Franklin Templeton Canada Reduces Fees for Certain Franklin LibertyShares ETFs

TORONTO, April 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Franklin Templeton Canada today announced management fee reductions for Franklin Liberty Core Balanced ETF (FLBA), Franklin LibertyQT Emerging Markets Index ETF (FLEM) and Franklin LibertyQT Global Dividend Index ETF (FLGD).

"We are cognizant of the market volatility and remain committed to providing Canadians competitive pricing for our ETFs," said Duane Green, president and CEO, Franklin Templeton Canada.

Detailed in the table below, the following fee reductions are being implemented today, April 6, 2020:

Franklin Liberty Core Balanced ETF (FLBA) provides an active core position by investing directly in North American equity and fixed income securities, while providing risk management at a low cost. It seeks to provide a balance of long-term capital appreciation and current income. The equity portion is selected through a proprietary rules-based model built on historical and projected financial stock market data to identify companies exhibiting attractive levels of growth, value and momentum, with a low volatility bias. The fixed income portion invests in a range of debt securities, including all varieties of fixed income and floating rate securities, government and corporate bonds, and bonds backed by mortgages and other assets.

Franklin LibertyQT Emerging Markets Index ETF (FLEM) is a smart beta ETF, which seeks to replicate the performance of LibertyQ Emerging Markets Index-NR, before fees and expenses. Using a multi-factor approach with a strong focus on quality, the underlying LibertyQ Emerging Markets Index-NR provides greater portfolio exposure to high-quality emerging market equities with reduced volatility. The strategic style factor diversification offers the potential for strong risk-adjusted performance.

Franklin LibertyQT Global Dividend Index ETF (FLGD) is a smart beta ETF, which seeks to replicate the performance of LibertyQ Global Dividend Index-NR, before fees and expenses. The underlying LibertyQ Global Dividend Index-NR includes stocks from developed and emerging market countries with high and persistent dividend income that have favourable exposure to quality using a multi-factor approach.

"We are committed to providing Canadians with a range of investment solutions, including active, smart beta and passive ETFs, to help them achieve their desired investment outcomes," said Green.

For more information on our suite of ETFs, please visit franklintempleton.ca/etf.

Investors are encouraged to speak to their financial advisor about these changes. Franklin Templeton's client service team is also available at 1-800-387-0830 or service@franklintempleton.ca.

Commissions, management fees and expenses may all be associated with investments in ETFs. Investors should carefully consider an ETF's investment objectives and strategies, risks, fees and expenses before investing. The prospectus and ETF facts contain this and other information. Please read the prospectus and ETF facts carefully before investing. ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below the ETF's net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns. Performance of an ETF may vary significantly from the performance of an index, as a result of transaction costs, expenses and other factors. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. (known as Franklin Templeton Canada) is a subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN], a global investment management organization operating as Franklin Templeton. Franklin Templeton's goal is to deliver better outcomes by providing global and domestic investment management to retail, institutional and sovereign wealth clients in over 170 countries. Through specialized teams, the company has expertise across all asset classes, including equity, fixed income, alternatives and custom multi-asset solutions. The company's more than 600 investment professionals are supported by its integrated, worldwide team of risk management professionals and global trading desk network. With employees in over 30 countries, the California-based company has more than 70 years of investment experience and over US$656 billion (over C$880 billion) in assets under management as of February 29, 2020. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.ca.

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