# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0000856119
**File Stem:** 0001741773-23-000302
**Filing Date:** 2023-2
**Character Count:** 1161406
**Document Hash:** 0925546662708ddccdfdbf068c030255
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001741773-23-000302.hdr.sgml**: 20230224

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001741773-23-000302

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 485BPOS

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 42

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20230224

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20230224

**EFFECTIVENESS DATE**: 20230301

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0000856119
- **IRS NUMBER:** 000000000
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1031

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 485BPOS
- **SEC ACT:** 1940 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 811-05878
- **FILM NUMBER:** 23666258

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY
- **CITY:** SAN MATEO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94403-1906
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 650-312-2000

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY
- **CITY:** SAN MATEO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94403-1906

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** FRANKLIN BALANCE SHEET INVESTMENT FUND
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 19920703
**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0000856119
- **IRS NUMBER:** 000000000
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE
- **FISCAL YEAR END:** 1031

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 485BPOS
- **SEC ACT:** 1933 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 033-31326
- **FILM NUMBER:** 23666257

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY
- **CITY:** SAN MATEO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94403-1906
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** 650-312-2000

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY
- **CITY:** SAN MATEO
- **STATE:** CA
- **ZIP:** 94403-1906

**FORMER COMPANY:**
- **FORMER CONFORMED NAME:** FRANKLIN BALANCE SHEET INVESTMENT FUND
- **DATE OF NAME CHANGE:** 19920703

## Series and Classes Contracts Data

### FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND (Series ID: S000007352)

| Class ID   | Class Name    | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000020187 | CLASS A       | FRBSX           |
| C000020189 | CLASS C       | FCBSX           |
| C000020190 | ADVISOR CLASS | FBSAX           |
| C000020191 | CLASS R       | FBSRX           |
| C000128824 | Class R6      | FBSIX           |

### FRANKLIN MICROCAP VALUE FUND (Series ID: S000007354)

| Class ID   | Class Name    | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000020197 | ADVISOR CLASS | FVRMX           |
| C000020198 | CLASS A       | FRMCX           |
| C000128826 | Class R6      | FMCVX           |

### FRANKLIN SMALL CAP VALUE FUND (Series ID: S000007356)

| Class ID   | Class Name    | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000020203 | CLASS A       | FRVLX           |
| C000020205 | CLASS C       | FRVFX           |
| C000020206 | CLASS R       | FVFRX           |
| C000020207 | ADVISOR CLASS | FVADX           |
| C000128827 | Class R6      | FRCSX           |

?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII'?

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission February 24, 2023 | As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission February 24, 2023 |
| File Nos. 033-31326 and 811-05878 | File Nos. 033-31326 and 811-05878 |
| SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION | SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION |
| WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 | WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549 |
| FORM N-1A | FORM N-1A |
| [X] | [X] |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pre-Effective Amendment No._____ | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Pre-Effective Amendment No._____ |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Post-Effective Amendment No. <u>69</u>  | [X] |
| and/or | and/or |
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 | [X] |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amendment No. <u>70</u>  | [X] |
| FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST | FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST |
| (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) | (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter) |
| <u>ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY, SAN MATEO, CA 94403-1906</u> | <u>ONE FRANKLIN PARKWAY, SAN MATEO, CA 94403-1906</u> |
| (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) | (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code) |
| (650) 312-2000 | (650) 312-2000 |
| (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)  | (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)  |
| <u>Alison E. Baur, One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906</u> | <u>Alison E. Baur, One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906</u> |
| (Name and Address of Agent for Service of Process) | (Name and Address of Agent for Service of Process) |
| Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: | Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: |
| It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box) | It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box) |
| immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) | immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) |
| on <u>March 1, 2023</u> pursuant to paragraph (b) | on <u>March 1, 2023</u> pursuant to paragraph (b) |
| 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) | 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
| on <u>(date)</u> pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) | on <u>(date)</u> pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) |
| 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) | 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) |
| on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)of Rule 485 | on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)of Rule 485 |
| If appropriate, check the following box: | If appropriate, check the following box: |
| This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. | This post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. |

---

------

---

| |
|:---|
| **PROSPECTUS** |
| **FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST** |
| March 1, 2023 |
| ![Slayer_DrawImageOnBackgroundColor(076151)](img_59f6e39b179d4f2.jpg) |

---

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Class A** | **Class C** | **Class R** | **Class R6** | **Advisor** <br>**Class** |
| **Franklin MicroCap Value Fund** | FRMCX |  |  | FMCVX | FVRMX |
| **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund**<br>**(formerly, Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund)** | FRBSX | FCBSX | FBSRX | FBSIX | FBSAX |
| **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund** | FRVLX | FRVFX | FVFRX | FRCSX | FVADX |

---

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

<br> FVIT P 03/23

------

### Contents

#### Fund Summaries
Information about the Fund you should know before investing

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [Franklin MicroCap Value Fund](#x1x2) | [4](#x1x2) |
| [Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund](#x2x2) | [12](#x2x2) |
| [Franklin Small Cap Value Fund](#x3x2) | [23](#x3x2) |

---

#### Fund Details
More information on investment policies, practices and risks/financial highlights

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [Franklin MicroCap Value Fund](#x4x2) | [33](#x4x2) |
| [Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund](#x5x2) | [40](#x5x2) |
| [Franklin Small Cap Value Fund](#x6x2) | [50](#x6x2) |
| [More Information on Investment Policies, Practices and Risks](#x7x2) | [58](#x7x2) |
| [Management](#x8x2) | [59](#x8x2) |
| [Distributions and Taxes](#x9x2) | [63](#x9x2) |
| [Financial Highlights](#x10x2) | [67](#x10x2) |

---

#### Your Account
Information about sales charges, qualified investors, account transactions and services

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| [Choosing a Share Class](#x11x2) | [81](#x11x2) |
| [Buying Shares](#x12x2) | [95](#x12x2) |
| [Investor Services](#x13x2) | [99](#x13x2) |
| [Selling Shares](#x14x2) | [102](#x14x2) |
| [Exchanging Shares](#x15x2) | [105](#x15x2) |
| [Account Policies](#x16x2) | [110](#x16x2) |
| [Questions](#x17x2) | [121](#x17x2) |

---

#### For More Information
Where to learn more about the Fund

Back Cover

------

FRANKLIN MICROCAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

### Franklin MicroCap Value Fund
Investment Goal

High total return, of which capital appreciation and income are components.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in Franklin Templeton funds and certain other funds distributed through Franklin Distributors, LLC, the Fund's distributor. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under "Your Account" on page 81 in the Fund's Prospectus and under "Buying and Selling Shares" on page 54 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information. In addition, more information about sales charge discounts and waivers for purchases of shares through specific financial intermediaries is set forth in Appendix A – "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers" to the Fund's prospectus.

Please note that the tables and examples below do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries, or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling Class R6 or Advisor Class shares.

#### Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | **Class A** | **Class R6** | **Advisor <br>Class** |
| Maximum Sales Charge (Load) <br>Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) | Maximum Sales Charge (Load) <br>Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) | 5.50% |  |  |
| Maximum Deferred Sales Charge <br>(Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) | Maximum Deferred Sales Charge <br>(Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) | None<sup>1</sup> |  |  |
| <sup>1.</sup> | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. |

---

<br> 4 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

------

FRANKLIN MICROCAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

#### Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

---

| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Class A** | **Class R6** | **Advisor <br>Class** |
| Management fees | 0.75% | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | 0.25% |  |  |
| Other expenses | 0.24% | 0.16% | 0.24% |
| Acquired fund fees and expenses | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Total annual Fund operating expenses<sup>1</sup> | 1.26% | 0.93% | 1.01% |
| Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement<sup>2</sup> | -0.02% | -0.04% | -0.02% |
| **Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement** | **1.24%** | **0.89%** | **0.99%** |

---

<sup>1.</sup> Total annual Fund operating expenses differ from the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights, which reflect the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

<sup>2</sup> The investment manager has agreed to reduce its fees to reflect reduced services resulting from the Fund's investments in Franklin Templeton affiliated funds. In addition, the transfer agent has agreed to limit its fees on Class R6 shares of the Fund so that transfer agency fees for that class do not exceed 0.03%. These arrangements are expected to continue until February 29, 2024. During the terms, the fee waiver and expense reimbursement agreements may not be terminated or amended without approval of the board of trustees except to add series or classes, to reflect the extension of termination dates or to lower the waiver and expense limitation (which would result in lower fees for shareholders).

#### Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. The Example reflects adjustments made to the Fund's operating expenses due to the fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by management for the 1 Year numbers only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| **Class A** | $669 | $926 | $1202 | $1988 |
| **Class R6** | $91 | $293 | $511 | $1141 |
| **Advisor Class** | $101 | $319 | $555 | $1233 |

---

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 19.91% of the average value of its portfolio.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 5

------

FRANKLIN MICROCAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in investments of microcap companies. For purposes of this investment strategy, the Fund considers microcap companies as companies with a total market capitalization (share price times the number of shares of common stock outstanding) up to $1 billion, or a total market capitalization within the bottom 40% of the Russell 2000 Value Index (i.e., less than approximately $1.6 billion as of December 31, 2022), whichever is higher, at the time of purchase. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations greater than companies the Fund considers to be microcap companies, consistent with its goal.

The Fund generally invests in equity securities of companies that the Fund's investment manager believes are undervalued at the time of purchase and have the potential for capital appreciation. The Fund invests predominantly in common stocks. A stock price is undervalued when it trades at less than the price at which the investment manager believes it would trade if the market reflected all factors relating to the company's worth. The Fund may also invest in real estate investment trusts (REITs).

The types of companies the Fund may invest in include, among other things, those that may be considered out of favor due to actual or perceived cyclical or secular challenges, or are experiencing temporary setbacks, diminished expectations, mismanagement or undermanagement, or are financially stressed.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities.

The Fund, from time to time, may have significant positions in particular sectors, such as industrials and financial services companies.

Principal Risks

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government.

**Market** The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The market value of a security or other investment may be reduced by market activity or other results of supply and demand unrelated to the issuer. This is a basic risk associated with all investments. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices tend to fall. Likewise, when there are more buyers than sellers, prices tend to rise.

The global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and

<br> 6 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

------

FRANKLIN MICROCAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in global travel restrictions and disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations and supply chains, layoffs, volatility in consumer demand for certain products, defaults and credit ratings downgrades, and other significant economic impacts. The effects of COVID-19 have impacted global economic activity across many industries and may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, locally or globally. The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable and may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

Stock prices tend to go up and down more dramatically than those of debt securities. A slower-growth or recessionary economic environment could have an adverse effect on the prices of the various stocks held by the Fund.

**Small Capitalization and Microcap Companies** Securities issued by small capitalization companies may be more volatile in price than those of larger companies, and may involve substantial risks. Such risks may include greater sensitivity to economic conditions, less certain growth prospects, lack of depth of management and funds for growth and development and limited or less developed product lines and markets. In addition, small capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans. The markets for securities issued by small capitalization companies also tend to be less liquid than the markets for securities issued by larger companies. The risks described above may be heightened for microcap companies.

**Value Style Investing** A value stock may not increase in price as anticipated by the investment manager if other investors fail to recognize the company's value and bid up the price, the markets favor faster-growing companies, or the factors that the investment manager believes will increase the price of the security do not occur or do not have the anticipated effect.

Cyclical stocks, which typically follow the cycles of an economy through expansion, peak, recession, and recovery, tend to increase in value more quickly during periods of anticipated economic upturns than non-cyclical stocks, but they also tend to lose value more quickly in periods of anticipated economic downturns. These companies may have relatively weak balance sheets and, during economic downturns, they may have insufficient cash flow to pay their debt obligations and difficulty finding additional financing needed for their operations.

**Foreign Securities (non-U.S.)** Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities, including risks related to currency exchange rates and policies, country or government specific issues, less favorable trading practices or regulation and greater price volatility. Certain of these risks also may apply to securities of U.S. companies with significant foreign operations. The

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 7

------

FRANKLIN MICROCAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

risks of investing in foreign securities are typically greater in less developed or emerging market countries.

**Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)** A REIT's performance depends on the types, values and locations of the properties it owns and how well those properties are managed. A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management. Because a REIT may be invested in a limited number of projects or in a particular market segment, it may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting a single project or market segment than more broadly diversified investments. Loss of status as a qualified REIT under the U.S. federal tax laws could adversely affect the value of a particular REIT or the market for REITs as a whole. These risks may also apply to securities of REIT-like entities domiciled outside the U.S.

**Focus** To the extent that the Fund focuses on particular countries, regions, industries, sectors or types of investment from time to time, the Fund may be subject to greater risks of adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of countries, regions, industries, sectors or investments.

**Industrials.** The stock prices of companies in the industrials sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrials sector products in general. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, these companies are at risk for environmental damage and product liability claims. Companies in this sector could be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of export or import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources, technological developments and labor relations.

**Financial services companies.** Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation that may affect their profitability in many ways, including by limiting the amount and types of loans and other commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they can charge. A financial services company's profitability, and therefore its stock prices, is especially sensitive to interest rate changes as well as the ability of borrowers to repay their loans. Changing regulations, continuing consolidations, and development of new products and structures all are likely to have a significant impact on financial services companies.

**Management** The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Fund's investment manager applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

<br> 8 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

------

FRANKLIN MICROCAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

**Cybersecurity** Cybersecurity incidents, both intentional and unintentional, may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, cause the Fund, the investment manager and/or their service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The investment manager has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents affecting third party service providers, and such third party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or the investment manager. Cybersecurity incidents may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders, and substantial costs may be incurred in an effort to prevent or mitigate future cybersecurity incidents. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Because technology is frequently changing, new ways to carry out cyber attacks are always developing. Therefore, there is a chance that some risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected, which puts limitations on the Fund's ability to plan for or respond to a cyber attack. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund, the investment manager and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time.

Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year for Class A shares. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable, compared with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You can obtain updated performance information at franklintempleton.com or by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 9

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FRANKLIN MICROCAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

#### Class A Annual Total Returns
![PerformanceBarChartData(2013:35.67, 2014:-3.77, 2015:-7.33, 2016:28.86, 2017:8.22, 2018:-17.73, 2019:18.16, 2020:3.54, 2021:26.63, 2022:0.73)](img_ce873c75ca084f2.jpg)

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Best Quarter:  | 2020, Q4 | 27.92% |
| Worst Quarter:  | 2020, Q1 | -34.15% |

---

#### Average Annual Total Returns
(figures reflect sales charges)

For periods ended December 31, 2022

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | **1 Year** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** | **Since Inception** |
| **Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Class A** | **Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Class A** |  |  |  |  |
|  | Return before taxes | -4.79% | 3.94% | 7.43% |  |
|  | Return after taxes on distributions | -6.11% | 1.61% | 5.11% |  |
|  | Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | -1.92% | 2.74% | 5.54% |  |
| **Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Class R6** | **Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Class R6** | 1.09% | 5.49% |  | 7.79%<br><sup>1</sup> |
| **Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Advisor Class**  | **Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Advisor Class**  | 1.01% | 5.38% | 8.30% |  |
| Russell 2000 Value Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | Russell 2000 Value Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -14.48% | 4.13% | 8.48% |  |
| <sup>1.</sup> | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. |  |

---

The figures in the average annual total returns table above reflect the Class A shares maximum front-end sales charge of 5.50%. Prior to September 10, 2018, Class A shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75%. If the prior maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75% was reflected, performance for Class A shares in the average annual total returns table would be lower.

The after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from

<br> 10 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

------

FRANKLIN MICROCAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown only for Class A and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Investment Manager

Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC (Franklin Mutual)

Portfolio Manager

#### Oliver H. Wong, CFA
Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2019.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day online through our website at franklintempleton.com, by mail (Franklin Templeton Investor Services, P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151), or by telephone at (800) 632-2301. For Class A, the minimum initial purchase for most accounts is $1,000 (or $25 under an automatic investment plan). Class R6 and Advisor Class are only available to certain qualified investors and the minimum initial investment will vary depending on the type of qualified investor, as described under "Your Account — Choosing a Share Class — Qualified Investors — Class R6" and "— Advisor Class" in the Fund's prospectus. There is no minimum investment for subsequent purchases.

Taxes

The Fund's distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, in which case your distributions would generally be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-advantaged account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 11

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

### Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund
Investment Goal

High total return, of which capital appreciation and income are components.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in Franklin Templeton funds and certain other funds distributed through Franklin Distributors, LLC, the Fund's distributor. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under "Your Account" on page 81 in the Fund's Prospectus and under "Buying and Selling Shares" on page 54 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information. In addition, more information about sales charge discounts and waivers for purchases of shares through specific financial intermediaries is set forth in Appendix A – "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers" to the Fund's prospectus.

Please note that the tables and examples below do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries, or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling Class R6 or Advisor Class shares.

#### Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | **Class A** | **Class C** | **Class R** | **Class R6** | **Advisor <br>Class** |
| Maximum Sales Charge (Load) <br>Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) | Maximum Sales Charge (Load) <br>Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) | 5.50% |  |  |  |  |
| Maximum Deferred Sales Charge <br>(Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) | Maximum Deferred Sales Charge <br>(Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) | None<br><sup>1</sup>  | 1.00% |  |  |  |
| <sup>1.</sup> | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. |

---

<br> 12 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

#### Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Class A** | **Class C** | **Class R** | **Class R6** | **Advisor <br>Class** |
| Management fees | 0.48% | 0.48% | 0.48% | 0.48% | 0.48% |
| Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | 0.25% | 1.00% | 0.50% |  |  |
| Other expenses | 0.18% | 0.18% | 0.18% | 0.11% | 0.18% |
| Acquired fund fees and expenses | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% |
| Total annual Fund operating expenses<sup>1</sup> | 0.92% | 1.67% | 1.17% | 0.60% | 0.67% |
| Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement<sup>2</sup> | -0.01% | -0.01% | -0.01% | -0.04% | -0.01% |
| **Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement** | **0.91%** | **1.66%** | **1.16%** | **0.56%** | **0.66%** |

---

<sup>1.</sup> Total annual Fund operating expenses differ from the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights, which reflect the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

<sup>2</sup> The investment manager has agreed to reduce its fees to reflect reduced services resulting from the Fund's investments in Franklin Templeton affiliated funds. In addition, the transfer agent has agreed to limit its fees on Class R6 shares of the Fund so that transfer agency fees for that class do not exceed 0.03%. These arrangements are expected to continue until February 29, 2024. During the terms, the fee waiver and expense reimbursement agreements may not be terminated or amended without approval of the board of trustees except to add series or classes, to reflect the extension of termination dates or to lower the waiver and expense limitation (which would result in lower fees for shareholders).

#### Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. The Example reflects adjustments made to the Fund's operating expenses due to the fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by management for the 1 Year numbers only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| **Class A** | $638 | $826 | $1030 | $1617 |
| **Class C** | $269 | $525 | $906 | $1776 |
| **Class R** | $118 | $371 | $643 | $1419 |
| **Class R6** | $57 | $188 | $331 | $746 |
| **Advisor Class** | $67 | $213 | $372 | $833 |
| If you do not sell your shares: |  |  |  |  |
| **Class C** | $169 | $525 | $906 | $1776 |

---

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 13

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 66.63% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in U.S. mid cap securities. Mid capitalization companies are companies with market capitalizations equal to those within the universe of the Russell Midcap<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index at the time of purchase. As of December 31, 2022, the Russell MidCap<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index included companies with approximate market capitalizations between $646 million and $52.6 billion. The size of companies in the index changes with market conditions and the composition of the index.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities (including securities convertible into, or that the investment manager expects to be exchanged for, common or preferred stock) of U.S. companies that the investment manager believes are available at market prices less than their value based on certain recognized or objective criteria (fundamental value). Following this value-oriented strategy, the Fund invests primarily in undervalued securities (securities trading at a discount to fundamental value). The equity securities in which the Fund invests are primarily common stock. The Fund may also invest in real estate investment trusts (REITs).

The Fund currently does not expect to invest more than 10% of its net assets in non-U.S. securities, which may include emerging markets, and participations in foreign government debt.

The Fund may, from time to time, seek to hedge (protect) against currency risks, using certain derivative instruments including, currency and cross currency forwards and currency futures contracts.

The Fund, from time to time, may have significant positions in particular sectors, such as financial services companies, healthcare, industrials and technology.

Portfolio Selection

The investment manager employs a research driven, fundamental value strategy for the Fund. Investments are generally selected based on the investment manager's own analysis of the security's fundamental value, including for equity securities, an analysis of cash flow potential, long-term earnings, multiples of earnings and book value. The investment manager examines each investment separately and there are no set criteria as to specific value parameters, earnings or industry type. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) related assessments of

<br> 14 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

companies may also be considered. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated.

Principal Risks

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government.

**Market** The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The market value of a security or other investment may be reduced by market activity or other results of supply and demand unrelated to the issuer. This is a basic risk associated with all investments. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices tend to fall. Likewise, when there are more buyers than sellers, prices tend to rise.

The global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in global travel restrictions and disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations and supply chains, layoffs, volatility in consumer demand for certain products, defaults and credit ratings downgrades, and other significant economic impacts. The effects of COVID-19 have impacted global economic activity across many industries and may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, locally or globally. The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable and may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

Stock prices tend to go up and down more dramatically than those of debt securities. A slower-growth or recessionary economic environment could have an adverse effect on the prices of the various stocks held by the Fund.

**Value Style Investing** A value stock may not increase in price as anticipated by the investment manager if other investors fail to recognize the company's value and bid up the price, the markets favor faster-growing companies, or the factors that the investment manager believes will increase the price of the security do not occur or do not have the anticipated effect.

Cyclical stocks, which typically follow the cycles of an economy through expansion, peak, recession, and recovery, tend to increase in value more quickly during periods of anticipated economic upturns than non-cyclical stocks, but they also tend to lose value more quickly in periods of anticipated economic downturns. These companies may have relatively weak balance sheets and, during economic downturns, they may have insufficient cash flow to pay their debt obligations and difficulty finding additional financing needed for their operations.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 15

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

**Small and Mid Capitalization Companies** Securities issued by small and mid capitalization companies may be more volatile in price than those of larger companies and may involve additional risks. Such risks may include greater sensitivity to economic conditions, less certain growth prospects, lack of depth of management and funds for growth and development, and limited or less developed product lines and markets. In addition, small and mid capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.

**Focus** To the extent that the Fund focuses on particular countries, regions, industries, sectors or types of investment from time to time, the Fund may be subject to greater risks of adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of countries, regions, industries, sectors or investments.

**Financial services companies.** Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation that may affect their profitability in many ways, including by limiting the amount and types of loans and other commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they can charge. A financial services company's profitability, and therefore its stock prices, is especially sensitive to interest rate changes as well as the ability of borrowers to repay their loans. Changing regulations, continuing consolidations, and development of new products and structures all are likely to have a significant impact on financial services companies.

**Healthcare companies.** The activities of healthcare companies may be funded or subsidized by federal and state governments. If government funding and subsidies are reduced or discontinued, the profitability of these companies could be adversely affected. Healthcare companies may also be affected by government policies on healthcare reimbursements, regulatory approval for new drugs and medical products, and similar matters. They are also subject to legislative risk, i.e., the risks associated with the reform of the healthcare system through legislation.

**Industrials.** The stock prices of companies in the industrials sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrials sector products in general. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, these companies are at risk for environmental damage and product liability claims. Companies in this sector could be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of export or import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources, technological developments and labor relations.

<br> 16 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

**Technology companies.** Companies in the technology sector have historically been volatile due to the rapid pace of product change and development within the sector. For example, their products and services may not prove commercially successful or may become obsolete quickly. In addition, delays in or cancellation of the release of anticipated products or services may also affect the price of a technology company's stock. Technology companies are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as new market entrants, aggressive pricing and tight profit margins. The activities of these companies may also be adversely affected by changes in government regulations, worldwide technological developments or investor perception of a company and/or its products or services. The stock prices of companies operating within this sector may be subject to abrupt or erratic movements.

**Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)** A REIT's performance depends on the types, values and locations of the properties it owns and how well those properties are managed. A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management. Because a REIT may be invested in a limited number of projects or in a particular market segment, it may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting a single project or market segment than more broadly diversified investments. Loss of status as a qualified REIT under the U.S. federal tax laws could adversely affect the value of a particular REIT or the market for REITs as a whole. These risks may also apply to securities of REIT-like entities domiciled outside the U.S.

**Foreign Securities (non-U.S.)** Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities, including risks related to currency exchange rates and policies, country or government specific issues, less favorable trading practices or regulation and greater price volatility. Certain of these risks also may apply to securities of U.S. companies with significant foreign operations. The risks of investing in foreign securities are typically greater in less developed or emerging market countries.

**Derivative Instruments** The performance of derivative instruments depends largely on the performance of an underlying currency, security, interest rate or index, and such derivatives often have risks similar to the underlying instrument, in addition to other risks. Derivatives involve costs and can create economic leverage in the Fund's portfolio which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as gains) in an amount that significantly exceeds the Fund's initial investment. Other risks include illiquidity, mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative, and imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument so that the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. Their successful use will usually depend on the investment manager's ability to accurately forecast movements in the market relating to the

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 17

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

underlying instrument. Should a market or markets, or prices of particular classes of investments move in an unexpected manner, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions, the Fund may not realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and it may realize losses, which could be significant. If the investment manager is not successful in using such derivative instruments, the Fund's performance may be worse than if the investment manager did not use such derivatives at all. When a derivative is used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative may also not correlate specifically with the currency, security, interest rate, index or other risk being hedged. Derivatives also may present the risk that the other party to the transaction will fail to perform. There is also the risk, especially under extreme market conditions, that a derivative, which usually would operate as a hedge, provides no hedging benefits at all.

**Convertible Securities** Convertible securities are subject to the risks of stocks when the underlying stock price is high relative to the conversion price (because more of the security's value resides in the conversion feature) and debt securities when the underlying stock price is low relative to the conversion price (because the conversion feature is less valuable). A convertible security is not as sensitive to interest rate changes as a similar non-convertible debt security, and generally has less potential for gain or loss than the underlying stock.

**Management** The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Fund's investment manager applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

**ESG Considerations** ESG considerations are one of a number of factors that the investment manager examines when considering investments for the Fund's portfolio. In light of this, the issuers in which the Fund invests may not be considered ESG-focused companies. In addition, ESG considerations assessed as part of the Fund's investment process may vary across types of eligible investments and issuers. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. The investment manager's assessment of an issuer may differ from that of investors, third-party service providers, such as ratings providers, and other funds. As a result, securities selected by the investment manager may not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor. The investment manager also may be dependent on the availability of timely, complete and accurate ESG data being reported by issuers and/or third-party research providers to evaluate ESG factors. ESG factors are often not uniformly measured or defined, which could impact the investment manager's ability to assess an issuer. While the investment manager views ESG considerations as having the potential to contribute to the Fund's long-term performance, there is no guarantee that such results will be achieved.

<br> 18 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

**Cybersecurity** Cybersecurity incidents, both intentional and unintentional, may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, cause the Fund, the investment manager and/or their service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The investment manager has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents affecting third party service providers, and such third party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or the investment manager. Cybersecurity incidents may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders, and substantial costs may be incurred in an effort to prevent or mitigate future cybersecurity incidents. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Because technology is frequently changing, new ways to carry out cyber attacks are always developing. Therefore, there is a chance that some risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected, which puts limitations on the Fund's ability to plan for or respond to a cyber attack. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund, the investment manager and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time.

Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year for Class A shares. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable, compared with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You can obtain updated performance information at franklintempleton.com or by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 19

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

#### Class A Annual Total Returns
![PerformanceBarChartData(2013:36.61, 2014:0.73, 2015:-9.42, 2016:20.45, 2017:12.44, 2018:-12.45, 2019:24.48, 2020:-2.46, 2021:27.68, 2022:-6.75)](img_e65e098f71544f2.jpg)

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Best Quarter:  | 2020, Q4 | 21.76% |
| Worst Quarter:  | 2020, Q1 | -34.17% |

---

#### Average Annual Total Returns
(figures reflect sales charges)

For periods ended December 31, 2022

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | **1 Year** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** | **Since Inception** |
| **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class A** | **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class A** |  |  |  |  |
|  | Return before taxes | -11.88% | 3.65% | 7.28% |  |
|  | Return after taxes on distributions | -12.78% | 1.58% | 4.76% |  |
|  | Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | -6.40% | 2.62% | 5.36% |  |
| **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class C** | **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class C** | -8.33% | 4.04% | 7.08% |  |
| **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class R** | **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class R** | -7.00% | 4.57% | 7.62% |  |
| **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class R6** | **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class R6** | -6.40% | 5.21% |  | 7.36%<br><sup>1</sup> |
| **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Advisor Class**  | **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Advisor Class**  | -6.50% | 5.09% | 8.16% |  |
| Russell Midcap Value Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)<sup>2</sup> | Russell Midcap Value Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)<sup>2</sup> | -12.03% | 5.72% | 10.11% |  |
| Russell 3000 Value Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)<sup>2</sup> | Russell 3000 Value Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)<sup>2</sup> | -7.98% | 6.50% | 10.16% |  |
| <sup>1.</sup> | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. |  |
| <sup>2.</sup> | The Russell Midcap<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index is replacing the Russell 3000<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index as the Fund's primary benchmark because the investment manager believes that the benchmark better reflects the Fund's investment strategies. | The Russell Midcap<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index is replacing the Russell 3000<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index as the Fund's primary benchmark because the investment manager believes that the benchmark better reflects the Fund's investment strategies. | The Russell Midcap<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index is replacing the Russell 3000<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index as the Fund's primary benchmark because the investment manager believes that the benchmark better reflects the Fund's investment strategies. | The Russell Midcap<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index is replacing the Russell 3000<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index as the Fund's primary benchmark because the investment manager believes that the benchmark better reflects the Fund's investment strategies. |  |

---

The figures in the average annual total returns table above reflect the Class A shares maximum front-end sales charge of 5.50%. Prior to September 10, 2018,

<br> 20 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

Class A shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75%. If the prior maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75% was reflected, performance for Class A shares in the average annual total returns table would be lower.

The after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown only for Class A and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Investment Manager

Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC (Franklin Mutual)

Portfolio Managers

**Grace Hoefig**

Senior Vice President of Franklin Mutual and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2012.

#### Srini Vijay, CFA
Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2019.

#### Stephen Shunk, CFA
Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual and portfolio manager of the Fund since December 2022.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day online through our website at franklintempleton.com, by mail (Franklin Templeton Investor Services, P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151), or by telephone at (800) 632-2301. For Class A, C and R, the minimum initial purchase for most accounts is $1,000 (or $25 under an automatic investment plan). Class R6 and Advisor Class are only available to certain qualified investors and the minimum initial investment will vary depending on the type of qualified investor, as described under "Your Account — Choosing a Share Class — Qualified Investors — Class R6" and "— Advisor Class" in the Fund's prospectus. There is no minimum investment for subsequent purchases.

Taxes

The Fund's distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 21

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FRANKLIN MUTUAL U.S. MID CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, in which case your distributions would generally be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-advantaged account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

<br> 22 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN SMALL CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

### Franklin Small Cap Value Fund
The Fund is closed to new investors. Existing investors who had an open and funded account on May 27, 2021 can continue to invest through exchanges and additional purchases. The following categories of investors can continue to open new accounts in the Fund: (1) trustees and officers of the Trust; (2) members of the Fund's portfolio management team; (3) employee sponsored retirement plans or benefit plans and their participants where the Fund was available to participants prior to the Fund's closure; (4) employee sponsored retirement plans or benefit plans that approved the Fund as an investment option prior to May 27, 2021, but have not opened an account as of that date, provided that the initial account was opened with the Fund on or prior to the Fund's closure; (5) clients of discretionary investment allocation programs where such programs had investments in the Fund prior to the Fund's closure; and (6) other Franklin Templeton funds and funds for which Franklin Templeton investment managers provide advisory or sub-advisory services upon prior approval by the Fund's investment manager. The Fund may restrict, reject or cancel any purchase order, including an exchange request, and reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

Investment Goal

Long-term total return.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in Franklin Templeton funds and certain other funds distributed through Franklin Distributors, LLC, the Fund's distributor. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under "Your Account" on page 81 in the Fund's Prospectus and under "Buying and Selling Shares" on page 54 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information. In addition, more information about sales charge discounts and waivers for purchases of shares through specific financial intermediaries is set forth in Appendix A – "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers" to the Fund's prospectus.

Please note that the tables and examples below do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries, or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling Class R6 or Advisor Class shares.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 23

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FRANKLIN SMALL CAP VALUE FUND

FUND SUMMARIES

#### Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)

---

| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | **Class A** | **Class C** | **Class R** | **Class R6** | **Advisor <br>Class** |
| Maximum Sales Charge (Load) <br>Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) | Maximum Sales Charge (Load) <br>Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price) | 5.50% |  |  |  |  |
| Maximum Deferred Sales Charge <br>(Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) | Maximum Deferred Sales Charge <br>(Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds) | None<br><sup>1</sup>  | 1.00% |  |  |  |
| <sup>1.</sup> | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. | There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $1 Million or more (see "Investment of $1 Million or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase. |

---

#### Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Class A** | **Class C** | **Class R** | **Class R6** | **Advisor <br>Class** |
| Management fees | 0.54% | 0.54% | 0.54% | 0.54% | 0.54% |
| Distribution and service (12b-1) fees | 0.25% | 1.00% | 0.50% |  |  |
| Other expenses | 0.19% | 0.19% | 0.19% | 0.08% | 0.19% |
| Total annual Fund operating expenses | 0.98% | 1.73% | 1.23% | 0.62% | 0.73% |
| Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement<sup>1</sup> |  |  |  | -0.03% |  |
| **Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement** | **0.98%** | **1.73%** | **1.23%** | **0.59%** | **0.73%** |

---

<sup>1</sup> The investment manager has agreed to reduce its fees to reflect reduced services resulting from the Fund's investments in Franklin Templeton affiliated funds. In addition, the transfer agent has agreed to limit its fees on Class R6 shares of the Fund so that transfer agency fees for that class do not exceed 0.03%. These arrangements are expected to continue until February 29, 2024. During the terms, the fee waiver and expense reimbursement agreements may not be terminated or amended without approval of the board of trustees except to add series or classes, to reflect the extension of termination dates or to lower the waiver and expense limitation (which would result in lower fees for shareholders).

#### Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. The Example reflects adjustments made to the Fund's operating expenses due to the fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by management for the 1 Year numbers only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

<br> 24 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **1 Year** | **3 Years** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** |
| **Class A** | $644 | $844 | $1061 | $1684 |
| **Class C** | $276 | $546 | $940 | $1844 |
| **Class R** | $125 | $390 | $675 | $1487 |
| **Class R6** | $60 | $195 | $342 | $771 |
| **Advisor Class** | $75 | $234 | $407 | $908 |
| If you do not sell your shares: |  |  |  |  |
| **Class C** | $176 | $546 | $940 | $1844 |

---

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 47.06% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in investments of small-capitalization (small-cap) companies. Small-cap companies are companies with market capitalizations (the total market value of a company's outstanding stock) not exceeding either: 1) the highest market capitalization in the Russell 2000 Index; or 2) the 12-month average of the highest market capitalization in the Russell 2000 Index, whichever is greater, at the time of purchase. As of the most recent reconstitution, the highest market capitalization in the Russell 2000 Index was $6.4 billion.

The Fund generally invests in equity securities of companies that the Fund's investment manager believes are undervalued at the time of purchase and have the potential for capital appreciation. The Fund invests predominantly in common stocks. A stock price is undervalued when it trades at less than the price at which the investment manager believes it would trade if the market reflected all factors relating to the company's worth. Following this strategy, the Fund invests in companies that the investment manager believes have, for example: stock prices that are low relative to current, or historical or future earnings, book value, cash flow or sales; recent sharp price declines but the potential for good long-term earnings prospects; and valuable intangibles not reflected in the stock price. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts (REITs).

The types of companies the Fund may invest in include, among other things, those that may be considered out of favor due to actual or perceived cyclical or secular

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challenges, or are experiencing temporary setbacks, diminished expectations, mismanagement or undermanagement, or are financially stressed. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) related assessments of companies may also be considered. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated.

The Fund, from time to time, may have significant positions in particular sectors, such as financial services companies, industrials, consumer discretionary and technology.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities.

Principal Risks

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government.

**Market** The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The market value of a security or other investment may be reduced by market activity or other results of supply and demand unrelated to the issuer. This is a basic risk associated with all investments. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices tend to fall. Likewise, when there are more buyers than sellers, prices tend to rise.

The global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in global travel restrictions and disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations and supply chains, layoffs, volatility in consumer demand for certain products, defaults and credit ratings downgrades, and other significant economic impacts. The effects of COVID-19 have impacted global economic activity across many industries and may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, locally or globally. The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable and may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

Stock prices tend to go up and down more dramatically than those of debt securities. A slower-growth or recessionary economic environment could have an adverse effect on the prices of the various stocks held by the Fund.

**Small Capitalization Companies** Securities issued by small capitalization companies may be more volatile in price than those of larger companies and may involve substantial risks. Such risks may include greater sensitivity to economic conditions, less certain growth prospects, lack of depth of management and funds for growth and development, and limited or less developed product lines and markets. In addition, small capitalization companies may be particularly affected by

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interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying any loans.

**Value Style Investing** A value stock may not increase in price as anticipated by the investment manager if other investors fail to recognize the company's value and bid up the price, the markets favor faster-growing companies, or the factors that the investment manager believes will increase the price of the security do not occur or do not have the anticipated effect.

Cyclical stocks, which typically follow the cycles of an economy through expansion, peak, recession, and recovery, tend to increase in value more quickly during periods of anticipated economic upturns than non-cyclical stocks, but they also tend to lose value more quickly in periods of anticipated economic downturns. These companies may have relatively weak balance sheets and, during economic downturns, they may have insufficient cash flow to pay their debt obligations and difficulty finding additional financing needed for their operations.

**Foreign Securities (non-U.S.)** Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities, including risks related to currency exchange rates and policies, country or government specific issues, less favorable trading practices or regulation and greater price volatility. Certain of these risks also may apply to securities of U.S. companies with significant foreign operations. The risks of investing in foreign securities are typically greater in less developed or emerging market countries.

**Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)** A REIT's performance depends on the types, values and locations of the properties it owns and how well those properties are managed. A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management. Because a REIT may be invested in a limited number of projects or in a particular market segment, it may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting a single project or market segment than more broadly diversified investments. Loss of status as a qualified REIT under the U.S. federal tax laws could adversely affect the value of a particular REIT or the market for REITs as a whole. These risks may also apply to securities of REIT-like entities domiciled outside the U.S.

**Focus** To the extent that the Fund focuses on particular countries, regions, industries, sectors or types of investment from time to time, the Fund may be subject to greater risks of adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of countries, regions, industries, sectors or investments.

