Shares of Franklin Resources Inc. (BEN) soared 7.05% in pre-market trading on Friday, following the release of the company's fiscal first-quarter 2025 results that topped expectations on the back of robust inflows across most asset classes.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2024, the global investment management firm reported:

- Adjusted earnings per share of $0.59, beating the consensus estimate of $0.53.
- Operating revenues of $2.25 billion, above the $1.74 billion consensus.
- Long-term net outflows of $50 billion, including $67.9 billion outflows from Western Asset Management. Excluding that unit, long-term net inflows were $18 billion across equity, fixed income, alternative, and multi-asset solutions.

Franklin's assets under management (AUM) stood at $1.58 trillion at quarter-end, up 8% from a year ago. Investment management fees, the company's largest revenue source, climbed 9% to $1.8 billion, driven by higher AUM levels.

CEO Jenny Johnson highlighted strong inflows in alternatives, ETFs, and the firm's custom indexing platform Canvas. While challenges persist for Western Asset, she stated the company will integrate select corporate functions to create efficiencies while ensuring investment team autonomy.