Franklin Electric Co., Inc. research snapshot

FELE AI Stock Analysis

FELE AI stock analysis as of the August 3, 2026 data cutoff reads Franklin Electric as a quality global manufacturer of water and fuel pumping systems that just delivered record Q2 2026 margins and raised full year guidance, but at a premium valuation. The stock closed at $104.72 on July 31, 2026, with a market capitalization near $4.63 billion, re-verified as $104.72 times 44.21 million shares outstanding per the StockAnalysis.com quote and statistics pages. Q2 2026, released July 28, 2026, delivered consolidated net sales of $622.9 million up 6%, gross margin of 37.0% up 90 basis points, GAAP EPS of $1.46 up 11%, and a record adjusted diluted EPS of $1.55 up 18%, with adjusted operating margin of 15.8% up 80 basis points and all three segments growing. Management raised full year 2026 guidance to net sales of $2.21 billion to $2.29 billion and adjusted diluted EPS of $4.50 to $4.70. The stock set an all time high near $115.82 around the July 28 report and then cooled to $104.72, above the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages near $103.05, $100.00, and $98.86 but below the 5-day average near $105.74. Offsetting the momentum is a premium valuation at about 30x trailing GAAP EPS and near 22x forward adjusted EPS, so the AI rating is constructive but the margin of safety is thin.

Current price

$104.72

Market cap

$4.63 billion

AI score

68 / 100

Rating

Quality water and fuel pump compounder with record Q2 2026 margins and a raised outlook at a premium valuation

Trend status

Above the 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages but below the 5-day after a pullback from the all time high near $115.82

Data cutoff (updated monthly)

August 4, 2026

Informational use only. This page is not investment advice.

Research quality check

information Richness
B-level information richness. FELE has decades of public history, detailed SEC filings, quarterly earnings releases and call transcripts, and third-party datasets, but only 5 analysts cover the stock. The August 3, 2026 full refresh re-fetched and re-validated the $104.72 close, $4.63 billion market cap, Q2 2026 results, 2026 guidance, balance sheet, and technical levels across StockAnalysis.com, Barchart, the Q2 2026 earnings release, the Q2 2026 earnings call transcript, and the Q2 2026 Form 10-Q.
bias Check
The main AI bias risk is extrapolating one strong quarter and a raised guidance into a durable acceleration, when organic growth in Q2 was 3.5%, the Middle East conflict is weighing on EMEA volumes, South America is slower than expected, and tariffs and material inflation still pressure margins. The reverse check asks whether the record adjusted EPS, which excludes a $4.5 million legal settlement and restructuring, can hold under tariff costs, slower water and ag demand, and a premium multiple. The mirror image bias is treating a 10% post earnings gain and an all time high as a reason to chase, when the stock closed below its 5-day average near $105.74 and 14-day RSI near 50.36 by July 31.
ai Confidence
High for price, market cap, share count, Q2 2026 results, guidance, balance sheet, and valuation ratios that cross-validated across StockAnalysis.com, Barchart, the Q2 2026 earnings release, the Q2 2026 earnings call, and the Q2 2026 Form 10-Q during the August 3, 2026 refresh. Medium for forward scenarios because organic growth, tariff policy, material costs, and regional demand can change quickly.
investment Certainty
Medium. The business is improving with record margins and raised guidance, but the price already reflects a large share of the improvement, so the margin of safety is thinner than the business quality alone suggests.

