Franklin Templeton Canada Capitalizes on its Active Fixed Income Expertise with New Ultra Short Bond Active ETF

A shorter duration strategy that provides active allocation for 15 bps and a yield like guaranteed investment certificates (GICs)

TORONTO, Sept. 12, 2022 /CNW/ - Franklin Templeton Canada announced the expansion of its active fixed income ETF lineup with the listing of Franklin Bissett Ultra Short Bond Active ETF (FHIS) on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) today, September 12, 2022. FHIS is a highly liquid, ultra short duration bond ETF, which provides Canadian investors with the added benefit of active allocation at a low cost.

"With the recent market volatility and rising interest rates, many investors are looking to enhance their cash position while preserving capital," said Duane Green, president and CEO, Franklin Templeton Canada. "FHIS provides a shorter duration strategy with a comparable yield to GICs, providing Canadians access to stable income with downside protection and limited sensitivity to interest rate movements."

Franklin Bissett Ultra Short Bond Active ETF seeks to provide income and preservation of capital by investing primarily in debt instruments of Canadian issuers.

Ahmed Farooq, SVP and head of Retail ETF Distribution, Franklin Templeton Canada, added: "For investors looking for more than a money market fund and not wanting to lock in GIC rates at a time when interest rates are expected to rise, FHIS provides the flexibility they desire. The active management of this ETF allows our seasoned Canadian fixed income team to seize investment opportunities arising in the bond market, with the benefit of a low management fee of only 15 bps."

Offering a continuum of active fixed income ETFs, FHIS expands the Franklin Bissett active fixed income ETF lineup, which also includes: Franklin Bissett Short Duration Bond Active ETF (FLSD), Franklin Bissett Corporate Bond Active ETF (FLCI) and Franklin Bissett Core Plus Bond Active ETF (FLCP).

Franklin Bissett Ultra Short Bond Active ETF is co-managed by the Franklin Bissett Investment Management team of Brian Calder, VP, portfolio manager and senior trader, Sevrika Galipeau, portfolio manager and research analyst, and Darius Taheri, portfolio manager and trader, with 23, 15, and 8 years of industry experience, respectively.

With approximately $5 billion in assets under management¹, Franklin Bissett's fixed income team provides investors with Canadian fixed income expertise, grounded in a global perspective. The team focuses on Canada with the potential for enhanced returns through global diversification, managing multi-sector, credit and duration-targeted strategies.

Franklin Templeton's employees will gather to ring the TSX's opening bell on September 19, 2022, to celebrate the listing of FHIS.

Franklin Templeton's diverse and innovative ETF platform was built to provide better client outcomes for a range of market conditions and investment opportunities. The product suite offers active, smart beta and passive ETFs that span multiple asset classes and geographies. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.ca/etf.

About Franklin Templeton
Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE: BEN] is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 155 countries. In Canada, the company's subsidiary is Franklin Templeton Investments Corp., which operates as Franklin Templeton Canada. Franklin Templeton's mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the company offers boutique specialization on a global scale, bringing extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternatives. With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the California-based company has 75 years of investment experience and approximately US$1.4 trillion (approximately CAN$1.8 trillion) in assets under management as of July 31, 2022. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.ca and connect with Franklin Templeton on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, and read the Beyond Bulls & Bears blog.

1. As of July 31, 2022

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SOURCE Franklin Templeton Investments Corp.

Sarah Kingdon, Corporate Communications, Franklin Templeton, 416.957.6191, [email protected]