Q3 EPS Forecast for Franklin Resources Reduced by Analyst

Franklin Resources, Inc. (NYSE:BEN) – Zacks Research reduced their Q3 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Franklin Resources in a research note issued on Thursday, April 10th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now expects that the closed-end fund will earn $0.49 per share for the quarter, down from their previous estimate of $0.51. The consensus estimate for Franklin Resources’ current full-year earnings is $2.16 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Franklin Resources’ Q4 2026 earnings at $0.64 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.77 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $2.94 EPS.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on Franklin Resources from $19.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Bank of America dropped their price target on shares of Franklin Resources from $20.00 to $17.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. Evercore ISI cut their price target on shares of Franklin Resources from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Franklin Resources from $19.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their target price on shares of Franklin Resources from $21.50 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and eight have assigned a hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $19.38.

Franklin Resources Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:BEN opened at $18.09 on Monday. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $19.54 and its 200 day moving average price is $20.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.66 and a quick ratio of 1.66. The stock has a market cap of $9.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.83, a PEG ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 1.36. Franklin Resources has a 12 month low of $16.25 and a 12 month high of $25.84.

Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 31st. The closed-end fund reported $0.59 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.03. Franklin Resources had a net margin of 4.32% and a return on equity of 9.45%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.65 EPS.

Franklin Resources Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 31st were given a $0.32 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.08%. Franklin Resources’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 196.92%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Franklin Resources

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BEN. CoreCap Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Franklin Resources by 147.1% in the 4th quarter. CoreCap Advisors LLC now owns 1,238 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 737 shares during the period. GeoWealth Management LLC increased its stake in Franklin Resources by 350.4% in the 4th quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC now owns 1,261 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 981 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Franklin Resources by 44.5% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,641 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 505 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Franklin Resources during the 4th quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Franklin Resources by 561.1% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 1,957 shares of the closed-end fund’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 1,661 shares in the last quarter. 47.56% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Franklin Resources Company Profile

Franklin Resources, Inc is a publicly owned asset management holding company. Through its subsidiaries, the firm provides its services to individuals, institutions, pension plans, trusts, and partnerships. It launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and multi-asset mutual funds through its subsidiaries.