Franklin Resources, Inc. vs Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.37 (market cap $17.03B), while Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $60.85. The key difference: Franklin Resources, Inc. pays a 3.94% dividend while Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BEN | XLE | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.03B | — |
Sector | Financials | — |
52-Week High | $35.77 | $62.57 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $42.33 |
Enterprise Value | $29.98B | — |
Dividend Yield | 3.94% | — |
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.
XLE (Energy Select Sector SPDR ETF) trades at $57.48, down 1.17% amid bearish technical signals. The ETF faces headwinds despite strong energy sector performance driven by geopolitical tensions and elevated oil prices. Recent earnings from major holdings like ExxonMobil and Chevron showed profit surges, but technical indicators suggest near-term weakness with resistance at $58 and support at $57.
Outlook remains mixed with geopolitical risks supporting oil prices but technical weakness suggesting caution. The concentrated exposure to major energy companies provides stability but limits diversification. Key risks include oil price volatility and Middle East tensions, while the low expense ratio of 0.08% maintains cost efficiency for long-term energy 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 →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes companies that have been identified as energy companies by the GICS®, including securities of companies from the following industries: oil, gas and consumable fuels; and energy equipment and services. It is non-diversified.
Read more on XLE →