Quick verdict table

DimensionConclusionConfidence
Business qualityFranklin Electric is a global leader in water and fuel pumping systems with 80 plus years of history, a $1.3 billion Water Systems segment, 15 factories worldwide, and a record Q2 2026 adjusted diluted EPS of $1.55.High
MoatThe moat combines brand trust, the gold standard submersible motor franchise, distribution breadth, a growing water treatment dealer network, application engineering, and aftermarket parts and service. It is durable but narrower than mega-cap industrials.Medium-high
ManagementJoe Ruzynski is running a growth and margin agenda with visible results: Q2 2026 sales up 6%, adjusted EPS up 18% to a record, three acquisitions closed in the first half and tracking ahead of plan, new product sales over $10 million in the quarter, and full year guidance raised.Medium-high
Financial trendQ2 2026 consolidated sales rose 6% to $622.9 million with gross margin of 37.0% up 90 basis points, adjusted operating income up 12% to $98.5 million with a 15.8% adjusted margin up 80 basis points, and adjusted EPS up 18% to a record $1.55, with first half net sales up 7.7% to $1.12 billion and operating cash flow of $58.7 million up from $32.0 million.High
ValuationAt about 30.2x trailing GAAP EPS, 21.5x forward PE per StockAnalysis, near 22x on the $4.65 FY2026 consensus, 2.09x sales, 21.2x free cash flow, and 14.0x EV/EBITDA, the market already prices in continued margin and EPS expansion.Medium
Technical trendFELE closed at $104.72 on July 31, 2026, above its 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages near $103.05, $100.00, and $98.86 but below the 5-day near $105.74 after setting an all time high near $115.82, with 14-day RSI near 50.36 and 14-day ADX near 14.53.Medium
Risk levelKey risks are a premium multiple, slower organic growth at 3.5%, the Middle East conflict dampening EMEA and North Africa volumes, a slower Brazil market, tariff and material cost pressure, weather dependent ag demand, liquid fuel transition risk, and integration of three 2026 acquisitions.Medium-high
AI confidenceHigh for descriptive facts and cross-checked math that matched across StockAnalysis.com, Barchart, the Q2 2026 earnings release, the Q2 2026 earnings call, and the Q2 2026 Form 10-Q. Lower for forward return estimates because demand, tariffs, and multiples are uncertain.High data confidence
Investment certaintyMedium certainty. The page gives a research framework and scenario ranges, not a buy or sell instruction.Medium

FELE AI stock forecast

FELE AI Stock Forecast Scenarios

The FELE AI stock forecast uses scenario math around the July 31, 2026 close of $104.72 and the FY2026 adjusted EPS consensus of $4.65. The three-scenario framework produced a bearish area near $76, a base area near $130, and a bullish area near $170 before dividends, using adjusted EPS growth of 3%, 10%, and 15% and exit multiples of 15x, 21x, and 24x over three years. These are scenarios, not price commitments.

Bullish case

$160 to $180

More likely if adjusted EPS compounds near 15% through faster water treatment share gains, critical minerals dewatering, data center liquid cooling, and price realization, with margins expanding and the market holding a 24x exit multiple.

Base case

$120 to $140

More likely if FELE compounds adjusted EPS at a 10% rate with organic growth near 4% to 5%, margins holding near record levels, and the market keeping a 21x exit multiple.

Bearish case

$70 to $85

More likely if organic growth fades to 3% or below, the Middle East conflict and Brazil weakness persist, tariffs and material costs compress margins, liquid fuel demand declines faster, or the market compresses the multiple toward 15x.

FELE AI technical analysis

FELE AI Technical Analysis

FELE AI technical analysis is neutral to constructive as of the August 3, 2026 data cutoff. The stock closed at $104.72 on July 31, 2026, above its 50-day, 100-day, and 200-day moving averages near $103.05, $100.00, and $98.86, but below the 5-day average near $105.74 after pulling back from an all time high near $115.82 set around the July 28 earnings report. Barchart reported 14-day RSI near 50.36 and 14-day ADX near 14.53, which signals a range rather than a strong trend, while 20-day average volume near 313,000 shares confirms an orderly cooling.

