Franklin Resources, Inc. vs iShares Gold Trust — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.24 (market cap $17.22B), while iShares Gold Trust trades at $75.95. The key difference: Franklin Resources, Inc. pays a 3.98% dividend while iShares Gold Trust pays none, and Franklin Resources, Inc. is trading nearer its 52-week high, iShares Gold Trust nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BEN | IAU | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.22B | — |
Sector | Financials | Commodities - Metals/Agriculture |
52-Week High | $34.44 | $101.57 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $61.62 |
Enterprise Value | $29.05B | — |
Dividend Yield | 3.98% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Franklin Resources (BEN) trades at $32.83, down 2.0% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages despite bearish oscillators. The company shows steady revenue growth to $8.77B in 2025 and has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters. Recent news highlights dividend sustainability and AUM growth to $1.79 trillion in June 2026, while analyst consensus leans neutral with a $34.67 price target.
BEN presents a mixed outlook with strong dividend appeal and earnings momentum offset by modest profitability metrics (ROE 2.08%) and negative cash flow trends. Near-term catalysts include Q3 earnings on July 31, 2026, but investors face risks from competitive pressures and market-sensitive AUM fluctuations. The stock trades at a reasonable P/E of 25.06 with upside to consensus target.
IAU, the iShares Gold Trust ETF, is trading at $75.25, down 2.6% with a bearish technical outlook. The ETF faces pressure from rising Treasury yields and Federal Reserve policy uncertainty, though recent weaker CPI data provided temporary support. Gold remains a key asset amid geopolitical tensions and central bank accumulation, with the fund offering low-cost exposure to physical gold.
The outlook for IAU is mixed, balancing strong long-term fundamentals against near-term headwinds. Gold's role as a hedge and central bank demand provide support, but Fed policy and dollar strength pose risks. The ETF's structure offers efficient gold access, but price volatility requires careful position sizing.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Franklin Resources provides investment services for individual and institutional investors. At the end of August 2022, Franklin had $1.388 trillion in managed assets, composed primarily of equity (32%), fixed-income (38%), multi-asset/balanced (10%) funds, alternatives (16%), and money market funds (4%). Distribution tends to be weighted more toward retail investors (49% of AUM) investors, as opposed to institutional (49%) and high-net-worth (2%) clients. Franklin is also one of the more global firms of the U.S.-based asset managers with more than 35% of its AUM invested in global/international strategies and 25% of managed assets sourced from clients domiciled outside the United States.
Read more on BEN →IAU is a physically backed ETF that seeks to reflect the performance of the price of gold. It provides a convenient and liquid way for investors to include gold in their portfolios as a potential hedge.
Read more on IAU →