Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) Upgraded to Hold at Barclays

Barclays upgraded shares of Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have $31.00 price target on the closed-end fund’s stock.

BEN has been the topic of several other reports. Evercore reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and issued a $28.00 target price on shares of Franklin Resources in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Franklin Resources from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 3rd. Wall Street Zen cut Franklin Resources from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Franklin Resources from $33.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Franklin Resources from $28.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $28.56.

Franklin Resources Price Performance

NYSE:BEN traded up $0.62 on Wednesday, reaching $30.07. 1,638,210 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,468,831. The company has a quick ratio of 1.86, a current ratio of 1.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $25.59 and a 200-day simple moving average of $24.65. The firm has a market cap of $15.66 billion, a PE ratio of 27.82, a P/E/G ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 1.44. Franklin Resources has a 12 month low of $18.65 and a 12 month high of $30.28.

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The closed-end fund reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $1.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.70 billion. Franklin Resources had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 6.97%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.47 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Franklin Resources will post 2.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Franklin Resources Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 10th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 31st were issued a $0.33 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.4%. Franklin Resources’s payout ratio is presently 100.76%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Franklin Resources

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Mariner LLC boosted its stake in shares of Franklin Resources by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 56,151 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $1,341,000 after acquiring an additional 377 shares in the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT boosted its stake in shares of Franklin Resources by 35.5% during the 4th quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 1,512 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 396 shares in the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its stake in shares of Franklin Resources by 4.2% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 9,751 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $233,000 after acquiring an additional 397 shares in the last quarter. Horizon Investments LLC boosted its stake in shares of Franklin Resources by 4.3% during the 4th quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 10,471 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $250,000 after acquiring an additional 433 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Franklin Resources by 48.1% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,392 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 452 shares in the last quarter. 47.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Franklin Resources News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results: Franklin reported better-than-expected Q2 results (EPS and revenue upside) and management highlighted ongoing growth momentum on the earnings call — a primary driver behind the rally. Franklin Resources, Inc. Announces Second Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Record alternatives inflows: The firm reported $12.4B of alternatives inflows, beating estimates and signaling success in higher-fee product growth — supportive for revenue and margins longer-term. Franklin Resources Posts $12.4 Billion Alternatives Inflows, Beating Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades / price-target lifts: Barclays moved BEN from “strong sell” to “hold” with a $31 PT, JPMorgan raised its PT to $31 (neutral), and TD Cowen lifted its PT to $37 with a buy — fresh analyst support amplifies buying interest. Barclays upgrade (Zacks) Barclays upgrades Franklin Resources (MSN) JPMorgan/TD Cowen coverage (Benzinga)
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call coverage and transcripts: Multiple outlets published call highlights and full transcripts that confirm management’s message of inflow momentum and strategic focus — useful for diligence but largely reiterative of the beat. Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader coverage and bullish signals: Research roundups and technical/IBD commentary flagged bullish signs, which can attract momentum traders but don’t change fundamentals immediately. Earnings Call Highlights (TipRanks)

Franklin Resources Company Profile

Franklin Resources, Inc, doing business as Franklin Templeton, is a global investment management organization that offers a wide range of asset management solutions to institutional and individual investors. The firm’s core focus is on delivering active portfolio management across equities, fixed income, multi-asset strategies and alternative investments. Franklin Templeton’s product lineup includes mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), closed-end funds, separately managed accounts and sub-advisory services designed to meet varying risk-return objectives and income needs.

Founded in 1947 by Rupert H.