**Financial services companies.** Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation that may affect their profitability in many ways, including by limiting the amount and types of loans and other commitments they

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can make, and the interest rates and fees they can charge. A financial services company's profitability, and therefore its stock prices, is especially sensitive to interest rate changes as well as the ability of borrowers to repay their loans. Changing regulations, continuing consolidations, and development of new products and structures all are likely to have a significant impact on financial services companies.

**Industrials.** The stock prices of companies in the industrials sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrials sector products in general. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, these companies are at risk for environmental damage and product liability claims. Companies in this sector could be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of export or import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources, technological developments and labor relations.

**Consumer discretionary companies** Companies in the consumer discretionary sector could be affected by, among other things, overall economic conditions, interest rates, consumer confidence, and disposable income.

**Technology companies.** Companies in the technology sector have historically been volatile due to the rapid pace of product change and development within the sector. For example, their products and services may not prove commercially successful or may become obsolete quickly. In addition, delays in or cancellation of the release of anticipated products or services may also affect the price of a technology company's stock. Technology companies are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as new market entrants, aggressive pricing and tight profit margins. The activities of these companies may also be adversely affected by changes in government regulations, worldwide technological developments or investor perception of a company and/or its products or services. The stock prices of companies operating within this sector may be subject to abrupt or erratic movements.

**ESG Considerations** ESG considerations are one of a number of factors that the investment manager examines when considering investments for the Fund's portfolio. In light of this, the issuers in which the Fund invests may not be considered ESG-focused companies. In addition, ESG considerations assessed as part of the Fund's investment process may vary across types of eligible investments and issuers. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. The investment manager's assessment of an issuer may differ from that of investors, third-party service providers, such as ratings providers, and other funds. As a result, securities selected by the investment manager may not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor. The investment

<br> 28 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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manager also may be dependent on the availability of timely, complete and accurate ESG data being reported by issuers and/or third-party research providers to evaluate ESG factors. ESG factors are often not uniformly measured or defined, which could impact the investment manager's ability to assess an issuer. While the investment manager views ESG considerations as having the potential to contribute to the Fund's long-term performance, there is no guarantee that such results will be achieved.

**Management** The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Fund's investment manager applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

**Cybersecurity** Cybersecurity incidents, both intentional and unintentional, may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, cause the Fund, the investment manager and/or their service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The investment manager has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents affecting third party service providers, and such third party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or the investment manager. Cybersecurity incidents may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders, and substantial costs may be incurred in an effort to prevent or mitigate future cybersecurity incidents. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Because technology is frequently changing, new ways to carry out cyber attacks are always developing. Therefore, there is a chance that some risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected, which puts limitations on the Fund's ability to plan for or respond to a cyber attack. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund, the investment manager and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time.

Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year for Class A shares. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable, compared with those of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before

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and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You can obtain updated performance information at franklintempleton.com or by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.

#### Class A Annual Total Returns
![PerformanceBarChartData(2013:34.72, 2014:0, 2015:-7.83, 2016:29.59, 2017:10.63, 2018:-12.68, 2019:26.04, 2020:5.39, 2021:25.47, 2022:-10.2)](img_f8c3904674d74f2.jpg)

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Best Quarter:  | 2020, Q4 | 27.17% |
| Worst Quarter:  | 2020, Q1 | -33.46% |

---

#### Average Annual Total Returns
(figures reflect sales charges)

For periods ended December 31, 2022

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | **1 Year** | **5 Years** | **10 Years** | **Since Inception** |
| **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class A** | **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class A** |  |  |  |  |
|  | Return before taxes | -15.14% | 4.31% | 8.20% |  |
|  | Return after taxes on distributions | -15.77% | 2.34% | 6.20% |  |
|  | Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares | -8.51% | 2.96% | 6.17% |  |
| **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class C** | **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class C** | -11.72% | 4.71% | 8.01% |  |
| **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class R** | **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class R** | -10.42% | 5.24% | 8.56% |  |
| **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class R6** | **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class R6** | -9.85% | 5.94% |  | 8.95%<br><sup>1</sup> |
| **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Advisor Class**  | **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Advisor Class**  | -9.97% | 5.76% | 9.10% |  |
| Russell 2000 Value Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | Russell 2000 Value Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) | -14.48% | 4.13% | 8.48% |  |
| <sup>1.</sup> | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. | Since inception May 1, 2013. |  |

---

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The figures in the average annual total returns table above reflect the Class A shares maximum front-end sales charge of 5.50%. Prior to September 10, 2018, Class A shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75%. If the prior maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75% was reflected, performance for Class A shares in the average annual total returns table would be lower.

The after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown only for Class A and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Investment Manager

Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC (Franklin Mutual)

Portfolio Managers

#### Steven Raineri
Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2012.

#### Nicholas Karzon, CFA
Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2019.

#### Christopher Meeker, CFA
Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2015.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day online through our website at franklintempleton.com, by mail (Franklin Templeton Investor Services, P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151), or by telephone at (800) 632-2301. For Class A, C and R, the minimum initial purchase for most accounts is $1,000 (or $25 under an automatic investment plan). Class R6 and Advisor Class are only available to certain qualified investors and the minimum initial investment will vary depending on the type of qualified investor, as described under "Your Account — Choosing a Share Class — Qualified Investors — Class R6" and "— Advisor Class" in the Fund's prospectus. There is no minimum investment for subsequent purchases.

Taxes

The Fund's distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 31

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advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, in which case your distributions would generally be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-advantaged account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

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FUND DETAILS

### Fund Details

### Franklin MicroCap Value Fund
Investment Goal

The Fund's investment goal is high total return, of which capital appreciation and income are components.

Principal Investment Policies and Practices

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in investments of microcap companies. Shareholders will be given at least 60 days' advance notice of any change to this 80% policy. For purposes of this investment strategy, the Fund considers microcap companies as companies with a total market capitalization (share price times the number of shares of common stock outstanding) up to $1 billion, or a total market capitalization within the bottom 40% of the Russell 2000 Value Index (i.e., less than approximately $1.6 billion as of December 31, 2022), whichever is higher at the time of purchase. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in equity securities of companies with market capitalizations greater than companies the Fund considers to be microcap companies, consistent with its goal.

The Fund generally invests in equity securities of companies that the Fund's investment manager believes are undervalued at the time of purchase and have the potential for capital appreciation. Common stocks, preferred stocks, and convertible securities (generally debt securities or preferred stock that may be converted into common stocks after certain time periods or under certain circumstances) and REITs are examples of equity securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities without regard to the ratings assigned by ratings services. "Equity" REITs are real estate companies that own and manage income-producing properties such as apartments, hotels, shopping centers or office buildings. The income, primarily rent from these properties, is generally passed on to investors in the form of dividends. These companies provide experienced property management and generally focus on a specific geographic region or property type. "Mortgage" REITs make loans to commercial real estate developers and earn income from interest payments. A hybrid REIT combines the characteristics of Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs, generally by holding both ownership interest and mortgage interests in real estate.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities.

The Fund, from time to time, may have significant positions in particular sectors, such as industrials and financial services companies.

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FUND DETAILS

#### Portfolio Selection
A stock price is undervalued when it is less than the price at which the investment manager believes it would trade if the market reflected all factors relating to the company's worth. The investment manager may consider a company to be undervalued in the marketplace because of overreaction by investors to unfavorable news about a company, an industry or the stock market in general, or as a result of a market decline, poor economic conditions, tax-loss selling, or actual or anticipated unfavorable developments affecting a company. The types of companies the Fund may invest in include, among other things, those that may be considered out of favor due to actual or perceived cyclical or secular challenges, or are experiencing temporary setbacks, mismanagement or undermanagement, are financially stressed, or facing diminished expectations.

In choosing investments, the investment manager conducts an in-depth analysis of a company's long-term or normalized earnings and free cash flow potential, quality of management, ownership of valuable franchises, trademarks or trade names, control of distribution networks, underutilized assets and market share for particular products, balance sheet, and other factors that may identify the issuer as a potential investment. The investment manager considers selling a security when it no longer meets its value criteria.

Fund exposures, including sector weights, are the result of our "bottom-up" stock selection process and are not determined by benchmark composition.

The investment manager may consider environmental, social, governance (ESG) and other sustainability issues alongside traditional financial measures to provide a more comprehensive view of the value, risk and return potential of an investment. ESG analysis may be dependent on the availability of timely, complete, and accurate ESG data reports from issuers and/or third-party research providers which is often limited or not available for microcap companies. When such information is available, consideration of ESG factors and risks ultimately may not be the determinative factor in the investment manager's final decision on whether to invest in a company. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated.

Principal Risks

#### Market
The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The Fund's investments may decline in value due to factors affecting individual issuers (such as the results of supply and demand), or sectors within the securities markets. The value of a security or other investment also may go up or down due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in interest rates or exchange rates, or adverse

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investor sentiment generally. In addition, unexpected events and their aftermaths, such as the spread of diseases; natural, environmental or man-made disasters; financial, political or social disruptions; terrorism and war; and other tragedies or catastrophes, can cause investor fear and panic, which can adversely affect the economies of many companies, sectors, nations, regions and the market in general, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that securities or other investments held by the Fund will participate in or otherwise benefit from the advance.

The global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in global travel restrictions and disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations and supply chains, layoffs, volatility in consumer demand for certain products, defaults and credit ratings downgrades, and other significant economic impacts. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted global economic activity across many industries and may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, locally or globally. The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, on national and global economies, individual companies and the financial markets is unpredictable, may result in a high degree of uncertainty for potentially extended periods of time and may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

Stock prices tend to go up and down more dramatically than those of debt securities. A slower-growth or recessionary economic environment could have an adverse effect on the prices of the various stocks held by the Fund.

#### Small Capitalization and Microcap Companies
While investments in small capitalization companies may offer substantial opportunities for capital growth, they also may involve substantial risks. Historically, small capitalization company securities have been more volatile in price than larger company securities, especially over the short term. Among the reasons for the greater price volatility are the less certain growth prospects of small capitalization companies, the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such securities, and the greater sensitivity of small capitalization companies to changing economic conditions.

In addition, small capitalization companies may lack depth of management, be unable to generate funds necessary for growth or development, have limited product lines or be developing or marketing new products or services for which markets are not yet established and may never become established. Small capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or

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may have difficulty in repaying loans, particularly those with floating interest rates. The markets for small capitalization companies securities also tend to be less liquid than the markets for larger company securities. The risks described above may be heightened for microcap companies.

#### Value Style Investing
A value stock may not increase in price as anticipated by the investment manager if other investors fail to recognize the company's value and bid up the price, the markets favor faster-growing companies, or the factors that the investment manager believes will increase the price of the security do not occur or do not have the anticipated effect.

The Fund's policy of investing in securities that may be out of favor, including turnarounds, cyclical companies, companies reporting poor earnings, and companies whose share prices have declined sharply or that are less widely followed by other investors, differs from the approach followed by many other mutual funds.

Cyclical stocks, which typically follow the cycles of an economy through expansion, peak, recession and recovery, tend to increase in value more quickly during periods of anticipated economic upturns than non-cyclical stocks, but they also tend to lose value more quickly in periods of anticipated economic downturns. Companies emerging from bankruptcy may have difficulty retaining customers and suppliers. These companies may have relatively weak balance sheets and, during economic downturns, they may have insufficient cash flow to pay their debt obligations and difficulty finding additional financing needed for their operations.

#### Foreign Securities (non-U.S.)
Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities. Certain of these risks also may apply to securities of U.S. companies with significant foreign operations. These risks can increase the potential for investment loss in the Fund and may include, among others, currency risks (such as fluctuations in currency exchange rates and currency devaluations); country risks (such as political, diplomatic, or regional conflicts, terrorism or war, social and economic instability, and internal or external policies or economic sanctions limiting or restricting foreign investment, the movement of assets or other economic activity); and risks associated with the state of a country's financial markets and legal institutions. Other foreign securities risks may include unfavorable trading, settlement or custodial practices, unfavorable tax policies, less government supervision, less publicly available information, less stringent investor protection standards, limited legal redress for violations of law, limited trading markets and greater illiquidity and greater price volatility.

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FUND DETAILS

#### Focus
The Fund may from time to time invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies involved in a particular industry or sector, e.g. the financial services sector. By focusing on a particular sector from time to time, the Fund carries greater risk of adverse developments in a sector than a fund that always invests in a wider variety of sectors.

**Industrials.** The stock prices of companies in the industrials sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrials sector products in general. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, these companies are at risk for environmental damage and product liability claims. Companies in this sector could be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of export or import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources, technological developments and labor relations.

**Financial services companies.** Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation that may affect their profitability in many ways, including by limiting the amount and types of loans and other commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they can charge. A financial services company's profitability, and therefore its stock prices, is especially sensitive to interest rate changes as well as the ability of borrowers to repay their loans. Changing regulations, continuing consolidations, and development of new products and structures all are likely to have a significant impact on financial services companies.

#### REITs
Equity REITs may be affected by any changes in the value of the properties and companies owned and other factors, and their prices tend to go up and down. A REIT's performance depends on the types, values and locations of the properties and companies it owns and on how well those companies are managed. A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management. A REIT's performance also depends on the company's ability to finance property purchases and renovations and manage its cash flows. Because a REIT may be invested in a limited number of projects or in a particular market segment, it may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting a single project or market segment than more broadly diversified investments. Loss of status as a qualified REIT under the U.S. federal tax laws could adversely affect the value of a particular REIT or the market for REITS as a whole. These risks may also apply to securities of REIT-like entities domiciled outside the U.S.

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#### Convertible Securities
A convertible security is generally a debt obligation, preferred stock or other security that pays interest or dividends and may be converted by the holder within a specified period of time into common stock. The value of convertible securities may rise and fall with the market value of the underlying stock or, like a debt security, vary with changes in interest rates and the credit quality of the issuer. A convertible security tends to perform more like a stock when the underlying stock price is high relative to the conversion price (because more of the security's value resides in the option to convert) and more like a debt security when the underlying stock price is low relative to the conversion price (because the option to convert is less valuable). Because its value can be influenced by many different factors, a convertible security is not as sensitive to interest rate changes as a similar non-convertible debt security, and generally has less potential for gain or loss than the underlying stock.

#### Management
The Fund is actively managed and could experience losses (realized and unrealized) if the investment manager's judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Fund's portfolio prove to be incorrect. There can be no guarantee that these techniques or the investment manager's investment decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to the investment manager in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goal.

#### ESG Considerations
ESG considerations are one of a number of factors that the investment manager examines when considering investments for the Fund's portfolio. In light of this, the issuers in which the Fund invests may not be considered ESG-focused companies. In addition, ESG considerations assessed as part of the Fund's investment process may vary across types of eligible investments and issuers. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. The investment manager's assessment of an issuer may differ from that of investors, third-party service providers, such as ratings providers, and other funds. As a result, securities selected by the investment manager may not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor. The investment manager also may be dependent on the availability of timely, complete and accurate ESG data being reported by issuers and/or third-party research providers to evaluate ESG factors. ESG factors are often not uniformly measured or defined, which could impact the investment manager's ability to assess an issuer. While the investment manager views ESG

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considerations as having the potential to contribute to the Fund's long-term performance, there is no guarantee that such results will be achieved.

#### Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity incidents, both intentional and unintentional, may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, cause the Fund, the investment manager and/or their service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The investment manager has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents affecting third party service providers, and such third party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or the investment manager. Cybersecurity incidents may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders, and substantial costs may be incurred in an effort to prevent or mitigate future cybersecurity incidents. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Because technology is frequently changing, new ways to carry out cyber attacks are always developing. Therefore, there is a chance that some risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected, which puts limitations on the Fund's ability to plan for or respond to a cyber attack. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund, the investment manager and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time.

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### Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund
Investment Goal

The Fund's investment goal is high total return, of which capital appreciation and income are components.

Principal Investment Policies and Practices

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in U.S. mid cap securities. Shareholders will be given at least 60 days' advance notice of any change to the 80% policy. Mid capitalization companies are companies with market capitalizations equal to those within the universe of the Russell Midcap<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index at the time of purchase. As of December 31, 2022, the Russell MidCap<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index included companies with approximate market capitalizations between $646 million and $52.6 billion. The size of companies in the index changes with market conditions and the composition of the index.

U.S. companies are those that are economically tied to the United States including when: (1) the issuer's principal securities trading market is in the United States; (2) the issuer derives 50% or more of its annual revenues or annual profits from either goods produced, sales made or services performed in the United States; (3) the issuer has 50% of more of its assets located in the United States; or (4) the issuer is organized under the laws of, and has a principal office in, the United States.

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests primarily in equity securities (including securities convertible into, or that the investment manager expects to be exchanged for, common or preferred stock) of U.S. companies that the investment manager believes are available at market prices less than their value based on certain recognized or objective criteria (fundamental value). The equity securities in which the Fund invests are primarily common stock.

An equity security represents a proportionate share of the ownership of a company; its value is based on the success or failure of the company's business, any income paid to stockholders, the value of its assets and general market conditions. Common stocks and preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, and REITs (real estate investment trusts) are examples of equity securities. The Fund invests predominantly in common stocks. The Fund may invest in convertible securities without regard to the ratings assigned by the rating services. The Fund may invest in any kind of REIT, including Equity REITs, Mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs.

While the Fund does not concentrate in any one industry, from time to time, based on economic or market conditions, it may make significant investments in certain sectors, such as financial services companies (including banks, insurance

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companies and diversified financial services), healthcare, industrials and technology. While the Fund generally purchases securities for investment purposes, the investment manager may seek to engage with a company's management when the investment manager believes the Fund may benefit.

The Fund currently does not expect to invest more than 10% of its net assets in non-U.S. securities, which may include emerging markets.

The Fund may, from time to time, seek to hedge (protect) against currency risks, using certain derivative instruments including, currency and cross currency forwards and currency futures contracts. A currency forward contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific foreign currency in exchange for another currency, which may be U.S. dollars, at an agreed exchange rate (price) at a future date. Currency forwards are typically individually negotiated and privately traded by currency traders and their customers in the interbank market. A cross currency forward is a forward contract to sell a specific foreign currency in exchange for another foreign currency and may be used when the Fund believes that the price of one of those foreign currencies will experience a substantial movement against the other foreign currency. A cross currency forward will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, similar to when the Fund sells a security denominated in one currency and purchases a security denominated in another currency. When used for hedging purposes, a cross currency forward will protect the Fund against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency, but will cause the Fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases.

A futures contract is a standard binding agreement that trades on an exchange to buy or sell a specified quantity of an underlying instrument or asset at a specified price at a specified later date. A "sale" of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to deliver the underlying instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. A "purchase" of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to acquire a specified quantity of the underlying instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. The purchase or sale of a futures contract will allow the Fund to increase or decrease its exposure to the underlying instrument or asset. Although most futures contracts used by the Fund allow for a cash payment of the net gain or loss on the contract at maturity in lieu of delivery of the underlying instruments, some require the actual delivery or acquisition of the underlying instrument or asset. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts that trade on U.S. and foreign exchanges.

#### Portfolio Selection
The investment manager employs a research driven, fundamental value strategy for the Fund. Investments are generally selected based on the investment

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manager's own analysis of the security's fundamental value, including for equity securities, an analysis of cash flow potential, long-term earnings, multiples of earnings and book value. The investment manager examines each investment separately and there are no set criteria as to specific value parameters, earnings or industry type.

The investment manager may consider environmental, social, governance (ESG) and other sustainability issues alongside traditional financial measures to provide a more comprehensive view of the value, risk and return potential of an investment. ESG factors may include, but are not limited to, emissions, energy and waste management, labor practices and relations, exposure to potential regulatory changes, and corporate governance. The investment manager's fundamental research analysts, using their industry expertise, evaluate which factors the investment manager believes to be material to the investment and incorporate both the risks and opportunities of these factors into their fundamental valuation. The weight given to consideration of any factor will vary depending on the analyst's assessment of both the potential materiality and probability of that factor, and will only be one component of any investment decision. In addition, ESG factors considered may change over time. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. The investment manager's assessment of investments in special situations investments, notably merger arbitrage and distressed debt, generally does not include analysis of ESG factors as those investments tend to be more tactical in nature.

Principal Risks

#### Market
The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The Fund's investments may decline in value due to factors affecting individual issuers (such as the results of supply and demand), or sectors within the securities markets. The value of a security or other investment also may go up or down due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in interest rates or exchange rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, unexpected events and their aftermaths, such as the spread of diseases; natural, environmental or man-made disasters; financial, political or social disruptions; terrorism and war; and other tragedies or catastrophes, can cause investor fear and panic, which can adversely affect the economies of many companies, sectors, nations, regions and the market in general, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that securities or other investments held by the Fund will participate in or otherwise benefit from the advance.

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The global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in global travel restrictions and disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations and supply chains, layoffs, volatility in consumer demand for certain products, defaults and credit ratings downgrades, and other significant economic impacts. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted global economic activity across many industries and may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, locally or globally. The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, on national and global economies, individual companies and the financial markets is unpredictable, may result in a high degree of uncertainty for potentially extended periods of time and may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

Stock prices tend to go up and down more dramatically than those of debt securities. A slower-growth or recessionary economic environment could have an adverse effect on the prices of the various stocks held by the Fund.

#### Value Style Investing
A value stock may not increase in price as anticipated by the investment manager if other investors fail to recognize the company's value and bid up the price, the markets favor faster-growing companies, or the factors that the investment manager believes will increase the price of the security do not occur or do not have the anticipated effect.

The Fund's policy of investing in securities that may be out of favor, including turnarounds, cyclical companies, companies reporting poor earnings, and companies whose share prices have declined sharply or that are less widely followed by other investors, differs from the approach followed by many other mutual funds.

Cyclical stocks, which typically follow the cycles of an economy through expansion, peak, recession, and recovery, tend to increase in value more quickly during periods of anticipated economic upturns than non-cyclical stocks, but they also tend to lose value more quickly in periods of anticipated economic downturns. Companies emerging from bankruptcy may have difficulty retaining customers and suppliers. These companies may have relatively weak balance sheets and, during economic downturns, they may have insufficient cash flow to pay their debt obligations and difficulty finding additional financing needed for their operations.

#### Small and Mid Capitalization Companies
While small and mid capitalization companies may offer substantial opportunities for capital growth, they also may involve more risks than larger capitalization companies. Historically, small and mid capitalization companies have been more volatile in price than securities that are issued by larger companies, especially over

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the short term. Among the reasons for the greater price volatility are the less certain growth prospects of small and mid capitalization companies, the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such securities, and the greater sensitivity of small and mid capitalization companies to changing economic conditions.

In addition, small and mid capitalization companies may lack depth of management, be unable to generate funds necessary for growth or development, have limited product lines or be developing or marketing new products or services for which markets are not yet established and may never become established. Small and mid capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying loans, particularly those with floating interest rates.

#### Focus
The Fund may from time to time invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies involved in a particular industry or sector, e.g. the financial services sector. By focusing on a particular sector from time to time, the Fund carries greater risk of adverse developments in a sector than a fund that always invests in a wider variety of sectors.

**Financial services companies.** Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation that may affect their profitability in many ways, including by limiting the amount and types of loans and other commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they can charge. A financial services company's profitability, and therefore its stock prices, is especially sensitive to interest rate changes as well as the ability of borrowers to repay their loans. Changing regulations, continuing consolidations, and development of new products and structures all are likely to have a significant impact on financial services companies.

**Healthcare companies.** The activities of healthcare companies may be funded or subsidized by federal and state governments. If government funding and subsidies are reduced or discontinued, the profitability of these companies could be adversely affected. Healthcare companies may also be affected by government policies on healthcare reimbursements, regulatory approval for new drugs and medical products, and similar matters. They are also subject to legislative risk, i.e., the risks associated with the reform of the healthcare system through legislation.

**Industrials.** The stock prices of companies in the industrials sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrials sector products in general. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, these companies are at risk for environmental damage and product liability claims. Companies in this sector could be adversely affected by

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commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of export or import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources, technological developments and labor relations.

**Technology companies.** Companies in the technology sector have historically been volatile due to the rapid pace of product change and development within the sector. For example, their products and services may not prove commercially successful or may become obsolete quickly. In addition, delays in or cancellation of the release of anticipated products or services may also affect the price of a technology company's stock. Technology companies are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as new market entrants, aggressive pricing and tight profit margins. The activities of these companies may also be adversely affected by changes in government regulations, worldwide technological developments or investor perception of a company and/or its products or services. The stock prices of companies operating within this sector may be subject to abrupt or erratic movements.

#### REITs
Equity REITs may be affected by any changes in the value of the properties and companies owned and other factors, and their prices tend to go up and down. A REIT's performance depends on the types, values and locations of the properties and companies it owns and on how well those companies are managed. A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management. A REIT's performance also depends on the company's ability to finance property purchases and renovations and manage its cash flows. Because a REIT may be invested in a limited number of projects or in a particular market segment, it may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting a single project or market segment than more broadly diversified investments. Loss of status as a qualified REIT under the U.S. federal tax laws could adversely affect the value of a particular REIT or the market for REITS as a whole. These risks may also apply to securities of REIT-like entities domiciled outside the U.S.

#### Foreign Securities (non-U.S.)
Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities. Certain of these risks also may apply to securities of U.S. companies with significant foreign operations. These risks can increase the potential for investment loss in the Fund and may include, among others, currency risks (such as fluctuations in currency exchange rates and currency devaluations); country risks (such as political, diplomatic, or regional conflicts, terrorism or war, social and economic instability, and internal or external policies or economic sanctions limiting or restricting foreign investment, the movement of assets or other economic activity); and risks associated with the state of a country's financial markets and legal institutions. Other foreign securities risks may include unfavorable trading,

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settlement or custodial practices, unfavorable tax policies, less government supervision, less publicly available information, less stringent investor protection standards, limited legal redress for violations of law, limited trading markets and greater illiquidity and greater price volatility.

**Currency management strategies.** Currency management strategies may substantially change the Fund's exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses to the Fund if currencies do not perform as the expects. In addition, currency management strategies, to the extent that they reduce the Fund's exposure to currency risks, also reduce the Fund's ability to benefit from favorable changes in currency exchange rates. There is no assurance that the use of currency management strategies will benefit the Fund or that they will be, or can be, used at appropriate times. Furthermore, there may not be perfect correlation between the amount of exposure to a particular currency and the amount of securities in the Fund's portfolio denominated in that currency. Investing in foreign currencies for purposes of gaining from projected changes in exchange rates, as opposed to hedging currency risks applicable to the Fund's holdings, further increases the Fund's exposure to foreign investment losses.

#### Derivative Instruments
The performance of derivative instruments depends largely on the performance of an underlying instrument, such as a currency, security, interest rate or index, and such instruments often have risks similar to the underlying instrument, in addition to other risks. Derivative instruments involve costs and can create economic leverage in the Fund's portfolio, which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as gains) in an amount that significantly exceeds the Fund's initial investment. Other risks include illiquidity, mispricing or improper valuation of the derivative instrument, and imperfect correlation between the value of the derivative and the underlying instrument so that the Fund may not realize the intended benefits. Their successful use will usually depend on the investment manager's ability to accurately forecast movements in the market relating to the underlying instrument. Should a market or markets, or prices of particular classes of investments move in an unexpected manner, especially in unusual or extreme market conditions, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, and it may realize losses, which could be significant. If the investment manager is not successful in using such derivative instruments, the Fund's performance may be worse than if the investment manager did not use such derivative instruments at all. When a derivative is used for hedging, the change in value of the derivative instrument also may not correlate specifically with the currency, security, interest rate, index or other risk being hedged. There is also the risk, especially under extreme market conditions, that an instrument, which usually would operate as a hedge, provides no hedging benefits at all.

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Use of these instruments could also result in a loss if the counterparty to the transaction (particularly with respect to OTC instruments) does not perform as promised, including because of such counterparty's bankruptcy or insolvency. This risk may be heightened during volatile market conditions. Other risks include the inability to close out a position because the trading market becomes illiquid (particularly in the OTC markets) or the availability of counterparties becomes limited for a period of time. In addition, the presence of speculators in a particular market could lead to price distortions. To the extent that the Fund is unable to close out a position because of market illiquidity, the Fund may not be able to prevent further losses of value in its derivatives holdings and the Fund's liquidity may be impaired to the extent that it has a substantial portion of its otherwise liquid assets marked as segregated to cover its obligations under such derivative instruments. The Fund may also be required to take or make delivery of an underlying instrument that the investment manager would otherwise have attempted to avoid. Some derivatives can be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates or other market prices. Investors should bear in mind that, while the Fund may use derivative strategies from time to time, it is not obligated to actively engage in these transactions, generally or in any particular kind of derivative, if the investment manager elects not to do so due to availability, cost or other factors.

The use of derivative strategies may also have a tax impact on the Fund. The timing and character of income, gains or losses from these strategies could impair the ability of the investment manager to use derivatives when it wishes to do so.

#### Convertible Securities
A convertible security is generally a debt obligation, preferred stock or other security that pays interest or dividends and may be converted by the holder within a specified period of time into common stock. The value of convertible securities may rise and fall with the market value of the underlying stock or, like a debt security, vary with changes in interest rates and the credit quality of the issuer. A convertible security tends to perform more like a stock when the underlying stock price is high relative to the conversion price (because more of the security's value resides in the option to convert) and more like a debt security when the underlying stock price is low relative to the conversion price (because the option to convert is less valuable). Because its value can be influenced by many different factors, a convertible security is not as sensitive to interest rate changes as a similar non-convertible debt security, and generally has less potential for gain or loss than the underlying stock.

#### Management
The Fund is actively managed and could experience losses (realized and unrealized) if the investment manager's judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Fund's portfolio prove to be incorrect. There can be no

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guarantee that these techniques or the investment manager's investment decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to the investment manager in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goal.

#### ESG Considerations
ESG considerations are one of a number of factors that the investment manager examines when considering investments for the Fund's portfolio. In light of this, the issuers in which the Fund invests may not be considered ESG-focused companies. In addition, ESG considerations assessed as part of the Fund's investment process may vary across types of eligible investments and issuers. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. The investment manager's assessment of an issuer may differ from that of investors, third-party service providers, such as ratings providers, and other funds. As a result, securities selected by the investment manager may not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor. The investment manager also may be dependent on the availability of timely, complete and accurate ESG data being reported by issuers and/or third-party research providers to evaluate ESG factors. ESG factors are often not uniformly measured or defined, which could impact the investment manager's ability to assess an issuer. While the investment manager views ESG considerations as having the potential to contribute to the Fund's long-term performance, there is no guarantee that such results will be achieved.

#### Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity incidents, both intentional and unintentional, may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, cause the Fund, the investment manager and/or their service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The investment manager has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents affecting third party service providers, and such third party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or the investment manager. Cybersecurity incidents may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders, and substantial costs may be incurred in an effort to prevent or mitigate future cybersecurity incidents. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

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Because technology is frequently changing, new ways to carry out cyber attacks are always developing. Therefore, there is a chance that some risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected, which puts limitations on the Fund's ability to plan for or respond to a cyber attack. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund, the investment manager and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time.

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### Franklin Small Cap Value Fund
The Fund is closed to new investors. Existing investors who had an open and funded account on May 27, 2021 can continue to invest through exchanges and additional purchases. The following categories of investors can continue to open new accounts in the Fund: (1) trustees and officers of the Trust; (2) members of the Fund's portfolio management team; (3) employee sponsored retirement plans or benefit plans and their participants where the Fund was available to participants prior to the Fund's closure; (4) employee sponsored retirement plans or benefit plans that approved the Fund as an investment option prior to May 27, 2021, but have not opened an account as of that date, provided that the initial account was opened with the Fund on or prior to the Fund's closure; (5) clients of discretionary investment allocation programs where such programs had investments in the Fund prior to the Fund's closure; and (6) other Franklin Templeton funds and funds for which Franklin Templeton investment managers provide advisory or sub-advisory services upon prior approval by the Fund's investment manager. The Fund may restrict, reject or cancel any purchase order, including an exchange request, and reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

Investment Goal

The Fund's investment goal is long-term total return.

Principal Investment Policies and Practices

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in investments of small-capitalization (small-cap) companies. Shareholders will be given at least 60 days' advance notice of any change to this 80% policy. Small-cap companies are companies with market capitalizations (the total market value of a company's outstanding stock) not exceeding either: 1) the highest market capitalization in the Russell 2000 Index; or 2) the 12-month average of the highest market capitalization in the Russell 2000 Index, whichever is greater, at the time of purchase. As of the most recent reconstitution, the highest market capitalization in the Russell 2000 Index was $6.4 billion.

The Fund generally invests in equity securities of companies that the Fund's investment manager believes are undervalued at the time of purchase and have the potential for capital appreciation. An equity security represents a proportionate share of the ownership of a company; its value is based on the success or failure of the company's business, any income paid to stockholders, the value of its assets and general market conditions. Common stocks and preferred stocks, securities convertible into common stocks, and REITs (real estate investment trusts) are examples of equity securities. The Fund invests predominantly in common stocks. The Fund may invest in convertible securities without regard to the ratings

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assigned by the rating services. The Fund may invest in any kind of REIT, including Equity REITs, Mortgage REITs and hybrid REITs.

In choosing investments that are undervalued, the Fund's investment manager focuses on companies that have one or more of the following characteristics:

· Stock prices that are low relative to current or historical or future earnings, book value, cash flow or sales -- all relative to the market, a company's industry or a company's earnings history

· Recent sharp price declines but the potential for good long-term earnings prospects, in the investment manager's opinion

· Valuable intangibles not reflected in the stock price, such as franchises, distribution networks or market share for particular products or services, underused or understated assets or cash, or patents and trademarks

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities.

The Fund, from time to time, may have significant positions in particular sectors, such as financial services companies, industrials, consumer discretionary and technology.

#### Portfolio Selection
A stock price is undervalued when it is less than the price at which the investment manager believes it would trade if the market reflected all factors relating to the company's worth. The investment manager may consider a company to be undervalued in the marketplace because of overreaction by investors to unfavorable news about a company, an industry or the stock market in general, or as a result of a market decline, poor economic conditions, tax-loss selling, or actual or anticipated unfavorable developments affecting a company. The types of companies the Fund may invest in include, among other things, those that may be considered out of favor due to actual or perceived cyclical or secular challenges, or are experiencing temporary setbacks, mismanagement or undermanagement, are financially stressed, or facing diminished expectations.

In choosing investments, the investment manager conducts an in-depth analysis of a company's long-term or normalized earnings and free cash flow potential, quality of management, ownership of valuable franchises, trademarks or trade names, control of distribution networks, underutilized assets and market share for particular products, balance sheet, and other factors that may identify the issuer as a potential investment. The investment manager considers selling a security when it no longer meets its value criteria.

Fund exposures, including sector weights, are the result of our "bottom-up" stock selection process and are not determined by benchmark composition.

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The investment manager may consider environmental, social, governance (ESG) and other sustainability issues alongside traditional financial measures to provide a more comprehensive view of the value, risk and return potential of an investment. ESG factors may include, but are not limited to, emissions, energy and waste management, labor practices and relations, exposure to potential regulatory changes, and corporate governance. The investment manager's fundamental research analysts, using their industry expertise, evaluate which factors the investment manager believes to be material to the investment and incorporate both the risks and opportunities of these factors into their fundamental valuation. The weight given to consideration of any factor will vary depending on the analyst's assessment of both the potential materiality and probability of that factor, and will only be one component of any investment decision. In addition, ESG factors considered may change over time. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated.

Principal Risks

#### Market
The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The Fund's investments may decline in value due to factors affecting individual issuers (such as the results of supply and demand), or sectors within the securities markets. The value of a security or other investment also may go up or down due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a particular issuer, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in interest rates or exchange rates, or adverse investor sentiment generally. In addition, unexpected events and their aftermaths, such as the spread of diseases; natural, environmental or man-made disasters; financial, political or social disruptions; terrorism and war; and other tragedies or catastrophes, can cause investor fear and panic, which can adversely affect the economies of many companies, sectors, nations, regions and the market in general, in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that securities or other investments held by the Fund will participate in or otherwise benefit from the advance.

The global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in global travel restrictions and disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations and supply chains, layoffs, volatility in consumer demand for certain products, defaults and credit ratings downgrades, and other significant economic impacts. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted global economic activity across many industries and may heighten other pre-existing political, social

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and economic risks, locally or globally. The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, on national and global economies, individual companies and the financial markets is unpredictable, may result in a high degree of uncertainty for potentially extended periods of time and may adversely affect the Fund's performance.

Stock prices tend to go up and down more dramatically than those of debt securities. A slower-growth or recessionary economic environment could have an adverse effect on the prices of the various stocks held by the Fund.

#### Small Capitalization Companies
While small capitalization companies may offer substantial opportunities for capital growth, they also may involve substantial risks. Historically, small capitalization companies have been more volatile in price than securities that are issued by larger companies, especially over the short term. Among the reasons for the greater price volatility are the less certain growth prospects of small capitalization companies, the lower degree of liquidity in the markets for such securities, and the greater sensitivity of small capitalization companies to changing economic conditions.

In addition, small capitalization companies may lack depth of management, be unable to generate funds necessary for growth or development, have limited product lines or be developing or marketing new products or services for which markets are not yet established and may never become established. Small capitalization companies may be particularly affected by interest rate increases, as they may find it more difficult to borrow money to continue or expand operations, or may have difficulty in repaying loans, particularly those with floating interest rates.

#### Value Style Investing
A value stock may not increase in price as anticipated by the investment manager if other investors fail to recognize the company's value and bid up the price, the markets favor faster-growing companies, or the factors that the investment manager believes will increase the price of the security do not occur or do not have the anticipated effect.

The Fund's policy of investing in securities that may be out of favor, including turnarounds, cyclical companies, companies reporting poor earnings, and companies whose share prices have declined sharply or that are less widely followed by other investors, differs from the approach followed by many other mutual funds.

Cyclical stocks, which typically follow the cycles of an economy through expansion, peak, recession and recovery, tend to increase in value more quickly during periods of anticipated economic upturns than non-cyclical stocks, but they also tend to lose value more quickly in periods of anticipated economic downturns. Companies emerging from bankruptcy may have difficulty retaining customers and

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suppliers. These companies may have relatively weak balance sheets and, during economic downturns, they may have insufficient cash flow to pay their debt obligations and difficulty finding additional financing needed for their operations.

#### Foreign Securities (non-U.S.)
Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities. Certain of these risks also may apply to securities of U.S. companies with significant foreign operations. These risks can increase the potential for investment loss in the Fund and may include, among others, currency risks (such as fluctuations in currency exchange rates and currency devaluations); country risks (such as political, diplomatic, or regional conflicts, terrorism or war, social and economic instability, and internal or external policies or economic sanctions limiting or restricting foreign investment, the movement of assets or other economic activity); and risks associated with the state of a country's financial markets and legal institutions. Other foreign securities risks may include unfavorable trading, settlement or custodial practices, unfavorable tax policies, less government supervision, less publicly available information, less stringent investor protection standards, limited legal redress for violations of law, limited trading markets and greater illiquidity and greater price volatility.

