FY2025 EPS Estimates for BEN Decreased by Zacks Research

Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research cut their FY2025 EPS estimates for Franklin Resources in a report released on Thursday, April 10th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now anticipates that the closed-end fund will post earnings of $2.11 per share for the year, down from their prior estimate of $2.14. 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 $0.52 EPS, Q1 2026 earnings at $0.55 EPS, Q2 2026 earnings at $0.56 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $2.25 EPS.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on BEN. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on shares of Franklin Resources from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. UBS Group boosted their target price on Franklin Resources from $19.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Franklin Resources from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, February 3rd. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Franklin Resources from $20.00 to $17.50 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Franklin Resources from $24.00 to $20.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have assigned a hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $18.96.

Franklin Resources Price Performance

NYSE BEN traded down $0.34 on Friday, hitting $17.63. 1,202,249 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,338,307. The company has a current ratio of 1.66, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89. The company has a market cap of $9.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.12, a P/E/G ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.36. Franklin Resources has a 1-year low of $16.25 and a 1-year high of $25.69. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $19.49 and a two-hundred day moving average of $20.33.

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 31st. The closed-end fund reported $0.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.03. Franklin Resources had a return on equity of 9.45% and a net margin of 4.32%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.65 earnings per share.

Franklin Resources Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 11th. Investors of record on Monday, March 31st were given a $0.32 dividend. This represents a $1.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.26%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. Franklin Resources's dividend payout ratio is currently 196.92%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BEN. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Franklin Resources in the fourth quarter worth about $53,676,000. Two Sigma Advisers LP increased its stake in Franklin Resources by 173.7% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 3,531,700 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $71,658,000 after purchasing an additional 2,241,500 shares in the last quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP raised its holdings in Franklin Resources by 132.7% during the 4th quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 2,935,292 shares of the closed-end fund's stock worth $59,557,000 after buying an additional 1,673,971 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP lifted its stake in Franklin Resources by 33.1% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 6,438,863 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $130,645,000 after buying an additional 1,599,849 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Franklin Resources by 19.6% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 9,403,875 shares of the closed-end fund's stock valued at $190,805,000 after buying an additional 1,542,478 shares during the period. 47.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.