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Franklin Universal TrustFT -0.26%30 Pretax Margin % is 98.33% as of Feb. 2026, which is 0% above its 10-year median of 98.29. GuruFocus rates FT with a GF Score™ of 30/100. The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,567 Asset Management companies, Franklin Universal Trust ranks better than 65.73% on this metric.
Franklin Universal Trust (NYSE:FT) Pretax Margin % Explanation
The pretax margin, as know as pretax profit margin, is widely used to measure the operating efficiency of a company before deducting taxes.
The pretax margin is sometimes preferred over the net margin as tax expenditures can make profitability comparisons between companies misleading.
It is a useful tool to compare companies operating in the same sector and less effective when comparing companies from other sectors as each industry generally has different operating expenses and sales patterns.
The long term trend of the pretax margin is a good indicator of the competitiveness and health of the business.
Franklin Universal Trust Pretax Margin % Related Terms
Franklin Universal Trust Pretax Margin % 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 Pretax Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Pretax Margin % 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 Pretax Margin % vs Asset Management Industry
For the Asset Management industry and Financial Services sector, Franklin Universal Trust's Pretax Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Franklin Universal Trust's Pretax Margin % 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 Pretax Margin % of 98.33% as of Feb. 2026. Pre-Tax margin is the ratio of total pre-tax income to net sales. View historical data on Franklin Universal Trust and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 98.29. Over the past decade, Franklin Universal Trust's Pretax Margin % has ranged from 92.24 to 160.21. According to the industry distribution chart, Franklin Universal Trust ranks #537 out of 1567 companies in the Asset Management industry, placing it in the top 34.3%.
Is Franklin Universal Trust's Pretax Margin % too high?
Franklin Universal Trust's current Pretax Margin % of 98.33% is near median its 10-year median of 98.29. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 92.24 to a high of 160.21. The Asset Management industry median Pretax Margin % is 91.23. Franklin Universal Trust's value of 98.33% is 7.8% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Franklin Universal Trust ranks #537 out of 1567 companies in the Asset Management industry, which is above 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 Pretax Margin % compare to ETX and SCM?
According to the Asset Management industry distribution chart, Franklin Universal Trust ranks #537 out of 1567 companies for Pretax Margin %. This puts Franklin Universal Trust in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Pretax Margin % is 91.23. Franklin Universal Trust's value of 98.33% is 7.8% above this benchmark. Historically, Franklin Universal Trust's own Pretax Margin % has ranged from 92.24 to 160.21 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 98.29 vs. the industry median of 91.23, 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 Pretax Margin % for an Asset Management company?
The median Pretax Margin % among Asset Management companies is 91.23, based on 1,567 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Pretax Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Pretax Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Franklin Universal Trust's current Pretax Margin % of 98.33% is 7.8% 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 Pretax Margin % mean?
A high Pretax Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Pre-Tax margin is the ratio of total pre-tax income to net sales. View historical data on Franklin Universal Trust and its competitors. For the Asset Management industry, the median Pretax Margin % is 91.23 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Franklin Universal Trust's current Pretax Margin % is 98.33%, which is near median its own 10-year median of 98.29. 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 Pretax Margin % of 98.33%. The current Pretax Margin % is 98.33%, which is near median its 10-year median of 98.29 and 7.8% above the Asset Management industry median of 91.23. 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 Pretax Margin % calculated?
Pretax Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Franklin Universal Trust (FT), the current Pretax Margin % is 98.33% 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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