Franklin Templeton Converts Three Mutual Funds to ETFs

UBS upgraded Franklin Resources to Buy from Neutral and raised its price target to $40 from $23. The stock is currently trading at $32.18. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods also adjusted its price target to $37 from $38.

Franklin Templeton's (BEN) assets under management fell 2% month-over-month in September to $1.79T, impacted by market conditions. The company reported $6B in long-term net inflows, mitigating the decline.

Franklin Templeton has expanded its tokenized collateral service to Bybit, allowing users to pledge shares in its tokenized money market funds, worth $686 million, as collateral for USDT or USDC trading credit lines while earning yield. The underlying assets are held off-exchange by ByCustody, with the value mirrored in Bybit's trading environment. This follows similar partnerships with Binance and OKX.

Franklin Templeton's Clarion Partners will acquire a majority stake in Stoneshield Capital, tripling its European AUM to $13B and boosting total alternative AUM above $300B. Stoneshield, with $9B in AUM, specializes in European real assets. The deal is expected to close in Q4 2026, expanding Clarion's European footprint and investment strategies.

Franklin Templeton's (BEN) real estate subsidiary, Clarion Partners, will acquire a majority stake in Stoneshield Capital, a European real assets manager. The deal, expected to close in Q4 2026, will triple Clarion's European AUM to $13B and increase total AUM by 12% to $82B. Stoneshield's co-founders will remain and lead the platform, which will focus on opportunistic investments in Europe. Pre-market, BEN shares are down 0.03% at $34.73.

Franklin Templeton (BEN) will acquire a majority stake in Stoneshield Capital, a European real assets manager with €8 billion in AUM. The deal will triple Clarion's European AUM to €11 billion and increase its total AUM by 12% to €72 billion. Stoneshield's investment focus includes living, student housing, and digital infrastructure.