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Franklin Touches 52-Week High: How to Play the Stock Now?
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Key Takeaways
Franklin reached a 52-week high of $25.79, up 18.3% in three months, beating the industry and the S&P 500.
Strategic deals like the Putnam and SBI tie-up have boosted AUM, diversification and global reach.
Operating expenses grew, seeing a 7.2% CAGR in the past three years, with the rising trend continuing in 2025.
Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN - Free Report) touched a 52-week high of $25.79 during yesterday’s trading session. Over the past three months, the stock has gained 18.3%, outperforming the industry and the S&P 500. Its peer, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW - Free Report) has gained 12.1% and Invesco Ltd (IVZ - Free Report) has rallied 35.9% over the same time frame.
Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Does the BEN stock have more upside left despite hitting a 52-week high? Let us find out.
Factors Driving Franklin Stock
Steady Rise in AUM: Franklin has been recording a consistent rise in the AUM balance. Over the last five fiscal years (ending fiscal 2024), the company’s AUM saw a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1%, with the uptrend continuing in the first nine months of fiscal 2025. Strategic acquisitions have been supporting AUM growth.
In July 2024, Franklin teamed up with Japan's SBI Holdings to focus on ETFs and emerging asset classes, including digital assets and cryptocurrencies, to help new generations of investors achieve their financial goals. In January 2024, BEN completed the acquisition of Putnam Investments from Great-West Lifeco, a transaction that is likely to accelerate Franklin’s growth in the retirement space by increasing its defined contribution AUM to more than $100 billion. Such buyouts, along with the other past transactions, have led to enhanced presence in the separately managed account space and bolstered BEN’s investment capabilities in private debt, real estate, hedge funds and private equity.
Franklin’s efforts to diversify its business into asset classes that are seeing growing client demand are expected to propel AUM growth. A regionally-focused distribution model has improved BEN’s non-U.S. business, with favorable net flows.
Organic Growth: Organic growth has driven Franklin Resources over the years. Although revenues declined in fiscal 2023, the company recorded a marginal CAGR increase over the last three fiscal years, ending in fiscal 2024. The rising trend continued in the first nine months of fiscal 2025.
The company’s relatively strong distribution platform has increased diversification inflows across funds, vehicles and asset classes, as well as key business growth. The company has been an early entrant in many foreign markets, enjoying a first-mover advantage. It continues to diversify its business to muster broader sources of revenues, primarily driven by a solid fixed-income pipeline.
Solid Liquidity Position: Franklin enjoys a decent balance sheet position. As of March 31, 2025, the company had no short-term debt. Its liquidity (comprising cash and cash equivalents, receivables and investments) as of the same date was $5.7 billion. Thus, a decent liquidity position and earnings strength reflect a lesser likelihood of defaulting on interest and debt repayments even if the economic situation worsens.
Impressive Capital Distribution: BEN’s capital distribution activities have been impressive over the years. In December 2023, the company announced a repurchase authorization of 27.2 million shares of its common stock. As of June 30, 2025, 21.9 million shares were available for repurchase under its existing authorization.
Moreover, the company announced a 3.2% hike in its common stock dividend in December 2024. BEN has a current yield of 4.9%, higher than the industry average of 1.9%. Its peers, IVZ and TROW, have a dividend yield of 3.9% 4.7%, respectively.
Dividend Yield
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BEN’s impressive capital distribution activities, combined with a decent liquidity profile, will likely stoke investors’ confidence in the stock.
Parting Thoughts on Franklin
The company’s efforts to diversify its business into asset classes that are seeing growing client demand, like alternative asset classes, are expected to propel AUM growth. Also, a solid balance sheet enables sustainable capital distributions.
However, the company has been witnessing a rise in operating expenses over the past few years. The metric witnessed a CAGR of 7.2% over the last three years (ended fiscal 2024). The uptrend continued in the first nine months of fiscal 2025. The ongoing investment in technological advancements and the acquisition of new talent are likely to keep the expense level high, hurting bottom-line growth in the upcoming period. This may impact the company’s revenues in the near term.
Also, BEN’s earnings and sales estimates indicate year-over-year declines for 2025.
