497K 1 c497k.htm
        
  

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

   
    
  

FRANKLIN INCOME

FUND

 
    
  

Franklin Custodian Funds

 
  

February 1, 2024

 
    
  

Slayer_DrawImageOnBackgroundColor(0,76,151)

 
    
     
      
      

Class A

Class A1

Class C

Class R

Class R6

Advisor Class

FKIQX

FKINX

FCISX

FISRX

FNCFX

FRIAX

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 February 1, 2024, as may be supplemented, are all incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.


FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Investment Goal

To maximize income while maintaining prospects for capital appreciation.

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 pay other fees (including on Class R6 and Advisor Class shares), such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. 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 $100,000 in Franklin Templeton funds and certain other funds distributed through Franklin Distributors, LLC, the Fund’s distributor. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under “Your Account” on page 138 in the Fund’s Prospectus and under “Buying and Selling Shares” on page 90 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.

Shareholder Fees

(fees paid directly from your investment)

             

 

Class A

 

Class A1

 

Class C

 

Class R

 

Class R6

 

Advisor
Class

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

3.75%

 

3.75%

 

None

 

None

 

None

 

None

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

None

1 

None

1 

1.00%

 

None

 

None

 

None

 

 

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1.

There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $500,000 or more (see "Investment of $500,000 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.

   
 

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FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

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

            

 

Class A

 

Class A1

 

Class C

 

Class R

 

Class R6

 

Advisor
Class

Management fees

0.38%

 

0.38%

 

0.38%

 

0.38%

 

0.38%

 

0.38%

Distribution and service (12b-1) fees

0.25%

 

0.15%

 

0.65%

 

0.50%

 

None

 

None

Other expenses

0.08%

 

0.08%

 

0.08%

 

0.08%

 

0.03%

 

0.08%

Acquired fund fees and expenses

0.01%

 

0.01%

 

0.01%

 

0.01%

 

0.01%

 

0.01%

Total annual Fund operating expenses1

0.72%

 

0.62%

 

1.12%

 

0.97%

 

0.42%

 

0.47%

Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement2

-0.01%

 

-0.01%

 

-0.01%

 

-0.01%

 

-0.01%

 

-0.01%

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

0.71%

 

0.61%

 

1.11%

 

0.96%

 

0.41%

 

0.46%

1 Total annual Fund operating expenses differ from the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights, which reflect the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

2 The investment manager has agreed to reduce its fees to reflect reduced services resulting from the Fund’s investments in Franklin Templeton affiliated funds. In addition, the transfer agency fees on Class R6 shares of the Fund have been capped so that transfer agency fees for that class do not exceed 0.03%. These arrangements are expected to continue until January 31, 2025. During the terms, the fee waiver and expense reimbursement agreements may not be terminated or amended without approval of the board of trustees except to add series or classes, to reflect the extension of termination dates or to lower the waiver and expense limitation (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

 

$445

 

$596

 

$760

 

$1,235

Class A1

 

$435

 

$565

 

$706

 

$1,119

Class C

 

$213

 

$355

 

$616

 

$1,250

Class R

 

$98

 

$308

 

$535

 

$1,188

Class R6

 

$42

 

$134

 

$234

 

$528

Advisor Class

 

$47

 

$150

 

$262

 

$592

If you do not sell your shares:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class C

 

$113

 

$355

 

$616

 

$1,250

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   
 

franklintempleton.com

Summary Prospectus

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FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

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 56.23% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of debt and equity securities. The Fund may shift its investments from one asset class to another based on the investment manager's analysis of the best opportunities for the Fund’s portfolio in a given market. The equity securities in which the Fund invests consist primarily of common stocks, including those with dividend yields the investment manager believes are attractive. Debt securities include all varieties of fixed, floating and variable rate instruments, including secured and unsecured bonds, bonds convertible into common stock, senior floating rate and term loans, mortgage-backed securities and other asset-backed securities, debentures, and shorter term instruments. Bond investments may include U.S. and foreign corporate debt, U.S. Treasuries and foreign government bonds. The Fund may invest up to 100% of its total assets in debt securities that are rated below investment grade (also known as "junk bonds"), including a portion in defaulted securities, although the Fund will not invest more than 5% of its assets in securities that are defaulted at the time of purchase. The Fund maintains the flexibility to invest in securities of companies from a variety of sectors, but from time to time, based on economic conditions, the Fund may have significant investments in particular sectors. The Fund may also invest up to 25% of its assets in foreign securities, either directly or through depositary receipts.