LevelValueWhy it matters
Current price$104.72StockAnalysis.com real-time quote at the July 31, 2026 close, up 1.21% on the day; market cap math uses 44.21 million shares outstanding.
5-day moving average$105.74Barchart reported the 5-day moving average near $105.74, slightly above the July 31 close, which signals near term momentum cooled after the earnings spike.
Near support$102 to $104Barchart and StockAnalysis both placed the 50-day moving average near $103.05 as of July 31, 2026, a natural first pullback support zone.
Next support$98 to $101The 100-day moving average near $100.00 and the 200-day near $98.86 on July 31, 2026 form a support cluster.
Near resistance$105 to $110The 5-day average near $105.74 and the recent consolidation act as first overhead, with a failed breakout below the high keeping the range intact.
All time high$115.82StockAnalysis.com lists the 52-week high near $115.82, reached around the July 28, 2026 earnings report, as the main upside boundary.
50-day moving average$103.05Barchart and StockAnalysis both reported the 50-day moving average near $103.05 on July 31, 2026.
100-day moving average$100.00Barchart reported the 100-day moving average near $100.00 on July 31, 2026, below price and confirming the medium term uptrend.
200-day moving average$98.86Barchart and StockAnalysis both reported the 200-day trend line near $98.86, below the current price.
52-week low$89.54StockAnalysis.com lists the 52-week low near $89.54, well below the 200-day average and the current price.
MomentumRSI near 50, ADX near 1514-day RSI was near 50.36 and 14-day ADX near 14.53 on Barchart, which indicates a range after the strong July move rather than an overbought or trending condition.
VolumeAbout 313,000 average sharesBarchart listed 20-day average volume near 313,230 shares and StockAnalysis near 313,216 on July 31, 2026, useful for checking breakout and breakdown quality.
VolatilityElevated near earningsBarchart reported 14-day historic volatility near 31.46% and 14-day ATR near $3.29, so position sizing should account for larger swings around reports and guidance.
InvalidationClose below $100A decisive close below the 100-day moving average near $100.00 would weaken the medium term uptrend; a close below the 200-day near $98.86 would turn it bearish.

FELE AI trading strategy

FELE AI Trading Strategy Framework

The FELE AI trading strategy is a rules-based research framework for trading and watching the water and fuel pump compounder. It is not personal advice and should be paired with fresh chart data, filings, position sizing, and a defined invalidation level.

Trend-following setup

Watch for FELE to reclaim its 5-day average near $105.74 and to build volume on a move toward the all time high near $115.82, with the 200-day trend line near $98.86 still rising.

A daily close below the 100-day moving average near $100.00 or a failed attempt at the all time high should trigger a stop and review.

Mean-reversion setup

If FELE pulls back toward the $98 to $104 support cluster without new margin, demand, or tariff damage, compare the price reaction with Q3 results, margin guidance, and order news before acting.

Do not average down without a maximum loss rule because tariff news, Middle East headlines, or ag demand shifts can turn a support zone into a value trap.

Fundamental monitor

Track organic sales growth, gross margin near 37%, adjusted operating margin, water treatment dealer revenue, critical minerals and data center demand, tariff and material costs, debt levels, dividend growth, and buyback pace.

Reduce confidence if EPS growth depends mainly on acquisitions or adjustments rather than organic volume and cash conversion.

Investment research summary

Four-master Research Compression

Business essence

Franklin Electric turns pumps, motors, drives, and controls into reliable water and fuel movement for farms, municipalities, buildings, industrial sites, and fuel stations. Customers pay because broken water and fuel systems stop revenue, so replacement demand and aftermarket parts drive a large share of revenue.

Moat

The moat is built on brand trust, the gold standard submersible motor franchise, a global distribution network, a growing water treatment dealer channel, application engineering, and aftermarket parts and service. It is durable but narrower than mega-cap industrial moats.

Munger risk inversion

The thesis fails if organic growth stays near 3%, the Middle East conflict keeps dampening EMEA and North Africa volumes, Brazil stays slow, tariffs and material costs compress margins, ag or water infrastructure spending drops, liquid fuel demand declines faster, or the premium multiple contracts.