#### REITs
Equity REITs may be affected by any changes in the value of the properties and companies owned and other factors, and their prices tend to go up and down. A REIT's performance depends on the types, values and locations of the properties and companies it owns and on how well those companies are managed. A decline in rental income may occur because of extended vacancies, increased competition from other properties, tenants' failure to pay rent or poor management. A REIT's performance also depends on the company's ability to finance property purchases and renovations and manage its cash flows. Because a REIT may be invested in a limited number of projects or in a particular market segment, it may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting a single project or market segment than more broadly diversified investments. Loss of status as a qualified REIT under the U.S. federal tax laws could adversely affect the value of a particular REIT or the market for REITS as a whole. These risks may also apply to securities of REIT-like entities domiciled outside the U.S.

#### Focus
The Fund may from time to time invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies involved in a particular industry or sector, e.g. the financial services sector. By focusing on a particular sector from time to time, the Fund carries greater risk of adverse developments in a sector than a fund that always invests in a wider variety of sectors.

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**Financial services companies.** Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation that may affect their profitability in many ways, including by limiting the amount and types of loans and other commitments they can make, and the interest rates and fees they can charge. A financial services company's profitability, and therefore its stock prices, is especially sensitive to interest rate changes as well as the ability of borrowers to repay their loans. Changing regulations, continuing consolidations, and development of new products and structures all are likely to have a significant impact on financial services companies.

**Industrials.** The stock prices of companies in the industrials sector are affected by supply and demand both for their specific product or service and for industrials sector products in general. Companies in the industrials sector may be adversely affected by changes in government regulation, world events and economic conditions. In addition, these companies are at risk for environmental damage and product liability claims. Companies in this sector could be adversely affected by commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of export or import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources, technological developments and labor relations.

**Consumer discretionary companies** Companies in the consumer discretionary sector could be affected by, among other things, overall economic conditions, interest rates, consumer confidence, and disposable income.

**Technology companies.** Companies in the technology sector have historically been volatile due to the rapid pace of product change and development within the sector. For example, their products and services may not prove commercially successful or may become obsolete quickly. In addition, delays in or cancellation of the release of anticipated products or services may also affect the price of a technology company's stock. Technology companies are subject to significant competitive pressures, such as new market entrants, aggressive pricing and tight profit margins. The activities of these companies may also be adversely affected by changes in government regulations, worldwide technological developments or investor perception of a company and/or its products or services. The stock prices of companies operating within this sector may be subject to abrupt or erratic movements.

#### Management
The Fund is actively managed and could experience losses (realized and unrealized) if the investment manager's judgment about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values, liquidity, or potential appreciation of particular investments made for the Fund's portfolio prove to be incorrect. There can be no guarantee that these techniques or the investment manager's investment decisions will produce the desired results. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax

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developments may affect the investment techniques available to the investment manager in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goal.

#### ESG Considerations
ESG considerations are one of a number of factors that the investment manager examines when considering investments for the Fund's portfolio. In light of this, the issuers in which the Fund invests may not be considered ESG-focused companies. In addition, ESG considerations assessed as part of the Fund's investment process may vary across types of eligible investments and issuers. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. The investment manager's assessment of an issuer may differ from that of investors, third-party service providers, such as ratings providers, and other funds. As a result, securities selected by the investment manager may not reflect the beliefs and values of any particular investor. The investment manager also may be dependent on the availability of timely, complete and accurate ESG data being reported by issuers and/or third-party research providers to evaluate ESG factors. ESG factors are often not uniformly measured or defined, which could impact the investment manager's ability to assess an issuer. While the investment manager views ESG considerations as having the potential to contribute to the Fund's long-term performance, there is no guarantee that such results will be achieved.

#### Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity incidents, both intentional and unintentional, may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, cause the Fund, the investment manager and/or their service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The investment manager has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents affecting third party service providers, and such third party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or the investment manager. Cybersecurity incidents may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders, and substantial costs may be incurred in an effort to prevent or mitigate future cybersecurity incidents. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Because technology is frequently changing, new ways to carry out cyber attacks are always developing. Therefore, there is a chance that some risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected, which puts

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limitations on the Fund's ability to plan for or respond to a cyber attack. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund, the investment manager and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time.

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More Information on Investment Policies, Practices and Risks

#### Equity Securities
Each Fund (hereafter "the Fund") invests substantially to primarily in equity securities, including securities convertible, or expected to be exchanged, into equity securities. An equity security represents a proportionate share of the ownership of a company; its value is based on the success or failure of the company's business, any income paid to stockholders, the value of its assets, and general market conditions. Common stocks and preferred stocks, and securities convertible into common stocks, are examples of equity securities. The Fund may invest in convertible securities without regard to the ratings assigned by ratings services.

#### Exclusion of Investment Manager from Commodity Pool Operator Definition
With respect to the Fund, the investment manager has claimed an exclusion from the definition of "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and, therefore, is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO. In addition, with respect to the Fund, the investment manager is relying upon a related exclusion from the definition of "commodity trading advisor" (CTA) under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC.

The terms of the CPO exclusion require the Fund, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on its investments in commodity futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include non-deliverable currency forward contracts, as further described in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI). Because the investment manager and the Fund intend to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion, the Fund may, in the future, need to adjust its investment strategies, consistent with its investment goal, to limit its investments in these types of instruments. The Fund is not intended as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options, or swaps markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the investment manager's reliance on these exclusions, or the Fund, its investment strategies or this prospectus.

#### Temporary Investments
When the investment manager believes market or economic conditions are unfavorable for investors, the investment manager may invest up to 100% of the Fund's assets in a temporary defensive manner by holding all or a substantial portion of its assets in cash, cash equivalents or other high quality short-term investments. Temporary defensive investments generally may include short-term U.S. government securities, high grade commercial paper, bank obligations, repurchase agreements, money market fund shares (including shares of an

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affiliated money market fund), and other money market instruments. The investment manager also may invest in these types of securities or hold cash while looking for suitable investment opportunities or to maintain liquidity. In these circumstances, the Fund may be unable to achieve its investment goal.

The Fund is designed for long-term investors and not as a trading vehicle. The Fund is not intended as a complete investment program and you should consider how the Fund fits your individual investment goals before you buy it.

More detailed information about the Fund and its policies and risks can be found in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI).

A description of the Fund's policies and procedures regarding the release of portfolio holdings information is also available in the Fund's SAI. Portfolio holdings information can be viewed online at franklintempleton.com.

Management

Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC (Franklin Mutual or investment manager), 101 John F. Kennedy Parkway, Short Hills, New Jersey 07078, is the Fund's investment manager. Franklin Mutual is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (Resources). Together, Franklin Mutual and its affiliates manage, as of January 31, 2023, $1.45 trillion in assets, and have been in the investment management business since 1947.

Each Fund is managed by dedicated professionals focused on investments in equity securities. The portfolio managers have responsibility for the day-to-day management of particular Funds and operate as a team to develop ideas and implement investment strategy for all of the Funds. The portfolio managers are as follows:

**Grace Hoefig Senior Vice President of Franklin Mutual**

Ms. Hoefig has been a lead portfolio manager of the Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund since 2012 and assumed the duties of co-lead portfolio manager in December 2022. She joined Franklin Templeton in 2008.

**Nicholas Karzon, CFA Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual**

Mr. Karzon has been a portfolio manager of the Small Cap Value Fund since 2019. He joined Franklin Templeton in 2014.

**Christopher Meeker, CFA Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual**

Mr. Meeker has been a portfolio manager of the Small Cap Value Fund since 2015. He joined Franklin Templeton in 2012.

**Steven Raineri Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual**

Mr. Raineri has been a lead portfolio manager of the Small Cap Value Fund since 2012. He joined Franklin Templeton in 2005.

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**Srini Vijay, CFA Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual**

Mr. Vijay has been a portfolio manager of the Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund since 2019 and assumed the duties of co-lead portfolio manager in December 2022. He joined Franklin Templeton in 2019. Prior to joining Franklin Templeton, he was Senior Vice President, Equity Research Analyst at Neuberger Berman.

**Stephen Shunk, CFA Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual**

Mr. Shunk has been a portfolio manager of the Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund since December 2022. He joined Franklin Templeton in 2005.

**Oliver H. Wong, CFA Portfolio Manager of Franklin Mutual**

Mr. Wong has been a lead portfolio manager of the MicroCap Value Fund since 2019. He joined Franklin Templeton in 2012.

CFA<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> and Chartered Financial Analyst<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.

The following individuals are jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Funds:

#### MicroCap Value Fund
**Oliver H. Wong.** Mr. Wong has primary responsibility for the investments of the Fund. He has final authority over all aspects of the Fund's investment portfolio, including but not limited to, purchases and sales of individual securities, portfolio risk assessment, and the management of daily cash balances in accordance with anticipated investment management requirements. The degree to which he may perform these functions, and the nature of these functions, may change from time to time.

#### Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund
**Grace Hoefig and Srini Vijay.** As co-lead portfolio managers of the Fund, Ms. Hoefig and Mr. Vijay are jointly and primarily responsible for the investments of the Fund. They have equal authority over all aspects of the Fund's investment portfolio, including but not limited to, purchases and sales of individual securities, portfolio risk assessment, and the management of daily cash balances in accordance with anticipated investment management requirements. The degree to which a portfolio manager may perform these functions, and the nature of these functions, may change from time to time.

**Stephen Shunk.** Mr. Shunk is a portfolio manager of the Fund, providing research and advice on the purchases and sales of individual securities, and portfolio risk assessment.

#### Small Cap Value Fund
**Steven Raineri.** Mr. Raineri has primary responsibility for the investments of the Fund. He has final authority over all aspects of the Fund's investment portfolio, including but not limited to, purchases and sales of individual securities, portfolio risk assessment, and the management of daily cash balances in accordance with anticipated investment management requirements. The degree to which he may

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perform these functions, and the nature of these functions, may change from time to time.

**Nicholas Karzon.** Mr. Karzon is a portfolio manager of the Fund, providing research and advice on the purchases and sales of individual securities, and portfolio risk assessment.

**Christopher Meeker.** Mr. Meeker is a portfolio manager of the Fund, providing research and advice on the purchases and sales of individual securities, and portfolio risk assessment.

The Fund's SAI provides additional information about portfolio manager compensation, other accounts that they manage and their ownership of Fund shares.

The Fund pays Franklin Mutual a fee for managing the Fund's assets.

Franklin Mutual has agreed to reduce its fees to reflect reduced services resulting from the Fund's investments in Franklin Templeton affiliated funds. In addition, the transfer agent has agreed to limit its fees on Class R6 shares of the Fund so that transfer agency fees for that class do not exceed 0.03%. These arrangements are expected to continue until February 29, 2024. During the terms, the fee waiver and expense reimbursement agreements may not be terminated or amended without approval of the board of trustees except to add series or classes, to reflect the extension of termination dates or to lower the waiver and expense limitation.

For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, the Fund paid Franklin Mutual an effective management fee equal to the following percentages of the Fund's average net assets for management services:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| <u>Fund</u> | <u>Effective management fee</u> |
| MicroCap Value Fund  | 0.73% |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 0.47% |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 0.53% |

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A discussion regarding the basis for the board of trustees' approval of each Fund's management agreement is available in each Fund's annual report for the period ended October 31, 2022.

#### Manager of Managers Structure
The investment manager and the Trust have received an exemptive order from the SEC that allows the Fund to operate in a "manager of managers" structure whereby the investment manager can appoint and replace both wholly-owned and unaffiliated sub-advisors, and enter into, amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements with such sub-advisors, each subject to board approval but without obtaining prior shareholder approval (Manager of Managers Structure). The Fund

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will, however, inform shareholders of the hiring of any new sub-advisor within 90 days after the hiring. The SEC exemptive order provides the Fund with greater flexibility and efficiency and alleviates the need for the Fund to incur the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of such sub-advisory agreements.

The use of the Manager of Managers Structure with respect to the Fund is subject to certain conditions that are set forth in the SEC exemptive order. Under the Manager of Managers Structure, the investment manager has the ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Fund's board of trustees, to oversee sub-advisors and recommend their hiring, termination and replacement. The investment manager will also, subject to the review and approval of the Fund's board of trustees: set the Fund's overall investment strategy; evaluate, select and recommend sub-advisors to manage all or a portion of the Fund's assets; and implement procedures reasonably designed to ensure that each sub-advisor complies with the Fund's investment goal, policies and restrictions. Subject to review by the Fund's board of trustees, the investment manager will allocate and, when appropriate, reallocate the Fund's assets among sub-advisors and monitor and evaluate the sub-advisors' performance.

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Distributions and Taxes

The information is provided with respect to each Fund (hereafter the "Fund").

#### Income and Capital Gain Distributions
As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. The Fund intends to pay income dividends at least annually from its net investment income. Capital gains, if any, may be paid at least annually. The Fund may distribute income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Fund will pay either income dividends or capital gain distributions. Your income dividends and capital gain distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares at net asset value(NAV) unless you elect to receive them in cash.

**Annual statements.** After the close of each calendar year, you will receive tax information from the Fund with respect to the federal income tax treatment of the Fund's distributions and any taxable sales or exchanges of Fund shares occurring during the prior calendar year. If the Fund finds it necessary to reclassify its distributions or adjust the cost basis of any covered shares sold or exchanged after you receive your tax information, the Fund will send you revised tax information. Distributions declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record in such month and paid in January are taxable as if they were paid in December. Additional tax information about the Fund's distributions is available at franklintempleton.com.

**Avoid "buying a dividend."** At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund's net asset value may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in the value of the portfolio securities held by the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in the Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gain distribution is sometimes known as "buying a dividend."

#### Tax Considerations
If you are a taxable investor, Fund distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains or some combination of both. This is the case whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash.

**Dividend income.** Income dividends are generally subject to tax at ordinary rates. Income dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders as qualified dividend income may be subject to tax by individuals at reduced long-term capital gains tax rates provided certain holding period requirements are met. A return-of-capital

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distribution is generally not taxable but will reduce the cost basis of your shares, and will result in a higher capital gain or a lower capital loss when you later sell your shares.

**Capital gains.** Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are also subject to tax at ordinary rates. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable at the reduced long-term capital gains rates no matter how long you have owned your Fund shares. For single individuals with taxable income not in excess of $44,625 in 2023 ($89,250 for married individuals filing jointly), the long-term capital gains tax rate is 0%. For single individuals and joint filers with taxable income in excess of these amounts but not more than $492,300 or $553,850, respectively, the long-term capital gains tax rate is 15%. The rate is 20% for single individuals with taxable income in excess of $492,300 and married individuals filing jointly with taxable income in excess of $553,850. An additional 3.8% Medicare tax may also be imposed as discussed below.

**Sales of Fund shares*.*** When you sell your shares in the Fund, or exchange them for shares of a different Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason fund, you will generally recognize a taxable capital gain or loss. If you have owned your Fund shares for more than one year, any net long-term capital gains will qualify for the reduced rates of taxation on long-term capital gains. An exchange of your shares in one class of the Fund for shares of another class of the same Fund is not taxable and no gain or loss will be reported on the transaction.

**Cost basis reporting.** If you acquire shares in the Fund on or after January 1, 2012, generally referred to as "covered shares," and sell or exchange them after that date, the Fund is generally required to report cost basis information to you and the IRS annually. The Fund will compute the cost basis of your covered shares using the average cost method, the Fund's "default method," unless you contact the Fund to select a different method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale or exchange. If your account is held by your financial advisor or other broker-dealer, that firm may select a different default method. In these cases, please contact the firm to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal and state income tax returns. Additional information about cost basis reporting is available at franklintempleton.com/costbasis.

**Medicare tax.** An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person's "modified adjusted gross income" (in the case of an individual) or "adjusted gross income" (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold

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amount. Any liability for this additional Medicare tax is reported on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

**Backup withholding.** A shareholder may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income capital gains or proceeds from the sale or exchange of Fund shares if the shareholder has provided either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report payments of interest or dividends, has failed to certify that the shareholder is not subject to backup withholding, or has not certified that the shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). The backup withholding rate is currently 24%. State backup withholding may also apply.

**State and local taxes.** Distributions of ordinary income and capital gains, and gains from the sale of your Fund shares, are generally subject to state and local taxes.

**Non-U.S. investors**. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at 30% or a lower treaty rate on Fund dividends of ordinary income. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. estate tax on the value of their shares. They are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding, claim any exemptions from withholding and claim any treaty benefits. Exemptions from U.S. withholding tax are generally provided for capital gains realized on the sale of Fund shares, capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from net long-term capital gains, short-term capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from net short-term capital gains and interest-related dividends paid by the Fund from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources. However, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding tax at source, any such dividends and distributions of income and capital gains will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 24% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

**Other reporting and withholding requirements.** Payments to a shareholder that is either a foreign financial institution or a non-financial foreign entity within the meaning of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on income dividends paid by the Fund. The FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided by such foreign entity if it provides the Fund, and in some cases, the IRS, information concerning the ownership of certain foreign financial accounts or other appropriate certifications or documentation concerning its status under FATCA. The Fund may be required to report certain shareholder account information to the IRS, non-U.S. taxing authorities or other parties to comply with FATCA.

**Other tax information.** This discussion of "Distributions and Taxes" is for general information only and is not tax advice. You should consult your own tax advisor regarding your particular circumstances, and about any federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences before making an investment in the Fund. Additional

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information about the tax consequences of investing in the Fund may be found in the SAI.

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Financial Highlights

The Financial Highlights present the Fund's financial performance for the past five years or since its inception. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund assuming reinvestment of dividends and capital gains. This information has been derived from the financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund's financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request.

#### Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Class A

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $32.58 | $21.77 | $29.32 | $31.06 | $36.43 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income (loss)<sup>b</sup> | 0.12 | 0.11<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.11 | 0.06 | (0.04) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (0.81) | 12.15 | (2.89) | (0.03) | (2.70) |
| Total from investment operations | (0.69) | 12.26 | (2.78) | 0.03 | (2.74) |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.08) | (0.11) | (0.06) |  | (—)<sup>d</sup> |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (4.24) | (1.34) | (4.71) | (1.77) | (2.63) |
| Total distributions | (4.32) | (1.45) | (4.77) | (1.77) | (2.63) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $27.57 | $32.58 | $21.77 | $29.32 | $31.06 |
| Total return<sup>e</sup> | (2.00)% | 57.97% | (12.10)% | 0.58% | (8.11)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 1.24% | 1.23% | 1.28% | 1.22% | 1.17% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates | 1.22%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 1.23%<br> <sup>g</sup>  | 1.27%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 1.21%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 1.16%<br> <sup>f</sup>  |
| Net investment income (loss) | 0.45% | 0.37%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.50% | 0.23% | (0.11)% |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $144717 | $161200 | $94015 | $145897 | $184613 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 19.91% | 31.98% | 31.04% | 7.04% | 4.08% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 67

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.05 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.20%.

d. Amount rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

e. Total return does not reflect sales commissions or contingent deferred sales charges, if applicable.

f. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

g. Benefit of waiver and payments by affiliates rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> 68 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Class R6

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $33.21 | $22.17 | $29.80 | $31.43 | $36.85 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.22 | 0.22<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.20 | 0.16 | 0.08 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (0.82) | 12.36 | (2.94) | (0.02) | (2.74) |
| Total from investment operations | (0.60) | 12.58 | (2.74) | 0.14 | (2.66) |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.19) | (0.20) | (0.18) |  | (0.13) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (4.24) | (1.34) | (4.71) | (1.77) | (2.63) |
| Total distributions | (4.43) | (1.54) | (4.89) | (1.77) | (2.76) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $28.18 | $33.21 | $22.17 | $29.80 | $31.43 |
| Total return | (1.67)% | 58.51% | (11.80)% | 0.97% | (7.83)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.91% | 0.91% | 0.95% | 0.89% | 0.85% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.87%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.88% | 0.91%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.86%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.82%<br> <sup>d</sup>  |
| Net investment income | 0.79% | 0.72%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.86% | 0.58% | 0.23% |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $25570 | $23137 | $12299 | $19266 | $21070 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 19.91% | 31.98% | 31.04% | 7.04% | 4.08% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.05 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.54%.

d. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 69

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Advisor Class

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $32.96 | $22.01 | $29.62 | $31.28 | $36.67 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.19 | 0.19<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.17 | 0.15 | 0.05 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (0.81) | 12.28 | (2.94) | (0.04) | (2.72) |
| Total from investment operations | (0.62) | 12.47 | (2.77) | 0.11 | (2.67) |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.15) | (0.18) | (0.13) |  | (0.09) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (4.24) | (1.34) | (4.71) | (1.77) | (2.63) |
| Total distributions | (4.39) | (1.52) | (4.84) | (1.77) | (2.72) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $27.95 | $32.96 | $22.01 | $29.62 | $31.28 |
| Total return | (1.77)% | 58.40% | (11.95)% | 0.87% | (7.90)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.99% | 0.98% | 1.03% | 0.97% | 0.92% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.97%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.98%<br> <sup>e</sup>  | 1.02%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.96%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.91%<br> <sup>d</sup>  |
| Net investment income | 0.69% | 0.60%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.73% | 0.48% | 0.14% |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $44877 | $38829 | $22429 | $29687 | $53329 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 19.91% | 31.98% | 31.04% | 7.04% | 4.08% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.05 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.43%.

d. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

e. Benefit of waiver and payments by affiliates rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> 70 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class A

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $40.20 | $27.59 | $34.61 | $37.93 | $41.08 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.37 | 0.43 | 1.14<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.52 | 0.45 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (3.28) | 13.37 | (5.47) | 1.13 | (0.43) |
| Total from investment operations | (2.91) | 13.80 | (4.33) | 1.65 | 0.02 |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.45) | (1.19) | (0.54) | (0.46) | (0.46) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (4.52) |  | (2.15) | (4.51) | (2.71) |
| Total distributions | (4.97) | (1.19) | (2.69) | (4.97) | (3.17) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $32.32 | $40.20 | $27.59 | $34.61 | $37.93 |
| Total return<sup>d</sup> | (8.06)% | 51.14% | (13.94)% | 6.22% | (0.15)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.91% | 0.91% | 0.95% | 0.93% | 0.91% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates<sup>e</sup> | 0.90% | 0.91%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 0.93% | 0.89% | 0.86% |
| Net investment income | 1.07% | 1.18% | 3.94%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 1.55% | 1.13% |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $688933 | $790329 | $538538 | $735919 | $772976 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 66.63% | 60.45% | 57.78% | 44.31% | 29.85% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.69 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 1.55%.

d. Total return does not reflect sales commissions or contingent deferred sales charges, if applicable.

e. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

f. Benefit of waiver and payments by affiliates rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 71

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class C

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $38.15 | $26.21 | $32.97 | $36.13 | $39.27 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.11 | 0.15 | 0.93<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.26 | 0.15 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (3.11) | 12.72 | (5.28) | 1.09 | (0.41) |
| Total from investment operations | (3.00) | 12.87 | (4.35) | 1.35 | (0.26) |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.13) | (0.93) | (0.26) |  | (0.17) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (4.52) |  | (2.15) | (4.51) | (2.71) |
| Total distributions | (4.65) | (0.93) | (2.41) | (4.51) | (2.88) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $30.50 | $38.15 | $26.21 | $32.97 | $36.13 |
| Total return<sup>d</sup> | (8.77)% | 50.06% | (14.57)% | 5.41% | (0.91)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 1.66% | 1.66% | 1.70% | 1.68% | 1.66% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates<sup>e</sup> | 1.65% | 1.66%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 1.68% | 1.64% | 1.61% |
| Net investment income | 0.32% | 0.42% | 3.36%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.80% | 0.38% |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $15412 | $20132 | $15881 | $27443 | $33854 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 66.63% | 60.45% | 57.78% | 44.31% | 29.85% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.66 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.97%.

d. Total return does not reflect sales commissions or contingent deferred sales charges, if applicable.

e. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

f. Benefit of waiver and payments by affiliates rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> 72 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class R

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $40.34 | $27.67 | $34.70 | $37.99 | $41.10 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.28 | 0.34 | 1.11<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.44 | 0.35 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (3.29) | 13.44 | (5.55) | 1.14 | (0.42) |
| Total from investment operations | (3.01) | 13.78 | (4.44) | 1.58 | (0.07) |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.35) | (1.11) | (0.44) | (0.36) | (0.33) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (4.52) |  | (2.15) | (4.51) | (2.71) |
| Total distributions | (4.87) | (1.11) | (2.59) | (4.87) | (3.04) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $32.46 | $40.34 | $27.67 | $34.70 | $37.99 |
| Total return | (8.32)% | 50.87% | (14.16)% | 5.94% | (0.39)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 1.16% | 1.16% | 1.20% | 1.18% | 1.16% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates<sup>d</sup> | 1.15% | 1.16%<br> <sup>e</sup>  | 1.18% | 1.14% | 1.11% |
| Net investment income | 0.82% | 0.93% | 3.80%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 1.30% | 0.88% |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $5419 | $6362 | $4465 | $6764 | $7280 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 66.63% | 60.45% | 57.78% | 44.31% | 29.85% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.70 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 1.41%.

d. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

e. Benefit of waiver and payments by affiliates rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 73

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class R6

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $41.93 | $28.73 | $35.93 | $39.20 | $42.38 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.51 | 0.59 | 1.27<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.67 | 0.61 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (3.43) | 13.91 | (5.65) | 1.18 | (0.45) |
| Total from investment operations | (2.92) | 14.50 | (4.38) | 1.85 | 0.16 |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.58) | (1.30) | (0.67) | (0.61) | (0.63) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (4.52) |  | (2.15) | (4.51) | (2.71) |
| Total distributions | (5.10) | (1.30) | (2.82) | (5.12) | (3.34) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $33.91 | $41.93 | $28.73 | $35.93 | $39.20 |
| Total return | (7.76)% | 51.74% | (13.61)% | 6.61% | 0.19% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.59% | 0.59% | 0.61% | 0.59% | 0.57% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates<sup>d</sup> | 0.55% | 0.55% | 0.55% | 0.52% | 0.50% |
| Net investment income | 1.42% | 1.54% | 4.24%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 1.92% | 1.49% |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $36512 | $39290 | $27952 | $36398 | $36580 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 66.63% | 60.45% | 57.78% | 44.31% | 29.85% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.72 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 1.85%.

d. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> 74 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Advisor Class

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $42.04 | $28.80 | $36.01 | $39.26 | $42.39 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.48 | 0.55 | 1.28<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.63 | 0.57 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (3.44) | 13.95 | (5.72) | 1.19 | (0.46) |
| Total from investment operations | (2.96) | 14.50 | (4.44) | 1.82 | 0.11 |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.54) | (1.26) | (0.62) | (0.56) | (0.53) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (4.52) |  | (2.15) | (4.51) | (2.71) |
| Total distributions | (5.06) | (1.26) | (2.77) | (5.07) | (3.24) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $34.02 | $42.04 | $28.80 | $36.01 | $39.26 |
| Total return | (7.86)% | 51.57% | (13.71)% | 6.48% | 0.07% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.66% | 0.66% | 0.70% | 0.68% | 0.66% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates<sup>d</sup> | 0.65% | 0.66%<br> <sup>e</sup>  | 0.68% | 0.64% | 0.61% |
| Net investment income | 1.32% | 1.43% | 4.22%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 1.80% | 1.38% |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $46625 | $56787 | $34029 | $47427 | $48616 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 66.63% | 60.45% | 57.78% | 44.31% | 29.85% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.72 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 1.83%.

d. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

e. Benefit of waiver and payments by affiliates rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 75

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class A

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $61.24 | $41.84 | $49.48 | $52.59 | $59.07 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.25 | 0.47<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.45 | 0.51<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.39<br> <sup>e</sup>  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (4.60) | 20.03 | (5.01) | 4.00 | (1.95) |
| Total from investment operations | (4.35) | 20.50 | (4.56) | 4.51 | (1.56) |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.34) | (0.35) | (0.58) | (0.44) | (0.42) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (5.37) | (0.75) | (2.50) | (7.18) | (4.50) |
| Total distributions | (5.71) | (1.10) | (3.08) | (7.62) | (4.92) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $51.18 | $61.24 | $41.84 | $49.48 | $52.59 |
| Total return<sup>f</sup> | (7.83)% | 49.59% | (10.04)% | 11.35% | (3.04)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.98% | 1.00% | 1.08% | 1.06% | 1.05% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.98%<br> <sup>g</sup>  | 1.00%<br> <sup>g</sup>  | 1.07%<br> <sup>h</sup>  | 1.05%<br> <sup>h</sup>  | 1.03%<br> <sup>h</sup>  |
| Net investment income | 0.46% | 0.81%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 1.08% | 1.10%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.69%<br> <sup>e</sup>  |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $1268890 | $1577561 | $1123039 | $1334235 | $1366866 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 47.06% | 52.76% | 67.46% | 57.84% | 53.26% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.15 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.56%.

d. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.14 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.80%.

e. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.09 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.52%.

f. Total return does not reflect sales commissions or contingent deferred sales charges, if applicable.

g. Benefit of waiver and payments by affiliates rounds to less than 0.01%.

h. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> 76 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class C

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $52.25 | $35.87 | $42.84 | $46.45 | $52.75 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income (loss)<sup>b</sup> | (0.13) | 0.02<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.12 | 0.15<br> <sup>d</sup>  | (0.02)<sup>e</sup> |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (3.87) | 17.20 | (4.33) | 3.42 | (1.72) |
| Total from investment operations | (4.00) | 17.22 | (4.21) | 3.57 | (1.74) |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income |  | (0.09) | (0.26) |  | (0.06) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (5.37) | (0.75) | (2.50) | (7.18) | (4.50) |
| Total distributions | (5.37) | (0.84) | (2.76) | (7.18) | (4.56) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $42.88 | $52.25 | $35.87 | $42.84 | $46.45 |
| Total return<sup>f</sup> | (8.51)% | 48.51% | (10.73)% | 10.52% | (3.77)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 1.73% | 1.75% | 1.83% | 1.81% | 1.80% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates | 1.73%<br> <sup>g</sup>  | 1.75%<br> <sup>g</sup>  | 1.82%<br> <sup>h</sup>  | 1.80%<br> <sup>h</sup>  | 1.78%<br> <sup>h</sup>  |
| Net investment income (loss) | (0.29)% | 0.05%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.34% | 0.35%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | (0.06)%<br> <sup>e</sup>  |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $68960 | $99994 | $77586 | $111639 | $138188 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 47.06% | 52.76% | 67.46% | 57.84% | 53.26% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.15 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been (0.20)%.

d. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.14 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.05%.

e. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.09 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been (0.23)%.

f. Total return does not reflect sales commissions or contingent deferred sales charges, if applicable.

g. Benefit of waiver and payments by affiliates rounds to less than 0.01%.

h. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 77

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class R

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $60.43 | $41.31 | $48.88 | $51.98 | $58.37 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.11 | 0.32<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.35 | 0.40<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.25<br> <sup>e</sup>  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (4.53) | 19.79 | (4.97) | 3.94 | (1.93) |
| Total from investment operations | (4.42) | 20.11 | (4.62) | 4.34 | (1.68) |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.18) | (0.24) | (0.45) | (0.26) | (0.21) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (5.37) | (0.75) | (2.50) | (7.18) | (4.50) |
| Total distributions | (5.55) | (0.99) | (2.95) | (7.44) | (4.71) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $50.46 | $60.43 | $41.31 | $48.88 | $51.98 |
| Total return | (8.05)% | 49.22% | (10.27)% | 11.06% | (3.28)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 1.23% | 1.25% | 1.33% | 1.31% | 1.30% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates | 1.23%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 1.25%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 1.32%<br> <sup>g</sup>  | 1.30%<br> <sup>g</sup>  | 1.28%<br> <sup>g</sup>  |
| Net investment income | 0.21% | 0.56%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.84% | 0.85%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.44%<br> <sup>e</sup>  |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $119060 | $150288 | $106201 | $143634 | $158678 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 47.06% | 52.76% | 67.46% | 57.84% | 53.26% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.15 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.32%.

d. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.14 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.55%.

e. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.09 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.27%.

f. Benefit of waiver and payments by affiliates rounds to less than 0.01%.

g. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> 78 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class R6

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $65.05 | $44.37 | $52.29 | $55.17 | $61.71 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.48 | 0.71<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.65 | 0.75<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.66<br> <sup>e</sup>  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (4.89) | 21.27 | (5.27) | 4.23 | (2.05) |
| Total from investment operations | (4.41) | 21.98 | (4.62) | 4.98 | (1.39) |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.59) | (0.55) | (0.80) | (0.68) | (0.65) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (5.37) | (0.75) | (2.50) | (7.18) | (4.50) |
| Total distributions | (5.96) | (1.30) | (3.30) | (7.86) | (5.15) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $54.68 | $65.05 | $44.37 | $52.29 | $55.17 |
| Total return | (7.46)% | 50.21% | (9.65)% | 11.82% | (2.63)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.62% | 0.62% | 0.68% | 0.66% | 0.66% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.59% | 0.59% | 0.64%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 0.61%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 0.60%<br> <sup>f</sup>  |
| Net investment income | 0.84% | 1.15%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 1.47% | 1.54%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 1.12%<br> <sup>e</sup>  |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $1248367 | $1336020 | $510946 | $362397 | $270426 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 47.06% | 52.76% | 67.46% | 57.84% | 53.26% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.15 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.90%.

d. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.14 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 1.24%.

e. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.09 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.95%.

f. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 79

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

FUND DETAILS

#### Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Advisor Class

---

| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** | **Year Ended October 31,** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** | **2019** | **2018** |
| Per share operating performance<br>(for a share outstanding throughout the year) |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net asset value, beginning of year | $65.13 | $44.44 | $52.36 | $55.19 | $61.66 |
| Income from investment operations<sup>a</sup>: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income<sup>b</sup> | 0.41 | 0.63<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 0.58 | 0.67<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.56<br> <sup>e</sup>  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized and unrealized gains (losses) | (4.91) | 21.30 | (5.29) | 4.24 | (2.06) |
| Total from investment operations | (4.50) | 21.93 | (4.71) | 4.91 | (1.50) |
| Less distributions from: |  |  |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net investment income | (0.50) | (0.49) | (0.71) | (0.56) | (0.47) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Net realized gains | (5.37) | (0.75) | (2.50) | (7.18) | (4.50) |
| Total distributions | (5.87) | (1.24) | (3.21) | (7.74) | (4.97) |
| **Net asset value, end of year** | $54.76 | $65.13 | $44.44 | $52.36 | $55.19 |
| Total return | (7.59)% | 49.98% | (9.81)% | 11.61% | (2.81)% |
| Ratios to average net assets |  |  |  |  |  |
| Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.73% | 0.75% | 0.83% | 0.81% | 0.80% |
| Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates | 0.73%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 0.75%<br> <sup>f</sup>  | 0.82%<br> <sup>g</sup>  | 0.80%<br> <sup>g</sup>  | 0.78%<br> <sup>g</sup>  |
| Net investment income | 0.71% | 1.01%<br> <sup>c</sup>  | 1.30% | 1.35%<br> <sup>d</sup>  | 0.94%<br> <sup>e</sup>  |
| Supplemental data |  |  |  |  |  |
| Net assets, end of year (000's) | $1406507 | $1687270 | $646240 | $522329 | $544792 |
| Portfolio turnover rate | 47.06% | 52.76% | 67.46% | 57.84% | 53.26% |

---

a. The amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations in the annual report for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of the Fund's shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

b. Based on average daily shares outstanding.

c. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.15 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.76%.

d. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.14 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 1.05%.

e. Net investment income per share includes approximately $0.09 per share related to income received in the form of special dividends in connection with certain Fund holdings. Excluding this amount, the ratio of net investment income to average net assets would have been 0.77%.

f. Benefit of waiver and payments by affiliates rounds to less than 0.01%.

g. Benefit of expense reduction rounds to less than 0.01%.

<br> 80 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

YOUR ACCOUNT

### Your Account
Choosing a Share Class

Each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, allowing you to choose the class that best meets your situation. Some share classes may not be offered by certain financial intermediaries. Your financial intermediary or investment representative (financial advisor) can help you decide which class is best for you. Investors may purchase Class C or Class R shares only for Fund accounts on which they have appointed an investment representative (financial advisor) of record. Investors who have not appointed an investment representative (financial advisor) to existing Class C or Class R share Fund accounts may not make additional purchases to those accounts but may exchange their shares for shares of a Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund that offers Class C or Class R shares. Dividend and capital gain distributions may continue to be reinvested in existing Class C or Class R share Fund accounts. These provisions do not apply to Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans.

---

| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Class A**  | **Class C**  | **Class R** | **Class R6**  | **Advisor Class**  |
| Initial sales charge of 5.50% or less  | No initial sales charge  | No initial sales charge  | See "Qualified Investors - Class R6" below  | See "Qualified Investors - Advisor Class" below  |
| Deferred sales charge of 1% on purchases of $1 million or more sold within 18 months  | Deferred sales charge of 1% on shares you sell within 12 months  | Deferred sales charge is not applicable |  |  |
| Lower annual expenses than Class C or R due to lower distribution fees  | Higher annual expenses than Class A and Class R due to higher distribution fees. Automatic conversion to Class A shares after approximately eight years, reducing future annual expenses.  | Higher annual expenses than Class A due to higher distribution fees (lower than Class C). No conversion to Class A shares so annual expenses do not decrease.  |  |  |

---

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 81

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

YOUR ACCOUNT

#### Class A, C & R
**The availability of certain sales charge waivers and discounts may depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Different intermediaries may impose different sales charges (including potential reductions in or waivers of sales charges) other than those listed below. Such intermediary-specific sales charge variations are described in Appendix A to this prospectus, entitled "Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers." Appendix A is incorporated herein by reference (is legally a part of this prospectus).**

**In all instances, it is the purchaser's responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser's financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts.**

**As noted above, the availability of certain share classes and/or shareholder privileges or services described in this prospectus will depend on the policies, procedures and trading platforms of your financial intermediary. Accordingly, you may be invested through your financial intermediary in a share class that has higher annual fees and expenses than other share classes offered in this prospectus, which will have an adverse impact on your investment return. The Fund is not responsible for any additional share class eligibility requirements, investment minimums, exchange privileges, or other policies imposed by financial intermediaries or for notifying shareholders of any changes to them. It is the responsibility of the financial intermediary (and not the Fund) to ensure that you obtain proper financial intermediary-specific waivers, discounts, investment minimums, minimum account balances and other special arrangements and that you are placed in the proper share class for which you are eligible through your financial intermediary. Please consult your financial adviser to consider your options, including your eligibility to qualify for the share classes and/or shareholder privileges or services described in this prospectus.**

#### Sales Charges - Class A

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| when you invest this amount  | the sales charge makes up this % of the offering price<sup>1</sup>  | which equals this % of<br>your net investment<sup>1</sup> |
| Under $25,000  | 5.50  | 5.82  |
| $25,000 but under $50,000 | 5.25 | 5.54 |
| $50,000 but under $100,000  | 4.50  | 4.71  |
| $100,000 but under $250,000  | 3.50  | 3.63  |
| $250,000 but under $500,000  | 2.50  | 2.56  |

---

<br> 82 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

YOUR ACCOUNT

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| $500,000 but under $750,000  | 2.00  | 2.04  |
| $750,000 but under $1 million | 1.50 | 1.52 |
| $1 million or more  | 0.00  | 0.00  |

---

<sup>1.</sup> The dollar amount of the sales charge is the difference between the offering price of the shares purchased (which factors in the applicable sales charge in this table) and the net asset value of those shares. Since the offering price is calculated to two decimal places using standard rounding criteria, the number of shares purchased and the dollar amount of the sales charge as a percentage of the offering price and of your net investment may be higher or lower depending on whether there was a downward or upward rounding.

