Which has the lower trailing P/E, BIT or FT?

FT has the lower trailing P/E: BIT trades at 7.12 and FT at 2.94. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, BIT or FT?

Over the past five years, FT grew revenue faster — BIT at a -1.19% CAGR versus FT at 3.92%.

Does BIT or FT pay a bigger dividend?

BIT yields 12.03% and FT yields 6.48% 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%.

How have BIT and FT total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, BIT delivered 6.43% and FT delivered 7.93% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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

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 August 12, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

BIT

BlackRock Multi-Sector Income Trust

$702M

$12.31Financial ServicesDelayed quote: Aug 12, 2026, 11:29 AM EDT

Franklin Universal Trust

$198M

$7.88Financial ServicesDelayed quote: Aug 12, 2026, 11:06 AM EDT

Total return — BIT vs FT

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

BIT +86.5% (+6.4%/yr)FT +115.4% (+8.0%/yr)FT compounded faster over this window

BIT FT

BIT vs FT: by the numbers

•BIT is the larger company ($702M vs $198M market cap).
•FT trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (2.94 vs 7.12 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•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 -1.19% CAGR).
•BIT pays the higher dividend yield (12.03% vs 6.48%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	BIT	FT
P/E ratio	7.12	2.94
P/S ratio	7.66	5.29
P/B ratio	0.88	0.87

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%	6.48%
Payout ratio	139.74%	67.11%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	BIT	FT
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	-1.19%	3.92%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-10.31%	N/A
Total return CAGR (5Y)	1.54%	5.90%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, BIT or FT?: FT has the lower trailing P/E: BIT trades at 7.12 and FT at 2.94. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, BIT or FT?: Over the past five years, FT grew revenue faster — BIT at a -1.19% CAGR versus FT at 3.92%.
Does BIT or FT pay a bigger dividend?: BIT yields 12.03% and FT yields 6.48% 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%.
How have BIT and FT total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, BIT delivered 6.43% and FT delivered 7.93% annualized total return. 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 & 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 August 12, 2026.