Franklin Resources, Inc. vs Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.74 (market cap $17.22B), while Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF trades at $87.83. The key difference: Franklin Resources, Inc. pays a 3.98% dividend while Vanguard Growth Index Fund ETF pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BEN | VUG | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.22B | — |
Sector | Financials | Sector/Thematic |
52-Week High | $34.44 | $90.29 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $70.00 |
Enterprise Value | $29.05B | — |
Dividend Yield | 3.98% | — |
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.
VUG trades at $86.15, down 1.43% on the day, with a neutral technical signal and bullish moving averages. Recent news highlights its low 0.03% expense ratio and 411% total return over the past decade. The ETF is heavily concentrated in technology stocks (70% of assets) and executed a 1:6 stock split in April 2026.
Outlook remains positive for long-term growth investors given strong historical performance and cost efficiency, though high tech exposure and market volatility present risks. The fund's ability to adapt to economic growth trends supports its appeal, but investors should weigh concentration risk against diversification benefits.
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 →VUG is an index-based ETF that tracks the CRSP US Large Cap Growth Index, providing concentrated exposure to the largest and fastest-growing companies in the United States. It focuses on stocks with high growth potential across tech, communication, and consumer sectors, serving as a low-cost, high-conviction core holding for long-term capital appreciation.
Read more on VUG →