Franklin Resources, Inc. vs iShares Gold Trust — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.57 (market cap $16.95B), while iShares Gold Trust trades at $82.65. The key difference: Franklin Resources, Inc. pays a 3.96% 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 | $16.95B | — |
Sector | Financials | Commodities - Metals/Agriculture |
52-Week High | $35.77 | $101.57 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $62.49 |
Enterprise Value | $29.90B | — |
Dividend Yield | 3.96% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Franklin Resources (BEN) trades at $33.56, up 0.12% on the day, with a bullish technical signal and consistent earnings beats. The company reported record AUM of $1.80 trillion as of July 31, 2026, driven by strong inflows and diversification efforts. Valuation ratios include a P/E of 22.69 and P/S of 1.85, while profitability shows a net income margin of 8.72%.
The outlook is positive with analyst consensus price target of $36.50, though risks include volatile cash flows and competitive pressures. Upside potential hinges on sustained AUM growth and margin expansion, while investor sentiment is mixed with 59% hold ratings amid recent institutional selling.
IAU, the iShares Gold Trust ETF, is trading at $83.305, up 0.96% with a bullish technical signal overall. The ETF benefits from gold's recent momentum as spot gold approaches $4,430/oz amid cooling inflation data and geopolitical tensions. Moving averages show bullish alignment while oscillators indicate some overbought conditions. Recent news highlights gold's safe-haven appeal with institutional buying and positive price forecasts.
The outlook remains positive given gold's role as an inflation hedge and safe-haven asset, supported by central bank demand and favorable CPI data. Risks include potential Fed policy shifts and dollar strength. Conservative investors favor IAU for its low 0.25% expense ratio and lower volatility compared to mining equities.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →