Franklin Resources, Inc. vs iShares iBoxx $ Inv Grade Corporate Bond ETF — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.58 (market cap $16.95B), while iShares iBoxx $ Inv Grade Corporate Bond ETF trades at $106.12. The key difference: Franklin Resources, Inc. pays a 3.96% dividend while iShares iBoxx $ Inv Grade Corporate Bond ETF pays none, and Franklin Resources, Inc. is trading nearer its 52-week high, iShares iBoxx $ Inv Grade Corporate Bond ETF nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BEN | LQD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $16.95B | — |
Sector | Financials | — |
52-Week High | $35.77 | $112.91 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $105.96 |
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.
LQD trades at $106.215, up 0.24% with bearish technical signals from moving averages. The ETF shows neutral oscillator readings while facing pressure from rising Treasury yields and inflation concerns. Recent dividend distributions provide income support, but technical indicators suggest caution with 17 sell signals versus 2 buy signals.
The outlook remains challenged by bond market volatility and Fed policy uncertainty. Investment opportunities exist for income-focused investors through dividends, but risks include interest rate sensitivity and macroeconomic pressures from oil price fluctuations and geopolitical tensions affecting fixed income markets.
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 →The fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of the underlying index, and it will invest at least 90% of its assets in fixed income securities of the types included in the underlying index that the advisor believes will help the fund track the underlying index. The underlying index is designed to provide a broad representation of the US dollar-denominated liquid investment-grade corporate bond market.
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