Franklin Resources(BEN) - 2024 Q4 - Annual Results

Financial Performance - Preliminary net loss for Q4 2024 was $84.7 million or $0.19 per diluted share, compared to net income of $174.0 million or $0.32 per diluted share in the previous quarter[1] - Adjusted net income for Q4 2024 was $315.2 million, down 3% from $326.4 million in the previous quarter and down 26% from $427.0 million year-over-year[6] - Operating income for the quarter was a loss of $150.7 million, a decline from an income of $338.3 million in the same quarter last year[12] - Net income attributable to Franklin Resources, Inc. was a loss of $84.7 million, compared to a profit of $295.5 million in the prior year[12] - Basic earnings per share for the quarter were $(0.19), down from $0.58 in the same quarter of 2023[12] - The operating margin for the quarter was 6.8%, a decrease from 17.0% in the same period last year[12] - The company reported an operating loss of $150.7 million, compared to an operating income of $222.5 million for the previous quarter and $338.3 million for the same quarter last year[38] - The adjusted net income for the three months ended September 30, 2024, was $315.2 million, slightly down from $326.4 million in the previous quarter and down from $427.0 million in the same quarter last year[40] - The diluted earnings per share for the three months ended September 30, 2024, was a loss of $0.19, compared to earnings of $0.32 in the previous quarter and $0.58 in the same quarter last year[40] Assets Under Management (AUM) - Total assets under management (AUM) reached $1.68 trillion, a 2% increase from the previous quarter and a 22% increase year-over-year[6] - Ending AUM as of September 30, 2024, was $1,678.6 billion, representing a 22% increase from $1,374.2 billion year-over-year[14] - Average AUM for the three-month period ended September 30, 2024, was $1,667.5 billion, an 18% increase from $1,419.1 billion year-over-year[14] - AUM by asset class as of September 30, 2024: Equity at $632.1 billion, Fixed Income at $556.4 billion, Alternatives at $249.9 billion, Multi-Asset at $176.2 billion, and Cash Management at $64.0 billion[19] - Total international AUM was $501.5 billion, up 2% from $491.6 billion in the previous quarter[17] - AUM in the United States increased to $1,177.1 billion as of September 30, 2024, from $1,155.0 billion on June 30, 2024[17] - AUM in the Asia-Pacific region was $178.0 billion, reflecting a 2% increase from $174.1 billion in the previous quarter[17] Revenue and Expenses - Total operating revenues for the three months ended September 30, 2024, were $2,211.2 million, an increase of 11% compared to $1,986.1 million in the same period of 2023[12] - Investment management fees rose to $1,766.2 million, reflecting an 8% increase from $1,634.4 million year-over-year[12] - Total operating expenses increased significantly by 43% to $2,361.9 million, compared to $1,647.8 million in the same quarter of 2023[12] - The adjusted operating income for the three months ended September 30, 2024, was $451.6 million, up from $424.9 million in the previous quarter but down from $511.7 million in the same quarter last year[38] Shareholder Information - The company repurchased 4.9 million shares of common stock for a total cost of $102.4 million during Q4 2024[7] - Dividends declared per share increased by 3% to $0.31, compared to $0.30 in the previous year[12] - The company declared dividends of $0.31 per share, unchanged from the previous quarter[13] - Average shares outstanding increased by 6% to 516.2 million, compared to 489.2 million in the same quarter of 2023[12] Market Activity - Long-term inflows for the fiscal year were $319 billion, a 25% increase from the prior year, while long-term net outflows were $32.6 billion[2] - Long-term inflows for the three months ended September 30, 2024, were $82.5 billion, a 49% increase from $55.2 billion in the same period last year[14] - Total net flows for the three months ended September 30, 2024, were $(31.5) billion, a 271% increase in outflows compared to $(8.5) billion in the previous quarter[14] - Long-term net flows for the three months ended September 30, 2024, were $0.8 billion, with long-term inflows of $36.8 billion and outflows of $36.0 billion[19] Strategic Initiatives - The acquisition of Putnam Investments resulted in a 21% increase in AUM to $180 billion and generated approximately $11 billion in positive net flows[4] - The company experienced strong growth in international business, culminating in over $500 billion in AUM[3] - The company has a strategic focus on expanding its investment management capabilities and technology solutions to enhance client outcomes[43] - The company incurred acquisition-related retention expenses of $46.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, compared to $43.7 million in the previous quarter[40] - Other acquisition-related expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2024, were $31.8 million, slightly down from $33.6 million in the previous quarter[38] Impairments - The company reported an impairment of intangible assets amounting to $389.2 million for the twelve months ended September 30, 2024[40]