Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Outlook for BEN Earnings

Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN - Free Report) - Zacks Research cut their Q3 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Franklin Resources in a research note issued to investors on Friday, May 23rd. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now expects that the closed-end fund will earn $0.43 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.51. The consensus estimate for Franklin Resources' current full-year earnings is $2.16 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Franklin Resources' Q4 2025 earnings at $0.50 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $1.99 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $0.48 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $0.43 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $0.47 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $0.62 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $2.00 EPS and Q1 2027 earnings at $0.60 EPS.

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, May 2nd. The closed-end fund reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.47. The firm had revenue of $2.11 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.44 billion. Franklin Resources had a net margin of 4.32% and a return on equity of 9.45%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.56 EPS.

A number of other research analysts have also weighed in on BEN. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on Franklin Resources from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Franklin Resources from $20.00 to $21.50 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 5th. Cowen raised shares of Franklin Resources from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Franklin Resources from $18.00 to $15.00 and set an "underweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 7th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Franklin Resources from $17.00 to $19.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $20.25.

Franklin Resources Price Performance

Shares of NYSE BEN traded up $0.71 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $22.22. The stock had a trading volume of 4,906,857 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,366,210. Franklin Resources has a 12-month low of $16.25 and a 12-month high of $24.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a current ratio of 1.66. The company has a market capitalization of $11.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.39. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $19.47 and a 200-day moving average of $20.27.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Franklin Resources

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its holdings in shares of Franklin Resources by 94.8% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 62,492 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $1,268,000 after buying an additional 30,415 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC grew its position in shares of Franklin Resources by 8.8% in the fourth quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 535,260 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $10,860,000 after purchasing an additional 43,445 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Franklin Resources by 32.2% in the fourth quarter. Cornerstone Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,400 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $312,000 after purchasing an additional 3,750 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in Franklin Resources by 29.4% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,677 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 609 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Franklin Resources by 69.2% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 36,300 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $737,000 after buying an additional 14,842 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.56% of the company's stock.

Franklin Resources Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 11th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 27th will be paid a dividend of $0.32 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 27th. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.76%. Franklin Resources's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 188.24%.

About Franklin Resources

Franklin Resources, Inc is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides its services to individuals, institutions, pension plans, trusts, and partnerships. It launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and multi-asset mutual funds through its subsidiaries.