#### Sales Charge Reductions
**Quantity discounts.** We offer two ways for you to combine your current purchase of Class A Fund shares with other existing Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund share holdings that might enable you to qualify for a lower sales charge with your current purchase. You can qualify for a lower sales charge when you reach certain "sales charge breakpoints." Sales charge and quantity discount information is also available free of charge at franklintempleton.com/quantity-discounts. This web page can also be reached at franklintempleton.com by clicking "Sales Charges and Breakpoints" under the "Investments" tab.

**1. Cumulative quantity discount -** lets you combine certain existing holdings of Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund shares - referred to as "cumulative quantity discount eligible shares" - with your current purchase of Class A shares to determine if you qualify for a sales charge breakpoint.

Cumulative quantity discount eligible shares are Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund shares registered to (or held by a financial intermediary for):

· You, individually;

· Your "family member," defined as your spouse or domestic partner, as recognized by applicable state law, and your children under the age of 21;

· You jointly with one or more family members;

· You jointly with another person(s) who is (are) not family members if that other person has not included the value of the jointly-owned shares as cumulative quantity discount eligible shares for purposes of that person's separate investments in Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund shares;

· A Coverdell Education Savings account for which you or a family member is the identified responsible person;

· A trustee/custodian of an IRA (which includes a Roth IRA and an employer sponsored IRA such as a SIMPLE IRA) or your non-ERISA covered 403(b) plan account, if the shares are registered/recorded under your or a family member's Social Security number;

· A 529 college savings plan over which you or a family member has investment discretion and control;

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 83

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FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

YOUR ACCOUNT

· Any entity over which you or a family member has (have) individual or shared authority, as principal, has investment discretion and control (for example, an UGMA/UTMA account for a child on which you or a family member is the custodian, a trust on which you or a family member is the trustee, a business account [not to include retirement plans] for your solely owned business [or the solely owned business of a family member] on which you or a family member is the authorized signer);

· A trust established by you or a family member as grantor.

Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund shares held through an administrator or trustee/custodian of an Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan (see definition below) such as a 401(k) plan and shares of such funds offered through separately managed accounts that are managed by Legg Mason and Franklin Templeton do not qualify for a cumulative quantity discount.

Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund assets held in multiple Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans may be combined in order to qualify for sales charge breakpoints at the plan level if the plans are sponsored by the same employer.

If you believe there are cumulative quantity discount eligible shares that can be combined with your current purchase to achieve a sales charge breakpoint (for example, shares held in a different broker-dealer's brokerage account or with a bank or an investment advisor), it is your responsibility to specifically identify those shares to your financial advisor at the time of your purchase (including at the time of any future purchase). It may be necessary for you to provide your financial advisor with information and records (including account statements) of all relevant accounts invested in the Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds. If you have not designated a financial advisor associated with your Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund shares, it is your responsibility to specifically identify any cumulative quantity discount eligible shares to the Fund's transfer agent at the time of any purchase.

If there are cumulative quantity discount eligible shares that would qualify for combining with your current purchase and you do not tell your financial advisor or the Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds' transfer agent at the time of any purchase, you may not receive the benefit of a reduced sales charge that might otherwise be available since your financial advisor and the Fund generally will not have that information.

The value of cumulative quantity discount eligible shares equals the current or cost value of those shares, whichever is higher. The current value of shares is determined by multiplying the number of shares as of the day prior to your current purchase by their public offering price on the day of your current purchase. The cost value of shares is determined by aggregating the amount you invested in cumulative quantity discount eligible shares (including reinvested dividends and

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capital gains, but excluding capital appreciation), less any withdrawals, as of the date prior to your current purchase. It is your responsibility to retain any records necessary to substantiate historical share costs because neither your current financial advisor nor the Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds may have or maintain this information.

An "Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan" is a Qualified Retirement Plan, ERISA covered 403(b) plan and certain non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements that operate in a similar manner to a Qualified Retirement Plan, such as 457 plans and executive deferred compensation arrangements, but not including employer sponsored IRAs. A "Qualified Retirement Plan" is an employer sponsored pension or profit sharing plan that qualifies under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, including 401(k), money purchase pension, profit sharing and defined benefit plans.

**2. Letter of intent (LOI) -** expresses your intent to buy a stated dollar amount of "cumulative quantity discount eligible shares" (as defined in the "Cumulative quantity discount" section above) over a 13-month period and lets you receive the same sales charge as if all shares had been purchased at one time; however, purchases made under a right of reinvestment and appreciation of your holdings do not count as purchases made during the LOI period. During that 13-month period, additional purchases as well as reinvested dividends and capital gains are counted toward the fulfillment of your LOI. We will reserve 5% of your total intended purchase in Class A shares registered in your name until you fulfill your LOI to cover any additional sales charge that may apply if you do not buy the amount stated in your LOI. It is your responsibility to tell your financial advisor when you believe you have fulfilled your LOI with sufficient cumulative quantity discount eligible shares. The value of your cumulative quantity discount eligible shares (as calculated in the "Cumulative quantity discount" section above) as of the day prior to your LOI start date may be counted toward fulfillment of your LOI. The cost value of cumulative quantity discount eligible shares, however, may only be aggregated for share purchases that took place within 18 months of the LOI start date.

If you have not designated a financial advisor associated with your Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund shares, it is your responsibility to tell the Fund's transfer agent when you believe you have fulfilled your LOI with sufficient cumulative quantity discount eligible shares. Please refer to the SAI for more LOI details.

To sign up for these programs, complete the appropriate section of your account application.

For purposes of the cumulative quantity discount and letter of intent, Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds include BrandywineGLOBAL funds, ClearBridge Investments funds, Martin Currie funds, and Western Asset funds. They do not include the funds in the Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust, Legg Mason Partners Variable Equity Trust, Legg Mason Partners Variable Income

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Trust or Legg Mason Partners Money Market Trust (except for shares held in Distributor Accounts). Please contact your Service Agent or the fund for more information.

#### Sales Charge Waivers
Class A shares may be purchased without an initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) by certain investors. If you would like information about available sales charge waivers, call your investment representative or call Shareholder Services at (800) 632-2301.

**Waivers for certain investors.** The following investors or investments qualify to buy Class A shares without an initial sales charge or CDSC due to anticipated economies in sales efforts and expenses, including:

· Current employees of securities dealers that have executed a selling agreement with Franklin Distributors, LLC (Distributors) and their affiliates and their family members, as allowed by the internal policies of their employer.

· Employees of Franklin Templeton and its subsidiaries.

· Board members and officers of any Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason-sponsored fund.

· Assets held in accounts managed by a subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc.: (1) under an advisory agreement (including sub-advisory agreements); and/or (2) as trustee of an inter vivos or testamentary trust.

· Group annuity separate accounts offered to retirement plans.

· Purchases by a bank, trust company or thrift institution that is acting as a fiduciary exercising investment discretion.

· Advisory Fee Programs. Shares acquired by an investor in connection with a comprehensive fee or other advisory fee arrangement between the investor and a registered broker-dealer, investment advisor, trust company, bank, or other financial intermediary (referred to as the "Sponsor") in which the investor pays that Sponsor a fee for investment advisory services and the Sponsor or a broker-dealer through whom the shares are acquired has an agreement with Distributors authorizing the sale of Fund shares. No minimum initial investment.

· Clients of financial intermediaries who have entered into an agreement with Distributors and have been approved by Distributors to offer Fund shares through a network, platform or self-directed investment brokerage account that may charge a transaction or other fee to customers.

· Shareholders who purchase directly from the Funds and not through any financial intermediary (i.e., Distributors is the broker of record).

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· Class C shareholders whose shares are converted to Class A shares after eight years under the Class C shares' conversion feature.

· Purchases by or through a Franklin Templeton donor-advised fund (such as the Franklin or Fiduciary Trust Charitable Giving Programs).

**Retirement plans**. Provided that Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC is notified, Class A shares at NAV are available for:

· Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans ("Plans" or individually, "Plan") that invest through a record-keeper platform or third party retirement platform; or

· Any investors who purchases shares with proceeds from an IRA for which Fiduciary Trust International of the South (FTIOS) is custodian.

#### Investments of $1 Million or More
If you invest $1 million or more, either as a lump sum or through our cumulative quantity discount or letter of intent programs, you can buy Class A shares without an initial sales charge. However, there is a 1% CDSC on any shares you sell within 18 months of purchase. The way we calculate the CDSC is the same for each class (please see "Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) -Class A & C").

**Shareholders of Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund prior to January 1, 2001** may make additional purchases of that Fund's Class A shares subject to the following schedule that was in effect until January 1, 2001:

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| when you invest this amount  | the sales charge makes up this % of the offering price  | which equals this % of<br>your net investment |
| Under $500,000  | 1.50  | 1.52  |
| $500,000 but under $1 million  | 1.00  | 1.01  |

---

#### Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
Class A has a distribution plan, sometimes known as a Rule 12b-1 plan, that allows the MicroCap Value Fund and Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund to pay distribution fees of up to 0.25% per year and the Small Cap Value Fund to pay distribution fees of up to 0.35% per year to those who sell and distribute Class A shares and provide other services to shareholders. Because these fees are paid out of Class A's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. As set by the board of trustees (until further notice), the Small Cap Value Fund currently may pay up to 0.25% under the Class A plan, notwithstanding the higher limit provided in such plan.

We calculate the amount of these fees over a 12-month period that may differ from the Fund's fiscal year. Therefore, the amount shown from time to time in the Fund's

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fee table (which is based upon the Fund's fiscal year) may differ from the amount set forth in the Rule 12b-1 plan due to timing differences.

---

| |
|:---|
| **Sales Charges - Class C - Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund and Small Cap Value Fund** |
| With Class C shares, there is no initial sales charge.  |

---

#### CDSC
There is a 1% CDSC on any Class C shares you sell within 12 months of purchase. The way we calculate the CDSC is the same for each class (please see "Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) – Class A & C").

#### Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
Class C has a distribution plan, sometimes known as a Rule 12b-1 plan, that allows the Fund to pay distribution and other fees of up to 1% per year for the sale of Class C shares and for services provided to shareholders. Because these fees are paid out of Class C's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

#### Automatic Conversion of Class C Shares to Class A Shares After 8-Year Holding Period
The Class C conversion feature provides that Class C shares that have been held for eight (8) years or more will automatically convert into Class A shares and will no longer be subject to Class C shares' Rule 12b-1 fees (but will be subject to Class A share's Rule 12b-1 fee, if any) (the "Conversion Feature"). Class C shares of the Fund will convert automatically to Class A shares of the Fund on a monthly basis in the month of, or the month following, the 8-year anniversary of the Class C shares' purchase date. The monthly conversion date typically occurs around the middle of every month and generally falls on a Friday.

*Terms of the Conversion Feature.* Class C shares that automatically convert to Class A shares of the Fund convert on the basis of the relative net asset values of the two classes. Shareholders do not pay a sales charge, including a CDSC, upon the conversion of their Class C shares to Class A shares pursuant to the Conversion Feature. The automatic conversion of the Fund's Class C shares into Class A shares after the 8-year holding period is not expected to be a taxable event for federal income tax purposes. Shareholders should consult with their tax advisor regarding the state and local tax consequences of such conversions.

If you previously owned Class C shares of any Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason funds that were later merged or exchanged into the Fund, the time you held such shares counts towards the 8-year period for automatic conversion to Class A shares. Class C shares of the Fund acquired through automatic reinvestment of dividends or distributions convert to Class A shares of the Fund on the conversion

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date pro rata with the converting Class C shares of the Fund that were not acquired through reinvestment of dividends or distributions.

Class C shares held through a financial intermediary in an omnibus account automatically convert into Class A shares only if the intermediary can document that the shareholder has met the required holding period. In certain circumstances, when shares are invested through retirement plans, omnibus accounts, and in certain other instances, the Fund and its agents may not have transparency into how long a shareholder has held Class C shares for purposes of determining whether such Class C shares are eligible for automatic conversion into Class A shares and the financial intermediary may not have the ability to track purchases to credit individual shareholders' holding periods. This primarily occurs when shares are invested through certain record keepers for group retirement plans, where the intermediary cannot track share aging at the participant level. In these circumstances, the Fund cannot automatically convert Class C shares into Class A shares as described above. In order to determine eligibility for conversion in these circumstances, it is the responsibility of the shareholder or their financial intermediary to notify the Fund that the shareholder is eligible for the conversion of Class C shares to Class A shares, and the shareholder or their financial intermediary may be required to maintain and provide the Fund with records that substantiate the holding period of Class C shares. In these circumstances, it is the financial intermediary's (and not the Fund's) responsibility to keep records and to ensure that the shareholder is credited with the proper holding period. Please consult with your financial intermediary about your shares' eligibility for this conversion feature.

New accounts or plans may not be eligible to purchase Class C shares of the Fund if it is determined that the intermediary cannot track shareholder holding periods to determine whether a shareholder's Class C shares are eligible for conversion to Class A shares. Accounts or plans (and their successor, related and affiliated plans) that have Class C shares of the Fund available to participants on or before October 5, 2018, may continue to open accounts for new participants in that share class and purchase additional shares in existing participant accounts. The Fund has no responsibility for overseeing, monitoring or implementing a financial intermediary's process for determining whether a shareholder meets the required holding period for conversion.

A financial intermediary may sponsor and/or control accounts, programs or platforms that impose a different conversion schedule or different eligibility requirements for the conversion of Class C shares into Class A shares. In these cases, Class C shareholders may convert to Class A shares under the policies of the financial intermediary and the conversion may be structured as an exchange of Class C shares for Class A shares of the Fund. Financial intermediaries will be responsible for making such exchanges in those circumstances. Please consult

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with your financial intermediary if you have any questions regarding your shares' conversion from Class C shares to Class A shares.

#### Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund and Small Cap Value Fund

---

| |
|:---|
| **Sales Charges - Class R** |
| With Class R shares, there is no initial sales charge. |

---

#### Retirement Plans
Class R shares are available to the following investors:

· Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans.

· Health Reimbursement Accounts and Health Savings Accounts, either as a direct investment or as a separate or managed account.

· Insurance company separate accounts supporting variable annuities that are an investment option under individual retirement accounts, variable annuities that themselves qualify as individual retirement annuities, and variable annuities used to fund Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans, provided that the insurance company has entered into an agreement with Distributors authorizing the sale of Fund shares (applicable to the Small Cap Value Fund only).

· IRAs on financial intermediary platforms approved by Distributors.

· Non-ERISA 403(b) plans when purchasing direct from the Fund or platforms approved by Distributors.

· Certain other retirement accounts held through financial intermediaries that have been approved by Distributors.

#### Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees
Class R has a distribution plan, sometimes known as a Rule 12b-1 plan, that allows the Fund to pay distribution and other fees of up to 0.50% per year for the sale of Class R shares and for services provided to shareholders. Because these fees are paid out of Class R's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

#### Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (CDSC) - Class A & C
The CDSC for each class is based on the current value of the shares being sold or their net asset value when purchased, whichever is less. There is no CDSC on shares you acquire by reinvesting your dividends or capital gain distributions.

To keep your CDSC as low as possible, each time you place a request to sell shares we will first sell any shares in your account that are not subject to a CDSC.

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If there are not enough of these to meet your request, we will sell the shares in the order they were purchased. We will use this same method if you exchange your shares into another Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds (please see "Exchanging Shares").

The **holding period for the CDSC** begins on the day you buy your shares. Your shares will age one month on that same date the next month and each following month. For example, if you buy shares on the 18th of the month, they will age one month on the 18th day of the next month and each following month.

#### Reinstatement Privilege
If you sell any class of shares of Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds, you may reinvest all or a portion of the proceeds from that sale within 90 days within the same share class (or share class equivalent if the share class you redeemed from is closed to new investors) without an initial sales charge. If at the time of investment your shares are registered directly with the Fund's transfer agent: Class C or Class R shares will be reinvested in Class A shares if the account does not have an investment representative of record. Proceeds from the earlier sale of Class Z shares from another fund may also be reinvested in Class A shares.

This reinstatement privilege does not apply to: (i) a purchase of Fund shares made through a regularly scheduled automatic investment plan such as a purchase by a regularly scheduled payroll deduction or transfer from a bank account, or (ii) a purchase of Fund shares with proceeds from the sale of Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds shares that were held indirectly through a non-Franklin Templeton individual or employer sponsored IRA.

In order to take advantage of this reinstatement privilege, you must inform your investment representative or the Fund's transfer agent of this privilege at the time of your investment.

Generally, if you paid a CDSC when you sold your Class A or Class C shares, Distributors will credit back to you the CDSC paid on the amount you are reinvesting within 90 days of the sale by adding it to the amount of your reinvestment. For Class A shares reinvested with a CDSC credit, a new CDSC will apply and the CDSC holding period will begin again. For Class C shares reinvested with a CDSC credit in Class A shares, you will not receive a CDSC credit in the new Class A shares and your reinvestment will not be subject to any otherwise applicable CDSC.

#### Qualified Investors - Class R6
Class R6 shares are available to the following investors:

· Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans where plan level or omnibus accounts are held on the books of Franklin Templeton Investor Services.

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· Endowments; foundations; local, city and state governmental institutions; corporations; non-profit organizations that are organized as corporations; and insurance companies, (collectively "institutional investors") when purchasing directly from a Fund. The minimum initial investment for institutional investors is $1,000,000 per Fund.

· Unaffiliated U.S. registered mutual funds, including those that operate as "fund of funds."

· Other Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds and funds for which Franklin Templeton investment managers provide advisory or subadvisory services.

· Intermediaries that execute an addendum to their selling agreement acknowledging that they are acting exclusively as agents of their clients in transacting in Class R6 shares.

· Advisory Fee Programs. A registered broker-dealer, investment advisor, trust company, bank, or other financial intermediary (referred to as a "Sponsor") that has an agreement with Distributors authorizing the sale of Fund shares and that acquires shares of the Fund for its clients in connection with a comprehensive fee or other advisory fee arrangement for which the client pays the Sponsor a fee for investment advisory services. No minimum initial investment.

· Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) within plan level or omnibus accounts that are held on the books of Franklin Templeton Investor Services.

#### Qualified Investors - Advisor Class
The following investors or investments qualify to buy Advisor Class shares of the Fund:

· Advisory Fee Programs. Shares acquired by an investor in connection with a comprehensive fee or other advisory fee arrangement between the investor and a registered broker-dealer, investment advisor, trust company, bank, or other financial intermediary (referred to as the "Sponsor") in which the investor pays that Sponsor a fee for investment advisory services and the Sponsor or a broker-dealer through whom the shares are acquired has an agreement with Distributors authorizing the sale of Fund shares. No minimum initial investment.

· Governments, municipalities, and tax-exempt entities that meet the requirements for qualification under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code when purchasing direct from the Fund.

· Current employees of securities dealers that have executed a selling agreement with Distributors and their affiliates and their family members, as allowed by the internal policies of their employer.

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· Current employees of the investment manager and its affiliates;

· Former employees of the investment manager and its affiliates with existing accounts;

· Current and former board members of investment companies managed by affiliates of Franklin Resources;

· Current and former board members of Franklin Resources;

· The "immediate families" of such persons. "Immediate families" are such person's spouse (including the surviving spouse of a deceased board member), parents, grandparents, and children and grandchildren (including step-relationships). For such investors, the minimum initial investment is $1,000 and the minimum for each purchase of additional shares is $25. Current employees may purchase additional shares through a systematic investment plan.

· Assets held in accounts managed by a subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc.: (1) under an advisory agreement (including sub-advisory agreements); and/or (2) as trustee of an inter vivos or testamentary trust.

· Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans ("Plans" or individually, "Plan") that invest through a record-keeper or third party retirement platform.

· Plans with aggregate plan assets of $1 million or more invested directly with Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds.

· Purchases by a bank, trust company or thrift institution that is acting as a fiduciary exercising investment discretion.

· Any trust or plan established as part of a qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code.

· An individual or entity associated with a current customer of Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC (FTI, LLC) if approved by FTI, LLC in consultation with its customers.

· Unaffiliated U.S. registered mutual funds, including those that operate as "fund of funds."

· Assets held in accounts under the recommendation of an investment consultant provided that (1) assets are held with a firm unaffiliated with the investment consultant's firm; (2) the investment consultant is under a retainer or other similar fee arrangement with its clients; (3) the client is not an individual; and (4) a subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. approves the investment.

· Clients of financial intermediaries who have entered into an agreement with Distributors and have been approved by Distributors to offer Fund shares

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through a network, platform, or self-directed investment brokerage account that may charge a transaction or other fee to customers. Minimum initial investment $100,000, unless otherwise waived by Distributors.

· Purchases by or through a Franklin Templeton donor-advised fund.

#### Waivers for Exchanges between Classes of the Same Fund
**Financial Intermediary Exchanges between Classes of the Same Fund.** Exchanges between Classes of the same Fund as described below generally will be tax-free for federal income tax purposes. You should also consult with your tax advisor regarding the state and local tax consequences of such an exchange of Fund shares. These exchange privileges are subject to termination and may be amended from time to time.

**Advisory Programs Eligible for Advisor Class or Class Z shares.** Class A and Class C shares purchased by accounts participating in certain programs sponsored by and/or controlled by financial intermediaries ("Advisory Programs") may be exchanged by the financial intermediary on behalf of the shareholder for Advisor Class shares of the same Fund under certain circumstances, including such Advisory Program's eligibility to purchase Advisor Class shares of the Fund. If a shareholder that holds Advisor Class shares of a Fund no longer participates in an Advisory Program, the Advisor Class shares held by the shareholder may be exchanged by the financial intermediary on behalf of the shareholder for Class A shares of the same Fund under certain circumstances. In this case, the shareholder would be subject to ongoing Rule 12b-1 fees to which it was not previously subject. All such exchanges are initiated by the financial intermediary and not the Fund and the Fund does not have information or oversight with respect to such exchanges. Such exchanges will be on the basis of each Class' NAV per share, without the imposition of any sales charge, fee or other charge. Unless otherwise permitted, any CDSC owed must be paid on Class A and C shares that you wish to exchange.

**Financial Intermediary Exchanges from Class C Shares to Class A Shares.** Class C shares purchased through financial intermediaries may be exchanged by the financial intermediary on behalf of the shareholder for Class A shares of the same Fund under certain circumstances. Such exchange will be on the basis of each Class' NAV per share, without the imposition of any sales charge, fee or other charge.

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Buying Shares

Effective May 27, 2021, the Franklin Small Cap Value Fund was closed to most new investors. Please see the first page of the "Fund Details" section for further information.

#### Minimum Investments - Class A, C & R

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
|  | **Initial** |
| Regular accounts, UGMA/UTMA accounts, current and former full-time employees, officers, trustees and directors of Franklin Templeton entities, and their family members  | $1000 |
| Automatic investment plans  | $25 |
| Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans, SIMPLE-IRAs, SEP-IRAs, SARSEPs or 403(b) plan accounts  | no minimum |
| IRAs, IRA rollovers, Coverdell Education Savings Plans or Roth IRAs  | $250 |
| Broker-dealer sponsored wrap account programs  | no minimum |

---

A financial intermediary may impose different investment minimums than those set forth above. The Fund is not responsible for any investment minimums imposed by financial intermediaries or for notifying shareholders of any changes to them. See Appendix A for more information on certain intermediary-specific investment minimums. Please consult with your financial intermediary if you have any questions regarding its policies.

Please note that you generally may only buy shares (including the purchase side of an exchange) of a fund eligible for sale in your state or jurisdiction. The Fund and other Franklin Templeton funds are intended for sale to residents of the United States, and, with very limited exceptions, are not registered or otherwise offered for sale in other jurisdictions.

In particular, the Fund is not registered in any provincial or territorial jurisdiction in Canada, and shares of the Fund have not been qualified for sale in any Canadian jurisdiction. The shares offered by this prospectus generally may not be directly or indirectly offered or sold in any provincial or territorial jurisdiction in Canada or to or for the benefit of residents thereof. Prospective investors may be required to declare that they are not Canadian residents and are not acquiring shares on behalf of any Canadian residents. Similarly, the Fund is not registered, and shares of the Fund have not been qualified for distribution, in any member country of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA), and generally may not be directly or indirectly offered or distributed in any such country. If an investor becomes a Canadian, EU or EEA resident after purchasing shares of the Fund, the investor may not be able to purchase any additional shares of the Fund (other than

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reinvestment of dividends and capital gains) or exchange shares of the Fund for other U.S. registered Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds.

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#### Account Application
If you are opening a new account, please complete and sign the enclosed account application. Make sure you indicate the share class you have chosen. If you do not indicate a class, we will place your purchase in Class A shares. To save time, you can sign up now for services you may want on your account by completing the appropriate sections of the application (see "Investor Services"). For example, if you would like to link one of your bank accounts to your Fund account so that you may use electronic funds transfer to and from your bank account to buy and sell shares, please complete the bank information section of the application. We will keep your bank information on file for future purchases and redemptions. We do not accept cash, third-party checks, credit card convenience checks, pre-paid debit cards, non-bank money orders, travelers checks or checks drawn on foreign banks as forms of payment to purchase shares.

<br> Franklin Templeton Investor ServicesP.O. Box 997151Sacramento, CA 95899-7151Call toll-free: (800) 632-2301or visit us online 24 hours a day,7 days a week, at franklintempleton.com

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| |
|:---|
| **Buying Shares** |
| **Through your investment representative** |
| **By Phone/Online**<br>(800) 632-2301 <br>franklintempleton.com <br>*Note: certain account types are not available for online account access*. |
| **By Mail** |
| **By Wire**<br>(800) 632-2301 <br>or (650) 312-2000 collect |
| **By Exchange**<br>franklintempleton.com |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Opening an account** | **Adding to an account** |
| Contact your investment representative | Contact your investment representative |
| If you have another Franklin Templeton fund account with your bank account information on file, you may open a new identically registered account by phone. To make a same day investment, your phone order must be received and accepted by us prior to 1 p.m. Pacific time or the regularly scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier. You may open certain new accounts online at franklintempleton.com. | Before requesting a telephone or online purchase into an existing account, please make sure we have your bank account information on file. If we do not have this information, you will need to send written instructions with your bank's name and address and a voided check or savings account deposit slip. All bank and Fund account owners must sign the request. If the bank and Fund accounts do not have at least one common owner, each individual must also have his or her signature notarized. <br>To make a same day investment, your phone or online order must be received and accepted by us prior to 1 p.m. Pacific time or the regularly scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier. |
| Make your check payable to the Fund. <br>Mail the check and your signed application to Investor Services. | Make your check payable to the Fund. Include your account number on the check. <br>Fill out the deposit slip from your account statement. If you do not have a slip, include a note with your name, the Fund name, and your account number. <br>Mail the check and deposit slip or note to Investor Services. |
| Call to receive a wire control number and wire instructions. <br>Wire the funds and mail your signed application to Investor Services. Please include the wire control number or your new account number on the application. <br>To make a same day wire investment, the wired funds must be received and accepted by us prior to 1 p.m. Pacific time or the regularly scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier. | Call to receive a wire control number and wire instructions. <br>To make a same day wire investment, the wired funds must be received and accepted by us prior to 1 p.m. Pacific time or the regularly scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier. |
| Call Shareholder Services at (800) 632-2301, or send signed written instructions. You also may place an online exchange order.<br>(Please see "Exchanging Shares" for more information on exchanges.) | Call Shareholder Services at (800) 632-2301, or send signed written instructions. You also may place an online exchange order.<br>(Please see "Exchanging Shares" for more information on exchanges.) |

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Investor Services

This plan offers a convenient way for you to invest in the Fund by automatically transferring money from your checking or savings account each month to buy shares. To sign up, visit us online at franklintempleton.com or complete the appropriate section of your account application and send it to Investor Services. If you are opening a new account, please include your minimum initial investment with your application. The Franklin Small Cap Value Fund is currently closed to new investors. Please see first page of the "Fund Details" section for Franklin Small Cap Value Fund for further information.

#### Automated Telephone System
Our automated system offers around-the-clock access to information about your account or any Franklin Templeton fund. This service is available by dialing any of the following numbers from a touch-tone phone:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Shareholder Services** | (800) 632-2301 |
| **Advisor Services** | (800) 524-4040 |
| **Retirement Services** | (800) 527-2020 |

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#### Distribution Options
You may reinvest distributions you receive from the Fund in an existing account in the same share class\* of the Fund or another Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason fund. Initial sales charges and CDSCs will not apply to reinvested distributions. You also can have your distributions deposited in a bank account, or mailed by check. Deposits to a bank account may be made by electronic funds transfer.

\* Class C shareholders may reinvest their distributions in Class A shares of any Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason money fund. Advisor Class shareholders may reinvest in Advisor Class or Class A shares of another Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason fund. To reinvest your distributions in Advisor Class shares of another Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason fund, you must be a current shareholder in Advisor Class or otherwise qualify to buy that fund's Advisor Class shares.

If you received a distribution and chose to return it to purchase additional shares in Class A shares of another Franklin Templeton fund, you will not be charged an initial sales charge if you invest the distribution within 90 days of the distribution date.

Please indicate on your application the distribution option you have chosen, otherwise we will reinvest your distributions in the same share class of the Fund.

#### Retirement Plans
Franklin Templeton offers a variety of retirement plans for individuals and businesses. These plans require separate applications, may require special forms for redemptions, and their policies and procedures may be different than those described in this prospectus. For more information, including a free retirement plan brochure or application, please call Retirement Services at (800) 527-2020.

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#### Telephone/Online Privileges
You will automatically receive telephone/online privileges when you open your account, allowing you to obtain or view your account information, and conduct a number of transactions by phone or online, including: buy, sell, or exchange shares of most funds; use electronic funds transfer to buy or sell shares of most funds; change your address; and add or change account services (including distribution options, systematic withdrawal plans and automatic investment plans).

To view your account information or request online transactions, you will first need to register for these services at the shareholder section of our website at franklintempleton.com. You will be asked to accept the terms of an online agreement(s) and establish a password for online services. If you are registered for online services, you may enroll online in Franklin Templeton's electronic delivery program for your shareholder documents. This will allow you to receive electronic delivery (through our website) of most Franklin Templeton funds' prospectuses, proxy statements and other documents, as well as your account(s) statements and trade confirmations, and discontinue receiving your paper copies through the U.S. mail. Using our shareholder website means you are consenting to sending and receiving personal financial information over the Internet, so you should be sure you are comfortable with the risks.

As long as we follow reasonable security procedures and act on instructions we reasonably believe are genuine, we will not be responsible for any losses that may occur from unauthorized requests. We will request passwords or other information, and also may record calls. We have the right (but have no obligation) to refuse a telephone request if the caller is unable to provide the requested information or if we reasonably believe the caller is not an individual authorized to act on the account. To help safeguard your account, keep your password confidential, and verify the accuracy of your confirmation statements immediately after you receive them. Contact us immediately if you believe someone has obtained unauthorized access to your account or password. For transactions done over the Internet, we recommend the use of an Internet browser with 128-bit encryption. Certain methods of contacting us (such as by phone or by Internet) may be unavailable or delayed during periods of unusual market activity. *Of course, you can choose not to register for online privileges. Additionally, if you don't want telephone privileges, or want to discontinue telephone/online privileges at any time please contact us for instructions*. You may reinstate these privileges at any time in writing, including online registration with respect to online privileges.

**Note:** Digital communication channels are not necessarily secure. If you do choose to send confidential or sensitive information to us via digital communication channels (e.g. email, chat, text messaging, fax), you are accepting the associated risks related to potential lack of security, such as the possibility that your

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confidential or sensitive information may be intercepted/accessed by a third party and subsequently used or sold.

#### Systematic Withdrawal Plan
This plan allows you to automatically sell your shares and receive regular payments from your account. A CDSC may apply to withdrawals that exceed certain amounts. Certain terms and minimums apply. To sign up, visit us online at franklintempleton.com or contact us for instructions.

#### Franklin Templeton VIP Services <sup><sup>®</sup></sup>
You may be eligible for Franklin Templeton VIP Services<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> if you currently have $500,000 or more invested in Franklin Templeton funds based solely on shares registered directly with the Franklin Templeton funds' transfer agent and excluding shares held indirectly through brokerage accounts. Franklin Templeton VIP Services<sup>®</sup> shareholders enjoy enhanced service and transaction capabilities. Please contact Shareholder Services at (800) 632-2301 for additional information on this program.

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Selling Shares

You can sell your shares at any time. To make a same day redemption, the redemption request must be received and accepted by us prior to 1 p.m. Pacific time or the regularly scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier. Please keep in mind that a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) may apply. Except for certain investors as previously described in "Franklin Small Cap Value Fund" under "Fund Details" please keep in mind that if you sell all the shares in your Franklin Small Cap Value Fund account, your account will be closed and you will not be able to buy additional Franklin Small Cap Value Fund shares or to reopen your Small Cap Value account. The Franklin Small Cap Value Fund reserves the right to modify these policies at any time.

#### Selling Shares in Writing
Generally, requests to sell $250,000 or less can be made over the phone, online, or with a simple letter. Sometimes, however, to protect you and the Fund we may request written instructions signed by all registered owners, with a signature guarantee for each owner, if:

· you are selling more than $250,000 worth of shares

· you want your proceeds paid to someone who is not a registered owner

· you want to send your proceeds somewhere other than the address of record, or preauthorized bank or brokerage firm account

We also may require a signature guarantee when: we receive instructions from an agent, not the registered owners; you want to send your proceeds to a bank account that was added or changed on your account without a signature guarantee within the last 15 days; you want to send proceeds to your address that was changed without a signature guarantee within the last 15 days; or we believe it would protect the Fund against potential claims based on the instructions received. The Fund may change the signature guarantee requirements from time to time without prior notice to shareholders.

The amount may be higher for members of Franklin Templeton VIP Services<sup>®</sup>. Please see "Franklin Templeton VIP Services<sup>®</sup>" above for more information regarding eligibility.

A **signature guarantee** helps protect your account against fraud. You can obtain a signature guarantee at most banks and securities dealers.

A notary public CANNOT provide a signature guarantee.

#### Selling Recently Purchased Shares
If you sell shares recently purchased, we may delay sending you the proceeds until your check, draft or wire/electronic funds transfer has cleared, which may take seven business days.

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#### Redemption Proceeds
Your redemption check will be sent within seven days after we receive your request in proper form. We are not able to receive or pay out cash in the form of currency.

#### Retirement Plans
You may need to complete additional forms to sell shares in a FTIOS retirement plan. For participants under the age of 59½, tax penalties may apply. Call Retirement Services at (800) 527-2020 for details.

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**Selling Shares** 

#### To sell some or all of your shares

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Through your investment representative**<br>Contact your investment representative<br>**By Mail**<br>Send written instructions and endorsed share certificates (if you hold share certificates) to Investor Services. Corporate, partnership or trust accounts may need to send additional documents.<br>Specify the Fund, the account number and the dollar value or number of shares you wish to sell. Be sure to include all necessary signatures and any additional documents, as well as signature guarantees if required.<br>A check will be mailed to the name(s) and address on the account, or otherwise according to your written instructions.<br>**By Phone/Online<br>(800) 632-2301<br>franklintempleton.com**<br>As long as your transaction is for $250,000 or less and you do not hold share certificates, you can sell your shares by phone or online. The amount may be higher for members of Franklin Templeton VIP Services<sup>®</sup>. Please see "Franklin Templeton VIP Services<sup>®</sup>" above for more information regarding eligibility.<br>A check will be mailed to the name(s) and address on the account, or a pre-authorized secondary address. Written instructions, with a signature guarantee, are required to send the check to another address or to make it payable to another person.<br>If you have changed your address within the last 15 days without a signature guarantee, requests to sell your shares and mail the check to the name(s) and address on the account must be in writing and we may require a signature guarantee. Requests to sell your shares and send the proceeds to a pre-authorized secondary address may be requested by phone or online. | **By Electronic Funds Transfer (ACH)**<br>You can call, write, or visit us online to have redemption proceeds sent to a bank account. See the policies at left for selling shares by mail, phone, or online.<br>Before requesting to have redemption proceeds sent to a bank account, please make sure we have your bank account information on file. If we do not have this information, you will need to send written instructions with your bank's name and a voided check or savings account deposit slip. All bank and Fund account owners must sign the request. If the bank and Fund accounts do not have at least one common owner, each individual must also have his or her signature notarized.<br>If the bank account was added or changed without a signature guarantee within the last 15 days, you may be required to provide written instructions signed by all Fund account owners, with a signature guarantee for each Fund account owner.<br>If we receive your request in proper form prior to 1 p.m. Pacific time, or the regularly scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange, whichever is earlier, proceeds sent by ACH generally will be available within two to three business days.<br>**By Exchange**<br>Obtain a current prospectus for the fund you are considering. Prospectuses are available online at franklintempleton.com.<br>Call Shareholder Services at the number below or send signed written instructions. You also may place an exchange order online. See the policies at left for selling shares by mail, phone, or online.<br>If you hold share certificates, you will need to return them to the Fund before your exchange can be processed. |

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Franklin Templeton Investor Services

P.O. Box 997151

Sacramento, CA 95899-7151

Call toll-free: (800) 632-2301

or visit us online 24 hours a day,

7 days a week, at franklintempleton.com

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Exchanging Shares

#### Exchange Privilege
You or your financial intermediary may instruct the Fund to exchange shares of any class for shares of the same class of any other Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason fund, provided that the fund shares to be acquired in the exchange are available to new investors in such other fund and you are eligible to invest in such shares. In addition, you may exchange shares of the Fund for a different share class of the same Fund provided you meet the eligibility requirements of the share class into which you are exchanging. If the Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason fund into which you wish to exchange your shares does not offer the class of shares in which you are currently invested, you may exchange your shares into another share class according to the following table:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Exchange From Share Class** | **Exchange To Share Class (if exact share class is not offered)** |
| Advisor Class | Class I, Class Z or Class A (without any sales charge)\* |
| Class Z | Class I or Advisor Class |
| Class R6 | Class IS, Advisor Class or Class Z |
| Class R | Class FI |
| Class A1 | Class A |

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\* If you exchange into Class A shares and you later decide you would like to exchange into a fund that offers an Advisor Class, you may exchange your Class A shares for Advisor Class shares if you are a current shareholder in Advisor Class or you otherwise qualify to buy the fund's Advisor Class shares.

