497K 1 c497k.htm TGSCF 497K PEA 67 12-31-21
        
  

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

   
    
  

TEMPLETON GLOBAL

SMALLER COMPANIES

FUND

 
    
    
  

January 1, 2022

 
    
  

 
    
     
      
    

Class A

Class C

Class R6

Advisor Class

TEMGX

TESGX

FBOGX

TGSAX

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus, statement of additional information, reports to shareholders and other information about the Fund online at www.franklintempleton.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236 or by sending an e-mail request to prospectus@franklintempleton.com. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated January 1, 2022, as may be supplemented, are all incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.


Fund Summary

Investment Goal

Long-term capital growth.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Franklin Templeton funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under “Your Account” on page 32 in the Fund's Prospectus and under “Buying and Selling Shares” on page 59 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information. In addition, more information about sales charge discounts and waivers for purchases of shares through specific financial intermediaries is set forth in Appendix A – "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers" to the Fund’s prospectus.

Please note that the tables and examples below do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries, or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling Class R6 or Advisor Class shares.


Shareholder Fees

(fees paid directly from your investment)

         

 

Class A

 

Class C

 

Class R6

 

Advisor
Class

Maximum Sales Charge (Load)
Imposed on Purchases (as percentage
of offering price)

5.50%

 

None

 

None

 

None

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge
(Load) (as percentage of the lower
of original purchase price or sale
proceeds)

None

1 

1.00%

 

None

 

None

         

1.

There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

        

 

Class A

 

Class C

 

Class R6

 

Advisor
Class

Management fees

0.87%

 

0.87%

 

0.87%

 

0.87%

Distribution and service (12b-1) fees

0.25%

 

1.00%

 

None

 

None

Other expenses

0.19%

 

0.19%

 

0.11%

 

0.19%

Total annual Fund operating expenses

1.31%

 

2.06%

 

0.98%

 

1.06%

Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement1

None

 

None

 

-0.01%

 

None

Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement1

1.31%

 

2.06%

 

0.97%

 

1.06%

1. The transfer agent has contractually agreed to cap transfer agency fees for Class R6 shares of the Fund so that transfer agency fees for that class do not exceed 0.03% until December 31, 2022. During the term, this fee waiver and expense reimbursement agreement may not be terminated or amended without approval of the board of trustees except to add series and classes, to reflect the extension of termination dates or to lower the cap on Fund’s fees and expenses (which would result in lower fees for shareholders).


Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. The Example reflects adjustments made to the Fund's operating expenses due to the fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by management for the 1 Year numbers only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

          

 

 

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

Class A

 

$676

 

$943

 

$1,230

 

$2,043

Class C

 

$309

 

$645

 

$1,108

 

$2,197

Class R6

 

$99

 

$311

 

$541

 

$1,202

Advisor Class

 

$108

 

$337

 

$584

 

$1,293

If you do not sell your shares:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class C

 

$209

 

$645

 

$1,108

 

$2,197

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 20.47% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in securities of smaller companies located anywhere in the world. The Fund defines smaller companies as those with market capitalizations not exceeding the lesser of (1) the highest float-adjusted


market capitalization in the Fund’s benchmark, or (2) $10 billion, at the time of purchase. As of November 30, 2021 (the date of the last reconstitution of the benchmark), the largest company in the MSCI All Country World Small Cap Index had a float-adjusted market capitalization of $17.8 billion.

The securities in which the Fund invests are primarily or predominantly common stocks. The Fund may invest a significant amount of its assets in the securities of companies located in emerging markets. The Fund will invest its assets in issuers located in at least three different countries (including the United States) and will invest at least 40% of its net assets in foreign securities.

When choosing equity investments for the Fund, the investment manager applies a “bottom-up,” value-oriented, long-term approach, focusing on the market price of a company’s securities relative to the investment manager’s evaluation of the company’s long-term earnings, asset value and cash flow potential. The investment manager also considers a company’s price/earnings ratio, profit margins and liquidation value.

