Franklin Templeton Canada introduces sustainable investing capabilities into funds following key acquisition
Franklin Templeton Canada has added enhanced its Canadian fund lineup with the addition of top-performing U.S. strategies and sustainability expertise from two of its specialist investment managers.
The managers, Brandywine Global and ClearBridge Investments, each have an established expertise in ESG investment, with a record of meeting investors’ responsible investment needs for over 30 years.
Following Franklin Templeton’s acquisition of Legg Mason, the moves promise to enable the broad availability of Brandywine Global and ClearBridge Investments funds for Canadian investors.
“The acquisition of Legg Mason – which established Franklin Templeton as one of the world's largest independent asset managers, with deep investment capabilities across every asset class – is significantly transforming our Canadian business,” Franklin Templeton Canada President and CEO Duane Green said in a statement. “Many Canadian firms claim ESG capabilities, but ESG has been ingrained in our specialist investment managers' DNA for decades, coupled with best-in-class performance.”
The firm is repositioning the following funds as it incorporates the capabilities of Brandywine Global and ClearBridge Investments:
- Effective May 27, 2021, the Franklin Strategic Income Fund will be repositioned as Franklin Brandywine Global Sustainable Income Optimiser Fund. Equivalent to the U.S.-based Brandywine Global Flexible Bond Fund, which has earned a 5-star rating in Morningstar’s Multisector Bond category, it will invest primarily in global fixed income securities that have been assessed by the portfolio manager as sustainable investments; and
- Effective June 7, 2021, Templeton International Stock Fund and Templeton International Stock Fund II will be repositioned as Franklin ClearBridge Sustainable International Growth Fund and Franklin ClearBridge Sustainable International Growth Fund II, respectively. The funds’ U.S. equivalent, the Legg Mason ClearBridge International Growth Fund has earned a 5-star Morningstar rating for the Foreign Large Growth Category, and they will invest primarily in equity securities of international companies outside of North America, which have been assessed as sustainable investments by the portfolio managers.
“We are evolving our product offerings to address and anticipate the needs and interests of investors, and this is only the beginning,” Green said. “We are looking to further draw upon our experienced specialist investment managers globally, to bring Canadians the broad choice of world-class investment expertise and solutions."