Management

Joe Ruzynski and the team delivered a record Q2 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.55, raised full year 2026 guidance to $2.21 billion to $2.29 billion in sales and $4.50 to $4.70 in adjusted EPS, closed three acquisitions tracking ahead of plan, and announced the first Investor Day for March 2027.

Industry trend

Water movement and treatment are long term needs driven by population growth, aging infrastructure, urbanization, critical minerals mining, and data center liquid cooling, while fuel movement faces a gradual energy transition that keeps liquid fuel infrastructure essential for decades.

Valuation and margin of safety

The stock no longer trades as a discount to peers. At about 30x trailing GAAP EPS and near 22x forward adjusted EPS, margin of safety depends on whether adjusted EPS growth and cash conversion can justify the premium after a strong 2026 so far.

Source-backed data

FELE Data Table

Every metric below includes a source and last verification date.

MetricValueSourceLast verified
FELE price$104.72 at the July 31, 2026 close, up 1.21% on the dayStockAnalysis.com real-time quoteAugust 3, 2026
Market capitalization$4.63 billion, computed as $104.72 x 44.21 million shares outstandingStockAnalysis.com quote and statisticsAugust 3, 2026
Shares outstanding44.21 million shares, down 3.14% year over year, with 89.96% institutional ownershipStockAnalysis.com statisticsAugust 3, 2026
Q2 2026 consolidated resultsNet sales of $622.9 million up 6%, gross margin of 37.0% up 90 basis points, operating income of $93.6 million, GAAP EPS of $1.46 up 11%, and record adjusted EPS of $1.55 up 18%Franklin Electric Q2 2026 earnings releaseJuly 28, 2026
Q2 2026 adjusted operating incomeAdjusted operating income of $98.5 million up 12%, with adjusted operating margin of 15.8% up 80 basis points, after a $4.5 million legal settlement in Energy Systems and $0.4 million of restructuringFranklin Electric Q2 2026 earnings callJuly 28, 2026
Q2 2026 segment salesWater Systems up 5% to $358.5 million, Distribution up 11% to $221.1 million, and Energy Systems up 3% to $80.2 millionFranklin Electric Q2 2026 earnings releaseJuly 28, 2026
Q2 2026 segment operating incomeWater Systems operating income of $65.2 million at 18.2% margin, Distribution of $19.7 million at 8.9% margin, and Energy Systems of $27.9 million including a $4.5 million legal settlement, with adjusted Energy margin of 40.4% up 290 basis pointsFranklin Electric Q2 2026 earnings release and callJuly 28, 2026
2026 guidanceFull year 2026 net sales raised to $2.21 billion to $2.29 billion and adjusted diluted EPS raised to $4.50 to $4.70Franklin Electric Q2 2026 earnings releaseJuly 28, 2026
First half 2026 resultsNet sales of $1,123.3 million up 7.7%, GAAP diluted EPS of $2.23, and net income attributable to Franklin Electric of $100.1 millionFranklin Electric Q2 2026 earnings releaseJuly 28, 2026
Cash flow and liquidityFirst half operating cash flow of $58.7 million versus $32.0 million in the first half of 2025, cash of $97.3 million, and $107 million outstanding under the revolving credit agreement as of June 30, 2026Franklin Electric Q2 2026 earnings call and Form 10-QJuly 28, 2026
FY2025 revenue and earningsFY2025 revenue of $2.13 billion up 5.44% and net income of $146.49 million down 18.44%StockAnalysis.com financialsAugust 3, 2026
TTM income statementTTM revenue of $2.21 billion, gross profit of $785.77 million at 35.52% margin, operating income of $286.70 million, net income of $155.26 million, EBITDA of $344.99 million, and EPS of $3.47StockAnalysis.com statistics and financialsAugust 3, 2026
