Franklin Templeton Launches Franklin Focused Growth ETF (FFOG)

New ETF Focuses Investments in Growth Companies with Potential to Benefit from Major Long-Term Trends

Franklin Templeton today launched Franklin Focused Growth ETF on CBOE under the ticker FFOG. FFOG aims to provide capital appreciation by investing in growth equity securities. This ETF was converted from a mutual fund, and it maintains the predecessor Franklin Focused Growth Fund’s investment goal, principal investment strategies, performance benchmark, investment adviser and portfolio management team. One difference from the predecessor mutual fund is that FFOG is a non-diversified fund,¹ meaning that it will generally invest in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund, and may be more sensitive to economic, business, political or other changes affecting individual issuers or investments than a diversified fund.²

FFOG is managed by Matt Moberg, senior vice president and portfolio manager with Franklin Equity Group, who managed the predecessor mutual fund since its inception in 2016. Moberg is also the portfolio manager of four thematic ETFs focused on dynamic innovation: Franklin Intelligent Machines ETF (IQM), Franklin Exponential Data ETF (XDAT), Franklin Disruptive Commerce ETF (BUYZ) and Franklin Genomic Advancements ETF (HELX).

“I am very excited to bring the Franklin Focused Growth ETF to the market. We believe this offering lives at the intersection of new ideas and long-term investment opportunities,” said Moberg. “FFOG offers a large-cap growth strategy, run by a team that focuses its investments in the most innovative sectors of the economy, all within one of the most innovative investment vehicles on the market, the ETF.”

“We continue to build our active ETF platform by tapping some of the firm’s strongest investment capabilities and high-conviction approaches,” said Patrick O’Connor, Head of Global ETFs for Franklin Templeton. “And given Matt Moberg’s experience managing our four thematic ETFs—covering areas of innovation from artificial intelligence to genomics—we are excited to bring another growth strategy under his management to ETF investors.”

FFOG marks Franklin Templeton’s third mutual fund-to-ETF conversion, following the conversions of BrandywineGLOBAL – Dynamic US Large Cap Value ETF (DVAL) and Martin Currie Sustainable International Equity ETF (MCSE) from mutual funds in October 2022. The conversion of FFOG was approved by shareholders on June 30, 2023, and was effective as of November 3, 2023.

Franklin Templeton’s US ETF platform provides solutions for a range of market conditions and investment objectives through active, smart beta and passively managed ETFs. Franklin Templeton currently offers 59 ETFs in the US with combined assets under management of more than $13 billion.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 150 countries. Franklin Templeton’s mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in fixed income, equity, alternatives and multi-asset solutions. With more than 1,300 investment professionals, and offices in major financial markets around the world, the California-based company has over 75 years of investment experience and approximately $1.4 trillion in assets under management as of September 30, 2023. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Before investing, carefully consider a fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. You can find this and other information in each prospectus, or summary prospectus, if available, at www.franklintempleton.com. Please read it carefully.

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. To the extent the portfolio invests in a concentration of certain securities, regions or industries, it is subject to increased volatility. The investment style may become out of favor, which may have a negative impact on performance. Active management does not ensure gains or protect against market declines. Small- and mid-cap stocks involve greater risks and volatility than large-cap stocks. International investments are subject to special risks, including currency fluctuations and social, economic and political uncertainties, which could increase volatility. These risks could be magnified in Emerging Markets. Because the Fund is non-diversified, it may be more sensitive to economic, business, political or other changes affecting individual issuers or investments than a diversified fund. These and other risks are discussed in the fund’s prospectus. ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns. ETF shares may be bought or sold throughout the day at their market price (MP), not their Net Asset Value (NAV), on the exchange on which they are listed. Shares of ETFs are tradable on secondary markets and may trade either at a premium or a discount to their NAV on the secondary market.

Effective after market close on November 3, 2023, Franklin Focused Growth Fund reorganized into this ETF. This fund has an identical investment goal and substantially similar investment strategies as its predecessor fund.

1. Within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940
2. As a non-diversified fund, the fund generally invests a great proportion of its assets in the securities of one or more issuers and invests overall in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund, which may magnify the fund’s losses from events affecting a particular security.

Franklin Distributors, LLC. Member FINRA, SIPC.

NOT FDIC INSURED | NO BANK GUARANTEE | MAY LOSE VALUE.

TN23-70

Copyright © 2023. Franklin Templeton. All rights reserved.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231106819148/en/

“I am very excited to bring the Franklin Focused Growth ETF to the market. We believe this offering lives at the intersection of new ideas and long-term investment opportunities,” said Matt Moberg, portfolio manager of FFOG.