PROSPECTUS & APPLICATION
FRANKLIN SHORT-INTERMEDIATE
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES FUND
INVESTMENT STRATEGY
INCOME
Advisor Class
Advisor
JANUARY 1, 1997
FRANKLIN INVESTORS SECURITIES TRUST
This prospectus describes the Advisor Class shares of Franklin
Short-Intermediate U.S. Government Securities Fund (the "Fund"). It contains
information you should know before investing in the Fund. Please keep it for
future reference.
The Fund's Advisor Class SAI, dated January 1, 1997, as may be amended from time
to time, includes more information about the Fund's procedures and policies. It
has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this
prospectus. For a free copy or a larger print version of this prospectus, call
1-800/DIAL BEN or write the Fund at the address shown.
Advisor Class shares are only available for purchase by certain persons,
including, among others, certain financial institutions (such as banks, trust
companies, savings institutions and credit unions); government and tax-exempt
entities; pension, profit sharing and employee benefit plans; certain qualified
groups, including family trusts, endowments, foundations and corporations;
Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series; and directors, trustees, officers and
full-time employees (and their family members) of Franklin Templeton Group and
the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. See "About Your Account."
SHARES OF THE FUND ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR GUARANTEED OR ENDORSED
BY, ANY BANK, AND ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE
CORPORATION, THE FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY OTHER AGENCY OF THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT. SHARES OF THE FUND INVOLVE INVESTMENT RISKS, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE
LOSS OF PRINCIPAL.
LIKE ALL MUTUAL FUNDS, THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY
THE SEC OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SEC OR ANY STATE
SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS.
ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
THIS PROSPECTUS IS NOT AN OFFERING OF THE SECURITIES HEREIN DESCRIBED IN ANY
STATE IN WHICH THE OFFERING IS NOT AUTHORIZED. NO SALES REPRESENTATIVE, DEALER,
OR OTHER PERSON IS AUTHORIZED TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR MAKE ANY
REPRESENTATIONS OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS. FURTHER
INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM DISTRIBUTORS.
Franklin Short-Intermediate
U.S. Government Securities Fund
FRANKLIN SHORT-INTERMEDIATE
U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES FUND -
ADVISOR CLASS
JANUARY 1, 1997
When reading this prospectus, you will see certain terms beginning with capital
letters. This means the term is explained in our glossary section.
Table of Contents
About the Fund
Expense Summary............... 2
How does the Fund Invest its Assets? 3
What are the Fund's Potential Risks? 6
Who Manages the Fund?......... 6
How does the Fund Measure Performance? 7
How is the Trust Organized?... 8
How Taxation Affects You and the Fund 9
About Your Account
How Do I Buy Shares? ......... 10
May I Exchange Shares for Shares
of Another Fund? ............ 13
How Do I Sell Shares? ........ 15
What Distributions Might I
Receive from the Fund?....... 16
Transaction Procedures and
Special Requirements ........ 17
Services to Help You Manage Your Account 21
Glossary
Useful Terms and Definitions . 24
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
P.O. Box 7777
San Mateo
CA 94403-7777
1-800/DIAL BEN
Franklin Short-Intermediate
U.S. Government Securities Fund
ABOUT THE FUND
EXPENSE SUMMARY
This table is designed to help you understand the costs of investing in the
Fund. Because Advisor Class shares were not offered to the public before January
1, 1997, the table is based on the historical expenses of the Class I shares of
the Fund for the fiscal year ended October 31, 1995.+ Your actual expenses may
vary.
A. SHAREHOLDER TRANSACTION EXPENSES++
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases None
Exchange Fee (per transaction) $5.00*
B. ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(AS A PERCENTAGE OF AVERAGE NET ASSETS)
Management Fees 0.56%
Rule 12b-1 Fees None
Other Expenses 0.09%
------
Total Fund Operating Expenses 0.65%
======
C. EXAMPLE
Assume the annual return for Advisor Class shares is 5% and operating
expenses are as described above. For each $1,000 investment, you would pay
the following projected expenses if you sold your shares after the number
of years shown.
1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
-------------------------------------
$7 $21 $36 $81
This is just an example. It does not represent past or future expenses or
returns. Actual expenses and returns may be more or less than those shown.
The Fund pays its operating expenses. The effects of these expenses are
reflected in the Net Asset Value or the dividends paid on Advisor Class
shares and are not directly charged to your account.
+Unlike Advisor Class shares, the Class I shares of the Fund have a
front-end sales charge and Rule 12b-1 fees.
++If your transaction is processed through your Securities Dealer, you may
be charged a fee by your Securities Dealer for these services.
*$5.00 fee is only for Market Timers. We process all other exchanges
without a fee.
How does the Fund Invest its Assets?
THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund's investment objective is to provide as high a level of current income
as is consistent with prudent investing while seeking preservation of
shareholder's capital. The objective is a fundamental policy of the Fund and may
not be changed without shareholder approval. Of course, there is no assurance
that the Fund's objective will be achieved.
TYPES OF SECURITIES IN WHICH THE FUND MAY INVEST
The Fund intends to invest up to 100% of its net assets in U.S. government
securities. As a fundamental policy of the Fund, the Fund must invest at least
65% of its net assets in U.S. government securities. SEC guidelines require at
least 65% of the Fund's total assets be invested in U.S. government securities
and the Fund will follow that policy notwithstanding its fundamental policy. It
is the investment policy of the Fund (which may be changed upon notice to
shareholders) to maintain the average dollar weighted maturity of its portfolio
in a range of two to five years. Within this range, the Fund intends to
emphasize an average weighted maturity of 31/2 years or less.
The Fund may invest in obligations either issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
government and its agencies or instrumentalities including, but not limited to:
direct obligations of the U.S. Treasury, such as U.S. Treasury bills, notes and
bonds; and obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as
Federal Home Loan Banks, Federal National Mortgage Association, Government
National Mortgage Association, Banks for Cooperatives (including Central Bank
for Cooperatives), Federal Land Banks, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks,
Tennessee Valley Authority, Export-Import Bank of the United States, Commodity
Credit Corporation, Federal Financing Bank, Student Loan Marketing Association,
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation or National Credit Union Administration.
Since inception, the assets of the Fund have been invested solely in direct
obligations of the U.S. Treasury and in repurchase agreements collateralized by
U.S. Treasury obligations. The level of income achieved by the Fund may not be
as high as that of other funds which invest in lower quality, longer-term
securities.
Certain of the U.S. government securities that the Fund may invest in may be
purchased at a discount. These securities, when held to maturity or retired, may
include an element of capital gain. The Fund does not intend to hold securities
for the purpose of achieving capital gains, but will generally hold them as long
as current yields on these securities remain attractive. Capital losses may be
realized when securities purchased at a premium are held to maturity or are
called or redeemed at a price lower than their purchase price. Capital gains or
losses also may be realized upon the sale of securities.
ZERO COUPON BONDS. The Fund may, consistent with its other policies, invest in
zero coupon bonds issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or
instrumentalities. Zero coupon bonds are debt obligations which are issued at a
significant discount from face value. The original discount approximates the
total amount of interest the bonds will accrue and compounds over the period
until maturity or the first interest accrual date at a rate of interest
reflecting the market rate of the security at the time of issuance. A zero
coupon security pays no interest to its holder during its life and its value
(above its cost to the Fund) consists of the difference between its face value
at maturity and its cost. These investments experience greater volatility in
market value due to changes in interest rates than debt obligations that provide
for regular payments of interest. The Fund will accrue income on such
investments for tax and accounting purposes, as required, which is distributable
to shareholders and which, because no cash is received at the time of accrual,
may require the liquidation of other portfolio securities to satisfy the Fund's
distribution obligations.
REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS. The Fund may engage in repurchase transactions in which
the Fund buys a U.S. government security subject to resale to a bank or dealer
at an agreed-upon price and date. The transaction requires the collateralization
of the seller's obligation by the transfer of securities with an initial market
value, including accrued interest, equal to at least 102% of the dollar amount
invested by the Fund in each agreement, with the value of the underlying
security marked-to-market daily to maintain coverage of at least 100%. A default
by the seller might cause the Fund to experience a loss or delay in the
liquidation of the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. The Fund might
also incur disposition costs in liquidating the collateral. The Fund, however,
intends to enter into repurchase agreements only with financial institutions
such as broker-dealers and banks that are deemed creditworthy by Advisers. A
repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan by the Fund under the 1940 Act. The
U.S. government security subject to resale (the collateral) will be held on
behalf of the Fund by a custodian bank approved by the Board and will be held
pursuant to a written agreement.
OTHER INVESTMENT POLICIES OF THE FUND
WHEN-ISSUED AND DELAYED DELIVERY TRANSACTIONS. The Fund may buy obligations on a
"when-issued" or "delayed delivery" basis. These transactions are arrangements
in which the Fund purchases securities with payment and delivery scheduled for a
future time, generally within two weeks. Purchases of securities on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis are subject to market fluctuation and the
risk that the value or yields at delivery may be more or less than the purchase
price or the yields available when the transaction was entered into. Although
the Fund will generally buy securities on a when-issued basis with the intention
of acquiring the securities, it may sell the securities before the settlement
date if it is deemed advisable. When the Fund is the buyer in such a
transaction, it will maintain, in a segregated account with its custodian bank,
cash or high-grade marketable securities having an aggregate value equal to the
amount of such purchase commitments until payment is made. To the extent the
Fund engages in when-issued and delayed delivery transactions, it will do so
only for the purpose of acquiring portfolio securities consistent with the
Fund's investment objective and policies, and not for the purpose of investment
leverage. In when-issued and delayed delivery transactions, the Fund relies on
the seller to complete the transaction. The other party's failure may cause the
Fund to miss a price or yield considered advantageous. Securities purchased on a
when-issued or delayed delivery basis do not generally earn interest until their
scheduled delivery date. The Fund is not subject to any percentage limit on the
amount of its assets which may be invested in when-issued purchase obligations.
CONCENTRATION. The Fund will not invest more than 25% of the value of its total
assets in any one particular industry.
BORROWING. The Fund does not borrow money or mortgage or pledge any of its
assets, except that it may borrow from banks for temporary or emergency purposes
up to 5% of its total assets and pledge up to 5% of its total assets in
connection therewith.
LOANS OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES. Consistent with procedures approved by the Board
and subject to the following conditions, the Fund may lend its portfolio
securities to qualified securities dealers or other institutional investors,
provided that such loans do not exceed 10% of the value of the Fund's total
assets at the time of the most recent loan. The borrower must deposit with the
Fund's custodian bank collateral with an initial market value of at least 102%
of the initial market value of the securities loaned, including any accrued
interest, with the value of the collateral and loaned securities
marked-to-market daily to maintain collateral coverage of at least 102%. Such
collateral shall consist of cash. The lending of securities is a common practice
in the securities industry. The Fund may engage in security loan arrangements
with the primary objective of increasing the Fund's income either through
investing the cash collateral in short-term interest bearing obligations or by
receiving a loan premium from the borrower. Under the securities loan agreement,
the Fund continues to be entitled to all dividends or interest on any loaned
securities. As with any extension of credit, there are risks of delay in
recovery and loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the
security fail financially.
ILLIQUID INVESTMENTS. The Fund's policy is not to invest more than 10% of its
net assets, at the time of purchase, in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities
are generally securities that cannot be sold within seven days in the normal
course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued
them.
PERCENTAGE RESTRICTIONS. If a percentage restriction noted above is adhered to
at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in the percentage
resulting from a change in value of portfolio securities or the amount of net
assets will not be considered a violation of any of the foregoing policies.
OTHER POLICIES AND RESTRICTIONS. The Fund has a number of additional investment
restrictions that limit its activities to some extent. Some of these
restrictions may only be changed with shareholder approval. For a list of these
restrictions and more information about the Fund's investment policies, please
see "How does the Fund Invest its Assets?" and "Investment Restrictions" in the
SAI.
The foregoing permissible investments and practices are subject to the
fundamental policy of the Fund, which can only be changed with shareholder
approval, that the Fund will only purchase securities and engage in trading
practices that are permitted, without limitation, to national banks, federal
savings and loan associations and federal credit unions. Please see the SAI for
more details on the Fund's policies regarding eligible federal credit union
investments.
WHAT ARE THE FUND'S POTENTIAL RISKS?
The value of your shares will increase as the value of the securities owned by
the Fund increases and will decrease as the value of the Fund's investments
decrease. In this way, you participate in any change in the value of the
securities owned by the Fund. In addition to the factors that affect the value
of any particular security that the Fund owns, the value of Fund shares may also
change with movements in the bond markets as a whole.
INTEREST RATE RISK. Changes in interest rates will affect the value of the
Fund's portfolio and its share price. Rising interest rates, which often occur
during times of inflation or a growing economy, are likely to have a negative
effect on the value of the Fund's shares. Interest rates have increased and
decreased in the past. These changes are unpredictable and may happen again in
the future.
WHO MANAGES THE FUND?
THE BOARD. The Board oversees the management of the Fund and elects its
officers. The officers are responsible for the Fund's day-to-day operations. The
Board also monitors the Fund to ensure no material conflicts exist between the
two classes of shares. While none is expected, the Board will act appropriately
to resolve any material conflict that may arise.
INVESTMENT MANAGER. Advisers manages the Fund's assets and makes its investment
decisions. Advisers also performs similar services for other funds. It is wholly
owned by Resources, a publicly owned company engaged in the financial services
industry through its subsidiaries. Charles B. Johnson and Rupert H. Johnson, Jr.
are the principal shareholders of Resources. Together, Advisers and its
affiliates manage over $150 billion in assets. Please see "Investment Management
and Other Services" and "Miscellaneous Information" in the SAI for information
on securities transactions and a summary of the Fund's Code of Ethics.
MANAGEMENT TEAM. The team responsible for the day-to-day management of the
Fund's portfolio is: Jack Lemein, David Capurro and Tom Runkel since inception.
Jack Lemein
Senior Vice President of Advisers
Mr. Lemein holds a bachelor of science degree in finance from the University of
Illinois. He has been in the securities industry since 1967 and with the
Franklin Templeton Group since 1984. He is a member of several securities
industry-related associations.
David Capurro
Vice President of Advisers
Mr. Capurro holds a master of business administration degree and a bachelor of
science degree in business administration from California State University at
Hayward. Mr. Capurro has been with the Franklin Templeton Group since 1985.
Tom Runkel
Vice President of Advisers
Mr. Runkel is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds a master of business
administration degree from the University of Santa Clara. He earned his bachelor
of arts degree in political science from the University of California at Davis.
Mr. Runkel has been with the Franklin Templeton Group since 1985. He is a member
of several securities industry-related committees and associations.
MANAGEMENT FEES. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 1995, management fees
totaling 0.56% of the average monthly net assets of the Fund were paid to
Advisers.
PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS. Advisers tries to obtain the best execution on all
transactions. If Advisers believes more than one broker or dealer can provide
the best execution, consistent with internal policies it may consider research
and related services and the sale of Fund shares, as well as shares of other
funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, when selecting a broker or
dealer. Please see "How does the Fund Buy Securities for its Portfolio?" in the
SAI for more information.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES. Under an agreement with Advisers, FT Services provides
certain administrative services and facilities for the Fund. Please see
"Investment Management and Other Services" in the SAI for more information.
HOW DOES THE FUND MEASURE PERFORMANCE?
From time to time, each class of the Fund advertises its performance. The more
commonly used measures of performance are total return, current yield and
current distribution rate. Performance figures are usually calculated using the
maximum sales charge, if applicable. Certain performance figures may not include
any applicable sales charge or Rule 12b-1 fees.
Total return is the change in value of an investment over a given period. It
assumes any dividends and capital gains are reinvested. Current yield for each
class shows the income per share earned by that class. The current distribution
rate shows the dividends or distributions paid to shareholders of a class. This
rate is usually computed by annualizing the dividends paid per share during a
certain period and dividing that amount by the current Offering Price of the
class or, in the case of Advisor Class shares, the Net Asset Value of the class.
Unlike current yield, the current distribution rate may include income
distributions from sources other than dividends and interest received by the
Fund.
The investment results of each class will vary. Performance figures are always
based on past performance and do not guarantee future results. For a more
detailed description of how the Fund calculates its performance figures, please
see "How does the Fund Measure Performance?" in the SAI.
HOW IS THE TRUST ORGANIZED?
The Fund is a diversified series of Franklin Investors Securities Trust (the
"Trust"), an open-end management investment company, commonly called a mutual
fund. It was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on December 16, 1986,
and is registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act. The Fund began offering a
second class of shares on January 1, 1997: Franklin Short-Intermediate U.S.
Government Securities Fund - Advisor Class. Class I and Advisor Class shares
differ as to sales charges, expenses and services. Different fees and expenses
will affect performance. Additional classes and series may be offered in the
future. A further description of Class I is set forth below.
Each class will vote separately on matters (1) affecting only that class, (2)
expressly required to be voted on separately by state law, or (3) required to be
voted on separately by the 1940 Act. Shares of each class of a series represent
proportionate interests in the assets of the Fund and have the same voting and
other rights and preferences as any other class of the Fund on matters that
affect the Trust as a whole.
The Trust has noncumulative voting rights. This gives holders of more than 50%
of the shares voting the ability to elect all of the members of the Board. If
this happens, holders of the remaining shares voting will not be able to elect
anyone to the Board.
The Trust does not intend to hold annual shareholder meetings. It may hold a
special meeting of a series, however, for matters requiring shareholder approval
under the 1940 Act. A meeting may also be called by the Board in its discretion
or by shareholders holding at least 10% of the outstanding shares. The 1940 Act
requires that we help you communicate with other shareholders in connection with
removing members of the Board.
CLASS I. Class I shares of the Fund are described in a separate prospectus
relating only to that class. You may buy Class I shares through your investment
representative or directly by contacting the Trust. If you would like a
prospectus relating to the Fund's Class I shares, contact your investment
representative or Distributors.
Class I shares of the Fund have sales charges and Rule 12b-1 charges that may
affect performance. Class I shares have a front-end sales charge of 2.25% (2.31%
of the net amount invested) that is reduced on certain transactions of $100,000
or more. Class I shares are subject to Rule 12b-1 fees up to a maximum of 0.10%
per year of Class I's average daily net assets. Shares of Class I may be subject
to a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge upon redemption.
HOW TAXATION AFFECTS YOU AND THE FUND
The following discussion reflects some of the tax considerations that affect
mutual funds and their shareholders. For more information on tax matters
relating to the Fund and its shareholders, see "Additional Information on
Distributions and Taxes" in the SAI.
Each fund of the Trust is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax
purposes. The Fund has elected and intends to continue to qualify as a regulated
investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. By distributing all of its
income and meeting certain other requirements relating to the sources of its
income and diversification of its assets, the Fund will not be liable for
federal income or excise taxes.
For federal income tax purposes, any income dividends that you receive from the
Fund, as well as any distributions derived from the excess of net short-term
capital gain over net long-term capital loss, are treated as ordinary income
whether you have elected to receive them in cash or in additional shares.
Distributions derived from the excess of net long-term capital gain over net
short-term capital loss are treated as long-term capital gain regardless of the
length of time you have owned Fund shares and regardless of whether the
distributions are received in cash or in additional shares.
Pursuant to the Code, certain distributions that are declared in October,
November or December but which, for operational reasons, may not be paid to you
until the following January, will be treated as if received by you on December
31 of the calendar year in which they are declared.
Redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares are taxable events on which you may
realize a gain or loss. Any loss incurred on the sale or exchange of Fund
shares, held for six months or less, will be treated as a long-term capital loss
to the extent of capital gain dividends received with respect to these shares.
You should consult with your tax advisor concerning the tax rules applicable to
the redemption or exchange of Fund shares.
For corporate shareholders, none of the distributions paid by the Fund for the
fiscal year ended October 31, 1995, qualified for the dividends received
deduction, and it is not anticipated that any of the current year's dividends
will qualify.
Many states grant tax-free status to dividends paid out to shareholders of
mutual funds from interest income earned by the mutual fund from direct
obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some cases to minimum investment
requirements to be met by the Fund. Investments in repurchase agreements
collateralized by U.S. government securities do not generally qualify for this
purpose. The Fund may also generate and distribute realized capital gains from
the sale of portfolio securities, that are generally subject to state income
taxes (as well as federal income taxes, as noted above). At the end of each
calendar year, the Fund will provide you with the percentage of any dividends
paid that may qualify for tax-free status. You should consult your tax advisor
with respect to the application of state and local income tax laws to these
distributions and on the application of other state and local intangible
property or income tax laws to your shares and to distributions and redemption
proceeds received from the Fund.
The Fund will inform you of the source of your dividends and distributions at
the time they are paid and will, promptly after the close of each calendar year,
advise you of the tax status for federal income tax purposes of these dividends
and distributions.
If you are not considered a U.S. person for federal income taxation purposes,
you should consult with your financial or tax advisor regarding the
applicability of U.S. withholding or other taxes to distributions received by
you from the Fund and the application of foreign tax laws to these
distributions.
ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT
HOW DO I BUY SHARES?
OPENING YOUR ACCOUNT
You may buy shares with a minimum initial investment of $5 million (in the
aggregate) in one or more Advisor Class shares of the Franklin Templeton Funds
($25 for subsequent investments) except if you fall in one of the following
categories of investors satisfying one of the following criteria:
(a) Broker-dealers, qualified registered investment advisors or certified
financial planners, who have entered into a supplemental agreement with
Distributors for clients participating in comprehensive fee programs;
(b) Qualified registered investment advisors or registered certified financial
planners who have clients invested in Mutual Series on October 31, 1996;
(c) Qualified registered investment advisors or registered certified financial
planners who did not have clients invested in Mutual Series on October 31, 1996
may buy through a broker-dealer or service agent who has entered into an
agreement with Distributors;
(d) Employer stock, bonus, pension or profit-sharing plans that meet the
requirements for qualification under Section 401 of the Code, including salary
reduction plans qualified under Section 401(k) of the Code, are subject to no
initial investment requirement if the number of employees is 5,000 or more or
the plan has assets of $50 million or more;
(e) Effective on or about February 1, 1997, participants in Franklin Templeton's
401(k) and Franklin Templeton's Profit Sharing Plans;
(f) Trust companies and bank trust departments initially investing in any of the
Franklin Templeton Funds at least $1 million of assets held in a fiduciary,
agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity and over which the trust
companies, bank trust departments or other plan fiduciaries or participants, in
the case of certain retirement plans, have full or shared investment discretion;
(g) Governments, municipalities and tax-exempt entities that meet the
requirements for qualification under Section 501 of the Code (subject to an
initial investment in Advisor Class shares of $1 million);
(h) Any other investor, including a private investment vehicle such as a family
trust or foundation, who is a member of a qualified group may also purchase
Advisor Class shares of the Fund if the group as a whole meets the required
minimum initial investment of $5 million;
(i) Directors, trustees, officers and full-time employees (and members of their
immediate family) of Franklin Templeton Group and Franklin Templeton Group of
Funds who invest $100 or more;
(j) Accounts managed by the Franklin Templeton Group;
(k) Class I shareholders of the Fund who qualify under one of the above
categories, may have their existing Class I shares invested into the Fund's
Advisor Class by sending written instructions indicating that they wish to do
so, by June 30, 1997. Instructions should be addressed to Investor Services.
Generally, for federal income tax purposes, there will be no recognition of gain
or loss associated with such a transaction. You may wish to consult with your
tax advisor to determine whether there are any state income tax consequences to
such a transaction.
(l) Each series of Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series that invests $1,000
or more.
The qualified group referred to in Item (h) above, is one that:
o Was formed at least six months ago,
o Has a purpose other than buying Fund shares at a discount,
o Has more than 10 members,
o Can arrange for meetings between our representatives and group members,
o Agrees to include sales and other Franklin Templeton Fund materials in
publications and mailings to its members at reduced or no cost to
Distributors,
o Agrees to arrange for payroll deduction or other bulk transmission of
investments to the Fund, and
o Meets other uniform criteria that allow Distributors to achieve cost
savings in distributing shares.
If you are subject to the $5 million minimum investment requirement, the cost or
current value (whichever is higher) of your investment in other funds in the
Franklin Templeton Funds will be included for purposes of determining compliance
with the required minimum investment amount, provided that at least $1 million
is invested in Advisor Class shares of the Franklin Templeton Funds.
The minimum for subsequent investments in Advisor Class shares is; $25 for most
purchases of Advisor Class shares of the Fund and for purchases by directors,
trustees, officers and full-time employees (and members of their immediate
family) of Franklin Templeton Group and Franklin Templeton Funds; and $1,000 for
each series of Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series.
PURCHASE PRICE OF FUND SHARES
Advisor Class shares are purchased at Net Asset Value without a sales charge.
Securities Dealers may receive compensation up to 0.25% of the amount invested
from Distributors or an affiliated company.
HOW DO I BUY SHARES IN CONNECTION WITH RETIREMENT PLANS?
Your individual or employer-sponsored retirement plan may invest in the Fund.
Plan documents are required for all retirement plans. Trust Company can provide
the plan documents for you and serve as custodian or trustee.
Trust Company can provide you with brochures containing important information
about its plans. To establish a Trust Company retirement plan, you will need an
application other than the one included in this prospectus. For a retirement
plan brochure or application, please call our Retirement Plans Department.
Please consult your legal, tax or retirement plan specialist before choosing a
retirement plan. Your investment representative or advisor can help you make
investment decisions within your plan.
MAY I EXCHANGE SHARES FOR SHARES OF ANOTHER FUND?
We offer a wide variety of funds. If you would like, you can move your
investment from your Fund account to an existing or new account in another
Franklin Templeton Fund (an "exchange"). Because it is technically a sale and a
purchase of shares, an exchange is a taxable transaction for taxable investors.
Before making an exchange, please read the prospectus of the fund you are
interested in. This will help you learn about the fund and its rules and
requirements for exchanges. For example, some Franklin Templeton Funds do not
accept exchanges and others may have different investment minimums. Some
Franklin Templeton Funds do not offer Advisor Class shares.
METHOD STEPS TO FOLLOW
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Mail 1. Send us written instructions signed by all account owners
2. Include any outstanding share certificates for the shares
you're exchanging
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Phone Call Shareholder Services
- If you do not want the ability to exchange by phone to apply
to your account, please let us know.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Through Your
Dealer Call your investment representative
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please refer to "Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements" for other
important information on how to exchange shares.
HOW WE PROCESS YOUR EXCHANGE
If you are exchanging your Advisor Class shares of the Fund you may:
o exchange into any of our money funds except Franklin Templeton Money Fund
II.
o exchange into the other Advisor Class shares of the Franklin Templeton
Funds (excluding Templeton Developing Markets Trust, Templeton Foreign Fund
and Templeton Growth Fund, except as described below), Mutual Series Class
Z shares and Templeton Institutional Funds, Inc., if you meet the
investment requirements of the fund to be acquired.
o exchange into the Advisor Class shares of Templeton Developing Markets
Trust, Templeton Foreign Fund and Templeton Growth Fund if you fall into
one of the following categories: (i) you are a broker-dealer or a qualified
registered investment advisor who has entered into a special agreement with
Distributors for your clients who are participating in comprehensive fee
programs; (ii) you are a qualified registered investment advisor or
certified financial planner who has clients invested in Mutual Series on
October 31, 1996; (iii) you are a qualified registered investment advisor
or certified financial planner who did not have clients invested in Mutual
Series on October 31, 1996 and are buying through a broker-dealer or
service agent who has entered into an agreement with Distributors; (iv) you
are a director, trustee, officer or full-time employee (or a family member)
of the Franklin Templeton Group or the Franklin Templeton Funds; (v) you
are a participant in Franklin Templeton's 401(k) or Franklin Templeton's
Profit Sharing Plans; (vi) the exchanging shareholder is an account managed
by the Franklin Templeton Group; or (vii) the exchanging shareholder is a
series of the Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series.
o If the fund you are exchanging into does not offer Advisor Class shares,
you may exchange into the Class I shares of the fund at Net Asset Value.
Please be aware that the following restrictions may apply to exchanges:
o The accounts must be identically registered. You may exchange shares from a
Fund account requiring two or more signatures into an identically
registered money fund account requiring only one signature for all
transactions. Please notify us in writing if you do not want this option to
be available on your account(s). Additional procedures may apply. Please
see "Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements."
o Trust Company IRA or 403(b) retirement plan accounts may exchange shares as
described above. Restrictions may apply to other types of retirement plans.
Please contact our Retirement Plans Department for information on exchanges
within these plans.
o The fund you are exchanging into must be eligible for sale in your state.
o We may modify or discontinue our exchange policy upon 60 days' written
notice.
o Your exchange may be restricted or refused if you: (i) request an exchange
out of the Fund within two weeks of an earlier exchange request, (ii)
exchange shares out of the Fund more than twice in a calendar quarter, or
(iii) exchange shares equal to at least $5 million, or more than 1% of the
Fund's net assets. Shares under common ownership or control are combined
for these limits. If you exchange shares as described in this paragraph,
you will be considered a Market Timer. Each exchange by a Market Timer, if
accepted, will be charged $5.00. Some of our funds do not allow investments
by Market Timers.
Because excessive trading can hurt Fund performance and shareholders, we may
refuse any exchange purchase if (i)we believe the Fund would be harmed or unable
to invest effectively, or (ii) the Fund receives or anticipates simultaneous
orders that may significantly affect the Fund.
HOW DO I SELL SHARES?
You may sell (redeem) your shares at any time.
METHOD STEPS TO FOLLOW
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Mail 1. Send us written instructions signed by all account owners
2. Include any outstanding share certificates for the shares
you are selling
3. Provide a signature guarantee if required
4. Corporate, partnership and trust accounts may need to send
additional documents. Accounts under court jurisdiction may
have additional requirements.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Phone Call Shareholder Services
(Only available Telephone requests will be accepted:
if you have
completed and o If the request is $50,000 or less. Institutional accounts
sent to us the may exceed $50,000 by completing a separate agreement. Call
telephone Institutional Services to receive a copy.
redemption
agreement o If there are no share certificates issued for the shares you
included with want to sell or you have already returned them to the Fund
this prospectus)
o Unless you are selling shares in a Trust Company retirement
plan account
o Unless the address on your account was changed by phone
within the last 30 days
o Beginning on or about May 1, 1997, you will automatically be
able to redeem shares by telephone without completing a
telephone redemption agreement. Please notify us if you do
not want this option to be available on your account. If you
later decide you would like this option, send us written
instructions signed by all account owners.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Through Your
Dealer Call your investment representative
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We will send your redemption check within seven days after we receive your
request in proper form. If you sell your shares by phone, the check may only be
made payable to all registered owners on the account and sent to the address of
record. We are not able to receive or pay out cash in the form of currency.
If you sell shares you just purchased with a check or draft, we may delay
sending you the proceeds for up to 15 days or more to allow the check or draft
to clear. A certified or cashier's check may clear in less time.
Under unusual circumstances, we may suspend redemptions or postpone payment for
more than seven days as permitted by federal securities law.
Please refer to "Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements" for other
important information on how to sell shares.
TRUST COMPANY RETIREMENT PLAN ACCOUNTS
To comply with IRS regulations, you need to complete additional forms before
selling shares in a Trust Company retirement plan account. Tax penalties
generally apply to any distribution from these plans to a participant under age
59 1/2, unless the distribution meets an exception stated in the Code. To obtain
the necessary forms, please call our Retirement Plans Department.
WHAT DISTRIBUTIONS MIGHT I RECEIVE FROM THE FUND?
The Fund declares dividends from its net investment income daily and pays them
monthly on or about the last day of the month. The daily allocation of net
investment income begins on the day after we receive your money or settlement of
a wire order trade and continues to accrue through the day we receive your
request to sell your shares or the settlement of a wire order trade.
Capital gains, if any, may be distributed annually, usually in December.
Dividends and capital gains are calculated and distributed the same way for each
class. The amount of any income dividends per share will differ, however,
generally due to the difference in the applicable Rule 12b-1 fees of any class.
Advisor Class shares are not subject to Rule 12b-1 fees.
Dividend payments are not guaranteed, are subject to the Board's discretion and
may vary with each payment. The Fund does not pay "interest" or guarantee any
fixed rate of return on an investment in its shares.
DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS
You may receive your distributions from the Fund in any of these ways:
1. BUY ADDITIONAL SHARES OF THE FUND - You may buy additional shares of the same
class of the Fund by reinvesting capital gain distributions, or both dividend
and capital gain distributions. This is a convenient way to accumulate
additional shares and maintain or increase your earnings base.
2. BUY SHARES OF OTHER FRANKLIN TEMPLETON FUNDS - You may direct your
distributions to buy Advisor Class shares or Class I shares of another Franklin
Templeton Fund. Many shareholders find this a convenient way to diversify their
investments.
3. RECEIVE DISTRIBUTIONS IN CASH - You may receive dividends, or both dividend
and capital gain distributions in cash. If you have the money sent to another
person or to a checking account, you may need a signature guarantee. To select
one of these options, please complete sections 6 and 7 of the shareholder
application included with this prospectus or tell your investment representative
which option you prefer. If you do not select an option, we will automatically
reinvest dividend and capital gain distributions in Advisor Class shares of the
Fund. For Trust Company retirement plans, special forms are required to receive
distributions in cash. You may change your distribution option at any time by
notifying us by mail or phone. Please allow at least seven days prior to the
reinvestment date for us to process the new option.
TRANSACTION PROCEDURES AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
HOW AND WHEN SHARES ARE PRICED
The Fund is open for business each day the Exchange is open. We determine the
Net Asset Value per share of each class as of the scheduled close of the
Exchange, generally 1:00 p.m. Pacific time. You can find the prior day's closing
Net Asset Value and Offering Price for each class in many newspapers.
The Net Asset Value of all outstanding shares of each class is calculated on a
pro rata basis. It is based on each class' proportionate participation in the
Fund, determined by the value of the shares of each class. To calculate Net
Asset Value per share of each class, the assets of each class are valued and
totaled, liabilities are subtracted, and the balance, called net assets, is
divided by the number of shares of the class outstanding. The Fund's assets are
valued as described under "How are Fund Shares Valued?" in the SAI.