The Fund may, from time to time, use a variety of equity-related derivatives and complex equity securities, which may include purchasing or selling call and put options on equity securities and equity security indices, futures on equity securities and equity indexes, options on equity index futures and equity-linked notes, for various purposes including enhancing Fund returns, increasing liquidity, gaining exposure to particular instruments in more efficient or less expensive ways and/or hedging risks relating to changes in certain equity markets. In addition, the Fund may, from time to time, use interest rate-related derivatives, including interest rate swaps and interest rate and/or bond futures contracts (including U.S. Treasury futures contracts) for various purposes including enhancing Fund returns, increasing liquidity, gaining exposure to particular instruments in more efficient or

   
 

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FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

less expensive ways and/or hedging risks relating to changes in interest rates. The Fund also may, from time to time, use currency-related derivatives, such as forward foreign currency exchange contracts, currency futures contracts, currency swaps and currency options to hedge (protect) against currency risks, and credit-related derivatives, such as credit default swaps and options on credit default swaps, to hedge (protect) against credit risks. The use of such derivative transactions may allow the Fund to obtain net long or net short exposures to selected markets, interest rates, countries or durations.

The Fund's investment manager searches for undervalued or out-of-favor securities it believes offer opportunities for income today and significant growth tomorrow. In analyzing both corporate debt and equity securities, the investment manager considers a variety of factors, including:

· a security's relative value based on such factors as anticipated cash flow, interest or dividend coverage, asset coverage, and earnings prospects;

· the experience and strength of the company's management;

· the company's changing financial condition and market recognition of the change;

· the company's sensitivity to changes in interest rates and business conditions; and

· the company's debt maturity schedules and borrowing requirements.

When choosing 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. It generally performs independent analysis of the debt securities being considered for the Fund's portfolio, rather than relying principally on the ratings assigned by rating organizations.

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

   
 

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FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

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 global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19 and its subsequent variants, has resulted in market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. The long-term impact on economies, markets, industries and individual issuers is not known. Some sectors of the economy and individual issuers have experienced or may experience particularly large losses. Periods of extreme volatility in the financial markets; reduced liquidity of many instruments; and disruptions to supply chains, consumer demand and employee availability, may continue for some time.

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.

Interest Rate: When interest rates rise, debt security prices generally fall. The opposite is also generally true: debt security prices rise when interest rates fall. Interest rate changes are influenced by a number of factors, including government policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, perceptions of risk, and supply of and demand for bonds. In general, securities with longer maturities or durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Credit: An issuer of debt securities may fail to make interest payments or repay principal when due, in whole or in part. Changes in an issuer's financial strength or in a security's or government's credit rating may affect a security's value.

High-Yield Debt Securities: Issuers of lower-rated or “high-yield” debt securities (also known as “junk bonds”) are not as strong financially as those issuing higher credit quality debt securities. High-yield debt securities are generally considered predominantly speculative by the applicable rating agencies as their issuers are more likely to encounter financial difficulties because they may be more highly leveraged, or because of other considerations. In addition, high yield debt securities generally are more vulnerable to changes in the relevant economy, such as a recession or a sustained period of rising interest rates, that could affect their ability to make interest and principal payments when due. The prices of high-yield debt securities generally fluctuate more than those of higher credit quality. High-yield debt securities are generally more illiquid (harder to sell) and harder to value.

Income: The Fund's distributions to shareholders may decline when prevailing interest rates fall, when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds or when the Fund realizes a loss upon the sale of a debt security.

Focus: To the extent that the Fund focuses on particular countries, regions, industries, sectors or types of investments from time to time, the Fund may be

   
 

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FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

subject to greater risks of adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of countries, regions, industries, sectors or investments.

Equity-Linked Notes (ELNs):  ELNs may not perform as expected and could cause the Fund to realize significant losses including its entire principal investment. Other risks include counterparty risk, liquidity risk and imperfect correlation between ELNs and the underlying securities.

Foreign Securities (non-U.S.): Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities, including risks related to currency exchange rates and policies, country or government specific issues, less favorable trading practices or regulation and greater price volatility. Certain of these risks also may apply to securities of U.S. companies with significant foreign operations. The risks of investing in foreign securities are typically greater in less developed or emerging market countries.

Convertible Securities: Convertible securities are subject to the risks of stocks when the underlying stock price is high relative to the conversion price (because more of the security's value resides in the conversion feature) and debt securities when the underlying stock price is low relative to the conversion price (because the conversion feature is less valuable). A convertible security is not as sensitive to interest rate changes as a similar non-convertible debt security, and generally has less potential for gain or loss than the underlying stock.

Depositary Receipts: Depositary receipts are subject to many of the risks of the underlying security. For some depositary receipts, the custodian or similar financial institution that holds the issuer's shares in a trust account is located in the issuer's home country. The Fund could be exposed to the credit risk of the custodian or financial institution, and in cases where the issuer’s home country does not have developed financial markets, greater market risk. In addition, the depository institution may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. The Fund would be expected to pay a share of the additional fees, which it would not pay if investing directly in the foreign securities. The Fund may experience delays in receiving its dividend and interest payments or exercising rights as a shareholder. There may be an increased possibility of untimely responses to certain corporate actions of the issuer in an unsponsored depositary receipt program. Accordingly, there may be less information available regarding issuers of securities underlying unsponsored programs and there may not be a correlation between this information and the market value of the depositary receipts.

