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Risk Considerations

  • INVESTMENT INVOLVES RISKS. The value of the Fund can be volatile and investors may not get back the amount originally invested. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
  •  Franklin Diversified Income Fund invests principally in fixed income securities issued by governments, agencies and corporations located in any country, including to a lesser extent in emerging markets. The Fund will have an allocation to fixed income securities of at least 75% of the Fund’s net assets.
  • The Fund is subject to market risk, emerging markets risk, debt securities risk, securitisation risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, valuation risk, volatility risk, foreign currency risk, counterparty risk, “to-be-announced” (“TBA”) transaction risk, swap agreements risk, derivative instruments risk, convertible securities risk and class hedging risk.
  • The Fund may at its discretion pay dividends out of the capital or out of gross income of the Fund while paying all or part of the Fund’s fees and expenses out of the capital of the Fund, which results in effectively paying dividends out of capital. Payment of dividends out of capital amounts to a return or withdrawal of part of an investor’s original investment or from any capital gains attributable to that original investment. Any distributions involving payment of dividends out of the Fund’s capital or payment of dividends effectively out of the Fund’s capital (as the case may be) may result in an immediate reduction of the net asset value per share.
  • “Plus” share classes that offer, under normal market conditions, dividend distribution at a pre-determined annual percentage of the net asset value per share that is not linked to income or capital gains, may either be paying out both income and capital in distribution payments, or not substantially distributing all the investment income which a share class has earned. Such share classes may continue to distribute in periods that the Fund has negative returns or is making losses, which further reduces the net asset values of such share classes. In extreme circumstances, investors may not be able to get back the original investment amount.
  • Investors should not invest based on this marketing material alone.  Offering documents should be read for further details, including the risk factors. Before you decide to invest, you should make sure the intermediary has explained to you that the Fund is suitable to you. 

Bonds aren’t all equal

Not all fixed income holds up when conditions change

Many investors buy bonds for income and stability, assuming it will naturally shelter their portfolio when markets turn stormy. But not all bond portfolios are truly diversified, and some conventional fixed income exposures can still carry concentrated risk and volatility. That’s the gap the Franklin Diversified Income Fund aims to fill—looking beyond traditional approaches to uncover a broader range of income.
 

We invest differently

We go beyond the usual playbook

Income investing often follows a familiar formula, using broad sector groupings, benchmark constraints and market calls to shape portfolios. The Fund takes a more flexible route, combining security selection with differentiated portfolio construction. It is not tied to a benchmark or built around leverage as a main source of return.

 

  TYPICAL APPROACH OUR APPROACH
Manages risk relative to a benchmark

 
Reliance on interest rate direction  
Uses leverage or derivatives  
Flexible, not restricted by a benchmark
Generates alpha from security selection/sector allocation
Seeks increased alpha via portfolio construction  
Diversifies across different balance sheets  
Mitigates drawdowns when markets fall  
    Lower drawdowns Higher returns

For illustrative purposes only. There is no guarantee an investment strategy will be successful.

Know beyond obvious

Know what broad labels miss

A single bond label can hide very different sources of risk. The investment team uses a proprietary framework that reorganises the bond universe into more than 20 custom sectors based on spread volatility, which reflects how different securities actually behave as market conditions change. This finer lens helps the team identify opportunities more precisely and shape the portfolio with greater control.

Note: Each tier represents a different level of risk and return, so the fund portfolio allocates more precisely across opportunities.
”IG” refers to investment-grade bonds; “MBS” refer to mortgage-backed securities; “US Agency MBS” refers to US agency mortgage-backed securities, which are investment-grade bonds backed by home loans and guaranteed by government-sponsored enterprises. “CMBS” refers to commercial mortgage-backed securities; “RMBS” refers to residential mortgage-backed securities; “CLO” refers to collaterised loan obligations; “HY” refers to high yield bonds; and “EM” refers to emerging market debt.

For illustrative purposes only. The information provided is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold any particular security. References to particular industries, sectors or companies are for general information and are not necessarily indicative of a fund’s holding at any one time. ​

Bonds move differently

Bonds don’t always diversify like you think

Looking beyond labels also means understanding how different bond segments behave relative to broader markets. For instance, since 2014, investment grade credit and high yield have shown correlations of 0.67 and 0.74 respectively to the S&P 500 Index, while asset-backed securities have shown much lower correlations of 0.11. By combining such differentiated sources of return, the Fund is designed to support a more consistent return profile over time.
 