The investment manager may consider selling a security when it believes the security has become overvalued due to either its price appreciation or changes in the company's fundamentals, when the investment manager believes that the market capitalization of a security has become too large, or when the investment manager believes another security is a more attractive investment opportunity.

The Fund may also use a variety of equity-related derivatives, which may include equity futures and equity index futures, for various purposes including enhancing Fund returns, increasing liquidity and gaining exposure to particular markets in more efficient or less expensive ways.

Principal Risks

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government.

Market The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The market value of a security or other investment may be reduced by market activity or other results of supply and demand unrelated to the


issuer. This is a basic risk associated with all investments. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices tend to fall. Likewise, when there are more buyers than sellers, prices tend to rise.

The current global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in global travel restrictions and disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations and supply chains, layoffs, volatility in consumer demand for certain products, defaults and credit ratings downgrades, and other significant economic impacts. The effects of COVID-19 have impacted global economic activity across many industries and may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, locally or globally. The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable and may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Stock prices tend to go up and down more dramatically than those of debt securities. A slower-growth or recessionary economic environment could have an adverse effect on the prices of the various stocks held by the Fund.

Small Capitalization Companies   Securities issued by small capitalization companies may be more volatile in price than those of larger companies and may involve substantial risks. Such risks may include greater sensitivity to economic conditions, less certain growth prospects, lack of depth of management and funds for growth and development, and limited or less developed product lines and markets. In addition, small capitalization companies may be affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.

Liquidity From time to time, the trading market for a particular security or type of security or other investments in which the Fund invests may become less liquid or even illiquid. Reduced liquidity will have an adverse impact on the Fund’s ability to sell such securities or other investments when necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs, which may arise or increase in response to a specific economic event or because the investment manager wishes to purchase particular investments or believes that a higher level of liquidity would be advantageous. Reduced liquidity will also generally lower the value of such securities or other investments. Market prices for such securities or other investments may be relatively volatile.

Foreign Securities (non-U.S.) Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities, and includes risks associated with: (i) internal and external political and economic developments – e.g., the political, economic and social policies and structures of some foreign countries may be less stable and more volatile than those in the U.S. or some foreign countries may be subject to


trading restrictions or economic sanctions; (ii) trading practices – e.g., government supervision and regulation of foreign securities and currency markets, trading systems and brokers may be less than in the U.S.; (iii) availability of information – e.g., foreign issuers may not be subject to the same disclosure, accounting and financial reporting standards and practices as U.S. issuers; (iv) limited markets – e.g., the securities of certain foreign issuers may be less liquid (harder to sell) and more volatile; and (v) currency exchange rate fluctuations and policies. The risks of foreign investments may be greater in developing or emerging market countries.

Regional Focus Because the Fund may invest at least a significant portion of its assets in companies in a specific region, including Europe, the Fund is subject to greater risks of adverse developments in that region and/or the surrounding regions than a fund that is more broadly diversified geographically. Political, social or economic disruptions in the region, even in countries in which the Fund is not invested, may adversely affect the value of investments held by the Fund. Current uncertainty concerning the economic consequences of the January 31, 2020 departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union (EU) may increase market volatility.

Emerging Market Countries The Fund’s investments in emerging market countries are subject to all of the risks of foreign investing generally, and have additional heightened risks due to a lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets, including: delays in settling portfolio securities transactions; currency and capital controls; greater sensitivity to interest rate changes; pervasiveness of corruption and crime; currency exchange rate volatility; and inflation, deflation or currency devaluation.

Value Style Investing  A value stock may not increase in price as anticipated by the investment manager if other investors fail to recognize the company's value and bid up the price, the markets favor faster-growing companies, or the factors that the investment manager believes will increase the price of the security do not occur or do not have the anticipated effect.

