Franklin Resources vs Principal Financial Group
Side-by-side comparison of AI visibility scores, market position, and capabilities
San Mateo CA global asset manager (NYSE: BEN) ~$1.65T AUM, $5.2B FY2024 revenue; Legg Mason/Putnam multi-boutique, Western Asset outflows from 2024 regulatory issues, competing with BlackRock and Fidelity.
About
Franklin Resources, Inc. (Franklin Templeton) is a San Mateo, California-based global investment management company — publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BEN) as an S&P 500 Financials component — managing mutual funds, ETFs, institutional separate accounts, and alternative investments across fixed income, equity, multi-asset, and alternative strategies through approximately 10,000 employees serving clients in 165 countries. In fiscal year 2024 (ending September 2024), Franklin Templeton reported assets under management of approximately $1.65 trillion and revenues of approximately $5.2 billion, with the company navigating the transition from traditional active management toward alternative investments and ETF expansion following the transformative 2020 acquisition of Legg Mason ($4.5 billion — adding Western Asset Management, Brandywine Global, Clarion Partners, and other boutique managers) and subsequent acquisitions including Benefit Street Partners (credit), Lexington Partners (secondary private equity), and Putnam Investments (2023 acquisition expanding retirement plan distribution). CEO Jenny Johnson leads Franklin Templeton's multi-boutique strategy: preserving the investment independence of each acquired brand (Western Asset Management operates as an autonomous fixed income manager, Clarion Partners as a standalone real estate manager) while sharing back-office, compliance, distribution, and technology infrastructure to extract operating leverage from the combined firm's $5+ billion revenue base.
Des Moines retirement and asset management (NASDAQ: PFG) at $16.13B 2024 revenue (+18%), $753B AUM; new CEO Deanna Strable (Jan 2025), Ascensus ESOP acquisition (2024), $1.7T AUA competing with Empower for mid-market 401(k).
About
Principal Financial Group, Inc. is a Des Moines, Iowa-based financial services company — publicly traded on NASDAQ (NASDAQ: PFG) as an S&P 500 Financials component — providing retirement savings, asset management, and group insurance and benefits to 61 million customers worldwide through approximately 20,000 employees with $753 billion in assets under management (AUM) as of Q2 2025, $1.7 trillion in assets under administration, and $16.13 billion in 2024 annual revenue (up 18% year-over-year) with net income of $1.57 billion. Founded in 1879 as The Bankers Life Association by Edward Temple and Simon Casady to provide affordable life insurance to Iowans, Principal demutualized and completed its IPO in 2001. Deanna Strable became President and CEO in January 2025 (succeeding Dan Houston), with Joel Pitz named CFO. Principal operates through three segments: Retirement and Income Solutions (RIS — 401(k), 403(b), defined benefit plans, nonqualified executive benefits, pension risk transfer, and individual retirement products), Principal Asset Management (equity, fixed income, real estate, and alternative investments for institutional clients), and Benefits and Protection (group dental, vision, life, and disability insurance). Key acquisitions include AFP Cuprum (Chilean pension, $1.5B, 2012), Wells Fargo's institutional retirement and trust business ($1.2B, 2019, adding 401(k)/pension/ESOP plans), and the 2024 agreement to acquire Ascensus's ESOP business (800 plans, 165,000+ participants). Principal's market capitalization stands at approximately $18.3 billion.
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