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Is Franklin Resources (BEN) a Great Value Stock Right Now?

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The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.

Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.

Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.

Franklin Resources (BEN - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. BEN is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), as well as an A grade for Value. The stock is trading with a P/E ratio of 9.96, which compares to its industry's average of 12.73. Over the past 52 weeks, BEN's Forward P/E has been as high as 12.82 and as low as 6.66, with a median of 10.17.

Investors will also notice that BEN has a PEG ratio of 0.76. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. BEN's PEG compares to its industry's average PEG of 1.71. BEN's PEG has been as high as 1.81 and as low as 0.67, with a median of 1.44, all within the past year.

We should also highlight that BEN has a P/B ratio of 0.97. The P/B ratio pits a stock's market value against its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This company's current P/B looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/B of 1.96. Over the past 12 months, BEN's P/B has been as high as 1.69 and as low as 0.70, with a median of 1.17.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that Franklin Resources is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, BEN sticks out at as one of the market's strongest value stocks.


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