Derivative Instruments The performance of derivative instruments depends largely on the performance of an underlying currency, security, interest rate or index, and such derivatives often have risks similar to the underlying instrument, in addition to other risks. Derivatives involve costs and can create economic leverage in the Fund’s portfolio which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as gains) in an amount that significantly exceeds the Fund’s initial investment. Other risks include illiquidity, mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative, and imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument so that the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. Their successful use will usually depend on the investment manager’s ability to accurately forecast movements in the market relating to the underlying instrument. Should a market or markets, or prices of particular classes of


investments move in an unexpected manner, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions, the Fund may not realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and it may realize losses, which could be significant. If the investment manager is not successful in using such derivative instruments, the Fund’s performance may be worse than if the investment manager did not use such derivatives at all. When a derivative is used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the currency, security, interest rate, index or other risk being hedged. Derivatives also may present the risk that the other party to the transaction will fail to perform. There is also the risk, especially under extreme market conditions, that a derivative, which usually would operate as a hedge, provides no hedging benefits at all.

Management The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Fund's investment manager applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year for Class A shares. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable, compared with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You can obtain updated performance information at franklintempleton.com or by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.


Class A Annual Total Returns

PerformanceBarChartData(2011:-20.68,2012:18.87,2013:32.2,2014:-3.25,2015:-6.99,2016:10.24,2017:25.72,2018:-17.99,2019:24.5,2020:13.23)

   

Best Quarter:

2020, Q2

23.96%

Worst Quarter:

2020, Q1

-30.36%

 

As of September 30, 2021, the Fund’s year-to-date return was 12.39%.


Average Annual Total Returns

(figures reflect sales charges)

For periods ended December 31, 2020

           

 

 

1 Year

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

 

Since Inception

 

Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund - Class A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return before taxes

 

7.02%

 

8.64%

 

5.44%

 

 

 

Return after taxes on distributions

 

6.37%

 

7.77%

 

5.00%

 

 

 

Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

 

4.61%

 

6.73%

 

4.36%

 

 

Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund - Class C

 

11.36%

 

9.08%

 

5.25%

 

 

Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund - Class R6

 

13.66%

 

10.35%

 

 

8.11%

1

Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund - Advisor Class 

 

13.50%

 

10.18%

 

6.31%

 

 

MSCI All Country World Small Cap Index-NR (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes but are net of dividend tax withholding)

 

16.33%

 

11.39%

 

8.81%

 

 

           

1.

Since inception May 1, 2013.

  

The figures in the average annual total returns table above reflect the Class A shares maximum front-end sales charge of 5.50%. Prior to September 10, 2018, Class A shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75%. If the prior maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75% was reflected, performance for Class A shares in the average annual total returns table would be lower.

The after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown only for Class A and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Investment Manager

Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC (Investment Counsel)


Sub-Advisor

Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. (FTIC)

Portfolio Managers

Harlan B. Hodes

Executive Vice President/Portfolio Manager-Research Analyst of Investment Counsel and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2007.

David A. Tuttle, CFA

Vice President/Portfolio Manager-Research Analyst of FTIC and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2015.

Heather Waddell, CFA

Senior Vice President/Portfolio Manager-Research Analyst of Investment Counsel and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2021.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day online through our website at franklintempleton.com, by mail (Franklin Templeton Investor Services, P.O. Box 33030, St. Petersburg, FL 33733-8030) or by telephone at (800) 632-2301. For Class A and C, the minimum initial purchase for most accounts is $1,000 (or $25 under an automatic investment plan). Class R6 and Advisor Class are only available to certain qualified investors and the minimum initial investment will vary depending on the type of qualified investor, as described under "Your Account — Choosing a Share Class — Qualified Investors — Class R6" and "— Advisor Class" in the Fund's prospectus. There is no minimum investment for subsequent purchases.

Taxes

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, in which case your distributions would generally be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.


Payments to Broker-Dealers and
Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.


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Franklin Distributors, LLC

One Franklin Parkway

San Mateo, CA 94403-1906

franklintempleton.com

Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund

  
  

Investment Company Act file #811-03143

© 2022 Franklin Templeton. All rights reserved.

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