THE PRICE WE USE WHEN YOU BUY OR SELL SHARES
You buy shares of Advisor Class at the Net Asset Value per share. We calculate
it to two decimal places using standard rounding criteria. You also sell shares
at Net Asset Value.
We will use the Net Asset Value next calculated after we receive your
transaction request in proper form. If you buy or sell shares through your
Securities Dealer, however, we will use the Net Asset Value next calculated
after your Securities Dealer receives your request, which is promptly
transmitted to the Fund. PROPER FORM
An order to buy shares is in proper form when we receive your signed shareholder
application and check. Written requests to sell or exchange shares are in proper
form when we receive written instructions signed by all registered owners, with
a signature guarantee if necessary. We must also receive any outstanding share
certificates for those shares.
WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
Written instructions must be signed by all registered owners. To avoid any delay
in processing your transaction, they should include:
o Your name,
o The Fund's name,
o The class of shares,
o A description of the request,
o For exchanges, the name of the fund you're exchanging into,
o Your account number,
o The dollar amount or number of shares, and
o A telephone number where we may reach you during the day, or in the evening
if preferred.
SIGNATURE GUARANTEES
For our mutual protection, we require a signature guarantee in the following
situations:
1) You wish to sell over $50,000 worth of shares,
2) You want the proceeds to be paid to someone other than the registered owners,
3) The proceeds are not being sent to the address of record, preauthorized bank
account, or preauthorized brokerage firm account,
4) We receive instructions from an agent, not the registered owners,
5) We believe a signature guarantee would protect us against potential claims
based on the instructions received.
A signature guarantee verifies the authenticity of your signature and may be
obtained from certain banks, brokers or other eligible guarantors. You should
verify that the institution is an eligible guarantor prior to signing. A
notarized signature is not sufficient.
SHARE CERTIFICATES
We will credit your shares to your Fund account. We do not issue share
certificates unless you specifically request them. This eliminates the costly
problem of replacing lost, stolen or destroyed certificates. If a certificate is
lost, stolen or destroyed, you may have to pay an insurance premium of up to 2%
of the value of the certificate to replace it.
Any outstanding share certificates must be returned to the Fund if you want to
sell or exchange those shares or if you would like to start a systematic
withdrawal plan. The certificates should be properly endorsed. You can do this
either by signing the back of the certificate or by completing a share
assignment form. For your protection, you may prefer to complete a share
assignment form. In this case, you should send the certificate and assignment
form in separate envelopes.
TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS
You may initiate many transactions by phone. Please refer to the sections of
this prospectus that discuss the transaction you would like to make or call
Shareholder Services.
When you call, we will request personal or other identifying information to
confirm that instructions are genuine. We will also record calls. We will not be
liable for following instructions communicated by telephone if we reasonably
believe they are genuine. For your protection, we may delay a transaction or not
implement one if we are not reasonably satisfied that the instructions are
genuine. If this occurs, we will not be liable for any loss.
TRUST COMPANY RETIREMENT PLAN ACCOUNTS. You may not sell shares or change
distribution options on Trust Company retirement plans by phone. While you may
exchange shares of Trust Company IRA and 403(b) retirement accounts by phone,
certain restrictions may be imposed on other retirement plans.
To obtain any required forms or more information about distribution or transfer
procedures, please call our Retirement Plans Department.
ACCOUNT REGISTRATIONS AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
When you open an account, you need to tell us how you want your shares
registered. How you register your account will affect your ownership rights and
ability to make certain transactions. If you have questions about how to
register your account, you should consult your investment representative or
legal advisor. Please keep the following information in mind when registering
your account.
JOINT OWNERSHIP. If you open an account with two or more owners, we register the
account as "joint tenants with rights of survivorship" unless you tell us
otherwise. An account registered as "joint tenants with rights of survivorship"
is shown as "Jt Ten" on your account statement. For any account with two or more
owners, all owners must sign instructions to process transactions and changes to
the account. Even if the law in your state says otherwise, you will not be able
to change owners on the account unless all owners agree in writing. If you would
like another person or owner to sign for you, please send us a current power of
attorney.
GIFTS AND TRANSFERS TO MINORS. You may set up a custodial account for a minor
under your state's Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act. Other than this form
of registration, a minor may not be named as an account owner.
TRUSTS. If you register your account as a trust, you should have a valid written
trust document to avoid future disputes or possible court action over who owns
the account.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS. For corporate, partnership and trust accounts, please send
us the following documents when you open your account. This will help avoid
delays in processing your transactions while we verify who may sign on the
account.
TYPE OF ACCOUNT DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corporation Corporate Resolution
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Partnership 1. The pages from the partnership agreement that identify the
general partners, or
2. A certification for a partnership agreement
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trust 1. The pages from the trust document that identify the trustees,
or
2. A certification for trust
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STREET OR NOMINEE ACCOUNTS. If you have Fund shares held in a "street" or
"nominee" name account with your Securities Dealer, you may transfer the shares
to the street or nominee name account of another Securities Dealer. Both dealers
must have an agreement with Distributors or we will not process the transfer.
Contact your Securities Dealer to initiate the transfer. We will process the
transfer after we receive authorization in proper form from your delivering
Securities Dealer. Accounts may be transferred electronically through the NSCC.
For accounts registered in street or nominee name, we may take instructions
directly from the Securities Dealer or your nominee.
ELECTRONIC INSTRUCTIONS. If there is a Securities Dealer or other representative
of record on your account, we are authorized to use and execute electronic
instructions received directly from your dealer or representative without
further inquiry. Electronic instructions may be processed through the services
of the NSCC, which currently include the NSCC's "Networking," "Fund/SERV," and
"ACATS" systems, or through Franklin/Templeton's PCTrades II(TM) System.
TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
For tax reasons, we must have your correct Social Security or tax identification
number on a signed shareholder application or applicable tax form. Federal law
requires us to withhold 31% of your taxable distributions and sale proceeds if
(i) you have not furnished a certified correct taxpayer identification number,
(ii) you have not certified that withholding does not apply, (iii) the IRS or a
Securities Dealer notifies the Fund that the number you gave us is incorrect, or
(iv) you are subject to backup withholding.
We may refuse to open an account if you fail to provide the required tax
identification number and certifications. We may also close your account if the
IRS notifies us that your tax identification number is incorrect. If you
complete an "awaiting TIN" certification, we must receive a correct tax
identification number within 60 days of your initial purchase to keep your
account open.
KEEPING YOUR ACCOUNT OPEN
Due to the relatively high cost of maintaining a small account, we may close
your account if the value of your shares is $50 or less, except for investors
under categories (d), (e), (j) and (l) under "Opening Your Account." We will do
this if the value of your account falls below this minimum because you
voluntarily sold your shares and your account has been inactive (except for the
reinvestment of distributions) for at least six months. Before we close your
account, we will notify you and give you 30 days to increase the value of your
account to at least $100.
SERVICES TO HELP YOU MANAGE YOUR ACCOUNT
AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN
Our automatic investment plan offers a convenient way to invest in the Fund.
Under the plan, you can have money transferred automatically from your checking
account to the Fund each month to buy additional shares. If you are interested
in this program, please refer to the application included with this prospectus
or contact your investment representative. The market value of the Fund's shares
may fluctuate and a systematic investment plan such as this will not assure a
profit or protect against a loss. You may discontinue the program at any time by
notifying Investor Services by mail or phone.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN
Our systematic withdrawal plan allows you to sell your shares and receive
regular payments from your account on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual
basis. The value of your account must be at least $5,000 and the minimum payment
amount for each withdrawal must be at least $50. For retirement plans subject to
mandatory distribution requirements, the $50 minimum will not apply.
If you would like to establish a systematic withdrawal plan, please complete the
systematic withdrawal plan section of the shareholder application included with
this prospectus and indicate how you would like to receive your payments. You
may choose to direct your payments to buy the same class of shares of another
Franklin Templeton Fund or have the money sent directly to you, to another
person, or to a checking account. You will generally receive your payment by the
fifth business day of the month in which a payment is scheduled. Beginning with
your February 1997 payment, however, you will generally receive your payment by
the end of the month in which a payment is scheduled. When you sell your shares
under a systematic withdrawal plan, it is a taxable transaction.
You may discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan, change the amount and schedule
of withdrawal payments, or suspend one payment by notifying us in writing at
least seven business days before the end of the month preceding a scheduled
payment. Please see "How Do I Buy, Sell and Exchange Shares? - Systematic
Withdrawal Plan" in the SAI for more information.
STATEMENTS AND REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
We will send you the following statements and reports on a regular basis:
o Confirmation and account statements reflecting transactions in your
account, including additional purchases and dividend reinvestments. Please
verify the accuracy of your statements when you receive them.
o Financial reports of the Fund will be sent every six months. To reduce Fund
expenses, we attempt to identify related shareholders within a household
and send only one copy of a report. Call Fund Information if you would like
an additional free copy of the Fund's financial reports or an interim
quarterly report.
BROKERS AND DEALERS AND PLAN ADMINISTRATORS
You may buy and sell Fund shares through registered broker-dealers. The Fund
does not impose a sales or service charge but your broker-dealer may charge you
a transaction fee. Transaction fees and services may vary among broker-dealers,
and your broker-dealer may impose higher initial or subsequent investment
requirements than those established by the Fund. Services provided by
broker-dealers may include allowing you to establish a margin account and borrow
on the value of the Fund's shares in that account. If your broker-dealer
receives your order before pricing on a given day, the broker-dealer is required
to forward the order to the Fund before pricing closes on that day. A
broker-dealer's failure to timely forward an order may give rise to a claim by
the investor against the broker.
Third party plan administrators of tax-qualified retirement plans and other
entities may provide sub-transfer agent services to the Fund. In such cases, the
Fund may pay the third party an annual sub-transfer agency fee that is not
greater than the Fund otherwise would have paid for such services.
INSTITUTIONAL ACCOUNTS
Institutional investors will likely be required to complete an institutional
account application. There may be additional methods of opening accounts and
purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares of the Fund available for
institutional accounts. To obtain an institutional application or additional
information regarding institutional accounts, contact Franklin Templeton
Institutional Services at 1-800/321-8563 Monday through Friday, from 6:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. Pacific time.
AVAILABILITY OF THESE SERVICES
The services above are available to most shareholders. If, however, your shares
are held by a financial institution, in a street name account, or networked
through the NSCC, the Fund may not be able to offer these services directly to
you. Please contact your investment representative.
WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT MY ACCOUNT?
If you have any questions about your account, you may write to Investor Services
at 777 Mariners Island Blvd., P.O. Box 7777, San Mateo, California 94403-7777.
The Fund, Distributors and Advisers are also located at this address. You may
also contact us by phone at one of the numbers listed below.
HOURS OF OPERATION (PACIFIC TIME)
DEPARTMENT NAME TELEPHONE NO. (MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shareholder Services 1-800/632-2301 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Dealer Services 1-800/524-4040 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Fund Information 1-800/DIAL BEN 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
(1-800/342-5236) 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Saturday)
Retirement Plans 1-800/527-2020 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Institutional Services 1-800/321-8563 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
TDD (hearing impaired) 1-800/851-0637 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Your phone call may be monitored or recorded to ensure we provide you with high
quality service. You will hear a regular beeping tone if your call is being
recorded.
GLOSSARY
USEFUL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
1940 ACT - Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
ADVISERS - Franklin Advisers, Inc., the Fund's investment manager
BOARD - The Board of Trustees of the Trust
CD - Certificate of deposit
CLASS I AND ADVISOR CLASS - The Fund offers two classes of shares, designated
"Class I" and "Advisor Class." The two classes have proportionate interests in
the Fund's portfolio. Class I shares are purchased with a sales charge and have
a Rule 12b-1 plan. Advisor Class shares are purchased without a sales charge and
do not have a Rule 12b-1 plan.
CODE - Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
CONTINGENCY PERIOD - For Class I shares, the 12 month period during which a
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge may apply. Regardless of when during the month
you purchased shares, they will age one month on the last day of that month and
each following month.
CONTINGENT DEFERRED SALES CHARGE (CDSC) - A sales charge of 1% that may apply if
you sell your shares within the Contingency Period.
DISTRIBUTORS - Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc., the Fund's principal
underwriter. The SAI lists the officers and Board members who are affiliated
with Distributors. See "Officers and Trustees."
EXCHANGE - New York Stock Exchange
FRANKLIN FUNDS - The mutual funds in the Franklin Group of Funds(R) except
Franklin Valuemark Funds and the Franklin Government Securities Trust
FRANKLIN TEMPLETON FUNDS - The Franklin Funds and the Templeton Funds
FRANKLIN TEMPLETON GROUP - Franklin Resources, Inc., a publicly owned holding
company, and its various subsidiaries
FRANKLIN TEMPLETON GROUP OF FUNDS - All U.S. registered investment companies in
the Franklin Group of Funds(R) and the Templeton Group of Funds
FT SERVICES - Franklin Templeton Services, Inc., the Fund's administrator
INVESTOR SERVICES - Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc., the Fund's
shareholder servicing and transfer agent
IRS - Internal Revenue Service
MARKET TIMER(S) - Market Timers generally include market timing or allocation
services, accounts administered so as to buy, sell or exchange shares based on
predetermined market indicators, or any person or group whose transactions seem
to follow a timing pattern.
MUTUAL SERIES - Franklin Mutual Series Fund Inc., a member of the Franklin Group
of Funds, formerly the Mutual Series Fund Inc. Each series of Mutual Series
began offering three classes of shares on November 1, 1996, Class I, Class II
and Class Z. All shares sold before that time are designated Class Z shares.
NASD - National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
NET ASSET VALUE (NAV) - The value of a mutual fund is determined by deducting
the fund's liabilities from the total assets of the portfolio. The net asset
value per share is determined by dividing the net asset value of the fund by the
number of shares outstanding.
NSCC - National Securities Clearing Corporation
OFFERING PRICE - The public offering price is based on the Net Asset Value per
share of the class and includes the front-end sales charge, if applicable. The
maximum front-end sales charge is 2.25% for Class I. Advisor Class has no
front-end sales charge.
RESOURCES - Franklin Resources, Inc.
SAI - Statement of Additional Information
SEC - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
SECURITIES DEALER - A financial institution that, either directly or through
affiliates, has an agreement with Distributors to handle customer orders and
accounts with the Fund. This reference is for convenience only and does not
indicate a legal conclusion of capacity.
TEMPLETON FUNDS - The U.S. registered mutual funds in the Templeton Group of
Funds except Templeton Capital Accumulator Fund, Inc., Templeton Variable
Annuity Fund, and Templeton Variable Products Series Fund
TRUST COMPANY - Franklin Templeton Trust Company. Trust Company is an affiliate
of Distributors and both are wholly owned subsidiaries of Resources.
U.S. - United States
WE/OUR/US - Unless the context indicates a different meaning, these terms refer
to the Fund and/or Investor Services, Distributors, or other wholly owned
subsidiaries of Resources.
PROSPECTUS & APPLICATION
FRANKLIN
GLOBAL GOVERNMENT
INCOME FUND
Advisor Class
INVESTMENT STRATEGY
GLOBAL INCOME
Advisor
JANUARY 1, 1997
FRANKLIN INVESTORS SECURITIES TRUST
This prospectus describes the Advisor Class shares of Franklin Global Government
Income Fund (the "Fund"). It contains information you should know before
investing in the Fund. Please keep it for future reference.
The Fund's Advisor Class SAI, dated January 1, 1997, as may be amended from time
to time, includes more information about the Fund's procedures and policies. It
has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into this
prospectus. For a free copy or a larger print version of this prospectus, call
1-800/DIAL BEN or write the Fund at the address shown.
Advisor Class shares are only available for purchase by certain persons,
including, among others, certain financial institutions (such as banks, trust
companies, savings institutions and credit unions); government and tax-exempt
entities; pension, profit sharing and employee benefit plans; certain qualified
groups, including family trusts, endowments, foundations and corporations;
Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series; and directors, trustees, officers and
full-time employees (and their family members) of Franklin Templeton Group and
the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. See "About Your Account."
Shares of the Fund are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed
by, any bank, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S.
government. Shares of the Fund involve investment risks, including the possible
loss of principal.
LIKE ALL MUTUAL FUNDS, THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY
THE SEC OR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION NOR HAS THE SEC OR ANY STATE
SECURITIES COMMISSION PASSED UPON THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS.
ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
This prospectus is not an offering of the securities herein described in any
state in which the offering is not authorized. No sales representative, dealer,
or other person is authorized to give any information or make any
representations other than those contained in this prospectus. Further
information may be obtained from Distributors.
Franklin Global Government Income Fund
FRANKLIN GLOBAL GOVERNMENT
INCOME FUND -ADVISOR CLASS
JANUARY 1, 1997
When reading this prospectus, you will see certain terms beginning with capital
letters. This means the term is explained in our glossary section.
Table of Contents
About the Fund
Expense Summary .............. 2
How does the Fund Invest its Assets? 2
What are the Fund's Potential Risks? 13
Who Manages the Fund?......... 17
How does the Fund Measure Performance? 19
How is the Trust Organized?... 19
How Taxation Affects You and the Fund 21
About Your Account
How Do I Buy Shares?.......... 23
May I Exchange Shares for Shares
of Another Fund?.............. 25
How Do I Sell Shares?......... 27
What Distributions Might I
Receive from the Fund?....... 29
Transaction Procedures and
Special Requirements......... 30
Services to Help You Manage Your Account 34
Glossary
Useful Terms and Definitions . 36
Appendix
Description of Ratings........ 39
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
P.O. Box 7777
San Mateo
CA 94403-7777
1-800/DIAL BEN
Franklin Global Government Income Fund
ABOUT THE FUND
EXPENSE SUMMARY
This table is designed to help you understand the costs of investing in the
Fund. Because Advisor Class shares were not offered to the public before January
1, 1997, the table is based on the historical expenses of the Class I shares of
the Fund for the fiscal year ended October 31, 1995.+ Your actual expenses may
vary.
A. Shareholder Transaction Expenses++
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases None
Exchange Fee (per transaction) $5.00*
B. Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(as a percentage of average net assets)
Management Fees 0.58%
Rule 12b-1 Fees None
Other Expenses 0.30%
Total Fund Operating Expenses 0.88%
C. Example
Assume the annual return for Advisor Class shares is 5% and operating
expenses are as described above. For each $1,000 investment, you would pay
the following projected expenses if you sold your shares after the number
of years shown.
1 YEAR 3 YEARS 5 YEARS 10 YEARS
------------------------------------
$9 $28 $49 $108
This is just an example. It does not represent past or future expenses or
returns. Actual expenses and returns may be more or less than those shown.
The Fund pays its operating expenses. The effects of these expenses are
reflected in the Net Asset Value or the dividends paid on Advisor Class
shares and are not directly charged to your account.
+Unlike Advisor Class shares, the Class I shares of the Fund have a front-end
sales charge and Rule 12b-1 fees.
++If your transaction is processed through your Securities Dealer, you may be
charged a fee by your Securities Dealer for these services.
*$5.00 fee is only for Market Timers. We process all other exchanges without a
fee.
HOW DOES THE FUND INVEST ITS ASSETS?
THE FUND'S INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE
The Fund's principal investment objective is to provide high current income,
consistent with preservation of capital, with capital appreciation as a
secondary consideration. The objective is a fundamental policy of the Fund and
may not be changed without shareholder approval. Of course, there is no
assurance that the Fund's objective will be achieved.
TYPES OF SECURITIES IN WHICH THE FUND MAY INVEST
The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing primarily in securities
issued by both domestic and foreign governments and their political
subdivisions. Investments will be selected to provide a high current yield and
currency stability, or a combination of yield, capital appreciation or currency
appreciation consistent with the Fund's objective. The Fund may also seek to
protect or enhance income, or protect capital, through the use of forward
currency exchange contracts, options, futures contracts and interest rate swaps,
all of which are generally considered "derivative securities." A detailed
description of these financial transactions is included below. The risk
considerations involved in global investing generally are included under "What
are the Fund's Potential Risks?"
As a global fund, the Fund may invest in securities issued in any currency and
may hold foreign currency. Under normal circumstances, at least 65% of the
Fund's assets will be invested in government securities of issuers located in at
least three countries, one of which may be the United States. Securities of
issuers within a given country may be denominated in the currency of another
country, or in multinational currency units such as the European Currency Unit
("ECU").
The Fund is authorized to invest in securities issued by domestic and foreign
governments and their political subdivisions, including the U.S. government, its
agencies, and authorities or instrumentalities ("U.S. government securities")
and supranational organizations (as described below) and in securities issued by
foreign and domestic corporations, banks, and other business organizations.
Under normal economic conditions, at least 65% of the Fund's total assets will
be invested in fixed-income securities such as bonds, notes and debentures. Some
of the fixed-income securities may be convertible into common stock or be traded
together with warrants for the purchase of common stocks, although the Fund has
no current intention of converting such securities into equity or holding them
as equity upon such conversion. The remaining 35% may be invested, to the extent
available and permissible, in equity securities, foreign or domestic currency
deposits or equivalents such as short-term U.S. Treasury notes or repurchase
agreements.
The Fund may invest in debt securities with varying maturities. Under current
market conditions, it is expected that the dollar-weighted average maturity of
the Fund's investments will not exceed 15 years. Generally, the portfolio's
average maturity will be shorter when, in the opinion of Advisers, interest
rates worldwide or in a particular country are expected to rise, and longer when
interest rates are expected to fall.
Other fixed-income securities of both domestic and foreign issuers in which the
Fund may invest include preferred and preference stock and all types of
long-term or short-term debt obligations, such as bonds, debentures, notes,
commercial paper, equipment lease certificates, equipment trust certificates and
conditional sales contracts. Additional information concerning these three
latter categories is included in the SAI. These fixed-income securities may
involve equity features, such as conversion or exchange rights or warrants for
the acquisition of stock of the same or a different issuer; participation based
on revenues, sales or profits; or the purchase of common stock in a unit
transaction (where an issuer's debt securities and common stock are offered as a
unit). The Fund will limit its investments in warrants, valued at the lower of
cost or market, to 5% of the Fund's net assets or to warrants attached to
securities.
The Fund is also authorized to invest in debt securities of supranational
entities denominated in any currency. A supranational entity is an entity
designated or supported by the national government of one or more countries to
promote economic reconstruction or development. Examples of supranational
entities include, among others, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and
the Asian Development Bank. The Fund may, in addition, invest in debt securities
denominated in ECU of an issuer in any country (including supranational
issuers). The Fund is further authorized to invest in "semi-governmental
securities," which are debt securities issued by entities owned by either a
national, state or equivalent government or are obligations of a government
jurisdiction that are not backed by its full faith and credit and general taxing
powers.
The Fund may invest in obligations of domestic and foreign banks which, at the
date of investment, have total assets (as of the date of their most recently
published financial statements) in excess of one billion dollars (or foreign
currency equivalent at then current exchange rates).
The Fund is also authorized to acquire loan participations in which the Fund
will buy from a lender a portion of a larger loan that it has made to a
borrower. Generally, loan participations are sold without guarantee or recourse
to the lending institution and are subject to the credit risks of both the
borrower and the lending institution. Loan participations, however, may enable
the Fund to acquire an interest in a loan from a financially strong borrower,
which the Fund could not do directly. Further information is included in the
SAI.
The Fund intends to pursue its investment objective through investments in
options, futures, options on futures and forward contracts. These securities are
generally considered "derivative securities," are not fundamental policies of
the Fund, and may be changed at the discretion of the Board without prior notice
or shareholder approval. While there are no specific limits on the Fund's use of
these practices other than those limits stated below, the Fund only engages in
these practices for hedging purposes, or in other words for the purpose of
protecting against declines in the value of the Fund's portfolio securities and
the income on these securities. The production of additional income may at times
be a secondary purpose of these practices.
The Fund will allocate its assets among securities of various issuers,
geographic regions, and currency denominations in a manner that is consistent
with its objective based upon relative interest rates among currencies, the
outlook for changes in these interest rates, and anticipated changes in
worldwide exchange rates. In considering these factors, a country's economic and
political conditions such as inflation rate, growth prospects, global trade
patterns and government policies will be evaluated.
The Fund's assets will be invested principally within Australia, Canada, Japan,
New Zealand, the U.S. and Western Europe, and in securities denominated in the
currencies of these countries or denominated in multinational currency units
such as the ECU. The Fund may also acquire securities and currency in less
developed countries and in developing countries, which may involve greater
exposure to the risks ordinarily associated with foreign investing. See "What
are the Fund's Potential Risks? - Foreign Securities." Advisers does not
currently expect the Fund's investments in less developed and developing
countries to exceed 20% of the Fund's net assets.
Investments will not be made in securities of foreign countries issued without
stock certificates or comparable stock documents. Securities which are acquired
by the Fund outside the U.S. and which are publicly traded in the U.S. on a
foreign securities exchange or in a foreign securities market are not considered
by the Fund to be illiquid assets so long as the Fund acquires and holds the
securities with the intention of reselling the securities in the foreign trading
market, the Fund reasonably believes it can readily dispose of the securities
for cash in the U.S. or foreign market, and current market quotations are
readily available.
Lower Rated Debt Obligations. The Fund may invest in higher yielding, higher
risk, lower rated debt obligations that are rated at least B by Moody's or S&P,
or if unrated, are at least of comparable quality as determined by Advisers. The
Fund currently holds approximately 13% in lower rated investments and may in the
future increase this percentage, but such investments will be less than 35% of
the Fund's net assets. Many debt obligations of foreign issuers, especially
developing market issuers, are not rated by U.S. rating agencies and their
selection depends on Advisers' internal analysis. Securities rated BB or lower
by S&P or Ba or lower by Moody's (sometimes referred to as "junk bonds") are
regarded as predominately speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to
pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation
and therefore involve special risks. See "What are the Fund's Potential Risks? -
High Yielding, Fixed-Income Securities" and the "Appendix" for a discussion of
the ratings categories.
Forward Currency Exchange Contracts. The Fund may enter into forward currency
exchange contracts ("Forward Contract[s]") to attempt to minimize the risk to
the Fund from adverse changes in the relationship between currencies or to
enhance income. A Forward Contract is an obligation to buy or sell a specific
currency for an agreed price at a future date which is individually negotiated
and privately traded by currency traders and their customers.
The Fund may construct an investment position by combining a debt security
denominated in one currency with a Forward Contract calling for the exchange of
that currency for another currency. The investment position is not itself a
security but is a combined position (i.e., a debt security coupled with a
Forward Contract) that is intended to be similar in overall performance to a
debt security denominated in the currency purchased.
For example, an Italian lira-denominated position could be constructed by
purchasing a German mark-denominated debt security and simultaneously entering
into a Forward Contract to exchange an equal amount of marks for lira at a
future date and at a specified exchange rate. With this transaction, the Fund
may be able to receive a return that is substantially similar from a yield and
currency perspective to a direct investment in lira debt securities while
achieving other benefits from holding the underlying security. The Fund may
experience slightly different results from its use of such combined investment
positions as compared to its purchase of a debt security denominated in the
particular currency subject to the Forward Contract. This difference may be
enhanced or offset by premiums which may be available in connection with the
Forward Contract.
The Fund may also enter into a Forward Contract, for example, when it enters
into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign
currency in order to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of that security.
Additionally, for example, when the Fund believes that a foreign currency may
suffer a substantial decline against the U.S. dollar, it may enter into a
Forward Contract to sell an amount of that foreign currency approximating the
value of some or all of the Fund's portfolio securities denominated in such
foreign currency; or when the Fund believes that the U.S. dollar may suffer a
substantial decline against a foreign currency, it may enter into a Forward
Contract to buy that foreign currency for a fixed dollar amount.
The Fund sets aside or segregates sufficient cash, cash equivalents or readily
marketable debt securities held by its custodian bank as deposits for
commitments created by open Forward Contracts. The Fund will cover any
commitments under these contracts to sell currency by owning or acquiring the
underlying currency (or an absolute right to acquire such currency). The
segregated account will be marked-to-market daily. The ability of the Fund to
enter into Forward Contracts is limited only to the extent Forward Contracts
would, in the opinion of Advisers, impede portfolio management or the ability of
the Fund to honor redemption requests.
Forward Contracts may limit potential gain from a positive change in the
relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies or between foreign
currencies. Unanticipated changes in currency exchange rates also may result in
poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into such
contracts.
Options on U.S. and Foreign Securities. The Fund intends to write covered put
and call options and buy put and call options on U.S. or foreign securities that
are traded on U.S. and foreign securities exchanges and in over-the-counter
markets.
Call options written by the Fund give the holder the right to buy the underlying
security from the Fund at a stated exercise price upon exercising the option at
any time prior to its expiration. A call option written by the Fund is "covered"
if the Fund owns or has an absolute right (such as by conversion) to the
underlying security covered by the call. A call option is also covered if the
Fund holds a call on the same security and in the same principal amount as the
call written and the exercise price of the call held is (a) equal to or less
than the exercise price of the call written, or (b) greater than the exercise
price of the call written if the difference is maintained by the Fund in cash,
government securities or other high grade debt obligations in a segregated
account with its custodian bank.
Put options written by the Fund give the holder the right to sell the underlying
security to the Fund at a stated exercise price. A put option written by the
Fund is "covered" if the Fund maintains cash or high grade debt obligations with
a value equal to the exercise price in a segregated account with its custodian
bank, or else holds a put on the same security and in the same principal amount
as the put written and the exercise price of the put held is equal to or greater
than the exercise price of the put written.
The premium paid by the purchaser of an option will generally reflect, among
other things, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price and
volatility of the underlying security, the remaining term of the option, supply
and demand, and current interest rates.
The writer of an option who wishes to terminate its obligation may effect a
"closing purchase transaction." This is accomplished by buying an option of the
same series as the option previously written. The effect of the purchase is that
the writer's position will be cancelled by the Options Clearing Corporation or
otherwise economically nullified. However, a writer may not effect a closing
purchase transaction after being notified of the exercise of an option.
Likewise, an investor who is the holder of an option may liquidate its position
by effecting a "closing sale transaction." This is accomplished by selling an
option of the same series as the option previously purchased.
Effecting a closing transaction will permit the cash or proceeds from the
concurrent sale of any securities subject to the option to be used for other
Fund investments. If the Fund desires to sell a particular security from its
portfolio on which it has written a call option, it will effect a closing
transaction prior to or concurrent with the sale of the security. There is no
guarantee in any particular situation that either a closing purchase or a
closing sale transaction can be effected.
The writer of an option may have no control over when the underlying securities
must be sold in the case of a call option, or purchased in the case of a put
option, since the writer of certain options may be assigned an exercise notice
at any time prior to the expiration of the option. Whether or not an option
expires unexercised, the writer retains the amount of the premium.
An option position may be closed out only where there exists a secondary market
for an option of the same series. If a secondary market does not exist, it might
not be possible to effect closing sale transactions in particular options held
by the Fund, with the result that the Fund would have to exercise the options in
order to realize any profit. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase
transaction in a secondary market with respect to options it has written, it
will not be able to sell the underlying security or other asset covering the
option until the option expires or it delivers the underlying security or asset
upon exercise.
The risks of transactions in options on foreign exchanges are similar to the
risks of investing in foreign securities, which are described under "What are
the Fund's Potential Risks?" In addition, a foreign exchange may impose
different exercise and settlement terms, procedures and margin requirements than
a U.S. exchange.
The Fund may buy put options to hedge against a decline in the value of its
portfolio. By using put options in this way, the Fund will reduce any profit it
might otherwise have realized in the underlying security by the amount of the
premium paid for the put option plus transaction costs.
The Fund may buy call options to hedge against an increase in the price of
securities that the Fund anticipates purchasing in the future. The premium paid
for the call option plus any transaction costs will reduce the benefit, if any,
realized by the Fund upon exercise of the option. Unless the price of the
underlying security rises sufficiently, the option may expire resulting in a
loss to the Fund equal to the cost of the options.
The ability of the Fund to engage in options transactions is subject to the
following limitations: a) not more than 5% of the total assets of the Fund may
be invested in options (including straddles and spreads); b) the obligations of
the Fund under put options written by the Fund may not exceed 50% of the net
assets of the Fund; and c) the aggregate premiums on all options purchased by
the Fund may not exceed 20% of the net assets of the Fund.
A further discussion of the use, risks and costs of options is included in the
SAI.
Options on Foreign Currencies. The Fund may buy and write put and call options
on foreign currencies (traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges or over-the-counter)
for hedging purposes to protect against declines in the U.S. dollar value of
foreign portfolio securities and against increases in the U.S. dollar cost of
foreign securities or other assets to be acquired. As in the case of other kinds
of options, however, the writing of an option on foreign currency will
constitute only a partial hedge, up to the amount of the premium received, and
the Fund could be required to buy or sell foreign currencies at disadvantageous
exchange rates, thereby incurring losses. The purchase of an option on foreign
currency may constitute an effective hedge against fluctuations in exchange
rates although, in the event of rate movements adverse to the Fund's position,
the Fund may forfeit the entire amount of the premium plus related transaction
costs. A further discussion of the use, risks and costs of options on foreign
currencies is included in the SAI.
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund may enter into
contracts for the purchase or sale for future delivery of debt securities
("Futures Contracts") and may buy or write options to buy or sell Futures
Contracts traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges ("Options on Futures Contracts").
These investment techniques are designed only to hedge against anticipated
future changes in interest rates that otherwise might either adversely affect
the value of the Fund's portfolio securities or adversely affect the prices of
securities that the Fund intends to buy at a later date. Should interest rates
move in an unexpected manner, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits
of Futures Contracts or Options on Futures Contracts or may realize a loss.
The Board has adopted the requirement that Futures Contracts and Options on
Futures Contracts may only be used for hedging purposes and not for speculation.
In addition to complying with this requirement, the Fund will not buy or sell
Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts if immediately thereafter the
amount of initial margin deposits on all the futures positions of the Fund and
premiums paid on Options on Futures Contracts would exceed 5% of the market
value of the total assets of the Fund. A further discussion of the use, risks
and costs of Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts is included in
the SAI.
