Stock fact sheet · data as of
Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Financial Services · Asset Management · United States · High Yield Income
Is BEN undervalued?
Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN) closed at 31.38 on 16 Oct 2026, 29% above the GLS average fair value of 24.25. Only 1 of the 9 models that produced a number value the shares above the current price. The margin of safety is negative, so the stock fails the "below fair value" rule of the Sunday Scan; a premium of this size is common for companies whose growth the models are conservative about.
There is a wide gap between GLS Growth (5.06) and Graham Growth (63.79). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
The nightly engine files BEN under High Yield Income: a dividend yield above 4%.
Nine valuation models for BEN
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 22.76 | -27% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 29.78 | -5% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 63.79 | +103% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 25.27 | -19% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 5.06 | -84% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 24.62 | -22% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 8.31 | -74% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 19.42 | -38% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 19.22 | -39% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -25.71 | -182% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 35.67 | +14% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Franklin Resources, Inc. scores 5 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score: a middling result that falls one point short of the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. Some of the nine tests on profitability, leverage and efficiency are failed, so the accounts are worth a look before selling a put on the name. A GLS Moat score of 2.1/10 is a weak reading: the ten-year history the score grades (revenue, EPS, book value, margins, cash flow, share count, ROIC) has not been steady, so the Moat part of the Wheel Score contributes little.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 2.1%, ROE 4.3%, ROA 1.6% - with debt at 1.10 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 1.4%.
The dividend yield is high at 4.21% (payout ratio 77%). A yield this size is often the market's way of pricing a risk to the payout, so the health score and cash flow matter more than usual. Revenue comes mainly from Investment Advisory, Management and Adm… 79%, Sales And Distribution Fees 17%, Shareholder Service 3% (quarter Q3 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 7/10, insider activity 10/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 5 / 9 | ROIC | 2.1% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 2.1 / 10 | ROE | 4.3% |
| Debt / equity | 1.10 | ROA | 1.6% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 1.4% | Payout ratio | 77% |
| Institutions | 7 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 10 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 53: Fair
A Wheel Score of 53 puts Franklin Resources, Inc. in the Fair band - below the 70 the Sunday Scan requires. Value 0/25, Health 11/20, Moat 3/15, Premium 20/20 and Stability 19/20; the weakest part is Value (0/25).
Implied volatility is 37% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is 26,947 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.
Volume runs at 3.6M shares a day on a market cap of $15.9B, with a beta of 1.58 - a high beta, so the stock tends to move more than the market and a strike can be gapped through; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 19 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 0 / 25 | -29% margin of safety | |
| Health | 11 / 20 | Piotroski 5/9 | |
| Moat | 3 / 15 | moat 2.1/10 | |
| Premium | 20 / 20 | implied volatility 37% | |
| Stability | 19 / 20 | 3.6M shares/day, $15.9B cap, beta 1.58 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 6 Nov 2026 (before the open), 21 days away; a 30-45-day put sold today would expire after it, which is worth weighing against the premium.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Asset Management
The 12 companies below are the closest to Franklin Resources, Inc. by market cap within the Asset Management industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPGXL TPG Inc. | 20.13 | 25.83 | +22% | 39No options | $16.2B |
| TPG TPG Inc. | 42.22 | 40.87 | -3% | 69Good | $16.2B |
| DUKH Ocean Park High Income ETF | 23.17 | 125.99 | +82% | 39No options | $16.2B |
| LGRNX Loomis Sayles Growth Fund Class N | 34.28 | 5.97 | -474% | 25No options | $16.4B |
| CRBG Corebridge Financial, Inc. | 34.43 | 54.56 | +37% | 87Prime | $15.3B |
| TRRHX T. Rowe Price Retirement 2025 Fund | 18.71 | 184.14 | +90% | 39No options | $17.1B |
| PHYS Sprott Physical Gold Trust | 30.96 | 147.63 | +79% | 39No options | $14.7B |
| EQH Equitable Holdings, Inc. | 53.49 | 103.50 | +48% | 45Weak | $14.6B |
| SWISX Schwab Capital Trust - Schwab International Index Fund | 31.27 | 418.51 | +93% | 39No options | $14.5B |
| FIDZX Fidelity Advisor International Capital Appreciation Fund Class Z | 36.66 | 26.01 | -41% | 37No options | $17.6B |
| DFUSX DFA US Large Company Portfolio | 51.41 | 7.42 | -593% | 24No options | $14.3B |
| VPCCX Vanguard PRIMECAP Core Fund | 45.62 | 67.74 | +33% | 39No options | $17.9B |
⚖ Compare BEN with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about BEN
Is BEN undervalued right now?
No: at 31.38 the stock trades 29% above the GLS average fair value of 24.25 (data as of 16 Oct 2026). The margin of safety is negative.
What is the Wheel Score of BEN and what does it mean?
BEN scores 53 out of 100 (Fair). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for BEN?
24.25 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 9 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Franklin Resources, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 6 Nov 2026 (before the open), 21 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does BEN have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 258 listed contracts with 26,947 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 37% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.