   
 

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FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Mortgage Securities and Asset-Backed Securities: Mortgage securities differ from conventional debt securities because principal is paid back periodically over the life of the security rather than at maturity. The Fund may receive unscheduled payments of principal due to voluntary prepayments, refinancings or foreclosures on the underlying mortgage loans. Because of prepayments, mortgage securities may be less effective than some other types of debt securities as a means of "locking in" long-term interest rates and may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of falling interest rates. A reduction in the anticipated rate of principal prepayments, especially during periods of rising interest rates, may increase or extend the effective maturity and duration of mortgage securities, making them more sensitive to interest rate changes, subject to greater price volatility, and more susceptible than some other debt securities to a decline in market value when interest rates rise.

Issuers of asset-backed securities may have limited ability to enforce the security interest in the underlying assets, and credit enhancements provided to support the securities, if any, may be inadequate to protect investors in the event of default. Like mortgage securities, asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment and extension risks.

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.

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.

Prepayment: Prepayment risk occurs when a debt security can be repaid in whole or in part prior to the security's maturity and the Fund must reinvest the proceeds it receives, during periods of declining interest rates, in securities that pay a lower rate of interest. Also, if a security has been purchased at a premium, the value of the premium would be lost in the event of prepayment. Prepayments generally increase when interest rates fall.

Derivative Instruments: The performance of derivative instruments depends largely on the performance of an underlying instrument, such as a currency, security, interest rate or index, and such instruments often have risks similar to their underlying instrument, in addition to other risks. Derivative instruments 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

   
 

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FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

an amount that exceeds the Fund's initial investment. Other risks include illiquidity, mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative instrument, and imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument so that the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. 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. With over-the-counter derivatives, there is the risk that the other party to the transaction will fail to perform.

Cybersecurity: Cybersecurity incidents, both intentional and unintentional, may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, cause the Fund, the investment manager, and/or their service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The investment manager has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents affecting third party service providers, and such third party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or the investment manager. Cybersecurity incidents may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders, and substantial costs may be incurred in an effort to prevent or mitigate future cybersecurity incidents. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Because technology is frequently changing, new ways to carry out cyber attacks are always developing. Therefore, there is a chance that some risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected, which puts limitations on the Fund's ability to plan for or respond to a cyber attack. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund, the investment manager, and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time.

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

   
 

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FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
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future. You can obtain updated performance information at franklintempleton.com or by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

The secondary index in the table below shows how the Fund‘s performance compares to groups of securities that align with the Fund’s expected exposure to income producing equity and debt securities.

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(2014:4.11,2015:-7.82,2016:16.28,2017:8.41,2018:-5.77,2019:15.69,2020:3.46,2021:17.57,2022:-5.61,2023:8.54)

   

Best Quarter:

2020, Q4

11.62%

Worst Quarter:

2020, Q1

-16.02%

   
 

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FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Average Annual Total Returns

(figures reflect sales charges)

For periods ended December 31, 2023

         

 

 

1 Year

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

 

Franklin Income Fund - Class A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return before taxes

 

4.47%

 

6.77%

 

4.69%

 

 

Return after taxes on distributions

 

2.25%

 

4.66%

 

2.67%

 

 

Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

 

2.70%

 

4.45%

 

2.81%

 

Franklin Income Fund - Class A1

 

4.48%

 

6.91%

 

4.82%

 

Franklin Income Fund - Class C

 

6.90%

 

7.10%

 

4.63%

 

Franklin Income Fund - Class R

 

7.95%

 

7.27%

 

4.78%

 

Franklin Income Fund - Class R6

 

8.84%

 

8.03%

 

5.44%

 

Franklin Income Fund - Advisor Class 

 

8.83%

 

7.90%

 

5.34%

 

S&P 500 Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

 

26.29%

 

15.69%

 

12.03%

 

Blended 50% MSCI USA High Dividend Yield Index + 25% Bloomberg High Yield Very Liquid Index + 25% Bloomberg US Aggregate Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

 

8.29%

 

6.38%

 

6.31%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No one index is representative of the Fund's portfolio.

Historical performance for Class A shares in the bar chart and table above prior to their inception is based on the performance of Class A1 shares and has been adjusted to reflect differences in Rule 12b-1 fees between classes.

The figures in the average annual total returns table above reflect the Class A and Class A1 shares maximum front-end sales charge of 3.75%. Prior to March 1, 2019, Class A and Class A1 shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 4.25%. If the prior maximum front-end sales charge of 4.25% was reflected, performance for Class A and Class A1 shares in the average annual total returns table would be lower.

The after-tax returns presented in the table 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-advantaged 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

Franklin Advisers, Inc. (Advisers or investment manager)

   
 

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FRANKLIN INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Portfolio Managers

Edward D. Perks, CFA
President and Director of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2002.

Brendan Circle, CFA
Senior Vice President of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2019.

Todd Brighton, CFA
Senior Vice President of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2017.

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 997152, Sacramento, CA 95899-7152), or by telephone at (800) 632-2301. For Class A, C and R, 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, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged 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-advantaged 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

Franklin Income Fund

  
  

Investment Company Act file #811-00537

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