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Side-by-side financial comparison of Franklin Resources (BEN) and StepStone Group Inc. (STEP). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Franklin Resources is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($2.3B vs $586.5M, roughly 4.0× StepStone Group Inc.). Franklin Resources runs the higher net margin — 11.0% vs -21.0%, a 32.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, StepStone Group Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (73.0% vs 3.4%). Over the past eight quarters, StepStone Group Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (28.2% CAGR vs 4.0%).

Franklin Resources, Inc. is an American multinational investment management holding company that, together with its subsidiaries, is referred to as Franklin Templeton; it is a global investment firm founded in New York City in 1947 as Franklin Distributors, Inc. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEN, in honor of Benjamin Franklin, for whom the company is named, and who was admired by founder Rupert Johnson Sr. In 1973, the company's headquarters moved from Ne...

Rosetta Stone Inc. is an American education technology software company that develops language, literacy and brain-fitness software. Best known for its language-learning products, in 2013, the company expanded beyond language into education-technology with its acquisitions of Livemocha, Lexia Learning, Fit Brains, and Tell Me More. In 2021, it became a subsidiary of IXL Learning.

BEN vs STEP — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
BEN
BEN
4.0× larger
BEN
$2.3B
$586.5M
STEP
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
STEP
STEP
+69.6% gap
STEP
73.0%
3.4%
BEN
Higher net margin
BEN
BEN
32.0% more per $
BEN
11.0%
-21.0%
STEP
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
STEP
STEP
Annualised
STEP
28.2%
4.0%
BEN

Income Statement — Q1 2026 vs Q3 2026

Metric
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Revenue
$2.3B
$586.5M
Net Profit
$255.5M
$-123.5M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
12.1%
-33.2%
Net Margin
11.0%
-21.0%
Revenue YoY
3.4%
73.0%
Net Profit YoY
56.2%
35.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.46
$-1.55

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$2.3B
$586.5M
Q3 25
$2.3B
$454.2M
Q2 25
$2.1B
$364.3M
Q1 25
$2.1B
$377.7M
Q4 24
$2.3B
$339.0M
Q3 24
$2.2B
$271.7M
Q2 24
$2.1B
$186.4M
Q1 24
$2.2B
$356.8M
Net Profit
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$255.5M
$-123.5M
Q3 25
$117.6M
$-366.1M
Q2 25
$92.3M
$-38.4M
Q1 25
$151.4M
$-18.5M
Q4 24
$163.6M
$-192.0M
Q3 24
$-84.7M
$17.6M
Q2 24
$174.0M
$13.3M
Q1 24
$124.2M
$30.8M
Operating Margin
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
12.1%
-33.2%
Q3 25
3.6%
-148.8%
Q2 25
7.5%
-5.6%
Q1 25
6.9%
2.6%
Q4 24
9.7%
-101.7%
Q3 24
-6.8%
21.3%
Q2 24
10.5%
29.4%
Q1 24
6.0%
26.5%
Net Margin
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
11.0%
-21.0%
Q3 25
5.0%
-80.6%
Q2 25
4.5%
-10.5%
Q1 25
7.2%
-4.9%
Q4 24
7.3%
-56.6%
Q3 24
-3.8%
6.5%
Q2 24
8.2%
7.2%
Q1 24
5.8%
8.6%
EPS (diluted)
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$0.46
$-1.55
Q3 25
$0.21
$-4.66
Q2 25
$0.15
$-0.49
Q1 25
$0.26
$-0.37
Q4 24
$0.29
$-2.61
Q3 24
$-0.20
$0.26
Q2 24
$0.32
$0.20
Q1 24
$0.23
$0.47

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.4B
$270.2M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$12.1B
$-378.8M
Total Assets
$32.5B
$5.2B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.19×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Total Debt
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$2.4B
$270.2M
Q3 25
$2.4B
$269.9M
Q2 25
$2.7B
$269.6M
Q1 25
$2.7B
$269.3M
Q4 24
$2.8B
$168.9M
Q3 24
$2.8B
$172.3M
Q2 24
$3.0B
$172.1M
Q1 24
$3.0B
$148.8M
Stockholders' Equity
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$12.1B
$-378.8M
Q3 25
$12.1B
$-233.5M
Q2 25
$12.2B
$153.9M
Q1 25
$12.3B
$179.4M
Q4 24
$12.5B
$209.8M
Q3 24
$12.5B
$397.5M
Q2 24
$12.9B
$366.9M
Q1 24
$12.9B
$324.5M
Total Assets
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$32.5B
$5.2B
Q3 25
$32.4B
$5.3B
Q2 25
$32.6B
$4.8B
Q1 25
$32.0B
$4.6B
Q4 24
$32.4B
$4.3B
Q3 24
$32.5B
$4.0B
Q2 24
$33.3B
$3.8B
Q1 24
$32.9B
$3.8B
Debt / Equity
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
0.19×
Q3 25
0.20×
Q2 25
0.22×
1.75×
Q1 25
0.22×
1.50×
Q4 24
0.22×
0.81×
Q3 24
0.22×
0.43×
Q2 24
0.24×
0.47×
Q1 24
0.24×
0.46×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-255.1M
$27.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$26.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
4.6%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-1.00×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$18.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$-255.1M
$27.2M
Q3 25
$-20.7M
$16.2M
Q2 25
$1.3B
$46.3M
Q1 25
$-50.1M
$-66.5M
Q4 24
$-145.2M
$27.6M
Q3 24
$558.2M
$53.7M
Q2 24
$528.4M
$50.2M
Q1 24
$136.6M
$7.6M
Free Cash Flow
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
$26.7M
Q3 25
$-51.9M
$15.9M
Q2 25
$1.3B
$45.2M
Q1 25
$-87.6M
$-69.2M
Q4 24
$-217.0M
$27.0M
Q3 24
$488.4M
$52.4M
Q2 24
$482.3M
$49.6M
Q1 24
$94.9M
$6.7M
FCF Margin
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
4.6%
Q3 25
-2.2%
3.5%
Q2 25
61.4%
12.4%
Q1 25
-4.1%
-18.3%
Q4 24
-9.6%
8.0%
Q3 24
22.1%
19.3%
Q2 24
22.7%
26.6%
Q1 24
4.4%
1.9%
Capex Intensity
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
0.1%
Q3 25
1.3%
0.1%
Q2 25
0.7%
0.3%
Q1 25
1.8%
0.7%
Q4 24
3.2%
0.2%
Q3 24
3.2%
0.5%
Q2 24
2.2%
0.3%
Q1 24
1.9%
0.3%
Cash Conversion
BEN
BEN
STEP
STEP
Q4 25
-1.00×
Q3 25
-0.18×
Q2 25
13.89×
Q1 25
-0.33×
Q4 24
-0.89×
Q3 24
3.05×
Q2 24
3.04×
3.76×
Q1 24
1.10×
0.25×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

BEN
BEN

Investment Advisory Management And Administrative Service$1.8B79%
Sales And Distribution Fees$388.7M17%
Shareholder Service$70.9M3%
Service Other$19.6M1%

STEP
STEP

Other$210.1M36%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Focused Commingled Funds$143.3M24%
Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$85.1M15%
Carried Interest Allocation Separately Managed Accounts$63.6M11%
Carried Interest Allocation Realized$46.7M8%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Advisory And Other Services$18.3M3%
Legacy Carried Interest Allocation Focused Commingled Funds$10.3M2%
Income Based Incentive Fees$6.0M1%
Management And Advisory Fees Net Fund Reimbursement Revenues$3.1M1%

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