Franklin Financial Services (NASDAQ: FRAF) reported a modest insider purchase by Chief Operating Officer Carroll Charles Benner Jr., who acquired 380 common shares on February 5, 2026, according to a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The shares were acquired at $46.93 apiece, for an aggregate outlay of approximately $17,833. The stock has subsequently moved higher to $48.66, producing a small paper gain on the position.
Following that transaction, Benner's direct ownership stands at 4,033 shares. That total includes shares accumulated through dividend reinvestment and employee stock purchase plans, in addition to previously reported unvested restricted stock units.
At the time of the filing, Franklin Financial Services had a market capitalization of $215 million and was trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.09. InvestingPro analysis referenced in company disclosures indicates that FRAF may be slightly undervalued relative to its calculated Fair Value.
The company continues to return capital to shareholders in multiple ways. Franklin Financial Services offers a dividend yield of 2.75% and has maintained dividend payments for 43 consecutive years, per InvestingPro data. The board also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.33 per share for the first quarter of 2026, a 3.1% increase compared with the same period a year earlier.
In addition to the dividend increase, the board authorized a share repurchase program for calendar year 2026, permitting the company to repurchase up to 150,000 shares of its common stock. That repurchase authorization is effective from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026. The company did not set a minimum or maximum price for repurchases, and said buybacks may be executed either in the open market or via privately negotiated transactions.
Operational results announced alongside those shareholder actions showed a meaningful quarter-over-quarter improvement. For the fourth quarter of 2025, Franklin Financial Services reported net income of $6.0 million, or $1.35 per diluted share. That net income figure represents a 12.9% increase from the prior quarter and a sizeable rise relative to the fourth quarter of 2024, when net income was $487,000, or $0.11 per diluted share.
Over the trailing 12 months, the company produced a total return of 35.67%, a performance metric highlighted in company information that outpaced many peers within the regional banking sector. For investors seeking deeper analysis, InvestingPro materials referenced in the filings note the availability of additional ProTips and comprehensive financial metrics under subscription.
Summary
COO Carroll Charles Benner Jr. bought 380 shares on February 5, 2026, for about $17,833. The stock has since risen to $48.66. Franklin Financial reported improved fourth-quarter earnings, increased its quarterly dividend to $0.33 for Q1 2026, and authorized a 2026 share repurchase program covering up to 150,000 shares.
Key points
- Insider purchase: 380 shares at $46.93 on February 5, 2026, total cost about $17,833; post-transaction direct holdings 4,033 shares.
- Capital returns: 2.75% dividend yield, 43 consecutive years of dividend payments, Q1 2026 dividend set at $0.33 per share (up 3.1% year-over-year), and a repurchase program authorized for up to 150,000 shares in 2026.
- Financials: Q4 2025 net income $6.0 million, or $1.35 per diluted share, up 12.9% from the prior quarter and markedly higher than Q4 2024 results of $487,000, or $0.11 per diluted share.
Risks and uncertainties
- The repurchase program includes no minimum or maximum purchase price, which introduces execution uncertainty around the timing and average cost of buys - relevant to shareholders and market liquidity.
- Insider buying was modest in scale relative to total outstanding shares; the filing alone provides limited insight into executive conviction or future actions.
- Data cited from InvestingPro, including valuation and comparative metrics, are available through subscription-only services and may limit full transparency for non-subscribers.