Stock fact sheet · data as of
Franklin Universal Trust (FT): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Financial Services · Asset Management · United States · High Yield Income
Is FT undervalued?
FT has a margin of safety of 69%: the stock closed at 7.10 on 16 Oct 2026 against a GLS average fair value of 23.07. 7 of the 9 valuation models that produced a number sit above the price. Our screens treat a discount this large as a strong starting point for a cash-secured put, not as a verdict - the fair value is a model output, and a wide gap can mean the models are missing something the market knows.
The 9 models disagree widely: DCF gives 3.39 while Graham Growth gives 74.37. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
The nightly engine files FT under High Yield Income: a dividend yield above 4%.
Nine valuation models for FT
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 | 3.39 | -52% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 16.28 | +129% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 74.37 | +948% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 32.51 | +358% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 41.83 | +489% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 6.64 | -7% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 10.70 | +51% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 7.50 | +6% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 14.45 | +103% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -1.98 | -128% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 0.0000 | -100% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is average - FT passes 5 of the nine Piotroski tests, which falls one point short of the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is low at 2.3 out of 10, which says the ten-year record of revenue, earnings, margins and returns on capital has been inconsistent - growth and shocks rather than steady compounding.
Returns on capital are moderate - ROIC 7.1%, ROE 9.0%, ROA 7.0% - with debt at 0.28 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 4.7%.
The dividend yield is high at 7.18% (payout ratio 39%). 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.
Institutional ownership scores 2/10, insider activity 5/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 5 / 9 | ROIC | 7.1% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 2.3 / 10 | ROE | 9.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.28 | ROA | 7.0% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 4.7% | Payout ratio | 39% |
| Institutions | 2 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 5 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 39: No options
FT has no listed options in the nightly snapshot, so there is nothing to sell and the stock cannot be wheeled however good the business; the Wheel Score is capped at 39 and shown as "No options" (39 here). The valuation and quality numbers still apply to owning the shares outright.
Volume runs at 65k shares a day on a market cap of $178M, with a beta of 0.64 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 6 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 25 / 25 | 69% margin of safety | |
| Health | 11 / 20 | Piotroski 5/9 | |
| Moat | 3 / 15 | moat 2.3/10 | |
| Premium | 0 / 20 | no option data | |
| Stability | 6 / 20 | 65k shares/day, $178M cap, beta 0.64 |
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
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for FT in the nightly calendar. The shares go ex-dividend on 23 Oct 2026 (0.0425 per share), so a covered call sold before then carries a small early-assignment risk around that date.
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 Universal Trust 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROVX Provident Trust Strategy Fund | 19.66 | 270.12 | +93% | 39No options | $179M |
| TPVG TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. | 4.42 | 19.43 | +77% | 71Good | $180M |
| ADGZX AB Core Opportunities Fund | 28.62 | 39.34 | +27% | 39No options | $180M |
| MPV Barings Participation Investors | 16.79 | 56.67 | +70% | 39No options | $181M |
| NSLR Neostellar Capital Corp. | 6.84 | 33.86 | +80% | 45Weak | $181M |
| WHG Westwood Holdings Group, Inc. | 19.14 | 25.77 | +26% | 66Good | $182M |
| RYPMX Rydex Precious Metals Inv | 267.54 | 7,996.50 | +97% | 39No options | $183M |
| IDE Voya Infrastructure, Industrials and Materials Fund | 12.21 | 17.66 | +31% | 39No options | $185M |
| OPP RiverNorth/DoubleLine Strategic Opportunity Fund, Inc. | 6.88 | 26.02 | +74% | 39No options | $172M |
| ASMOX AQR Small Cap Momentum Style Fund Class I | 24.22 | 15,107.60 | +100% | 39No options | $185M |
| AMBR Amber International Holding Ltd | 1.81 | - | - | 35Weak | $170M |
| BSL Blackstone Senior Floating Rate 2027 Term Fund | 12.93 | 14.41 | +10% | 36No options | $168M |
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about FT
Is FT undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 7.10 the stock is 69% below the average fair value of 23.07 (data as of 16 Oct 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of FT and what does it mean?
FT has no listed options in our nightly snapshot, so it cannot be wheeled; its Wheel Score is capped at 39 and shown as "No options".
What is the GLS fair value for FT?
23.07 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 Universal Trust report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for FT in our calendar as of 16 Oct 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does FT have listed options, and how liquid are they?
No. The nightly options snapshot found no listed contracts on FT, so the wheel strategy cannot be run on it and the Wheel Score is capped at 39.