Franklin Resources, Inc. vs Morgan Stanley — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.24 (market cap $17.22B), while Morgan Stanley trades at $231.18 (market cap $359.10B). The key difference: Morgan Stanley is far larger — about 20.9× Franklin Resources, Inc.'s market cap, and Franklin Resources, Inc. pays the higher dividend (3.98%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BEN | MS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.22B | $359.10B |
Sector | Financials | Financials |
52-Week High | $34.44 | $228.17 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $139.09 |
Enterprise Value | $29.05B | — |
Dividend Yield | 3.98% | 1.76% |
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.
Morgan Stanley (MS) trades at $228.17, up 2.65% on the day, with strong bullish momentum from three consecutive quarterly earnings beats. The stock shows robust revenue growth, reaching $66.0B in 2025, and a net income margin of 25.56%. Technical indicators signal a bullish trend, with moving averages supporting upward movement, while RSI levels suggest mixed short-term momentum. Recent news highlights Morgan Stanley's role in leading Anthropic's IPO and expanding AI integration in wealth management, reinforcing its market position.
Outlook remains positive with analyst consensus favoring Buy ratings (53.85%) and a price target of $225.80, slightly below current levels. Key opportunities include continued earnings outperformance and strategic initiatives in AI and IPO leadership. Risks involve volatile cash flows, high debt levels, and macroeconomic sensitivity. Investors should weigh strong fundamentals against execution risks in a dynamic financial landscape.
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 →Morgan Stanley is a global investment bank whose history, through its legacy firms, can be traced back to 1924. The company has institutional securities, wealth management, and investment management segments. The company had about $5 trillion of client assets as well as over 70,000 employees at the end of 2021. Approximately 50% of the company's net revenue is from its institutional securities business, with the remainder coming from wealth and investment management. The company derives about 30% of its total revenue outside the Americas.
Read more on MS →