Franklin Resources, Inc. vs First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Idx Fd — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.63 (market cap $16.95B), while First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Idx Fd trades at $53.21. The key difference: Franklin Resources, Inc. pays a 3.96% dividend while First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Idx Fd pays none, and Franklin Resources, Inc. is trading nearer its 52-week high, First Trust NASDAQ Clean Edge Green Energy Idx Fd nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BEN | QCLN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $16.95B | — |
Sector | Financials | Sector/Thematic |
52-Week High | $35.77 | $68.47 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $36.11 |
Enterprise Value | $29.90B | — |
Dividend Yield | 3.96% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Franklin Resources (BEN) trades at $33.59, up 0.21% 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 (Business Wire, 2026-08-05), driven by strong inflows and diversification. Fundamentals show revenue growth to $8.77B in 2025 and a net income margin of 5.98%, though ROE remains low at 1.34%.
The outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $36.50 (22 analysts, August 2026) and recent momentum from private markets expansion. Key risks include volatile cash flows, with a net cash outflow of $835M in 2025, and competitive fee pressures. The stock offers upside potential but requires monitoring of margin sustainability and market-sensitive AUM growth.
QCLN trades at $53.17, up 2.15% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. Recent news highlights clean energy ETF growth driven by data center demand and geopolitical shifts, though regulatory hurdles and supply chain costs pose challenges. The stock lacks disclosed financial ratios, requiring deeper fundamental review.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic given sector tailwinds, but investment hinges on policy stability and cost management. Risks include U.S. permit delays and Chinese trade tensions, while institutional sentiment appears mixed amid volatile clean energy 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 →QCLN invests in U.S.-listed companies engaged in clean energy technologies. It focuses on solar power, wind, electric vehicles, and energy storage, with major holdings in firms like Tesla, ON Semiconductor, and Rivian.
Read more on QCLN →