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Franklin Universal TrustFT -0.26%30 Debt-to-Equity is 0.26 as of Feb. 2026, which is 16% below its 10-year median of 0.31. GuruFocus rates FT with a GF Score™ of 30/100. The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 938 Asset Management companies, Franklin Universal Trust ranks worse than 54.58% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Franklin Universal Trust's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
FT'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.26 Med: 0.31 Max: 0.35
Current: 0.26
During the past 9 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Franklin Universal Trust was 0.35. The lowest was 0.26. And the median was 0.31.
FT's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 54.58% of 938
companies
in the Asset Management industry
Industry Median: 0.21
vs FT: 0.26
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Franklin Universal Trust Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Franklin Universal Trust Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Asset Management subindustry, Franklin Universal Trust's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Franklin Universal Trust Debt-to-Equity vs Asset Management Industry
For the Asset Management industry and Financial Services sector, Franklin Universal Trust's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Franklin Universal Trust's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Franklin Universal Trust (FT) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.26 as of Feb. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Franklin Universal Trust and its competitors. This is 16% below median its historical median of 0.31. Over the past decade, Franklin Universal Trust's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.26 to 0.35. According to the industry distribution chart, Franklin Universal Trust ranks #512 out of 938 companies in the Asset Management industry, placing it in the top 54.6%.
Is Franklin Universal Trust's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Franklin Universal Trust's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.26 is 16% below median its 10-year median of 0.31. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.26 to a high of 0.35. The Asset Management industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.21. Franklin Universal Trust's value of 0.26 is 23.8% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Franklin Universal Trust ranks #512 out of 938 companies in the Asset Management industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Franklin Universal Trust has a GF Score™ of 30/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Franklin Universal Trust's Debt-to-Equity compare to ETX and SCM?
According to the Asset Management industry distribution chart, Franklin Universal Trust ranks #512 out of 938 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Franklin Universal Trust in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.21. Franklin Universal Trust's value of 0.26 is 23.8% above this benchmark. Historically, Franklin Universal Trust's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.26 to 0.35 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.31 vs. the industry median of 0.21, Franklin Universal Trust has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for an Asset Management company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Asset Management companies is 0.21, based on 938 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Franklin Universal Trust's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.26 is 23.8% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Franklin Universal Trust and its competitors. For the Asset Management industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.21 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Franklin Universal Trust's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.26, which is 16% below median its own 10-year median of 0.31. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Franklin Universal Trust stock overvalued right now?
Franklin Universal Trust (FT) has a current Debt-to-Equity of 0.26. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.26, which is 16% below median its 10-year median of 0.31 and 23.8% above the Asset Management industry median of 0.21. Franklin Universal Trust's overall GF Score™ is 30/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Franklin Universal Trust (FT), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.26 as of Feb. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Franklin Universal Trust is a closed-end management investment company focused on providing high current income while preserving capital. Its secondary objective is to achieve income growth through dividend increases and capital appreciation. The fund invests in two asset classes: high-yield bonds and utility stocks. It applies fundamental research to build a diversified high-yield bond portfolio and targets utility companies with attractive dividend yields and a history of increasing dividends.
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