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UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
8-K
CURRENT
REPORT
Pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d)
of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date
of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August
5, 2026
Franklin
Resources, Inc.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
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| Delaware |
|
001-09318 |
|
13-2670991 |
(State
or other jurisdiction
of
incorporation) |
|
(Commission
File
Number) |
|
(IRS
Employer
Identification
No.) |
| One
Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, California 94403 |
| (Address
of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) |
Registrant’s
telephone number, including area code: (650) 312-2000
Not
Applicable
(Former
name or former address, if changed since last report.)
Check the appropriate box below if
the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| |
☐ |
Written
communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| |
☐ |
Soliciting
material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| |
☐ |
Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| |
☐ |
Pre-commencement
communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to
Section 12(b) of the Act:
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| Title
of each class |
|
Trading
symbol(s) |
|
Name
of each exchange
on
which registered |
| Common
Stock, par value $0.10 per share |
|
BEN |
|
New
York Stock Exchange |
Indicate by check mark whether the
registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule
12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate
by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial
accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 2.03 Creation of a Direct
Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement.
The disclosure contained in Item
8.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 8.01 Other Events.
5.500% Unsecured Notes
due 2036
On August 10, 2026, Franklin
Resources, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), completed its previously announced underwritten public offering
(the “Offering”) of $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of its 5.500% Notes due 2036 (the “Notes”).
The Notes were sold pursuant to the Company’s registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-284711) (the “Registration
Statement”) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) on February 5, 2025, and were offered
to the public pursuant to the prospectus dated February 5, 2025, which is contained in and forms a part of the Registration Statement.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to repay approximately $700,000,000 of outstanding revolving borrowings
under its Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (without any permanent reduction in the commitments provided thereunder)
and for general corporate purposes.
In connection with the Offering,
the Company entered into an underwriting agreement, dated August 5, 2025 (the “Underwriting Agreement”) with BofA
Securities, Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as representatives of the several underwriters listed
in Schedule I to the Underwriting Agreement. The Underwriting Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and agreements
of the Company, and customary conditions to closing, obligations of the parties and termination provisions. A copy of the Underwriting
Agreement is filed as Exhibit 1.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Indenture
The Notes were issued pursuant
to an Indenture, dated as of October 6, 2020 (the “Base Indenture”), by and between the Company and The Bank of New
York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (in such capacity, the “Trustee”), as supplemented by an Officer’s
Certificate, dated as of August 10, 2026 (the “Officer’s Certificate” and, together with the Base Indenture,
the “Indenture”). The Notes are the unsecured and subordinated obligations of the Company.
The Notes will bear interest
from and including August 10, 2026 at a fixed rate of 5.500% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on February 10 and August
10 of each year, commencing on February 10, 2027. The Notes will mature on August 10, 2036, unless earlier redeemed.
Prior to May 10, 2036 (three
months prior to the maturity date of the Notes) (the “Par Call Date”), the Company may redeem the Notes at its option,
in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price (expressed as a percentage of principal amount and
rounded to three decimal places) equal to the greater of: (1) (a) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments
of principal and interest thereon discounted to the redemption date (assuming the Notes matured on the Par Call Date) on a semi-annual
basis (assuming a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months) at the Treasury Rate plus 15 basis points less (b) interest
accrued to the date of redemption, and (2) 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus, in either case, accrued
and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date of the Notes.
On or after the Par Call Date,
the Company may redeem the Notes, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100%
of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but
excluding, the redemption date of the Notes.
The foregoing summaries of
the Underwriting Agreement, the Base Indenture, the Officer’s Certificate and the Notes, respectively, are not complete
and are each qualified in their entirety by reference to the complete text of the respective documents (or, in the case of the
Notes, the form thereof), each of which is attached hereto as Exhibits 1.1, 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3, respectively, to this Current Report
on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
| Item 9.01. |
Financial Statements and Other Exhibits.
|
(d) Exhibits
Exhibit
Number |
Description |
| 1.1 |
Underwriting Agreement, dated as of August 5, 2026, by and among the Company and BofA Securities, Inc., HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC. |
| 4.1 |
Indenture, dated October 6, 2020, between the Company and The Bank of New York Mellon Trust Company, N.A., as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the Company’s Registration Statement filed with the SEC on October 6, 2020 (File No. 333-284711)). |
| 4.2 |
Officer’s Certificate, dated as of August 10, 2026. |
| 4.3 |
Form of 5.500% Note
due 2036 (included in Exhibit 4.2). |
| 5.1 |
Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. |
| 23.1 |
Consent of Skadden,
Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (included in Exhibit 5.1). |
| 104 |
Cover Page Interactive
Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to
the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
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FRANKLIN RESOURCES, INC. |
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|
| Date: |
August
10, 2026 |
/s/ Thomas
C. Merchant |
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|
Thomas
C. Merchant |
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|
Executive
Vice President and General Counsel |