OTHER INVESTMENT POLICIES OF THE FUND
Under normal market conditions, the Fund will have at least 65% of its total
assets invested in securities issued or guaranteed by domestic and foreign
governments. Securities issued by central banks that are guaranteed by their
national governments are considered to be government securities. Bonds of
foreign governments or their agencies which may be purchased by the Fund may be
less secure than those of U.S. government issuers.
During periods when Advisers believes that the Fund should be in a temporary
defensive position, the Fund may have less than 25% of its assets concentrated
in foreign government securities and may invest instead in U.S. government
securities. U.S. government securities which may be purchased by the Fund may
include (i) U.S. Treasury obligations, which differ only in their interest
rates, maturities and times of issuance: U.S. Treasury bills (maturity of one
year or less), U.S. Treasury notes (maturities of one to 10 years), and U.S.
Treasury bonds (generally maturities of greater than 10 years), all of which are
backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government; and (ii) obligations
issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, some of
which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury (e.g., direct
pass-through certificates of the Government National Mortgage Association); some
of which are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S.
government (e.g., obligations of Federal Home Loan Banks); and some of which are
backed only by the credit of the issuer itself (e.g., obligations of the Student
Loan Marketing Association).
When investing for defensive purposes is appropriate, such as during periods of
adverse market conditions or when relative yields in other securities are not
deemed attractive, part or all of the Fund's assets may be invested in cash
(including foreign currency) or cash equivalent short-term obligations,
including, but not limited to: certificates of deposit, commercial paper,
short-term notes, obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any
of its agencies or instrumentalities, and repurchase agreements secured thereby.
In particular, for defensive purposes a larger portion of the Fund's assets may
be invested in U.S. dollar denominated obligations to reduce the risks inherent
in non-dollar denominated assets.
Loans of Portfolio Securities. Consistent with procedures approved by the Board
and subject to the following conditions, the Fund may lend its portfolio
securities to qualified securities dealers or other institutional investors,
provided that such loans do not exceed 30% of the value of the Fund's total
assets at the time of the most recent loan. The borrower must deposit with the
Fund's custodian bank collateral with an initial market value of at least 102%
of the initial market value of the securities loaned, including any accrued
interest, with the value of the collateral and loaned securities
marked-to-market daily to maintain collateral coverage of at least 102%. Such
collateral shall consist of cash. The lending of securities is a common practice
in the securities industry. The Fund may engage in security loan arrangements
with the primary objective of increasing the Fund's income either through
investing the cash collateral in short-term interest bearing obligations or by
receiving a loan premium from the borrower. Under the securities loan agreement,
the Fund continues to be entitled to all dividends or interest on any loaned
securities. As with any extension of credit, there are risks of delay in
recovery and loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the
security fail financially.
When-Issued Securities. Securities may be purchased by the Fund on a
"when-issued" or "forward delivery" basis, which means that the obligations will
be delivered at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Although the
Fund is not limited to the amount of securities for which it may have
commitments to buy on such basis, it is expected that under normal circumstances
the Fund will not commit more than 30% of its assets to such purchases. The Fund
does not pay for the securities until received nor does the Fund start earning
interest on them until it is notified of the settlement date. In order to invest
its assets immediately, while awaiting delivery of securities purchased on such
basis, the Fund will normally invest the amount required to settle the
transaction in short-term securities that offer same-day settlement and
earnings, but which may bear interest at a lower rate than longer term
securities.
When the Fund commits to buy a security on a when-issued or forward delivery
basis, it will set up segregated accounts, as described in "Forward Currency
Exchange Contracts" above, concerning such purchases. Although the Fund does not
intend to make such purchases for speculative purposes, purchases of securities
on such basis may involve more risk than other types of purchases. For example,
if the Fund determines it is necessary to sell the when-issued or forward
delivery securities before delivery, it may incur a gain or loss because of
market fluctuations since the time the commitment to buy the securities was
made.
Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may engage in repurchase transactions in which
the Fund buys a U.S. government security subject to resale to a bank or dealer
at an agreed-upon price and date. The transaction requires the collateralization
of the seller's obligation by the transfer of securities with an initial market
value, including accrued interest, equal to at least 102% of the dollar amount
invested by the Fund in each agreement, with the value of the underlying
security marked-to-market daily to maintain coverage of at least 100%. A default
by the seller might cause the Fund to experience a loss or delay in the
liquidation of the collateral securing the repurchase agreement. The Fund might
also incur disposition costs in liquidating the collateral. The Fund, however,
intends to enter into repurchase agreements only with financial institutions
such as broker-dealers and banks that are deemed creditworthy by Advisers. A
repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan by the Fund under the 1940 Act. The
U.S. government security subject to resale (the collateral) will be held on
behalf of the Fund by a custodian bank approved by the Board and will be held
pursuant to a written agreement.
Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Fund may also enter into reverse repurchase
agreements, which are the opposite of repurchase agreements but involve similar
mechanics and risks. The Fund sells securities to a bank or broker and agrees to
repurchase them at a mutually agreed price and date. Cash or liquid high-grade
debt securities having an initial market value, including accrued interest,
equal to at least 102% of the dollar amount sold by the Fund are segregated as
collateral and marked-to-market daily to maintain coverage of at least 100%. A
default by the purchaser might cause the Fund to experience a loss or delay in
the liquidation costs. The Fund intends to enter into reverse repurchase
agreements with domestic or foreign banks or securities dealers. Advisers will
evaluate the creditworthiness of these entities prior to engaging in such
transactions, under the general supervision of the Board.
The general investment practices described above may be changed without
shareholder approval and no assurances can be given that they will in any event
accomplish the results intended.
Borrowing. The Fund may borrow from banks, for temporary or emergency purposes
only, up to 30% of its total assets, and pledge up to 30% of its total assets in
connection therewith. No new investments will be made by the Fund while any
outstanding borrowings exceed 5% of its total assets.
Illiquid Investments. The Fund's policy is not to invest more than 10% of its
net assets, at the time of purchase, in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities
are generally securities that cannot be sold within seven days in the normal
course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued
them.
Portfolio Turnover. The Fund's portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal years
ended October 31, 1994, and October 31, 1995, was 80.69% and 103.49%,
respectively. The higher portfolio turnover rate for the fiscal year ended
October 31, 1995, was due to changing market conditions and a higher level of
redemptions than in previous years. High portfolio turnover may increase the
Fund's transaction costs.
Percentage Restrictions. If a percentage restriction noted above is adhered to
at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in the percentage
resulting from a change in value of portfolio securities or the amount of net
assets will not be considered a violation of any of the foregoing policies.
Other Policies and Restrictions. The Fund has a number of additional investment
restrictions that limit its activities to some extent. Some of these
restrictions may only be changed with shareholder approval. For a list of these
restrictions and more information about the Fund's investment policies, please
see "How does the Fund Invest its Assets?" and "Investment Restrictions" in the
SAI.
WHAT ARE THE FUND'S POTENTIAL RISKS?
The value of your shares will increase as the value of the securities owned by
the Fund increases and will decrease as the value of the Fund's investments
decrease. In this way, you participate in any change in the value of the
securities owned by the Fund. In addition to the factors that affect the value
of any particular security that the Fund owns, the value of Fund shares may also
change with movements in the stock and bond markets as a whole.
Interest Rate, Currency and Market Risk. Changes in interest rates in any
country where the Fund is invested will affect the value of the Fund's portfolio
and its share price. Rising interest rates, which often occur during times of
inflation or a growing economy, are likely to have a negative effect on the
value of the Fund's shares. Changes in currency valuations will also affect the
price of Fund shares. To the extent the Fund invests in common stocks, a general
market decline in any country where the Fund is invested may also cause the
Fund's share price to decline. The value of worldwide stock markets, interest
rates and currency valuations have increased and decreased in the past. These
changes are unpredictable and may happen again in the future.
Non-Diversification Risk. As a non-diversified fund, there is no restriction
under the 1940 Act on the percentage of the Fund's assets that may be invested
at any time in the securities of any issuer. However, the Fund intends to comply
with the diversification and other requirements of the Code applicable to
regulated investment companies so that the Fund will not be subject to U.S.
federal income tax on the income and capital gain that it distributes to
shareholders. Nevertheless, the Fund's non-diversified status may expose it to
greater risk or volatility than diversified funds with otherwise similar
investment policies, since the Fund may have a larger portion of its assets
invested in securities of a small number of issuers.
Foreign Currency. The Fund may invest in debt securities denominated in U.S. and
foreign currencies. A change in the value of any foreign currency against the
U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change in the U.S. dollar value of
the Fund's assets denominated in the foreign currency. These changes will also
affect the Fund's yield, income and distributions to shareholders. In addition,
although the Fund receives income in various currencies, the Fund is required to
compute and distribute its income in U.S. dollars. Therefore, if the exchange
rate for any currency depreciates after the Fund's income has been accrued and
translated into U.S. dollars, the Fund could be required to liquidate portfolio
securities to make its distributions. Similarly, if an exchange rate depreciates
between the time the Fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time the
expenses are paid, the amount of a currency required to be converted into U.S.
dollars in order to pay such expenses in U.S. dollars will be greater than the
equivalent amount in any such currency at the time the expenses were incurred.
The Fund will only invest in foreign currency denominated debt securities of
countries whose currency is fully exchangeable into U.S. dollars without legal
restriction at the time of investment.
Foreign Securities. Investment in foreign securities involves certain risks that
should be considered carefully. Each of the risks described below may be
heightened to the extent that the Fund invests in securities of developing or
emerging markets. These risks include political, social or economic instability
in the country of the issuer, the difficulty of predicting international trade
patterns, the possibility of the imposition of exchange controls, expropriation,
limits on removal of currency or other assets, nationalization of assets,
foreign withholding and income taxation and foreign trading practices (including
higher trading commissions, custodial charges and delayed settlements). Foreign
securities may be subject to greater fluctuations in price than securities
issued by U.S. corporations or issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its
instrumentalities or agencies. The markets on which foreign securities trade may
have less volume and liquidity, and may be more volatile than securities markets
in the U.S. In addition, there may be less publicly available information about
a foreign company than is contained in reports and reflected in ratings
published for a U.S. domiciled company. Foreign companies generally are not
subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards
comparable to those applicable to U.S. domestic companies. There is generally
less government regulation of securities exchanges, brokers and listed companies
abroad than in the U.S. Transaction costs on foreign securities exchanges may be
higher than in the U.S. and foreign securities settlements may, in some
instances, be subject to delays and related administrative uncertainties.
Confiscatory taxations or diplomatic developments could also affect investment
in those countries.
The operating expense ratio of the Fund can be expected to be higher than that
of an investment company investing exclusively in U.S. securities because of the
additional expenses of the Fund, such as custodial costs, valuation costs and
communication costs, although they are expected to be similar to expenses of
other investment companies investing in a mix of U.S. securities and securities
of one or more foreign countries.
HIGH YIELDING, FIXED-INCOME SECURITIES
Because of the Fund's policy of investing in higher yielding, higher risk
securities, an investment in the Fund is accompanied by a higher degree of risk
than is present with an investment in higher rated, lower yielding securities.
Accordingly, an investment in the Fund should not be considered a complete
investment program and should be carefully evaluated for its appropriateness in
light of your overall investment needs and goals. If you are on a fixed income
or retired, you should also consider the increased risk of loss to principal
that is present with an investment in higher risk securities such as those in
which the Fund invests.
The market value of lower rated, fixed-income securities and unrated securities
of comparable quality, commonly known as junk bonds, tends to reflect individual
developments affecting the issuer to a greater extent than the market value of
higher rated securities, which react primarily to fluctuations in the general
level of interest rates. Lower rated securities also tend to be more sensitive
to economic conditions than higher rated securities. These lower rated
fixed-income securities are considered by the rating agencies, on balance, to be
predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation and will
generally involve more credit risk than securities in the higher rating
categories. Even securities rated triple B by S&P or Baa by Moody's, ratings
which are considered investment grade, possess some speculative characteristics.
Issuers of high yielding, fixed-income securities are often highly leveraged and
may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them. Therefore,
the risk associated with acquiring the securities of these issuers is generally
greater than is the case with higher rated securities. For example, during an
economic downturn or a sustained period of rising interest rates, highly
leveraged issuers of high yielding securities may experience financial stress.
During these periods, these issuers may not have sufficient cash flow to meet
their interest payment obligations. The issuer's ability to service its debt
obligations may also be adversely affected by specific developments affecting
the issuer, the issuer's inability to meet specific projected business
forecasts, or the unavailability of additional financing. The risk of loss due
to default by the issuer may be significantly greater for the holders of high
yielding securities because the securities are generally unsecured and are often
subordinated to other creditors of the issuer. Current prices for defaulted
bonds are generally significantly lower than their purchase price, and the Fund
may have unrealized losses on defaulted securities that are reflected in the
price of the Fund's shares. In general, securities that default lose much of
their value in the time period before the actual default so that the Fund's net
assets are impacted prior to the default. The Fund may retain an issue that has
defaulted because the issue may present an opportunity for subsequent price
recovery.
High yielding, fixed-income securities frequently have call or buy-back features
that permit an issuer to call or repurchase the securities from the Fund.
Although these securities are typically not callable for a period from three to
five years after their issuance, if a call were exercised by the issuer during
periods of declining interest rates, Advisers may find it necessary to replace
the securities with lower yielding securities, which could result in less net
investment income to the Fund. The premature disposition of a high yielding
security due to a call or buy-back feature, the deterioration of the issuer's
creditworthiness, or a default may also make it more difficult for the Fund to
manage the timing of its receipt of income, which may have tax implications. The
Fund may be required under the Code and U.S. Treasury regulations to accrue
income for income tax purposes on defaulted obligations and to distribute the
income to the Fund's shareholders even though the Fund is not currently
receiving interest or principal payments on these obligations. In order to
generate cash to satisfy any or all of these distribution requirements, the Fund
may be required to dispose of portfolio securities that it otherwise would have
continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of
Fund shares.
The Fund may have difficulty disposing of certain high yielding securities
because there may be a thin trading market for a particular security at any
given time. The market for lower rated, fixed-income securities generally tends
to be concentrated among a smaller number of dealers than is the case for
securities that trade in a broader secondary retail market. Generally, buyers of
these securities are predominantly dealers and other institutional buyers,
rather than individuals. To the extent the secondary trading market for a
particular high yielding, fixed-income security does exist, it is generally not
as liquid as the secondary market for higher rated securities. Reduced liquidity
in the secondary market may have an adverse impact on market price and the
Fund's ability to dispose of particular issues, when necessary, to meet the
Fund's liquidity needs, or in response to a specific economic event, such as a
deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer. Reduced liquidity in the
secondary market for certain securities may also make it more difficult for the
Fund to obtain market quotations based on actual trades for purposes of valuing
the Fund's portfolio. Current values for these high yield issues are obtained
from pricing services and/or a limited number of dealers and may be based upon
factors other than actual sales. (See "How are Fund Shares Valued?" in the SAI.)
The Fund is authorized to acquire high yielding, fixed-income securities that
are sold without registration under the federal securities laws and therefore
carry restrictions on resale. While many high yielding securities have been sold
with registration rights, covenants and penalty provisions for delayed
registration, if the Fund is required to sell restricted securities before the
securities have been registered, it may be deemed an underwriter of the
securities under the Securities Act of 1933, which entails special
responsibilities and liabilities. The Fund may incur special costs in disposing
of these securities; however, the Fund will generally incur no costs when the
issuer is responsible for registering the securities.
The Fund may acquire high yielding, fixed-income securities during an initial
underwriting. These securities involve special risks because they are new
issues. Advisers will carefully review their credit and other characteristics.
The Fund has no arrangement with its underwriter or any other person concerning
the acquisition of these securities.
The high yield securities market is relatively new and much of its growth prior
to 1990 paralleled a long economic expansion. The recession that began in 1990
disrupted the market for high yielding securities and adversely affected the
value of outstanding securities and the ability of issuers of such securities to
meet their obligations. Although the economy has improved considerably and high
yielding securities have performed more consistently since that time, there is
no assurance that the adverse effects previously experienced will not reoccur.
For example, the highly publicized defaults of some high yield issuers during
1989 and 1990 and concerns regarding a sluggish economy that continued into
1993, depressed the prices for many of these securities. While market prices may
be temporarily depressed due to these factors, the ultimate price of any
security will generally reflect the true operating results of the issuer.
Factors adversely impacting the market value of high yielding securities will
adversely impact the Fund's Net Asset Value. In addition, the Fund may incur
additional expenses to the extent it is required to seek recovery upon a default
in the payment of principal or interest on its portfolio holdings. The Fund will
rely on Advisers' judgment, analysis and experience in evaluating the
creditworthiness of an issuer. In this evaluation, Advisers will take into
consideration, among other things, the issuer's financial resources, its
sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, its operating history, the
quality of the issuer's management and regulatory matters.
Asset Composition Table. A credit rating by a rating agency evaluates only the
safety of principal and interest of a security, and does not consider the market
value risk associated with the investment. The table below shows the percentage
of the Fund's assets invested in fixed income securities rated in each of the
specific rating categories shown and those that are not rated by the rating
agency but deemed by Advisers to be of comparable credit quality. The
information was prepared based on a dollar weighted average of the Fund's
portfolio composition based on month-end assets for each of the 12 months in the
fiscal year ended October 31, 1995. The Appendix to this prospectus includes a
description of each rating category.
AVERAGE WEIGHTED
S&P RATING PERCENTAGE OF ASSETS
- -----------------------------------
AAA 37.28%
AA+ 22.75%
AA- 24.15%
AA 2.15%
A 0.87%
BBB* 1.43%
BB+ 1.69%
B** 9.69%
*All of these securities are unrated by a rating agency.
**.58% of these securities, which are unrated by a rating agency, are deemed by
Advisers to be comparable to a B rating.
WHO MANAGES THE FUND?
The Board. The Board oversees the management of the Fund and elects its
officers. The officers are responsible for the Fund's day-to-day operations. The
Board also monitors the Fund to ensure no material conflicts exist among the
classes of shares. While none is expected, the Board will act appropriately to
resolve any material conflict that may arise.
Investment Manager. Advisers manages the Fund's assets and makes its investment
decisions. Advisers also performs similar services for other funds. It is wholly
owned by Resources, a publicly owned company engaged in the financial services
industry through its subsidiaries. Charles B. Johnson and Rupert H. Johnson, Jr.
are the principal shareholders of Resources. Together, Advisers and its
affiliates manage over $150 billion in assets. Please see "Investment Management
and Other Services" and "Miscellaneous Information" in the SAI for information
on securities transactions and a summary of the Fund's Code of Ethics.
Shareholders approved the adoption of a subadvisory agreement between Advisers
and TICI, an indirect subsidiary of Resources, on April 27, 1994. The agreement
provides for the subadvisor to furnish, subject to Adviser's discretion, a
portion of the investment advisory services for which Advisers is responsible
pursuant to the management agreement. These responsibilities may include
managing a portion of the Fund's investments and supplying research services.
The subadvisory fees are not in addition to those the Fund is currently
obligated to pay Advisers.
Management Team. The team responsible for the day-to-day management of the
Fund's portfolio is: Thomas J. Dickson since 1993, Neil S. Devlin since 1994 and
Thomas Latta since 1995.
Thomas J. Dickson
Portfolio Manager of TICI
Mr. Dickson received his bachelor of science degree in managerial economics from
the University of California at Davis. Mr. Dickson joined the Franklin Templeton
Group in 1992.
Neil S. Devlin
Executive Vice President of TICI
Mr. Devlin is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds a bachelor of arts degree
in economics and philosophy from Brandeis University. Mr. Devlin joined the
Franklin Templeton Group in 1987.
Thomas Latta
Portfolio Manager of TICI
Mr. Latta attended the University of Missouri and New York University. Mr. Latta
has been in the securities industry since 1981 and with the Franklin Templeton
Group since 1991. Prior to joining the Franklin Templeton Group, Mr. Latta
worked as a portfolio manager with Forester and Hairston, a global fixed-income
investment management firm, and prior thereto, he worked as an investment
adviser with Merrill Lynch.
Management Fees. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 1995, management fees
totaling 0.58% of the average monthly net assets of the Fund were paid to
Advisers.
Portfolio Transactions. Advisers tries to obtain the best execution on all
transactions. If Advisers believes more than one broker or dealer can provide
the best execution, consistent with internal policies it may consider research
and related services and the sale of Fund shares, as well as shares of other
funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, when selecting a broker or
dealer. Please see "How does the Fund Buy Securities for its Portfolio?" in the
SAI for more information.
Administrative Services. Under an agreement with Advisers, FT Services provides
certain administrative services and facilities for the Fund. Please see
"Investment Management and Other Services" in the SAI for more information.
HOW DOES THE FUND MEASURE PERFORMANCE?
From time to time, each class of the Fund advertises its performance. The more
commonly used measures of performance are total return, current yield and
current distribution rate. Performance figures are usually calculated using the
maximum sales charge, if applicable. Certain performance figures may not include
any applicable sales charge or Rule 12b-1 fees.
Total return is the change in value of an investment over a given period. It
assumes any dividends and capital gains are reinvested. Current yield for each
class shows the income per share earned by that class. The current distribution
rate shows the dividends or distributions paid to shareholders of a class. This
rate is usually computed by annualizing the dividends paid per share during a
certain period and dividing that amount by the current Offering Price of the
class or, in the case of Advisor Class shares, the Net Asset Value of the class.
Unlike current yield, the current distribution rate may include income
distributions from sources other than dividends and interest received by the
Fund.
The investment results of each class will vary. Performance figures are always
based on past performance and do not guarantee future results. For a more
detailed description of how the Fund calculates its performance figures, please
see "How does the Fund Measure Performance?" in the SAI.
HOW IS THE TRUST ORGANIZED?
The Fund is a non-diversified series of Franklin Investors Securities Trust (the
"Trust"), an open-end management investment company, commonly called a mutual
fund. It was organized as a Massachusetts business trust on December 16, 1986,
and is registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act.
The Fund began offering two classes of shares on May 1, 1995: Franklin Global
Government Income Fund - Class I and Franklin Global Government Income Fund -
Class II. All shares purchased before that time are considered Class I shares.
The Fund began offering a third class of shares on January 1, 1997: Franklin
Global Government Income Fund - Advisor Class. Class I, Class II and Advisor
Class shares differ as to sales charges, expenses and services. Different fees
and expenses will affect performance. Additional classes and series may be
offered in the future. A further description of Class I and Class II is set
forth below.
Each class will vote separately on matters (1) affecting only that class, (2)
expressly required to be voted on separately by state law, or (3) required to be
voted on separately by the 1940 Act. Shares of each class of a series represent
proportionate interests in the assets of the Fund and have the same voting and
other rights and preferences as any other class of the Fund on matters that
affect the Trust as a whole.
The Trust has noncumulative voting rights. This gives holders of more than 50%
of the shares voting the ability to elect all of the members of the Board. If
this happens, holders of the remaining shares voting will not be able to elect
anyone to the Board.
The Trust does not intend to hold annual shareholder meetings. It may hold a
special meeting of a series, however, for matters requiring shareholder approval
under the 1940 Act. A meeting may also be called by the Board in its discretion
or by shareholders holding at least 10% of the outstanding shares. The 1940 Act
requires that we help you communicate with other shareholders in connection with
removing members of the Board.
Class I and Class II. Class I and Class II shares of the Fund are described in a
separate prospectus relating only to those classes. You may buy Class I and
Class II shares through your investment representative or directly by contacting
the Trust. If you would like a prospectus relating to the Fund's Class I and
Class II shares, contact your investment representative or Distributors.
Class I and Class II shares of the Fund have sales charges and Rule 12b-1
charges that may affect performance. Class I shares have a front-end sales
charge of 4.25% (4.44% of the net amount invested) that is reduced on certain
transactions of $100,000 or more. Class I shares are subject to Rule 12b-1 fees
up to a maximum of 0.15% per year of Class I's average daily net assets. Class
II shares have a 1.00% (1.01% of the amount invested) front-end sales charge and
are subject to Rule 12b-1 fees up to a maximum of 0.65% per year of Class II's
average daily net assets. Shares of Class I may be subject to, and shares of
Class II are generally subject to, a Contingent Deferred Sales Charge upon
redemption.
HOW TAXATION AFFECTS YOU AND THE FUND
The following discussion reflects some of the tax considerations that affect
mutual funds and their shareholders. For more information on tax matters
relating to the Fund and its shareholders, see "Additional Information on
Distributions and Taxes" in the SAI.
Each fund of the Trust is treated as a separate entity for federal income tax
purposes. The Fund has elected and intends to continue to qualify as a regulated
investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. By distributing all of its
income and meeting certain other requirements relating to the sources of its
income and diversification of its assets, the Fund will not be liable for
federal income or excise taxes.
Regular income dividends (which are generally distributed monthly) will be
determined from the Fund's net investment income, excluding any realized net
foreign currency gains and losses. Under the Code, net realized foreign currency
gains and losses are required to be reported as ordinary income or loss to the
Fund. Therefore, if in the course of a fiscal year, the Fund realizes net
foreign currency losses, the Fund may be required to reclassify all or a portion
of its income dividend distributions made during such fiscal year as a
return-of-capital for federal income tax purposes. Net foreign currency gains,
if any, will generally be distributed as a supplemental income dividend once
each year in December to reflect any net foreign currency gain realized by the
Fund as of October 31 of the current fiscal year. You will be informed of the
tax status of all distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.
For federal income tax purposes, any income dividends which you receive from the
Fund, as well as any distributions derived from the excess of net short-term
capital gain over net long-term capital loss, are treated as ordinary income
whether you have elected to receive them in cash or in additional shares.
Distributions derived from the excess of net long-term capital gain over net
short-term capital loss are treated as long-term capital gain regardless of the
length of time you have owned Fund shares and regardless of whether such
distributions are received in cash or in additional shares.
Pursuant to the Code, certain distributions which are declared in October,
November or December but which, for operational reasons, may not be paid to you
until the following January, will be treated for tax purposes as if paid by the
Fund and received by you on December 31 of the calendar year in which they are
declared.
Redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares are taxable events on which you may
realize a gain or loss. Any loss incurred on the sale or exchange of Fund shares
held for six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the
extent of capital gain dividends received with respect to such shares.
For corporate shareholders, it is anticipated that no portion of the Fund's
dividends will qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction.
The Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on income from certain of
its foreign securities. If more than 50% of the total assets of the Fund at the
end of its fiscal year are invested in securities of foreign corporations, the
Fund may elect to pass through to its shareholders the pro rata share of foreign
taxes paid by the Fund. For more information, please see the SAI.
Foreign exchange gains and losses realized by the Fund in connection with
certain transactions involving foreign currencies, foreign currency payables or
receivables, foreign currency-denominated debt securities, foreign currency
forward contracts, and options or futures contracts on foreign currencies are
subject to special tax rules which may cause such gains and losses to be treated
as ordinary income and losses rather than capital gains and losses and may
affect the amount and timing of the Fund's income or loss from such transactions
and in turn its distributions to shareholders.
The Fund's investment in options, futures contracts, forward contracts, and
options on futures contracts, including transactions involving actual or deemed
short sales, may give rise to taxable income, gain or loss and will be subject
to special tax treatment under certain mark-to-market and straddle rules, the
effect of which may be to accelerate income to the Fund, defer Fund losses,
cause adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities, convert capital
gains and losses into ordinary income and losses, convert long-term capital
gains into short-term capital gains, and convert short-term capital losses into
long-term capital losses. These rules could, therefore, affect the amount,
timing and character of distributions to shareholders. Certain elections may be
available to the Fund to mitigate some of the unfavorable consequences of the
provisions described in this paragraph. These investments and transactions are
discussed in the SAI.
The Fund will inform you of the source of your dividends and distributions at
the time they are paid, and will promptly after the close of each calendar year
advise you of the tax status for federal income tax purposes of such dividends
and distributions.
If you are not a U.S. person for purposes of federal income taxation, you should
consult with your financial or tax advisors regarding the applicability of U.S.
withholding or other taxes to distributions received by you from the Fund and
the application of foreign tax laws to these distributions.
ABOUT YOUR ACCOUNT
HOW DO I BUY SHARES?
OPENING YOUR ACCOUNT
You may buy shares with a minimum initial investment of $5 million (in the
aggregate) in one or more Advisor Class shares of the Franklin Templeton Funds
($25 for subsequent investments) except if you fall in one of the following
categories of investors satisfying one of the following criteria:
(a) Broker-dealers, qualified registered investment advisors or certified
financial planners, who have entered into a supplemental agreement with
Distributors for clients participating in comprehensive fee programs;
(b) Qualified registered investment advisors or registered certified financial
planners who have clients invested in Mutual Series on October 31, 1996;
(c) Qualified registered investment advisors or registered certified financial
planners who did not have clients invested in Mutual Series on October 31, 1996
may buy through a broker-dealer or service agent who has entered into an
agreement with Distributors;
(d) Employer stock, bonus, pension or profit-sharing plans that meet the
requirements for qualification under Section 401 of the Code, including salary
reduction plans qualified under Section 401(k) of the Code, are subject to no
initial investment requirement if the number of employees is 5,000 or more or
the plan has assets of $50 million or more;
(e) Effective on or about February 1, 1997, participants in Franklin Templeton's
401(k) and Franklin Templeton's Profit Sharing Plans;
(f) Trust companies and bank trust departments initially investing in any of the
Franklin Templeton Funds at least $1 million of assets held in a fiduciary,
agency, advisory, custodial or similar capacity and over which the trust
companies, bank trust departments or other plan fiduciaries or participants, in
the case of certain retirement plans, have full or shared investment discretion;
(g) Governments, municipalities and tax-exempt entities that meet the
requirements for qualification under Section 501 of the Code (subject to an
initial investment in Advisor Class shares of $1 million);
(h) Any other investor, including a private investment vehicle such as a family
trust or foundation, who is a member of a qualified group may also purchase
Advisor Class shares of the Fund if the group as a whole meets the required
minimum initial investment of $5 million;
(i) Directors, trustees, officers and full-time employees (and members of their
immediate family) of Franklin Templeton Group and Franklin Templeton Group of
Funds who invest $100 or more;
(j) Accounts managed by the Franklin Templeton Group;
(k) Class I shareholders of the Fund who qualify under one of the above
categories, may have their existing Class I shares invested into the Fund's
Advisor Class by sending written instructions indicating that they wish to do
so, by June 30, 1997. Instructions should be addressed to Investor Services.
Generally, for federal income tax purposes, there will be no recognition of gain
or loss associated with such a transaction. You may wish to consult with your
tax advisor to determine whether there are any state income tax consequences to
such a transaction.
(l) Each series of Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series that invests $1,000
or more.
The qualified group referred to in Item (h) above, is one that:
o Was formed at least six months ago,
o Has a purpose other than buying Fund shares at a discount,
o Has more than 10 members,
o Can arrange for meetings between our representatives and group members,
o Agrees to include sales and other Franklin Templeton Fund materials in
publications and mailings to its members at reduced or no cost to
Distributors,
o Agrees to arrange for payroll deduction or other bulk transmission of
investments to the Fund, and
o Meets other uniform criteria that allow Distributors to achieve cost
savings in distributing shares.
If you are subject to the $5 million minimum investment requirement, the cost or
current value (whichever is higher) of your investment in other funds in the
Franklin Templeton Funds will be included for purposes of determining compliance
with the required minimum investment amount, provided that at least $1 million
is invested in Advisor Class shares of the Franklin Templeton Funds.
The minimum for subsequent investments in Advisor Class shares is; $25 for most
purchases of Advisor Class shares of the Fund and for purchases by directors,
trustees, officers and full-time employees (and members of their immediate
family) of Franklin Templeton Group and Franklin Templeton Funds; and $1,000 for
each series of Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series.
PURCHASE PRICE OF FUND SHARES
Advisor Class shares are purchased at Net Asset Value without a sales charge.
Securities Dealers may receive compensation up to 0.25% of the amount invested
from Distributors or an affiliated company.
HOW DO I BUY SHARES IN CONNECTION WITH RETIREMENT PLANS?
Your individual or employer-sponsored retirement plan may invest in the Fund.
Plan documents are required for all retirement plans. Trust Company can provide
the plan documents for you and serve as custodian or trustee.
Trust Company can provide you with brochures containing important information
about its plans. To establish a Trust Company retirement plan, you will need an
application other than the one included in this prospectus. For a retirement
plan brochure or application, please call our Retirement Plans Department.
Please consult your legal, tax or retirement plan specialist before choosing a
retirement plan. Your investment representative or advisor can help you make
investment decisions within your plan.
MAY I EXCHANGE SHARES FOR SHARES OF ANOTHER FUND?
We offer a wide variety of funds. If you would like, you can move your
investment from your Fund account to an existing or new account in another
Franklin Templeton Fund (an "exchange"). Because it is technically a sale and a
purchase of shares, an exchange is a taxable transaction for taxable investors.
Before making an exchange, please read the prospectus of the fund you are
interested in. This will help you learn about the fund and its rules and
requirements for exchanges. For example, some Franklin Templeton Funds do not
accept exchanges and others may have different investment minimums. Some
Franklin Templeton Funds do not offer Advisor Class shares.
METHOD STEPS TO FOLLOW
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Mail 1. Send us written instructions signed by all account owners
2. Include any outstanding share certificates for the shares
you're exchanging
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Phone Call Shareholder Services
- If you do not want the ability to exchange by phone to
apply to your account, please let us know.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Through Your
Dealer Call your investment representative
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please refer to "Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements" for other
important information on how to exchange shares.
