Franklin Templeton Introduces FTGF Putnam Global Research Fund

This fund is a sub-fund of the Ireland-domiciled Franklin Templeton Global Funds (FTGF) and focuses on returns through high-conviction stock selection in global equity markets, specifically targeting companies with earnings expectations that significantly differ from market consensus.

The fund's portfolio will consist of 150 to 200 stocks and will be managed by a team from Putnam’s research department, divided into 11 distinct investment sleeves. It aims to maintain a sector and region-neutral stance relative to the MSCI World index and will consider both growth and value stocks over a multi-year period.

Boston-based portfolio managers Kate Lakin, Matt LaPlant, and Vivek Gandhi, along with London-based David Morgan, will co-manage the fund.

Franklin Templeton acquired Putnam Investments, a US investment manager, in 2024 and expanded its access to US strategies for UK and overseas investors last year.

Harry Reeves, head of UK wholesale at Franklin Templeton, noted the strong response to Putnam Investments in the UK, highlighting clients' appreciation for its extensive fundamental research and disciplined stock selection approach. He stated, “What particularly resonates is the consistency of the approach and Putnam’s philosophy of being ‘consistently good, not occasionally great’.”

Lakin emphasized that the fund's strategy is based on “fundamental bottom-up research,” expressing enthusiasm for combining non-US expertise with their successful US research strategy to create a global portfolio aimed at European investors. The fund is designed for those seeking global equity investments that aim to generate excess returns through selective stock choices while managing factor exposures to enhance performance from specific risks.