Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN), headquartered in San Mateo, California, is a global investment management firm serving clients in over 150 countries. Valued at $12.4 billion by market cap, the company offers a wide range of services across equity, fixed income, alternative investments, and multi-asset strategies, and manages over $1.6 trillion in assets. The leading investment manager is expected to announce its fiscal first-quarter earnings for 2026 in the near term. Ahead of the event, analysts expect ...

Company Overview - Franklin Resources (BEN) is headquartered in San Mateo and has experienced a price change of 17.59% this year [3] - The company currently pays a dividend of $0.32 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 5.53%, which is significantly higher than the Financial - Investment Management industry's yield of 2.66% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.4% [3] Dividend Performance - The current annualized dividend of Franklin Resources is $1.32, reflecting a 3.1% increase from the previous year [4] - Over the past 5 years, the company has increased its dividend 5 times, achieving an average annual increase of 3.38% [4] - The current payout ratio is 58%, indicating that the company pays out 58% of its trailing 12-month earnings per share as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Franklin Resources' earnings in 2025 is $2.50 per share, with an expected increase of 12.61% from the previous year [5] - The company is viewed as a strong dividend play, particularly appealing to income investors due to its solid earnings growth prospects [6] Investment Considerations - Established firms with secure profits are typically seen as the best dividend options, while high-growth businesses rarely offer dividends [6] - Franklin Resources is considered a compelling investment opportunity, currently holding a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [6]

Dividend and Share Buyback - Franklin Resources, Inc. declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.33 per share, reflecting a 3.1% increase from the prior quarter and the same period last year, with a consistent dividend increase since 1981 [2] - The board approved an expanded share repurchase program, allowing the company to buy back an additional 20.8 million shares, bringing the total authorization to 40.0 million shares, with 19.2 million shares still available under the prior program [3] Technology Strategy and Blockchain Integration - Franklin Resources connected its blockchain infrastructure to the Canton Network, aimed at expanding the adoption of its tokenized fund offerings [4] - The Canton Network, which includes major financial firms, allows for private transaction details, enhancing interest from large institutions, and enables the trading of its Benji token, representing digital shares of its money market fund [5] - This integration is seen as a step toward greater collateral mobility, allowing assets to move and be reused as collateral across institutions almost instantly through blockchain [5] Company Overview - Franklin Resources operates as a global investment manager, offering a wide range of products including mutual funds, ETFs, and alternative strategies [6]

Core Viewpoint - Franklin Resources, also known as Franklin Templeton, is highlighted as a top dividend stock in the financial sector, appealing to investors seeking dividend opportunities [1] Company Overview - Franklin Resources is a global financial firm that provides a diverse range of products, including exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, and fixed-income and customized investment strategies [1] - The company manages assets totaling $1.66 trillion [1]

Core Insights - Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN) has announced a quarterly dividend increase to 33 cents per share, marking a 3.1% rise compared to both the previous quarter and the same quarter last year, with the dividend payable on January 9, 2026 [1] - The company has expanded its stock repurchase program to allow for the repurchase of up to 40 million shares, enhancing shareholder value by reducing outstanding shares [4][8] - BEN maintains a strong liquidity position of $5.6 billion as of September 30, 2025, with no short-term debt, supporting its ability to continue dividend payments and opportunistic share repurchases [5][8] Dividend and Shareholder Returns - The current dividend yield for BEN stands at 5.33%, significantly higher than the industry average of 2.16%, with a payout ratio of 58% [2] - Over the past five years, BEN has increased its dividend six times, providing consistent income for investors [2][8] Market Performance - Over the past year, BEN shares have gained 4.9%, contrasting with a 2% decline in the industry [10]

TORONTO, Dec. 19, 2025 /CNW/ - Franklin Templeton Canada today announced the estimated December 2025 cash distributions and the annual reinvested distributions for its ETFs and ETF series of mutual funds available to Canadian investors.Estimated December 2025 Cash DistributionsAs detailed in the table below, unitholders of record as of December 30, 2025, will receive a per-unit cash distribution payable on January 8, 2026.Fund NameTickerType  Estimated Cash DistributionPer Unit($)Payment FrequencyFranklin C ...