Source: Bloomberg, ICE Data Indices, JP Morgan Research, Franklin Templeton Fixed Income as of 31 December 2025. Investment Grade is represented by Bloomberg US Corporate Index, High Yield is represented by Bloomberg US High Yield Index, Bank Loans is represented by Morningstar LSTA Leveraged Loan Index, EM USD is represented by Bloomberg Emerging Market USD Sovereign Index, S&P 500 is represented by S&P 500 Index, Agency IO is represented by ICE BofA US Agency CMO Structured IO Index, CMBS is represented by ICE BofA Single-A US Fixed Rate CMBS Index, Agency MBS is represented by Bloomberg US MBS Index, ABS is represented by Bloomberg ABS Index, and CLO is represented by JPM CLO IG Index. Indices are unmanaged, and one cannot invest directly in an index. They do not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges.

Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Diversification does not assure a profit or protect against loss. It is possible to lose money in a diversified portfolio.

For illustrative purposes only. There is no guarantee an investment strategy will be successful. References to particular industries, sectors or companies are for general information and are not necessarily indicative of a fund’s holding at any one time.

Best minds, better outcomes

Best ideas need a strong foundation

A strategy like this is only possible with the depth of a firm that has invested through many market cycles and across a wide opportunity set. Franklin Templeton has partnered with clients for decades, bringing fixed income expertise shaped by experience and perspective that endures.

US $1.7tn

in total AUM

75+

years of track record

150

countries with clients

31*

years of average industry experience

Meet our investment team

The Fund is managed by a senior team whose expertise spans macro and multi-sector investing, high yield, securitised credit and emerging market debt. Together, they bring specialist judgement from across the bond market to shape a best-ideas portfolio rather than a one-size-fits-all allocation. That combination of skills is central to how the Fund seeks income while managing risk.

Sonal Desai, Ph.D.
Chief Investment Officer

Dr. Sonal Desai oversees all of Franklin Templeton's Fixed Income teams. She joined the firm in 2009 and has been recognised by Barron’s, Forbes and Pensions & Investments as one of the most influential women in finance.

Michael V. Salm

Senior Vice President, Fixed Income, Portfolio Manager

Glenn Voyles, CFA

Senior Vice President, Director of High Yield

Nicholas Hardingham, CFA

Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager, Research Analyst

A fixed income platform built for all conditions

Behind the portfolio managers is a broad fixed income platform—research, trading and risk expertise across sectors and regions—working like an all-weather umbrella. For investors, that means deep resources helping the fund navigate changing conditions, rain or shine.
 

*Investment professionals include portfolio managers, research analysts, research associates, investment support and executives of Franklin Templeton.
All data as of 31 March 2026.

Franklin Diversified Income Fund

Resources

Fund Factsheet

Recent Insights

As markets shift, staying informed matters. These articles offer timely perspectives on what’s driving income opportunities.

Franklin Templeton Fixed Income Insights

Sonal Desai: On My Mind

Macroeconomic views

Global views

FAQs

Yes. Many traditional fixed income strategies can become heavily exposed to the same interest rate, credit or macroeconomic risks, even when they appear diversified on the surface.

Assets that move too closely together may offer less protection during periods of volatility. Lower correlations across income sources can help create more resilient portfolios across changing conditions.

The Fund is not managed against a traditional benchmark and is not limited to broad sector allocations. Instead, it uses flexible portfolio construction and security selection to uncover differentiated income opportunities across global bond markets.

The Fund uses a flexible and unconstrained approach rather than relying on a single interest rate view. This allows the portfolio to adapt across varying rate environments and shifting economic conditions.

Securitised bonds are often influenced by different drivers than traditional government or corporate debt. This can help broaden portfolio exposures and potentially improve resilience during periods of market stress.

The strategy combines diversified sector exposure with a disciplined risk framework focused on duration, volatility and drawdown management. Ongoing stress testing and risk monitoring are integrated into the portfolio construction process.

The Fund invests across a range of income-producing fixed income sectors including corporate bonds, securitised assets and emerging market debt. This diversified approach seeks to create multiple sources of income rather than relying heavily on a single sector or market environment.