Do Wall Street Analysts Like Franklin Resources Stock?

Company Overview - Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN) has a market capitalization of $13.4 billion and operates primarily through its flagship brand Franklin Templeton, managing a diverse range of investment products for individual, institutional, and high-net-worth investors globally [1] Stock Performance - Over the past year, BEN shares have increased by 29.1%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index, which has risen by 15.4%. However, in the last six months, BEN's stock has only climbed 5.3%, underperforming the S&P 500's 9.4% increase [2] - BEN has also outperformed the iShares U.S. Financial Services ETF (IYG), which gained 8.8% over the past year and 3.4% over the past six months [3] Recent Developments - On January 22, Franklin Resources shares rose by 1.2% following the launch of the Templeton Emerging Markets Debt ETF (TEMD), which aims to provide income and capital appreciation from emerging market debt while managing currency risk [4] Earnings Expectations - For the current fiscal year ending in September, analysts expect BEN's earnings per share (EPS) to improve by 10.8% year over year to $2.46. The company has a strong earnings surprise history, having beaten or matched consensus estimates in the last four quarters [5] Analyst Ratings - The consensus rating among 12 analysts covering BEN stock is a "Hold," consisting of three "Moderate Buys," four "Holds," one "Moderate Sell," and four "Strong Sells" [5] - Barclays analyst Benjamin Budish raised his price target on Franklin Resources to $25 from $22, representing a 13.64% increase, while maintaining an "Underweight" rating [6]