HOW WE PROCESS YOUR EXCHANGE
If you are exchanging your Advisor Class shares of the Fund you may:
o exchange into any of our money funds except Franklin Templeton Money Fund
II.
o exchange into the other Advisor Class shares of the Franklin Templeton
Funds (excluding Templeton Developing Markets Trust, Templeton Foreign Fund
and Templeton Growth Fund, except as described below), Mutual Series Class
Z Shares and Templeton Institutional Funds, Inc., if you meet the
investment requirements of the fund to be acquired.
o exchange into the Advisor Class shares of Templeton Developing Markets
Trust, Templeton Foreign Fund and Templeton Growth Fund if you fall into
one of the following categories: (i) you are a broker-dealer or a qualified
registered investment advisor who has entered into a special agreement with
Distributors for your clients who are participating in comprehensive fee
programs; (ii) you are a qualified registered investment advisor or
certified financial planner who has clients invested in Mutual Series on
October 31, 1996; (iii) you are a qualified registered investment advisor
or certified financial planner who did not have clients invested in Mutual
Series on October 31, 1996 and are buying through a broker-dealer or series
agent who has entered into an agreement with Distributors; (iv) you are a
director, trustee, officer or full-time employee (or a family member) of
the Franklin Templeton Group or the Franklin Templeton Funds; (v) you are a
participant in Franklin Templeton's 401(k) or Franklin Templeton's Profit
Sharing Plans; (vi) the exchanging shareholder is an account managed by the
Franklin Templeton Group; or (vii) the exchanging shareholder is a series
of the Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series.
o If the fund you are exchanging into does not offer Advisor Class shares,
you may exchange into the Class I shares of the fund at Net Asset Value.
Please be aware that the following restrictions may apply to exchanges:
o The accounts must be identically registered. You may exchange shares from a
Fund account requiring two or more signatures into an identically
registered money fund account requiring only one signature for all
transactions. Please notify us in writing if you do not want this option to
be available on your account(s). Additional procedures may apply. Please
see "Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements."
o Trust Company IRA or 403(b) retirement plan accounts may exchange shares as
described above. Restrictions may apply to other types of retirement plans.
Please contact our Retirement Plans Department for information on exchanges
within these plans.
o The fund you are exchanging into must be eligible for sale in your state.
o We may modify or discontinue our exchange policy upon 60 days' written
notice.
o Your exchange may be restricted or refused if you: (i) request an exchange
out of the Fund within two weeks of an earlier exchange request, (ii)
exchange shares out of the Fund more than twice in a calendar quarter, or
(iii) exchange shares equal to at least $5 million, or more than 1% of the
Fund's net assets. Shares under common ownership or control are combined
for these limits. If you exchange shares as described in this paragraph,
you will be considered a Market Timer. Each exchange by a Market Timer, if
accepted, will be charged $5.00. Some of our funds do not allow investments
by Market Timers.
Because excessive trading can hurt Fund performance and shareholders, we may
refuse any exchange purchase if (i)we believe the Fund would be harmed or unable
to invest effectively, or (ii) the Fund receives or anticipates simultaneous
orders that may significantly affect the Fund.
HOW DO I SELL SHARES?
You may sell (redeem) your shares at any time.
METHOD STEPS TO FOLLOW
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Mail 1. Send us written instructions signed by all account owners
2. Include any outstanding share certificates for the shares
you are selling
3. Provide a signature guarantee if required
4. Corporate, partnership and trust accounts may need to send
additional documents. Accounts under court jurisdiction may
have additional requirements.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Phone Call Shareholder Services
(Only available Telephone requests will be accepted:
if you have
completed and o If the request is $50,000 or less. Institutional accounts may
sent to us the exceed $50,000 by completing a separate agreement. Call
telephone Institutional Services to receive a copy.
redemption
agreement o If there are no share certificates issued for the shares you
included with want to sell or you have already returned them to the Fund
this prospectus)
o Unless you are selling shares in a Trust Company retirement
plan account
o Unless the address on your account was changed by phone
within the last 30 days
o Beginning on or about May 1, 1997, you will automatically be
able to redeem shares by telephone without completing a
telephone redemption agreement. Please notify us if you do
not want this option to be available on your account. If you
later decide you would like this option, send us written
instructions signed by all account owners.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Through Your
Dealer Call your investment representative
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We will send your redemption check within seven days after we receive your
request in proper form. If you sell your shares by phone, the check may only be
made payable to all registered owners on the account and sent to the address of
record. We are not able to receive or pay out cash in the form of currency.
If you sell shares you just purchased with a check or draft, we may delay
sending you the proceeds for up to 15 days or more to allow the check or draft
to clear. A certified or cashier's check may clear in less time.
Under unusual circumstances, we may suspend redemptions or postpone payment for
more than seven days as permitted by federal securities law.
Please refer to "Transaction Procedures and Special Requirements" for other
important information on how to sell shares.
TRUST COMPANY RETIREMENT PLAN ACCOUNTS
To comply with IRS regulations, you need to complete additional forms before
selling shares in a Trust Company retirement plan account. Tax penalties
generally apply to any distribution from these plans to a participant under age
59 1/2, unless the distribution meets an exception stated in the Code. To obtain
the necessary forms, please call our Retirement Plans Department.
WHAT DISTRIBUTIONS MIGHT I RECEIVE FROM THE FUND?
The Fund declares dividends from its net investment income monthly to
shareholders of record on the first business day before the 15th of the month
and pays them on or about the last day of that month.
Capital gains, if any, may be distributed annually, usually in December.
Dividends and capital gains are calculated and distributed the same way for each
class. The amount of any income dividends per share will differ, however,
generally due to the difference in the applicable Rule 12b-1 fees of any class.
Advisor Class shares are not subject to Rule 12b-1 fees.
Dividend payments are not guaranteed, are subject to the Board's discretion and
may vary with each payment. The Fund does not pay "interest" or guarantee any
fixed rate of return on an investment in its shares.
If you buy shares shortly before the record date, please keep in mind that any
distribution will lower the value of the Fund's shares by the amount of the
distribution.
DISTRIBUTION OPTIONS
You may receive your distributions from the Fund in any of these ways:
1. Buy additional shares of the Fund - You may buy additional shares of the same
class of the Fund by reinvesting capital gain distributions, or both dividend
and capital gain distributions. This is a convenient way to accumulate
additional shares and maintain or increase your earnings base.
2. Buy shares of other Franklin Templeton Funds - You may direct your
distributions to buy Advisor Class shares or Class I shares of another Franklin
Templeton Fund. Many shareholders find this a convenient way to diversify their
investments.
3. Receive distributions in cash - You may receive dividends, or both dividend
and capital gain distributions in cash. If you have the money sent to another
person or to a checking account, you may need a signature guarantee. To select
one of these options, please complete sections 6 and 7 of the shareholder
application included with this prospectus or tell your investment representative
which option you prefer. If you do not select an option, we will automatically
reinvest dividend and capital gain distributions in the Advisor Class shares of
the Fund. For Trust Company retirement plans, special forms are required to
receive distributions in cash. You may change your distribution option at any
time by notifying us by mail or phone. Please allow at least seven days prior to
the record date for us to process the new option.
TRANSACTION PROCEDURES AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
HOW AND WHEN SHARES ARE PRICED
The Fund is open for business each day the Exchange is open. We determine the
Net Asset Value per share of each class as of the scheduled close of the
Exchange, generally 1:00 p.m. Pacific time. You can find the prior day's closing
Net Asset Value and Offering Price for each class in many newspapers.
The Net Asset Value of all outstanding shares of each class is calculated on a
pro rata basis. It is based on each class' proportionate participation in the
Fund, determined by the value of the shares of each class. To calculate Net
Asset Value per share of each class, the assets of each class are valued and
totaled, liabilities are subtracted, and the balance, called net assets, is
divided by the number of shares of the class outstanding. The Fund's assets are
valued as described under "How are Fund Shares Valued?" in the SAI.
THE PRICE WE USE WHEN YOU BUY OR SELL SHARES
You buy shares of Advisor Class at the Net Asset Value per share. We calculate
it to two decimal places using standard rounding criteria. You also sell shares
at Net Asset Value.
We will use the Net Asset Value next calculated after we receive your
transaction request in proper form. If you buy or sell shares through your
Securities Dealer, however, we will use the Net Asset Value next calculated
after your Securities Dealer receives your request, which is promptly
transmitted to the Fund. Your redemption proceeds will not earn interest between
the time we receive the order from your dealer and the time we receive any
required documents.
PROPER FORM
An order to buy shares is in proper form when we receive your signed shareholder
application and check. Written requests to sell or exchange shares are in proper
form when we receive written instructions signed by all registered owners, with
a signature guarantee if necessary. We must also receive any outstanding share
certificates for those shares.
WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS
Written instructions must be signed by all registered owners. To avoid any delay
in processing your transaction, they should include:
o Your name,
o The Fund's name,
o The class of shares,
o A description of the request,
o For exchanges, the name of the fund you're exchanging into,
o Your account number,
o The dollar amount or number of shares, and
o A telephone number where we may reach you during the day, or in the evening
if preferred.
SIGNATURE GUARANTEES
For our mutual protection, we require a signature guarantee in the following
situations:
1) You wish to sell over $50,000 worth of shares,
2) You want the proceeds to be paid to someone other than the registered owners,
3) The proceeds are not being sent to the address of record, preauthorized bank
account, or preauthorized brokerage firm account,
4) We receive instructions from an agent, not the registered owners,
5) We believe a signature guarantee would protect us against potential claims
based on the instructions received.
A signature guarantee verifies the authenticity of your signature and may be
obtained from certain banks, brokers or other eligible guarantors. You should
verify that the institution is an eligible guarantor prior to signing. A
notarized signature is not sufficient.
SHARE CERTIFICATES
We will credit your shares to your Fund account. We do not issue share
certificates unless you specifically request them. This eliminates the costly
problem of replacing lost, stolen or destroyed certificates. If a certificate is
lost, stolen or destroyed, you may have to pay an insurance premium of up to 2%
of the value of the certificate to replace it.
Any outstanding share certificates must be returned to the Fund if you want to
sell or exchange those shares or if you would like to start a systematic
withdrawal plan. The certificates should be properly endorsed. You can do this
either by signing the back of the certificate or by completing a share
assignment form. For your protection, you may prefer to complete a share
assignment form. In this case, you should send the certificate and assignment
form in separate envelopes.
TELEPHONE TRANSACTIONS
You may initiate many transactions by phone. Please refer to the sections of
this prospectus that discuss the transaction you would like to make or call
Shareholder Services.
When you call, we will request personal or other identifying information to
confirm that instructions are genuine. We will also record calls. We will not be
liable for following instructions communicated by telephone if we reasonably
believe they are genuine. For your protection, we may delay a transaction or not
implement one if we are not reasonably satisfied that the instructions are
genuine. If this occurs, we will not be liable for any loss.
Trust Company Retirement Plan Accounts. You may not sell shares or change
distribution options on Trust Company retirement plans by phone. While you may
exchange shares of Trust Company IRA and 403(b) retirement accounts by phone,
certain restrictions may be imposed on other retirement plans.
To obtain any required forms or more information about distribution or transfer
procedures, please call our Retirement Plans Department.
ACCOUNT REGISTRATIONS AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
When you open an account, you need to tell us how you want your shares
registered. How you register your account will affect your ownership rights and
ability to make certain transactions. If you have questions about how to
register your account, you should consult your investment representative or
legal advisor. Please keep the following information in mind when registering
your account.
Joint Ownership. If you open an account with two or more owners, we register the
account as "joint tenants with rights of survivorship" unless you tell us
otherwise. An account registered as "joint tenants with rights of survivorship"
is shown as "Jt Ten" on your account statement. For any account with two or more
owners, all owners must sign instructions to process transactions and changes to
the account. Even if the law in your state says otherwise, you will not be able
to change owners on the account unless all owners agree in writing. If you would
like another person or owner to sign for you, please send us a current power of
attorney.
Gifts and Transfers to Minors. You may set up a custodial account for a minor
under your state's Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act. Other than this form
of registration, a minor may not be named as an account owner.
Trusts. If you register your account as a trust, you should have a valid written
trust document to avoid future disputes or possible court action over who owns
the account.
Required Documents. For corporate, partnership and trust accounts, please send
us the following documents when you open your account. This will help avoid
delays in processing your transactions while we verify who may sign on the
account.
TYPE OF ACCOUNT DOCUMENTS REQUIRED
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corporation Corporate Resolution
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Partnership 1. The pages from the partnership agreement that identify the
general partners, or
2. A certification for a partnership agreement
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trust 1. The pages from the trust document that identify the
trustees, or
2. A certification for trust
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Street or Nominee Accounts. If you have Fund shares held in a "street" or
"nominee" name account with your Securities Dealer, you may transfer the shares
to the street or nominee name account of another Securities Dealer. Both dealers
must have an agreement with Distributors or we will not process the transfer.
Contact your Securities Dealer to initiate the transfer. We will process the
transfer after we receive authorization in proper form from your delivering
Securities Dealer. Accounts may be transferred electronically through the NSCC.
For accounts registered in street or nominee name, we may take instructions
directly from the Securities Dealer or your nominee.
Electronic Instructions. If there is a Securities Dealer or other representative
of record on your account, we are authorized to use and execute electronic
instructions received directly from your dealer or representative without
further inquiry. Electronic instructions may be processed through the services
of the NSCC, which currently include the NSCC's "Networking," "Fund/SERV," and
"ACATS" systems, or through Franklin/Templeton's PCTrades II/oo System.
TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
For tax reasons, we must have your correct Social Security or tax identification
number on a signed shareholder application or applicable tax form. Federal law
requires us to withhold 31% of your taxable distributions and sale proceeds if
(i) you have not furnished a certified correct taxpayer identification number,
(ii) you have not certified that withholding does not apply, (iii) the IRS or a
Securities Dealer notifies the Fund that the number you gave us is incorrect, or
(iv) you are subject to backup withholding.
We may refuse to open an account if you fail to provide the required tax
identification number and certifications. We may also close your account if the
IRS notifies us that your tax identification number is incorrect. If you
complete an "awaiting TIN" certification, we must receive a correct tax
identification number within 60 days of your initial purchase to keep your
account open.
KEEPING YOUR ACCOUNT OPEN
Due to the relatively high cost of maintaining a small account, we may close
your account if the value of your shares is $50 or less, except for investors
under categories (d), (e), (j) and (l) under "Opening Your Account." We will do
this if the value of your account falls below this minimum because you
voluntarily sold your shares and your account has been inactive (except for the
reinvestment of distributions) for at least six months. Before we close your
account, we will notify you and give you 30 days to increase the value of your
account to at least $100.
Services to Help You Manage Your Account
AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN
Our automatic investment plan offers a convenient way to invest in the Fund.
Under the plan, you can have money transferred automatically from your checking
account to the Fund each month to buy additional shares. If you are interested
in this program, please refer to the account application included with this
prospectus or contact your investment representative. The market value of the
Fund's shares may fluctuate and a systematic investment plan such as this will
not assure a profit or protect against a loss. You may discontinue the program
at any time by notifying Investor Services by mail or phone.
SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN
Our systematic withdrawal plan allows you to sell your shares and receive
regular payments from your account on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual
basis. The value of your account must be at least $5,000 and the minimum payment
amount for each withdrawal must be at least $50. For retirement plans subject to
mandatory distribution requirements, the $50 minimum will not apply.
If you would like to establish a systematic withdrawal plan, please complete the
systematic withdrawal plan section of the shareholder application included with
this prospectus and indicate how you would like to receive your payments. You
may choose to direct your payments to buy the same class of shares of another
Franklin Templeton Fund or have the money sent directly to you, to another
person, or to a checking account. You will generally receive your payment by the
fifth business day of the month in which a payment is scheduled. Beginning with
your February 1997 payment, however, you will generally receive your payment by
the end of the month in which a payment is scheduled. When you sell your shares
under a systematic withdrawal plan, it is a taxable transaction.
You may discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan, change the amount and schedule
of withdrawal payments, or suspend one payment by notifying us in writing at
least seven business days before the end of the month preceding a scheduled
payment. Please see "How Do I Buy, Sell and Exchange Shares? - Systematic
Withdrawal Plan" in the SAI for more information.
STATEMENTS AND REPORTS TO SHAREHOLDERS
We will send you the following statements and reports on a regular basis:
o Confirmation and account statements reflecting transactions in your
account, including additional purchases and dividend reinvestments. Please
verify the accuracy of your statements when you receive them.
o Financial reports of the Fund will be sent every six months. To reduce Fund
expenses, we attempt to identify related shareholders within a household
and send only one copy of a report. Call Fund Information if you would like
an additional free copy of the Fund's financial reports or an interim
quarterly report.
BROKERS AND DEALERS AND PLAN ADMINISTRATORS
You may buy and sell Fund shares through registered broker-dealers. The Fund
does not impose a sales or service charge but your broker-dealer may charge you
a transaction fee. Transaction fees and services may vary among broker-dealers,
and your broker-dealer may impose higher initial or subsequent investment
requirements than those established by the Fund. Services provided by
broker-dealers may include allowing you to establish a margin account and borrow
on the value of the Fund's shares in that account. If your broker-dealer
receives your order before pricing on a given day, the broker-dealer is required
to forward the order to the Fund before pricing closes on that day. A
broker-dealer's failure to timely forward an order may give rise to a claim by
the investor against the broker.
Third party plan administrators of tax-qualified retirement plans and other
entities may provide sub-transfer agent services to the Fund. In such cases, the
Fund may pay the third party an annual sub-transfer agency fee that is not
greater than the Fund otherwise would have paid for such services.
INSTITUTIONAL ACCOUNTS
Institutional investors will likely be required to complete an institutional
account application. There may be additional methods of opening accounts and
purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares of the Fund available for
institutional accounts. To obtain an institutional application or additional
information regarding institutional accounts, contact Franklin Templeton
Institutional Services at 1-800/321-8563 Monday through Friday, from 6:00 a.m.
to 5:00 p.m. Pacific time.
AVAILABILITY OF THESE SERVICES
The services above are available to most shareholders. If, however, your shares
are held by a financial institution, in a street name account, or networked
through the NSCC, the Fund may not be able to offer these services directly to
you. Please contact your investment representative.
WHAT IF I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT MY ACCOUNT?
If you have any questions about your account, you may write to Investor Services
at 777 Mariners Island Blvd., P.O. Box 7777, San Mateo, California 94403-7777.
The Fund, Distributors and Advisers are also located at this address. You may
also contact us by phone at one of the numbers listed below.
HOURS OF OPERATION (PACIFIC TIME)
DEPARTMENT NAME TELEPHONE NO. (MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shareholder Services 1-800/632-2301 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Dealer Services 1-800/524-4040 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Fund Information 1-800/DIAL BEN 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
(1-800/342-5236) 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (Saturday)
Retirement Plans 1-800/527-2020 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Institutional Services 1-800/321-8563 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
TDD (hearing impaired) 1-800/851-0637 5:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your phone call may be monitored or recorded to ensure we provide you with high
quality service. You will hear a regular beeping tone if your call is being
recorded.
GLOSSARY
USEFUL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
1940 Act - Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
Advisers - Franklin Advisers, Inc., the Fund's investment manager
Board - The Board of Trustees of the Trust
CD - Certificate of deposit
Class I, Class II and Advisor Class - The Fund offers three classes of shares,
designated "Class I," "Class II," and "Advisor Class." The three classes have
proportionate interests in the Fund's portfolio. Class I and Class II differ,
however, primarily in their sales charge structures and Rule 12b-1 plans.
Advisor Class shares are purchased without a sales charge and do not have a Rule
12b-1 plan.
Code - Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
Contingency Period - For Class I shares, the 12 month period during which a
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge may apply. For Class II shares, the contingency
period is 18 months. Regardless of when during the month you purchased shares,
they will age one month on the last day of that month and each following month.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) - A sales charge of 1% that may apply if
you sell your shares within the Contingency Period.
Distributors - Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc., the Fund's principal
underwriter. The SAI lists the officers and Board members who are affiliated
with Distributors. See "Officers and Trustees."
Exchange - New York Stock Exchange
Franklin Funds - The mutual funds in the Franklin Group of Funds(R) except
Franklin Valuemark Funds and the Franklin Government Securities Trust
Franklin Templeton Funds - The Franklin Funds and the Templeton Funds
Franklin Templeton Group - Franklin Resources, Inc., a publicly owned holding
company, and its various subsidiaries
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds - All U.S. registered investment companies in
the Franklin Group of Funds(R) and the Templeton Group of Funds
FT Services - Franklin Templeton Services, Inc., the Fund's administrator
Investor Services - Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc., the Fund's
shareholder servicing and transfer agent
IRS - Internal Revenue Service
Market Timer(s) - Market Timers generally include market timing or allocation
services, accounts administered so as to buy, sell or exchange shares based on
predetermined market indicators, or any person or group whose transactions seem
to follow a timing pattern.
Moody's - Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
Mutual Series - Franklin Mutual Series Fund Inc., a member of the Franklin Group
of Funds, formerly the Mutual Series Fund Inc. Each series of Mutual Series
began offering three classes of shares on November 1, 1996: Class I, Class II
and Class Z. All shares sold before that time are designated Class Z shares.
NASD - National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Net Asset Value (NAV) - The value of a mutual fund is determined by deducting
the fund's liabilities from the total assets of the portfolio. The net asset
value per share is determined by dividing the net asset value of the fund by the
number of shares outstanding.
NSCC - National Securities Clearing Corporation
Offering Price - The public offering price is based on the Net Asset Value per
share of the class and includes the front-end sales charge, if applicable. The
maximum front-end sales charge is 4.25% for Class I and 1% for Class II. Advisor
Class has no front-end sales charge.
Resources - Franklin Resources, Inc.
SAI - Statement of Additional Information
S&P - Standard & Poor's Corporation
SEC - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Securities Dealer - A financial institution that, either directly or through
affiliates, has an agreement with Distributors to handle customer orders and
accounts with the Fund. This reference is for convenience only and does not
indicate a legal conclusion of capacity.
Templeton Funds - The U.S. registered mutual funds in the Templeton Group of
Funds except Templeton Capital Accumulator Fund, Inc., Templeton Variable
Annuity Fund, and Templeton Variable Products Series Fund
TICI - Templeton Investment Counsel, Inc., the Fund's subadvisor
Trust Company - Franklin Templeton Trust Company. Trust Company is an affiliate
of Distributors and both are wholly owned subsidiaries of Resources.
U.S. - United States
We/Our/Us - Unless the context indicates a different meaning, these terms refer
to the Fund and/or Investor Services, Distributors, or other wholly owned
subsidiaries of Resources.
APPENDIX
DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS
CORPORATE BOND RATINGS
Moody's
Aaa - Bonds rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the
smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as
"gilt-edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or exceptionally stable
margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely
to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the
fundamentally strong position of such issues.
Aa - Bonds rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together
with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high grade bonds.
They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not
be as large, fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude, or
there may be other elements present which make the long-term risks appear
somewhat larger.
A - Bonds rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are
considered upper medium grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal
and interest are considered adequate but elements may be present which suggest a
susceptibility to impairment sometime in the future.
Baa - Bonds rated Baa are considered medium grade obligations. They are neither
highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security
appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking
or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such
bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative
characteristics as well.
Ba - Bonds rated Ba are judged to have predominantly speculative elements and
their future cannot be considered well assured. Often the protection of interest
and principal payments is very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during
both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes
bonds in this class.
B - Bonds rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment.
Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of
the contract over any long period of time may be small.
Caa - Bonds rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or
there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.
Ca - Bonds rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high
degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.
C - Bonds rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and can be regarded as
having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.
Note: Moody's applies numerical modifiers 1, 2 and 3 in each generic rating
classification from Aa through B in its corporate bond ratings. The modifier 1
indicates that the security ranks in the higher end of its generic rating
category; modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and modifier 3 indicates
that the issue ranks in the lower end of its generic rating category.
S&P
AAA - This is the highest rating assigned by S&P to a debt obligation and
indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay principal and interest.
AA - Bonds rated AA also qualify as high-quality debt obligations. Capacity to
pay principal and interest is very strong and, in the majority of instances,
differ from AAA issues only in small degree.
A - Bonds rated A have a strong capacity to pay principal and interest, although
they are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in
circumstances and economic conditions.
BBB - Bonds rated BBB are regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay
principal and interest. Whereas they normally exhibit protection parameters,
adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to
a weakened capacity to pay principal and interest for bonds in this category
than for bonds in the A category.
BB, B, CCC, CC - Bonds rated BB, B, CCC and CC are regarded, on balance, as
predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's capacity to pay interest
and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligations. BB
indicates the lowest degree of speculation and CC the highest degree of
speculation. While such bonds will likely have some quality and protective
characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk
exposures to adverse conditions.
C - Bonds rated C are typically subordinated debt to senior debt that is
assigned an actual or implied CCC- rating. The C rating may also reflect the
filing of a bankruptcy petition under circumstances where debt service payments
are continuing. The C1 rating is reserved for income bonds on which no interest
is being paid.
D - Debt rated D is in default and payment of interest and/or repayment of
principal is in arrears.
FRANKLIN SHORT-
INTERMEDIATE
U.S. GOVERNMENT
SECURITIES FUND -
ADVISOR CLASS
Franklin Investors Securities Trust
STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
JANUARY 1, 1997
777 Mariners Island Blvd., P.O. Box 7777
San Mateo, CA 94403-7777 1-800/DIAL BEN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How does the Fund Invest its Assets? 2
Investment Restrictions........... 3
Officers and Trustees............. 4
Investment Management
and Other Services .............. 8
How does the Fund Buy Securities
For its Portfolio?............... 9
How Do I Buy, Sell and Exchange Shares? 10
How are Fund Shares Valued? ...... 11
Additional Information on
Distributions and Taxes.......... 12
The Fund's Underwriter............ 13
How does the Fund Measure Performance? 14
Miscellaneous Information ........ 16
Financial Statements ............. 17
Useful Terms and Definitions ..... 17
When reading this SAI, you will see certain terms beginning with capital
letters. This means the term is explained under "Useful Terms and Definitions."
Franklin Short-Intermediate U.S. Government Securities Fund (the "Fund") is a
diversified series of Franklin Investors Securities Trust (the "Trust"), an
open-end management investment company. This SAI relates to the Advisor Class
shares of the Fund. The Fund's investment objective is to provide as high a
level of current income as is consistent with prudent investing while seeking
preservation of shareholders' capital. The Fund seeks to achieve its objective
by investing in a portfolio of U.S. government securities with primary emphasis
on securities with remaining maturities of 31/2 years or less.
Advisor Class shares are only available for purchase by certain persons,
including, among others, certain financial institutions (such as banks, trust
companies, savings institutions and credit unions); government and tax-exempt
entities; pension, profit sharing and employee benefit plans; certain qualified
groups, including family trusts, endowments, foundations and corporations;
Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series; and directors, trustees, officers and
full time employees (and their family members) of Franklin Templeton Group and
the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
The Prospectus, dated January 1, 1997, as may be amended from time to time,
contains the basic information you should know before investing in the Fund. For
a free copy, call 1-800/DIAL BEN or write the Fund at the address shown.
THIS SAI IS NOT A PROSPECTUS. IT CONTAINS INFORMATION IN ADDITION TO AND IN MORE
DETAIL THAN SET FORTH IN THE PROSPECTUS. THIS SAI IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE YOU
WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE ACTIVITIES AND OPERATIONS OF THE FUND,
AND SHOULD BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PROSPECTUS.
MUTUAL FUNDS, ANNUITIES, AND OTHER INVESTMENT PRODUCTS:
O ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE
FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY OTHER AGENCY OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT;
O ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR GUARANTEED OR ENDORSED BY ANY BANK;
O ARE SUBJECT TO INVESTMENT RISKS, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF PRINCIPAL.
HOW DOES THE FUND INVEST ITS ASSETS?
The following provides more detailed information about some of the securities
the Fund may buy and its investment policies. You should read it together with
the section in the Prospectus entitled "How does the Fund Invest its Assets?"
The Fund's investments will include obligations of the U.S. government and its
agencies or instrumentalities, some of which, such as Government National
Mortgage Association participation certificates, carry a guarantee backed by the
full faith and credit of the U.S. government. The Fund is designed for
individuals and institutional accounts, such as corporations, banks, savings and
loan associations, trust companies, and other entities.
Credit Union Investment Regulations. This section summarizes the Fund's
investment policies, under which, in the opinion of the Fund and based on the
Fund's understanding of laws and regulations governing investments by federal
credit unions on September 30, 1994, the Fund would be a permissible investment
for federal credit unions. CREDIT UNION INVESTORS ARE ADVISED TO CONSULT THEIR
OWN LEGAL ADVISERS TO DETERMINE WHETHER AND TO WHAT EXTENT THE SHARES OF THE
FUND CONSTITUTE LEGAL INVESTMENTS FOR THEM.
All investments of the Fund will be subject to the following limitations:
(a) The Fund will invest only in (1) obligations of, or securities guaranteed as
to principal and interest by, the U.S. government or its agencies and
instrumentalities, (2) time and savings deposits in financial institutions whose
accounts are insured by the FDIC, and (3) mortgage related securities.
Mortgage-related securities are interests or participations in, or other
securities secured by, first mortgages initiated by state or federally regulated
or HUD-approved lenders, and are rated in one of the two highest rating
categories by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating
organization. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund does not intend to invest in
time and savings deposits or mortgage related securities.
(b) All purchases and sales of securities will be settled on a cash basis within
30 days of the trade date. The Fund, however, may agree to settle a purchase or
sale transaction on a specific date up to 120 days after the trade date if, on
the trade date, the Fund has cash flow projections evidencing its ability to
complete the purchase or the Fund owns the security it has agreed to sell.
(c) Any repurchase agreements, in which the Fund purchased U.S. government
securities subject to resale to a bank or dealer at an agreed-upon price and
date, would be subject to these conditions: the value of the U.S. government
securities will equal or exceed the initial price of the repurchase agreement,
plus interest; and a custodian of the Fund will hold the U.S. government
securities in an account for the benefit of the Fund.
(d) Although the Fund does not currently intend to invest in reverse repurchase
agreements, in the event that the Fund were to engage in such transactions, the
Fund would, in addition to abiding by its fundamental policies and the
regulations of the SEC with respect to borrowing, engage in reverse repurchase
transactions involving only securities with maturity dates earlier than the
closing date of the reverse repurchase agreement.
(e) The Fund will not engage in (1) futures or options transactions; (2) short
sales; or (3) purchases of zero-coupon bonds that mature more than ten years
after the purchase date.
(f) Although the Fund does not intend, as of the date of this SAI, to invest in
derivative mortgage-backed securities, such as collateralized mortgage
obligations ("CMOs") and real estate mortgage investment conduits ("REMICs"),
which represent non-proportional interests ("tranches" or "classes") in pools of
mortgage loans, any investments by the Fund in such securities would be subject
to the following conditions. In general, the Fund may only invest in CMOs or
REMICs that either: (1) based on testing, at the time of purchase and at least
annually thereafter, have an average life that would be extended or shortened by
less than 6 years under modeling scenarios where mortgage commitment rates
immediately rise or fall 300 basis points; or (2) have an adjustable rate which
(i) resets at least annually, (ii) may rise to a maximum allowable rate at least
300 basis points above the rate at the time of purchase, and (iii) adjusts
directly with (rather than inversely to or as a multiple of) the interest rate
index on which it is based. In addition, the Fund may hold derivative
mortgage-backed securities which fail these tests at the time of investment or
at the time of any subsequent test, provided that the securities are held solely
to reduce interest rate risk and that the Fund confirms on a quarterly basis
that the security will reduce the Fund's interest rate risk, using a monitoring
and reporting system that enables the Fund to evaluate the actual and expected
performance of the security under different interest rate scenarios.
Other Policies. There are no restrictions or limitations on investments in
obligations of the U.S., or of corporations chartered by Congress as federal
government instrumentalities. In the case of the Fund, the underlying assets may
be retained in cash, including cash equivalents which are Treasury bills,
commercial paper and short-term bank obligations such as certificates of
deposit, bankers' acceptances and repurchase agreements. It is intended,
however, that only so much of the underlying assets of the Fund be retained in
cash as is deemed desirable or expedient under then-existing market conditions.
Illiquid Securities. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in illiquid
securities, a term which means securities that cannot be disposed of within
seven days in the normal course of business at approximately the amount at which
the Fund has valued the securities and includes, among other things, repurchase
agreements of more than seven days duration, over-the-counter options and the
assets used to cover such options, and other securities which are not readily
marketable. Investments in savings deposits are generally considered illiquid
and will, together with other illiquid investments, not exceed 10% of the Fund's
total net assets. Notwithstanding this limitation, the Board has authorized the
Fund to invest in securities that cannot be offered to the public for sale
without first being registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the
"1933 Act") ("restricted securities"), where such investment is consistent with
the Fund's investment objective and has authorized such securities to be
considered liquid to the extent the investment manager determines that there is
a liquid institutional or other market for such securities. For example,
restricted securities that may be freely transferred among qualified
institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, and for which a
liquid institutional market has developed will be considered liquid even though
such securities have not been registered pursuant to the 1933 Act. The Board
will review any determination by the investment manager to treat a restricted
security as a liquid security on an ongoing basis, including the investment
manager's assessment of current trading activity and the availability of
reliable price information. In determining whether a restricted security is
properly considered a liquid security, the investment manager and the Board will
take into account the following factors: (i) the frequency of trades and quotes
for the security; (ii) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the
security and the number of other potential purchasers; (iii) dealer undertakings
to make a market in the security; and (iv) the nature of the security and the
nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the
security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer). To
the extent the Fund invests in restricted securities that are deemed liquid, the
general level of illiquidity in the Fund may be increased if qualified
institutional buyers become uninterested in purchasing these securities or the
market for these securities contracts. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund has
not purchased and does not intend to purchase illiquid or restricted securities.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Fund has adopted the following restrictions as fundamental policies. These
restrictions may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Under the 1940 Act, this means the
approval of (i) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund or (ii) 67%
or more of the shares of the Fund present at a shareholder meeting if more than
50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are represented at the meeting in
person or by proxy, whichever is less. The Fund may not:
1. Borrow money or mortgage or pledge any of the assets of the Trust, except
that borrowings (and a pledge of assets therefor) for temporary or emergency
purposes may be made from banks in an amount up to 5% of total asset value.