In certain comprehensive fee or advisory programs that hold Class A and/or A1 shares, the investor may exchange to Advisor Class, Class I or Class Z shares at the discretion of the financial intermediary. You may exchange shares of the Fund for a class of shares of other funds sold by the Distributor on any day that both the Fund and the fund into which you are exchanging are open for business. Please contact your financial intermediary or the Fund about funds available for exchange.

Generally exchanges may only be made between identically registered accounts, unless you send written instructions with a signature guarantee.

An **exchange** is really two transactions: a sale of one fund and the purchase of another. In general, the same policies that apply to purchases and sales also apply to exchanges, including minimum investment amounts (except exchanges of an entire account balance). Exchanges also generally have the same tax consequences as ordinary sales and purchases.

**Exchange effects on sales charges.** You can exchange shares between most Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds within the same class, generally without paying any additional sales charges. If you exchange shares from a money fund

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and those shares were not charged a sales charge previously, however, a sales charge may apply.

Any CDSC will continue to be calculated from the date of your initial investment and will not be charged at the time of the exchange. The purchase price for determining a CDSC on exchanged shares will be the price you paid for the original shares.

**Exchange effects on Class C conversion feature.** If you exchange your Class C shares for the same class of shares of another Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund, the time your shares are held in the initial Fund will count towards the 8-year period for automatic conversion to Class A shares.

**Rejected exchanges.** If the Fund rejects an exchange request involving the sale of Fund shares, the rejected exchange request will also mean rejection of the request to purchase shares of another fund with the proceeds of the sale. Of course, you may generally redeem shares of the Fund at any time.

**Exchanges through financial intermediaries.** If you are investing indirectly in the Fund through a financial intermediary such as a broker-dealer, a bank, an insurance company separate account, an investment advisor, an administrator or trustee of an IRS-recognized tax-deferred savings plan such as a 401(k) retirement plan and a 529 college savings plan that maintains a master account (an Omnibus Account) with the Fund for trading on behalf of its customers, different exchange and/or transfer limit guidelines and restrictions may apply. The financial intermediary through whom you are investing may choose to adopt different trading restrictions designed to discourage short-term or excessive trading. Consult with your financial intermediary (or in the case of a 401(k) retirement plan, your plan sponsor) to determine what trading restrictions, including exchange/transfer limitations, may be applicable to you.

**Fund exchange privilege changes/waiver.** The Fund may terminate or modify (temporarily or permanently) this exchange privilege in the future. You will receive at least 60 days' notice of any material changes, unless otherwise provided by law.

**Other funds' exchange privileges.** If there is a conflict between the exchange privileges of two funds involved in an exchange transaction, the stricter policy will apply to the transaction. Other Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason funds may have different exchange restrictions. Check each fund's prospectus for details.

**Exchange of shares into shares of the same Fund.** The exchange of shares of one class into another class of the same Fund is not taxable for federal income tax purposes. However, shareholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the state and local tax consequences of a conversion or exchange of shares.

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#### Frequent Trading Policy
The Fund's board of trustees has adopted the following policies and procedures with respect to frequent trading in Fund shares (Frequent Trading Policy).

The Fund does not intend to accommodate short-term or frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares that may be detrimental to the Fund. For example, this type of trading activity could interfere with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio or materially increase the Fund's transaction costs, administrative costs or taxes.

In addition, since the Fund may invest in foreign securities, it may be vulnerable to a form of short-term trading that is sometimes referred to as "time-zone arbitrage." Time-zone arbitrage occurs when an investor seeks to take advantage of delays between changes in the value of a mutual fund's portfolio holdings and the reflection of those changes in the Fund's net asset value per share. These delays are more likely to occur in the case of foreign investments, due to differences between the times during which the Fund's international portfolio securities trade on foreign markets and the time as of which the Fund's NAV is calculated (generally as of the close of the NYSE - please see "Account Policies - Calculating Share Price"). Time-zone arbitrage traders seek to purchase or redeem shares of a fund based on events occurring after foreign market closing prices are established, but before calculation of the fund's NAV. This can result in the value of the Fund's shares being diluted. One of the objectives of the Fund's fair value pricing procedures is to minimize the possibility of this type of arbitrage (please see "Account Policies - Security Valuation - Foreign Securities - Potential Impact of Time Zones and Market Holidays"); however, there can be no assurance that the Fund's valuation procedures will be successful in eliminating it.

Since the Fund may invest in securities that are, or may be, restricted, unlisted, traded infrequently, thinly traded, or relatively illiquid ("relatively illiquid securities"), it may be particularly vulnerable to arbitrage short-term trading. Such arbitrage traders may seek to take advantage of a possible differential between the last available market prices for one or more of those relatively illiquid securities that are used to calculate the Fund's NAV and the latest indications of market values for those securities. One of the objectives of the Fund's fair value pricing procedures is to minimize the possibilities of this type of arbitrage (please see "Account Policies - Fair Valuation - Individual Securities"); however, there can be no assurance that the Fund's valuation procedures will be successful in eliminating it.

Through its transfer agent, the Fund performs ongoing monitoring of shareholder trading in shares of the Fund and other Franklin Templeton funds in order to try and identify shareholder trading patterns that suggest an ongoing short-term trading strategy. If shareholder trading patterns identified by the transfer agent through monitoring or from other information regarding the shareholder's trading activity in non-Franklin Templeton funds leads the transfer agent to reasonably conclude that

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such trading may be detrimental to the Fund as described in this Frequent Trading Policy, the transfer agent, on behalf of the Fund, may temporarily or permanently bar future purchases into the Fund or, alternatively, may limit the amount, number or frequency of any future purchases and/or the method by which you may request future purchases and redemptions (including purchases and/or redemptions by an exchange or transfer between the Fund and any other mutual fund).

In considering an investor's trading patterns, the Fund may consider, among other factors, the investor's trading history both directly and, if known, through financial intermediaries, in the Fund, in other Franklin Templeton funds, in non-Franklin Templeton mutual funds, or in accounts under common control or ownership (see, for example, "Buying and Selling Shares - Investment by asset allocators and large shareholders" in the SAI). The transfer agent may also reject any purchase request, whether or not it represents part of any ongoing trading pattern, if the Fund's investment manager or transfer agent reasonably concludes that the amount of the requested transaction may disrupt or otherwise interfere with the efficient management of the Fund's portfolio. In determining what actions should be taken, the Fund's transfer agent may consider a variety of factors, including the potential impact of such remedial actions on the Fund and its shareholders. If the Fund is a "fund of funds," the Fund's transfer agent may consider the impact of the trading activity and of any proposed remedial action on both the Fund and the affiliated underlying funds in which the Fund invests.

**Frequent trading through financial intermediaries.** You are an investor subject to this Frequent Trading Policy whether you are a direct shareholder of the Fund or you are investing indirectly in the Fund through a financial intermediary, such as a broker-dealer, bank, trust company, insurance company product such as an annuity contract, investment advisor, or an administrator or trustee of an IRS-recognized tax-deferred savings plan such as a 401(k) retirement plan and a 529 college savings plan.

Some financial intermediaries maintain master accounts with the Fund on behalf of their customers ("omnibus accounts"). The Fund has entered into "information sharing agreements" with these financial intermediaries, which permit the Fund to obtain, upon request, information about the trading activity of the intermediary's customers that invest in the Fund. If the Fund's transfer agent identifies omnibus account level trading patterns that have the potential to be detrimental to the Fund, the transfer agent may, in its sole discretion, request from the financial intermediary information concerning the trading activity of its customers. Based upon its review of the information, if the transfer agent determines that the trading activity of any customer may be detrimental to the Fund, it may, in its sole discretion, request the financial intermediary to restrict or limit further trading in the Fund by that customer. There can be no assurance that the transfer agent's monitoring of omnibus account

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level trading patterns will enable it to identify all short-term trading by a financial intermediary's customers.

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Account Policies

#### Calculating Share Price

#### Class A & C
When you buy shares, you pay the "offering price" for the shares. The "offering price" is determined by dividing the NAV per share by an amount equal to 1 minus the sales charge applicable to the purchase (expressed in decimals), calculated to two decimal places using standard rounding criteria. The number of Fund shares you will be issued will equal the amount invested divided by the applicable offering price for those shares, calculated to three decimal places using standard rounding criteria. For example, if the NAV per share is $10.25 and the applicable sales charge for the purchase is 5.50%, the offering price would be calculated as follows: 10.25 divided by 1.00 minus 0.055 [10.25/0.945] equals 10.846561, which, when rounded to two decimal points, equals 10.85. The offering price per share would be $10.85.

When you sell shares, you receive the NAV minus any applicable CDSC.

#### All Classes
The value of a mutual fund is determined by deducting the fund's liabilities from the total assets of the portfolio. The NAV per share is determined by dividing the total net asset value of each fund's share class by the applicable number of shares outstanding per share class.

The Fund calculates the NAV per share each business day as of 1 p.m. Pacific time or the regularly scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), whichever is earlier. The Fund does not calculate the NAV on days the NYSE is closed for trading, which include New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. If the NYSE has a scheduled early close, the Fund's share price would be determined as of the time of the close of the NYSE. If, due to weather or other special or unexpected circumstances, the NYSE has an unscheduled early close on a day that it has opened for business, the Fund reserves the right to consider that day as a regular business day and accept purchase and redemption orders and calculate its share price as of the normally scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE. The Fund's NAV per share for each class is readily available online at www.franklintempleton.com/performance.

The Fund has agreements with certain financial intermediaries that authorize them to accept orders or designate third parties to accept orders on behalf of the Fund. If you place your order through these financial intermediaries, the order will be considered received when they accept the order. Those orders will be priced at the next NAV calculated after acceptance of the order by the financial intermediary or

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its agent. If you place an order through an account at an intermediary, please consult with the intermediary to determine when your order will be executed, as some intermediaries may require that they receive orders prior to a specified cut-off time.

Requests to buy and sell shares are processed at the NAV next calculated after we or an approved financial intermediary receive your request in proper form.

When determining its NAV, the Fund values cash and receivables at their realizable amounts, and records interest as accrued and dividends on the ex-dividend date. The Fund generally utilizes two independent pricing services to assist in determining a current market value for each security. If market quotations are readily available for portfolio securities listed on a securities exchange, the Fund values those securities at the last quoted sale price or the official closing price of the day, respectively, or, if there is no reported sale, within the range of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices. The Fund values over-the-counter portfolio securities within the range of the most recent bid and ask prices. If portfolio securities trade both in the over-the-counter market and on a stock exchange, the Fund values them according to the broadest and most representative market. Prices received by the Fund for securities may be based on institutional "round lot" sizes, but the Fund may hold smaller, "odd lot" sizes. Odd lots may trade at lower prices than round lots.

Generally, trading in corporate bonds, U.S. government securities and money market instruments is substantially completed each day at various times before 1 p.m. Pacific time. The value of these securities used in computing the NAV is determined as of such times. Occasionally, events affecting the values of these securities may occur between the times at which they are determined and 1 p.m. Pacific time that will not be reflected in the computation of the NAV. The Fund relies on third-party pricing vendors to provide evaluated prices that reflect current fair market value at 1 p.m. Pacific time.

#### Fair Valuation – Individual Securities
Since the Fund may invest in securities that are restricted, unlisted, traded infrequently, thinly traded, or relatively illiquid, there is the possibility of a differential between the last available market prices for one or more of those securities and the latest indications of market values for those securities. The Fund has procedures, approved by the board of trustees, to determine the fair value of individual securities and other assets for which market prices are not readily available (such as certain restricted or unlisted securities and private placements) or which may not be reliably priced (such as in the case of trade suspensions or halts, price movement limits set by certain foreign markets, and thinly traded or illiquid securities). Some methods for valuing these securities may include: fundamental analysis (earnings multiple, etc.), matrix pricing, discounts from market prices of

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similar securities, or discounts applied due to the nature and duration of restrictions on the disposition of the securities. The board of trustees oversees the application of fair value pricing procedures.

The application of fair value pricing procedures represents a good faith determination based upon specifically applied procedures. There can be no assurance that the Fund could obtain the fair value assigned to a security if it were able to sell the security at approximately the time at which the Fund determines its NAV per share.

#### Security Valuation – Corporate Debt Securities
Corporate debt securities generally trade in the over-the-counter market rather than on a securities exchange. The Fund may value these portfolio securities by utilizing quotations from bond dealers, information with respect to bond and note transactions and may rely on independent pricing services to assist in determining a current market value for each security. The Fund's pricing services may utilize independent quotations from bond dealers and bond market activity to determine current value.

#### Security Valuation – Options (Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund)
The Fund values traded call options at their market price as determined above. The current market value of any option the Fund holds is its last sale price on the relevant exchange before the Fund values its assets. If there are no sales that day or if the last sale price is outside the bid and ask prices, the Fund values options within the range of the current closing bid and ask prices if the Fund believes the valuation fairly reflects the contract's market value.

#### Security Valuation – Foreign Securities – Computation of U.S. Equivalent Value
The Fund generally determines the value of a foreign security as of the close of trading on the foreign stock exchange on which the security is primarily traded, or as of 1 p.m. Pacific time. The value is then converted into its U.S. dollar equivalent at the foreign exchange rate in effect at 1 p.m. Pacific time on the day that the value of the foreign security is determined. If no sale is reported at that time, the foreign security will be valued within the range of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices. Occasionally events (such as repatriation limits or restrictions) may impact the availability or reliability of foreign exchange rates used to convert the U.S. dollar equivalent value. If such an event occurs, the foreign exchange rate will be valued at fair value using procedures established and approved by the board of trustees.

#### Accounts with Low Balances
If your account has been open for more than one year and its value falls below $500, we will mail you a notice asking you to bring the account back up to its applicable minimum investment amount. If you choose not to do so within 30 days,

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we will close your account and proceeds will be sent by Electronic Fund Transfer (ACH) to your bank information on file. If we do not have this information, proceeds will be mailed to the address of record. You will not be charged a CDSC if your account is closed for this reason. This policy does not apply to: (1) certain broker-controlled accounts established through the National Securities Clearing Corporation's Networking system; (2) Class A or A1 accounts established pursuant to a conversion from Class C or C1, and any remaining Class C or C1 accounts involved in the conversion, with a low balance due to the conversion; (3) tax-deferred retirement plan accounts; (4) active automatic investment plan accounts; (5) accounts in an Advisory Fee Program; (6) accounts held through a 529 college savings program; (7) Coverdell Education Savings Plan accounts; and (8) accounts currently maintained via robo advice driven services where account investments and reallocations are done through an automated, algorithm-driven platform.

*Small account fees* To offset the relatively higher impact on fund expenses of servicing smaller accounts, the Fund may charge you a fee of $3.75 per account that is determined and assessed quarterly by your financial intermediary or by Distributors (i.e., for accounts for which Distributors is the broker of record) on the next-to-last business day of the quarter (with an annual maximum of $15.00 per account) if the value of your account is below $1,000 (if applicable, $250 for retirement plans that are not employer-sponsored) for any reason (including declines in net asset value). The small account fee will be charged by redeeming shares in your account. If the value of your account is $3.75 or less, the amount in the account may be exhausted to pay the small account fee. If your financial intermediary or Distributors assesses a small account fee, the small account fee will not be assessed on systematic investment plans until the end of the first quarter after the account has been established for 21 months. Payment of the small account fee through a redemption of fund shares may result in tax consequences to you (see "Distributions and Taxes" for more information).

The small account fee will not be charged on, if applicable: (i) retirement plans (but will be charged on other plans that are not employer-sponsored such as traditional and Roth individual retirement accounts, Coverdell education savings accounts, individual 403(b)(7) custodial accounts, Keogh plans, SEPs, SARSEPs, SIMPLE IRAs or similar accounts); (ii) Franklin Templeton funds that have been closed to subsequent purchases for all classes; (iii) accounts that do not have a valid address as evidenced by mail being returned to the fund or its agents; (iv) Class R, Class R6 and Advisor Class shares; and (v) for new accounts (except for new accounts opened by way of an exchange), a small account fee will not be charged during the calendar quarter in which you open your account.

If your share class is no longer offered, you may not be able to bring your account up to the minimum investment amount (although you may exchange into existing accounts of other funds sold by Distributors in which you hold the same share

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class, to the extent otherwise permitted by those funds and subject to any applicable sales charges).

The small account fee is calculated on a fund-by-fund basis. If you have one or more accounts in different funds, the account(s) in different funds will not be aggregated for the purpose of calculating the small account fee.

A financial intermediary may impose different minimum account balances on your account than those described above. The Fund is not responsible for any minimum account balances imposed by financial intermediaries or for notifying shareholders of any changes to them. See Appendix A for more information on certain intermediary-specific minimum account balances. Please consult with your financial intermediary if you have any questions regarding their policies.

#### Redemptions
Typically, the Fund uses cash and cash equivalents held in its portfolio or sells portfolio assets to meet all redemption needs. In unusual circumstances or under stressed market conditions, the Fund may use other methods to meet redemptions, such as the use of lines of credit or interfund lending in reliance on exemptive relief from the SEC. Also, see "Account Policies – Redemptions in Kind" for information regarding redemption requests that exceed $250,000 or 1% of the value of the Fund's assets, whichever is less.

#### Redemptions in Kind
If your redemption requests during any 90-day period exceed $250,000 (or 1% of the value of the Fund's net assets, if less), the Fund reserves the right to make payments in whole or in part in securities or other assets of the Fund. You should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities received in the distribution. In addition, you will bear the market risk of the securities you hold until the securities are sold.

#### Redemptions by Large Shareholders
At times, the Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund. Large redemptions may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so. In addition, these transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income to shareholders if such sales of investments resulted in gains, and may also increase transaction costs and/or increase in the Fund's expense ratio. When experiencing a redemption by a large shareholder, the Fund may delay payment of the redemption request up to seven days to provide the investment manager with time to determine if the Fund can redeem the request in-kind or to consider other alternatives to lessen the harm to remaining shareholders. Under certain circumstances, however, the Fund may be unable to delay a redemption request, which could result in the automatic processing of a large redemption that is detrimental to the Fund and its remaining shareholders.

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#### Statements, Reports and Prospectuses
You will receive quarterly account statements that show all your account transactions during the quarter. You also will receive written notification after each transaction affecting your account (except for distributions and transactions made through automatic investment or withdrawal programs, which will be reported on your quarterly statement). Upon receipt, review all account statements and written notifications after each transaction affecting your account and notify us immediately if there is a discrepancy.

You also will receive, or receive notice of the availability of, the Fund's financial reports every six months. In addition, you will receive an annual updated summary prospectus (prospectus available upon request). To reduce Fund expenses, we try to identify related shareholders in a household and send only one copy of the financial reports (to the extent received by mail) and summary prospectus. This process, called "householding," will continue indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you prefer not to have these documents householded, please call us at (800) 632-2301. At any time you may view current prospectuses/summary prospectuses and financial reports on our website. If you choose, you may receive these documents through electronic delivery.

You may elect to receive your statements, prospectuses and other documents through electronic delivery (please see "Investor Services - Telephone/Online Privileges").

#### Investment Representative Account Access
If there is a dealer or other investment representative of record on your account, he or she will be able to obtain your account information, conduct transactions for your account, and also will receive copies of all notifications and statements and other information about your account directly from the Fund.

#### Street or Nominee Accounts
You may transfer your shares from the street or nominee name account of one dealer to another, as long as both dealers have an agreement with Distributors. We will process the transfer after we receive authorization in proper form from your delivering securities dealer.

#### Joint Accounts
Unless you specify a different registration, shares issued to two or more owners are registered as "joint tenants with rights of survivorship" (shown as "Jt Ten" on your account statement). To make any ownership changes to jointly owned shares, or to sever a joint tenancy in jointly owned shares, all owners must agree in writing.

#### Joint Account Risk with Telephone/Online Privileges
You will automatically receive telephone/online privileges when you open your account. If your account has more than one registered owner, telephone/online

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privileges allow the Fund to accept online registration for online services (including electronic delivery of shareholder documents) and transaction instructions online or by telephone from only one registered owner. This means that any one registered owner on your account, acting alone and without the consent of any other registered owner, may give the Fund instructions by telephone, online or in writing (subject to any limitations in telephone or online privileges) to:

· Exchange shares from a jointly registered Fund account requiring all registered owner signatures into an identically registered money fund account that only requires one registered owner's signature to redeem shares;

· Redeem Fund shares and direct the redemption proceeds to a pre-established bank account that may or may not be owned by you and, if owned by you jointly with someone else, only requires one person to withdraw funds by check or otherwise; and

· Purchase Fund shares by debiting a pre-established bank account that may be owned by you.

If you do NOT want another registered owner on your account to be able to issue these kinds of instructions to the Fund without your consent, you must instruct the Fund to deny/terminate online privileges and the ability to issue such instructions by telephone so that these types of instructions will only be accepted in writing signed by all account owners. This decision will apply to any other fund into which you may exchange your jointly owned Fund shares. Any later decision to permit these types of instructions by telephone and/or online will need to be given to the Fund in a written instruction signed by all registered owners.

#### Additional Policies
Please note that the Fund maintains additional policies and reserves certain rights, including:

· The Fund may restrict, reject or cancel any purchase orders, including an exchange request.

· Typically, redemptions are processed by the next business day provided the redemption request is received in proper form and good order, but may take up to seven days to be processed if making immediate payment would adversely affect the Fund or there is another cause for delay (for example, if you sell shares recently purchased, proceeds may be delayed until your check, draft or wire/electronic funds transfer has cleared). In certain circumstances, however, the Fund may not have the ability to delay a redemption request or may not have the time to determine whether a particular redemption would have an adverse effect on the Fund before the redemption request is paid.

· The Fund may modify, suspend, or terminate telephone/online privileges at any time.

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· The Fund may make material changes to or discontinue the exchange privilege on 60 days' notice or as otherwise provided by law.

· The Fund may stop offering shares completely or may offer shares only on a limited basis, for a period of time or permanently.

· In unusual circumstances, we may temporarily suspend redemptions or postpone the payment of proceeds, as allowed by federal securities laws.

· For redemptions over a certain amount, the Fund may, but is not required to, pay redemption proceeds in securities or other assets rather than cash (also known as a redemption in-kind) if the investment manager determines it is in the best interest of the Fund, consistent with applicable law. The investment manager will, in its sole discretion, determine whether a redemption in-kind will be considered for a particular redemption request or type of redemption request. In certain circumstances, however, the investment manager may not have the ability to determine whether a particular redemption could be paid in-kind before the redemption request is paid. If a redemption request is redeemed in-kind, investors should expect to incur transaction costs upon the disposition of the securities received in the distribution.

· You may only buy shares of a fund (including the purchase side of an exchange) eligible for sale in your state or jurisdiction.

· To permit investors to obtain the current price, dealers are responsible for transmitting all orders to the Fund promptly.

· For non-retirement accounts, if you are receiving a dividend, capital gains or a systematic withdrawal plan payment in cash, and at least three consecutive checks remain uncashed for at least six months, the Fund reserves the right to change your distribution option to reinvest future distributions or discontinue your systematic withdrawal plan.

#### Dealer Compensation

#### Class A, C & R
Qualifying dealers who sell Fund shares may receive sales commissions and other payments. These are paid by Distributors from sales charges received from purchasing or redeeming shareholders, from distribution and service (12b-1) fees from the Fund and from Distributors' other financial resources. Dealers may also receive shareholder servicing fees for servicing investors who indirectly hold Franklin Templeton fund shares through dealer-maintained brokerage accounts as more fully described under "Shareholder servicing and transfer agent" of the "Management and Other Services" section in the SAI. These fees are paid by the Fund's transfer agent from payments it receives under its agreement with the Fund.

No dealer commission will be paid on Class A NAV purchases by Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans.

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 117

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If any dealer commissions are paid in connection with a purchase which is subsequently rejected or results in any trading restriction placed on the purchaser as a result of a determination by the Fund's investment manager or transfer agent that the purchase may be connected with trading activity that may be detrimental to the Fund as described in the Fund's "Frequent Trading Policy," the dealer shall, upon demand, refund such commissions to Distributors.

#### MicroCap Value Fund (Class A only), Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund and Small Cap Value Fund

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Class A**  | **Class C**  | **Class R**  |
| **Commission (%)**  | --  | 1.00<sup>1</sup>  | --  |
| Investment under $25,000 | 5.00 |  |  |
| $25,000 but under $50,000  | 4.75 | --  | --  |
| $50,000 but under $100,000  | 4.00  | --  | --  |
| $100,000 but under $250,000  | 3.00  | --  | --  |
| $250,000 but under $500,000 | 2.25  | --  | --  |
| $500,000 but under $750,000 | 1.75 | --  | --  |
| $750,000 but under $1 million | 1.25 |  |  |
| $1 million or more | up to 1.00 | --  | --  |
| **12b-1 fee to dealer**  | 0.25<sup>23</sup> | 1.00<sup>4</sup> | 0.50 |

---

1. Commission includes advance of the first year's 0.25% 12b-1 service fee. Distributors may pay a prepaid commission. However, Distributors does not pay a prepaid commission on any purchases by Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans.

2. For purchases at NAV where Distributors paid a prepaid commission, dealers may start to receive the 12b-1 fee in the 13th month after purchase. For purchases at NAV where Distributors did not pay a prepaid commission, dealers may start to receive the 12b-1 fee at the time of purchase.

3. Under the Distribution Plan for Class A, the Small Cap Value Fund may pay up to 0.35% to Distributors or others, out of which 0.10% generally will be retained by Distributors for its distribution expenses. As set by the board of trustees (until further notice), the Small Cap Value Fund currently may pay up to 0.25% under the Plan.

4. Dealers may be eligible to receive up to 0.25% at the time of purchase and may be eligible to receive 1% starting in the 13th month. During the first 12 months, the full 12b-1 fee will be paid to Distributors to partially offset the commission and the prepaid service fee paid at the time of purchase. For purchases at NAV where Distributors did not pay a prepaid commission, dealers may start to receive the 12b-1 fee at the time of purchase. After approximately eight years, Class C shares convert to Class A shares and dealers may then be eligible to receive the 12b-1 fee applicable to Class A.

**Purchases of certain share classes through financial intermediaries (Class R6 and Advisor Class)** There are no associated sales charges or Rule 12b-1 distribution and service fees for the purchase of Class R6 and Advisor Class shares. However, pursuant to SEC guidance, certain financial intermediaries acting as agents on behalf of their customers may directly impose on shareholders sales charges or transaction fees determined by the financial intermediary related to the purchase of these shares. These charges and fees are not disclosed in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

The Fund's service providers also may pay financial intermediaries for marketing support and other related services as disclosed below for Advisor Class shares, but not for Class R6 shares. These payments may create a conflict of interest by

<br> 118 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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influencing the financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend one share class over another. There is some uncertainty concerning whether marketing support or other similar payments may be made or received in connection with Advisor Class shares where a financial intermediary has imposed its own sales charges or transaction fees. Based on future regulatory developments, such payments may be terminated.

**Other financial intermediary compensation** Except with respect to Class R6 shares, Distributors may make marketing support payments (a portion of which may be reimbursable under the terms of the Fund's Rule 12b-1 distribution plans) to certain dealers and other financial intermediaries, such as banks, insurance companies, or plan administrators, in connection with their efforts to educate financial advisors or provide other services which may facilitate, directly or indirectly, investment in Franklin Templeton mutual funds. In the case of any one intermediary, marketing support payments generally will not exceed 0.05% of the total assets of Franklin Templeton mutual funds attributable to that intermediary, on an annual basis. For an intermediary exceeding $50 billion in total assets of Franklin Templeton mutual funds, Distributors may agree to make annual marketing support payments up to a limit of 0.06% of such assets. In other limited circumstances, Distributors or an affiliate will have alternative arrangements with an intermediary that provide for payments in excess of the 0.05% limitation, which may include arrangements based on assets or sales of the funds, combined assets or sales of related funds, or other criteria. Marketing support payments made to organizations located outside the U.S., with respect to investments in the Fund by non-U.S. persons, also may exceed this limitation. Any assets held on behalf of Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans for which payment is made to a financial intermediary pursuant to the following paragraph will be excluded from the calculation of marketing support payments pursuant to this paragraph. You should contact your financial intermediary to determine the amount of any compensation it may receive from Distributors or its affiliates.

Except with respect to Class R6 shares, Distributors and/or its affiliates may also make payments (a portion of which may be reimbursable under the terms of the Fund's Rule 12b-1 distribution plans) to certain financial intermediaries in connection with their activities that are intended to assist in the sale of shares of Franklin Templeton mutual funds, directly or indirectly, to certain Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans. In the case of any one financial intermediary, such payments will not exceed 0.10% of the total assets of Franklin Templeton mutual funds held, directly or indirectly, by such Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans, on an annual basis.

A number of factors will be considered in determining these payments, including the qualifying financial intermediary's sales, assets and redemption rates, the nature and quality of any servicing provided by the financial intermediary, and the

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quality of the financial intermediary's relationship with Distributors. Distributors will, on an annual basis, determine the advisability of continuing these payments. These payments may be in addition to any shareholder servicing fees paid by the Fund's transfer agent from payments it receives under its agreement with the Fund.

To the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority rules and other applicable laws and regulations, Distributors may, in addition to marketing support payments, pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries, such as payments related to transaction support, various financial intermediary-sponsored events intended to educate financial advisers and their clients about the Franklin Templeton mutual funds, and data analytics and support.

Sales of Fund shares, as well as shares of other mutual funds in Franklin Templeton, is not considered a factor in the selection of financial intermediaries to execute the Fund's portfolio transactions. Accordingly, the allocation of portfolio transactions for execution by financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares is not considered marketing support payments to such financial intermediaries.

You can find further details in the SAI about the payments made by Distributors and the services provided by your financial advisor. Your financial advisor may charge you additional fees or commissions other than those disclosed in this prospectus. You should ask your financial advisor for information about any payments it receives from Distributors and any services it provides, as well as about fees and/or commissions it charges.

<br> 120 Prospectus franklintempleton.com

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Questions

If you have any questions about the Fund or your account, you can write to us at P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151. You also can call us at one of the following numbers. For your protection and to help ensure we provide you with quality service, all calls may be monitored or recorded.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Department Name**  | **Telephone Number**  |
| **Shareholder Services**  | (800) 632-2301  |
| **Fund Information**  | (800) DIAL BEN  |
|  | (800) 342-5236 |
| **Retirement Services**  | (800) 527-2020  |
| **Advisor Services**  | (800) 524-4040  |
| **Hearing Impaired Assistance**  | For hearing impaired assistance, <br>please contact us via a Relay Service.  |
| **Automated Telephone System**  | (800) 632-2301<br>(800) 524-4040<br>(800) 527-2020 |

---

<br> franklintempleton.com Prospectus 121

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### For More Information
You can learn more about the Fund in the following documents:

#### Annual/Semiannual Report to Shareholders
Includes a discussion of recent market conditions and Fund strategies that significantly affected Fund performance during its last fiscal year, financial statements, detailed performance information, portfolio holdings and, in the annual report only, the independent registered public accounting firm's report.

#### Statement of Additional Information (SAI)
Contains more information about the Fund, its investments and policies. It is incorporated by reference (is legally a part of this prospectus).

For a free copy of the current annual/semiannual report or the SAI, please contact your investment representative or call us at the number below. You also can view the current annual/semiannual report and the SAI online through franklintempleton.com.

#### Appendix A to the Prospectus -- Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers
Contains more information about specific sales charge discounts and waivers available for shareholders who purchase Fund shares through a specific financial intermediary. Appendix A is a separate document and is incorporated herein by reference (is legally a part of this prospectus).

Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at http://www.sec.gov, and copies of this information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following email address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| ![](img_dbb50742d6b24f2.jpg) | One Franklin Parkway<br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906<br>(800) DIAL BEN<sup>®</sup>/342-5236 <br>franklintempleton.com | For hearing impaired assistance, please contact us via a Relay Service. |
| Investment Company Act file #811-05878<br>© 2023 Franklin Templeton. All rights reserved. |  |  |

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#### APPENDIX A INTERMEDIARY SALES CHARGE DISCOUNTS AND WAIVERS
Specific intermediaries may have different policies and procedures than the Fund regarding the availability of front-end sales load (charge) waivers or CDSC waivers; exchanges or conversions between classes or exchanges between Funds; account investment minimums; and minimum account balances, all of which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the purchaser's responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser's financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary to receive such waivers or discounts. Please see the section entitled "Fund Details – Your Account – Choosing a Share Class – Class A, & C" for more information on sales charges and waivers available for different classes.

The information in this Appendix is part of, and incorporated into, the Fund's prospectus.

#### CLASS A AND CLASS C PURCHASES THROUGH AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL
*Automatic exchange of Class C shares.* Class C shares will automatically exchange to Class A shares in the month of the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date. Effective January 15, 2021, the anniversary year of the purchase date will change to 7-years.

Class A Shares Front-End Sales Charge Waivers Available at Ameriprise Financial:

The following information applies to Class A shares purchases if you have an account with or otherwise purchase Fund shares through Ameriprise Financial:

Effective June 1, 2018, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an Ameriprise Financial platform or account will be eligible for the following front-end sales charge waivers and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund's prospectus or SAI:

· Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs.

· Shares purchased through an Ameriprise Financial investment advisory program (if an Advisory or similar share class for such investment advisory program is not available).

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· Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Ameriprise Financial's platform (if an Advisory or similar share class for such investment advisory program is not available).

· Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other fund within the same fund family).

· Shares exchanged from Class C shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 10-year anniversary of the purchase date (effective January 15, 2021, the anniversary year of the purchase date will change to 7-years). To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to such shares following a shorter holding period, that waiver will apply to exchanges following such shorter period. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to exchanges of Class C shares for load waived shares, that waiver will also apply to such exchanges.

· Employees and registered representatives of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates and their immediate family members.

· Shares purchased by or through qualified accounts (including IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, 401(k)s, 403(b) TSCAs subject to ERISA and defined benefit plans) that are held by a covered family member, defined as an Ameriprise financial advisor and/or the advisor's spouse, advisor's lineal ascendant (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, great grandmother, great grandfather), advisor's lineal descendant (son, daughter, grandson, granddaughter, great grandson, great granddaughter) or any spouse of a covered family member who is a lineal descendant.

· Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e. Rights of Reinstatement).

#### BAIRD

#### Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies
Effective June 15, 2020, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Baird platform or account will only be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI.

#### Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Investors A-shares Available at Baird
· Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing share of the same fund

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· Share purchase by employees and registers representatives of Baird or its affiliate and their family members as designated by Baird

· Shares purchase from the proceeds of redemptions from another Franklin Templeton fund, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same accounts, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as rights of reinstatement)

· A shareholder in the Funds Class C shares will have their share converted at net asset value to Class A shares of the fund if the shares are no longer subject to CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Baird

· Employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs

#### CDSC Waivers on Class A and C shares Available at Baird
· Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder

· Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund's Prospectus

· Shares bought due to returns of excess contributions from an IRA Account

· Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 72 as described in the Fund's prospectus

· Shares sold to pay Baird fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird

· Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement

#### Front-End Sales Charge Discounts Available at Baird: Breakpoints and/or Rights of Accumulations
· Breakpoints as described in this prospectus

· Rights of accumulations which entitles shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of Franklin Templeton assets held by accounts within the purchaser's household at Baird. Eligible Franklin Templeton assets not held at Baird may be included in the rights of accumulations calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets

· Letters of Intent (LOI) allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases of Franklin Templeton funds through Baird, over a 13-month period of time

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#### D.A. DAVIDSON & CO.
Effective June 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing fund shares including existing fund shareholders through a D.A. Davidson &. Co. ("D.A. Davidson") platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment advisor for which D.A. Davidson provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or SAI.

Front-End Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available at D.A. Davidson

· Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions.

· Employees and registered representatives of D.A. Davidson or its affiliates and their family members as designated by D.A. Davidson.

· Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as Rights of Reinstatement).

· A shareholder in the Fund's Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is consistent with D.A. Davidson's policies and procedures.

CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares available at D.A. Davidson

· Death or disability of the shareholder.

· Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund's prospectus.

· Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.

· Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA or other qualifying retirement accounts as described in the fund's prospectus beginning in the calendar year the shareholder turns age 72.

· Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

Front-end sales charge discounts available at D.A. Davidson: breakpoints, rights of accumulation and/or letters of intent

· Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.

· Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser's household at D.A. Davidson. Eligible fund family assets not held at D.A. Davidson may be

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included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

· Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at D.A. Davidson may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

#### Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. ("EDWARD JONES")

#### Policies Regarding Transactions Through Edward Jones
**Effective on or after January 1, 2021, the following information supersedes prior information with respect to transactions and positions held in fund shares through an Edward Jones system. Clients of Edward Jones (also referred to as "shareholders") purchasing fund shares on the Edward Jones commission and fee-based platforms are eligible only for the following sales charge discounts (also referred to as "breakpoints") and waivers, which can differ from discounts and waivers described elsewhere in the mutual fund prospectus or statement of additional information ("SAI") or through another broker-dealer. In all instances, it is the shareholder's responsibility to inform Edward Jones at the time of purchase of any relationship, holdings of the Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason Funds (including holdings of 529 Plans where Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason serve as the primary distributor), or other facts qualifying the purchaser for discounts or waivers. Edward Jones can ask for documentation of such circumstance. Shareholders should contact Edward Jones if they have questions regarding their eligibility for these discounts and waivers.** 

#### Breakpoints
· Breakpoint pricing, otherwise known as volume pricing, at dollar thresholds as described in the prospectus.

#### Rights of Accumulation ("ROA")
· The applicable sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares is determined by taking into account all share classes (except certain money markets funds and any assets held in group retirement plans) of the Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason Funds held by the shareholder or in an account grouped by Edward Jones with other accounts for the purpose of providing certain pricing considerations ("pricing groups"). If grouping assets as a shareholder, this includes all share classes held on the Edward Jones platform and/or held on another platform. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the ROA calculation is dependent on the

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shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Money market funds are included only if such shares were sold with a sales charge at the time of purchase or acquired in exchange for shares purchased with a sales charge.

· The employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan may elect to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping as opposed to including all share classes at a shareholder or pricing group level.

· ROA is determined by calculating the higher of cost minus redemptions or market value (current shares x NAV).

#### Letter of Intent ("LOI")
· Through a LOI, shareholders can receive the sales charge and breakpoint discounts for purchases shareholders intend to make over a 13-month period from the date Edward Jones receives the LOI. The LOI is determined by calculating the higher of cost or market value of qualifying holdings at LOI initiation in combination with the value that the shareholder intends to buy over a 13-month period to calculate the front-end sales charge and any breakpoint discounts. Each purchase the shareholder makes during that 13-month period will receive the sales charge and breakpoint discount that applies to the total amount. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the LOI calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Purchases made before the LOI is received by Edward Jones are not adjusted under the LOI and will not reduce the sales charge previously paid. Sales charges will be adjusted if LOI is not met.

· If the employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan has elected to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping, LOIs will also be at the plan-level and may only be established by the employer.

