Franklin Resources, Inc. vs Verisign, Inc. — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.95 (market cap $17.22B), while Verisign, Inc. trades at $269.56 (market cap $24.47B). The key difference: Verisign, Inc. is the larger of the two by market cap, and Franklin Resources, Inc. pays the higher dividend (3.98%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BEN | VRSN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.22B | $24.47B |
Sector | Financials | Technology |
52-Week High | $34.44 | $310.00 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $211.49 |
Enterprise Value | $29.05B | $25.70B |
Dividend Yield | 3.98% | 1.21% |
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.
VeriSign (VRSN) trades at $270.31, up 0.07% with a bullish technical outlook. The stock shows strong fundamentals with 2025 revenue of $1.66B, net income of $825.7M, and exceptional 49.96% net margin. Recent Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations at $2.34 EPS. Analyst consensus is bullish with 57% buy ratings and $327.67 price target, representing 21% upside potential. The company maintains its monopoly position in .com/.net domain registry with predictable revenue growth.
VRSN presents a compelling investment case with stable cash flows and dominant market position, though trading at premium valuations (P/E 29.87). Key risks include contract renewals, AI disruption potential, and high debt levels. The upcoming Q2 2026 earnings report on July 23 will be critical for validating growth trajectory. Current levels offer attractive entry for long-term investors seeking defensive tech exposure.
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 →Verisign is the sole authorized registry for several generic top-level domains, including the widely utilized .com and .net top-level domains. The company operates critical Internet infrastructure to support the domain name system, including operating two of the world's 13 root servers that are used to route Internet traffic. In 2018, the firm sold off its Security Services business, signalling a renewed focus on the core registry business.
Read more on VRSN →