2. Buy any securities on "margin" or sell any securities "short."
3. Lend any funds or other assets, except by the purchase of publicly
distributed bonds, debentures, notes or other debt securities and except that
securities of the Fund may be loaned to securities dealers or other
institutional investors if at least 102% cash collateral is pledged and
maintained by the borrower, provided such loans may not be made if, as a result,
the aggregate of such loans exceeds 10% of the value of the Fund's total assets
at the time of the most recent loan. The entry into repurchase agreements is not
considered a loan for purposes of this restriction.
4. Act as underwriter of securities issued by other persons, except insofar as
the Fund may be technically deemed an underwriter under the federal securities
laws in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities.
5. Invest more than 5% of the value of the gross assets of the Fund in the
securities of any one issuer, but this limitation does not apply to investments
in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or
instrumentalities.
6. Purchase the securities of any issuer which would result in owning more than
10% of any class of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer. To the
extent permitted by exemptions granted under the 1940 Act, the Fund may invest
in shares of money market funds managed by Advisers or its affiliates.
7. Purchase from or sell to its officers and trustees, or any firm of which any
officer or trustee is a member, as principal, any securities, but may deal with
such persons or firms as brokers and pay a customary brokerage commission; or
retain securities of any issuer if, to the knowledge of the Trust, one or more
of its officers, trustees or investment advisor own beneficially more than
one-half of 1% of the securities of such issuer and all such officers and
trustees together own beneficially more than 5% of such securities.
8. Purchase any securities issued by a corporation which has not been in
continuous operation for three years, but such period may include the operation
of a predecessor.
9. Acquire, lease or hold real estate.
10. Invest in commodities and commodity contracts, puts, calls, straddles,
spreads or any combination thereof, or interests in oil, gas or other mineral
exploration or development programs. At present, there are no options listed for
trading on a national securities exchange covering the types of securities which
are appropriate for investment by the Fund and, therefore, there are no option
transactions available for the Fund.
11. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.
12. Purchase securities of other investment companies, except in connection with
a merger, consolidation, acquisition or reorganization; or except to the extent
the Fund invests its uninvested daily cash balances in shares of the Franklin
Money Fund and other money market funds in the Franklin Group of Funds provided
i) its purchases and redemptions of such money fund shares may not be subject to
any purchase or redemption fees, ii) its investments may not be subject to
duplication of management fees, nor to any charge related to the expense of
distributing the Fund's shares (as determined under Rule 12b-1, as amended under
the federal securities laws) and iii) provided aggregate investments by the Fund
in any such money fund do not exceed (A) the greater of (i) 5% of the Fund's
total net assets or (ii) $2.5 million, or (B) more than 3% of the outstanding
shares of any such money fund.
13. Issue senior securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, except that this
restriction will not prevent the Fund from entering into repurchase agreements
or making borrowings, mortgages and pledges as permitted by restriction #1
above.
Restriction No. 9 above does not prevent the Fund from investing in real estate
investment trusts ("REITs") if they meet the investment objective and policies
of the Fund.
If a percentage restriction is met at the time of investment, a later increase
or decrease in the percentage due to a change in value of portfolio securities
or the amount of assets will not be considered a violation of any of the
foregoing restrictions.
OFFICERS AND TRUSTEES
The Board has the responsibility for the overall management of the Fund,
including general supervision and review of its investment activities. The
Board, in turn, elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for
administering the Fund's day-to-day operations. The affiliations of the officers
and Board members and their principal occupations for the past five years are
shown below. Members of the Board who are considered "interested persons" of the
Trust under the 1940 Act are indicated by an asterisk (*).
Positions and Offices Principal Occupation During
Name, Age and Address with the Trust the Past Five Years
Frank H. Abbott, III (75) Trustee
1045 Sansome St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
President and Director, Abbott Corporation (an investment company); and
director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be, of 31 of the
investment companies in the Franklin Group of Funds.
Harris J. Ashton (64) Trustee
General Host Corporation
Metro Center, 1 Station Place
Stamford, CT 06904-2045
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, General Host
Corporation (nursery and craft centers); Director, RBC Holdings, Inc. (a bank
holding company) and Bar-S Foods; and director, trustee or managing general
partner, as the case may be, of 55 of the investment companies in the Franklin
Templeton Group of Funds.
S. Joseph Fortunato (64) Trustee
Park Avenue at Morris County
P. O. Box 1945
Morristown, NJ 07962-1945
Member of the law firm of Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch; Director of General Host
Corporation; director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be,
of 57 of the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
David W. Garbellano (81) Trustee
111 New Montgomery St., #402
San Francisco, CA 94105
Private Investor; Assistant Secretary/Treasurer and Director, Berkeley Science
Corporation (a venture capital company); and director, trustee or managing
general partner, as the case may be, of 30 of the investment companies in the
Franklin Group of Funds.
*Edward B. Jamieson (48) President and
777 Mariners Island Blvd. Trustee
San Mateo, CA 94404
Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; and
officer and/or director or trustee of five of the investment companies in the
Franklin Group of Funds.
*Charles B. Johnson (63) Chairman of the
777 Mariners Island Blvd. Board and
San Mateo, CA 94404 Trustee
President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Chairman of the Board and
Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc. and Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.;
Director, Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc. and General Host
Corporation; and officer and/or director, trustee or managing general partner,
as the case may be, of most other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and
of 56 of the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
*Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. (56) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Trustee
San Mateo, CA 94404
Executive Vice President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc. and Franklin
Templeton Distributors, Inc.; President and Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc.;
Director, Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc.; and officer and/or
director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be, of most other
subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of 60 of the investment companies
in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Frank W. T. LaHaye (67) Trustee
20833 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Suite 102
Cupertino, CA 95014
General Partner, Peregrine Associates and Miller & LaHaye, which are General
Partners of Peregrine Ventures and Peregrine Ventures II (venture capital
firms); Chairman of the Board and Director, Quarterdeck Office Systems, Inc.;
Director, FischerImaging Corporation; and director or trustee or managing
general partner, as the case may be, of 26 of the investment companies in the
Franklin Group of Funds.
Gordon S. Macklin (68) Trustee
8212 Burning Tree Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
Chairman, White River Corporation (financial services); Director, Fund American
Enterprises Holdings, Inc., MCI Communications Corporation, CCC Information
Services Group, Inc. (information services), MedImmune, Inc. (biotechnology),
Source One Mortgage Services Corporation (information services), Shoppers
Express (information services), Spacelab, Inc. (aerospace technology); and
director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be, of 52 of the
investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds; formerly
Chairman, Hambrecht and Quist Group; Director, H & Q Healthcare Investors; and
President, National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Harmon E. Burns (51) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94404
Executive Vice President, Secretary and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.;
Executive Vice President and Director, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.;
Executive Vice President, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; Director, Franklin/Templeton
Investor Services, Inc.; officer and/or director, as the case may be, of other
subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc.; and officer and/or director or trustee
of 60 of the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Kenneth V. Domingues (64) Vice President -
777 Mariners Island Blvd. Financial Reporting
San Mateo, CA 94404 and Accounting Standards
Senior Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc., Franklin Advisers, Inc., and
Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.; officer and/or director, as the case may
be, of other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc.; and officer and/or
managing general partner, as the case may be, of 37 of the investment companies
in the Franklin Group of Funds.
Martin L. Flanagan (36) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Chief
San Mateo, CA 94404 Financial Officer
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Franklin
Resources, Inc.; Executive Vice President, Templeton Worldwide, Inc.; Senior
Vice President and Treasurer, Franklin Advisers, Inc. and Franklin Templeton
Distributors, Inc.; Senior Vice President, Franklin/Templeton Investor Services,
Inc.; officer of most other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc.; and
officer, director and/or trustee of 60 of the investment companies in the
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Deborah R. Gatzek (48) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Secretary
San Mateo, CA 94404
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Senior Vice
President, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.; Vice President, Franklin
Advisers, Inc. and officer of 60 of the investment companies in the Franklin
Templeton Group of Funds.
Charles E. Johnson (40) Vice President
500 East Broward Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33394-3091
Senior Vice President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Senior Vice
President, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.; President and Director,
Templeton Worldwide, Inc. and Franklin Institutional Services Corporation;
officer and/or director, as the case may be, of some of the subsidiaries of
Franklin Resources, Inc. and officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may
be, of 39 the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Diomedes Loo-Tam (57) Treasurer and
777 Mariners Island Blvd. Principal
San Mateo, CA 94404 Accounting Officer
Employee of Franklin Advisers, Inc.; and officer of 37 of the investment
companies in the Franklin Group of Funds.
Edward V. McVey (59) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94404
Senior Vice President/National Sales Manager, Franklin Templeton Distributors,
Inc.; and officer of 32 of the investment companies in the Franklin Group of
Funds.
The table above shows the officers and Board members who are affiliated with
Distributors and Advisers. Nonaffiliated members of the Board are currently paid
$925 per month plus $925 per meeting attended. As shown above, some of the
nonaffiliated Board members also serve as directors, trustees or managing
general partners of other investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group
of Funds. They may receive fees from these funds for their services. The
following table provides the total fees paid to non affiliated Board members by
the Trust and by other funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Number of Boards
Total Fees in the Franklin
Total Fees Received from the Templeton Group
Received from Franklin Templeton of Funds on Which
Name the Trust* Group of Funds** Each Serves***
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank H. Abbott, III.......... $22,200 $162,420 31
Harris J. Ashton ............. 22,200 327,925 55
S. Joseph Fortunato .......... 22,200 344,745 57
David Garbellano ............. 22,200 146,100 30
Frank W.T. LaHaye ............ 22,200 143,200 26
Gordon S. Macklin ............ 22,200 321,525 52
*For the fiscal year ended October 31, 1995.
**For the calendar year ended December 31, 1995.
***We base the number of boards on the number of registered investment companies
in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. This number does not include the total
number of series or funds within each investment company for which the Board
members are responsible. The Franklin Templeton Group of Funds currently
includes 61 registered investment companies, with approximately 171 U.S. based
funds or series.
Nonaffiliated members of the Board are reimbursed for expenses incurred in
connection with attending board meetings, paid pro rata by each fund in the
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds for which they serve as director, trustee or
managing general partner. No officer or Board member received any other
compensation, including pension or retirement benefits, directly or indirectly
from the Fund or other funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. Certain
officers or Board members who are shareholders of Resources may be deemed to
receive indirect remuneration by virtue of their participation, if any, in the
fees paid to its subsidiaries.
As of December 6, 1996, the officers and Board members, as a group, owned of
record and beneficially the following shares of the Fund: Approximately 185
Class I shares, or less than 1% of the total outstanding Class I shares of the
Fund. Many of the Board members also own shares in other funds in the Franklin
Templeton Group of Funds. Charles B. Johnson and Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. are
brothers and the father and uncle, respectively, of Charles E. Johnson.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES
Investment Manager and Services Provided. The Fund's investment manager is
Advisers. Advisers provides investment research and portfolio management
services, including the selection of securities for the Fund to buy, hold or
sell and the selection of brokers through whom the Fund's portfolio transactions
are executed. Advisers' activities are subject to the review and supervision of
the Board to whom Advisers renders periodic reports of the Fund's investment
activities. Advisers is covered by fidelity insurance on its officers, directors
and employees for the protection of the Fund.
Advisers and its affiliates act as investment manager to numerous other
investment companies and accounts. Advisers may give advice and take action with
respect to any of the other funds it manages, or for its own account, that may
differ from action taken by Advisers on behalf of the Fund. Similarly, with
respect to the Fund, Advisers is not obligated to recommend, buy or sell, or to
refrain from recommending, buying or selling any security that Advisers and
access persons, as defined by the 1940 Act, may buy or sell for its or their own
account or for the accounts of any other fund. Advisers is not obligated to
refrain from investing in securities held by the Fund or other funds that it
manages. Of course, any transactions for the accounts of Advisers and other
access persons will be made in compliance with the Fund's Code of Ethics. Please
see "Miscellaneous Information Summary of Code of Ethics."
Management Fees. Under its management agreement, the Fund pays Advisers a
management fee equal to a monthly rate of 5/96 of 1% (approximately 5/8 of 1%
per year) for the first $100 million of net assets of the Fund; 1/24 of 1%
(approximately 1/2 of 1% per year) on net assets of the Fund in excess of $100
million up to $250 million; and 9/240 of 1% (approximately 45/100 of 1% per
year) of net assets of the Fund in excess of $250 million. The fee is computed
at the close of business on the last business day of each month. Each class pays
its proportionate share of the management fee.
The Manager has agreed in advance to waive a portion of its management fees. For
the last three fiscal years, the management fees, before any advance waiver, and
the amounts paid by the Fund were as follows:
Fiscal Year Ended October 31:
Management Management
Fees Before Fees
Fund Waiver Paid
- ---------------------------------------------
1995 ............ $1,187,800 $1,187,800
1994 ............ 1,370,071 1,308,206
1993*............ 1,058,133 897,620
*Covers a nine-month period only due to a change in the Trust's fiscal year end.
Management Agreement. The management agreement is in effect until February 28,
1997. It may continue in effect for successive annual periods if its continuance
is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the Board or by a vote
of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities, and in
either event by a majority vote of the Board members who are not parties to the
management agreement or interested persons of any such party (other than as
members of the Board), cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose. The
management agreement may be terminated without penalty at any time by the Board
or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting
securities, or by Advisers on 30 days' written notice, and will automatically
terminate in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act.
Administrative Services. Under an agreement with Advisers, FT Services provides
certain administrative services and facilities for the Fund. These include
preparing and maintaining books, records, and tax and financial reports, and
monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements. FT Services is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Resources.
Under its administration agreement, Advisers pays FT Services a monthly
administration fee equal to an annual rate of 0.15% of the Fund's average daily
net assets up to $200 million, 0.135% of average daily net assets over $200
million up to $700 million, 0.10% of average daily net assets over $700 million
up to $1.2 billion, and 0.075% of average daily net assets over $1.2 billion.
The fee is paid by Advisers. It is not a separate expense of the Fund.
Shareholder Servicing Agent. Investor Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Resources, is the Fund's shareholder servicing agent and acts as the Fund's
transfer agent and dividend-paying agent. Investor Services is compensated on
the basis of a fixed fee per account.
Custodians. Bank of New York, Mutual Funds Division, 90 Washington Street, New
York, New York, 10286, acts as custodian of the securities and other assets of
the Fund. Bank of America NT & SA, 555 California Street, 4th Floor, San
Francisco, California 94104, acts as custodian for cash received in connection
with the purchase of Fund shares. Citibank Delaware, One Penn's Way, New Castle,
Delaware 19720, acts as custodian in connection with transfer services through
bank automated clearing houses. The custodians do not participate in decisions
relating to the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.
Auditors. Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., 333 Market Street, San Francisco, California
94105, are the Fund's independent auditors. During the fiscal year ended October
31, 1995, their auditing services consisted of rendering an opinion on the
financial statements of the Fund included in the Trust's Annual Report to
Shareholders for the fiscal year ended October 31, 1995. Advisor Class shares of
the Fund were not offered to the public before January 1, 1997.
HOW DOES THE FUND BUY
SECURITIES FOR ITS PORTFOLIO?
The selection of brokers and dealers to execute transactions in the Fund's
portfolio is made by Advisers in accordance with criteria set forth in the
management agreement and any directions that the Board may give.
When placing a portfolio transaction, Advisers seeks to obtain prompt execution
of orders at the most favorable net price. When portfolio transactions are done
on a securities exchange, the amount of commission paid by the Fund is
negotiated between Advisers and the broker executing the transaction. The
determination and evaluation of the reasonableness of the brokerage commissions
paid in connection with portfolio transactions are based to a large degree on
the professional opinions of the persons responsible for the placement and
review of the transactions. These opinions are based on the experience of these
individuals in the securities industry and information available to them about
the level of commissions being paid by other institutional investors of
comparable size. Advisers will ordinarily place orders to buy and sell
over-the-counter securities on a principal rather than agency basis with a
principal market maker unless, in the opinion of Advisers, a better price and
execution can otherwise be obtained. Purchases of portfolio securities from
underwriters will include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the
underwriter, and purchases from dealers will include a spread between the bid
and ask price.
The amount of commission is not the only factor Advisers considers in the
selection of a broker to execute a trade. If Advisers believes it is in the
Fund's best interest, Advisers may place portfolio transactions with brokers who
provide the types of services described below, even if it means the Fund will
pay a higher commission than if no weight were given to the broker's furnishing
of these services. This will be done only if, in the opinion of Advisers, the
amount of any additional commission is reasonable in relation to the value of
the services. Higher commissions will be paid only when the brokerage and
research services received are bona fide and produce a direct benefit to the
Fund or assist Advisers in carrying out its responsibilities to the Fund, or
when it is otherwise in the best interest of the Fund to do so, whether or not
such services may also be useful to Advisers in advising other clients.
When Advisers believes several brokers are equally able to provide the best net
price and execution, it may decide to execute transactions through brokers who
provide quotations and other services to the Fund, in an amount of total
brokerage as may reasonably be required in light of these services.
Specifically, these services may include providing the quotations necessary to
determine the Fund's Net Asset Value as well as research, statistical and other
data.
It is not possible to place a dollar value on the special executions or on the
research services received by Advisers from dealers effecting transactions in
portfolio securities. The allocation of transactions in order to obtain
additional research services permits Advisers to supplement its own research and
analysis activities and to receive the views and information of individuals and
research staff of other securities firms. As long as it is lawful and
appropriate to do so, Advisers and its affiliates may use this research and data
in their investment advisory capacities with other clients. If the Fund's
officers are satisfied that the best execution is obtained, consistent with
internal policies, the sale of Fund shares, as well as shares of other funds in
the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, may also be considered a factor in the
selection of broker-dealers to execute the Fund's portfolio transactions.
Because Distributors is a member of the NASD, it may sometimes receive certain
fees when the Fund tenders portfolio securities pursuant to a tender-offer
solicitation. As a means of recapturing brokerage for the benefit of the Fund,
any portfolio securities tendered by the Fund will be tendered through
Distributors if it is legally permissible to do so. In turn, the next management
fee payable to Advisers will be reduced by the amount of any fees received by
Distributors in cash, less any costs and expenses incurred in connection with
the tender.
If purchases or sales of securities of the Fund and one or more other investment
companies or clients supervised by Advisers are considered at or about the same
time, transactions in these securities will be allocated among the several
investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all by
Advisers, taking into account the respective sizes of the funds and the amount
of securities to be purchased or sold. In some cases this procedure could have a
detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is
concerned. In other cases it is possible that the ability to participate in
volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be
beneficial to the Fund.
During the fiscal years ended October 31, 1993, 1994 and 1995, the Fund paid no
brokerage commissions.
As of October 31, 1995, the Fund did not own any securities issued by its
regular broker-dealers.
HOW DO I BUY, SELL AND EXCHANGE SHARES?
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BUYING SHARES
Securities laws of states where the Fund offers its shares may differ from
federal law. Banks and financial institutions that sell shares of the Fund may
be required by state law to register as Securities Dealers.
When you buy shares, if you submit a check or a draft that is returned unpaid to
the Fund, we may impose a $10 charge against your account for each returned
item.
Distributors and/or its affiliates provide financial support to various
Securities Dealers that sell shares of the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
This support is based primarily on the amount of sales of fund shares. The
amount of support may be affected by: total sales; net sales; levels of
redemptions; the proportion of a Securities Dealer's sales and marketing efforts
in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds; a Securities Dealer's support of, and
participation in, Distributors' marketing programs; a Securities Dealer's
compensation programs for its registered representatives; and the extent of a
Securities Dealer's marketing programs relating to the Franklin Templeton Group
of Funds. Financial support to Securities Dealers may be made by payments from
Distributors' resources, from Distributors' retention of underwriting
concessions and, in the case of funds that have Rule 12b-1 plans, from payments
to Distributors under such plans. In addition, certain Securities Dealers may
receive brokerage commissions generated by fund portfolio transactions in
accordance with the NASD's rules.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EXCHANGING SHARES
If you request the exchange of the total value of your account, accrued but
unpaid income dividends and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in the
Fund at the Net Asset Value on the date of the exchange, and then the entire
share balance will be exchanged into the new fund. Backup withholding and
information reporting may apply. Information regarding the possible tax
consequences of an exchange is included in the tax section in this SAI and in
the Prospectus.
If a substantial number of shareholders should, within a short period, sell
their shares of the Fund under the exchange privilege, the Fund might have to
sell portfolio securities it might otherwise hold and incur the additional costs
related to such transactions. On the other hand, increased use of the exchange
privilege may result in periodic large inflows of money. If this occurs, it is
the Fund's general policy to initially invest this money in short-term,
interest-bearing money market instruments, unless it is believed that attractive
investment opportunities consistent with the Fund's investment objectives exist
immediately. This money will then be withdrawn from the short-term money market
instruments and invested in portfolio securities in as orderly a manner as is
possible when attractive investment opportunities arise.
The proceeds from the sale of shares of an investment company are generally not
available until the fifth business day following the sale. The funds you are
seeking to exchange into may delay issuing shares pursuant to an exchange until
that fifth business day. The sale of Fund shares to complete an exchange will be
effected at Net Asset Value at the close of business on the day the request for
exchange is received in proper form. Please see "May I Exchange Shares for
Shares of Another Fund?" in the Prospectus.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON SELLING SHARES
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. There are no service charges for establishing or
maintaining a systematic withdrawal plan. Once your plan is established, any
distributions paid by the Fund will be automatically reinvested in your account.
Payments under the plan will be made from the redemption of an equivalent amount
of shares in your account, generally on the first business day of the month in
which a payment is scheduled before February 1997 and on the 25th day of the
month beginning with your February 1997 payment. If the 25th falls on a weekend
or holiday, we will process the redemption on the prior business day.
Redeeming shares through a systematic withdrawal plan may reduce or exhaust the
shares in your account if payments exceed distributions received from the Fund.
This is especially likely to occur if there is a market decline. If a withdrawal
amount exceeds the value of your account, your account will be closed and the
remaining balance in your account will be sent to you. Because the amount
withdrawn under the plan may be more than your actual yield or income, part of
the payment may be a return of your investment.
The Fund may discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan by notifying you in
writing and will automatically discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan if all
shares in your account are withdrawn or if the Fund receives notification of the
shareholder's death or incapacity.
Through Your Securities Dealer. If you sell shares through your Securities
Dealer, it is your dealer's responsibility to transmit the order to the Fund in
a timely fashion. Any loss to you resulting from your dealer's failure to do so
must be settled between you and your Securities Dealer.
Redemptions in Kind. The Fund has committed itself to pay in cash (by check) all
requests for redemption by any shareholder of record, limited in amount,
however, during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the value
of the Fund's net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period. This commitment
is irrevocable without the prior approval of the SEC. In the case of redemption
requests in excess of these amounts, the Board reserves the right to make
payments in whole or in part in securities or other assets of the Fund, in case
of an emergency, or if the payment of such a redemption in cash would be
detrimental to the existing shareholders of the Fund. In these circumstances,
the securities distributed would be valued at the price used to compute the
Fund's net assets and you may incur brokerage fees in converting the securities
to cash. The Fund does not intend to redeem illiquid securities in kind. If this
happens, however, you may not be able to recover your investment in a timely
manner.
GENERAL INFORMATION
If dividend checks are returned to the Fund marked "unable to forward" by the
postal service, we will consider this a request by you to change your dividend
option to reinvest all distributions. The proceeds will be reinvested in
additional shares at Net Asset Value until we receive new instructions.
If mail is returned as undeliverable or we are unable to locate you or verify
your current mailing address, we may deduct the costs of our efforts to find you
from your account. These costs may include a percentage of the account when a
search company charges a percentage fee in exchange for its location services.
All checks, drafts, wires and other payment mediums used to buy or sell shares
of the Fund must be denominated in U.S. dollars. We may, in our sole discretion,
either (a) reject any order to buy or sell shares denominated in any other
currency or (b) honor the transaction or make adjustments to your account for
the transaction as of a date and with a foreign currency exchange factor
determined by the drawee bank.
Special Services. The Franklin Templeton Institutional Services Department
provides specialized services, including recordkeeping, for institutional
investors. The cost of these services is not borne by the Fund.
Investor Services may pay certain financial institutions that maintain omnibus
accounts with the Fund on behalf of numerous beneficial owners for recordkeeping
operations performed with respect to such owners. For each beneficial owner in
the omnibus account, the Fund may reimburse Investor Services an amount not to
exceed the per account fee that the Fund normally pays Investor Services. These
financial institutions may also charge a fee for their services directly to
their clients.
Certain shareholder servicing agents may be authorized to accept your
transaction request.
HOW ARE FUND SHARES VALUED?
We calculate the Net Asset Value per share of each class as of the scheduled
close of the NYSE generally 1:00 p.m. Pacific time, each day that the NYSE is
open for trading. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund is informed that the NYSE
observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday,
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
For the purpose of determining the aggregate net assets of the Fund, cash and
receivables are valued at their realizable amounts. Interest is recorded as
accrued and dividends are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Portfolio securities
listed on a securities exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System for
which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last quoted sale
price of the day or, if there is no such reported sale, within the range of the
most recent quoted bid and ask prices. Over-the-counter portfolio securities are
valued within the range of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices. Portfolio
securities that are traded both in the over-the-counter market and on a stock
exchange are valued according to the broadest and most representative market as
determined by Advisers.
Generally, trading in U.S. government securities and money market instruments is
substantially completed each day at various times before the scheduled close of
the NYSE. The value of these securities used in computing the Net Asset Value of
each class is determined as of such times. Occasionally, events affecting the
values of these securities may occur between the times at which they are
determined and the scheduled close of the NYSE that will not be reflected in the
computation of the Net Asset Value of each class. If events materially affecting
the values of these securities occur during this period, the securities will be
valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by the Board.
Other securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at
the current market price, which may be obtained from a pricing service, based on
a variety of factors including recent trades, institutional size trading in
similar types of securities (considering yield, risk and maturity) and/or
developments related to specific issues. Securities and other assets for which
market prices are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined
following procedures approved by the Board. With the approval of the Board, the
Fund may utilize a pricing service, bank or Securities Dealer to perform any of
the above described functions.
Additional Information on
Distributions and Taxes
DISTRIBUTIONS
You may receive two types of distributions from the Fund:
1. Income dividends. The Fund receives income generally in the form of
dividends, interest and other income derived from its investments. This income,
less the expenses incurred in the Fund's operations, is its net investment
income from which income dividends may be distributed. Thus, the amount of
dividends paid per share may vary with each distribution.
2. Capital gain distributions. The Fund may derive capital gains or losses in
connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities.
Distributions by the Fund derived from net short-term and net long-term capital
gains (after taking into account any capital loss carryforward or post October
loss deferral) may generally be made once a year in December to reflect any net
short-term and net long-term capital gains realized by the Fund as of October 31
of the current fiscal year and any undistributed capital gains from the prior
fiscal year. The Fund may make more than one distribution derived from net
short-term and net long-term capital gains in any year or adjust the timing of
these distributions for operational or other reasons.
TAXES
As stated in the Prospectus, the Fund has elected and qualified to be treated as
a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. The Board
reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated
investment company if it determines this course of action to be beneficial to
shareholders. In that case, the Fund will be subject to federal and possibly
state corporate taxes on its taxable income and gains, and distributions to
shareholders will be taxable to the extent of the Fund's available earnings and
profits.
The Code requires all funds to distribute at least 98% of their taxable ordinary
income earned during the calendar year and at least 98% of their capital gain
net income earned during the twelve month period ending October 31 of each year
(in addition to amounts from the prior year that were neither distributed nor
taxed to the Fund) to shareholders by December 31 of each year in order to avoid
the imposition of a federal excise tax. The Fund intends as a matter of policy
to declare such dividends, if any, in December and to pay these dividends in
December or January to avoid the imposition of this tax, but do not guarantee
that their distributions will be sufficient to avoid any or all federal excise
taxes.
Redemptions and exchanges of Fund shares are taxable transactions for federal
and state income tax purposes. For most shareholders, gain or loss will be
recognized in an amount equal to the difference between your basis in the shares
and the amount realized from the transaction, subject to the rules described
below. If such shares are a capital asset in the hands of the shareholder, gain
or loss will be capital gain or loss and will be long-term for federal income
tax purposes if the shares have been held for more than one year.
All or a portion of a loss realized upon a redemption of shares will be
disallowed to the extent other shares of the Fund are purchased (through
reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after such
redemption. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to the tax basis
of the shares purchased.
All or a portion of the sales charge incurred in purchasing shares of the Fund
will not be included in the federal tax basis of such shares sold or exchanged
within ninety (90) days of their purchase (for purposes of determining gain or
loss with respect to such shares) if the sales proceeds are reinvested in the
Fund or in another fund in the Franklin Templeton Funds and a sales charge which
would otherwise apply to the reinvestment is reduced or eliminated. Any portion
of such sales charge excluded from the tax basis of the shares sold will be
added to the tax basis of the shares acquired in the reinvestment. You should
consult with your tax advisor concerning the tax rules applicable to the
redemption or exchange of Fund shares.
Gain realized by the Fund from transactions that are deemed to constitute
"conversion transactions" under the Code and which would otherwise produce
capital gain may be recharacterized as ordinary income to the extent that such
gain does not exceed an amount defined by the Code as the "applicable imputed
income amount". A conversion transaction is any transaction in which
substantially all of the Fund's expected return is attributable to the time
value of the Fund's net investment in such transaction and any one of the
following criteria are met: 1) there is an acquisition of property with a
substantially contemporaneous agreement to sell the same or substantially
identical property in the future; 2) the transaction is an applicable straddle;
3) the transaction was marketed or sold to the Fund on the basis that it would
have the economic characteristics of a loan but would be taxed as capital gain;
or 4) the transaction is specified in Treasury regulations to be promulgated in
the future. The applicable imputed income amount, which represents the deemed
return on the conversion transaction based upon the time value of money, is
computed using a yield equal to 120 percent of the applicable federal rate,
reduced by any prior recharacterizations under this provision or Section 263(g)
of the Code concerning capitalized carrying costs.
The Fund may purchase securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government,
its agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage
Association, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury.
The Government National Mortgage Association may borrow from the U.S. Treasury
to the extent needed to make payments under its guarantee. No assurances can be
given, however, that the U.S. government will provide financial support to the
obligations of the other U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities in which
the Fund invests, since it is not obligated to do so. These agencies and
instrumentalities are supported by either the issuer's right to borrow an amount
limited to a specific line of credit from the U.S. Treasury, the discretionary
authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of an agency or
instrumentality, or the credit of the agency or instrumentality.
THE FUND'S UNDERWRITER
Pursuant to an underwriting agreement, Distributors acts as principal
underwriter in a continuous public offering for each class of the Fund's shares.
The underwriting agreement will continue in effect for successive annual periods
if its continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the
Board or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting
securities, and in either event by a majority vote of the Board members who are
not parties to the underwriting agreement or interested persons of any such
party (other than as members of the Board), cast in person at a meeting called
for that purpose. The underwriting agreement terminates automatically in the
event of its assignment and may be terminated by either party on 90 days'
written notice.
Distributors pays the expenses of the distribution of Fund shares, including
advertising expenses and the costs of printing sales material and prospectuses
used to offer shares to the public. The Fund pays the expenses of preparing and
printing amendments to its registration statements and prospectuses (other than
those necessitated by the activities of Distributors) and of sending
prospectuses to existing shareholders.
Distributors will not receive compensation from the Fund for acting as
underwriter with respect to the Advisor Class shares.
HOW DOES THE FUND MEASURE PERFORMANCE?
Performance quotations are subject to SEC rules. These rules require the use of
standardized performance quotations or, alternatively, that every
non-standardized performance quotation furnished by the Fund be accompanied by
certain standardized performance information computed as required by the SEC.
Current yield and average annual total return quotations used by the Fund are
based on the standardized methods of computing performance mandated by the SEC.
If a Rule 12b-1 plan is adopted, performance figures reflect fees from the date
of the plan's implementation. An explanation of these and other methods used by
the Fund to compute or express performance for the Advisor Class shares follows.
For any period prior to January 1, 1997, the standardized performance quotations
for Advisor Class will be calculated by substituting the performance of Class I
for the relevant time period, and excluding the effect of the maximum sales
charge and including the effect of Rule 12b-1 fees applicable to Class I.
Regardless of the method used, past performance does not guarantee future
results, and is an indication of the return to shareholders only for the limited
historical period used.
TOTAL RETURN
Average Annual Total Return. Average annual total return is determined by
finding the average annual rates of return over one-, five- and ten-year periods
that would equate an initial hypothetical $1,000 investment to its ending
redeemable value. The calculation assumes income dividends and capital gain
distributions are reinvested at Net Asset Value. The quotation assumes the
account was completely redeemed at the end of each one-, five- and ten-year
period and the deduction of all applicable charges and fees. The average annual
total return for Advisor Class shares for the one- and five-year periods ended
April 30, 1996, would have been 6.33% and 6.33% and for the period from
inception (April 15, 1987) to April 30, 1996, would have been 7.11%.
These rates of return will be calculated according to the SEC formula:
n
P(1+T) = ERV
where:
P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000
T = average annual total return
n = number of years
ERV =ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the
beginning of the one-, five- or ten-year periods at the end of the one-, five-
or ten-year periods
Cumulative Total Return. The Fund may also quote the cumulative total return for
each class, in addition to the average annual total return. These quotations are
computed the same way, except the cumulative total return will be based on the
actual return for each class for a specified period rather than on the average
return over one-, five- and ten-year periods. The cumulative total return for
the Advisor Class shares for the one- and five-year periods ended April 30,
1996, would have been 6.33% and 35.94% and for the period from inception (April
15, 1987) to April 30, 1996, would have been 86.25%.
YIELD
Current Yield. Current yield of each class shows the income per share earned by
the Fund. It is calculated by dividing the net investment income per share of
each class earned during a 30-day base period by the Net Asset Value per share
on the last day of the period and annualizing the result. Expenses accrued for
the period include any fees charged to all shareholders of the class during the
base period. The yield for the 30-day period ended April 30, 1996, for the
Advisor Class shares would have been 5.05%.
