Kentucky Retirement Systems Makes New Investment in Franklin Resources, Inc. $BEN

Key Points

• Kentucky Retirement Systems acquired 33,333 Franklin Resources shares worth approximately $787,000 in the first quarter. Other institutional investors also initiated or expanded positions, with institutions now owning 47.56% of the stock.
• Franklin Resources exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $0.72 earnings per share versus the $0.66 consensus and $2.28 billion in revenue, up 14.3% year over year. Assets under management reached a record approximately $1.79 trillion.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33, equivalent to a 3.9% annualized yield. Analysts remain divided, resulting in a consensus “Hold” rating and a $32 target price, below the stock’s reported $33.91 price.

Kentucky Retirement Systems acquired a new stake in Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 33,333 shares of the closed-end fund's stock, valued at approximately $787,000.

A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in BEN. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in Franklin Resources during the 1st quarter valued at $6,254,000. Forty three Eighteen Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Franklin Resources during the 1st quarter worth $1,580,000. Artemis Investment Management LLP acquired a new position in Franklin Resources in the 4th quarter worth $1,336,000. Quantum Portfolio Management LLC acquired a new position in Franklin Resources in the 1st quarter worth $941,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in Franklin Resources by 1,893.2% in the 1st quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 168,306 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $3,975,000 after buying an additional 159,862 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.56% of the company's stock.

Franklin Resources Price Performance

Shares of BEN stock opened at $33.91 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $17.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.73 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 1.87. Franklin Resources, Inc. has a 1-year low of $21.10 and a 1-year high of $34.92. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $32.67 and a two-hundred day moving average of $28.83.

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, July 31st. The closed-end fund reported $0.72 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $2.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.76 billion. Franklin Resources had a net margin of 8.12% and a return on equity of 10.58%. The company's revenue was up 14.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.49 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Franklin Resources, Inc. will post 2.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Franklin Resources Announces Dividend

The company 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. This represents a $1.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, June 29th. Franklin Resources's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 100.76%.

Key Stories Impacting Franklin Resources

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

• Positive Sentiment: Earnings and revenue beat estimates: Franklin reported adjusted earnings of approximately $0.72 per share, above the $0.66 consensus estimate and up from $0.49 a year earlier. Revenue reached about $2.28 billion, exceeding the $1.76 billion estimate and increasing 14.3% year over year. Franklin Resources Tops Q3 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Record AUM and healthier flows: Assets under management reached approximately $1.79 trillion at June 30, supported by market gains and $18.4 billion of long-term net inflows. Western Asset Management’s $1 billion of long-term outflows represented an improvement over recent periods, suggesting better asset-gathering momentum. Franklin Q3 Earnings Beat on Higher Revenues, AUM Hits Record High
• Positive Sentiment: Capital returns supported the investment case: Franklin repurchased 10.4 million shares for $348.1 million and returned $521.5 million to shareholders during the quarter, including dividends and buybacks. Franklin Resources Reports Quarterly Net Income
• Neutral Sentiment: Corporate rebranding: The company will change its name to Franklin Templeton, Inc. on August 17, 2026, while retaining the NYSE ticker BEN. The change may improve brand alignment but does not directly alter operations or shareholder economics. Franklin Resources Rebrands as Franklin Templeton
• Negative Sentiment: GAAP results and expenses remain concerns: Reported net income was $171.5 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, below the prior quarter’s $268.2 million and $0.49 per share. Higher expenses also tempered the otherwise strong quarter.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on BEN. Barclays raised their target price on Franklin Resources from $31.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Zacks Research upgraded Franklin Resources from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Franklin Resources from $28.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 29th. Evercore restated an "underperform" rating and set a $35.00 price objective on shares of Franklin Resources in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Franklin Resources from $37.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating, three have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $32.00.

About Franklin Resources

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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