#### Sales Charge Waivers
Sales charges are waived for the following shareholders and in the following situations:

· Associates of Edward Jones and its affiliates and their family members who are in the same pricing group (as determined by Edward Jones under its policies and procedures) as the associate. This waiver will continue for the remainder of the associate's life if the associate retires from Edward Jones in good-standing and remains in good standing pursuant to Edward Jones' policies and procedures.

· Shares purchased in an Edward Jones fee-based program.

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· Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment.

· Shares purchased from the proceeds of redeemed shares of the same fund family so long as the following conditions are met: 1) the proceeds are from the sale of shares within 60 days of the purchase, and 2) the sale and purchase are made in the same share class and the same account or the purchase is made in an individual retirement account with proceeds from liquidations in a non-retirement account.

· Shares exchanged into Class A shares from another share class so long as the exchange is into the same fund and was initiated at the discretion of Edward Jones. Edward Jones is responsible for any remaining CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable. Any future purchases are subject to the applicable sales charge as disclosed in the prospectus.

· Exchanges from Class C shares to Class A shares of the same fund, generally, in the 84th month following the anniversary of the purchase date or earlier at the discretion of Edward Jones.

#### Contingent Deferred Sales Charge ("CDSC") Waivers
If the shareholder purchases shares that are subject to a CDSC and those shares are redeemed before the CDSC is expired, the shareholder is responsible to pay the CDSC except in the following conditions:

· The death or disability of the shareholder

· Systematic withdrawals with up to 10% per year of the account value

· Return of excess contributions from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA)

· Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts if the redemption is taken in or after the year the shareholder reaches qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations

· Shares sold to pay Edward Jones fees or costs in such cases where the transaction is initiated by Edward Jones

· Shares exchanged in an Edward Jones fee-based program

· Shares acquired through NAV reinstatement

· Shares redeemed at the discretion of Edward Jones for Minimum Balances, as described below.

\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

#### Other Important Information Regarding Transactions Through Edward Jones

#### Minimum Purchase Amounts
· Initial purchase minimum: $250

· Subsequent purchase minimum: none

#### Minimum Balances

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· Edward Jones has the right to redeem at its discretion fund holdings with a balance of $250 or less. The following are examples of accounts that are not included in this policy:

· A fee-based account held on an Edward Jones platform

· A 529 account held on an Edward Jones platform

· An account with an active systematic investment plan or letter of intent (LOI)

#### Exchanging Share Classes
· At any time it deems necessary, Edward Jones has the authority to exchange at NAV a shareholder's holdings in a fund to Class A shares of the same fund.

#### JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT LLC ("JANNEY")
Effective May 1, 2020, if you purchase fund shares through a Janney Montgomery Scott LLC ("Janney") brokerage account, you will be eligible for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge ("CDSC"), or back-end sales charge, waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund's Prospectus or SAI.

#### Front-end sales charge\* waivers on Class A shares available at Janney
· Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family).

· Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Janney or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Janney.

· Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within ninety (90) days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., right of reinstatement).

· Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans.

· Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

· Class C shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Janney's policies and procedures.

#### CDSC waivers on Class A and C shares available at Janney
· Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder.

------

· Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund's Prospectus.

· Shares purchased in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account.

· Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and other retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching age 72 as described in the fund's Prospectus.

· Shares sold to pay Janney fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Janney.

· Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

· Shares exchanged into the same share class of a different fund.

#### Front-end sales charge\* discounts available at Janney: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent
· Breakpoints as described in the fund's Prospectus.

· Rights of accumulation ("ROA"), which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts, will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser's household at Janney. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

· Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney Montgomery Scott may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

\*Also referred to as an "initial sales charge."

#### CLASS A AND CLASS C PURCHASES THROUGH MERRILL LYNCH
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund's prospectus or SAI.

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| |
|:---|
| **Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at Merrill Lynch**  |
| Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan  |
| Shares purchased by a 529 Plan (does not include 529 Plan units or 529- |

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------

---

| |
|:---|
| specific share classes or equivalents)  |
| Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program  |
| Shares exchanged due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch's policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers  |
| Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch's platform  |
| Shares of funds purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform  |
| Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family)  |
| Shares exchanged from Class C (i.e. level-load) shares of the same fund pursuant to Merrill Lynch's policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers  |
| Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members  |
| Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund's investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus  |
| Eligible shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Automated transactions (i.e. systematic purchases and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay Merrill Lynch's account maintenance fees are not eligible for reinstatement  |
| **CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares available at Merrill Lynch**  |
| Death or disability of the shareholder  |
| Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund's prospectus  |
| Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account  |
| Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code  |
| Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated |

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| |
|:---|
| by Merrill Lynch  |
| Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement  |
| Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to certain fee-based accounts or platforms  |
| Shares received through an exchange due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch's policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers  |
| **Front-end load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent**  |
| Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.  |
| Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts as described in the Fund's prospectus will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts (including 529 program holdings, where applicable) within the purchaser's household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets  |
| Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time  |

---

#### CLASS A PURCHASES THROUGH MORGAN STANLEY
Effective July 1, 2018 shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management transactional brokerage account will be eligible only for the following front-end sales charge waivers with respect to Class A shares, which may differ from and may be more limited than those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund's Prospectus or SAI.

Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares available at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

· Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans

· Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley's account linking rules

------

· Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund

· Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account

· Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management's share class conversion program

· Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge.

In addition, effective November 12, 2021 for the purpose of calculating rights of accumulation and letters of intent with respect to purchases made in a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management brokerage account, the following definition for "cumulative quantity discount eligible shares" applies. This definition may be more limited than the one contained in this Fund's Prospectus or SAI. It is the shareholder's responsibility to inform Morgan Stanley at the time of purchase of any relationship, holdings, or other facts qualifying the purchaser for a discount. Morgan Stanley can ask for documentation of such circumstance. Shareholders should contact Morgan Stanley if they have questions. Cumulative quantity discount eligible shares include:

· Any class of shares of any Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason fund that is registered in the U.S.; and

· Units of a Section 529 Plan where Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason is the program manager.

For purposes of this section, Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds also include Brandywine GLOBAL funds, ClearBridge Investments funds, Martin Currie funds, Western Asset funds and certain other funds managed by affiliated investment advisers. They do not include the funds in the Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust, Legg Mason Partners Variable Equity Trust or Legg Mason Partners Variable Income Trust.

#### OPPENHEIMER & CO., INC.
Effective June 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. ("OPCO") platform or account are eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund's prospectus or SAI.

#### Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares available at OPCO

------

· Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan

· Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan

· Shares purchased through a OPCO affiliated investment advisory program

· Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family)

· Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Restatement).

· A shareholder in the Fund's Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of OPCO

· Employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members

· Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund's investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus

#### CDSC Waivers on A and C Shares available at OPCO
· Death or disability of the shareholder

· Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund's prospectus

· Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account

· Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the prospectus

· Shares sold to pay OPCO fees but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO

· Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement

#### Front-end load Discounts Available at OPCO: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
· Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.

· Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser's household at OPCO. Eligible fund family assets not held at OPCO may be

------

included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

#### PFS Investments Inc. ("PFSI")

#### Policies Regarding Fund Purchases Through PFSI
The following information supersedes all prior information with respect to transactions and positions held in fund shares purchased through PFSI and held on the mutual fund platform of its affiliate, Primerica Shareholder Services ("PSS"). Clients of PFSI (also referred to as "shareholders") purchasing fund shares on the PSS platform are eligible only for the following share classes, sales charge discounts (also referred to as "breakpoints") and waivers, which can differ from share classes, discounts and waivers described elsewhere in this prospectus or the related statement of additional information ("SAI") or through another broker-dealer. In all instances, it is the shareholder's responsibility to inform PFSI at the time of a purchase of all holdings of the Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason Funds on the PSS platform, or other facts qualifying the purchaser for discounts or waivers. PFSI may request reasonable documentation of such facts and condition the granting of any discount or waiver on the timely receipt of such documents. Shareholders should contact PSS if they have questions regarding their eligibility for these discounts and waivers.

#### Share Classes
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares on the PSS platform are eligible only for the following share classes:

· Class A shares are available in non-retirement accounts, individual retirement accounts (IRA), SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, Keogh Plans, and all other account types.

· Class A1 and Class C shares are available only in accounts that already hold such shares.

#### Breakpoints
· Breakpoint pricing at dollar thresholds as described in the prospectus of the fund you are purchasing.

#### Rights of Accumulation ("ROA")
· The applicable sales charge on a purchase of Class A or Class A1 shares is determined by taking into account all share classes (except any assets held in group retirement plans) of the Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason Funds held by the shareholder on the PSS platform. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the ROA calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying PFSI of such assets at the time of calculation. Shares of money market funds are included only if such shares were

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acquired in exchange for shares of another Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason Fund purchased with a sales charge. No shares of the Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason Funds held by the shareholder away from the PSS platform, will be granted ROA with shares of any Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason Fund purchased on the PSS platform.

· Any SEP IRA plan, any SIMPLE IRA plan or any Payroll Deduction Plan ("PDP") on the PSS platform will be defaulted to plan-level grouping for purposes of ROA, which allows each participating employee ROA with all other eligible shares held in plan accounts on the PSS platform. At any time, a participating employee may elect to exercise a one-time option to change grouping for purposes of ROA to shareholder- level grouping, which allows the plan account of the electing employee ROA with her other eligible holdings on the PSS platform, but not with all other eligible participant holdings in the plan. Eligible shares held in plan accounts electing shareholder-level grouping will not be available for purposes of ROA to plan accounts electing plan-level grouping.

· ROA is determined by calculating the higher of cost minus redemptions or current market value (current shares x NAV).

#### Letter of Intent ("LOI")
· By executing a LOI, shareholders can receive the sales charge and breakpoint discounts for purchases shareholders *intend to make* over a 13-month period through PFSI, from the date PSS receives the LOI. The purchase price of the LOI is determined by calculating the higher of cost or market value of qualifying holdings at LOI initiation in combination with the dollar amount the shareholder intends to invest over a 13-month period to arrive at total investment for purposes of determining any breakpoint discount and the applicable front-end sales charge. Each purchase the shareholder makes during that 13-month period will receive the sales charge and breakpoint discount that applies to the projected total investment.

· Only holdings of Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason Funds on the PSS platform are eligible for inclusion in the LOI calculation and the shareholder must notify PFSI of all eligible assets at the time of calculation.

· Purchases made before the LOI is received by PSS are not adjusted under the LOI, and the LOI will not reduce any sales charge previously paid. Sales charges will be automatically adjusted if the total purchases required by the LOI are not met.

· If an employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan, SIMPLE IRA or non-IRA PDP plan on the PSS platform has elected to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping, LOIs will

------

also be at the plan-level and may only be established by the employer. LOIs are not available to PDP IRA plans on the PSS platform with plan-level grouping for purposes of ROA, but are available to any participating employee that elects shareholder-level grouping for purposes of ROA.

#### Sales Charge Waivers
Sales charges are waived for the following shareholders and in the following situations:

· Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment.

· Shares purchased with the proceeds of redeemed shares of either the Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason fund families so long as the following conditions are met: 1) the proceeds are from the sale of shares within 90 days of the purchase, 2) the sale and purchase are made in the same share class and the same account or the purchase is made in an individual retirement account with proceeds from liquidations in a non-retirement account, and 3) the redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load. Automated transactions (i.e., systematic purchases and withdrawals), full or partial transfers or rollovers of retirement accounts, and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay account maintenance fees are not eligible for this sales charge waiver.

· Shares exchanged into Class A or Class A1 shares from another share class so long as the exchange is into the same fund and was initiated at the discretion of PFSI. PFSI is responsible for any remaining CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable. Any future purchases are subject to the applicable sales charge as disclosed in the prospectus.

#### Policies Regarding Fund Purchases That Are Not Held on the PSS Platform
Class R shares are available through PFSI only in 401(k) plans covering a business owner with no employees, commonly referred to as a one-participant 401(k) plan or solo 401(k) and which are not held on the PSS platform.

#### RAYMOND JAMES <sup><sup>®</sup></sup>

#### Intermediary-Defined Sales Charge Waiver Policies
The availability of certain initial or deferred sales charge waivers and discounts may depend on the particular financial intermediary or type of account through which you purchase or hold Fund shares.

Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales load waivers or contingent deferred (back-end) sales load ("CDSC") waivers, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is

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the purchaser's responsibility to notify the fund or the purchaser's financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or discounts. For waivers and discounts not available through a particular intermediary, shareholders will have to purchase fund shares directly from the fund or through another intermediary to receive these waivers or discounts.

#### Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. and each entity's affiliates ("Raymond James")
Effective March 1, 2019, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Raymond James platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund's prospectus or SAI.

#### Front-end sales load waivers on Class A shares available at Raymond James
· Shares purchased in an investment advisory program.

· Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions.

· Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James.

· Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement).

· A shareholder in the Fund's Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James.

#### CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C shares available at Raymond James
· Death or disability of the shareholder.

· Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund's prospectus.

· Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.

· Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the fund's prospectus.

------

· Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James.

· Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.

#### Front-end load discounts available at Raymond James: breakpoints, rights of accumulation, and/or letters of intent
· Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.

· Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser's household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

· Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.

#### Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated ("Stifel")
Effective July 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Stifel platform or account or who own shares for which Stifel or an affiliate is the broker-dealer of record are eligible for the following front-end sales charge (load) waiver, in addition to those listed in the prospectus:

· Class C shares that have been held for more than seven (7) years will be converted to Class A shares of the same Fund pursuant to Stifel's policies and procedures at net asset value (without a front-end sales charge).

· ------

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| |
|:---|
| **STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION** |
| **FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST** |
| March 1, 2023 |
| ![Slayer_DrawImageOnBackgroundColor(000)](img_dff2826aa3b84f3.jpg) |

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| | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Class** | **Class** | **Class** | **Class** | **Class** |
| | **A** | **C** | **R** | **R6** | **Advisor** |
| Franklin MicroCap Value Fund | FRMCX |  |  | FMCVX | FVRMX |
| Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund (formerly, Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund) | FRBSX | FCBSX | FBSRX | FBSIX | FBSAX |
| Franklin Small Cap Value Fund | FRVLX | FRVFX | FVFRX | FRCSX | FVADX |

---

This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) is not a prospectus. It contains information in addition to the information in the Funds' (hereafter "the Fund") prospectus. The Fund's prospectus, dated March 1, 2023, which we may amend from time to time, contains the basic information you should know before investing in the Fund. You should read this SAI together with the Fund's prospectus.

[The audited financial statements and Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm in the Fund's Annual Report to shareholders, for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, are incorporated by reference (are legally a part of this SAI).](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000186842022000242/primary-document.htm)

For a free copy of the current prospectus or annual report, contact your investment representative or call (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

### Contents

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| [Goals, Strategies and Risks](#x1x3) | [2](#x1x3) |
| [Officers and Trustees](#x2x3) | [29](#x2x3) |
| [Fair Valuation](#x3x3) | [36](#x3x3) |
| [Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures](#x4x3) | [36](#x4x3) |
| [Management and Other Services](#x5x3) | [36](#x5x3) |
| [Portfolio Transactions](#x6x3) | [40](#x6x3) |
| [Distributions and Taxes](#x7x3) | [41](#x7x3) |
| [Organization, Voting Rights and<br>Principal Holders](#x8x3) | [52](#x8x3) |
| [Buying and Selling Shares](#x9x3) | [54](#x9x3) |
| [The Underwriter](#x10x3) | [62](#x10x3) |
| [Performance](#x11x3) | [64](#x11x3) |
| [Miscellaneous Information](#x12x3) | [66](#x12x3) |
| [Description of Ratings](#x13x3) | [67](#x13x3) |

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Appendix A A- 1

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Mutual funds, annuities, and other investment products:**<br>• are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government;<br>• are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank; and<br>• are subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of principal. | **Mutual funds, annuities, and other investment products:**<br>• are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government;<br>• are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank; and<br>• are subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of principal. | **Mutual funds, annuities, and other investment products:**<br>• are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government;<br>• are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank; and<br>• are subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of principal. |
| P.O. Box 997151<br>**Sacramento, CA 95899-7151 (800) DIAL BEN<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> /342-5236** | 1 | FVIT SAI 03/23 |

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**Goals, Strategies and Risks**

The following information provided with respect to the Fund is in addition to that included in the Fund's prospectus.

In addition to the main types of investments and strategies undertaken by the Fund as described in the prospectus, the Fund also may invest in other types of instruments and engage in and pursue other investment strategies, which are described in this SAI. Investments and investment strategies with respect to the Fund are discussed in greater detail in the section below entitled "*Glossary of Investments, Techniques, Strategies and Their Risks*."

Generally, the policies and restrictions discussed in this SAI and in the prospectus apply when the Fund makes an investment. In most cases, the Fund is not required to sell an investment because circumstances change and the investment no longer meets one or more of the Fund's policies or restrictions. If a percentage restriction or limitation is met at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in the percentage due to a change in the value of portfolio investments will not be considered a violation of the restriction or limitation, with the exception of the Fund's limitations on borrowing as described herein or unless otherwise noted herein.

Incidental to the Fund's other investment activities, including in connection with a bankruptcy, restructuring, workout, or other extraordinary events concerning a particular investment the Fund owns, the Fund may receive securities (including convertible securities, warrants and rights), real estate or other investments that the Fund normally would not, or could not, buy. If this happens, the Fund may, although it is not required to, sell such investments as soon as practicable while seeking to maximize the return to shareholders.

The Fund has adopted certain investment restrictions as fundamental and non-fundamental policies. A fundamental policy may only be changed if the change is approved by (i) more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding shares or (ii) 67% or more of the Fund's shares present at a shareholder meeting if more than 50% of the Fund's outstanding shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy, whichever is less. A non-fundamental policy may be changed without the approval of shareholders.

For more information about the restrictions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) on the Fund with respect to borrowing and senior securities, see "*Glossary of Investments, Techniques, Strategies and Their Risks* - Borrowing" below.

*Fundamental Investment Policies*

The Fund may not:

1. Borrow money, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

2. Act as an underwriter, except to the extent the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter when disposing of securities it owns or when selling its own shares.

3. Make loans if, as a result, more than 33 1/3% of its total assets would be lent to other persons, including other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC. This limitation does not apply to (i) the lending of portfolio securities, (ii) the purchase of debt securities, other debt instruments, loan participations and/or engaging in direct corporate loans in accordance with its investment goals and policies, and (iii) repurchase agreements to the extent the entry into a repurchase agreement is deemed to be a loan.<sup>1</sup>

4. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from (i) purchasing or selling securities or instruments secured by real estate or interests therein, securities or instruments representing interests in real estate or securities or instruments of issuers that invest, deal or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein, and (ii) making, purchasing or selling real estate mortgage loans.

5. Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from (i) engaging in transactions involving currencies and futures contracts and options thereon or (ii) investing in securities or other instruments that are secured by physical commodities.

6. Issue senior securities, except to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any rules, exemptions or interpretations thereunder that may be adopted, granted or issued by the SEC.

7. Invest more than 25% of the Fund's net assets in securities of issuers in any one industry (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies).<sup>2</sup>

8. Purchase the securities of any one issuer (other than the U.S. government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies, whether registered or excluded from registration under Section 3(c) of the 1940

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Act) if immediately after such investment (i) more than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets would be invested in such issuer or (ii) more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be owned by the Fund, except that up to 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets may be invested without regard to such 5% and 10% limitations.

<sup>1</sup> In general, "direct corporate loans" or direct investments in corporate loans are investments in new corporate loans where the Fund may invest as an initial investor and have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower (as opposed to a participation interest where the fund's sole contractual relationship is with the seller of the interest). Purchasing a loan or an interest in a loan in this fashion would allow the Fund to avoid the credit risk of the agent bank or other intermediary.

<sup>2</sup> To the extent that the Fund invests in underlying funds, the Funds will take into account the holdings of the affiliated underlying funds in which they invest and will not ignore information about unaffiliated underlying funds.

#### Franklin MicroCap Value Fund (MicroCap Value Fund)
*Fundamental Investment Policies*

The Fund's investment goal is high total return, of which capital appreciation and income are components.

*Non-Fundamental Investment Policies*

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in microcap companies. Shareholders will be given 60 days' advance notice of any change to the 80% policy regarding investment in microcap companies.

The Fund will generally invest in common stocks, although it has no limit on the percentage of its assets that may be invested in preferred stock or debt obligations, including securities convertible into common stocks, secured or unsecured bonds, commercial paper, and notes.

#### Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund (Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund)
*Fundamental Investment Policies*

The Fund's investment goal is high total return, of which capital appreciation and income are components.

*Non-Fundamental Investment Policies*

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in U.S. mid cap securities. Shareholders will be given 60 days' advance notice of any change to the 80% policy regarding investment in U.S. mid cap securities. U.S. companies are those that are economically tied to the United States including when: (1) the issuer's principal securities trading market is in the United States; (2) the issuer derives 50% or more of its annual revenues or annual profits from either goods produced, sales made or services performed in the United States; (3) the issuer has 50% of more of its assets located in the United States; or (4) the issuer is organized under the laws of, and has a principal office in, the United States. Mid capitalization companies are companies with market capitalizations equal to those within the universe of the Russell Midcap<sup>®</sup> Value Index at the time of purchase. As of December 31, 2022, the Russell Midcap<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Value Index included companies with approximate market capitalizations between $587 million and $52.6 billion. The size of companies in the index changes with market conditions and the composition of the index.

The Fund also may be subject to investment limitations imposed by foreign jurisdictions in which the Fund sells its shares.

#### Franklin Small Cap Value Fund (Small Cap Value Fund)
*Fundamental Investment Policies*

The Fund's investment goal is long-term total return.

*Non-Fundamental Investment Policies*

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (including amounts borrowed for investment purposes) in small-capitalization (small-cap) companies. Shareholders will be given 60 days' advance notice of any change to the 80% policy regarding investment in small-cap companies.

*Additional Strategies*

In trying to achieve its investment goal, the Fund may invest in the types of instruments or engage in the types of transactions identified below and in the section "Glossary of Investments, Techniques, Strategies and Their Risks," which also describes the risks associated with these investment policies. The Fund may or may not use all of these techniques at any one time.

#### MicroCap Value Fund and Small Cap Value Fund
The Fund may:

• invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities

#### Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund
The Fund may invest in, buy, sell or engage in:

• credit-related derivatives and complex securities, including buying single name and index credit default swaps (but not selling), fixed income total return swaps, credit-linked notes, collateralized debt obligations, exchange traded futures linked to index credit default swaps, variance swaps, fixed income structured notes, interest rate caps, complex fixed income ETFs, and complex fixed income mutual funds

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• currency derivatives, including currency forwards, currency futures and options thereon, currency swaps, and put and call options on currencies

• equity-related derivatives, including call and put options on equity securities (including ETFs) and indices, and options on futures on equity securities and indices

• interest rate derivatives, including interest rate swaps and options and futures thereon, interest rate/bond futures and options thereon, and inflation index swaps

• non-U.S. securities (up to 20% of the Fund's net assets, although it does not currently expect to invest more than 10% of its net assets in non-U.S. securities)

• short sales

#### All Funds
The Fund will not acquire shares of other affiliated or unaffiliated open-end mutual funds, ETFs or unit investment trusts in reliance on paragraph (F) or (G) of Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act.

In addition, the Fund may:

• lend portfolio securities up to 25% of the value of its total assets, measured at the time of the most recent loan

• invest up to 5% of its net assets in warrants (valued at the lower of cost or market)

• invest up to 2% of its net assets in warrants (valued at the lower of cost or market) that are not listed on the New York or NYSE Amex Equities Stock Exchanges

#### Glossary of Investments, Techniques, Strategies and Their Risks
Certain words or phrases may be used in descriptions of Fund investment policies and strategies to give investors a general sense of the Fund's levels of investment. They are broadly identified with, but not limited to, the following percentages of Fund total assets:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| "small portion" | less than 10% |
| "portion" | 10% to 25% |
| "significant" | 25% to 50% |
| "substantial" | 50% to 66% |
| "primary" | 66% to 80% |
| "predominant" | 80% or more |

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If the Fund intends to limit particular investments or strategies to no more than specific percentages of Fund assets, the prospectus or SAI will clearly identify such limitations. The percentages above are not limitations unless specifically stated as such in the Fund's prospectus or elsewhere in this SAI.

The Fund may invest in securities that are rated by various rating agencies such as Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) and S&P<sup><sup>®</sup></sup> Global Ratings (S&P<sup><sup>®</sup></sup>), as well as securities that are unrated.

The value of your shares in the Fund will increase as the value of the investments owned by the Fund increases and will decrease as the value of the Fund's investments decreases. In this way, you participate in any change in the value of the investments owned by the Fund. In addition to the factors that affect the value of any particular investment that the Fund owns, the value of the Fund's shares may also change with movement in the investment markets as a whole.

The following is a description of various types of securities, instruments and techniques that may be purchased and/or used by the Fund:

**Bank obligations** Bank obligations include fixed, floating or variable rate certificates of deposit (CDs), letters of credit, time and savings deposits, bank notes and bankers' acceptances. CDs are negotiable certificates issued against funds deposited in a commercial bank for a definite period of time and earning a specified return. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits that are held in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a stated interest rate. Savings deposits are deposits that do not have a specified maturity and may be withdrawn by the depositor at any time. Bankers' acceptances are negotiable drafts or bills of exchange normally drawn by an importer or exporter to pay for specific merchandise. When a bank "accepts" a bankers' acceptance, the bank, in effect, unconditionally agrees to pay the face value of the instrument upon maturity. The full amount of the Fund's investment in time and savings deposits or CDs may not be guaranteed against losses resulting from the default of the commercial or savings bank or other institution insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Bank obligations are exempt from registration with the SEC if issued by U.S. banks or foreign branches of U.S. banks. As a result, the Fund will not receive the same investor protections when investing in bank obligations as opposed to registered securities. Bank notes and other unsecured bank obligations are not guaranteed by the FDIC, so the Fund will be exposed to the credit risk of the bank or institution. In the event of liquidation, bank notes and unsecured bank obligations generally rank behind time deposits, savings deposits and CDs, resulting in a greater potential for losses to the Fund.

The Fund's investments in bank obligations may be negatively impacted if adverse economic conditions prevail in the banking industry (such as substantial losses on loans, increases in non-performing assets and charge-offs and declines in total deposits). The activities of U.S. banks and most foreign banks are subject to comprehensive regulations which, in the case of U.S. regulations, have undergone substantial changes in the past decade. The enactment of

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new legislation or regulations, as well as changes in interpretation and enforcement of current laws, may affect the manner of operations and profitability of domestic and foreign banks. Significant developments in the U.S. banking industry have included increased competition from other types of financial institutions, increased acquisition activity and geographic expansion. Banks may be particularly susceptible to certain economic factors, such as interest rate changes and adverse developments in the market for real estate. Fiscal and monetary policy and general economic cycles can affect the availability and cost of funds, loan demand and asset quality and thereby impact the earnings and financial conditions of banks.

**Borrowing** The 1940 Act and the SEC's current rules, exemptions and interpretations thereunder, permit the Fund to borrow up to one-third of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed, but less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities) from banks. The Fund is required to maintain continuous asset coverage of at least 300% with respect to such borrowings and to reduce the amount of its borrowings (within three days excluding Sundays and holidays) to restore such coverage if it should decline to less than 300% due to market fluctuations or otherwise. In the event that the Fund is required to reduce its borrowings, it may have to sell portfolio holdings, even if such sale of the Fund's holdings would be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint.

If the Fund makes additional investments while borrowings are outstanding, this may be considered a form of leverage. Leveraging by means of borrowing may exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of portfolio securities on the Fund's net asset value, and money borrowed will be subject to interest and other costs (which may include commitment fees and/or the cost of maintaining minimum average balances), which may or may not exceed the income or gains received from the securities purchased with borrowed funds.

In addition to borrowings that are subject to 300% asset coverage and are considered by the SEC to be permitted "senior securities," the Fund is also permitted under the 1940 Act to borrow for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of its total assets at the time when the loan is made. A loan will be presumed to be for temporary purposes if it is repaid within 60 days and is not extended or renewed.

**Convertible securities** A convertible security is generally a debt obligation, preferred stock or other security that may be converted within a specified period of time into a certain amount of common stock of the same or of a different issuer. The conversion may occur at the option of the investor in or issuer of the security, or upon a predetermined event. A convertible security typically provides a fixed-income stream and the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation resulting from a market price advance in its underlying common stock. As with a straight fixed-income security, a convertible security tends to increase in market value when interest rates decline and decrease in value when interest rates rise. Like a common stock, the value of a convertible security also tends to increase as the market value of the underlying stock rises, and it tends to decrease as the market value of the underlying stock declines. Because both interest rate and market movements can influence its value, a convertible security is usually not as sensitive to interest rate changes as a similar fixed-income security, nor is it as sensitive to changes in share price as its underlying stock. Convertible securities are also subject to risks that affect debt securities in general.

Although less than an investment in the underlying stock, the potential for gain on an investment in a convertible security is greater than for similar non-convertible securities. As a result, a lower yield is generally offered on convertible securities than on otherwise equivalent non-convertible securities. There is no guarantee that the Fund will realize gains on a convertible security in excess of the foregone yield it accepts to invest in such convertible security.

A convertible security is usually issued either by an operating company or by an investment bank. When issued by an operating company, a convertible security tends to be senior to the company's common stock, but may be subordinate to other types of fixed-income securities issued by that company. When a convertible security issued by an operating company is "converted," the operating company often issues new stock to the holder of the convertible security. However, if the convertible security is redeemable and the parity price of the convertible security is less than the call price, the operating company may pay out cash instead of common stock.

If the convertible security is issued by an investment bank or other sponsor, the security is an obligation of and is convertible through, the issuing investment bank. However, the common stock received upon conversion is of a company other than the investment bank or sponsor. The issuer of a convertible security may be important in determining the security's true value. This is because the holder of a convertible security will have recourse only to the issuer.

*Convertible preferred stock.* A convertible preferred stock is usually treated like a preferred stock for the Fund's financial reporting, credit rating and investment policies and limitations purposes. A preferred stock is subordinated to all debt obligations in the event of insolvency, and an issuer's failure to make a dividend payment is generally not an event of default entitling the preferred shareholder to take action. A preferred stock generally has no maturity date, so that its market value is dependent on the issuer's business prospects for an indefinite period of time. Distributions from preferred stock are dividends, rather than interest payments, and are

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usually treated as such for tax purposes. Investments in convertible preferred stock, as compared to the debt obligations of an issuer, generally increase the Fund's exposure to the credit risk of the issuer and market risk generally, because convertible preferred stock will fare more poorly if the issuer defaults or markets suffer.

*Enhanced convertible securities.* In addition to "plain vanilla" convertible securities, a number of different structures have been created to fit the characteristics of specific investors and issuers. Examples of these features include yield enhancement, increased equity exposure or enhanced downside protection. From an issuer's perspective, enhanced structures are designed to meet balance sheet criteria, maximize interest/dividend payment deductibility and reduce equity dilution. Examples of enhanced convertible securities include mandatory convertible securities, convertible trust preferred securities, exchangeable securities, and zero coupon and deep discount convertible bonds.

*Risks.* An investment in a convertible security may involve risks. The Fund may have difficulty disposing of such securities because there may be a thin trading market for a particular security at any given time. Reduced liquidity may have an adverse impact on market price and the Fund's ability to dispose of a security when necessary to meet the Fund's liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event, such as the deterioration in the creditworthiness of an issuer. Reduced liquidity in the secondary market for certain securities may also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain market quotations based on actual trades for purposes of valuing the Fund's portfolio. Although the Fund intends to acquire convertible securities that the investment manager considers to be liquid (i.e., those securities that the investment manager determines may be sold on an exchange, or an institutional or other substantial market), there can be no assurances that this will be achieved. Certain securities and markets can become illiquid quickly, resulting in liquidity risk for the Fund. The Fund will also encounter difficulty valuing convertible securities due to illiquidity or other circumstances that make it difficult for the Fund to obtain timely market quotations based on actual trades for convertible securities. Convertible securities may have low credit ratings, which generally correspond with higher credit risk to an investor like the Fund.

In addition to the general risks of convertible securities and the special risks of enhanced convertible securities, there are risks unique to synthetic convertible securities. Synthetic convertible securities differ from true convertible securities in several respects. The value of a synthetic convertible security is the sum of the values of its debt security component and its convertibility component. Thus, the values of a synthetic convertible and a true convertible security will respond differently to market fluctuations. Although the investment manager expects normally to create synthetic convertible securities whose two components provide exposure to the same issuer, the character of a synthetic convertible allows the Fund to combine components representing distinct issuers, or to combine a debt security with a call option on a stock index. In addition, the component parts of a synthetic convertible security may be purchased simultaneously or separately; and the holder of a synthetic convertible faces the risk that the price of the stock, or the level of the market index underlying the convertibility component will decline. Exposure to more than one issuer or participant will increase the number of parties upon which the investment depends and the complexity of that investment and, as a result, increase the Fund's credit risk and valuation risk.

**Cybersecurity** With the increased use of technologies such as mobile devices and Web-based or "cloud" applications, and the dependence on the Internet and computer systems to conduct business, the Fund is susceptible to operational, information security and related risks. In general, cybersecurity incidents can result from deliberate attacks or unintentional events (arising from external or internal sources) that may cause the Fund to lose proprietary information, suffer data corruption, physical damage to a computer or network system or lose operational capacity. Cybersecurity attacks include, but are not limited to, infection by malicious software, such as malware or computer viruses or gaining unauthorized access to digital systems, networks or devices that are used to service the Fund's operations (e.g., through "hacking," "phishing" or malicious software coding) or other means for purposes of misappropriating assets or sensitive information, corrupting data, or causing operational disruption. Cybersecurity attacks may also be carried out in a manner that does not require gaining unauthorized access, such as causing denial-of-service attacks on the Fund's websites (i.e., efforts to make network services unavailable to intended users). Recently, geopolitical tensions may have increased the scale and sophistication of deliberate cybersecurity attacks, particularly those from nation-states or from entities

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with nation-state backing. In addition, authorized persons could inadvertently or intentionally release confidential or proprietary information stored on the Fund's systems.

Cybersecurity incidents affecting the Fund's investment manager and other service providers to the Fund or its shareholders (including, but not limited to, sub-advisors, accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) have the ability to cause disruptions and impact business operations, potentially resulting in financial losses to both the Fund and its shareholders, interference with the Fund's ability to calculate its net asset value, impediments to trading, the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business and the Fund to process transactions (including fulfillment of purchases and redemptions), violations of applicable privacy and other laws (including the release of private shareholder information) and attendant breach notification and credit monitoring costs, regulatory fines, penalties, litigation costs, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, forensic investigation and remediation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. Similar adverse consequences could result from cybersecurity incidents affecting issuers of securities in which the Fund invests, counterparties with which the Fund engages in transactions, governmental and other regulatory authorities, exchange and other financial market operators, banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies and other financial institutions (including financial intermediaries and other service providers) and other parties. In addition, substantial costs may be incurred in order to safeguard against and reduce the risk of any cybersecurity incidents in the future. In addition to administrative, technological and procedural safeguards, the Fund's investment manager has established business continuity plans in the event of, and risk management systems to prevent or reduce the impact of, such cybersecurity incidents. However, there are inherent limitations in such plans and systems, including the possibility that certain risks have not been identified, as well as the rapid development of new threats. Furthermore, the Fund cannot control the cybersecurity plans and systems put in place by its service providers or any other third parties whose operations may affect the Fund and its shareholders. The Fund and its shareholders could be negatively impacted as a result.

Because technology is frequently changing, new ways to carry out cyber attacks are always developing. Therefore, there is a chance that some risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected, which puts limitations on the Fund's ability to plan for or respond to a cyber attack. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund, the investment manager and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time.

**Debt securities - general description** In general, a debt security represents a loan of money to the issuer by the purchaser of the security. A debt security typically has a fixed payment schedule that obligates the issuer to pay interest to the lender and to return the lender's money over a certain time period. A company typically meets its payment obligations associated with its outstanding debt securities before it declares and pays any dividend to holders of its equity securities. Bonds, notes and commercial paper are examples of debt securities and differ in the length of the issuer's principal repayment schedule, with bonds carrying the longest repayment schedule and commercial paper the shortest:

*Bonds*. A bond is a debt security in which investors lend money to an entity that borrows for a defined period of time, usually a period of more than five years, at a specified interest rate.

*Commercial paper.* Commercial paper is an unsecured, short-term loan to a corporation, typically for financing accounts receivable and inventory with maturities of up to 270 days.

*Debentures.* A debenture is an unsecured debt security backed only by the creditworthiness of the borrower, not by collateral.

*Bills.* A bill is a short-term debt instrument, usually with a maturity of two years or less.

*Notes.* A note is a debt security usually with a maturity of up to ten years.

For purposes of the discussion in this SAI of the risks of investing in debt securities generally, loans or other short-term instruments, which otherwise may not technically be considered securities, are included.

Debt securities are all generally subject to interest rate, credit, income and prepayment risks and, like all investments, are subject to liquidity and market risks to varying degrees depending upon the specific terms and type of security. The Fund's investment manager attempts to reduce credit and market risk through diversification of the Fund's portfolio and ongoing credit analysis of each issuer, as well as by monitoring economic developments, but there can be no assurance that it will be successful at doing so.

**Defaulted debt securities** If the issuer of a debt security in the Fund's portfolio defaults, the Fund may have unrealized losses on the security, which may lower the Fund's net asset value. Defaulted securities tend to lose much of their value before they default. Thus, the Fund's net asset value may be adversely affected before an issuer defaults. The Fund may incur additional expenses if it tries to recover principal or interest payments on a defaulted security. Defaulted debt securities often are illiquid. An investment in defaulted debt securities is generally considered speculative and may expose the Fund to similar risks as an investment in high-yield debt.

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The Fund may not buy defaulted debt securities. However, the Fund is not required to sell a debt security that has defaulted if the investment manager believes it is advantageous to continue holding the security.

**Depositary receipts** Many securities of foreign issuers are represented by American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), and European Depositary Receipts (EDRs) (collectively, depositary receipts). Generally, depositary receipts in registered form are designed for use in the U.S. securities market and depositary receipts in bearer form are designed for use in securities markets outside the U.S.

ADRs evidence ownership of, and represent the right to receive, securities of foreign issuers deposited in a domestic bank or trust company or a foreign correspondent bank. Prices of ADRs are quoted in U.S. dollars, and ADRs are traded in the U.S. on exchanges or over-the-counter. While ADRs do not eliminate all the risks associated with foreign investments, by investing in ADRs rather than directly in the stock of foreign issuers, the Fund will avoid currency and certain foreign market trading risks during the settlement period for either purchases or sales. In general, there is a large, liquid market in the U.S. for ADRs quoted on a national securities exchange. The information available for ADRs is subject to the accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards of the U.S. market or exchange on which they are traded, which standards are generally more uniform and more exacting than those to which many foreign issuers may be subject.

