Franklin Resources, Inc. vs Kimberly Clark Corp — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.37 (market cap $17.03B), while Kimberly Clark Corp trades at $108.57 (market cap $36.48B). The key difference: Kimberly Clark Corp is far larger — about 2.1× Franklin Resources, Inc.'s market cap, and Kimberly Clark Corp pays the higher dividend (4.67%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BEN | KMB | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.03B | $36.48B |
Sector | Financials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $35.77 | $134.81 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $93.05 |
Enterprise Value | $29.98B | $42.04B |
Dividend Yield | 3.94% | 4.67% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Franklin Resources (BEN) trades at $33.77, down 0.68% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $36.50. The company reported record AUM of $1.80 trillion as of July 31, 2026 (Business Wire, 2026-08-05), and has beaten EPS estimates for the last three quarters, with Q3 2026 results showing strong net inflows and margin expansion. Revenue for 2025 was $8.77 billion, with net income of $524.90 million.
The outlook is positive, driven by earnings beats, AUM growth, and diversification into private markets, but risks include inconsistent cash flow trends and competitive pressures. Analyst sentiment is mixed, with 59% hold ratings, indicating cautious optimism amid execution risks.
Kimberly-Clark (KMB) trades at $109.68, up 0.94% with a bullish technical signal. The stock shows strong profitability with 11.79% net margin and 129.43% ROE, though Q2 2026 earnings missed estimates. Recent news highlights China market challenges and dividend stability. Current valuation metrics include P/E of 21.68 and P/S of 2.2, with analyst consensus price target of $113.20 suggesting modest upside potential from current levels.
KMB presents a balanced investment case with solid fundamentals offset by near-term headwinds. The company maintains strong brand positioning and dividend consistency, but faces execution risks from China market disruptions and consumer softness. Wall Street maintains cautious optimism with 61% hold ratings, indicating potential for gradual appreciation if operational challenges are managed effectively.
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 →With around half of sales from personal care and another third from tissue products, Kimberly-Clark sits as a leading manufacturer of tissue and hygiene realm. Its brand mix includes Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Depend, Kleenex, and Cottonelle. The firm also operates K-C Professional, which partners with businesses to provide safety and sanitary products for the workplace. Kimberly-Clark generates just over of half its sales in North America and more than 10% in Europe, with the rest primarily concentrated in Asia and Latin America.
Read more on KMB →