Fund Research · Every Dollar Grows
Franklin Templeton ETFs and mutual funds: List, Differences & How to Choose
Compare Franklin Templeton ETFs and mutual funds by investment manager, strategy, geography, active or indexed approach, share class, concentration, currency exposure, and cost.
Quick Answer
Franklin Templeton ETFs and mutual funds cover far more than one style of investing.
The broader Franklin Templeton organization includes multiple specialist investment managers and strategies spanning stocks, bonds, multi-asset investments, municipal bonds, country-specific funds, income strategies, alternatives, and digital assets.
That means the words Franklin Templeton tell you who is behind the investment platform, but they do not tell you what risk you are actually buying.
Start with the exact:
- fund name,
- ticker,
- investment manager,
- objective,
- benchmark,
- portfolio holdings,
- and mutual-fund share class where applicable.
Comparing Franklin Templeton with other providers? Start with the ETF and Mutual Fund Companies comparison before choosing a specific fund.
Franklin Templeton ETFs and mutual funds: What You Are Actually Comparing
Franklin Templeton is better understood as a broad asset-management platform than as one single investment style.
The organization includes investment capabilities across areas such as:
- U.S. equities,
- international equities,
- single-country investing,
- dividend strategies,
- growth and value investing,
- fixed income,
- municipal bonds,
- multi-asset income,
- private markets,
- and other specialized strategies.
Franklin Templeton also operates through specialist investment managers.
Depending on the investment, you may encounter names such as:
- ClearBridge Investments,
- BrandywineGLOBAL,
- Putnam Investments,
- Royce Investment Partners,
- Western Asset,
- Benefit Street Partners,
- and other Franklin Templeton investment groups.
The brand does not define the risk
Two investments shown on the Franklin Templeton platform can use different managers, investment philosophies, asset classes, benchmarks, trading rules, and risk levels.
Franklin Templeton ETFs and mutual funds: Selected Funds to Research
These selected funds demonstrate how different investments inside the Franklin Templeton family can be.
They are examples, not rankings or recommendations.
Search this Franklin Templeton research list
10 research entries
| Fund | Format | General role | What to compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| FLQL — Franklin U.S. Large Cap Multifactor Index ETF | ETF | U.S. large-cap equity | Multifactor rules, weighting, benchmark, and overlap with broad U.S. funds |
| LVHD — Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | ETF | U.S. dividend stocks | Dividend selection, volatility screens, sector weights, and total return |
| LVHI — Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF | ETF | International dividend stocks | Dividend rules, country exposure, currency hedging, and concentration |
| FLIN — Franklin FTSE India ETF | ETF | India stocks | Single-country concentration, benchmark, valuation, and emerging-market risk |
| FLMI — Franklin Dynamic Municipal Bond ETF | ETF | Municipal bonds | Duration, credit quality, tax treatment, and after-tax yield |
| INCM — Franklin Income Focus ETF | ETF | Multi-asset income | Stock/bond mix, distribution strategy, active allocation, and total return |
| LRGE — ClearBridge Large Cap Growth Select ETF | ETF | Active U.S. growth stocks | Active stock selection, concentration, manager, and benchmark |
| FKGRX — Franklin Growth Fund Class A | Mutual fund | U.S. growth stocks | Exact share class, sales charge, annual expenses, and active strategy |
| SOPAX — ClearBridge Dividend Strategy Fund Class A | Mutual fund | Dividend-oriented equity | ClearBridge strategy, share-class costs, dividend objective, and sector exposure |
| FFQAX — Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund Class A | Mutual fund | Municipal bonds | Tax treatment, duration, credit risk, AMT exposure, and share-class costs |
No entries match. Try a broader phrase or reset the filters.
Verify the exact fund, share class, benchmark, expenses, holdings, investment manager, and purchase eligibility on the official Franklin Templeton fund page and prospectus.
One Franklin Templeton Platform Can Contain Different Investment Managers
This is the most important concept for researching Franklin Templeton.
A fund available through Franklin Templeton does not automatically use the same portfolio-management team as another Franklin Templeton investment.
ClearBridge Investments
ClearBridge is an affiliated active equity manager with strategies covering areas such as:
- large-cap growth,
- value,
- dividend investing,
- international equities,
- and other equity mandates.
Western Asset
Western Asset is associated primarily with fixed-income management.
Royce Investment Partners
Royce has a long history in small-company investing.
Putnam Investments
Putnam became part of Franklin Templeton and continues to offer strategies using its own investment teams and processes.
Therefore, researching a Franklin Templeton investment should include:
- finding the exact fund,
- identifying the investment manager,
- understanding that manager's process,
- and then comparing the fund with genuinely similar alternatives.
Franklin Templeton Offers Both Active and Indexed ETFs
Do not assume the ETF wrapper tells you how the portfolio is managed.
Franklin Templeton's current ETF lineup includes both:
- indexed ETFs,
- and actively managed ETFs.
Indexed ETF
An indexed ETF generally seeks to track a defined benchmark.
Research the index methodology, weighting rules, rebalancing process, and concentration.
Active ETF
An active ETF gives the portfolio manager greater discretion over security selection, positioning, and portfolio changes.
Research the investment process, benchmark, manager, risk limits, and expenses.
FLIN, LVHI, LVHD, and FLQL illustrate indexed approaches.
FLMI, INCM, and ClearBridge's LRGE illustrate active approaches.
FLQL Is Not the Same as Every Large-Cap U.S. ETF
FLQL is the Franklin U.S. Large Cap Multifactor Index ETF.
It belongs in the broad category of U.S. large-company stocks, but investors should not assume it behaves identically to a plain market-cap-weighted S&P 500 fund.
A multifactor index can deliberately weight securities according to characteristics beyond company market capitalization.
When comparing FLQL with another large-cap ETF, look at:
- benchmark methodology,
- number of holdings,
- sector weights,
- company weights,
- factor exposures,
- turnover,
- and expenses.
Two funds labeled U.S. large cap can still produce meaningfully different portfolios.
LVHD and LVHI Show Why Dividend Funds Need More Than a Yield Comparison
Dividend investing sounds simple: buy companies that pay attractive dividends.
The actual fund construction can be much more complicated.
LVHD
LVHD is the Franklin U.S. Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF.
The strategy combines dividend characteristics with volatility considerations.
LVHI
LVHI is the Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF.
It targets developed-market equities outside the United States with relatively high dividend yields and relatively low price and earnings volatility.
LVHI also incorporates currency hedging.
Dividend yield is only one part of the return
A high dividend does not automatically mean a better investment.
Compare total return, sector concentration, dividend sustainability, valuation, currency exposure, and the rules used to select companies.
FLIN Is an India ETF, Not a Broad International Fund
FLIN is the Franklin FTSE India ETF.
It seeks to track an index representing large- and mid-capitalization Indian stocks.
That can provide direct access to one important emerging economy.
But it is a single-country investment.
That creates risks that differ from a broadly diversified international fund.
Consider:
- Indian economic conditions,
- political and regulatory developments,
- currency movements,
- market valuations,
- sector concentration,
- foreign-investment rules,
- and country-specific market events.
International does not automatically mean diversified
Owning an investment outside the United States does not by itself create broad international diversification.
One country is still one country.
FLMI Adds Active Municipal-Bond Management
FLMI is the Franklin Dynamic Municipal Bond ETF.
It is actively managed and seeks current income that is exempt from regular federal income tax.
That tax objective does not eliminate bond risk.
Municipal investors still need to review:
- duration,
- interest-rate sensitivity,
- issuer credit quality,
- state exposure,
- liquidity,
- alternative minimum tax considerations,
- and capital-gain consequences.
A municipal fund is most useful when compared on an after-tax basis with taxable alternatives.
INCM Is a Multi-Asset Income Strategy, Not a Bond Fund
INCM is the Franklin Income Focus ETF.
It seeks high current income while retaining prospects for capital appreciation.
