/100

Business Overview
Research

Franklin Resources (BEN) is a large-cap company in the Asset Management & Custody Banks industry, part of the Financials sector of the S&P 500, with a market value around $17.72B.

In its latest reported year it generated about $8.77B in revenue and $524.90M in net profit.

Our model rates BEN Neutral (56/100) on growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation. The summary below is built from its filed financials and current ratios and refreshes automatically.

Economic Moat

Evidence of durable competitive advantage in the filed financials (8 years of history).

No moat evidenceMoat evidence score: 17/100

The numbers don't show a durable competitive advantage — margins, growth, or returns on capital have been unstable or thin. Great returns are still possible; they just aren't protected.

Operating margin level2/100

8.6% average over the last 3 years

Operating margin stability0/100

±8.8 pts around 18.4% across 8 years

Revenue durability5/100

grew in 3 of the last 7 year-over-year periods

Free-cash-flow consistency100/100

positive in 8 of 8 years

Return on invested capital0/100

3.0% latest fiscal year

A moat can't be proven by numbers alone — this scores the evidence a durable advantage leaves behind (pricing power, consistency, returns on capital), computed the same way for every stock. Pair it with the business overview before concluding anything.

Technical Analysis (Educational)
Research

Technical analysis reads price and volume to judge momentum and timing. It complements the fundamentals above — it does not replace them. Here is what BEN's chart says today, with each tool explained.

Trend — moving averages. A moving average is the average closing price over a window, which smooths out daily noise. BEN trades near $33.74, above its 50-day average ($31.36) and 200-day average ($26.13). Price above both averages, with the shorter one above the longer, is the textbook definition of an uptrend — momentum favours buyers.

Momentum — RSI. The Relative Strength Index runs 0–100 and measures how strong recent gains are versus losses. Above 70 is "overbought", below 30 "oversold". At 70 it is in neutral territory — neither stretched nor washed out.

MACD. MACD compares two moving averages to flag shifts in momentum. Its histogram is currently positive — short-term momentum is improving.

Volatility — ATR. Average True Range is the typical daily move. BEN's is $1.02 (~3.0% of price), so swings of about that size each day are normal — handy for setting a stop that isn't too tight.

Support & resistance. Over the last month BEN found buyers near $30.56 (support) and sellers near $34.55 (resistance); its 52-week range is $21.11–$34.55. A decisive break beyond either edge often marks the next move.

Volume. The latest session traded 0.9× the 20-day average — about normal. Rising volume on up-days suggests real buying; on down-days, real selling.

Educational information to help you read a chart — not a recommendation or a forecast. It updates daily as the price and indicators change.

Revenue Growth
Research

4Y CAGR

1.0%

3/4 checks passedRevenue growingRevenue growth beats sector midpointEPS growingEPS growing faster than revenue

Revenue moved from $6.20B in 2018 to $8.77B in 2025, a 5.1% compound annual growth rate. The most recent year was roughly flat (3.8%) year over year. Slower, mature growth is common for established businesses.

Profitability
Research
1/4 checks passedProfitableNet margin above sector midpointROE above 12%ROIC above 10%

Gross Margin

36.3%

Operating Margin

6.9%

Net Margin

6.0%

ROE

6.0%

Franklin Resources keeps about 8.1% of each sales dollar as net profit, with a 36.3% gross margin and 6.9% operating margin. Return on equity is 6.0% and return on invested capital about 3.0%. Margins are moderate — typical of a competitive but profitable business.

Debt Analysis
Research
3/4 checks passedDebt under 1× equityDebt under 2× equityInterest covered 3×+Short-term bills covered

Total Debt

$2.25B

Net Debt

-$2.29B

Net cash position

Net Debt / EBITDA

-3.79x

Debt / Equity

1.02x

Leverage: debt-to-equity is 1.0x, and operating profit covers interest about 6.4x, with a current ratio of 5.3x. That is a moderate, manageable debt load for most businesses. It carries roughly $2.25B of total debt against $4.54B of cash.

Cash Flow Analysis
Research
3/3 checks passedPositive free cash flowFCF yield above 2%Market expects achievable growth (<8%)

Operating CF

$1.07B

Free Cash Flow

$911.60M

FCF Margin

10.4%

In the latest year Franklin Resources produced about $1.07B of operating cash flow and $911.60M of free cash flow after capital spending. That is a free-cash-flow yield of about 9.5% on today's price. Strong cash generation funds dividends, buybacks, and reinvestment.

Dividend Safety

Can the payout survive a bad year? Scored from filed cash flow, earnings coverage, and the raise/cut record.

At RiskSafety score: 37/100

Coverage is weak, the payout was cut recently, or it's being financed rather than earned — treat the current yield as fragile.

Dividend yield

4.1%

Per share (latest FY)

$1.28

Total paid (latest FY)

$683.70M

History on record

8 years

Free-cash-flow coverage42/100

dividend uses 75% of free cash flow

Earnings payout ratio0/100

130% of net income paid out

Raise streak75/100

total dividends increased 6 years in a row

Cut history0/100

payout was cut at least once in the last 8 years

Coverage uses the latest fiscal year as filed with the SEC; the streak counts total dollars paid (per-share figures can carry split artifacts). Educational information, not income advice.

Valuation Analysis
Research
2/4 checks passedPositive earnings (P/E meaningful)P/E below sector's upper bandForward P/E below trailing (earnings growing)Trading below DCF fair value

P/E

23.89x

P/S

1.97x

P/B

1.01x

EV / EBITDA

BEN trades at 23.9x trailing earnings (about 17.1x on estimated forward earnings), 2.0x sales, and 1.0x book value. Reverse-engineering today's price implies the market expects roughly 3.7% long-term free-cash-flow growth. That is a fairly typical valuation for a profitable company.

DCF Fair Value (Educational)

A two-stage discounted cash flow on real SEC-filed free cash flow — the intrinsic-value anchor professional analysts triangulate from.

DCF fair value / share

$29.81

Current price

$33.74

-12% · Near fair-value estimate

Starting FCF (latest 10-K)

$911.60M

Growth, years 1–5

3.8%

Fade to terminal, years 6–10

2.5%

Discount rate

9.0%

PV of 10-yr free cash flow$6.99B
PV of terminal value$8.50B
Estimated equity value$15.49B
Shares outstanding520M

Cash flows grow at the stage-1 rate (trailing revenue growth, capped at 20%) for five years, fade to 2.5% by year 10, and continue at that rate forever (Gordon terminal value), all discounted at 9.0%. Small changes in assumptions move the result a lot — treat this as one reference point, not a target price. Educational only, not investment advice.

Metrics vs. Sector Range

Where BEN sits versus its Financials sector peers in the S&P 500.

TTM P/E
23.9xExpensive
Forward P/E
17.1xFair
P/S ratio
2.0xFair
Revenue growth
3.8%Weak
EPS growth
81.9%Strong
Gross margin
36.3%Weak
Net margin
8.1%Weak
ROE
6.0%Weak

Bands show the middle half (25th–75th percentile) of the 141 Financials companies in the S&P 500 — the peer-relative anchor professional comps analysis uses. Context only — not investment advice.

Sector Peer Comparison

How BEN stacks up against its Financials peers — valuation, profitability, and growth versus the sector median.

In the Financials sector (289 S&P 500 companies), BEN ranks #98 of 289 by our overall rating. It trades at a premium versus the sector on earnings (23.9x P/E vs. 15.8x median) with a lower return on equity (6.0% vs. 13.6%) and slower revenue growth (3.8% vs. 15.9%).

P/E vs sector

23.9x

median 15.8x

ROE vs sector

6.0%

median 13.6%

Growth vs sector

3.8%

median 15.9%

Sector rank

#98

of 289 by rating

CompanyP/ERev Gr.Rating
BENThis stock23.9x3.8%Neutral· 56
TROW11.6x4.2%Strong· 72
ARES49.7x38.5%Neutral· 55
IVZ-19.1%Weak· 21
NTRS18.2x-2.7%Neutral· 42
AMP12.5x6.8%Favorable· 65
STT16.7x181.2%Favorable· 69
APO63.6x26.2%Weak· 40
Financials median15.8x15.9%0/100

Valuation vs. quality map

sector medianTROWARESNTRSAMPSTTAPOBENP/E — cheaper ←→ pricierROE — more profitable ↑

The sweet spot is upper-left: more profitable (higher ROE) for a lower P/E. Dashed lines mark the sector median.