This figure will be obtained using the following SEC formula:
6
Yield = 2 [(a-b + 1) - 1]
----
cd
where:
a = dividends and interest earned during the period
b = expenses accrued for the period (net of reimbursements)
c = the average daily number of shares outstanding during the period that were
entitled to receive dividends
d = the Net Asset Value per share on the last day of the period
CURRENT DISTRIBUTION RATE
Current yield which is calculated according to a formula prescribed by the SEC,
is not indicative of the amounts which were or will be paid to shareholders of a
class. Amounts paid to shareholders are reflected in the quoted current
distribution rate. For Advisor Class, the current distribution rate is usually
computed by annualizing the dividends paid per share by the class during a
certain period and dividing that amount by the current Net Asset Value. The
current distribution rate differs from the current yield computation because it
may include distributions to shareholders from sources other than dividends and
interest, such as premium income from option writing and short-term capital
gains and is calculated over a different period of time. The current
distribution rate for the 30 day period ended April 30, 1996, for the Advisor
Class shares would have been 5.51%.
VOLATILITY
Occasionally statistics may be used to show the Fund's volatility or risk.
Measures of volatility or risk are generally used to compare the Fund's Net
Asset Value or performance to a market index. One measure of volatility is beta.
Beta is the volatility of a fund relative to the total market, as represented by
an index considered representative of the types of securities in which the fund
invests. A beta of more than 1.00 indicates volatility greater than the market
and a beta of less than 1.00 indicates volatility less than the market. Another
measure of volatility or risk is standard deviation. Standard deviation is used
to measure variability of Net Asset Value or total return around an average over
a specified period of time. The idea is that greater volatility means greater
risk undertaken in achieving performance.
OTHER PERFORMANCE QUOTATIONS
For any period prior to January 1, 1997, sales literature about Advisor Class
may quote a current distribution rate, yield, cumulative total return, average
annual total return and other measures of performance as described elsewhere in
this SAI by substituting the performance of Class I for the relevant time period
and excluding the effect of the maximum sales charge and Rule 12b-1 fees
applicable to Class I.
Sales literature referring to the use of the Fund as a potential investment for
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Business Retirement Plans, and other
tax-advantaged retirement plans may quote a total return based upon compounding
of dividends on which it is presumed no federal income tax applies.
The Fund may include in its advertising or sales material information relating
to investment objectives and performance results of funds belonging to the
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. Resources is the parent company of the
advisors and underwriter of both the Franklin Group of Funds and Templeton Group
of Funds.
COMPARISONS
To help you better evaluate how an investment in the Fund may satisfy your
investment objective, advertisements and other materials about the Fund may
discuss certain measures of each class' performance as reported by various
financial publications. Materials may also compare performance (as calculated
above) to performance as reported by other investments, indices, and averages.
These comparisons may include, but are not limited to, the following examples:
a) Lipper - Mutual Fund Performance Analysis and Lipper - Fixed Income Fund
Performance Analysis - measure total return and average current yield for the
mutual fund industry and rank individual mutual fund performance over specified
time periods, assuming reinvestment of all distributions, exclusive of any
applicable sales charges.
b) CDA Mutual Fund Report, published by CDA Investment Technologies, Inc. -
analyzes price, current yield, risk, total return, and average rate of return
(average annual compounded growth rate) over specified time periods for the
mutual fund industry.
c) Mutual Fund Source Book, published by Morningstar, Inc. - analyzes price,
yield, risk, and total return for mutual funds.
d) Financial publications: The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Changing
Times, Financial World, Forbes, Fortune and Money magazines - provide
performance statistics over specified time periods.
e) Consumer Price Index (or Cost of Living Index), published by the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics - a statistical measure of change, over time, in the price
of goods and services in major expenditure groups.
f) Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation, published by Ibbotson Associates
historical measure of yield, price, and total return for common and small
company stock, long-term government bonds, Treasury bills, and inflation.
g) Savings and Loan Historical Interest Rates - as published in the U.S. Savings
& Loan League Fact Book.
h) Salomon Brothers Broad Bond Index or its component indices - the Broad Bond
Index measures yield, price, and total return for Treasury, Agency, Corporate
and Mortgage bonds.
i) Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index or its component indices - the Aggregate
Bond Index measures yield, price and total return for Treasury, Agency,
Corporate, Mortgage and Yankee bonds.
j) Standard & Poor's Bond Indices - measure yield and price of Corporate,
Municipal and Government bonds.
k) Other taxable investments, including certificates of deposit (CDs), money
market deposit accounts (MMDAs), checking accounts, savings accounts, money
market mutual funds and repurchase agreements.
l) Historical data supplied by the research departments of First Boston
Corporation, the J.P. Morgan companies, Salomon Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Lehman
Brothers and Bloomberg L.P.
m) Donoghue's Money Fund Report - industry averages for seven-day annualized and
compounded yields of taxable, tax-free and government money funds.
n) Morningstar - information published by Morningstar, Inc., including
Morningstar proprietary mutual fund ratings. The ratings reflect Morningstar's
assessment of the historical risk adjusted performance of a fund over specified
time periods relative to other funds within its category.
From time to time, advertisements or information for the Fund may include a
discussion of certain attributes or benefits to be derived from an investment in
the Fund. The advertisements or information may include symbols, headlines, or
other material that highlights or summarizes the information discussed in more
detail in the communication.
Advertisements or information may also compare the performance of Advisor Class
to the return on CDs or other investments. You should be aware, however, that an
investment in the Fund involves the risk of fluctuation of principal value, a
risk generally not present in an investment in a CD issued by a bank. For
example, as the general level of interest rates rise, the value of the Fund's
fixed-income investments, as well as the value of its shares that are based upon
the value of such portfolio investments, can be expected to decrease.
Conversely, when interest rates decrease, the value of the Fund's shares can be
expected to increase. CDs are frequently insured by an agency of the U.S.
government. An investment in the Fund is not insured by any federal, state or
private entity.
In assessing comparisons of performance, you should keep in mind that the
composition of the investments in the reported indices and averages is not
identical to the Fund's portfolio, the indices and averages are generally
unmanaged, and the items included in the calculations of the averages may not be
identical to the formula used by the Fund to calculate its figures. In addition,
there can be no assurance that the Fund will continue its performance as
compared to these other averages.
In promoting the sale of Fund shares, advertisements or information for the Fund
may also include quotes from Benjamin Franklin, especially Poor Richard's
Almanac.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
The Fund may help you achieve various investment goals such as accumulating
money for retirement, saving for a down payment on a home, college costs and
other long-term goals. The Franklin College Costs Planner may help you in
determining how much money must be invested on a monthly basis in order to have
a projected amount available in the future to fund a child's college education.
(Projected college cost estimates are based upon current costs published by the
College Board.) The Franklin Retirement Planning Guide leads you through the
steps to start a retirement savings program. Of course, an investment in the
Fund cannot guarantee that these goals will be met.
The Fund is a member of the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, one of the
largest mutual fund organizations in the U.S., and may be considered in a
program for diversification of assets. Founded in 1947, Franklin, one of the
oldest mutual fund organizations, has managed mutual funds for over 48 years and
now services more than 2.5 million shareholder accounts. In 1992, Franklin, a
leader in managing fixed-income mutual funds and an innovator in creating
domestic equity funds, joined forces with Templeton Worldwide, Inc., a pioneer
in international investing. Together, the Franklin Templeton Group has over $152
billion in assets under management for more than 4.2 million U.S. based mutual
fund shareholder and other accounts. The Franklin Templeton Group of Funds
offers 124 U.S. based open-end investment companies to the public. The Fund may
identify itself by its NASDAQ symbol or CUSIP number.
The Dalbar Surveys, Inc. broker-dealer survey has ranked Franklin number one in
service quality for five of the past eight years.
The Fund is eligible for investment by the National Marine Fisheries Service
Capital Construction Funds.
From time to time, the number of Fund shares held in the "street name" accounts
of various Securities Dealers for the benefit of their clients or in centralized
securities depositories may exceed 5% of the total shares outstanding. To the
best knowledge of the Fund, no other person holds beneficially or of record more
than 5% of the Fund's outstanding Advisor Class shares.
As a shareholder of a Massachusetts business trust, you could, under certain
circumstances, be held personally liable as a partner for its obligations. The
Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, however, contains an express
disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Trust. The
Declaration of Trust also provides for indemnification and reimbursement of
expenses out of the Trust's assets if you are held personally liable for
obligations of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trust
shall, upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against you for any
act or obligation of the Trust and satisfy any judgment thereon. All such rights
are limited to the assets of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust further
provides that the Trust may maintain appropriate insurance (for example,
fidelity bonding and errors and omissions insurance) for the protection of the
Fund, its shareholders, trustees, officers, employees and agents to cover
possible tort and other liabilities. Furthermore, the activities of the Trust as
an investment company, as distinguished from an operating company, would not
likely give rise to liabilities in excess of the Trust's total assets. Thus, the
risk of you incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is
limited to the unlikely circumstances in which both inadequate insurance exists
and the Trust itself is unable to meet its obligations.
In the event of disputes involving multiple claims of ownership or authority to
control your account, the Fund has the right (but has no obligation) to: (a)
freeze the account and require the written agreement of all persons deemed by
the Fund to have a potential property interest in the account, prior to
executing instructions regarding the account; (b) interplead disputed funds or
accounts with a court of competent jurisdiction; or (c) surrender ownership of
all or a portion of the account to the IRS in response to a Notice of Levy.
Summary of Code of Ethics. Employees of Resources or its subsidiaries who are
access persons under the 1940 Act are permitted to engage in personal securities
transactions subject to the following general restrictions and procedures: (i)
the trade must receive advance clearance from a compliance officer and must be
completed within 24 hours after clearance; (ii) copies of all brokerage
confirmations must be sent to a compliance officer and, within 10 days after the
end of each calendar quarter, a report of all securities transactions must be
provided to the compliance officer; and (iii) access persons involved in
preparing and making investment decisions must, in addition to (i) and (ii)
above, file annual reports of their securities holdings each January and inform
the compliance officer (or other designated personnel) if they own a security
that is being considered for a fund or other client transaction or if they are
recommending a security in which they have an ownership interest for purchase or
sale by a fund or other client.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements contained in the Annual Report to Shareholders
of the Trust, for the fiscal year ended October 31, 1995, including the
auditors' report, and the unaudited financial statement contained in the
Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders of the Trust, for the period ended April 30,
1996, are incorporated herein by reference. These financial statements do not
include information for Advisor Class as these shares were not publicly offered
prior to the date of this SAI.
USEFUL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
1940 Act - Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
Advisers - Franklin Advisers, Inc., the Fund's investment manager
Board - The Board of Trustees of the Trust
CD - Certificate of deposit
Class I and Advisor Class - The Fund offers two classes of shares, designated
"Class I" and "Advisor Class." The two classes have proportionate interests in
the Fund's portfolio. Class I shares are purchased with a sales charge and have
a Rule 12b-1 plan. Advisor Class shares are purchased without a sales charge and
do not have a Rule 12b-1 plan.
Code - Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
Distributors - Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc., the Fund's principal
underwriter
Franklin Funds - The mutual funds in the Franklin Group of Funds(R) except
Franklin Valuemark Funds and the Franklin Government Securities Trust
Franklin Templeton Funds - The Franklin Funds and the Templeton Funds
Franklin Templeton Group - Franklin Resources, Inc., a publicly owned holding
company, and its various subsidiaries
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds - All U.S. registered investment companies in
the Franklin Group of Funds(R) and the Templeton Group of Funds
FT Services - Franklin Templeton Services, Inc., the Fund's administrator
Investor Services - Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc., the Fund's
shareholder servicing and transfer agent
IRS - Internal Revenue Service
Mutual Series - Franklin Mutual Series Fund Inc., a member of the Franklin Group
of Funds, formerly the Mutual Series Fund. Each series of Mutual Series began
offering three classes of shares on November 1, 1996; Class I, Class II and
Class Z. All shares sold before that time are designated Class Z shares.
NASD - National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Net Asset Value (NAV) - The value of a mutual fund is determined by deducting
the fund's liabilities from the total assets of the portfolio. The net asset
value per share is determined by dividing the net asset value of the fund by the
number of shares outstanding.
NYSE - New York Stock Exchange
Offering Price - The public offering price is based on the Net Asset Value per
share of the class and includes the front-end sales charge, if applicable. The
maximum front-end sales charge is 2.25% for Class I. Advisor Class shares have
no front-end sales charge.
Prospectus - The prospectus for Advisor Class of the Fund dated January 1, 1997,
as may be amended from time to time
Resources - Franklin Resources, Inc.
SAI - Statement of Additional Information
SEC - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Securities Dealer - A financial institution which, either directly or through
affiliates, has an agreement with Distributors to handle customer orders and
accounts with the Fund. This reference is for convenience only and does not
indicate a legal conclusion of capacity.
Templeton Funds - The U.S. registered mutual funds in the Templeton Group of
Funds except Templeton Capital Accumulator Fund, Inc., Templeton Variable
Annuity Fund, and Templeton Variable Products Series Fund
U.S. - United States
We/Our/Us - Unless a different meaning is indicated by the context, these terms
refer to the Fund and/or Investor Services, Distributors, or other wholly-owned
subsidiaries of Resources.
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FRANKLIN
GLOBAL GOVERNMENT
INCOME FUND -
ADVISOR CLASS
FRANKLIN INVESTORS SECURITIES TRUST
STATEMENT OF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
JANUARY 1, 1997
777 Mariners Island Blvd., P.O. Box 7777
San Mateo, CA 94403-7777 1-800/DIAL BEN
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TABLE OF CONTENTS
How does the Fund Invest its Assets? 2
What are the Fund's Potential Risks? 7
Investment Restrictions........... 8
Officers and Trustees............. 10
Investment Management
and Other Services............... 13
How does the Fund Buy Securities
for its Portfolio?............... 15
How Do I Buy, Sell and Exchange Shares? 16
How are Fund Shares Valued?....... 17
Additional Information on
Distributions and Taxes.......... 18
The Fund's Underwriter............ 22
How does the Fund
Measure Performance?............. 22
Miscellaneous Information......... 25
Financial Statements.............. 26
Useful Terms and Definitions...... 26
When reading this SAI, you will see certain terms beginning with capital
letters. This means the term is explained under "Useful Terms and Definitions."
Franklin Global Government Income Fund (the "Fund"), formerly known as Franklin
Global Opportunity Income Fund, is a non-diversified series of Franklin
Investors Securities Trust (the "Trust"), an open-end management investment
company. This SAI relates to the Advisor Class shares of the Fund. The Fund's
investment objective is to provide high current income, consistent with
preservation of capital; capital appreciation is a secondary consideration. The
Fund seeks to achieve this objective by investing primarily in debt securities
issued by domestic and foreign governments.
Advisor Class shares are only available for purchase by certain persons,
including, among others, certain financial institutions (such as banks, trust
companies, savings institutions and credit unions); government and tax-exempt
entities; pension, profit sharing and employee benefit plans; certain qualified
groups, including family trusts, endowments, foundations and corporations;
Franklin Templeton Fund Allocator Series; and directors, trustees, officers and
full time employees (and their family members) of Franklin Templeton Group and
the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
The Prospectus, dated January 1, 1997, as may be amended from time to time,
contains the basic information you should know before investing in the Fund. For
a free copy, call 1-800/DIAL BEN or write the Fund at the address shown.
THIS SAI IS NOT A PROSPECTUS. IT CONTAINS INFORMATION IN ADDITION TO AND IN MORE
DETAIL THAN SET FORTH IN THE PROSPECTUS. THIS SAI IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE YOU
WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE ACTIVITIES AND OPERATIONS OF THE FUND,
AND SHOULD BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PROSPECTUS.
MUTUAL FUNDS, ANNUITIES, AND OTHER INVESTMENT PRODUCTS:
O ARE NOT FEDERALLY INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, THE
FEDERAL RESERVE BOARD, OR ANY OTHER AGENCY OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT;
O ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF, OR GUARANTEED OR ENDORSED BY, ANY BANK;
O ARE SUBJECT TO INVESTMENT RISKS, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF PRINCIPAL.
HOW DOES THE FUND INVEST ITS ASSETS?
The following provides more detailed information about some of the securities
the Fund may buy and its investment policies. You should read it together with
the section in the Prospectus entitled "How does the Fund Invest its Assets?"
Restricted Securities. The Fund may invest in securities that cannot be offered
to the public for sale without first being registered under the Securities Act
of 1933 ("restricted securities"), or in other securities which, in the opinion
of the Board, may be otherwise illiquid. It is the policy of the Fund, however,
that illiquid securities may not constitute, at the time of purchase, more than
10% of the value of the net assets of the Fund. Generally, an "illiquid"
security is any security that cannot be disposed of promptly and in the ordinary
course of business at approximately the amount at which the Fund has valued the
security. Notwithstanding this limitation, the Board has authorized the Fund to
invest in restricted securities where such investment is consistent with the
Fund's investment objective and has authorized such securities to be considered
liquid to the extent the investment manager determines that there is a liquid
institutional or other market for such securities. For example, restricted
securities that may be freely transferred among qualified institutional buyers
pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and for
which a liquid institutional market has developed, will be considered liquid
even though such securities have not been registered pursuant to the Securities
Act of 1933. The Board will review any determination by the Manager to treat a
restricted security as a liquid security on an ongoing basis, including the
Manager's assessment of current trading activity and the availability of
reliable price information. In determining whether a restricted security is
properly considered a liquid security, the Manager and the Board will take into
account the following factors: (i) the frequency of trades and quotes for the
security; (ii) the number of dealers willing to purchase or sell the security
and the number of other potential purchasers; (iii) dealer undertakings to make
a market in the security; and (iv) the nature of the security and the nature of
the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the
method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer). To the extent the
Fund invests in restricted securities that are deemed liquid, the general level
of illiquidity in the Fund may be increased if qualified institutional buyers
become uninterested in purchasing these securities or the market for these
securities contracts.
U.S. Government Securities. As indicated in the Prospectus, the Fund may invest
in U.S. government securities, which include U.S. Treasury obligations and
obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or
instrumentalities. U.S. government securities do not generally involve the
credit risks associated with other types of interest bearing securities, and, as
a result, the yields available from such securities are generally lower than the
yields available from other types of interest bearing securities. Like all
interest bearing securities, however, the market values of U.S. government
securities change as interest rates fluctuate.
There are no restrictions or limitations on investments in obligations of the
U.S., or of corporations chartered by the U.S. Congress as federal government
instrumentalities.
Obligations of Developing Countries. Among the foreign securities in which the
Fund may invest will be the fixed-income obligations of governments, government
agencies and corporations of developing countries. As of the date of this SAI,
such opportunities are limited as many developing countries are rescheduling
their existing loans and obligations. However, as restructuring is completed and
economic conditions improve, these obligations may become available at discounts
and offer the Fund the potential for current U.S. dollar income. These
instruments are not traded on any exchange. However, the Manager believes there
may be a market for such securities either in multinational companies wishing to
purchase such assets at a discount for further investment, or from the issuing
governments which may decide to redeem their obligations at a discount.
Interest Rate Swaps. The Fund may participate in interest rate swaps. An
interest rate swap is the transfer between two counterparties of interest rate
obligations, one of which has an interest rate fixed to maturity while the other
has an interest rate that changes in accordance with changes in a designated
benchmark (i.e., London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), prime, commercial paper,
or other benchmarks). The obligations to make repayment of principal on the
underlying securities are not exchanged. These transactions generally require
the participation of an intermediary, frequently a bank. The entity holding the
fixed rate obligation will transfer the obligation to the intermediary, and such
entity will then be obligated to pay to the intermediary a floating rate of
interest, generally including a fractional percentage as a commission for the
intermediary. The intermediary also makes arrangements with a second entity that
has a floating-rate obligation that substantially mirrors the obligation desired
by the first party. In return for assuming a fixed obligation, the second entity
will pay the intermediary all sums that the intermediary pays on behalf of the
first entity, plus an arrangement fee and other agreed upon fees.
Interest rate swaps are generally entered into to permit the party seeking a
floating rate obligation the opportunity to acquire the obligation at a lower
rate than is directly available in the credit market, while permitting the party
desiring a fixed rate obligation the opportunity to acquire a fixed rate
obligation, also frequently at a price lower than is available in the capital
markets. The success of such a transaction depends in large part on the
availability of fixed rate obligations at a low enough coupon rate to cover the
cost involved.
Other Fixed-Income Securities. As stated in the Prospectus, the Fund may
purchase fixed-income securities of both domestic and foreign issuers including,
among others, preference stock and all types of long-term or short-term debt
obligations, such as equipment trust certificates, equipment lease certificates,
and conditional sales contracts. Equipment related instruments are used to
finance the acquisition of new equipment. The instrument gives the bond-holder
the first right to the equipment in the event that interest and principal are
not paid when due. Title to the equipment is held in the name of the trustee,
usually a bank, until the instrument is paid off. Equipment related instruments
usually mature over a period of 10 to 15 years. In practical effect equipment
trust certificates, equipment lease certificates and conditional sale contracts
are substantially identical; they differ mainly in legal structure. These
fixed-income securities may involve equity features, such as conversion or
exchange rights or warrants for the acquisition of stock of the same or a
different issuer; participation based on revenues, sales or profits; or the
purchase of common stock in a unit transaction (where an issuer's debt
securities and common stock are offered as a unit).
Options On U.S. and Foreign Securities. In an effort to increase current income
and to reduce the fluctuations in net asset value, the Fund intends to write
covered put and call options and purchase put and call options on U.S. and
foreign securities that are traded on U.S. and foreign securities exchanges and
over-the-counter.
As described in the Prospectus, the Fund may enter into closing transactions to
terminate an options position. The Fund will realize a profit from a closing
transaction if the price of the transaction is less than the premium received
from writing the option or is more than the premium paid to purchase the option;
the Fund will realize a loss from a closing transaction if the price of the
transaction is more than the premium received from writing the option or is less
than the premium paid to purchase the option. Because increases in the market
price of a call option written by the Fund will generally be inversely related
to the market price of the underlying security, any loss resulting from the
closing out of a call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by
appreciation in the value of the underlying security owned by the Fund.
The Fund may write options in connection with buy-and-write transactions; that
is, the Fund may purchase a security and then write a call option against that
security. The exercise price of the call will depend upon the expected price
movement of the underlying security. The exercise price of a call option may be
below ("in-the-money"), equal to ("at-the-money") or above ("out-of-the-money")
the current value of the underlying security at the time the option is written.
Buy-and-write transactions using in-the-money call options may be used when it
is expected that the price of the underlying security will remain flat or
decline moderately during the option period. Buy-and-write transactions using
at-the-money call options may be used when it is expected that the price of the
underlying security will remain fixed or advance moderately during the option
period. Buy-and-write transactions using out-of-the-money call options may be
used when it is expected that the premiums received from writing the call option
plus the appreciation in the market price of the underlying security up to the
exercise price will be greater than the appreciation in the price of the
underlying security alone. If the call options are exercised in such
transactions, the Fund's maximum gain will be the premium received by it for
writing the option, adjusted upward or downward by the difference between the
Fund's purchase price for the security and the exercise price. If the options
are not exercised and the price of the underlying security declines, the amount
of such decline will be mitigated by the premium received.
Futures Contracts. The Fund may enter into contracts for the purchase or sale
for future delivery of debt securities or currency ("Futures Contracts"). A
"sale" of a Futures Contract means the acquisition and assumption of a
contractual obligation to deliver the securities or currency called for by the
contract at a specified price on a specified date. A "purchase" of a Futures
Contract means the acquisition of a contractual right and obligation to acquire
the securities or currency called for by the contract at a specified price on a
specified date. U.S. Futures Contracts have been designed by exchanges which
have been designated "contract markets" by the Commodity Futures Trading
Commission ("CFTC"), and must be executed through a futures commission merchant,
or brokerage firm, which is a member of the relevant contract market. Existing
contract markets for Futures Contracts on debt securities include the Chicago
Board of Trade, the New York Cotton Exchange, the MidAmerica Commodity Exchange
(the "MCE") and the International Money Market of the Chicago Mercantile
Exchange (the "IMM"). Futures Contracts trade on these exchanges, and, through
their clearing corporations, the exchanges guarantee performance of the
contracts as between the clearing members of the exchange. The Fund will enter
into Futures Contracts that are based on foreign currencies or on debt
securities that are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government,
such as long-term U.S. Treasury bonds, Treasury notes, Government National
Mortgage Association modified pass-through mortgage-backed securities, and
three-month U.S. Treasury bills. The Fund may also enter into Futures Contracts
that are based on corporate securities and non-U.S. government debt securities
when such securities become available.
At the time of delivery of securities on the settlement date of a contract,
adjustments are made to recognize differences in value arising from the delivery
of securities with a different interest rate from that specified in the
contract. In some (but not many) cases, securities called for by a Futures
Contract may not have been issued when the contract was written.
Although Futures Contracts by their terms call for the actual delivery or
acquisition of securities or currency, in most cases the contractual obligation
is terminated before the settlement date of the contract without having to make
or take delivery of the securities or currency. The termination of a contractual
obligation is accomplished by buying (or selling, as the case may be) on a
commodities exchange an identical offsetting Futures Contract calling for
delivery in the same month. Such a transaction, which is effected through a
member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the
underlying security or currency. Since all transactions in the futures market
are made, offset or fulfilled through a clearinghouse associated with the
exchange on which the contracts are traded, the Fund will incur brokerage fees
when it purchases or sells Futures Contracts.
To the extent the Fund enters into a futures contract, it will deposit in a
segregated account with its custodian cash or U.S. Treasury obligations equal to
a specified percentage of the value of the futures contract (the "initial
margin"), as required by the relevant contract market and futures commission
merchant. The futures contract will be marked-to-market daily. Should the value
of the futures contract decline relative to the Fund's position, the Fund will
be required to pay to the futures commission merchant an amount equal to such
change in value. The Fund may also cover its futures position by holding a call
option on the same Futures Contract permitting the Fund to purchase the
instrument or currency at a price no higher than the price established in the
Futures Contract which it sold.
The purpose of the purchase or sale of a Futures Contract by the Fund is to
attempt to protect the Fund from fluctuations in interest or currency exchange
rates without actually buying or selling long-term, fixed-income securities or
currency. For example, if the Fund owns long-term bonds, and interest rates were
expected to increase, the Fund might enter into Futures Contracts for the sale
of debt securities. Such a sale would have much the same effect as selling an
equivalent value of the long-term bonds owned by the Fund. If interest rates did
increase, the value of the debt securities owned by the Fund would decline, but
the value of the Futures Contracts to the Fund would increase at approximately
the same rate, thereby keeping the net asset value of the Fund from declining as
much as it otherwise would have. The Fund could accomplish similar results by
selling bonds with long maturities and investing in bonds with short maturities
when interest rates are expected to increase. However, since the futures market
is often more liquid than the cash (securities) market, the use of Futures
Contracts as an investment technique allows the Fund to maintain a defensive
position without having to sell its portfolio securities. Similarly, if the Fund
expects that a foreign currency in which its securities are denominated will
decline in value against the U.S. dollar, the Fund may sell Futures Contracts on
that currency. If the foreign currency does decline in value, the decrease in
value of the security denominated in that currency will be offset by an increase
in the value of the Fund's futures position.
Alternatively, when it is expected that interest rates may decline, Futures
Contracts may be purchased in an attempt to hedge against the anticipated
purchase of long-term bonds at higher prices. Since the fluctuations in the
value of Futures Contracts should be similar to that of long-term bonds, the
Fund could take advantage of the anticipated rise in the value of long-term
bonds without actually buying them until the market had stabilized. At that
time, the Futures Contracts could be liquidated and the Fund could then buy
long-term bonds on the cash (securities) market. Similarly, if the Fund intends
to acquire a security or other asset denominated in a currency that is expected
to appreciate against the U.S. dollar, the Fund may purchase Futures Contracts
on that currency. If the value of the foreign currency does appreciate, the
increase in the value of the futures position will offset the increased U.S.
dollar cost of acquiring the asset denominated in that currency.
The ordinary spreads between prices in the cash (securities) or foreign currency
and futures markets, due to differences in the natures of those markets, are
subject to distortions. First, all participants in the futures markets are
subject to initial deposit and variation margin requirements. Rather than
meeting additional variation margin requirements, investors may close Futures
Contracts through offsetting transactions which could distort the normal
relationship between the cash (securities) or foreign currency and futures
markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures market depends on participants
entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery. To
the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the
futures market could be reduced, thus causing distortions. Due to the
possibility of such distortion, a correct forecast of general interest rate
trends by the Manager may still not result in a successful hedging transaction.
Options on Futures Contracts. The Fund intends to purchase and write options on
Futures Contracts for hedging purposes only. The purchase of a call option on a
Futures Contract is similar in some respects to the purchase of a call option on
an individual security or currency. Depending on the pricing of the option
compared to either the price of the Futures Contract upon which it is based or
the price of the underlying debt securities or currency, it may or may not be
less risky than direct ownership of the Futures Contract of the underlying debt
securities or currency. As with the purchase of Futures Contracts, when the Fund
is not fully invested it may purchase a call option on a Futures Contract to
hedge against a market advance due to declining interest rates or appreciation
in the value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar.
If the Fund writes a call option on a Futures Contract and the futures price at
expiration of the option is below the exercise price, the Fund will retain the
full amount of the option premium which may provide a partial hedge against any
decline that may have occurred in the value of the Fund's portfolio holdings. If
the futures price at expiration of the option is higher than the exercise price,
the Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium, which may provide a
partial hedge against any increase in the price of securities which the Fund
intends to purchase. If a put or call option the Fund has written is exercised,
the Fund will incur a loss which will be reduced by the amount of the premium it
received. Depending on the degree of correlation between changes in the value of
its portfolio securities and changes in the value of its futures positions, the
Fund's losses from existing options on futures may to some extent be reduced or
increased by changes in the value of its portfolio securities.
The Fund's ability to engage in the options on futures strategies described
above will depend on the availability of liquid markets in such instruments.
Markets in options on futures are relatively new and still developing, and it is
impossible to predict the amount of trading interest that may exist in various
types of options on futures. Therefore, no assurance can be given that the Fund
will be able to utilize these instruments effectively for the purposes set forth
above. Furthermore, the Fund's ability to engage in options on futures
transactions may be limited by tax considerations.
Options on Foreign Currencies. The Fund may purchase and write options on
foreign currencies for hedging purposes in a manner similar to that in which
Futures Contracts on foreign currencies, or Forward Contracts, will be utilized.
For example, a decline in the dollar value of a foreign currency in which
portfolio securities are denominated will reduce the dollar value of such
securities, even if their value in the foreign currency remains constant. In
order to protect against such diminutions in the value of portfolio securities,
the Fund may purchase put options on the foreign currency. If the value of the
currency does decline, the Fund will have the right to sell such currency for a
fixed amount in dollars and will thereby offset, in whole or in part, the
adverse effect on its portfolio which otherwise would have resulted.
Conversely, where a rise in the dollar value of a currency in which securities
to be acquired are denominated is projected, thereby increasing the cost of the
securities, the Fund may purchase call options on such currency. The purchase of
options could offset, at least partially, the effects of the adverse movements
in currency exchange rates. As with other types of options, however, the benefit
the Fund derives from purchases of foreign currency options will be reduced by
the amount of the premium and related transaction costs. In addition, where
currency exchange rates do not move in the direction or to the extent
anticipated, the Fund could sustain losses on transactions in foreign currency
options that would require the Fund to forego a portion or all of the benefits
of advantageous changes in such rates.
The Fund may also write options on foreign currencies for hedging purposes. For
example, where the Fund anticipates a decline in the dollar value of foreign
currency-denominated securities due to adverse fluctuations in currency exchange
rates the Fund could, instead of purchasing a put option, write a call option on
the relevant currency. If the expected decline occurs, the option will most
likely not be exercised, and the diminution in value of portfolio securities
will be offset by the amount of the premium received.
Similarly, instead of purchasing a call option to hedge against an anticipated
increase in the dollar cost of securities to be acquired, the Fund could write a
put option on the relevant currency. If currency exchange rates increase as
projected, the put option will expire unexercised and the premium received will
offset the increased cost. As with other types of options, however, the writing
of a foreign currency option will constitute only a partial hedge up to the
amount of the premium received, and only if rates move in the expected
direction. If this does not occur, the option may be exercised and the Fund
would be required to purchase or sell the underlying currency at a loss, which
may not be fully offset by the amount of the premium received. As a result of
writing options on foreign currencies, the Fund may also be required to forego
all or a portion of the benefits that might otherwise have been obtained from
favorable changes in currency exchange rates.
All call options written on foreign currencies will be covered. A call option on
foreign currencies written by the Fund is "covered" if the Fund owns (or has an
absolute right to acquire) the underlying foreign currency covered by the call.
A call option is also covered if the Fund has a call on the same foreign
currency in the same principal amount as the call written where the exercise
price of the call held (a) is equal to or less than the exercise price of the
call written or (b) is greater than the exercise price of the call written if
the difference is maintained by the Fund in cash and U.S. government securities
in a segregated account with its custodian.
Future Developments. The Fund proposes to take advantage of investment
opportunities in the area of options, Futures Contracts and options on Futures
Contracts that are not presently contemplated for use by the Fund or that are
not currently available but which may be developed in the future, to the extent
such opportunities are both consistent with the Fund's investment objective and
policies and are legally permissible transactions for the Fund. These
opportunities, if they arise, may involve risks that are different from those
involved in the options and futures activities described above.
Loan Participations. The Fund may invest in loan participations, which may have
speculative characteristics. The Fund may purchase loan participations at par or
which sell at a discount because of the borrower's credit problems. To the
extent the borrower's credit problems are resolved, the loan participation may
appreciate in value but not beyond par value.