Earnings Estimates
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Sales Estimates
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Hence, BEN stock warrants caution at the moment. Investors should closely monitor the company’s performance before taking a well-informed investment decision.
Image: Bigstock
Franklin Touches 52-Week High: How to Play the Stock Now?
Key Takeaways
Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN - Free Report) touched a 52-week high of $25.79 during yesterday’s trading session. Over the past three months, the stock has gained 18.3%, outperforming the industry and the S&P 500. Its peer, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW - Free Report) has gained 12.1% and Invesco Ltd (IVZ - Free Report) has rallied 35.9% over the same time frame.
Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Does the BEN stock have more upside left despite hitting a 52-week high? Let us find out.
Factors Driving Franklin Stock
Steady Rise in AUM: Franklin has been recording a consistent rise in the AUM balance. Over the last five fiscal years (ending fiscal 2024), the company’s AUM saw a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.1%, with the uptrend continuing in the first nine months of fiscal 2025. Strategic acquisitions have been supporting AUM growth.
In July 2024, Franklin teamed up with Japan's SBI Holdings to focus on ETFs and emerging asset classes, including digital assets and cryptocurrencies, to help new generations of investors achieve their financial goals. In January 2024, BEN completed the acquisition of Putnam Investments from Great-West Lifeco, a transaction that is likely to accelerate Franklin’s growth in the retirement space by increasing its defined contribution AUM to more than $100 billion. Such buyouts, along with the other past transactions, have led to enhanced presence in the separately managed account space and bolstered BEN’s investment capabilities in private debt, real estate, hedge funds and private equity.
Franklin’s efforts to diversify its business into asset classes that are seeing growing client demand are expected to propel AUM growth. A regionally-focused distribution model has improved BEN’s non-U.S. business, with favorable net flows.
Organic Growth: Organic growth has driven Franklin Resources over the years. Although revenues declined in fiscal 2023, the company recorded a marginal CAGR increase over the last three fiscal years, ending in fiscal 2024. The rising trend continued in the first nine months of fiscal 2025.
The company’s relatively strong distribution platform has increased diversification inflows across funds, vehicles and asset classes, as well as key business growth. The company has been an early entrant in many foreign markets, enjoying a first-mover advantage. It continues to diversify its business to muster broader sources of revenues, primarily driven by a solid fixed-income pipeline.
Solid Liquidity Position: Franklin enjoys a decent balance sheet position. As of March 31, 2025, the company had no short-term debt. Its liquidity (comprising cash and cash equivalents, receivables and investments) as of the same date was $5.7 billion. Thus, a decent liquidity position and earnings strength reflect a lesser likelihood of defaulting on interest and debt repayments even if the economic situation worsens.
Impressive Capital Distribution: BEN’s capital distribution activities have been impressive over the years. In December 2023, the company announced a repurchase authorization of 27.2 million shares of its common stock. As of June 30, 2025, 21.9 million shares were available for repurchase under its existing authorization.
Moreover, the company announced a 3.2% hike in its common stock dividend in December 2024. BEN has a current yield of 4.9%, higher than the industry average of 1.9%. Its peers, IVZ and TROW, have a dividend yield of 3.9% 4.7%, respectively.
Dividend Yield
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
BEN’s impressive capital distribution activities, combined with a decent liquidity profile, will likely stoke investors’ confidence in the stock.
Parting Thoughts on Franklin
The company’s efforts to diversify its business into asset classes that are seeing growing client demand, like alternative asset classes, are expected to propel AUM growth. Also, a solid balance sheet enables sustainable capital distributions.
However, the company has been witnessing a rise in operating expenses over the past few years. The metric witnessed a CAGR of 7.2% over the last three years (ended fiscal 2024). The uptrend continued in the first nine months of fiscal 2025. The ongoing investment in technological advancements and the acquisition of new talent are likely to keep the expense level high, hurting bottom-line growth in the upcoming period. This may impact the company’s revenues in the near term.
Also, BEN’s earnings and sales estimates indicate year-over-year declines for 2025.
Earnings Estimates
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Sales Estimates
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Hence, BEN stock warrants caution at the moment. Investors should closely monitor the company’s performance before taking a well-informed investment decision.
Franklin currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.