The portfolio can invest across both:
- debt securities,
- and equities.
That makes INCM materially different from a conventional bond ETF.
An investor attracted to the income stream should also examine:
- current stock allocation,
- bond allocation,
- credit exposure,
- interest-rate exposure,
- distribution sources,
- volatility,
- and total return.
Income alone does not describe the risk of a multi-asset portfolio.
ClearBridge Funds Show Why the Investment Manager Matters
ClearBridge is part of the broader Franklin Templeton organization, but it retains its own active equity approach.
Current ClearBridge strategies available through the Franklin Templeton platform include funds covering:
- large-cap growth,
- dividend investing,
- value,
- international equities,
- and other stock strategies.
For example, a ClearBridge large-cap growth fund should be researched as an actively selected growth portfolio, not merely as another generic Franklin Templeton fund.
The manager, stock-selection philosophy, portfolio concentration, benchmark, and valuation discipline can all affect long-term results.
Franklin Templeton Mutual Funds Can Have Multiple Share Classes
Mutual-fund share classes can make Franklin Templeton research confusing.
Consider Franklin Growth Fund.
The same underlying fund strategy currently has multiple share classes, including:
- Advisor Class,
- Class A,
- Class C,
- Class R,
- and Class R6.
Those classes can have different:
- ticker symbols,
- operating expenses,
- sales-charge structures,
- distribution or service fees,
- eligibility requirements,
- and account availability.
Same fund does not always mean same investor cost
Never search for a fund's expense ratio, find the cheapest institutional or retirement class, and assume that is the cost of the class available in your account.
Sales Charges, 12b-1 Fees and Expense Waivers Can Change the Cost
Some mutual-fund share classes can involve sales charges or class-specific ongoing costs.
Potential charges can include:
- an upfront sales load,
- a contingent deferred sales charge,
- 12b-1 distribution or service fees,
- brokerage transaction fees,
- and advisory fees.
Franklin Templeton's own sales-charge and breakpoint schedules show that costs can vary by share class, fund type, investment amount, and other eligibility factors.
Fee waivers also matter
A fund page can show both:
- gross expenses,
- and lower net expenses.
When the difference results from a contractual expense limitation, check the stated expiration date.
Do not assume a temporary net expense ratio is permanently guaranteed.
International Funds Need a Country and Currency Check
Franklin Templeton's ETF lineup includes international, regional, and single-country strategies.
That creates several different decisions.
Broad International
Spreads exposure across multiple countries.
Research developed vs. emerging markets, region weights, sector concentrations, and currency treatment.
Single Country
Concentrates the portfolio in one national market.
Country-specific economics, politics, regulation, currency, and valuations can dominate results.
Currency hedging changes the exposure
LVHI, for example, incorporates currency hedging as part of its low-volatility international strategy.
A currency-hedged international fund and an otherwise similar unhedged fund can produce different returns when exchange rates move.
Currency hedging is therefore an investment characteristic, not merely a technical detail.
Franklin Templeton Mistakes Worth Catching
- Assuming every Franklin Templeton fund uses the same investment team.
- Choosing a fund because Franklin Templeton is a familiar company name.
- Treating an active ETF as though it automatically tracks an index.
- Treating an indexed ETF as though every fund using the same asset-class label has the same benchmark.
- Using a single-country ETF as a complete international allocation.
- Choosing a country ETF after that country's stock market has recently performed well.
- Comparing dividend funds only by current yield.
- Ignoring currency hedging in an international ETF.
- Treating a multi-asset income fund as though it is only a bond fund.
- Assuming ClearBridge and Franklin-branded equity funds use identical stock-selection processes.
- Looking up expenses for one mutual-fund share class and applying them to another.
- Ignoring sales charges when comparing mutual funds with ETFs.
- Ignoring the expiration date of an expense waiver.
- Comparing municipal and taxable yields without considering tax treatment.
- Choosing the fund with the highest recent return without checking what exposure produced it.