The Manager may acquire loan participations that sell at a discount, from time
to time, when it believes the investments offer the possibility of long-term
appreciation in value in addition to current income. An investment in loan
participations carries a high degree of risk and may have the consequence that
interest payments with respect to such securities may be reduced, deferred,
suspended or eliminated and may have the further consequence that principal
payments may likewise be reduced, deferred, suspended or cancelled, causing the
loss of the entire amount of the investment. Loans will generally be acquired by
the Fund from a bank, finance company or other similar financial services entity
("Lender").
Loan participations are interests in floating or variable rate senior loans
("Loans") to U.S. corporations, partnerships and other entities ("Borrowers"),
which operate in a variety of industries and geographical regions. The Fund will
purchase participation interests in Loans that may pay interest at rates which
are periodically redetermined on the basis of a base lending rate plus a
premium. These base lending rates are generally the Prime Rate offered by a
major U.S. bank, the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate, the Certificate of Deposit
rate or other base lending rates used by commercial lenders. The Loans typically
have the most senior position in a Borrower's capital structure, although some
Loans may hold an equal ranking with other senior securities of the Borrower.
Although the Loans generally are secured by specific collateral, the Fund may
invest in Loans that are not secured by any collateral. Uncollateralized Loans
pose a greater risk of nonpayment of interest or loss of principal than do
collateralized Loans. The collateral underlying a collateralized Loan may
consist of assets that may not be readily liquidated, and there is no assurance
that the liquidation of such assets would fully satisfy a Borrower's obligation
under a Loan. The Fund is not subject to any restrictions with respect to the
maturity of the Loans in which it purchases participation interests.
Loans generally are not rated by nationally recognized statistical rating
organizations. Ratings of other securities issued by a Borrower do not
necessarily reflect adequately the relative quality of a Borrower's Loans.
Therefore, although the Manager may consider ratings in determining whether to
invest in a particular Loan, such ratings will not be the determinative factor
in the Manager's analysis.
Loans are not readily marketable and may be subject to restrictions on resale.
Participation interests in Loans generally are not listed on any national
securities exchange or automated quotation system and no regular market has
developed for such interests. Any secondary purchases and sales of loan
participations generally are conducted in private transactions between buyers
and sellers. Many of the Loans in which the Fund expects to purchase interests
are of a relatively large principal amount and are held by a relatively large
number of owners which, in the Manager's opinion, should enhance the relative
liquidity of such interests.
When acquiring a loan participation, the Fund will have a contractual
relationship only with the Lender (typically an entity in the banking, finance
or financial services industries), not with the Borrower. The Fund has the right
to receive payments of principal and interest to which it is entitled only from
the Lender selling the loan participation and only upon receipt by the Lender of
payments from the Borrower. In connection with purchasing loan participations,
the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the Borrower with
the terms of the Loan Agreement, nor any rights with respect to any funds
acquired by other Lenders through set-off against the Borrower and the Fund may
not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the Loan in which it has
purchased the loan participation. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit
risk of both the Borrower and the Lender selling the loan participation. In the
event of the insolvency of the Lender selling a loan participation, the Fund may
be treated as a general creditor of the Lender, and may not benefit from any
set-off between the Lender and the Borrower.
WHAT ARE THE FUND'S POTENTIAL RISKS?
Options On U.S. and Foreign Securities. The writing of covered put options is
similar in terms of risk/return characteristics to buy-and-write transactions.
If the market price of the underlying security rises or otherwise is above the
exercise price, the put option will expire worthless and the Fund's gain will be
limited to the premium received. If the market price of the underlying security
declines or otherwise is below the exercise price, the Fund may elect to close
the position or wait for the option to be exercised and take delivery of the
security at the exercise price. The Fund's return will be the premium received
from the put option minus the amount by which the market price of the security
is below the exercise price. Out-of-the-money, at-the-money, and in-the-money
put options may be used by the Fund in the same market environments that call
options are used in equivalent buy-and-write transactions.
In addition to the matters discussed in the Prospectus, you should be aware that
when trading options on foreign exchanges or in the over-the-counter market many
of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available. For
example, there are no daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market
movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over a period of time.
Although the purchaser of an option cannot lose more than the amount of the
premium plus related transaction costs, this entire amount could be lost.
Moreover, the Fund as an option writer could lose amounts substantially in
excess of its initial investment, due to the margin and collateral requirements
associated with option writing.
Options on securities traded on national securities exchanges are within the
jurisdiction of the SEC, as are other securities traded on such exchanges. As a
result, many of the protections provided to traders on organized exchanges will
be available with respect to such transactions. In particular, all option
positions entered into on a national securities exchange are cleared and
guaranteed by the Options Clearing Corporation ("OCC"), thereby reducing the
risk of counterparty default. Further, a liquid secondary market in options
traded on a national securities exchange may be more readily available than in
the over-the-counter market, potentially permitting the Fund to liquidate open
positions at a profit prior to exercise or expiration, or to limit losses in the
event of adverse market movements.
In regard to the Fund's option trading activities, it intends to comply with the
California Corporate Securities Rules as they pertain to prohibited investments.
The Fund's option trading activities may result in the loss of principal under
certain market conditions.
Futures Contracts. Futures Contracts entail certain risks. Although the Fund
believes that the use of futures contracts will benefit the Fund, if the
Manager's investment judgment about the general direction of interest or
currency exchange rates is incorrect, the Fund's overall performance would be
poorer than if it had not entered into any such contract. For example, if the
Fund has hedged against the possibility of an increase in interest rates that
would adversely affect the price of bonds held in its portfolio and interest
rates decrease instead, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the
increased value of the bonds which it has hedged because it will have offsetting
losses in its futures positions. Similarly, if the Fund sells a foreign currency
Futures Contract and the U.S. dollar value of the currency unexpectedly
increases, the Fund will lose the beneficial effect of the increase on the value
of the security denominated in that currency. In addition, in such situations,
if the Fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell bonds from its portfolio
to meet daily variation margin requirements. Sales of bonds may be, but are not
necessarily, at increased prices which reflect the rising market. The Fund may
have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.
Options on Futures Contracts. The amount of risk the Fund assumes when it
purchases an option on a Futures Contract is the premium paid for the option
plus related transaction costs. In addition to the correlation risks discussed
above, the purchase of an option also entails the risk that changes in the value
of the underlying Futures Contract will not be fully reflected in the value of
the option purchased. The Fund will purchase a put option on a Futures Contract
only to hedge the Fund's portfolio against the risk of rising interest rates or
the decline in the value of securities denominated in a foreign currency.
Additional Risks of Forward Contracts, Options on Foreign Currencies and Options
on Futures Contracts. Forward Contracts are not traded on contract markets
regulated by the CFTC or by the SEC. The ability of the Fund to use forward
contracts could be restricted to the extent that Congress authorized the CFTC or
the SEC to regulate such transactions. Forward Contracts are traded through
financial institutions acting as market-makers.
The purchase and sale of exchange-traded foreign currency options is subject to
the risks of the availability of a liquid secondary market, as well as the risks
of adverse market movements, margins of options written, the nature of the
foreign currency market, possible intervention by governmental authorities and
the effects of other political and economic events.
Futures Contracts on currencies, options on Futures Contracts and options on
foreign currencies may be traded on foreign exchanges. These transactions are
subject to the risk of governmental actions affecting trading in or the prices
of foreign currencies. The value of such positions could also be adversely
affected by (i) other foreign political and economic factors, (ii) less
available data than in the U.S. on which to base trading decisions, (iii) delays
in the Fund's ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets
during non-business hours in the U.S., (iv) the imposition of exercise and
settlement terms and procedures, and margin requirements different from those in
the U.S., and (v) lesser trading volume.
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
The Fund has adopted the following restrictions as fundamental policies. These
restrictions may not be changed without the approval of a majority of the
outstanding voting securities of the Fund. Under the 1940 Act, this means the
approval of (i) more than 50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund or (ii) 67%
or more of the shares of the Fund present at a shareholder meeting if more than
50% of the outstanding shares of the Fund are represented at the meeting in
person or by proxy, whichever is less. The Fund may not:
1. Borrow money or mortgage or pledge any of the assets of the Fund, except
that it may borrow from banks, for temporary or emergency purposes, up to 30% of
its total assets and pledge up to 30% of its total assets in connection
therewith. (No new investments will be made by the Fund while any outstanding
borrowings exceed 5% of its total assets.)
2. Buy any securities on "margin," except that the Fund may obtain such
short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales
of securities and except that the Fund may make margin deposits in connection
with Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts.
3. Lend any funds or other assets, except by the purchase of publicly
distributed bonds, debentures, notes or other debt securities and except that
portfolio securities of the Fund may be loaned to securities dealers or other
institutional investors if at least 102% cash collateral is pledged and
maintained by the borrower, provided such loans may not be made if, as a result,
the aggregate of such loans exceeds 30% of the value of the Fund's total assets
(taken at market value) at the time of the most recent loan. Also, entry into
repurchase agreements is not considered a loan for purposes of this restriction.
4. Act as underwriter of securities issued by other persons except insofar as
the Fund may be technically deemed an underwriter under the federal securities
laws in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities.
5. Invest more than 25% of its assets in the securities of issuers in any one
industry, other than foreign governments.
6. Purchase from or sell any portfolio securities to its officers and trustees,
or any firm of which any officer or trustee is a member, as principal, except
that the Fund may deal with such persons or firms as brokers and pay a customary
brokerage commission; retain securities of any issuer, if to the knowledge of
the Fund, one or more of its officers, trustees or the investment manager own
beneficially more than one-half of 1% of the securities of such issuer and all
such persons together own beneficially more than 5% of such securities.
7. Purchase any securities issued by a corporation which has not been in
continuous operation for three years, but such period may include the operation
of a predecessor.
8. Acquire, lease or hold real estate (except such as may be necessary or
advisable for the maintenance of its offices).
9. Invest in interests in oil, gas or other mineral exploration or development
programs.
10. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.
11. Purchase securities of other investment companies.
12. Issue senior securities, as defined in the 1940 Act, except that this
restriction shall not be deemed to prohibit the Fund from (a) making any
permitted borrowings, mortgages or pledges, or (b) entering into options,
futures contracts, forward contracts or repurchase transactions.
13. Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, unless at all
times when a short position is open it owns an equal amount of such securities
or securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further
consideration, for securities of the same issuer as, and equal in amount to, the
securities sold short ("short sales against the box"), and unless not more than
10% of the Fund's net assets (taken at market value) is held as collateral for
such sales at any one time.
(Restriction Nos. 7, 11 and 12 are not fundamental policies of the Fund and may
be changed by the trustees without shareholder approval.)
The underlying assets of the Fund may be retained in cash, including cash
equivalents that are Treasury bills, commercial paper and short-term bank
obligations such as certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and repurchase
agreements. It is intended, however, that only so much of the underlying assets
of the Fund be retained in cash as is deemed desirable or expedient under
then-existing market conditions.
Pursuant to an undertaking given to the Texas State Securities Board, the Fund
may not invest in real estate limited partnerships or in interests (other than
publicly traded equity securities) in oil, gas, or other mineral leases,
exploration or development so long as the Fund's shares are offered for sale in
the state of Texas.
If a percentage restriction is met at the time of investment, a later increase
or decrease in the percentage due to a change in value of portfolio securities
or the amount of assets will not be considered a violation of any of the
foregoing restrictions.Officers and Trustees
The Board has the responsibility for the overall management of the Fund,
including general supervision and review of its investment activities. The
Board, in turn, elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for
administering the Fund's day-to-day operations. The affiliations of the officers
and Board members and their principal occupations for the past five years are
shown below. Members of the Board who are considered "interested persons" of the
Trust under the 1940 Act are indicated by an asterisk (*).
Frank H. Abbott, III (75) Trustee
1045 Sansome St.
San Francisco, CA 94111
President and Director, Abbott Corporation (an investment company); and
director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be, of 31 of the
investment companies in the Franklin Group
of Funds.
Harris J. Ashton (64) Trustee
General Host Corporation
Metro Center, 1 Station Place
Stamford, CT 06904-2045
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board, General Host
Corporation (nursery and craft centers); Director, RBC Holdings, Inc. (a bank
holding company) and Bar-S Foods; and director, trustee or managing general
partner, as the case may be, of 55 of the investment companies in the Franklin
Templeton Group of Funds.
Joseph Fortunato (64) Trustee
Park Avenue at Morris County
P. O. Box 1945
Morristown, NJ 07962-1945
Member of the law firm of Pitney, Hardin, Kipp & Szuch; Director of General Host
Corporation; director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be,
of 57 of the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
David W. Garbellano (81) Trustee
111 New Montgomery St., #402
San Francisco, CA 94105
Private Investor; Assistant Secretary/Treasurer and Director, Berkeley Science
Corporation (a venture capital company); and director, trustee or managing
general partner, as the case may be, of 30 of the investment companies in the
Franklin Group of Funds.
*Edward B. Jamieson (48) President
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Trustee
San Mateo, CA 94404
Senior Vice President and Portfolio Manager, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; and
officer and/or director or trustee of five of the investment companies in the
Franklin Group of Funds.
*Charles B. Johnson (63) Chairman of the
777 Mariners Island Blvd. Board and
San Mateo, CA 94404 Trustee
President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Chairman of the Board and
Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc. and Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.;
Director, Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc. and General Host
Corporation; and officer and/or director, trustee or managing general partner,
as the case may be, of most other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and
of 56 of the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
*Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. (56) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Trustee
San Mateo, CA 94404
Executive Vice President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc. and Franklin
Templeton Distributors, Inc.; President and Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc.;
Director, Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc.; and officer and/or
director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be, of most other
subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of 60 of the investment companies
in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Frank W. T. LaHaye (67) Trustee
20833 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Suite 102
Cupertino, CA 95014
General Partner, Peregrine Associates and Miller & LaHaye, which are General
Partners of Peregrine Ventures and Peregrine Ventures II (venture capital
firms); Chairman of the Board and Director, Quarterdeck Office Systems, Inc.;
Director, FischerImaging Corporation; and director or trustee or managing
general partner, as the case may be, of 26 of the investment companies in the
Franklin Group of Funds.
Gordon S. Macklin (68) Trustee
8212 Burning Tree Road
Bethesda, MD 20817
Chairman, White River Corporation (financial services); Director, Fund American
Enterprises Holdings, Inc., MCI Communications Corporation, CCC Information
Services Group, Inc. (information services), MedImmune, Inc. (biotechnology),
Source One Mortgage Services Corporation (information services), Shoppers
Express (information services), Spacelab, Inc. (aerospace technology); and
director, trustee or managing general partner, as the case may be, of 52 of the
investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds; formerly
Chairman, Hambrecht and Quist Group; Director, H & Q Healthcare Investors; and
President, National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Harmon E. Burns (51) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94404
Executive Vice President, Secretary and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.;
Executive Vice President and Director, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.;
Executive Vice President, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; Director, Franklin/Templeton
Investor Services, Inc.; officer and/or director, as the case may be, of other
subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc.; and officer and/or director or trustee
of 60 of the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Kenneth V. Domingues (64) Vice President -
777 Mariners Island Blvd. Financial Reporting
San Mateo, CA 94404 and Accounting Standards
Senior Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc., Franklin Advisers, Inc., and
Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.; officer and/or director, as the case may
be, of other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc.; and officer and/or
managing general partner, as the case may be, of 37 of the investment companies
in the Franklin Group of Funds.
Martin L. Flanagan (36) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Chief
San Mateo, CA 94404 Financial Officer
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, Franklin
Resources, Inc.; Executive Vice President, Templeton Worldwide, Inc.; Senior
Vice President and Treasurer, Franklin Advisers, Inc. and Franklin Templeton
Distributors, Inc.; Senior Vice President, Franklin/Templeton Investor Services,
Inc.; officer of most other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc.; and
officer, director and/or trustee of 60 of the investment companies in the
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Deborah R. Gatzek (48) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd. and Secretary
San Mateo, CA 94404
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Senior Vice
President, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.; Vice President, Franklin
Advisers, Inc. and officer of 60 of the investment companies in the Franklin
Templeton Group of Funds.
Charles E. Johnson (40) Vice President
500 East Broward Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33394-3091
Senior Vice President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Senior Vice
President, Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.; President and Director,
Templeton Worldwide, Inc. and Franklin Institutional Services Corporation;
officer and/or director, as the case may be, of some of the subsidiaries of
Franklin Resources, Inc. and officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may
be, of 39 the investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Diomedes Loo-Tam (57) Treasurer and
777 Mariners Island Blvd. Principal
San Mateo, CA 94404 Accounting Officer
Employee of Franklin Advisers, Inc.; and officer of 37 of the investment
companies in the Franklin Group of Funds.
Edward V. McVey (59) Vice President
777 Mariners Island Blvd.
San Mateo, CA 94404
Senior Vice President/National Sales Manager, Franklin Templeton Distributors,
Inc.; and officer of 32 of the investment companies in the Franklin Group of
Funds.
The table above shows the officers and Board members who are affiliated with
Distributors and Advisers. Nonaffiliated members of the Board are currently paid
$925 per month plus $925 per meeting attended. As shown above, some of the
nonaffiliated Board members also serve as directors, trustees or managing
general partners of other investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Group
of Funds. They may receive fees from these funds for their services. The
following table provides the total fees paid to nonaffiliated Board members by
the Trust and by other funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
Number of Boards
Total Fees Total Fees Received in the Franklin
Received from the Franklin Templeton Group
from the Templeton Group of Funds on Which
Name Trust* of Funds** Each Serves***
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Frank H. Abbott, III $22,200 $162,420 31
Harris J. Ashton 22,200 327,925 55
S. Joseph Fortunato 22,200 344,745 57
David Garbellano 22,200 146,100 30
Frank W.T. LaHaye 22,200 143,200 26
Gordon S. Macklin 22,200 321,525 52
*For the fiscal year ended October 31, 1995.
**For the calendar year ended December 31, 1995.
***We base the number of boards on the number of registered investment companies
in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. This number does not include the total
number of series or funds within each investment company for which the Board
members are responsible. The Franklin Templeton Group of Funds currently
includes 61 registered investment companies, with approximately 171 U.S. based
funds or series.Nonaffiliated members of the Board are reimbursed for expenses
incurred in connection with attending board meetings, paid pro rata by each fund
in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds for which they serve as director,
trustee or managing general partner. No officer or Board member received any
other compensation, including pension or retirement benefits, directly or
indirectly from the Fund or other funds in the Franklin Templeton Group of
Funds. Certain officers or Board members who are shareholders of Resources may
be deemed to receive indirect remuneration by virtue of their participation, if
any, in the fees paid to its subsidiaries.
As of December 6, 1996, the officers and Board members, as a group, owned of
record and beneficially the following shares of the Fund: approximately 233
Class Ishares, or less than 1% of the outstanding Class Ishares of the Fund.
Many of the Board members also own shares in other funds in the Franklin
Templeton Group of Funds. Charles B. Johnson and Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. are
brothers and the father and uncle, respectively, of Charles E. Johnson.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
AND OTHER SERVICES
Investment Manager and Services Provided. The Fund's investment manager is
Advisers. Advisers provides investment research and portfolio management
services, including the selection of securities for the Fund to buy, hold or
sell and the selection of brokers through whom the Fund's portfolio transactions
are executed. Advisers' activities are subject to the review and supervision of
the Board to whom Advisers renders periodic reports of the Fund's investment
activities. Advisers is covered by fidelity insurance on its officers, directors
and employees for the protection of the Fund.
Advisers and its affiliates act as investment manager to numerous other
investment companies and accounts. Advisers may give advice and take action with
respect to any of the other funds it manages, or for its own account, that may
differ from action taken by Advisers on behalf of the Fund. Similarly, with
respect to the Fund, Advisers is not obligated to recommend, buy or sell, or to
refrain from recommending, buying or selling any security that Advisers and
access persons, as defined by the 1940 Act, may buy or sell for its or their own
account or for the accounts of any other fund. Advisers is not obligated to
refrain from investing in securities held by the Fund or other funds that it
manages. Of course, any transactions for the accounts of Advisers and other
access persons will be made in compliance with the Fund's Code of Ethics. Please
see "Miscellaneous Information Summary of Code of Ethics."
Management Fees. Under its management agreement, the Fund pays Advisers a
management fee equal to a monthly rate of 5/96 of 1% (approximately 5/8 of 1%
per year) for the first $100 million of net assets of the Fund; 1/24 of 1%
(approximately 1/2 of 1% per year) on net assets of the Fund in excess of $100
million up to $250 million; and 9/240 of 1% (approximately 45/100 of 1% per
year) of net assets of the Fund in excess of $250 million. The fee is computed
at the close of business on the last business day of each month. Each class pays
its proportionate share of the management fee.
Management fees for the fiscal year ended January 31, 1993 would have been
$763,966; however, Advisers agreed in advance to waive a portion of its
management fees so that the amount paid by the Fund for that fiscal year was
$747,403. For the nine-month period ended October 31, 1993 and the fiscal years
ended October 31, 1994 and 1995, the Fund paid Advisers fees totaling $746,129,
$1,130,298 and 984,273, respectively.
Management Agreement. The management agreement is in effect until February 28,
1997. It may continue in effect for successive annual periods if its continuance
is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the Board or by a vote
of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting securities, and in
either event by a majority vote of the Board members who are not parties to the
management agreement or interested persons of any such party (other than as
members of the Board), cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose. The
management agreement may be terminated without penalty at any time by the Board
or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting
securities, or by Advisers on 30 days' written notice, and will automatically
terminate in the event of its assignment, as defined in the 1940 Act.
Subadvisory Services. Pursuant to a subadvisory agreement with Advisers, which
was approved by the Fund's shareholders on April 27, 1994, and will remain in
effect for two years, Templeton Global Bond Managers, a division of Templeton
Investment Counsel, Inc. ("TICI"), acts as subadvisor to the Fund. TICI, a
Florida corporation with offices at Broward Financial Centre, Suite 2100, Fort
Lauderdale, Florida 33394-3091, is registered under the Investment Advisers Act
of 1940 and is an affiliate of Templeton, Galbraith & Hansberger, Ltd. ("TGH"),
an investment advisory firm which manages the Templeton Group of Funds. TGH is a
subsidiary of Resources.
Under the subadvisory agreement, the subadvisor provides, subject to Advisers'
discretion, a portion of the investment advisory services for which Advisers is
responsible pursuant to the management agreement. These responsibilities may
include managing a portion of the Fund's investments and supplying research
services. Research services provided by the subadvisor may include information,
analytical reports, computer screening studies, statistical data and factual
resumes pertaining to securities throughout the world. This supplemental
research, when utilized, is subject to analysis by Advisers before being
incorporated into the investment advisory process. The subadvisory agreement
provides that the subadvisor may also select brokers and dealers for execution
of the Fund's portfolio transactions consistent with the Fund's brokerage
policies.
Under the subadvisory agreement, TICI receives from the Manager a fee equal to
an annual rate of 0.35% of the average daily net assets up to and including $100
million of net assets of the Fund; 0.25% of average daily net assets over $100
million up to and including $250 million; and 0.20% of average daily net assets
over $250 million.
Administrative Services. Under an agreement with Advisers, FT Services provides
certain administrative services and facilities for the Fund. These include
preparing and maintaining books, records, and tax and financial reports, and
monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements. FT Services is a wholly
owned subsidiary of Resources.
Under its administration agreement, Advisers pays FT Services a monthly
administration fee equal to an annual rate of 0.15% of the Fund's average daily
net assets up to $200 million, 0.135% of average daily net assets over $200
million up to $700 million, 0.10% of average daily net assets over $700 million
up to $1.2 billion, and 0.075% of average daily net assets over $1.2 billion.
The fee is paid by Advisers. It is not a separate expense of the Fund.
Shareholder Servicing Agent. Investor Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Resources, is the Fund's shareholder servicing agent and acts as the Fund's
transfer agent and dividend-paying agent. Investor Services is compensated on
the basis of a fixed fee per account.
Custodians. Bank of New York, Mutual Funds Division, 90 Washington Street, New
York, New York, 10286, acts as custodian of the securities and other assets of
the Fund. Bank of America NT & SA, 555 California Street, 4th Floor, San
Francisco, California 94104, acts as custodian for cash received in connection
with the purchase of Fund shares. Citibank Delaware, One Penn's Way, New Castle,
Delaware 19720, acts as custodian in connection with transfer services through
bank automated clearing houses. The custodians do not participate in decisions
relating to the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.
Auditors. Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., 333 Market Street, San Francisco, California
94105, are the Fund's independent auditors. During the fiscal year ended October
31, 1995, their auditing services consisted of rendering an opinion on financial
statements of the Fund included in the Trust's Annual Report to Shareholders for
the fiscal year ended October 31, 1995. Advisor Class shares of the Fund were
not offered to the public before January 1, 1997.
HOW DOES THE FUND BUY
SECURITIES FOR ITS PORTFOLIO?
The selection of brokers and dealers to execute transactions in the Fund's
portfolio is made by Advisers in accordance with criteria set forth in the
management agreement and any directions that the Board may give.
When placing a portfolio transaction, Advisers seeks to obtain prompt execution
of orders at the most favorable net price. When portfolio transactions are done
on a securities exchange, the amount of commission paid by the Fund is
negotiated between Advisers and the broker executing the transaction. The
determination and evaluation of the reasonableness of the brokerage commissions
paid in connection with portfolio transactions are based to a large degree on
the professional opinions of the persons responsible for the placement and
review of the transactions. These opinions are based on the experience of these
individuals in the securities industry and information available to them about
the level of commissions being paid by other institutional investors of
comparable size. Advisers will ordinarily place orders to buy and sell
over-the-counter securities on a principal rather than agency basis with a
principal market maker unless, in the opinion of Advisers, a better price and
execution can otherwise be obtained. Purchases of portfolio securities from
underwriters will include a commission or concession paid by the issuer to the
underwriter, and purchases from dealers will include a spread between the bid
and ask price.
The amount of commission is not the only factor Advisers considers in the
selection of a broker to execute a trade. If Advisers believes it is in the
Fund's best interest, Advisers may place portfolio transactions with brokers who
provide the types of services described below, even if it means the Fund will
pay a higher commission than if no weight were given to the broker's furnishing
of these services. This will be done only if, in the opinion of Advisers, the
amount of any additional commission is reasonable in relation to the value of
the services. Higher commissions will be paid only when the brokerage and
research services received are bona fide and produce a direct benefit to the
Fund or assist Advisers in carrying out its responsibilities to the Fund, or
when it is otherwise in the best interest of the Fund to do so, whether or not
such services may also be useful to Advisers in advising other clients.
When Advisers believes several brokers are equally able to provide the best net
price and execution, it may decide to execute transactions through brokers who
provide quotations and other services to the Fund, in an amount of total
brokerage as may reasonably be required in light of these services.
Specifically, these services may include providing the quotations necessary to
determine the Fund's Net Asset Value as well as research, statistical and other
data.
It is not possible to place a dollar value on the special executions or on the
research services received by Advisers from dealers effecting transactions in
portfolio securities. The allocation of transactions in order to obtain
additional research services permits Advisers to supplement its own research and
analysis activities and to receive the views and information of individuals and
research staff of other securities firms. As long as it is lawful and
appropriate to do so, Advisers and its affiliates may use this research and data
in their investment advisory capacities with other clients. If the Fund's
officers are satisfied that the best execution is obtained, consistent with
internal policies, the sale of Fund shares, as well as shares of other funds in
the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, may also be considered a factor in the
selection of broker-dealers to execute the Fund's portfolio transactions.
Because Distributors is a member of the NASD, it may sometimes receive certain
fees when the Fund tenders portfolio securities pursuant to a tender-offer
solicitation. As a means of recapturing brokerage for the benefit of the Fund,
any portfolio securities tendered by the Fund will be tendered through
Distributors if it is legally permissible to do so. In turn, the next management
fee payable to Advisers will be reduced by the amount of any fees received by
Distributors in cash, less any costs and expenses incurred in connection with
the tender.
If purchases or sales of securities of the Fund and one or more other investment
companies or clients supervised by Advisers are considered at or about the same
time, transactions in these securities will be allocated among the several
investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all by
Advisers, taking into account the respective sizes of the funds and the amount
of securities to be purchased or sold. In some cases this procedure could have a
detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is
concerned. In other cases it is possible that the ability to participate in
volume transactions and to negotiate lower brokerage commissions will be
beneficial to the Fund.
During the nine-month period ended October 31, 1993 and the fiscal years ended
October 31, 1994 and 1995, the Fund paid no brokerage commissions. For the
fiscal year ended January 31, 1993, the Fund paid $867 in brokerage commissions.
As of October 31, 1995, the Fund did not own securities of its regular
broker-dealers.
HOW DO I BUY, SELL AND EXCHANGE SHARES?
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BUYING SHARES
Securities laws of states where the Fund offers its shares may differ from
federal law. Banks and financial institutions that sell shares of the Fund may
be required by state law to register as Securities Dealers.
When you buy shares, if you submit a check or a draft that is returned unpaid to
the Fund, we may impose a $10 charge against your account for each returned
item.
Distributors and/or its affiliates provide financial support to various
Securities Dealers that sell shares of the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds.
This support is based primarily on the amount of sales of fund shares. The
amount of support may be affected by: total sales; net sales; levels of
redemptions; the proportion of a Securities Dealer's sales and marketing efforts
in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds; a Securities Dealer's support of, and
participation in, Distributors' marketing programs; a Securities Dealer's
compensation programs for its registered representatives; and the extent of a
Securities Dealer's marketing programs relating to the Franklin Templeton Group
of Funds. Financial support to Securities Dealers may be made by payments from
Distributors' resources, from Distributors' retention of underwriting
concessions and, in the case of funds that have Rule 12b-1 plans, from payments
to Distributors under such plans. In addition, certain Securities Dealers may
receive brokerage commissions generated by fund portfolio transactions in
accordance with the NASD's rules.
Reinvestment Date. Shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends will be
purchased at the Net Asset Value determined on the business day following the
dividend record date (sometimes known as the "ex-dividend date"). The processing
date for the reinvestment of dividends may vary and does not affect the amount
or value of the shares acquired.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EXCHANGING SHARES
If you request the exchange of the total value of your account, declared but
unpaid income dividends and capital gain distributions will be exchanged into
the new fund and will be invested at Net Asset Value. Backup withholding and
information reporting may apply. Information regarding the possible tax
consequences of an exchange is included in the tax section in this SAI and in
the Prospectus.
If a substantial number of shareholders should, within a short period, sell
their shares of the Fund under the exchange privilege, the Fund might have to
sell portfolio securities it might otherwise hold and incur the additional costs
related to such transactions. On the other hand, increased use of the exchange
privilege may result in periodic large inflows of money. If this occurs, it is
the Fund's general policy to initially invest this money in short-term,
interest-bearing money market instruments, unless it is believed that attractive
investment opportunities consistent with the Fund's investment objective exist
immediately. This money will then be withdrawn from the short-term money market
instruments and invested in portfolio securities in as orderly a manner as is
possible when attractive investment opportunities arise.
The proceeds from the sale of shares of an investment company are generally not
available until the fifth business day following the sale. The funds you are
seeking to exchange into may delay issuing shares pursuant to an exchange until
that fifth business day. The sale of Fund shares to complete an exchange will be
effected at Net Asset Value at the close of business on the day the request for
exchange is received in proper form. Please see "May I Exchange Shares for
Shares of Another Fund?" in the Prospectus.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON SELLING SHARES
Systematic Withdrawal Plan. There are no service charges for establishing or
maintaining a systematic withdrawal plan. Once your plan is established, any
distributions paid by the Fund will be automatically reinvested in your account.
Payments under the plan will be made from the redemption of an equivalent amount
of shares in your account, generally on the first business day of the month in
which a payment is scheduled before February 1997 and on the 25th day of the
month beginning with your February 1997 payment. If the 25th falls on a weekend
or holiday, we will process the redemption on the prior business day.
Redeeming shares through a systematic withdrawal plan may reduce or exhaust the
shares in your account if payments exceed distributions received from the Fund.
This is especially likely to occur if there is a market decline. If a withdrawal
amount exceeds the value of your account, your account will be closed and the
remaining balance in your account will be sent to you. Because the amount
withdrawn under the plan may be more than your actual yield or income, part of
the payment may be a return of your investment.
The Fund may discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan by notifying you in
writing and will automatically discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan if all
shares in your account are withdrawn or if the Fund receives notification of the
shareholder's death or incapacity.
Through Your Securities Dealer. If you sell shares through your Securities
Dealer, it is your dealer's responsibility to transmit the order to the Fund in
a timely fashion. Any loss to you resulting from your dealer's failure to do so
must be settled between you and your Securities Dealer.
Redemptions in Kind. The Fund has committed itself to pay in cash (by check) all
requests for redemption by any shareholder of record, limited in amount,
however, during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the value
of the Fund's net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period. This commitment
is irrevocable without the prior approval of the SEC. In the case of redemption
requests in excess of these amounts, the Board reserves the right to make
payments in whole or in part in securities or other assets of the Fund, in case
of an emergency, or if the payment of such a redemption in cash would be
detrimental to the existing shareholders of the Fund. In these circumstances,
the securities distributed would be valued at the price used to compute the
Fund's net assets and you may incur brokerage fees in converting the securities
to cash. The Fund does not intend to redeem illiquid securities in kind. If this
happens, however, you may not be able to recover your investment in a timely
manner.
GENERAL INFORMATION
If dividend checks are returned to the Fund marked "unable to forward" by the
postal service, we will consider this a request by you to change your dividend
option to reinvest all distributions. The proceeds will be reinvested in
additional shares at Net Asset Value until we receive new instructions.
If mail is returned as undeliverable or we are unable to locate you or verify
your current mailing address, we may deduct the costs of our efforts to find you
from your account. These costs may include a percentage of the account when a
search company charges a percentage fee in exchange for its location services.
All checks, drafts, wires and other payment mediums used to buy or sell shares
of the Fund must be denominated in U.S. dollars. We may, in our sole discretion,
either (a) reject any order to buy or sell shares denominated in any other
currency or (b) honor the transaction or make adjustments to your account for
the transaction as of a date and with a foreign currency exchange factor
determined by the drawee bank.
