MGRD vs BEN vs IVZ vs TROW

For growth investors, Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.

(MGRD) is the stronger pick with 19. 8% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 3. 1% for T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW). Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (MGRD) offers the better valuation at 0. 7x trailing P/E (0. 4x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Franklin Resources, Inc. (BEN) a "Hold" — based on 27 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.

On trailing P/E, Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.

(MGRD) is the cheapest at 0. 7x versus Franklin Resources, Inc. at 33. 5x. On forward P/E, Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. is actually cheaper at 0. 4x.

Over the past 5 years, Invesco Ltd.

(IVZ) delivered a total return of +8. 2%, compared to -30. 9% for T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: TROW returned +93. 6% versus MGRD's -20. 5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.

(MGRD) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 76β versus Invesco Ltd. 's 1. 67β — meaning IVZ is approximately 120% more volatile than MGRD relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 7% versus 94% for Franklin Resources, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.

(MGRD) is pulling ahead at 19. 8% versus 3. 1% for T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. grew EPS 50. 3% year-over-year, compared to -235. 6% for Invesco Ltd.. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.

(MGRD) is the more profitable company, earning 29. 3% net margin versus -4. 4% for Invesco Ltd. — meaning it keeps 29. 3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: MGRD leads at 31. 8% versus -10. 9% for IVZ. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — MGRD leads at 86. 0%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.

On forward earnings alone, Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.

(MGRD) trades at 0. 4x forward P/E versus 11. 2x for T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. — 10. 8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for IVZ: 10. 8% to $29. 72.

All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW) offers the highest yield at 4. 9%, versus 0. 2% for Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. (MGRD).

For long-horizon retirement investors, T.

Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1. 18), 4. 9% yield). Invesco Ltd. (IVZ) carries a higher beta of 1. 67 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (TROW: +93. 6%, IVZ: +22. 1%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.

Both stocks operate in the Financial Services sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.

In terms of investment character: MGRD is a small-cap high-growth stock; BEN is a mid-cap income-oriented stock; IVZ is a mid-cap income-oriented stock; TROW is a mid-cap deep-value stock. BEN, IVZ, TROW pay a dividend while MGRD does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.