Franklin Resources, Inc. vs Unilever plc — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.37 (market cap $17.03B), while Unilever plc trades at $62.32 (market cap $134.76B). The key difference: Unilever plc is far larger — about 7.9× 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 | UL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.03B | $134.76B |
Sector | Financials | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $35.77 | $74.59 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $55.05 |
Enterprise Value | $29.98B | $160.58B |
Dividend Yield | 3.94% | 3.63% |
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.
Unilever (UL) trades at $62.96, down 1.1% over 24 hours, with technical indicators showing a bullish trend and strong support at $62. The company reported $50.5B revenue in 2025 with a net income margin of 18.75%, though recent quarters saw earnings misses. Positive sentiment is driven by a potential merger with McCormick and strong Q2 2026 volume growth, while analyst consensus is mixed with 24% buy ratings.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic due to merger synergies and margin expansion potential, but risks include integration challenges and competitive pressures. Cash flow volatility and debt levels warrant monitoring. The stock presents a value opportunity if execution improves, but near-term volatility may persist amid macroeconomic uncertainties.
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 →Unilever is a diversified personal product (42% of 2021 sales by value), home care (20%), and packaged food (38%) company. Its brands include Knorr soups and sauces, Hellmann's mayonnaise, Lipton teas, Axe and Dove skin products, and the TRESemme haircare brand. The firm has been acquisitive in recent years
Read more on UL →