Is BIT or FT cheaper?

On trailing earnings, FT is cheaper: BIT trades at a 7.13 P/E and FT at 3.00.

Which has grown faster, BIT or FT?

Over the past five years, FT grew revenue faster — BIT at a 2.07% CAGR versus FT at 3.92%.

Does BIT or FT pay a bigger dividend?

BIT yields 12.03% and FT yields 6.34% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is BIT or FT more profitable?

FT runs the higher net margin — BIT at 84.98% versus FT at 179.50%.

Which has been the better investment, BIT or FT?

Over the past 10-year, FT delivered the higher annualized total return — BIT at 7.01% versus FT at 8.43%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust (BIT) vs Franklin Universal Trust (FT)

FT leads on 10 of 11 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust and Franklin Universal Trust across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 28, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

BIT

BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust

$530M

$12.34Financial Services

Franklin Universal Trust

$202M

$8.05Financial Services

Total return — BIT vs FT

growth of $100 · last 13y

BIT -38.3%FT +7.5%FT compounded faster

BIT FT

BIT vs FT: by the numbers

•BIT is the larger company ($530M vs $202M market cap).
•FT trades at the lower earnings multiple (3.00 vs 7.13 P/E).
•FT converts more revenue to profit (179.50% vs 84.98% net margin).
•FT grew revenue faster over the past five years (3.92% vs 2.07% CAGR).
•BIT pays the higher dividend yield (12.03% vs 6.34%).

Which is better, BIT or FT?

Metric tally: BIT 1 · FT 10

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueFT(lower P/E)

GrowthFT(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

IncomeBIT(higher dividend yield)

QualityFT(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	BIT	FT
P/E ratio	7.13	3.00●
P/S ratio	7.67	5.42●
P/B ratio	0.89	0.89

Profitability

Metric	BIT	FT
Gross margin	83.53%	86.88%●
Operating margin	114.70%	119.92%●
Net margin	84.98%	179.50%●
ROE	9.82%	29.45%●
ROIC	5.98%	8.38%●

Dividends

Metric	BIT	FT
Dividend yield	12.03%●	6.34%
Payout ratio	140.04%	67.11%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	BIT	FT
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	2.07%	3.92%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-10.31%	-3.82%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)	1.72%	6.97%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, BIT or FT?: It depends on your goal. value: FT (lower P/E); growth: FT (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: BIT (higher dividend yield); quality: FT (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, FT leads 10 to 1.
Is BIT or FT cheaper?: On trailing earnings, FT is cheaper: BIT trades at a 7.13 P/E and FT at 3.00.
Which has grown faster, BIT or FT?: Over the past five years, FT grew revenue faster — BIT at a 2.07% CAGR versus FT at 3.92%.
Does BIT or FT pay a bigger dividend?: BIT yields 12.03% and FT yields 6.34% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is BIT or FT more profitable?: FT runs the higher net margin — BIT at 84.98% versus FT at 179.50%.
Which has been the better investment, BIT or FT?: Over the past 10-year, FT delivered the higher annualized total return — BIT at 7.01% versus FT at 8.43%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full BIT analysis Full FT analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

BlackRock Multi-Sector Income P/E ratio Franklin Universal P/E ratio BlackRock Multi-Sector Income dividend yield Franklin Universal dividend yield BlackRock Multi-Sector Income ROE Franklin Universal ROE BlackRock Multi-Sector Income operating margin Franklin Universal operating margin BlackRock Multi-Sector Income revenue growth Franklin Universal revenue growth BlackRock Multi-Sector Income free cash flow Franklin Universal free cash flow

BlackRock Multi-Sector Income & Franklin Universal appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest ROE Stocks Highest Operating Margin Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 28, 2026.