Franklin Resources' Portfolio Shifts

Franklin Resources Adjusts Major Holdings, Boosting AstraZeneca and Trimming Linde Shares

Franklin Resources Inc. adjusted its portfolio across several major holdings, raising its stakes in AstraZeneca and Philip Morris International while trimming its position in Linde and increasing exposure to Southwest Airlines and UnitedHealth Group. In AstraZeneca, Franklin added shares, taking its position to about 20.2 million shares valued at roughly $3.5 billion, alongside other investors that also increased stakes. For Linde, Franklin reduced its stake by about 4.9% to roughly 3.7 million shares, even as large institutional owners such as Vanguard, State Street, and Capital Research continued to add. Franklin boosted Southwest Airlines by about 7%, bringing its holding to about 40.2 million shares valued at roughly $1.7 billion, amid broad institutional participation. It also increased Philip Morris International by about 6.2% to about 14.4 million shares valued at about $2.3 billion, while research firms cited in the coverage generally leaned positive. In UnitedHealth, Franklin increased its stake by about 10% to roughly 6.4 million shares worth about $2.1 billion, alongside other investors’ selective adds and reductions and a noted CEO share sale.

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