The latest news in investment offerings, financial products and other services relative to wealth advisors and their clients.

Franklin Templeton, OCBC
California-headquartered investment manager Franklin Templeton has announced its partnership with Singapore bank OCBC to launch the new Class Q shares (Q (Mdis) and Q (Mdis) SGD-H1) for its flagship Franklin Income Fund, which will be offered exclusively to OCBC clients in Singapore.

Designed to promote long-term investing, the new Class Q shares on offer have been launched with 0 per cent initial sales charges upon subscription, and are available in US and Singapore dollars, the firm said in a statement. Additional fees will apply on early redemption within three years of purchase, and Class Q shares will be converted automatically to their corresponding Class A after the expiry of the three-year period. The Class Q shares aim to distribute dividend on a monthly basis. The subscription period for the Class Q shares will close on 24 September 2024.

With a 76-year history in the US, the Franklin Income strategy has a track record in income generation and capital appreciation.

“We are delighted to partner with OCBC, one of the largest banks in Singapore, to bring our flagship multi-asset Franklin Income Fund via this new share class to investors in Singapore,” Clement Lee, head of retail sales, Southeast Asia at Franklin Templeton, said. â€śExclusively created for OCBC, this marks the first time that we are launching the Class Q shares in Singapore. Tailored to encourage long-term investing, the Class Q shares offer investors the benefit of zero initial sales charges during the offer period when they remain invested for a minimum of three years.”

“Amid increased economic uncertainties and market volatility, we believe the Franklin Income Fund will resonate with Singapore investors seeking income across varying market conditions,” Stephen Tong, senior client portfolio manager at Franklin Income Investors, added. “The fund’s dynamic asset allocation, which flexibly allocates between a broad range of equities and bonds to adapt to changing markets, ensures diversification across multiple asset classes, offering opportunities for both income generation and capital appreciation.”