Franklin Resources, Inc. vs 22nd Century Group Inc — how do they compare? Franklin Resources, Inc. trades at $33.37 (market cap $16.95B), while 22nd Century Group Inc trades at $4.33 (market cap $1.52M). The key difference: Franklin Resources, Inc. is far larger — about 11151.3× 22nd Century Group Inc's market cap, and Franklin Resources, Inc. pays a 3.96% dividend while 22nd Century Group Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| BEN | XXII | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $16.95B | $1.52M |
Sector | Financials | Technology |
52-Week High | $35.77 | $801.00 |
52-Week Low | $21.18 | $3.72 |
Enterprise Value | $29.90B | -$6.71M |
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.
XXII trades at $4.38, up 0.69% with neutral technical signals. The company shows concerning fundamentals with negative profit margins (-65.76% net income margin) and ROE of -130.19%, though valuation ratios appear low (P/S 0.03, P/B 0.07). Recent corporate actions include a 20:1 reverse stock split in June 2026. Analyst sentiment remains positive with 75% buy ratings, while the company expands VLN® product distribution in key markets like California and New York.
The outlook remains speculative given persistent losses despite revenue generation. Investment opportunity lies in successful execution of reduced-nicotine cigarette expansion and FDA regulatory progress. Key risks include continued cash burn, competitive pressures, and dependency on regulatory approvals for growth catalysts.
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 →22nd Century Group is a plant biotechnology company that uses genetic engineering and gene editing to control the levels of nicotine in tobacco plants. Its flagship product line, VLN®, is the first and only combustible cigarette authorized by the FDA as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), containing 95% less nicotine than traditional cigarettes to help adult smokers smoke less.
Read more on XXII →