Wall Street Zen Upgrades Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) to Buy

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on BEN. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Franklin Resources from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 10th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Franklin Resources from $31.00 to $30.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on Franklin Resources in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $26.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Franklin Resources in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their target price on Franklin Resources from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and five have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $24.64.

Franklin Resources Stock Up 2.6%

Shares of NYSE:BEN opened at $26.57 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $13.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.25 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a 50 day moving average of $24.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $24.03. Franklin Resources has a 52-week low of $16.25 and a 52-week high of $26.90. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95.

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) last announced its earnings results on Friday, January 30th. The closed-end fund reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.15. Franklin Resources had a return on equity of 9.12% and a net margin of 5.98%.The business had revenue of $1.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.23 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.59 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Franklin Resources will post 2.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Franklin Resources

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Capital A Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Franklin Resources by 3,869.2% in the second quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,032 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 1,006 shares in the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Franklin Resources during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Total Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Franklin Resources in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Rakuten Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Franklin Resources by 277.0% in the 4th quarter. Rakuten Securities Inc. now owns 1,150 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 845 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Franklin Resources by 129.1% in the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,313 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 740 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 47.56% of the company’s stock.

Franklin Resources News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and stronger profitability: BEN reported $0.70 EPS vs. a $0.55 consensus and higher net income and operating income versus prior periods — a core driver of the rally because earnings power beat expectations. Investing.com: Earnings beat
• Positive Sentiment: Assets under management and net inflows improved: Several reports note sequential AUM growth and net inflows, which lift fee revenue prospects and support recurring revenue. This helped sentiment alongside the earnings beat. Zacks: AUM rises
• Positive Sentiment: Operational detail and management commentary available: The company released a formal press release, slide deck and an earnings-call transcript with details on margins, flows and strategy — useful for confirming sustainability of the beat. BusinessWire: Q1 results Seeking Alpha: Call transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Market-driven fee tailwind but revenue mix matters: Coverage notes that market rallies boosted fee income (helpful), but revenue comparisons and sustainability depend on future flows and market levels — worth watching in coming quarters. MSN: Profit rises
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and caution: Morgan Stanley issued a “sell” and broker consensus on some screens is “reduce” — these downgrades can cap upside despite the quarter, as analysts point to cautious outlook or valuation concerns. Globe and Mail: Morgan Stanley sell AmericanBankingNews: Consensus Reduce
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue reporting discrepancies and mixed headlines: Some headlines say revenue topped estimates while others highlight misses versus certain analyst models — this mixed signal can create short-term volatility until the market parses the underlying drivers. Yahoo Finance: Q4/CY2025 recap

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.