Franklin Universal Trust
FTFinancial Services · Stock · monthly payer
$7.93
Add to PortfolioForward Yield
6.43%
Annual Dividend
$0.51
Payout Ratio
39%
5-Yr Growth
6.1%
Ex-Date
Jun 23, 2026
Frequency
Monthly
FT Dividend Safety Score
79/ 100
Grade B
Safe
Dividend-growth streak8 consecutive years of growth
Cut historyCut its dividend in 2017
Earnings payout coverage39% of earnings paid out
Balance-sheet strengthDebt/equity of 0.26
Yield vs its historyYield in line with its history
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Is FT a good dividend stock?
YesFranklin Universal Trust (FT) pays a monthly dividend yielding 6.43% ($0.51/yr), with 8 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of B. It scores well across payout coverage, growth history and safety — a dependable income holding.
Advantages
- Comfortable payout ratio (39%)
- Strong 6.1% 5-yr dividend growth
Risks
- Cut its dividend in 2017
- Share price is down over the past 5 years
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 6.43%
- Payout Ratio
- 39%
- Annual Dividend
- $0.51
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 6.1%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Jun 23, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 8
- Frequency
- monthly
- Beta
- 0.65
- Market Cap
- $199.3M
- P/E Ratio
- 6.1
- 5-Yr Total Return
- -4%
- 52-Week Range
- $7.43 – $8.35
- Dividend Safety
- B · 79/100
- Ever Cut?
- Yes (2017)
Frequently Asked Questions
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2026 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Apr 23, 2026 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Mar 24, 2026 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Feb 20, 2026 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Jan 23, 2026 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Dec 15, 2025 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Nov 17, 2025 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Oct 17, 2025 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Sep 18, 2025 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Aug 18, 2025 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Jul 18, 2025 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Jun 16, 2025 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| May 19, 2025 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
| Apr 17, 2025 | — | $0.0430 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $0.51 / yr per share
Per payment (monthly)$4.25
Annual$51.00
Monthly avg$4.25
