Franklin Resources, Inc. vs Kroger Co — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.37 (market cap $17.03B), while Kroger Co trades at $56.18 (market cap $34.60B). The key difference: Kroger Co is far larger — about 2× Franklin Resources, Inc.'s market cap, and Franklin Resources, Inc. pays the higher dividend (3.94%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BEN | KR | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.03B | $34.60B |
Sector | Financials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $35.77 | $75.60 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $55.53 |
Enterprise Value | $29.98B | $54.70B |
Dividend Yield | 3.94% | 2.55% |
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.
Kroger (KR) trades at $56.73, down 1.03% with bearish technical signals from moving averages. The company maintains stable revenue around $147B with recent earnings showing mixed results - beating estimates in Q3 and Q4 2025 but missing in Q1 2026. Kroger demonstrates strong cash flow generation with $5.8B from operations in 2025 and pays consistent dividends, while expanding digital services and AI shopping assistance.
Kroger presents a defensive investment opportunity with 2.7% dividend yield and analyst consensus target of $68.63 (21% upside). However, rising debt levels and competitive pressures in grocery retail pose risks. The stock offers value with P/S of 0.25x but trades at premium P/E of 33x, requiring earnings acceleration to justify valuation.
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 →Kroger is the leading American grocer, with 2,726 supermarkets operating under several banners throughout the country as of the end of fiscal 2021. Around 83% of stores have pharmacies, while nearly 60% also sell fuel. The company also operates roughly 120 fine jewelry stores. Kroger features a leading private-label offering and manufactures around 30% of its own-brand units (and more than 40% of its grocery own-label assortment) itself, in 33 food production plants nationwide. Kroger is a top-two grocer in most of its major markets (as of early 2021, according to company data). Virtually all of Kroger's sales come from the United States.
Read more on KR →