Franklin Resources Arm Acquires Apera, Expands Alternative Platform

Franklin Resources, Inc. BEN, a global investment management company operating as Franklin Templeton, announced the closure of its acquisition of Apera Asset Management, a pan-European private credit firm.

The acquisition broadened Franklin Templeton’s global alternative platform and enhanced its direct lending capabilities throughout Europe’s expanding lower middle market.

Rationale Behind Franklin Templeton’s Acquisition of Apera

The acquisition expands Franklin Templeton’s global alternative credit asset under management (AUM) by more than $90 billion, with the firm’s total alternative asset strategies standing at nearly $270 billion in aggregate as of Sept. 30, 2025, reinforcing its position as a leading manager of diversified alternative asset strategies. 

The addition of Apera strengthens and complements Franklin Templeton’s existing global alternative credit platform, joining Benefit Street Partners in the United States and Alcentra in Europe. The acquisition broadens the firm’s geographic reach and capabilities within the private credit space.

Beyond alternative credit, Franklin Templeton’s alternative platform spans private real estate through Clarion Partners, global secondary private equity and co-investments via Lexington Partners, as well as hedged strategies, venture capital and digital assets. Apera’s deep expertise in European private credit introduces a valuable new dimension to Franklin Templeton’s investment offering, enhancing diversification and expanding access to attractive risk-adjusted return opportunities.

Franklin Templeton’s Prior Efforts to Grow Inorganically

Last month, Franklin Templeton entered a strategic partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (“CIP”), DigitalBridge and Actis to extend its infrastructure investment offerings for private clients. Global infrastructure requirements are expected to surpass $94 trillion by 2040, opening an estimated $15-trillion investment opportunity for private capital. To capture this growth, Franklin Templeton joined forces with DigitalBridge, CIP and Actis, pooling their complementary strengths to meet rising demand and provide private wealth investors with compelling infrastructure opportunities.

In 2024, Franklin Templeton expanded its partnership with Envestnet, Inc. to offer tax-managed, customized strategies at scale through its Canvas Custom Indexing platform. This further positioned Franklin Templeton as a leading Separately Managed Account provider.

BEN’s Price Performance & Zacks Rank

In the past six months, BEN shares have gained 41.1% compared with the industry’s 26.9% rise.

Currently, BEN carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Other Finance Firms' Efforts on Alternative Push

In September 2025, The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. GS and T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. TROW announced a partnership to give individual investors greater access to private markets. The firms will roll out alternative investment products for high-net-worth clients by the end of 2025, with retirement account solutions set to follow in 2026. The news was first reported by Reuters.

As part of the deal, GS will invest up to $1 billion in T. Rowe, strengthening their alliance and enabling both firms to co-develop and distribute new offerings. TROW will use its retirement expertise to help design target-date funds, model portfolios and alternative-focused strategies tailored for both institutional and retail clients.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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