EDRs and GDRs are typically issued by foreign banks or trust companies and evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by either a foreign or a U.S. corporation. EDRs and GDRs may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. If the issuer's home country does not have developed financial markets, the Fund could be exposed to the credit risk of the custodian or financial institution and greater market risk. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest, and processing corporate actions. The Fund would be expected to pay a share of the additional fees, which it would not pay if investing directly in the foreign securities. The Fund may experience delays in receiving its dividend and interest payments or exercising rights as a shareholder.

Depositary receipts may reduce some but not eliminate all the risks inherent in investing in the securities of foreign issuers. Depositary receipts are still subject to the political and economic risks of the underlying issuer's country and are still subject to foreign currency exchange risk. Depositary receipts will be issued under sponsored or unsponsored programs. In sponsored programs, an issuer has made arrangements to have its securities traded in the form of depositary receipts. In unsponsored programs, the issuer may not be directly involved in the creation of the program. Although regulatory requirements with respect to sponsored and unsponsored programs are generally similar, in some cases it may be easier to obtain financial information about an issuer that has participated in the creation of a sponsored program. There may be an increased possibility of untimely responses to certain corporate actions of the issuer, such as stock splits and rights offerings, in an unsponsored program. Accordingly, there may be less information available regarding issuers of securities underlying unsponsored programs and there may not be a correlation between this information and the market value of the depositary receipts. If the Fund's investment depends on obligations being met by the arranger as well as the issuer of an unsponsored program, the Fund will be exposed to additional credit risk.

**Derivative instruments** Generally, derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends on or is derived from, the value of one or more underlying assets, reference rates, or indices or other market factors (a "reference instrument") and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, credit, currencies, commodities or related indices. Derivative instruments can provide an efficient means to gain or reduce exposure to the value of a reference instrument without actually owning or selling the instrument. Some common types of derivatives include options, futures, forwards and swaps.

Derivative instruments may be used for "hedging," which means that they may be used when the investment manager seeks to protect the Fund's investments from a decline in value resulting from changes to interest rates, market prices, currency fluctuations or other market factors. Derivative instruments may also be used for other purposes, including to seek to increase liquidity, provide efficient portfolio management, broaden investment opportunities(including taking short or negative positions), implement a tax or cash management strategy, gain exposure to a particular security or segment of the market, modify the effective duration of the Fund's portfolio investments and/or enhance total return. However derivative instruments are used, their successful use is not assured and will depend upon, among other factors, the investment manager's ability to gauge relevant market movements.

Derivative instruments may be used for purposes of direct hedging. Direct hedging means that the transaction must be intended to reduce a specific risk exposure of a portfolio security or its denominated currency and must also be directly related to such security or currency. The Fund's use of derivative instruments may be limited from time to time by policies adopted by the board of trustees or the Fund's investment manager.

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*Exclusion of investment manager from commodity pool operator definition.* With respect to the Fund, the investment manager has claimed an exclusion from the definition of "commodity pool operator" (CPO) under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and, therefore, is not subject to CFTC registration or regulation as a CPO. In addition, with respect to the Fund, the investment manager is relying upon a related exclusion from the definition of "commodity trading advisor" (CTA) under the CEA and the rules of the CFTC.

The terms of the CPO exclusion require the Fund, among other things, to adhere to certain limits on its investments in "commodity interests." Commodity interests include commodity futures, commodity options and swaps, which in turn include non-deliverable currency forward contracts, as further described below. Because the investment manager and the Fund intend to comply with the terms of the CPO exclusion, the Fund may, in the future, need to adjust its investment strategies, consistent with its investment goal, to limit its investments in these types of instruments. The Fund is not intended as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. The CFTC has neither reviewed nor approved the investment manager's reliance on these exclusions, or the Fund, its investment strategies or this SAI.

Generally, the exclusion from CPO regulation on which the investment manager relies requires the Fund to meet one of the following tests for its commodity interest positions, other than positions entered into for bona fide hedging purposes (as defined in the rules of the CFTC): either (1) the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish the Fund's positions in commodity interests may not exceed 5% of the liquidation value of the Fund's portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions); or (2) the aggregate net notional value of the Fund's commodity interest positions, determined at the time the most recent such position was established, may not exceed 100% of the liquidation value of the Fund's portfolio (after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such positions). In addition to meeting one of these trading limitations, the Fund may not be marketed as a commodity pool or otherwise as a vehicle for trading in the commodity futures, commodity options or swaps markets. If, in the future, the Fund can no longer satisfy these requirements, the investment manager would withdraw its notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of a CPO, and the investment manager would be subject to registration and regulation as a CPO with respect to the Fund, in accordance with CFTC rules that apply to CPOs of registered investment companies. Generally, these rules allow for substituted compliance with CFTC disclosure and shareholder reporting requirements, based on the investment manager's compliance with comparable SEC requirements. However, as a result of CFTC regulation with respect to the Fund, the Fund may incur additional compliance and other expenses.

*Currency forward contracts*. A currency forward contract is an obligation to purchase or sell a specific non-U.S. currency in exchange for another currency, which may be U.S. dollars, at an agreed exchange rate (price) at a future date. Currency forwards are typically individually negotiated and privately traded by currency traders and their customers in the interbank market. A cross currency forward is a forward contract to sell a specific non-U.S. currency in exchange for another non-U.S. currency and may be used when the price of one of those non-U.S. currencies is expected to experience a substantial movement against the other non-U.S. currency. A currency forward contract will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased, similar to when the Fund sells a security denominated in one currency and purchases a security denominated in another currency. For example, the Fund may enter into a forward contract when it owns a security that is denominated in a non-U.S. currency and desires to "lock in" the U.S. dollar value of the security. In addition, when the Fund's investment manager believes that a specific foreign currency may experience a substantial movement against another foreign currency, the Fund may enter into a cross currency forward contract to buy or sell, as appropriate, an amount of the foreign currency: (a) approximating the value of some or all of its portfolio securities denominated in such currency (this investment practice generally is referred to as "cross-hedging"); (b) designed to derive a level of additional income or return that the Fund's investment manager seeks to achieve for the Fund; (c) to increase liquidity; or (d) to gain exposure to a currency in a more efficient or less expensive way. The Fund may also engage in "proxy hedging." Proxy hedging entails entering into a forward contract to buy or sell a currency whose changes in value are generally considered to perform similarly to a currency or currencies in which some or all of the Fund's portfolio securities are or are expected to be denominated. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which the Fund's portfolio is exposed is difficult to hedge or to hedge against the U.S. dollar and therefore another currency is used as a "proxy" for such currency.

At the maturity of a currency or cross currency forward, the Fund may either exchange the currencies specified at the maturity of a forward contract or, prior to maturity, the Fund may enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the counterparty to the original forward contract. The Fund may also enter into forward contracts that do not provide for physical settlement of the two currencies but instead provide for settlement by a single cash payment calculated as the difference between the agreed upon exchange rate and the

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spot rate at settlement based upon an agreed upon notional amount (non-deliverable forwards).

Under definitions adopted by the CFTC and SEC, non-deliverable forwards are considered swaps, and therefore are included in the definition of "commodity interests." Although non-deliverable forwards have historically been traded in the over-the-counter (OTC) market, as swaps they may in the future be required to be centrally cleared and traded on public facilities. For more information on central clearing and trading of cleared swaps, see "Cleared swaps," "Risks of cleared swaps," "Comprehensive swaps regulation" and "Developing government regulation of derivatives." Currency and cross currency forwards that qualify as deliverable forwards are not regulated as swaps for most purposes, and are not included in the definition of "commodity interests." However these forwards are subject to some requirements applicable to swaps, including reporting to swap data repositories, documentation requirements, and business conduct rules applicable to swap dealers.

CFTC regulation of currency and cross currency forwards, especially non-deliverable forwards, may restrict the Fund's ability to use these instruments in the manner described above or subject the investment manager to CFTC registration and regulation as a CPO.

*Risks of currency forward contracts.* The successful use of these transactions will usually depend on the investment manager's ability to accurately forecast currency exchange rate movements. Should exchange rates move in an unexpected manner, the Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of the transaction, or it may realize losses. In addition, these techniques could result in a loss if the counterparty to the transaction does not perform as promised, including because of the counterparty's bankruptcy or insolvency. While the Fund uses only counterparties that meet its credit quality standards, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty's creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited. Moreover, investors should bear in mind that the Fund is not obligated to actively engage in hedging or other currency transactions. For example, the Fund may not have attempted to hedge its exposure to a particular foreign currency at a time when doing so might have avoided a loss.

Currency forward contracts may limit potential gain from a positive change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Unanticipated changes in currency prices may result in poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not engaged in such contracts. Moreover, there may be an imperfect correlation between the Fund's portfolio holdings of securities denominated in a particular currency and the currencies bought or sold in the forward contracts entered into by the Fund. This imperfect correlation may cause the Fund to sustain losses that will prevent the Fund from achieving a complete hedge or expose the Fund to risk of foreign exchange loss.

*Futures contracts.* Generally, a futures contract is a standard binding agreement to buy or sell a specified quantity of an underlying reference instrument, such as a specific security, currency or commodity, at a specified price at a specified later date. A "sale" of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to deliver the underlying reference instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. A "purchase" of a futures contract means the acquisition of a contractual obligation to acquire the underlying reference instrument called for by the contract at a specified price on a specified date. The purchase or sale of a futures contract will allow the Fund to increase or decrease its exposure to the underlying reference instrument without having to buy the actual instrument.

The underlying reference instruments to which futures contracts may relate include non-U.S. currencies, interest rates, stock and bond indices and debt securities, including U.S. government debt obligations. In certain types of futures contracts, the underlying reference instrument may be a swap agreement. For more information about swap agreements generally, see "Swaps" below. In most cases the contractual obligation under a futures contract may be offset, or "closed out," before the settlement date so that the parties do not have to make or take delivery. The closing out of a contractual obligation is usually accomplished by buying or selling, as the case may be, an identical, offsetting futures contract. This transaction, which is effected through a member of an exchange, cancels the obligation to make or take delivery of the underlying instrument or asset. Although some futures contracts by their terms require the actual delivery or acquisition of the underlying instrument or asset, some require cash settlement.

Futures contracts may be bought and sold on U.S. and non-U.S. exchanges. Futures contracts in the U.S. have been designed by exchanges that have been designated "contract markets" by the CFTC and must be executed through a futures commission merchant (FCM), which is a brokerage firm that is a member of the relevant contract market. Each exchange guarantees performance of the contracts as between the clearing members of the exchange, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Futures contracts may also be entered into on certain exempt markets, including exempt boards of trade and electronic trading facilities, available to certain market participants. Because all transactions in the futures market are made, offset or fulfilled by an FCM through a clearinghouse associated with the exchange on which the contracts are traded, the Fund will incur brokerage fees when it buys or sells futures contracts.

The Fund generally buys and sells futures contracts only on contract markets (including exchanges or boards of trade) where there appears to be an active market for the futures

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contracts, but there is no assurance that an active market will exist for any particular contract or at any particular time. An active market makes it more likely that futures contracts will be liquid and bought and sold at competitive market prices. In addition, many of the futures contracts available may be relatively new instruments without a significant trading history. As a result, there can be no assurance that an active market will develop or continue to exist.

When the Fund enters into a futures contract, it must deliver to an account controlled by the FCM (that has been selected by the Fund), an amount referred to as "initial margin" that is typically calculated as an amount equal to the volatility in market value of a contract over a fixed period. Initial margin requirements are determined by the respective exchanges on which the futures contracts are traded and the FCM. Thereafter, a "variation margin" amount may be required to be paid by the Fund or received by the Fund in accordance with margin controls set for such accounts, depending upon changes in the marked-to-market value of the futures contract. The account is marked-to-market daily and the variation margin is monitored by the Fund's investment manager and custodian on a daily basis. When the futures contract is closed out, if the Fund has a loss equal to or greater than the margin amount, the margin amount is paid to the FCM along with any loss in excess of the margin amount. If the Fund has a loss of less than the margin amount, the excess margin is returned to the Fund. If the Fund has a gain, the full margin amount and the amount of the gain is paid to the Fund.

Some futures contracts provide for the delivery of securities that are different than those that are specified in the contract. For a futures contract for delivery of debt securities, on the settlement date of the contract, adjustments to the contract can be made to recognize differences in value arising from the delivery of debt securities with a different interest rate from that of the particular debt securities that were specified in the contract. In some cases, securities called for by a futures contract may not have been issued when the contract was written.

*Risks of futures contracts.* The Fund's use of futures contracts is subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments generally. In addition, a purchase or sale of a futures contract may result in losses to the Fund in excess of the amount that the Fund delivered as initial margin. Because of the relatively low margin deposits required, futures trading involves a high degree of leverage; as a result, a relatively small price movement in a futures contract may result in immediate and substantial loss, or gain, to the Fund. In addition, if the Fund has insufficient cash to meet daily variation margin requirements or close out a futures position, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so. Adverse market movements could cause the Fund to experience substantial losses on an investment in a futures contract.

There is a risk of loss by the Fund of the initial and variation margin deposits in the event of bankruptcy of the FCM with which the Fund has an open position in a futures contract. The assets of the Fund may not be fully protected in the event of the bankruptcy of the FCM or central counterparty because the Fund might be limited to recovering only a pro rata share of all available funds and margin segregated on behalf of an FCM's customers. If the FCM does not provide accurate reporting, the Fund is also subject to the risk that the FCM could use the Fund's assets, which are held in an omnibus account with assets belonging to the FCM's other customers, to satisfy its own financial obligations or the payment obligations of another customer to the central counterparty.

The Fund may not be able to properly hedge or effect its strategy when a liquid market is unavailable for the futures contract the Fund wishes to close, which may at times occur. In addition, when futures contracts are used for hedging, there may be an imperfect correlation between movements in the prices of the underlying reference instrument on which the futures contract is based and movements in the prices of the assets sought to be hedged.

If the investment manager's investment judgment about the general direction of market prices or interest or currency exchange rates is incorrect, the Fund's overall performance will be poorer than if it had not entered into a futures contract. For example, if the Fund has purchased futures to hedge against the possibility of an increase in interest rates that would adversely affect the price of bonds held in its portfolio and interest rates instead decrease, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of the bonds which it has hedged. This is because its losses in its futures positions will offset some or all of its gains from the increased value of the bonds.

The difference (called the "spread") between prices in the cash market for the purchase and sale of the underlying reference instrument and the prices in the futures market is subject to fluctuations and distortions due to differences in the nature of those two markets. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to initial deposit and variation margin requirements. Rather than meeting additional variation margin requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions that could distort the normal pricing spread between the cash and futures markets. Second, the liquidity of the futures markets depends on participants entering into offsetting transactions rather than making or taking delivery of the underlying instrument. To the extent participants decide to make or take delivery, liquidity in the futures market could be reduced, resulting in pricing distortion. Third, from the point of view of speculators, the margin deposit requirements that apply in the futures market are less onerous than similar margin requirements in the securities market. Therefore, increased participation by speculators in the futures market may cause temporary price distortions. When such distortions occur, a correct forecast of

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general trends in the price of an underlying reference instrument by the investment manager may still not necessarily result in a profitable transaction.

Futures contracts that are traded on non-U.S. exchanges may not be as liquid as those purchased on CFTC-designated contract markets. In addition, non-U.S. futures contracts may be subject to varied regulatory oversight. The price of any non-U.S. futures contract and, therefore, the potential profit and loss thereon, may be affected by any change in the non-U.S. exchange rate between the time a particular order is placed and the time it is liquidated, offset or exercised.

The CFTC and the various exchanges have established limits referred to as "speculative position limits" on the maximum net long or net short position that any person, such as the Fund, may hold or control in a particular futures contract. Trading limits are also imposed on the maximum number of contracts that any person may trade on a particular trading day. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in violation of these limits and it may impose other sanctions or restrictions. The regulation of futures, as well as other derivatives, is a rapidly changing area of law.

Futures exchanges may also limit the amount of fluctuation permitted in certain futures contract prices during a single trading day. This daily limit establishes the maximum amount that the price of a futures contract may vary either up or down from the previous day's settlement price. Once the daily limit has been reached in a futures contract subject to the limit, no more trades may be made on that day at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a particular trading day and does not limit potential losses because the limit may prevent the liquidation of unfavorable positions. For example, futures prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days with little or no trading, thereby preventing prompt liquidation of positions and subjecting some holders of futures contracts to substantial losses.

*Options.* An option is a contract that gives the purchaser of the option, in return for the premium paid, the right to buy an underlying reference instrument, such as a specified security, currency, index, or other instrument, from the writer of the option (in the case of a call option), or to sell a specified reference instrument to the writer of the option (in the case of a put option) at a designated price during the term of the option. The premium paid by the buyer of an option will reflect, among other things, the relationship of the exercise price to the market price and the volatility of the underlying reference instrument, the remaining term of the option, supply, demand, interest rates and/or currency exchange rates. An American style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period while a European style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior thereto. Put and call options are traded on national securities exchanges and in the OTC market.

Options traded on national securities exchanges are within the jurisdiction of the SEC or other appropriate national securities regulator, as are securities traded on such exchanges. As a result, many of the protections provided to traders on organized exchanges will be available with respect to such transactions. In particular, all option positions entered into on a national securities exchange in the United States are cleared and guaranteed by the Options Clearing Corporation, thereby reducing the risk of counterparty default. Furthermore, a liquid secondary market in options traded on a national securities exchange may be more readily available than in the OTC market, potentially permitting the Fund to liquidate open positions at a profit prior to exercise or expiration, or to limit losses in the event of adverse market movements. There is no assurance, however, that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not temporarily render the capabilities of the Options Clearing Corporation inadequate, and thereby result in the exchange instituting special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of the Fund's orders to close out open options positions.

*Purchasing call and put options.* As the buyer of a call option, the Fund has a right to buy the underlying reference instrument (e.g., a currency or security) at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). The Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to call options, exercise them, or permit them to expire. For example, the Fund may buy call options on underlying reference instruments that it intends to buy with the goal of limiting the risk of a substantial increase in their market price before the purchase is effected. Unless the price of the underlying reference instrument changes sufficiently, a call option purchased by the Fund may expire without any value to the Fund, in which case the Fund would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs.

As the buyer of a put option, the Fund has the right to sell the underlying reference instrument at the exercise price at any time during the option period (for American style options). Like a call option, the Fund may enter into closing sale transactions with respect to put options, exercise them or permit them to expire. The Fund may buy a put option on an underlying reference instrument owned by the Fund (a protective put) as a hedging technique in an attempt to protect against an anticipated decline in the market value of the underlying reference instrument. Such hedge protection is provided only during the life of the put option when the Fund, as the buyer of the put option, is able to sell the underlying reference instrument at the put exercise price, regardless of any decline in the underlying instrument's market price. The Fund may also seek to offset a decline in the value of the underlying reference instrument through appreciation in the

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value of the put option. A put option may also be purchased with the intent of protecting unrealized appreciation of an instrument when the investment manager deems it desirable to continue to hold the instrument because of tax or other considerations. The premium paid for the put option and any transaction costs would reduce any short-term capital gain that may be available for distribution when the instrument is eventually sold. Buying put options at a time when the buyer does not own the underlying reference instrument allows the buyer to benefit from a decline in the market price of the underlying reference instrument, which generally increases the value of the put option.

If a put option was not terminated in a closing sale transaction when it has remaining value, and if the market price of the underlying reference instrument remains equal to or greater than the exercise price during the life of the put option, the buyer would not make any gain upon exercise of the option and would experience a loss to the extent of the premium paid for the option plus related transaction costs. In order for the purchase of a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying reference instrument must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs.

*Closing out options (exchange-traded options).* If the writer of an option wants to terminate its obligation, the writer may effect a "closing purchase transaction" by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. The effect of the purchase is that the clearing corporation will cancel the option writer's position. However, a writer may not effect a closing purchase transaction after being notified of the exercise of an option. Likewise, the buyer of an option may recover all or a portion of the premium that it paid by effecting a "closing sale transaction" by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased and receiving a premium on the sale. There is no guarantee that either a closing purchase or a closing sale transaction may be made at a time desired by the Fund. Closing transactions allow the Fund to terminate its positions in written and purchased options. The Fund will realize a profit from a closing transaction if the price of the transaction is less than the premium received from writing the original option (in the case of written options) or is more than the premium paid by the Fund to buy the option (in the case of purchased options). For example, increases in the market price of a call option sold by the Fund will generally reflect increases in the market price of the underlying reference instrument. As a result, any loss resulting from a closing transaction on a written call option is likely to be offset in whole or in part by appreciation of the underlying instrument owned by the Fund.

*Over-the-counter (OTC) options.* Like exchange-traded options, OTC options give the holder the right to buy from the writer, in the case of OTC call options, or sell to the writer, in the case of OTC put options, an underlying reference instrument at a stated exercise price. OTC options, however, differ from exchange-traded options in certain material respects.

OTC options are arranged directly with dealers and not with a clearing corporation or exchange. Consequently, there is a risk of non-performance by the dealer, including because of the dealer's bankruptcy or insolvency. While the Fund uses only counterparties, such as dealers, that meet its credit quality standards, in unusual or extreme market conditions, a counterparty's creditworthiness and ability to perform may deteriorate rapidly, and the availability of suitable replacement counterparties may become limited. Because there is no exchange, pricing is typically done based on information from market makers or other dealers. OTC options are available for a greater variety of underlying reference instruments and in a wider range of expiration dates and exercise prices than exchange-traded options.

There can be no assurance that a continuous liquid secondary market will exist for any particular OTC option at any specific time. The Fund may be able to realize the value of an OTC option it has purchased only by exercising it or entering into a closing sale transaction with the dealer that issued it. When the Fund writes an OTC option, it generally can close out that option prior to its expiration only by entering into a closing purchase transaction with the dealer with which the Fund originally wrote the option. The Fund may suffer a loss if it is not able to exercise (in the case of a purchased option) or enter into a closing sale transaction on a timely basis.

*Risks of options.* The Fund's options investments involve certain risks, including general risks related to derivative instruments. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and the Fund may have difficulty effecting closing transactions in particular options. Therefore, the Fund would have to exercise the options it purchased in order to realize any profit, thus taking or making delivery of the underlying reference instrument when not desired. The Fund could then incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments. Similarly, when the Fund cannot effect a closing transaction with respect to a put option it wrote, and the buyer exercises, the Fund would be required to take delivery and would incur transaction costs upon the sale of the underlying reference instruments purchased. If the Fund, as a covered call option writer, is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction in a secondary market, it will not be able to sell the underlying reference instrument until the option expires, or it delivers the underlying instrument upon exercise. When trading options on non-U.S. exchanges or in the OTC market, many of the protections afforded to exchange participants will not be available. For example, there may be no daily price fluctuation limits, and adverse market movements could therefore continue to an unlimited extent over an indefinite period of time.

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The effectiveness of an options strategy for hedging depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying reference instruments correlate with price movements in the relevant portion of the Fund's portfolio that is being hedged. In addition, the Fund bears the risk that the prices of its portfolio investments will not move in the same amount as the option it has purchased or sold for hedging purposes, or that there may be a negative correlation that would result in a loss on both the investments and the option. If the investment manager is not successful in using options in managing the Fund's investments, the Fund's performance will be worse than if the investment manager did not employ such strategies.

*Developing government regulation of derivatives.* The regulation of cleared and uncleared swaps, as well as other derivatives, is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. In addition, the SEC, CFTC and the exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of a market emergency, including, for example, the implementation or reduction of speculative position limits, the implementation of higher margin requirements, the establishment of daily price limits and the suspension of trading.

It is not possible to predict fully the effects of current or future regulation. However, it is possible that developments in government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, such as speculative position limits on certain types of derivatives, or limits or restrictions on the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions, may limit or prevent the Fund from using or limit the Fund's use of these instruments effectively as a part of its investment strategy, and could adversely affect the Fund's ability to achieve its investment goal(s). The investment manager will continue to monitor developments in the area, particularly to the extent regulatory changes affect the Fund's ability to enter into desired swap agreements. New requirements, even if not directly applicable to the Fund, may increase the cost of the Fund's investments and cost of doing business.

**Equity securities** Equity securities represent a proportionate share of the ownership of a company; their value is based on the success of the company's business and the value of its assets, as well as general market conditions. The purchaser of an equity security typically receives an ownership interest in the company as well as certain voting rights. The owner of an equity security may participate in a company's success through the receipt of dividends, which are distributions of earnings by the company to its owners. Equity security owners may also participate in a company's success or lack of success through increases or decreases in the value of the company's shares. Equity securities generally take the form of common stock or preferred stock, as well as securities convertible into common stock. Preferred stockholders typically receive greater dividends but may receive less appreciation than common stockholders and may have different voting rights as well. Equity securities may also include convertible securities, warrants, rights or equity interests in trusts, partnerships, joint ventures or similar enterprises. Warrants or rights give the holder the right to buy a common stock at a given time for a specified price.

*Small and mid capitalization companies.* Market capitalization is defined as the total market value of a company's outstanding stock. Small capitalization companies are often overlooked by investors or undervalued in relation to their earnings power. Because small capitalization companies generally are not as well known to the investing public, and may have less of an investor following and may grow more rapidly than larger capitalization companies, they may provide greater opportunities for long-term capital growth. These companies may be undervalued because they are part of an industry that is out of favor with investors, although the individual companies may have high rates of earnings growth and be financially sound. Mid capitalization companies may offer greater potential for capital appreciation than larger capitalization companies, because mid capitalization companies are often growing more rapidly than larger capitalization companies, but tend to be more stable and established than small capitalization or emerging companies.

Initial public offerings (IPOs) of securities issued by unseasoned companies with little or no operating history are risky and their prices are highly volatile, but they can result in very large gains in their initial trading. Attractive IPOs are often oversubscribed and may not be available to the Fund, or only in very limited quantities. Thus, when the Fund's size is smaller, any gains from IPOs will have an exaggerated impact on the Fund's reported performance than when the Fund is larger. Although IPO investments have had a positive impact on some funds' performance in the past, there can be no assurance that the Fund will have favorable IPO investment opportunities in the future.

To the extent that the Fund may invest in small capitalization companies, it may have significant investments in relatively new or unseasoned companies that are in their early stages of development, or in new and emerging industries where the opportunity for rapid growth is expected to be above average. Securities of unseasoned companies present greater risks than securities of larger, more established companies.

*Financial services companies risk*. To the extent that the Fund invests its assets in investments of financial services companies, the Fund's investments and performance will be affected by general market and economic conditions as well as other risk factors particular to the financial services industry. Financial services companies are subject to extensive government regulation. This regulation may limit both the amount and types of loans and other financial commitments a financial services company can make, and the interest rates and fees it can charge. Such limitations may

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have a significant impact on the profitability of a financial services company since that profitability is attributable, at least in part, to the company's ability to make financial commitments such as loans. Profitability of a financial services company is largely dependent upon the availability and cost of the company's funds, and can fluctuate significantly when interest rates change. The financial difficulties of borrowers can negatively impact the industry to the extent that borrowers may not be able to repay loans made by financial services companies.

In response to the recent economic instability, the United States and other governments have taken actions designed to support the financial markets. The withdrawal of this support could negatively affect the value and liquidity of certain securities. Moreover, the implications of government ownership interests in financial institutions, by virtue of aging distressed assets, is unforeseeable.

In addition, the financial services industry is an evolving and competitive industry that is undergoing significant change, as existing distinctions between financial segments become less clear. Such changes have resulted from various consolidations as well as the continual development of new products, structures and a changing regulatory framework. These changes are likely to have a significant impact on the financial services industry and the Fund.

Insurance companies may be subject to severe price competition, claims activity, marketing competition and general economic conditions. Particular insurance lines will also be influenced by specific matters. Property and casualty insurer profits may be affected by events such as man-made and natural disasters (including weather catastrophe and terrorism). Life and health insurer profits may be affected by mortality risks and morbidity rates. Individual insurance companies may be subject to material risks including inadequate reserve funds to pay claims and the inability to collect from the insurance companies which insure insurance companies, so-called reinsurance carriers.

**Foreign securities** For purposes of the Fund's prospectus and SAI, "foreign securities" refers to non-U.S. securities. There are substantial risks associated with investing in the securities of governments and companies located in, or having substantial operations in, foreign countries, which are in addition to the usual risks inherent in domestic investments. The value of foreign securities (like U.S. securities) is affected by general economic conditions and individual issuer and industry earnings prospects. Investments in depositary receipts also involve some or all of the risks described below.

There is the possibility of cessation of trading on foreign exchanges, expropriation, nationalization of assets, confiscatory or punitive taxation, withholding and other foreign taxes on income (including capital gains or other amounts), taxation on a retroactive basis, sudden or unanticipated changes in foreign tax laws, financial transaction taxes, denial or delay of the realization of tax treaty benefits, payment of foreign taxes not available for credit or deduction when passed through to shareholders, foreign exchange controls (which may include suspension of the ability to transfer currency from a given country), restrictions on removal of assets, political or social instability, military action or unrest, or diplomatic developments, including sanctions imposed by other countries or governmental entities, that could affect investments in securities of issuers in foreign nations. There is no assurance that the investment manager will be able to anticipate these potential events. In addition, the value of securities denominated in foreign currencies and of dividends and interest paid with respect to such securities will fluctuate based on the relative strength of the U.S. dollar.

There may be less publicly available information about foreign issuers comparable to the reports and ratings published about issuers in the U.S. Foreign issuers generally are not subject to uniform accounting or financial reporting standards. Auditing practices and requirements may not be comparable to those applicable to U.S. issuers. Certain countries' legal institutions, financial markets and services are less developed than those in the U.S. or other major economies. The Fund may have greater difficulty voting proxies, exercising shareholder rights, securing dividends and obtaining information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis, pursuing legal remedies, and obtaining judgments with respect to foreign investments in foreign courts than with respect to domestic issuers in U.S. courts. The costs associated with foreign investments, including withholding taxes, brokerage commissions, and custodial costs, are generally higher than with U.S. investments.

Certain countries require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons, or limit the amount of investment by foreign persons in a particular company. Some countries limit the investment of foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms than securities of the issuer available for purchase by nationals. Although securities subject to such restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions. In some countries the repatriation of investment income, capital and proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval. The Fund could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for repatriation.

From time to time, trading in a foreign market may be interrupted. Foreign markets also have substantially less volume than the U.S. markets and securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. The Fund, therefore, may encounter difficulty in obtaining market quotations for purposes of valuing its portfolio and calculating its net asset value.

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In many foreign countries there is less government supervision and regulation of stock exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the U.S., which may result in greater potential for fraud or market manipulation. Foreign over-the-counter markets tend to be less regulated than foreign stock exchange markets and, in certain countries, may be totally unregulated. Brokerage commission rates in foreign countries, which generally are fixed rather than subject to negotiation as in the U.S., are likely to be higher. Foreign security trading, settlement and custodial practices (including those involving securities settlement where assets may be released prior to receipt of payment) are often less developed than those in U.S. markets, may be cumbersome and may result in increased risk or substantial delays. This could occur in the event of a failed trade or the insolvency of, or breach of duty by, a foreign broker-dealer, securities depository, or foreign subcustodian.

The holding of foreign securities may be limited by the Fund to avoid investment in certain Passive Foreign Investment Companies (PFICs) and the imposition of a PFIC tax on the Fund resulting from such investments.

Russia's military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the resulting responses by the United States and other countries, and the potential for wider conflict could increase volatility and uncertainty in the financial markets and adversely affect regional and global economies. The United States and other countries have imposed broad-ranging economic sanctions on Russia, certain Russian individuals, banking entities and corporations, and Belarus as a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and may impose sanctions on other countries that provide military or economic support to Russia. The extent and duration of Russia's military actions and the repercussions of such actions (including any retaliatory actions or countermeasures that may be taken by those subject to sanctions, including cyber attacks) are impossible to predict, but could result in significant market disruptions, including in certain industries or sectors, such as the oil and natural gas markets, and may negatively affect global supply chains, inflation and global growth. These and any related events could significantly impact the Fund's performance and the value of an investment in the Fund, even if the Fund does not have direct exposure to Russian issuers or issuers in other countries affected by the invasion.

On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (UK) left the European Union (EU). There is considerable uncertainty about the consequences of that departure, including uncertainty about the economic effects and results of trade negotiations between the UK and the EU. The negative impact of the UK's departure on, not only the UK and European economies, but the broader global economy, could be significant, potentially resulting in increased volatility and illiquidity and lower economic growth for companies that rely significantly on Europe for their business activities and revenues.

*Developing markets or emerging markets.* Investments in issuers domiciled or with significant operations in developing market or emerging market countries may be subject to potentially higher risks than investments in developed countries. These risks include, among others (i) less social, political and economic stability; (ii) smaller securities markets with low or nonexistent trading volume, which result in greater illiquidity and greater price volatility; (iii) certain national policies which may restrict the Fund's investment opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests; (iv) foreign taxation, including less transparent and established taxation policies; (v) less developed regulatory or legal structures governing private or foreign investment or allowing for judicial redress for injury to private property; (vi) the absence, until recently in many developing market countries, of a capital market structure or market-oriented economy; (vii) more widespread corruption and fraud; (viii) the financial institutions with which the Fund may trade may not possess the same degree of financial sophistication, creditworthiness or resources as those in developed markets; and (ix) the possibility that when favorable economic developments occur in some developing market countries, such developments may be slowed or reversed by unanticipated economic, political or social events in such countries.

Due to political, military or regional conflicts or due to terrorism or war, it is possible that the United States, other nations or other governmental entities (including supranational entities) could impose sanctions on a country involved in such conflicts that limit or restrict foreign investment, the movement of assets or other economic activity in that country. Such sanctions or other intergovernmental actions could result in the devaluation of a country's currency, a downgrade in the credit ratings of issuers in such country, or a decline in the value and liquidity of securities of issuers in that country. In addition, an imposition of sanctions upon certain issuers in a country could result in an immediate freeze of that issuer's securities, impairing the ability of the Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities. Countermeasures could be taken by the country's government, which could involve the seizure of the Fund's assets. In addition, such actions could adversely affect a country's economy, possibly forcing the economy into a recession.

In addition, many developing market countries have experienced substantial, and during some periods, extremely high rates of inflation, for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had, and may continue to have, negative effects on the economies and securities markets of certain countries. Moreover, the economies of some developing market countries may differ unfavorably from the U.S. economy in such respects as growth of gross domestic product, rate of inflation, currency depreciation, debt burden, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency and

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balance of payments position. The economies of some developing market countries may be based on only a few industries, and may be highly vulnerable to changes in local or global trade conditions.

Settlement systems in developing market countries may be less organized than in developed countries. Supervisory authorities may also be unable to apply standards which are comparable with those in more developed countries. There may be risks that settlement may be delayed and that cash or securities belonging to the Fund may be in jeopardy because of failures of or defects in the settlement systems. Market practice may require that payment be made prior to receipt of the security which is being purchased or that delivery of a security must be made before payment is received. In such cases, default by a broker or bank (counterparty) through whom the relevant transaction is effected might result in a loss being suffered by the Fund. The Fund seeks, where possible, to use counterparties whose financial status reduces this risk. However, there can be no certainty that the Fund will be successful in eliminating or reducing this risk, particularly as counterparties operating in developing market countries frequently lack the substance, capitalization and/or financial resources of those in developed countries. Uncertainties in the operation of settlement systems in individual markets may increase the risk of competing claims to securities held by or to be transferred to the Fund. Legal compensation schemes may be non-existent, limited or inadequate to meet the Fund's claims in any of these events.

Securities trading in developing markets presents additional credit and financial risks. The Fund may have limited access to, or there may be a limited number of, potential counterparties that trade in the securities of developing market issuers. Governmental regulations may restrict potential counterparties to certain financial institutions located or operating in the particular developing market. Potential counterparties may not possess, adopt or implement creditworthiness standards, financial reporting standards or legal and contractual protections similar to those in developed markets. Currency and other hedging techniques may not be available or may be limited.

The local taxation of income and capital gains accruing to non-residents varies among developing market countries and may be comparatively high. Developing market countries typically have less well-defined tax laws and procedures and such laws may permit retroactive taxation so that the Fund could in the future become subject to local tax liabilities that had not been anticipated in conducting its investment activities or valuing its assets.

Many developing market countries suffer from uncertainty and corruption in their legal frameworks. Legislation may be difficult to interpret and laws may be too new to provide any precedential value. Laws regarding foreign investment and private property may be weak or non-existent. Investments in developing market countries may involve risks of nationalization, expropriation and confiscatory taxation. For example, the Communist governments of a number of Eastern European countries expropriated large amounts of private property in the past, in many cases without adequate compensation, and there can be no assurance that similar expropriation will not occur in the future. In the event of expropriation, the Fund could lose all or a substantial portion of any investments it has made in the affected countries. Accounting, auditing and reporting standards in certain countries in which the Fund may invest may not provide the same degree of investor protection or information to investors as would generally apply in major securities markets. For example, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) has warned that positions taken by Chinese authorities impair the PCAOB's ability to conduct inspections and investigations of the audits of public companies with China-based operations. The PCAOB's impaired ability to oversee PCAOB-registered audit firms in China may result in inaccurate or incomplete financial records of an issuer's operations within China, which may negatively impact the Fund's investments in such companies. In addition, it is possible that purported securities in which the Fund invested may subsequently be found to be fraudulent and as a consequence the Fund could suffer losses.

There may be significant obstacles to obtaining information necessary for investigations into potential legal claims or litigation against emerging market issuers and investors such as the Fund may experience difficulty in enforcing legal claims related to investments in the securities of such issuers. The SEC and other U.S. regulatory authorities often have substantial difficulties in bringing and enforcing actions against non-U.S. companies and non-U.S. persons, including company directors and officers, in certain emerging markets, including China. Accordingly, investor protection and legal recourse may be limited with respect to the Fund's investments in emerging markets.

Finally, currencies of developing market countries are subject to significantly greater risks than currencies of developed countries. Some developing market currencies may not be internationally traded or may be subject to strict controls by local governments, resulting in undervalued or overvalued currencies and associated difficulties with the valuation of assets, including the Fund's securities, denominated in that currency. Some developing market countries have experienced balance of payment deficits and shortages in foreign exchange reserves. Governments have responded by restricting currency conversions. Future restrictive exchange controls could prevent or restrict a company's ability to make dividend or interest payments in the original currency of the obligation (usually U.S. dollars). In addition, even though the currencies of some developing market countries, such as certain Eastern European countries, may be convertible into U.S. dollars, the conversion rates may be artificial to the

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actual market values and may be adverse to the Fund's shareholders.

*Foreign currency exchange rates.* Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the U.S. dollar market value of securities denominated in such foreign currencies and any income received or expenses paid by the Fund in that foreign currency. This may affect the Fund's share price, income and distributions to shareholders. Some countries may have fixed or managed currencies that are not free-floating against the U.S. dollar. It will be more difficult for the investment manager to value securities denominated in currencies that are fixed or managed. Certain currencies may not be internationally traded, which could cause illiquidity with respect to the Fund's investments in that currency and any securities denominated in that currency. Currency markets generally are not as regulated as securities markets. The Fund endeavors to buy and sell foreign currencies on as favorable a basis as practicable. Some price spread in currency exchanges (to cover service charges) may be incurred, particularly when the Fund changes investments from one country to another or when proceeds of the sale of securities in U.S. dollars are used for the purchase of securities denominated in foreign currencies. Some countries may adopt policies that would prevent the Fund from transferring cash out of the country or withhold portions of interest and dividends at the source.