Franklin Resources (BEN) disclosed this morning that on December 13, it was informed by the Department of Justice that it is prepared to resolve the investigation through a disposition that does not require the filing of any criminal charges against Western Asset in connection with the conduct charged in the case of United States v. Leech. The DOJ also informed the Franklin that as it continues the ongoing resolution discussions, which, as the DOJ noted require additional time to complete due to circumstan ...

Valued at a market cap of $12.3 billion, Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN) is an investment management firm based in San Mateo, California. It provides asset management services to retail and institutional clients, offering a diversified range of investment products across equities, fixed income, multi-asset, alternatives, and ETFs. Companies worth $10 billion or more are typically classified as “large-cap stocks,” and BEN fits the label perfectly, with its market cap exceeding this threshold, underscoring ...

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Core Insights - Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN) and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW) are established global asset managers with diverse investment platforms, but their business strategies and competitive positions differ significantly, which may influence future performance [1] Industry Performance - The asset management industry has seen impressive performance in 2025 due to market rebounds, record inflows, and rising global assets under management (AUM), with heightened demand for active management and tactical strategies [2] - Alternatives have remained in high demand as investors seek returns less affected by interest-rate fluctuations, contributing to one of the industry's strongest post-pandemic years [2] 2026 Outlook - The outlook for 2026 is positive, driven by economic growth, declining interest rates, and ongoing product innovation, prompting investors to consider which firm, TROW or BEN, has better potential [3] Franklin Resources (BEN) Overview - Franklin has expanded its platform through acquisitions and partnerships, including a multi-year partnership with Wand AI and the acquisition of Apera Asset Management, adding over $90 billion to global alternative credit AUM [4][5] - The company has seen solid AUM growth, supported by a regionally-focused distribution model and strong inflows across various asset classes [5][6] - As of September 30, 2025, Franklin held $5.6 billion in liquidity with no short-term debt, allowing for strategic capital deployment [7][6] T. Rowe Price (TROW) Overview - T. Rowe Price has strengthened its platform through strategic alliances, including a partnership with Goldman Sachs and the acquisition of Oak Hill Advisors, enhancing its alternative investment offerings [9][10] - The company benefits from diversified AUM across asset classes and geographies, with strong investment-advisory fees supporting revenue growth [10][11] - As of September 30, 2025, TROW held $4.28 billion in liquid assets against total liabilities of $1.15 billion, indicating a robust liquidity position [12] Financial Estimates - For BEN, the fiscal 2026 revenue estimate suggests a decline of 1.7%, while fiscal 2027 indicates growth of 3.5%, with earnings expected to rise by 14.4% in 2026 and 10.9% in 2027 [13] - TROW's sales estimates for 2025 and 2026 suggest increases of 2.9% and 6.2%, respectively, with earnings expected to rise by 4.5% and 5.7% for the same years [15] Stock Performance and Valuation - Over the past year, TROW shares have decreased by 14.3%, while BEN shares have increased by 5.5%, both outperforming the industry average decline of 15.5% [17] - BEN is trading at a forward P/E multiple of 8.98X, while TROW is at 10.08X, both below the industry average of 14.90X, indicating that BEN is currently cheaper than TROW [20] Dividend Performance - Both companies have increased dividends five times in the past five years, with BEN raising its quarterly dividend by 3.2% to 32 cents per share, yielding 5.49%, while TROW increased its dividend by 2.4% to $1.27 per share, yielding 4.91% [22] Comparative Analysis - Both firms are well-managed with diversified investment platforms and solid AUM bases, but BEN has a clearer growth narrative driven by expansion into higher-fee alternatives and strategic acquisitions [25][26] - With a lower valuation and strong growth estimates, BEN appears to offer better upside potential heading into 2026 [27]