Is Wall Street Bullish or Bearish on Franklin Resources Stock?
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Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN), headquartered in San Mateo, California, is a global investment management firm serving clients in over 150 countries. Valued at $10.5 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 $1.6 trillion in assets.
Shares of this leading investment manager have underperformed the broader market over the past year. BEN has declined 14.3% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 8.2%. However, in 2025, BEN stock is down 1.1%, surpassing the SPX’s 4.7% decline on a YTD basis.
Narrowing the focus, BEN’s underperformance looks more pronounced compared to the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLF). The exchange-traded fund has gained about 19.7% over the past year. Moreover, the ETF’s 1.7% returns on a YTD basis outshine the stock’s dip over the same time frame.
BEN’s weak performance can be linked to substantial outflows from Western Asset Management, a subsidiary facing scrutiny from the SEC over alleged trading misconduct by former co-CIO Ken Leech.
On May 2, BEN shares closed up by 7% after reporting its Q2 results. Its adjusted EPS of $0.47 met Wall Street expectations. The company’s revenue was $2.1 billion, beating Wall Street forecasts of $2 billion.
For the current fiscal year, ending in September, analysts expect BEN’s EPS to decline 16.3% to $2 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat or matched the consensus estimate in three of the last four quarters while missing the forecast on another occasion.
Among the 14 analysts covering BEN stock, the consensus is a “Moderate Sell.” That’s based on eight “Hold” ratings, two “Moderate Sells,” and four “Strong Sells.”
The configuration has been consistent over the past three months.
On May 4, Evercore ISI analyst Glenn Schorr maintained a “Sell” rating on BEN and set a price target of $20.
While BEN currently trades above its mean price target of $18.39, the Street-high price target of $23 suggests a 14.6% upside potential.
On the date of publication, Neha Panjwani did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.