Franklin Templeton Fund Research Checklist
- Define the portfolio role before choosing the fund.
- Record the exact fund name.
- Record the exact ticker.
- Determine whether it is an ETF or mutual fund.
- For a mutual fund, identify the exact share class.
- Identify the affiliated investment manager.
- Determine whether the strategy is active or indexed.
- Read the benchmark or stated investment mandate.
- Review major holdings and concentration.
- Review sector exposure.
- For international funds, review country exposure.
- Determine whether currency exposure is hedged.
- For bond funds, review duration and credit quality.
- For dividend funds, compare total return and portfolio construction rather than yield alone.
- Review gross and net expense ratios.
- Check whether a fee waiver has an expiration date.
- Review sales loads and class-specific charges where applicable.
- Verify purchase eligibility at your brokerage or retirement plan.
- Check overlap with investments already owned.
- Consider tax consequences before replacing an existing taxable investment.
Build the Allocation Before Picking Franklin Templeton
Franklin Templeton offers enough investment choices that it is easy to start selecting funds before defining the household portfolio.
Reverse that order.
Decide first how much belongs in:
- U.S. stocks,
- international stocks,
- emerging markets,
- bonds,
- and any deliberate specialty allocation.
Then decide whether a Franklin, ClearBridge, Putnam, Western Asset, or other affiliated strategy fills a genuine portfolio need.
Use Asset Allocation for Beginners to establish the portfolio, Investment Diversification Explained to check concentration, Choose ETFs and Mutual Funds to compare investment structures, and the Investment Fee Calculator to test recurring costs.
Helpful Primary Sources
Frequently Asked Questions About Franklin Templeton ETFs and mutual funds
Are all Franklin Templeton funds managed by the same investment team?
No. Franklin Templeton operates a broad asset-management platform that includes multiple specialist investment managers, including ClearBridge, Putnam, Royce, Western Asset, BrandywineGLOBAL, and others. Check the investment manager for the exact fund.
Does Franklin Templeton offer both active and index ETFs?
Yes. The current ETF lineup includes both indexed and actively managed strategies. The ETF wrapper alone does not tell you how the underlying portfolio is managed.
What is FLIN?
FLIN is the Franklin FTSE India ETF. It tracks an index focused on Indian large- and mid-capitalization stocks. It is a single-country investment, not a complete international portfolio.
What is LVHI?
LVHI is the Franklin International Low Volatility High Dividend Index ETF. It focuses on dividend-paying developed-market stocks outside the United States while incorporating volatility screening and currency hedging.
What is INCM?
INCM is the Franklin Income Focus ETF. It is an actively managed multi-asset income strategy that can invest across both stocks and bonds. It should not be evaluated as though it were a traditional bond ETF.
Do Franklin Templeton mutual funds have different share classes?
Many do. Different classes can have different tickers, annual expenses, sales-charge structures, service fees, and eligibility requirements. Compare the exact share class available in your account.
What is a mutual-fund sales load?
A sales load is a charge associated with purchasing or sometimes redeeming certain mutual-fund share classes. Depending on the class and circumstances, the charge can be upfront or deferred. Review the prospectus and Franklin Templeton's current sales-charge schedule.
Is a Franklin Templeton country ETF a good replacement for a broad international fund?
Not automatically. A single-country ETF concentrates the portfolio in one national market, while a broad international fund can spread exposure across many countries. They perform different portfolio roles.
Are the funds on this page ranked from best to worst?
No. The funds illustrate different strategies and research questions. This is not a ranking, complete catalog, performance forecast, or personalized recommendation.
Put the research into practice
Build the Portfolio Before Choosing From a Huge Fund Family
Franklin Templeton offers a very broad investment lineup, but more choices do not automatically make portfolio construction easier. The Every Dollar Grows Beginner Portfolio Builder helps beginning investors establish a simple stock-and-bond portfolio using Vanguard, Fidelity, or Schwab fund options before deciding whether a more specialized strategy belongs in the plan.
Educational portfolio-planning tool · Not personalized investment advice
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