Franklin Templeton Signs Agreement To Distribute Its ETF Range On Directa Trading Platform

Franklin Templeton Signs Agreement To Distribute Its ETF Range On Directa Trading Platform

• The agreement includes "zero fees" for the first year on trades of over 1000 euros

Milan, 21^st July 2022 – Franklin Templeton¹ has signed an agreement with the Directa² trading platform to distribute its 19 ETFs from its Dublin-registered Franklin LibertyShares^TM3 range. This distribution agreement allows Italian retail investors to access the 19 ETFs which are listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, through Directa's online platform. Additionally, for the first year of the partnership, starting on 27 June 2022, investors will not be charged trading costs on transactions over 1000 euros.

Silvia Anselmi, ETF Sales Specialist at Franklin Templeton Italy, commented: “The collaboration with Directa will help us continue to offer solutions for our retail customers who are looking for competitively priced, diversified portfolios. Retail investors are interested in increasingly strategic solutions, and we are glad to be able to make them available on Directa’s platform.”

The 19 ETFs span a full range of actively managed fixed income, passive, and smart beta ETFs, among which seven have been classified articles 8 and 9 according to the EU SFDR regulation. Franklin LIbertyShares^TM range offer competitive fees and have unique features such as:

• exposure to European green bonds and ESG (Franklin Liberty Euro Green Bond UCITS ETF, Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity SRI UCITS ETF and Franklin Liberty Euro Short Maturity UCITS ETF);
• access to emerging markets (Franklin FTSE Brazil UCITS ETF, Franklin FTSE China UCITS ETF, Franklin FTSE Korea UCITS, Franklin FTSE India UCITS ETF, Franklin FTSE Taiwan UCITS ETF and Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets UCITS ETF);
• alignment with the Paris Climate Agreement with the Paris Aligned Climate (Franklin STOXX Europe 600 Paris Aligned Climate UCITS ETF, Franklin S&P 500 Paris Aligned Climate UCITS ETF and the Franklin MSCI China Paris Aligned Climate UCITS ETF listed on Borsa Italiana on 21 June 2022); and
• satisfaction of Roman Catholic principles and sharing of carbon emission reduction criteria (Franklin Catholic Principles Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt UCITS ETF).

Silvia Anselmi continued: “Most investors are aware of ETFs’ lower expense ratios relative to mutual funds. However, it is also important to consider the transaction costs that the broker charges for buying and selling funds, which often vary depending on the size of the investment. We are pleased to be partnering with Directa to make it easier for retail investors to trade ETFs, allowing them a variety of choices for their portfolios and the opportunity to access innovative solutions.”

Through the Franklin LibertyShares^TM global ETF platform, Franklin Templeton currently offers a number of actively and passively managed equity and bond ETFs, passive ETFs and smart betas covering both the U.S. and international equity markets. Franklin LibertyShares^TM has approximately $12 billion in assets under management globally as of 30 June 2022.

Elena Motta, General Manager of Directa SIM, commented: "We are particularly pleased to announce the agreement with Franklin Templeton, one of the most prestigious companies in the investment landscape. Franklin Templeton creates and manages its own ETFs with the support of resources that made it one of the world's largest independent asset managers this year. Thanks to this partnership, a selection of 19 ETFs with very interesting underlying investments will be included in our zero fees offer. Our customers will thus be able to eliminate purchase fees on these instruments. In a scenario where monitoring and controlling costs is increasingly important, it seems vital to facilitate our customers in the conscious management of their savings".

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For further information:
www.franklintempleton.it.
www.directa.it

*The charges are the fees the fund charges to investors to cover the costs of running the Fund. Additional costs, including transaction fees, will also be incurred. These costs are paid out by the Fund, which will impact on the overall return of the Fund.

Contacts:

Silvia Bertero Media Relations Directa SIM Tel: +39 338 8536541 Email: [email protected]

This is a marketing communication. Please refer to the prospectus of the UCITS and to the KID before making any final investment decisions.

1. Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE: BEN] is an international investment management company with subsidiaries that operates as Franklin Templeton serving clients in over 155 countries. Franklin Templeton's goal is to help clients achieve better outcomes through expertise in investment management, wealth management, and technology solutions. Thanks to its specialized investment managers, the company has developed expertise in all major asset classes on a global scale – including equities, fixed income, alternative solutions and customized multi-assets. 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 $1.4 trillion in assets under management as of June 30, 2022.
   Franklin Templeton, present for over 25 years in Italy, is one of the main foreign operators of asset management in the country. For more information visit the www.franklintempleton.it website.
2. Directa Sim was founded in 1995 to allow private investors to operate directly on the markets, when the Italian Stock Exchange focused its exchanges on telematics abandoning "the cries". On November 8, 1995, the first order on the Stock Exchange departed from the Turin offices of Directa Sim, using a data connection on a telephone line via modem. In 1996 the phenomenon expanded rapidly: it was the birth of online trading as a service accessible to all and Directa Sim was the pioneer of this phenomenon. Directa Sim changes forever the history of investments in Italy. Today, with over 50,000 accounts opened, its mission is to offer everyone the freedom to invest independently through accessible technology.
3. Franklin LibertyShares^TM, the company's global ETF platform, enables investors to pursue desired outcomes across a range of active, smart beta and passive ETFs. Franklin LibertyShares^TM has approximately $12 billion in assets under management globally as of 30 June 2022 and is backed by the strength and resources of one of the world's largest asset managers. For more information, visit www.franklintempleton.it.
   Franklin FTSE Brazil UCITS ETF, Franklin FTSE China UCITS ETF, Franklin FTSE Korea UCITS ETF, Franklin FTSE India UCITS ETF, Franklin FTSE Taiwan UCITS ETF, Franklin Catholic Principles Emerging Markets Sovereign Debt UCITS ETF, Franklin MSCI China Paris Aligned Climate UCITS ETF, Franklin STOXX Europe 600 Paris Aligned Climate UCITS ETF, Franklin S&P 500 Paris Aligned Climate UCITS ETF, Franklin Liberty Euro Green Bond ETF, Franklin Liberty USD Investment Grade Corporate Bond UCITS ETF, Franklin Liberty Euro Short Maturity UCITS ETF, Franklin LibertyQ AC Asia ex Japan UCITS ETF, Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets UCITS ETF, Franklin LibertyQ European Dividend UCITS ETF, Franklin LibertyQ European Equity UCITS ETF, Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend UCITS ETF, Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity SRI UCITS ETF and Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity UCITS ETF are sub-funds of Franklin LibertyShares ICAV, an Irish collective wealth management vehicle incorporated under the laws of Ireland.
   The views expressed are those of the investment manager and the comments, opinions and analyses are made on the date of publication and may change without notice. The information provided in this material is not intended as a complete analysis of any material facts concerning any country, region or market.
   An investment in the Franklin LibertySharesTM UCITS ETF range involves risks, as described in the prospectus, its supplements and its key investor information document. Fund documents are available in English, German and French on the local website. In addition, a Summary of Investors' Rights is available from www.franklintempleton.lu/investor-rights. Franklin LibertyShares ICAV is notified for marketing in more than one EU Member State under the UCITS Directive. Franklin LibertyShares ICAV may terminate such notifications for any share class and/or sub-fund at any time using the procedure set out in Article 93a of the UCITS Directive.
   
   The value of investments and the proceeds received from them may increase or decrease, and investors may not recover the full amount invested. Past performance is not an indicator or guarantee of future performance. Performance can also be affected by currency fluctuations. Currency fluctuations can affect the value of foreign investments. There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective. For full details of all applicable risks, please refer to the "Risk Considerations" section of this Franklin LibertyShares ICAV prospectus.
   Franklin LibertyShares™ UCITS ETFs (domiciled outside the United States or Canada) may not be offered or sold directly or indirectly to residents of the United States of America or Canada. ETFs are traded as shares, are subject to fluctuations in market value and can be traded at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage fees and ETF fees will reduce returns.

This press release is intended for the general interest only and does not constitute professional advice. Franklin Templeton and its management teams have exercised professional care and diligence in collecting and processing the information contained in this press release. Franklin Templeton makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of this document. Franklin Templeton shall not be liable to any user of this report or any other person or entity for the inaccuracy of the information contained in this press release or for any errors or omissions in its contents, regardless of the cause of such inaccuracy, error or omission.

Any research and analysis contained in this document has been procured by Franklin Templeton for its own purposes.

Issued by Franklin Templeton International Services S.à r.l., Succursale Italiana, Corso Italia, 1, 20122 Milano, Tel: +39 0285459 1, Fax: +39 0285459 222; www.franklintempleton.it

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