Special Services. The Franklin Templeton Institutional Services Department
provides specialized services, including recordkeeping, for institutional
investors. The cost of these services is not borne by the Fund.
Investor Services may pay certain financial institutions that maintain omnibus
accounts with the Fund on behalf of numerous beneficial owners for recordkeeping
operations performed with respect to such owners. For each beneficial owner in
the omnibus account, the Fund may reimburse Investor Services an amount not to
exceed the per account fee that the Fund normally pays Investor Services. These
financial institutions may also charge a fee for their services directly to
their clients.
Certain shareholder servicing agents may be authorized to accept your
transaction request.
HOW ARE FUND SHARES VALUED?
We calculate the Net Asset Value per share of each class as of the scheduled
close of the NYSE, generally 1:00 p.m. Pacific time, each day that the NYSE is
open for trading. As of the date of this SAI, the Fund is informed that the NYSE
observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday,
Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.
For the purpose of determining the aggregate net assets of the Fund, cash and
receivables are valued at their realizable amounts. Interest is recorded as
accrued and dividends are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Portfolio securities
listed on a securities exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System for
which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last quoted sale
price of the day or, if there is no such reported sale, within the range of the
most recent quoted bid and ask prices. Over-the-counter portfolio securities are
valued within the range of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices. Portfolio
securities that are traded both in the over-the-counter market and on a stock
exchange are valued according to the broadest and most representative market as
determined by Advisers.
Portfolio securities underlying actively traded call options are valued at their
market price as determined above. The current market value of any option held by
the Fund is its last sale price on the relevant exchange before the time when
assets are valued. Lacking any sales that day or if the last sale price is
outside the bid and ask prices, options are valued within the range of the
current closing bid and ask prices if the valuation is believed to fairly
reflect the contract's market value.
Trading in securities on European and Far Eastern securities exchanges and
over-the-counter markets is normally completed well before the close of business
of the NYSE on each day that the NYSE is open. Trading in European or Far
Eastern securities generally, or in a particular country or countries, may not
take place on every NYSE business day. Furthermore, trading takes place in
various foreign markets on days that are not business days for the NYSE and on
which the Net Asset Value of each class of the Fund is not calculated. Thus, the
calculation of the Net Asset Value of each class does not take place
contemporaneously with the determination of the prices of many of the portfolio
securities used in the calculation and, if events occur which materially affect
the values of these foreign securities, they will be valued at fair value as
determined by management and approved in good faith by the Board.
Generally, trading in corporate bonds, U.S. government securities and money
market instruments is substantially completed each day at various times before
the scheduled close of the NYSE. The value of these securities used in computing
the Net Asset Value of each class is determined as of such times. Occasionally,
events affecting the values of these securities may occur between the times at
which they are determined and the scheduled close of the NYSE that will not be
reflected in the computation of the Net Asset Value of each class. If events
materially affecting the values of these securities occur during this period,
the securities will be valued at their fair value as determined in good faith by
the Board.
Other securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at
the current market price, which may be obtained from a pricing service, based on
a variety of factors including recent trades, institutional size trading in
similar types of securities (considering yield, risk and maturity) and/or
developments related to specific issues. Securities and other assets for which
market prices are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined
following procedures approved by the Board. With the approval of the Board, the
Fund may utilize a pricing service, bank or Securities Dealer to perform any of
the above described functions.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON
DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES
DISTRIBUTIONS
You may receive two types of distributions from the Fund:
1. Income dividends. The Fund receives income generally in the form of
dividends, interest and other income derived from its investments. This income,
less the expenses incurred in the Fund's operations, is its net investment
income from which income dividends may be distributed. Thus, the amount of
dividends paid per share may vary with each distribution.
2. Capital gain distributions. The Fund may derive capital gains or losses in
connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities.
Distributions by the Fund derived from net short-term and net long-term capital
gains (after taking into account any capital loss carryforward or post October
loss deferral) may generally be made once a year in December to reflect any net
short-term and net long-term capital gains realized by the Fund as of October 31
of the current fiscal year and any undistributed capital gains from the prior
fiscal year. The Fund may make more than one distribution derived from net
short-term and net long-term capital gains in any year or adjust the timing of
these distributions for operational or other reasons.
TAXES
As stated in the Prospectus, the Fund has elected and qualified to be treated as
a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. The Board
reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated
investment company if it determines this course of action to be beneficial to
shareholders. In that case, the Fund will be subject to federal and possibly
state corporate taxes on its taxable income and gains, and distributions to
shareholders will be taxable to the extent of the Fund's available earnings and
profits.
Subject to the limitations discussed below, the portion of the income
distributions paid by the Fund may be treated by corporate shareholders as
qualifying dividends for purposes of the dividends-received deduction under
federal income tax law. If the aggregate qualifying dividends received by the
Fund (generally, dividends from U.S. domestic corporations, the stock in which
is not debt-financed by the Fund and is held for at least a minimum holding
period) is less than 100% of its distributable income, then the amount of the
Fund's dividends paid to corporate shareholders which may be designated as
eligible for such deduction will not exceed the aggregate qualifying dividends
received by the Fund for the taxable year. The amount or percentage of income
qualifying for the deduction will be declared by the Fund annually in a notice
to shareholders mailed shortly after the end of the Fund's fiscal year.
Corporate shareholders should note that dividends paid by a Fund from sources
other than the qualifying dividends it receives will not qualify for the
dividends-received deduction. For example, any interest income and short-term
capital gain (in excess of any net long-term capital loss or capital loss
carryover) included in investment company taxable income and distributed by a
Fund as a dividend will not qualify for the dividends received deduction.
Corporate shareholders should also note that availability of the corporate
dividends-received deduction is subject to certain restrictions. For example,
the deduction is eliminated unless the Fund shares have been held (or deemed
held) for at least 46 days in a substantially unhedged manner. The
dividends-received deduction may also be reduced to the extent interest paid or
accrued by a corporate shareholder is directly attributable to its investment in
Fund shares. The entire dividend, including the portion which is treated as a
deduction, is includable in the tax base on which the alternative minimum tax is
computed and may also result in a reduction in the shareholder's tax basis in
its Fund shares, under certain circumstances, if the shares have been held for
less than two years. Corporate shareholders whose investment in the Fund is
"debt financed" for these tax purposes should consult with their tax advisors
concerning the availability of the dividends-received deduction.
The Code requires all funds to distribute at least 98% of their taxable ordinary
income earned during the calendar year and at least 98% of their capital gain
net income earned during the twelve month period ending October 31 of each year
(in addition to amounts from the prior year that were neither distributed nor
taxed to the Fund) to shareholders by December 31 of each year in order to avoid
the imposition of a federal excise tax. The Fund intends as a matter of policy
to declare and pay such dividends, if any, in December to avoid the imposition
of this tax, but does not guarantee that its distributions will be sufficient to
avoid any or all federal excise taxes.
All or a portion of a loss realized upon a redemption of shares will be
disallowed to the extent other shares of the Fund are purchased (through
reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after such
redemption. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to the tax basis
of the shares purchased.
All or a portion of the sales charge incurred in purchasing shares of the Fund
will not be included in the federal tax basis of such shares sold or exchanged
within ninety (90) days of their purchase (for purposes of determining gain or
loss with respect to such shares) if the sales proceeds are reinvested in the
Fund or in another fund in the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds and a sales
charge which would otherwise apply to the reinvestment is reduced or eliminated.
Any portion of such sales charge excluded from the tax basis of the shares sold
will be added to the tax basis of the shares acquired in the reinvestment. You
should consult with your tax advisors concerning the rules applicable to the
redemption or exchange of Fund shares.
Gain realized by the Fund from transactions entered into after April 30, 1993
that are deemed to constitute "conversion transactions" under the Code and which
would otherwise produce capital gain may be recharacterized as ordinary income
to the extent that such gain does not exceed an amount defined by the Code as
the "applicable imputed income amount". A conversion transaction is any
transaction in which substantially all of the Fund's expected return is
attributable to the time value of the Fund's net investment in such transaction
and any one of the following criteria are met: 1) there is an acquisition of
property with a substantially contemporaneous agreement to sell the same or
substantially identical property in the future; 2) the transaction is an
applicable straddle; 3) the transaction was marketed or sold to the Fund on the
basis that it would have the economic characteristics of a loan but would be
taxed as capital gain; or 4) the transaction is specified in Treasury
regulations to be promulgated in the future. The applicable imputed income
amount, which represents the deemed return on the conversion transaction based
upon the time value of money, is computed using a yield equal to 120 percent the
applicable federal rate, reduced by any prior recharacterizations under this
provision or Section 263(g) of the Code concerning capitalized carrying costs.
The Fund's investment in options, futures contracts and forward contracts,
including transactions involving actual or deemed short sales or foreign
exchange gains or losses are subject to many complex and special tax rules. For
example, over-the-counter options on debt securities and equity options,
including options on stock and on narrow-based stock indexes, will be subject to
tax under Section 1234 of the Code, generally producing a long-term or
short-term capital gain or loss upon exercise, lapse, or closing out of the
option or sale of the underlying stock or security. By contrast, the Fund
treatment of certain other options, futures and forward contracts entered into
by the Fund is generally governed by Section 1256 of the Code. These "Section
1256" positions generally include listed options on debt securities, options on
broad-based stock indexes, options on securities indexes, options on futures
contracts, regulated futures contracts and certain foreign currency contacts and
options thereon.
Absent a tax election to the contrary, each such Section 1256 position held by
the Fund will be marked-to-market (i.e., treated as if it were sold for fair
market value) on the last business day of the Fund's fiscal year, and all gain
or loss associated with fiscal year transactions and mark-to-market positions at
fiscal year end (except certain foreign currency gain or loss covered by Section
988 of the Code) will generally be treated as 60% long-term capital gain or loss
and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. The effect of Section 1256
mark-to-market rules may be to accelerate income or to convert what otherwise
would have been long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains or
short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses within the Fund. The
acceleration of income on Section 1256 positions may require the Fund to accrue
taxable income without the corresponding receipt of cash. In order to generate
cash to satisfy the distribution requirements of the Code, the Fund may be
required to dispose of portfolio securities that it otherwise would have
continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of
Fund shares. In these ways, any or all of these rules may affect both the
amount, character and time of income distributed to shareholders by the Fund.
When the Fund holds an option or contract which substantially diminishes the
Fund's risk of loss with respect to another position of the Fund (as might occur
in some hedging transactions), this combination of positions could be treated as
a "straddle" for tax purposes, resulting in possible deferral of losses,
adjustments in the holding periods of Fund securities and conversion of
short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses. Certain tax elections
exist for mixed straddles (i.e., straddles comprised of at least one Section
1256 position and at least one non-Section 1256 position) which may reduce or
eliminate the operation of these straddle rules.
As a regulated investment company, the Fund is also subject to the requirement
that less than 30% of its annual gross income be derived from the sale or other
disposition of securities and certain other investments held for less than three
months ("short-short income").
This requirement may limit the Fund's ability to engage in options, straddles,
hedging transactions and forward or futures contracts because these transactions
are often consummated in less than three months, may require the sale of
portfolio securities held less than three months and may, as in the case of
short sales of portfolio securities reduce the holding periods of certain
securities within the Fund, resulting in additional short-short income for the
Fund.
The Fund will monitor its transactions in such options and contracts and may
make certain other tax elections in order to mitigate the effect of the above
rules and to prevent disqualification of the Fund as a regulated investment
company under Subchapter M of the Code.
Foreign exchange gains and losses realized by the Fund in connection with
certain transactions involving foreign currencies, foreign currency payables or
receivables, foreign currency-denominated debt securities, foreign currency
forward contracts, and options or futures contracts on foreign currencies are
subject to special tax rules which may cause such gains and losses to be treated
as ordinary income and losses rather than capital gains and losses and may
affect the amount and timing of the Fund's income or loss from such transactions
and in turn its distributions to shareholders.
In order for the Fund to qualify as a regulated investment company, at least 90%
of the Fund's annual gross income must consist of dividends, interest and
certain other types of qualifying income, and also conform to the aforementioned
30% gross income test. Foreign exchange gains derived by a Fund with respect to
the Fund's business of investing in stock or securities, or options or futures
with respect to such stock or securities, is qualifying income for purposes of
this 90% limitation.
Currency speculation or the use of currency forward contracts or other currency
instruments for non-hedging purposes may generate gains deemed to be not derived
with respect to the Fund's principal business of investing in stock or
securities and related options or futures. Under current law,
non-directly-related gains arising from foreign currency positions or
instruments held for less than three months are treated as derived from the
disposition of securities held less than three months in determining the Fund's
compliance with the 30% limitation. The Fund will limit its activities involving
foreign exchange gains to the extent necessary to comply with these
requirements.
The federal income tax treatment of interest rate and currency swaps is unclear
in certain respects and may in some circumstances result in the realization of
income not qualifying under the 90% test described above or be deemed to be
derived from the disposition of securities held less than three months in
determining the Fund's compliance with the 30% limitation. The Fund will limit
its interest rate and currency swaps to the extent necessary to comply with
these requirements.
If the Fund owns shares in a foreign corporation that constitutes a "passive
foreign investment company" (a "PFIC") for federal income tax purposes and the
Series does not elect to treat the foreign corporation as a "qualified electing
fund" within the meaning of the Code, the Fund may be subject to U.S. federal
income on a portion of any "excess distribution" it receives from the PFIC or
any gain it derives from the disposition of such shares, even if such income is
distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its U.S. shareholders. The Fund
may also be subject to additional interest charges in respect of deferred taxes
arising from such distributions or gains. Any federal income tax paid by the
Fund as a result of its ownership on shares of a PFIC will not give rise to a
deduction or credit to the Fund or to any shareholder. A PFIC means any foreign
corporation if, for the taxable year involved, either (i) it derives at least 75
percent of its income from "passive income" (including, but not limited to,
interest, dividends, royalties, rents and annuities), or (ii) on average, at
least 50 percent of the value (or adjusted basis, if elected) of the assets held
by the corporation produce "passive income."
On April 1, 1992, proposed U.S. Treasury regulations were issued regarding a
special mark-to-market election for regulated investment companies. Under these
regulations, the annual mark-to-market gain, if any, on shares held by the Fund
in a PFIC would be treated as an excess distribution received by the Fund in the
current year, eliminating the deferral and the related interest charge. Such
excess distribution amounts are treated as ordinary income, which the Fund will
be required to distribute to shareholders even though the Fund has not received
any cash to satisfy this distribution requirement. These regulations would be
effective for taxable years ending after the promulgation of the proposed
regulations as final regulations.
Income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject
to withholding and other income or similar taxes imposed by such countries. If
more than 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets at the close of its
taxable year consists of securities of foreign corporations, the Fund will be
eligible and intends to elect to "pass through" to the Fund's shareholders the
amount of foreign taxes paid by the Fund. Pursuant to this election, you will be
required to include in gross income (in addition to taxable dividends actually
received) your pro rata share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund, and will be
entitled either to deduct (as an itemized deduction) your pro rata share of
foreign income and similar taxes in computing your taxable income or to use it
as a foreign tax credit against your U. S. Federal income tax liability, subject
to limitations. No deduction for foreign taxes may be claimed by you if you do
not itemize deductions, but you may be eligible to claim the foreign tax credit
(see below). You will be notified within 60 days after the close of the Fund's
taxable year whether the foreign taxes paid by the Fund will "pass through" for
that year.
Generally, a credit for foreign taxes is subject to the limitation that it may
not exceed your U.S. tax attributable to your foreign source taxable income. For
this purpose, if the pass-through election is made, the source of the Fund's
income flows through to its shareholders. With respect to the Fund, gains from
the sale of securities will be treated as derived from U.S. sources and certain
currency fluctuation gains, including fluctuation gains from foreign
currency-denominated debt securities, receivables and payables, will be treated
as ordinary income derived from U.S. sources. The limitation on the foreign tax
credit is applied separately to foreign source passive income (as defined for
purposes of the foreign tax credit), including the foreign source passive income
passed through by the Fund. You may be unable to claim a credit for the full
amount of your proportionate share of the foreign taxes paid by the Fund.
Foreign taxes may not be deducted in computing alternative minimum taxable
income and the foreign tax credit can be used to offset only 90% of the
alternative minimum tax (as computed under the Code for purposes of this
limitation) imposed on corporations and individuals. If the Fund is not eligible
to make the election to "pass through" to its shareholders its foreign taxes,
the foreign income taxes it pays generally will reduce investment company
taxable income and the distributions by the Fund will be treated as U.S.
source income.
THE FUND'S UNDERWRITER
Pursuant to an underwriting agreement, Distributors acts as principal
underwriter in a continuous public offering for each class of the Fund's shares.
The underwriting agreement will continue in effect for successive annual periods
if its continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a vote of the
Board or by a vote of the holders of a majority of the Fund's outstanding voting
securities, and in either event by a majority vote of the Board members who are
not parties to the underwriting agreement or interested persons of any such
party (other than as members of the Board), cast in person at a meeting called
for that purpose. The underwriting agreement terminates automatically in the
event of its assignment and may be terminated by either party on 90 days'
written notice.
Distributors pays the expenses of the distribution of Fund shares, including
advertising expenses and the costs of printing sales material and prospectuses
used to offer shares to the public. The Fund pays the expenses of preparing and
printing amendments to its registration statements and prospectuses (other than
those necessitated by the activities of Distributors) and of sending
prospectuses to existing shareholders.
Distributors will not receive compensation from the Fund for acting as
underwriter with respect to the Advisor Class shares.
HOW DOES THE FUND
MEASURE PERFORMANCE?
Performance quotations are subject to SEC rules. These rules require the use of
standardized performance quotations or, alternatively, that every
non-standardized performance quotation furnished by the Fund be accompanied by
certain standardized performance information computed as required by the SEC.
Current yield and average annual total return quotations used by the Fund are
based on the standardized methods of computing performance mandated by the SEC.
If a Rule 12b-1 plan is adopted, performance figures reflect fees from the date
of the plan's implementation. An explanation of these and other methods used by
the Fund to compute or express performance for the Advisor Class shares follows.
For any period prior to January 1, 1997, the standardized performance quotations
for Advisor Class will be calculated by substituting the performance of Class I
for the relevant time period, and excluding the effect of the maximum sales
charge and including the effect of Rule 12b-1 fees applicable to Class I.
Regardless of the method used, past performance does not guarantee future
results, and is an indication of the return to shareholders only for the limited
historical period used.
TOTAL RETURN
Average Annual Total Return. Average annual total return is determined by
finding the average annual rates of return over one-, five- and ten-year periods
that would equate an initial hypothetical $1,000 investment to its ending
redeemable value. The calculation assumes income dividends and capital gain
distributions are reinvested at Net Asset Value. The quotation assumes the
account was completely redeemed at the end of each one-, five- and ten-year
period and the deduction of all applicable charges and fees. The average annual
total return for Advisor Class shares for the one- and five-year periods ended
April 30, 1996, would have been 12.10% and 7.26% and for the period from
inception (March 15, 1988) to April 30, 1996, would have been 7.55%.These rates
of return will be calculated according to the SEC formula:
n
P(1+T) = ERV
where:
P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000
T = average annual total return
n = number of years
ERV = ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the
beginning of the one-, five- or ten-year periods at the end of the one-, five-
or ten-year periods
Cumulative Total Return. The Fund may also quote the cumulative total return for
each class, in addition to the average annual total return. These quotations are
computed the same way, except the cumulative total return will be based on the
actual return for each class for a specified period rather than on the average
return over one-, five- and ten-year periods. The cumulative total return for
the Advisor Class shares for the one- and five-year periods ended April 30,
1996, would have been 12.10% and 41.96% and for the period from inception (March
15, 1988) to April 30, 1996, would have been 80.80%.
YIELD
Current Yield. Current yield of each class shows the income per share earned by
the Fund. It is calculated by dividing the net investment income per share of
each class earned during a 30-day base period by the Net Asset Value per share
on the last day of the period and annualizing the result. Expenses accrued for
the period include any fees charged to all shareholders of the class during the
base period. The yield for the 30-day period ended April 30, 1996, for the
Advisor Class shares would have been 7.89%.
This figure will be obtained using the following SEC formula:
6
Yield = 2 [(A-B + 1) - 1]
----
cd
where:
a = dividends and interest earned during the period
b = expenses accrued for the period (net of reimbursements)
c = the average daily number of shares outstanding during the period that were
entitled to receive dividends
d = the Net Asset Value per share on the last day of the period
CURRENT DISTRIBUTION RATE
Current yield which is calculated according to a formula prescribed by the SEC,
is not indicative of the amounts which were or will be paid to shareholders of a
class. Amounts paid to shareholders are reflected in the quoted current
distribution rate. For Advisor Class, the current distribution rate is usually
computed by annualizing the dividends paid per share by the class during a
certain period and dividing that amount by the current Net Asset Value. The
current distribution rate differs from the current yield computation because it
may include distributions to shareholders from sources other than dividends and
interest, such as premium income from option writing and short-term capital
gains and is calculated over a different period of time. The current
distribution rate for the 30 day period ended April 30, 1996, for the Advisor
Class shares would have been 7.21%.
VOLATILITY
Occasionally statistics may be used to show the Fund's volatility or risk.
Measures of volatility or risk are generally used to compare the Fund's Net
Asset Value or performance to a market index. One measure of volatility is beta.
Beta is the volatility of a fund relative to the total market, as represented by
an index considered representative of the types of securities in which the fund
invests. A beta of more than 1.00 indicates volatility greater than the market
and a beta of less than 1.00 indicates volatility less than the market. Another
measure of volatility or risk is standard deviation. Standard deviation is used
to measure variability of Net Asset Value or total return around an average over
a specified period of time. The idea is that greater volatility means greater
risk undertaken in achieving performance.
OTHER PERFORMANCE QUOTATIONS
For any period prior to January 1, 1997, sales literature about Advisor Class
may quote a current distribution rate, yield, cumulative total return, average
annual total return and other measures of performance as described elsewhere in
this SAI by substituting the performance of Class I for the relevant time period
and excluding the effect of the maximum sales charge and Rule 12b-1 fees
applicable to Class I.
Sales literature referring to the use of the Fund as a potential investment for
Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), Business Retirement Plans, and other
tax-advantaged retirement plans may quote a total return based upon compounding
of dividends on which it is presumed no federal income tax applies.
The Fund may include in its advertising or sales material information relating
to investment objectives and performance results of funds belonging to the
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds. Resources is the parent company of the
advisors and underwriter of both the Franklin Group of Funds and Templeton Group
of Funds.
COMPARISONS
To help you better evaluate how an investment in the Fund may satisfy your
investment objective, advertisements and other materials about the Fund may
discuss certain measures of each class' performance as reported by various
financial publications. Materials may also compare performance (as calculated
above) to performance as reported by other investments, indices, and averages.
These comparisons may include, but are not limited to, the following examples:
a) Dow Jones Composite Average or its component averages - an unmanaged index
composed of 30 blue-chip industrial corporation stocks (Dow Jones Industrial
Average), 15 utilities company stocks (Dow Jones Utilities Average), and 20
transportation company stocks. Comparisons of performance assume reinvestment of
dividends.
b) Standard & Poor's 500 Stock Index or its component indices - an unmanaged
index composed of 400 industrial stocks, 40 financial stocks, 40 utilities
stocks, and 20 transportation stocks. Comparisons of performance assume
reinvestment of dividends.
c) Lipper- Mutual Fund Performance Analysis and Lipper - Fixed Income Fund
Performance Analysis - measure total return and average current yield for the
mutual fund industry and rank individual mutual fund performance over specified
time periods, assuming reinvestment of all distributions, exclusive of any
applicable sales charges.
d) CDA Mutual Fund Report, published by CDA Investment Technologies, Inc.
analyzes price, current yield, risk, total return, and average rate of return
(average annual compounded growth rate) over specified time periods for the
mutual fund industry.
e) Mutual Fund Source Book, published by Morningstar, Inc. - analyzes price,
yield, risk, and total return for mutual funds.
f) Financial publications: The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Changing
Times, Financial World, Forbes, Fortune, and Money magazines - provide
performance statistics over specified time periods.
g) Consumer Price Index (or Cost of Living Index), published by the U.S. Bureau
of Labor Statistics - a statistical measure of change, over time, in the price
of goods and services in major expenditure groups.
h) Stocks, Bonds, Bills, and Inflation, published by Ibbotson Associates
historical measure of yield, price, and total return for common and small
company stock, long-term government bonds, Treasury bills, and inflation.
i) Salomon Brothers Broad Bond Index or its component indices - The Broad Index
measures yield, price, and total return for Treasury, Agency, Corporate, and
Mortgage bonds.
j) Savings and Loan Historical Interest Rates - as published in the U.S. Savings
& Loan League Fact Book.
k) Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index or its component indices - The Aggregate
Bond Index or its component indices - The Aggregate Bond Index measures yield,
price and total return for Treasury, Agency, Corporate, Mortgage, and Yankee
bonds.
l) Historical data supplied by the research departments of First Boston
Corporation, the J. P. Morgan companies, Salomon Brothers, Merrill Lynch, Lehman
Brothers and Bloomberg L.P.
m) Yields and total return of other taxable investments including certificates
of deposit (CDs), money market deposit accounts (MMDAs), checking accounts,
savings accounts, money market mutual funds, and repurchase agreements.
n) Yields of other countries' government and corporate bonds as compared to U.S.
Government and corporate bonds to illustrate the potentially higher returns
available outside the United States.
o) Salomon Brothers World Government Bond Index covers the available market for
domestic Government bonds worldwide. It includes all fixed-rate bonds with a
remaining maturity of one year or longer with amounts outstanding of at least
the equivalent of $25 million dollars. The index provides an accurate,
replicable fixed income benchmark for market performance. Returns are in local
currency.
p) Morningstar - information published by Morningstar, Inc., including
Morningstar proprietary mutual fund ratings. The ratings reflect Morningstar's
assessment of the historical risk adjusted performance of a fund over specified
time periods relative to other funds within its category.
From time to time, advertisements or information for the Fund may include a
discussion of certain attributes or benefits to be derived from an investment in
the Fund. The advertisements or information may include symbols, headlines, or
other material that highlights or summarizes the information discussed in more
detail in the communication.
Advertisements or information may also compare the performance of Advisor Class
to the return on CDs or other investments. You should be aware, however, that an
investment in the Fund involves the risk of fluctuation of principal value, a
risk generally not present in an investment in a CD issued by a bank. For
example, as the general level of interest rates rise, the value of the Fund's
fixed-income investments, as well as the value of its shares that are based upon
the value of such portfolio investments, can be expected to decrease.
Conversely, when interest rates decrease, the value of the Fund's shares can be
expected to increase. CDs are frequently insured by an agency of the U.S.
government. An investment in the Fund is not insured by any federal, state or
private entity.
In assessing comparisons of performance, you should keep in mind that the
composition of the investments in the reported indices and averages is not
identical to the Fund's portfolio, the indices and averages are generally
unmanaged, and the items included in the calculations of the averages may not be
identical to the formula used by the Fund to calculate its figures. In addition,
there can be no assurance that the Fund will continue its performance as
compared to these other averages.
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
The Fund may help you achieve various investment goals such as accumulating
money for retirement, saving for a down payment on a home, college costs and
other long-term goals. The Franklin College Costs Planner may help you in
determining how much money must be invested on a monthly basis in order to have
a projected amount available in the future to fund a child's college education.
(Projected college cost estimates are based upon current costs published by the
College Board.) The Franklin Retirement Planning Guide leads you through the
steps to start a retirement savings program. Of course, an investment in the
Fund cannot guarantee that these goals will be met.
The Fund is a member of the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, one of the
largest mutual fund organizations in the U.S., and may be considered in a
program for diversification of assets. Founded in 1947, Franklin, one of the
oldest mutual fund organizations, has managed mutual funds for over 48 years and
now services more than 2.5 million shareholder accounts. In 1992, Franklin, a
leader in managing fixed-income mutual funds and an innovator in creating
domestic equity funds, joined forces with Templeton Worldwide, Inc., a pioneer
in international investing. Together, the Franklin Templeton Group has over $152
billion in assets under management for more than 4.2 million U.S. based mutual
fund shareholder and other accounts. The Franklin Templeton Group of Funds
offers 124 U.S. based open-end investment companies to the public. The Fund may
identify itself by its NASDAQ symbol or CUSIP number.
The Dalbar Surveys, Inc. broker-dealer survey has ranked Franklin number one in
service quality for five of the past eight years.
From time to time, the number of Fund shares held in the "street name" accounts
of various Securities Dealers for the benefit of their clients or in centralized
securities depositories may exceed 5% of the total shares outstanding. To the
best knowledge of the Fund, no other person holds beneficially or of record more
than 5% of the Fund's outstanding Advisor Class shares.
As a shareholder of a Massachusetts business trust, you could, under certain
circumstances, be held personally liable as a partner for its obligations. The
Fund's Agreement and Declaration of Trust, however, contains an express
disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Fund. The
Declaration of Trust also provides for indemnification and reimbursement of
expenses out of the Fund's assets if you are held personally liable for
obligations of the Fund. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Fund shall,
upon request, assume the defense of any claim made against you for any act or
obligation of the Fund and satisfy any judgment thereon. All such rights are
limited to the assets of the Fund. The Declaration of Trust further provides
that the Fund may maintain appropriate insurance (for example, fidelity bonding
and errors and omissions insurance) for the protection of the Fund, its
shareholders, trustees, officers, employees and agents to cover possible tort
and other liabilities. Furthermore, the activities of the Fund as an investment
company, as distinguished from an operating company, would not likely give rise
to liabilities in excess of the Fund's total assets. Thus, the risk of you
incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to the
unlikely circumstances in which both inadequate insurance exists and the Fund
itself is unable to meet its obligations.
In the event of disputes involving multiple claims of ownership or authority to
control your account, the Fund has the right (but has no obligation) to: (a)
freeze the account and require the written agreement of all persons deemed by
the Fund to have a potential property interest in the account, prior to
executing instructions regarding the account; (b) interplead disputed funds or
accounts with a court of competent jurisdiction; or (c) surrender ownership of
all or a portion of the account to the IRS in response to a Notice of Levy.
Summary of Code of Ethics. Employees of Resources or its subsidiaries who are
access persons under the 1940 Act are permitted to engage in personal securities
transactions subject to the following general restrictions and procedures: (i)
the trade must receive advance clearance from a compliance officer and must be
completed within 24 hours after clearance; (ii) copies of all brokerage
confirmations must be sent to a compliance officer and, within 10 days after the
end of each calendar quarter, a report of all securities transactions must be
provided to the compliance officer; and (iii) access persons involved in
preparing and making investment decisions must, in addition to (i) and (ii)
above, file annual reports of their securities holdings each January and inform
the compliance officer (or other designated personnel) if they own a security
that is being considered for a fund or other client transaction or if they are
recommending a security in which they have an ownership interest for purchase or
sale by a fund or other client.
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
The audited financial statements contained in the Annual Report to Shareholders
of the Trust, for the fiscal year ended October 31, 1995, including the
auditors' report, and the unaudited financial statement contained in the
Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders of the Trust, for the period ended April 30,
1996, are incorporated herein by reference. These financial statements do not
include information for Advisor Class as these shares were not publicly offered
prior to the date of this SAI.
USEFUL TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
1940 Act - Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended
Advisers - Franklin Advisers, Inc., the Fund's investment manager
Board - The Board of Trustees of the Trust
CD - Certificate of deposit
Class I, Class II and Advisor Class - The Fund offers three classes of shares,
designated "Class I," "Class II" and "Advisor Class." The three classes have
proportionate interests in the Fund's portfolio. Class I and Class II differ,
however, primarily in their sales charge structures and Rule 12b-1 plans.
Advisor Class shares are purchased without a sales charge and do not have a Rule
12b-1 plan.
Code - Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
Distributors - Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc., the Fund's principal
underwriter
Franklin Funds - The mutual funds in the Franklin Group of Funds(R) except
Franklin Valuemark Funds and the Franklin Government Securities Trust
Franklin Templeton Funds - The Franklin Funds and the Templeton Funds
Franklin Templeton Group - Franklin Resources, Inc., a publicly owned holding
company, and its various subsidiaries
Franklin Templeton Group of Funds - All U.S. registered investment companies in
the Franklin Group of Funds(R) and the Templeton Group of Funds
FT Services - Franklin Templeton Services, Inc., the Fund's administrator
Investor Services - Franklin/Templeton Investor Services, Inc., the Fund's
shareholder servicing and transfer agent
IRS - Internal Revenue Service
Mutual Series - Franklin Mutual Series Fund Inc., a member of the Franklin Group
of Funds, formerly the Mutual Series Fund. Each series of Mutual Series began
offering three classes of shares on November 1, 1996; Class I, Class II and
Class Z. All shares sold before that time are designated Class Z shares.
NASD - National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Net Asset Value (NAV) - The value of a mutual fund is determined by deducting
the fund's liabilities from the total assets of the portfolio. The net asset
value per share is determined by dividing the net asset value of the fund by the
number of shares outstanding.
NYSE - New York Stock Exchange
Offering Price - The public offering price is based on the Net Asset Value per
share of the class and includes the front-end sales charge, if applicable. The
maximum front-end sales charge is 4.25% for Class I and 1% for Class II. Advisor
Class shares have no front-end sales charge.
Prospectus - The prospectus for Advisor Class of the Fund dated January 1, 1997,
as may be amended from time to time
Resources - Franklin Resources, Inc.
SAI - Statement of Additional Information
SEC - U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Securities Dealer - A financial institution which, either directly or through
affiliates, has an agreement with Distributors to handle customer orders and
accounts with the Fund. This reference is for convenience only and does not
indicate a legal conclusion of capacity.
Templeton Funds - The U.S. registered mutual funds in the Templeton Group of
Funds except Templeton Capital Accumulator Fund, Inc., Templeton Variable
Annuity Fund, and Templeton Variable Products Series Fund
U.S. - United States
We/Our/Us - Unless a different meaning is indicated by the context, these terms
refer to the Fund and/or Investor Services, Distributors, or other wholly-owned
subsidiaries of Resources.