Balance sheet as of June 30, 2026Cash of $97.28 million, total assets of $2,150.7 million, total debt of $308.32 million, net debt of $211.04 million, and total equity of $1.41 billion, with current ratio of 2.41 and debt to equity of 0.22StockAnalysis.com balance sheet and Q2 2026 Form 10-QAugust 3, 2026
Valuation ratiosPE of 30.19x trailing GAAP EPS, forward PE of 21.53x, PS of 2.09x, PB of 3.29x, P/FCF of 21.21x, EV/EBITDA of 14.03x, and PEG of 1.79StockAnalysis.com statisticsAugust 3, 2026
Forward valuation cross-check$104.72 divided by the $4.65 FY2026 adjusted EPS consensus gives about 22.5x forward, versus the 21.53x forward PE reported on the StockAnalysis statistics page, which uses a different forward estimate basisStockAnalysis.com statistics and forecastAugust 3, 2026
DividendQuarterly dividend of $0.28 per share declared July 27, 2026, annual rate of $1.12 with a 1.07% yield, 32 years of dividend growth, payout ratio of 32.29%, and ex-dividend date of August 6, 2026StockAnalysis.com dividend history and company press releaseAugust 3, 2026
Analyst consensusBuy with an average target of $118.50 across 5 analysts, low $105 and high $125, with a median of $122StockAnalysis.com forecastJuly 29, 2026
Analyst rating mix, July 20262 Strong Buy, 0 Buy, 3 Hold, 0 Sell out of 5 analystsStockAnalysis.com forecast recommendation trendsJuly 29, 2026
Recent analyst target updatesD.A. Davidson raised its target to $105 from $100 with a Hold rating on July 29, 2026, and Robert W. Baird raised its target to $124 from $118 with a Hold rating on July 29, 2026StockAnalysis.com forecast and news feedJuly 29, 2026
2026 and 2027 consensus estimatesFY2026 revenue of $2.26 billion with adjusted EPS of $4.65, and FY2027 revenue of $2.37 billion with adjusted EPS of $5.16StockAnalysis.com forecast financial forecastJuly 29, 2026
Short interest747,056 shares short, 1.69% of shares outstanding, and 2.25 days to coverStockAnalysis.com statistics short sellingAugust 3, 2026
Trailing free cash flowOperating cash flow of $265.59 million, capital expenditures of $47.31 million, and free cash flow of $218.28 million over TTMStockAnalysis.com cash flow statementAugust 3, 2026
Financial efficiencyROE of 11.77%, ROIC of 13.75%, ROA of 8.60%, and return on capital employed of 16.43%StockAnalysis.com statisticsAugust 3, 2026
Technical snapshot5-day SMA near $105.74, 20-day SMA near $104.65, 50-day SMA near $103.05, 100-day SMA near $100.00, 200-day SMA near $98.86, 14-day RSI near 50.36, 14-day ADX near 14.53, and 14-day historic volatility near 31.46%Barchart and StockAnalysis.com technical snapshotsAugust 3, 2026
52-week rangeHigh of $115.82, set around the July 28, 2026 earnings report, and low of $89.54StockAnalysis.com quoteAugust 3, 2026
Acquisitions in 2026Geoquip in the U.K., Wood Bros. in the central U.S., and Benson, all closed in the first half of 2026 and tracking ahead of plan, with new product sales over $10 million in Q2 and water treatment new dealer revenue over $2 millionFranklin Electric Q2 2026 earnings callJuly 28, 2026
Strategic growth areasCritical minerals mining is a multibillion dollar TAM growing at high single digits with Q2 sales up about 10%, water treatment organic volume grew over 5% in Q2, and data center liquid cooling is served through CDU manufacturers, municipal hookups, and flushing applicationsFranklin Electric Q2 2026 earnings callJuly 28, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

This FELE AI stock analysis is an informational research tool, not investment advice, a recommendation, or a promise of future return. Forecast ranges are scenarios based on available filings, quote snapshots, and third-party data as of the stated cutoff date. They may be wrong, incomplete, or outdated after new earnings, legal developments, market moves, or macro conditions.