Compare side by side

Peers are the closest Financials companies by sub-industry and size. Sector median is across all 289 S&P 500 names in the sector. Educational, not a recommendation.

5-Year Projection Model

Project revenue → earnings → price. Edit the assumptions to build your own case.

2030 price target (Base Case)

$0.00 $0.00

vs. $33.74 today · expected CAGR -13%-3%

Metric20262027202820292030
Revenue$9.12B$9.49B$9.87B$10.26B$10.67B
Net income$547.29M$569.18M$591.95M$615.63M$640.25M
EPS$1.04$1.08$1.13$1.17$1.22
Share price (low)$14.59$15.17$15.78$16.41$17.06
Share price (high)$25.00$26.00$27.04$28.13$29.25
CAGR (low–high)-57% / -26%-33% / -12%-22% / -7%-16% / -4%-13% / -3%

Educational model on sample fundamentals — not a forecast or investment advice. Outputs are only as good as your assumptions.

Bull Case

The case for BEN:

  • Healthy free-cash-flow yield (~9.5%) funds buybacks and dividends.
  • Pays a 4.1% dividend on top of any price gains.
Bear Case

The case against BEN:

  • Like any single stock, it is exposed to competition, the economic cycle, and shifts in its end markets.
Key Risks
Research

Balance-sheet risk — debt/equity of 1.0x magnifies the impact of higher rates or weaker earnings.

Market risk — sector rotation, the economic cycle, and broad sentiment move the stock regardless of fundamentals.

Investment Thesis
Research

On balance, the picture is mixed: Franklin Resources is a large-cap financials business growing at a mature pace, with modest profitability, and a heavier debt load to watch. It trades at 23.9x earnings, which our model scores Neutral (56/100). Weigh this against your own goals and time horizon — this is educational information, not a recommendation.

Analyst Ratings

What 17 Wall Street analysts covering BEN recommend (August 2026). Consensus is a useful sanity check — not a substitute for your own homework.

Hold
consensus · score 3.3 / 5 across 17 analysts
Strong Buy 1Buy 5Hold 9Sell 2Strong Sell 0

Analysts have turned more positive over the last three months (+20 pts of buy ratings).

Latest SEC Filings

BEN's most recent filings, straight from SEC EDGAR. Annual and quarterly reports are the deep dives; 8-Ks flag material events the moment they happen.

In the Idea Lab

BEN — frequently asked questions

Is BEN a good stock to buy?

We don't give buy or sell advice. Our model rates Franklin Resources Neutral (56/100) based on its growth, profitability, financial health, and valuation — use that as a research starting point and make your own decision.

What is BEN's rating on The Stocks School?

Franklin Resources currently scores 56/100 (Neutral) on our transparent model, which weighs real fundamentals: growth, margins, returns on capital, balance-sheet strength, and valuation.

How our ratings work
Where does BEN's data come from?

Live price data plus real fundamentals and 5-year financials pulled directly from Franklin Resources's SEC filings — refreshed automatically, not hand-entered.

How is the 5-year projection for BEN calculated?

It's a scenario model: it grows revenue at an assumed rate, applies a profit margin and a valuation multiple, and shows the resulting share-price range. The assumptions are yours to change — it's a tool for thinking, not a prediction.

Is this BEN analysis financial advice?

No. Everything on this page is educational research, not financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell BEN. Always do your own research and consider a licensed professional.

Data notice. Fundamentals and financial statements are sourced from company filings (SEC EDGAR) and market-data providers; prices and market caps refresh on trading days and may be delayed. Ratings, projections, technical signals, and written summaries are model- or rule-generated for education and may simplify or lag the latest filings.

Not advice. Nothing on this page is investment advice or a recommendation to buy, hold, or sell any security. Do your own research and consult a licensed financial professional before investing.