SUMMARY PROSPECTUS | |||||||
FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SMACS: SERIES I | |||||||
Franklin Strategic Series | |||||||
January 1, 2024 | |||||||
TICKER: FQTIX
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, 2024, as may be supplemented, are all incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.
FRANKLIN
TEMPLETON SMACS: SERIES I
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
Investment Goal
To seek to maximize income while maintaining prospects for capital appreciation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
The table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
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Management fees1 |
| None |
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees |
| None |
Other expenses2 |
| 0.21% |
Acquired fund fees and expenses |
| 0.01% |
Total annual Fund operating expenses3 |
| 0.22% |
Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement4 |
| -0.22% |
Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement |
| 0.00% |
1. The investment manager does not charge the Fund a fee for its investment management services. The Fund is part of a wrap fee program or other program advised or sub-advised by the investment manager or its affiliates, clients of which often pay a single aggregate fee to the program sponsor for all costs and expenses of the program (including investment management and custody fees). You are strongly encouraged to read carefully the wrap fee brochure or other disclosures provided to you in connection with the program account.
2. Other expenses have been restated to reflect fees and expenses for the current fiscal year. Consequently, the total annual Fund operating expenses differ from the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights.
3. 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.
4. The investment manager has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse operating expenses (excluding certain non-routine expenses or costs, such as those relating to litigation, indemnification, reorganizations and liquidations) for the Fund so that the ratio of total annual fund operating expenses will not exceed 0.00% until December 31, 2024. During the term, the fee waiver and expense reimbursement agreement may not be terminated or amended without approval of the board of trustees except to add series or classes, to reflect the extension of the termination date or to lower the waiver and expense limitation.
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. The Example does not include the fees and expenses (including investment management fees) paid in the wrap programs or certain other programs advised or sub-advised by the investment manager or its affiliates.
2 | Summary Prospectus | franklintempleton.com |
FRANKLIN
TEMPLETON SMACS: SERIES I
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
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| 1 Year |
| 3 Years |
| 5 Years |
| 10 Years |
Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series I |
| $0 |
| $49 |
| $102 |
| $259 | |
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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 27.73% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests predominantly in debt securities. The debt securities in which the Fund invests 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. The Fund seeks income by selecting investments such as corporate, agency, securitized, foreign and U.S. Treasury bonds that the investment manager believes are attractive. 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. Debt securities may include convertible securities. Convertible securities generally are debt securities or preferred stock that may be converted into common stock after certain time periods or under certain circumstances. The Fund maintains the flexibility to invest in securities 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. The Fund may invest in securities of any maturity or duration.
The Fund is a "non-diversified" fund, which means it generally invests a greater 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.
The Fund regularly uses interest rate 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
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FRANKLIN
TEMPLETON SMACS: SERIES I
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
liquidity, gaining exposure to particular instruments in more efficient or less expensive ways and/or hedging risks relating to changes in interest rates. The Fund also regularly uses 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 (i.e., the Fund would benefit if the price of the investment increases) or net short exposures (i.e., the Fund would benefit if the price of the investment decreases) to selected markets, interest rates, countries or durations. The Fund also regularly uses complex securities, which may include 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 markets.
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. It generally performs independent analysis of the securities being considered for the Fund’s portfolio, rather than relying principally on the ratings assigned by the ratings organizations. The investment manager also considers a company’s price/earnings ratio, profit margins and liquidation value.
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.
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.
4 | Summary Prospectus | franklintempleton.com |
FRANKLIN
TEMPLETON SMACS: SERIES I
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
If the issuer of a debt security in the Fund's portfolio defaults, the Fund may have unrealized losses on the security, which may lower the Fund's net asset value. Defaulted securities tend to lose much of their value before they default. Thus, the Fund's net asset value may be adversely affected before an issuer defaults. An investment in defaulted debt securities is generally considered speculative and may expose the Fund to similar risks as an investment in high-yield debt.
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 and demand of bonds. In general, securities with longer maturities or durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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FRANKLIN
TEMPLETON SMACS: SERIES I
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
Non-Diversification: 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, which may negatively impact the Fund's performance and result in greater fluctuation in the value of the Fund’s shares.
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.
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. Mortgage securities purchased on a delayed delivery or forward commitment basis through the TBA (to-be-announced) market are subject to the risk that the actual securities received by the Fund may be less favorable than anticipated, or that a counterparty will fail to deliver the security.
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.
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.
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FRANKLIN
TEMPLETON SMACS: SERIES I
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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FRANKLIN
TEMPLETON SMACS: SERIES I
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
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.
Liquidity: 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.
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. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable. The Fund's past performance 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.
Performance information does not include the fees and expenses (including investment management fees) paid in the wrap programs or certain other programs advised or sub-advised by the investment manager or its affiliates.
8 | Summary Prospectus | franklintempleton.com |
FRANKLIN
TEMPLETON SMACS: SERIES I
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
Annual Total Returns
Best Quarter: | 2020, Q4 | 9.57% |
Worst Quarter: | 2020, Q1 | -15.36% |
As of September 30, 2023, the Fund’s year-to-date return was 5.38%. |
Average Annual Total Returns
For periods ended December 31, 2022
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| 1 Year |
| Since Inception |
| |
Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series I |
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| Return before taxes |
| -14.40% |
| -0.30% | 1 |
| Return after taxes on distributions |
| -16.96% |
| -3.23% | 1 |
| Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares |
| -8.46% |
| -1.36% | 1 |
Bloomberg High Yield Very Liquid Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
| -11.92% |
| 1.14% | 1 | |
50% Bloomberg High Yield Very Liquid Index and 50% Bloomberg US Corporate Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) |
| -13.79% |
| 0.27% | 1 | |
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1. | Since inception June 3, 2019. |
Investment Manager
Franklin Advisers, Inc. (Advisers or investment manager)
franklintempleton.com | Summary Prospectus | 9 |
FRANKLIN
TEMPLETON SMACS: SERIES I
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS
Portfolio Managers
Edward D. Perks, CFA
President and Director of Advisers and
portfolio manager of the Fund since inception (2019).
Brendan Circle, CFA
Senior Vice President
of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception (2019).
Todd Brighton, CFA
Senior
Vice President of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since inception (2019).
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Shares of the Fund are used exclusively for separately managed accounts advised or sub-advised by Advisers or its affiliates and decisions as to whether to purchase or redeem shares of the Fund for a separately managed account will be made by the investment manager of the separately managed account. Shares of the Fund may be redeemed on any business day that the New York Stock Exchange is open. In addition, shares will be redeemed when you terminate your managed account. There is no minimum investment for 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-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.
10 | Summary Prospectus | franklintempleton.com |
Franklin Distributors, LLC One Franklin Parkway San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 franklintempleton.com Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series I | |
Investment Company Act file #811-06243 © 2024 Franklin Templeton. All rights reserved.
| 3003 PSUM 01/24 |