Certain currencies have experienced a steady devaluation relative to the U.S. dollar. Any devaluations in the currencies in which the Fund's portfolio securities are denominated may have a detrimental impact on the Fund. Where the exchange rate for a currency declines materially after the Fund's income has been accrued and translated into U.S. dollars, the Fund may need to redeem portfolio securities to make required distributions. Similarly, if an exchange rate declines between the time the Fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the Fund will have to convert a greater amount of the currency into U.S. dollars in order to pay the expenses.

Investing in foreign currencies for purposes of gaining from projected changes in exchange rates further increases the Fund's exposure to foreign securities losses.

**High-yield debt securities** High-yield or lower-rated debt securities (also referred to as "junk bonds") are securities that have been rated below the top four rating categories (e.g., BB or Ba and lower) by one or more independent rating organizations such as Moody's or S&P and are considered below investment grade. These securities generally have greater risk with respect to the payment of interest and repayment of principal, or may be in default and are often considered to be speculative and involve greater risk of loss because they are generally unsecured and are often subordinated to other debt of the issuer.

Adverse publicity, investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, or real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions may decrease the values and liquidity of lower-rated debt securities, especially in a thinly traded market. Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of lower-rated debt securities may be more complex than for issuers of higher-rated securities. The Fund relies on the investment manager's judgment, analysis and experience in evaluating the creditworthiness of an issuer of lower-rated securities. In such evaluations, the investment manager takes into consideration, among other things, the issuer's financial resources, its sensitivity to economic conditions and trends, its operating history, the quality of the issuer's management and regulatory matters. There can be no assurance the investment manager will be successful in evaluating the creditworthiness of an issuer or the value of high yield debt securities generally.

The prices of lower-rated debt securities may be less sensitive to interest rate changes than higher-rated debt securities, but more sensitive to economic downturns or individual adverse corporate developments. Market anticipation of an economic downturn or of rising interest rates, for example, could cause a decline in lower-rated debt securities prices. This is because an economic downturn could lessen the ability of a highly leveraged company to make principal and interest payments on its debt securities. Similarly, the impact of individual adverse corporate developments, or public perceptions thereof, will be greater for lower-rated securities because the issuers of such securities are more likely to enter bankruptcy. If the issuer of lower-rated debt securities defaults, the Fund may incur substantial expenses to seek recovery of all or a portion of its investments or to exercise other rights as a security holder. The Fund may choose, at its expense or in conjunction with others, to pursue litigation or otherwise to exercise its rights as a security holder to seek to protect the interests of security holders if it determines this to be in the best interest of the Fund's shareholders.

Lower-rated debt securities frequently have call or buy-back features that allow an issuer to redeem the securities from their holders. Although these securities are typically not callable for a period of time, usually for three to five years from the date of issue, the Fund will be exposed to prepayment risk.

The markets in which lower-rated debt securities are traded are more limited than those in which higher-rated securities are traded. The existence of limited markets for particular securities may diminish the Fund's ability to sell the securities at desirable prices to meet redemption requests or to respond to a specific economic event, such as deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer. Reduced secondary market liquidity for certain lower-rated debt securities also may make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain accurate market quotations for the purposes of valuing the Fund's portfolio.

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Market quotations are generally available on many lower-rated securities only from a limited number of dealers and may not necessarily represent firm bids of such dealers or prices of actual sales, which may limit the Fund's ability to rely on such quotations.

Some lower-rated debt securities are sold without registration under federal securities laws and, therefore, carry restrictions on resale. While many of such lower-rated debt securities have been sold with registration rights, covenants and penalty provisions for delayed registration, if the Fund is required to sell restricted securities before the securities have been registered, it may be deemed an underwriter of the securities under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (1933 Act), which entails special responsibilities and liabilities. The Fund also may incur extra costs when selling restricted securities, although the Fund will generally not incur any costs when the issuer is responsible for registering the securities.

High-yield, fixed-income securities acquired during an initial underwriting involve special credit risks because they are new issues. The investment manager will carefully review the issuer's credit and other characteristics.

The credit risk factors described above also apply to high-yield zero coupon, deferred interest and pay-in-kind securities. These securities have an additional risk, however, because unlike securities that pay interest periodically until maturity, zero coupon bonds and similar securities will not make any interest or principal payments until the cash payment date or maturity of the security. If the issuer defaults, the Fund may not obtain any return on its investment.

**Illiquid securities** Generally, an "illiquid security" or "illiquid investment" is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Illiquid investments generally include investments for which no market exists or which are legally restricted as to their transfer (such as those issued pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements of the federal securities laws). Restricted securities are generally sold in privately negotiated transactions, pursuant to an exemption from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (1933 Act). If registration of a security previously acquired in a private transaction is required, the Fund, as the holder of the security, may be obligated to pay all or part of the registration expense and a considerable period may elapse between the time it decides to seek registration and the time it will be permitted to sell a security under an effective registration statement. If, during such a period, adverse market conditions were to develop, the Fund might obtain a less favorable price than prevailed when it decided to seek registration of the security. To the extent it is determined that there is a liquid institutional or other market for certain restricted securities, the Fund would consider them to be liquid securities. An example is a restricted security that may be freely transferred among qualified institutional buyers pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, and for which a liquid institutional market has developed. Rule 144A securities may be subject, however, to a greater possibility of becoming illiquid than securities that have been registered with the SEC.

The following factors may be taken into account in determining whether a restricted security is properly considered a liquid security: (i) the frequency of trades and quotes for the security; (ii) the number of dealers willing to buy or sell the security and the number of other potential buyers; (iii) any dealer undertakings to make a market in the security; and (iv) the nature of the security and of the marketplace trades (e.g., any demand, put or tender features, the method of soliciting offers, the mechanics and other requirements for transfer, and the ability to assign or offset the rights and obligations of the security). The nature of the security and its trading includes the time needed to sell the security, the method of soliciting offers to purchase or sell the security, and the mechanics of transferring the security including the role of parties such as foreign or U.S. custodians, subcustodians, currency exchange brokers, and depositories.

The sale of illiquid investments often requires more time and results in higher brokerage charges or dealer discounts and other selling expenses than the sale of investments eligible for trading on national securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter (OTC) markets. Illiquid investments often sell at a price lower than similar investments that are not subject to restrictions on resale.

The risk to the Fund in holding illiquid investments is that they may be more difficult to sell if the Fund wants to dispose of the investment in response to adverse developments or in order to raise money for redemptions or other investment opportunities. Illiquid trading conditions may also make it more difficult for the Fund to realize an investment's fair value.

The Fund may also be unable to achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain investment, issuer, or sector due to overall limitations on its ability to invest in illiquid investments and the difficulty in purchasing such investments.

If illiquid investments exceed 15% of the Fund's net assets after the time of purchase, the Fund will take steps to reduce its holdings of illiquid investments to or below 15% of its net assets within a reasonable period of time, and will notify the Trust's board of trustees and make the required filings with the SEC in accordance with Rule 22e-4 under the 1940 Act. Because illiquid investments may not be readily marketable, the portfolio managers and/or investment personnel may not be able to dispose of them in a timely manner. As a result, the Fund may be forced to hold illiquid investments while their price depreciates. Depreciation in the price of illiquid

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investments may cause the net asset value of the Fund to decline.

**Interfund lending program** Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the SEC (Lending Order), the Fund has the ability to lend money to, and borrow money from, other Franklin Templeton funds for temporary purposes (Interfund Lending Program) pursuant to a master interfund lending agreement (Interfund Loan). Lending and borrowing through the Interfund Lending Program provides the borrowing fund with a lower interest rate than it would have paid if it borrowed money from a bank, and provides the lending fund with an alternative short-term investment with a higher rate of return than other available short-term investments. All Interfund Loans would consist only of uninvested cash reserves that the lending fund otherwise would invest in short-term repurchase agreements or other short-term instruments. The Fund may only participate in the Interfund Lending Program to the extent permitted by its investment goal(s), policies and restrictions and only subject to meeting the conditions of the Lending Order.

The limitations of the Interfund Lending Program are described below and these and the other conditions of the Lending Order permitting interfund lending are designed to minimize the risks associated with interfund lending for both the lending and borrowing fund. However, no borrowing or lending activity is without risk. When a fund borrows money from another fund under the Interfund Lending Program, there is a risk that the Interfund Loan could be called on one business day's notice, in which case the borrowing fund may have to utilize a line of credit, which would likely involve higher rates, seek an Interfund Loan from another fund, or liquidate portfolio securities if no lending sources are available to meet its liquidity needs. Interfund Loans are subject to the risk that the borrowing fund could be unable to repay the loan when due, and a delay in repayment could result in a lost opportunity by the lending fund or force the lending fund to borrow or liquidate securities to meet its liquidity needs.

Under the Interfund Lending Program, the Fund may borrow on an unsecured basis through the Interfund Lending Program if its outstanding borrowings from all sources immediately after the borrowing total 10% or less of its total assets, provided that if the Fund has a secured loan outstanding from any other lender, including but not limited to another fund, the Fund's Interfund Loan will be secured on at least an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding loan that requires collateral. If the Fund's total outstanding borrowings immediately after an Interfund Loan exceed 10% of its total assets, the Fund may borrow through the Interfund Lending Program on a secured basis only. The Fund may not borrow under the Interfund Lending Program or from any other source if its total outstanding borrowings immediately after such borrowing would be more than 33 1/3% of its total assets or any lower threshold provided for by the Fund's investment restrictions.

If the Fund has outstanding bank borrowings, any Interfund Loans to the Fund would: (a) be at an interest rate equal to or lower than that of any outstanding bank loan, (b) be secured at least on an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding bank loan that requires collateral, (c) have a maturity no longer than any outstanding bank loan (and in any event not over seven days), and (d) provide that, if an event of default by the Fund occurs under any agreement evidencing an outstanding bank loan to the Fund, that event of default will automatically (without need for action or notice by the lending Fund) constitute an immediate event of default under the interfund lending agreement, entitling the lending fund to call the Interfund Loan (and exercise all rights with respect to any collateral), and that such call would be made if the lending bank exercises its right to call its loan under its agreement with the borrowing fund.

In addition, no fund may lend to another fund through the Interfund Lending Program if the loan would cause the lending fund's aggregate outstanding loans through the Interfund Lending Program to exceed 15% of its current net assets at the time of the loan. A fund's Interfund Loans to any one fund shall not exceed 5% of the lending fund's net assets. The duration of Interfund Loans will be limited to the time required to obtain cash sufficient to repay such Interfund Loan, either through the sale of portfolio securities or the net sales of the fund's shares, but in no event more than seven days, and for purposes of this condition, loans effected within seven days of each other will be treated as separate loan transactions. Each Interfund Loan may be called on one business day's notice by a lending fund and may be repaid on any day by a borrowing fund.

**Investment company securities** The Fund may invest in other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act, SEC rules thereunder and exemptions thereto. With respect to funds in which the Fund may invest, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act requires that, as determined immediately after a purchase is made, (i) not more than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets will be invested in the securities of any one investment company, (ii) not more than 10% of the value of the Fund's total assets will be invested in securities of investment companies as a group, and (iii) not more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any one investment company will be owned by the Fund. The Fund will limit its investments in funds in accordance with the Section 12(d)(1)(A) limitations set forth above, except to the extent that any rules, regulations or no-action or exemptive relief under the 1940 Act permits the Fund's investments to exceed such limits. For example, Rule 12d1-4, which became effective on January 19, 2021, permits the Fund to invest in other investment companies beyond the statutory limits, subject to certain conditions. Among other conditions, the

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Rule prohibits a fund from acquiring control of another investment company (other than an investment company in the same group of investment companies), including by acquiring more than 25% of its voting securities. In addition, the Rule imposes certain voting requirements when a fund's ownership of another investment company exceeds particular thresholds. If shares of a fund are acquired by another investment company, the "acquired" fund may not purchase or otherwise acquire the securities of an investment company or private fund if immediately after such purchase or acquisition, the securities of investment companies and private funds owned by that acquired fund have an aggregate value in excess of 10% of the value of the total assets of the fund, subject to certain exceptions. These restrictions may limit the Fund's ability to invest in other investment companies to the extent desired. In addition, other unaffiliated investment companies may impose other investment limitations or redemption restrictions which may also limit the Fund's flexibility with respect to making investments in those unaffiliated investment companies. To the extent that the Fund invests in another investment company, because other investment companies pay advisory, administrative and service fees that are borne indirectly by investors, such as the Fund, there may be duplication of investment management and other fees. The Fund may also invest its cash balances in affiliated money market funds to the extent permitted by its investment policies and rules and exemptions granted under the 1940 Act.

*Closed-end funds.* The shares of a closed-end fund typically are bought and sold on an exchange. The risks of investing in a closed-end investment company typically reflect the risk of the types of securities in which the closed-end fund invests. Closed-end funds often leverage returns by issuing debt securities, variable rate preferred securities or reverse-repurchase agreements. The Fund may invest in debt securities issued by closed-end funds, subject to any quality or other standards applicable to the Fund's investment in debt securities. If the Fund invests in shares issued by leveraged closed-end funds, it will face certain risks associated with leveraged investments.

Investments in closed-end funds are subject to additional risks. For example, the price of the closed-end fund's shares quoted on an exchange may not reflect the net asset value of the securities held by the closed-end fund. The premium or discount that the share prices represent versus net asset value may change over time based on a variety of factors, including supply of and demand for the closed-end fund's shares, that are outside the closed-end fund's control or unrelated to the value of the underlying portfolio securities. If the Fund invests in the closed-end fund to gain exposure to the closed-end fund's investments, the lack of correlation between the performance of the closed-end fund's investments and the closed-end fund's share price may compromise or eliminate any such exposure.

*Exchange-traded funds.* The Fund may invest in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Most ETFs are regulated as registered investment companies under the 1940 Act. Many ETFs acquire and hold securities of all of the companies or other issuers, or a representative sampling of companies or other issuers that are components of a particular index. Such ETFs are intended to provide investment results that, before expenses, generally correspond to the price and yield performance of the corresponding market index, and the value of their shares should, under normal circumstances, closely track the value of the index's underlying component securities. Because an ETF has operating expenses and transaction costs, while a market index does not, ETFs that track particular indices typically will be unable to match the performance of the index exactly. There are also actively managed ETFs that are managed similarly to other investment companies.

ETF shares may be purchased and sold in the secondary trading market on a securities exchange, in lots of any size, at any time during the trading day. The shares of an ETF may also be assembled in a block (typically 50,000 shares) known as a creation unit and redeemed in kind for a portfolio of the underlying securities (based on the ETF's net asset value) together with a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends as of the date of redemption. Conversely, a creation unit may be purchased from the ETF by depositing a specified portfolio of the ETF's underlying securities, as well as a cash payment generally equal to accumulated dividends of the securities (net of expenses) up to the time of deposit.

ETF shares, as opposed to creation units, are generally purchased and sold in a secondary market on a securities exchange. ETF shares can be traded in lots of any size, at any time during the trading day. Although the Fund, like most other investors in ETFs, intends to purchase and sell ETF shares primarily in the secondary trading market, the Fund may redeem creation units for the underlying securities (and any applicable cash), and may assemble a portfolio of the underlying securities and use it (and any required cash) to purchase creation units, if the investment manager believes it is in the Fund's best interest to do so.

An investment in an ETF is subject to all of the risks of investing in the securities held by the ETF and has similar risks as investing in a closed-end fund. In addition, because of the ability of large market participants to arbitrage price differences by purchasing or redeeming creation units, the difference between the market value and the net asset value of ETF shares should in most cases be small. An ETF may be terminated and need to liquidate its portfolio securities at a time when the prices for those securities are falling.

**Investment grade debt securities** Investment grade debt securities are securities that are rated at the time of purchase in the top four ratings categories by one or more independent rating organizations such as S&P (rated BBB- or better) or

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Moody's (rated Baa3 or higher) or, if unrated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the Fund's investment manager. Generally, a higher rating indicates the rating agency's opinion that there is less risk of default of obligations thereunder including timely repayment of principal and payment of interest. Debt securities in the lowest investment grade category may have speculative characteristics and more closely resemble high-yield debt securities than investment-grade debt securities. Lower-rated securities may be subject to all the risks applicable to high-yield debt securities and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make principal and interest payments than is the case with higher grade debt securities.

A number of risks associated with rating agencies apply to the purchase or sale of investment grade debt securities.

**Real estate investment trusts (REITs)** A REIT is a pooled investment vehicle which purchases primarily income-producing real estate or real estate related loans or other real estate related interests. The pooled vehicle, typically a trust, then issues shares whose value and investment performance are dependent upon the investment experience of the underlying real estate related investments.

The Fund's investments in real estate-related securities are subject to certain risks related to the real estate industry in general. These risks include, among others: changes in general and local economic conditions; possible declines in the value of real estate; the possible lack of availability of money for loans to purchase real estate; overbuilding in particular areas; prolonged vacancies in rental properties; property taxes; changes in tax laws relating to dividends and laws related to the use of real estate in certain areas; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and liability to third parties resulting from, environmental problems; the costs associated with damage to real estate resulting from floods, earthquakes or other material disasters not covered by insurance; and limitations on, and variations in, rents and changes in interest rates. The value of securities of companies that service the real estate industry will also be affected by these risks.

In addition, equity REITs are affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs are affected by the quality of the properties to which they have extended credit. Equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon the REITs management skill. REITs may not be diversified and are subject to the risks of financing projects.

**Repurchase agreements** Under a repurchase agreement, the Fund agrees to buy securities guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities from a qualified bank, broker-dealer or other counterparty and then to sell the securities back to such counterparty on an agreed upon date (generally less than seven days) at a higher price, which reflects currently prevailing short-term interest rates. Entering into repurchase agreements allows the Fund to earn a return on cash in the Fund's portfolio that would otherwise remain un-invested. The counterparty must transfer to the Fund's custodian, as collateral, securities with an initial market value of at least 102% of the dollar amount paid by the Fund to the counterparty. The investment manager will monitor the value of such collateral daily to determine that the value of the collateral equals or exceeds the repurchase price.

Repurchase agreements may involve risks in the event of default or insolvency of the counterparty, including possible delays or restrictions upon the Fund's ability to sell the underlying securities and additional expenses in seeking to enforce the Fund's rights and recover any losses. The Fund will enter into repurchase agreements only with parties who meet certain creditworthiness standards, i.e., banks or broker-dealers that the investment manager has determined, based on the information available at the time, present no serious risk of becoming involved in bankruptcy proceedings within the time frame contemplated by the repurchase agreement. Although the Fund seeks to limit the credit risk under a repurchase agreement by carefully selecting counterparties and accepting only high quality collateral, some credit risk remains. The counterparty could default which may make it necessary for the Fund to incur expenses to liquidate the collateral. In addition, the collateral may decline in value before it can be liquidated by the Fund.

A repurchase agreement with more than seven days to maturity is considered an illiquid security and is subject to the Fund's investment restriction on illiquid securities.

**Securities lending** To generate additional income, the Fund may lend certain of its portfolio securities to qualified banks and broker-dealers (referred to as "borrowers"). In exchange, the Fund receives cash collateral from a borrower at least equal to the value of the security loaned by the Fund. Cash collateral typically consists of any combination of cash, securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies and instrumentalities, and irrevocable letters of credit. The Fund may invest this cash collateral while the loan is outstanding and generally retains part or all of the interest earned on the cash collateral. Securities lending allows the Fund to retain ownership of the securities loaned and, at the same time, earn additional income.

For each loan, the borrower usually must maintain with the Fund's custodian collateral with an initial market value at least equal to 102% of the market value of the domestic securities loaned (or 105% of the market value of foreign securities loaned), including any accrued interest thereon. Such collateral will be marked-to-market daily, and if the coverage falls below 100%, the borrower will be required to deliver additional collateral equal to at least 102% of the market

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value of the domestic securities loaned (or 105% of the foreign securities loaned).

The Fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of the cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. The Fund also continues to receive any distributions paid on the loaned securities. The Fund seeks to maintain the ability to obtain the right to vote or consent on proxy proposals involving material events affecting securities loaned. The Fund may terminate a loan at any time and obtain the return of the securities loaned within the normal settlement period for the security involved.

If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned because of insolvency or other reasons, the Fund could experience delays and costs in recovering the securities loaned or in gaining access to the collateral. These delays and costs could be greater for foreign securities. If the Fund is not able to recover the securities loaned, the Fund may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement investment in the market. Additional transaction costs would result, and the value of the collateral could decrease below the value of the replacement investment by the time the replacement investment is purchased. Until the replacement can be purchased, the Fund will not have the desired level of exposure to the security which the borrower failed to return. Cash received as collateral through loan transactions may be invested in other eligible securities, including shares of a money market fund. Investing this cash subjects the Fund to greater market risk including losses on the collateral and, should the Fund need to look to the collateral in the event of the borrower's default, losses on the loan secured by that collateral.

The Fund will loan its securities only to parties who meet creditworthiness standards approved by the Fund's board (i.e., banks or broker-dealers that the investment manager has determined are not apparently at risk of becoming involved in bankruptcy proceedings within the time frame contemplated by the loan). In addition, pursuant to the 1940 Act and SEC interpretations thereof, the aggregate market value of securities that may be loaned by the Fund is limited to 33 1/3% of the Fund's total assets or such lower limit as set by the Fund or its board.

**Short sales** In a short sale, the Fund sells a security it does not own in anticipation of a decline in the market value of that security. To complete the transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. The price at this time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by the Fund. Until the security is replaced, the Fund must pay the lender any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, the Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out. In buying the security to replace the borrowed security, the Fund expects to acquire the security in the market for less than the amount it earned in the short sale, thereby yielding a profit.

The Fund will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaces the borrowed security, and the Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those same dates. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium, dividends or interest the Fund is required to pay in connection with the short sale.

The Fund will treat short sales as derivatives transactions under Rule 18f-4, as described more fully under "Derivative instruments" in this SAI.

The Fund may make a short sale when the investment manager believes the price of the stock may decline and when the investment manager does not currently want to sell the stock or convertible security it owns. In this case, any decline in the value of the Fund's portfolio securities would be reduced by a gain in the short sale transaction. Conversely, any increase in the value of the Fund's portfolio securities would be reduced by a loss in the short sale transaction.

The investment manager has adopted short sale procedures to prevent the short sale of a security by the Fund where another client of the investment manager also holds that security. The procedures prohibit the execution of short sales by the Fund when there are open buy or sell orders or current long portfolio holdings in the same security or economic equivalent (e.g., a bond convertible into common stock) on the same trading desk on which the investment manager places trades or in the portfolios of other accounts managed by the investment manager. In addition, the procedures prohibit the execution of purchases and sales when there are open short sale orders in the same security on the same trading desk on which the investment manager places trades.

Short sales "against the box" are transactions in which the Fund sells a security short but it also owns an equal amount of the securities sold short or owns securities that are convertible or exchangeable, without payment of further consideration, into an equal amount of such security.

**Standby commitment agreements** A standby commitment agreement is an agreement committing the Fund to buy a stated amount of a security, for a stated period of time, at the option of the issuer. The price and interest rate of the security is fixed at the time of the commitment. When the Fund enters into the agreement, the Fund is paid a commitment fee, which it keeps regardless of whether the security is ultimately issued, typically equal to approximately 0.5% of the aggregate

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purchase price of the security that the Fund has committed to buy.

The purchase of a security subject to a standby commitment agreement and the related commitment fee will be recorded on the date on which the security can reasonably be expected to be issued. In the event the security is not issued, the commitment fee will be recorded as income on the expiration date of the standby commitment. Standby commitment agreements may be deemed "illiquid" and therefore subject to the Fund's limitation on investment in illiquid securities.

There can be no assurance that the securities subject to a standby commitment will be issued, and the value of the securities, if issued, on the delivery date may be more or less than their purchase price. Because the issuance of the security underlying the commitment is at the option of the issuer, the Fund generally bears the risk of a decline in the value of the security and may not benefit from an appreciation in the value of the security during the commitment period. If an issuer's financial condition deteriorates between the time of the standby commitment and the date of issuance, these commitments may have the effect of requiring the Fund to make an investment in an issuer at a time when it would not otherwise have done so. This is the case even if the issuer's condition makes it unlikely that any amounts invested by the Fund pursuant to the standby commitment will ever be repaid. The Fund will only enter into standby commitment agreements with issuers which the investment manager believes will not deteriorate in creditworthiness during the commitment period. The Fund will experience credit risk associated with the issuer.

**Structured investments** Structured investments are interests in entities organized and operated solely for the purpose of restructuring the investment characteristics of a security or securities and then issuing that restructured security. Restructuring involves the deposit with, or purchase by, an entity (such as a corporation or trust) of specified instruments and the issuance by that entity of one or more classes of securities (structured investments) backed by, or representing interests in, the underlying instruments.

Subordinated classes typically have higher yields and present greater risks than unsubordinated classes. The extent of the payments made with respect to structured investments is dependent on the extent of the cash flow on the underlying instruments.

Certain issuers of structured investments may be deemed to be "investment companies" as defined in the 1940 Act. As a result, the Fund's investment in these structured investments may be limited by the restrictions contained in the 1940 Act. The risks associated with investing in a structured investment are usually tied to the risks associated with investing in the underlying instruments and securities. The risks will also depend upon the comparative subordination of the class held by the Fund, relative to the likelihood of a default on the structured investment. To the extent that the Fund is exposed to default, the Fund's structured investment may involve risks similar to those of high-yield debt securities. Structured investments typically are sold in private placement transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured investments. To the extent such investments are deemed to be illiquid, they will be subject to the Fund's restrictions on investments in illiquid securities.

These entities typically are organized by investment banking firms that receive fees in connection with establishing each entity and arranging for the placement of its securities. The Fund will indirectly pay its portion of these fees in addition to the fees associated with the creation and marketing of the underlying instruments and securities. If an active investment management component is combined with the underlying instruments and securities in the structured investment, there may be ongoing advisory fees which the Fund's shareholders would indirectly pay.

**Temporary investments** When the investment manager believes market or economic conditions are unfavorable for investors, the investment manager may invest up to 100% of the Fund's assets in temporary defensive investments, including cash, cash equivalents or other high quality short-term investments, such as short-term debt instruments, including U.S. government securities, high grade commercial paper, repurchase agreements, negotiable certificates of deposit, non-negotiable fixed time deposits, bankers acceptances, and other money market equivalents. To the extent allowed by exemptions from and rules under the 1940 Act and the Fund's other investment policies and restrictions, the investment manager also may invest the Fund's assets in shares of one or more money market funds managed by the investment manager or its affiliates. Unfavorable market or economic conditions may include excessive volatility or a prolonged general decline in the securities markets, the securities in which the Fund normally invests, or the economies of the countries where the Fund invests. Temporary defensive investments can and do experience defaults. The likelihood of default on a temporary defensive investment may increase in the market or economic conditions which are likely to trigger the Fund's investment therein. The investment manager also may invest in these types of securities or hold cash while looking for suitable investment opportunities or to maintain liquidity. When the Fund's assets are invested in temporary investments, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment goal.

**Trade claims** Trade claims are direct obligations or claims against companies that are in bankruptcy or other financial difficulty that are purchased from the creditors of such companies. For buyers, such as the Fund, trade claims offer the potential for profits because they are often purchased at a significantly discounted value and, consequently, may generate capital appreciation if the value of the claim

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increases as the debtor's financial position improves. If the debtor is able to pay the full face value of the claim as a result of a restructuring or an improvement in the debtor's financial condition, trade claims offer the potential for higher income due to the difference in the face value of the claim as compared to the discounted purchase price.

An investment in trade claims is speculative and carries a high degree of risk. Trade claims are not backed by collateral or other forms of credit support. There can be no guarantee that the debtor will ever be able to satisfy the obligation on the trade claim. There is usually a substantial delay between purchasing a trade claim and receiving any return. Trade claims are not regulated by federal securities laws or the SEC, so the Fund's investment will not receive the same investor protections as with regulated securities. Currently, trade claims are regulated primarily by bankruptcy laws. Because trade claims are unsecured, holders of trade claims may have a lower priority in terms of payment than most other creditors in a bankruptcy proceeding.

**Warrants** A warrant is typically a long-term option issued by a corporation which gives the holder the privilege of buying a specified number of shares of the underlying common stock at a specified exercise price at any time on or before an expiration date. Stock index warrants entitle the holder to receive, upon exercise, an amount in cash determined by reference to fluctuations in the level of a specified stock index. If a Fund does not exercise or dispose of a warrant prior to its expiration, it will expire worthless.

**When-issued, delayed delivery and to-be-announced transactions** When-issued, delayed delivery and to-be-announced (TBA) transactions are arrangements under which the parties agree on the sale of securities with payment for and delivery of the security scheduled for a future time. The securities may have been authorized but not yet issued, or, in the TBA market for U.S. Government agency mortgage-backed securities, the parties agree on a price, volume, and basic characteristics of securities to be delivered on the settlement date, rather than particular securities. In addition to buying securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or TBA basis, the Fund may also sell these securities on a TBA basis to close out an existing TBA position before the settlement date, to take advantage of an expected decline in value of the securities, or for hedging purposes.

Entering into a when-issued, delayed delivery or TBA transaction may be viewed as a form of leverage and will result in associated risks for the Fund. The Fund does not consider the purchase and/or sale of securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery or TBA basis to be a borrowing for purposes of the Fund's fundamental restrictions or other limitations on borrowing.

Many when-issued, delayed-delivery or TBA transactions also are subject to the risk that a counterparty may become bankrupt or otherwise fail to perform its obligations due to financial difficulties, including making payments or fulfilling other obligations to the Fund. The Fund may obtain no or only limited recovery in a bankruptcy or other organizational proceedings, and any recovery may be significantly delayed. With respect to forward settling TBA transactions involving U.S. Government agency mortgage backed securities, the counterparty risk may be mitigated by the exchange of variation margin on a regular basis between counterparties as the market value of the deliverable security fluctuates.

The Fund also relies on the counterparty to complete the transaction. The counterparty's failure to do so may cause the Fund to miss a price or yield considered advantageous to the Fund. Although their price typically reflects accrued interest, securities purchased on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis do not generally earn interest until their scheduled delivery date. Purchases or sales of debt securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis are also subject to the risk that the market value or the yield at delivery may be more or less than the market price or yield available when the transaction was entered into, or that the Fund is unable to purchase securities for delivery at the settlement date with the characteristics agreed upon at the time of the transaction.

The following is a description of other **risks** associated with the Fund's investments:

**Focus** The greater the Fund's exposure to (or focus on) any single type of investment – including investment in a given industry, sector, country, region, or type of security – the greater the impact of adverse events or conditions in such industry, sector, country, region or investment will have on the Fund's performance. To the extent the Fund has greater exposure to any single type of investment, the Fund's potential for loss (or gain) will be greater than if its portfolio were invested more broadly in many types of investments.

The Fund's exposure to such industries, sectors, regions and other investments may also arise indirectly through the Fund's investments in debt securities (e.g., mortgage or asset-backed securities) that are secured by such investments. Similar risks associated with focusing on a particular type of investment may result if real properties and collateral securing the Fund's investments are located in the same geographical region or subject to the same risks or concerns.

**Inside information** The investment manager (through its representatives or otherwise) may receive information that restricts the investment manager's ability to cause the Fund to buy or sell securities of an issuer for substantial periods of time when the Fund otherwise could realize profit or avoid loss. This may adversely affect the Fund's flexibility with respect to buying or selling securities and may impair the Fund's liquidity.

**Liquidity** Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are or become difficult to purchase or sell at the price at which the

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Fund has valued the security, whether because of current market conditions, the financial condition of the issuer, or the specific type of investment. If the market for a particular security becomes illiquid (for example, due to changes in the issuer's financial condition), the Fund may be unable to sell such security at an advantageous time or price due to the difficulty in selling such securities. To the extent that the Fund and its affiliates hold a significant portion of an issuer's outstanding securities, the Fund may also be subject to greater liquidity risk than if the issuer's securities were more widely held. The Fund may also need to sell some of the Fund's more liquid securities when it otherwise would not do so in order to meet redemption requests, even if such sale of the liquid holdings would be disadvantageous from an investment standpoint. Reduced liquidity may also have an adverse impact on a security's market value and the sale of such securities often results in higher brokerage charges or dealer discounts and other selling expenses. Reduced liquidity in the secondary market for certain securities will also make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain market quotations based on actual trades for purposes of valuing the Fund's portfolio and thus pricing may be prone to error when market quotations are volatile, infrequent and/or subject to large spreads between bid and ask prices. In addition, prices received by the Fund for securities may be based on institutional "round lot" sizes, but the Fund may purchase, hold or sell smaller, "odd lot" sizes, which may be harder to sell. Odd lots may trade at lower prices than round lots, which may affect the Fund's ability to accurately value its investments.

The market for certain equity or debt securities may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. Liquidity risk generally increases (meaning that securities become more illiquid) as the number, or relative need, of investors seeking to liquidate in a given market increases; for example, when an asset class or classes fall out of favor and investors sell their holdings in such classes, either directly or indirectly through investment funds, such as mutual funds .

**Management** The investment manager's judgments about markets, interest rates or the attractiveness, relative values or potential appreciation of particular investment strategies or sectors or securities purchased for the Fund's portfolio may prove to be incorrect, all of which could cause the Fund to perform less favorably and may result in a decline in the Fund's share price.

The investment manager selects investments for the Fund based on its own analysis and information as well as on external sources of information, such as information that the investment manager obtains from other sources including through conferences and discussions with third parties, and data that issuers of securities provide to the investment manager or file with government agencies. The investment manager may also use information concerning institutional positions and buying activity in a security. The investment manager is not in a position to confirm the completeness, genuineness or accuracy of any of such information that is provided or filed by an issuer, and in some cases, complete and accurate information is not readily available. It is also possible that information on which the investment manager relies could be wrong or misleading. Additionally, legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to the investment manager in connection with managing the Fund and may also adversely affect the ability of the Fund to achieve its investment goal. Management risk is greater when less qualitative information is available to the investment manager about an investment.

**Market** The market value of securities owned by the Fund may go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably due to general market conditions which are not specifically related to a single corporate borrower or security issuer. These general market conditions include real or perceived adverse economic or regulatory conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency exchange rates or adverse investor sentiment generally. Market values may also decline due to factors which affect a particular industry or sector, such as labor shortages or increased production costs and competitive conditions within an industry, or a particular segment, such as mortgage or government securities. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously. When markets perform well, there can be no assurance that the Fund's securities will participate in or otherwise benefit from the advance.

**Portfolio turnover** Portfolio turnover is a measure of how frequently the Fund's portfolio securities are bought and sold. High portfolio turnover rates generally increase transaction costs, which are Fund expenses. Such portfolio transactions may also result in the realization of taxable capital gains, including short-term capital gains, which are generally taxable at ordinary income tax rates for federal income tax purposes for shareholders subject to income tax and who hold their shares in a taxable account. Higher transaction costs reduce the Fund's returns.

The SEC requires annual portfolio turnover to be calculated generally as the lesser of the Fund's purchases or sales of portfolio securities during a given fiscal year, divided by the monthly average value of the Fund's portfolio securities owned during that year (excluding securities with a maturity or expiration date that, at the time of acquisition, was less than one year). For example, a fund reporting a 100% portfolio turnover rate would have purchased and sold securities worth as much as the monthly average value of its portfolio securities during the year. The portfolio turnover rates for the Fund are disclosed in the sections entitled "Portfolio Turnover" and "Financial Highlights" of the Fund's prospectus.

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Portfolio turnover is affected by factors within and outside the control of the Fund and its investment manager. The investment manager's investment outlook for the type of securities in which the Fund invests may change as a result of unexpected developments in domestic or international securities markets, or in economic, monetary or political relationships. High market volatility may result in the investment manager using a more active trading strategy than it might have otherwise pursued. The Fund's investment manager will consider the economic effects of portfolio turnover but generally will not treat portfolio turnover as a limiting factor in making investment decisions. Investment decisions affecting turnover may include changes in investment policies or management personnel, as well as individual portfolio transactions.

Factors wholly outside the control of the investment manager that may increase portfolio turnover include increased merger and acquisition activity, increased refinancing of outstanding debt by an issuer, or increased rates of bankruptcy or default, that may create involuntary transactions for funds that hold affected securities.

The rate of bond calls by issuers of fixed-income debt securities may increase as interest rates decline. This causes "sales" of called bonds by the Fund and the subsequent purchase of replacement investments.

In addition, redemptions or exchanges by investors may require the liquidation of portfolio securities. Changes in particular portfolio holdings may also be made whenever a security is considered to be no longer the most appropriate investment for the Fund, or another security appears to have a relatively better opportunity.

**Value investing** The Fund's emphasis on securities believed to be undervalued by the market uses a technique that requires not only the resources to undertake extensive research of little followed, out-of-favor securities, but also the patience and discipline to hold these investments until their fundamental values are ultimately recognized by others in the marketplace. There can be no assurance that this technique will be successful for the Fund or that the Fund will achieve its investment goal.

*Policies and Procedures Regarding the Release of Portfolio Holdings* 

The Fund's overall policy with respect to the release of portfolio holdings is to release such information consistent with applicable legal requirements and the fiduciary duties owed to shareholders. Subject to the limited exceptions described below, the Fund will not make available to anyone non-public information with respect to its portfolio holdings, until such time as the information is made available to all shareholders or the general public.

For purposes of this policy, portfolio holdings information does not include aggregate, composite or descriptive information that, in the reasonable judgement of the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer, does not present risks of dilution, arbitrage, market timing, insider trading or other inappropriate trading to the detriment of the Fund. Information excluded from the definition of portfolio holdings information generally includes, without limitation: (1) descriptions of allocations among asset classes, regions, countries or industries/sectors; (2) aggregated data such as average or median ratios, market capitalization, credit quality or duration; (3) performance attributions by industry, sector or country; or (4) aggregated risk statistics. Such information, if made available to anyone, will be made available to any person upon request, but, because such information is generally not material to investors, it may or may not be posted on the Fund's website. In addition, other information may also be deemed to not be portfolio holdings information if, in the reasonable belief of the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer (or his/her designee), the release of such information would not present risks of dilution, arbitrage, market timing, insider trading or other inappropriate trading for the Fund.

Consistent with current law, the Fund releases complete portfolio holdings information each fiscal quarter through regulatory filings with no more than a 60-day lag.

In addition, subject to the limited exceptions noted below, a complete list of the Fund's portfolio holdings is generally released no sooner than on or before 15 calendar days after the end of each calendar month but may be released earlier provided the release is made available to the general public. Other portfolio holdings information, such as top 10 holdings, commentaries and other materials that may reference specific holdings information of the Fund as of the most recent month end are generally released five days after the end of each month but may be released earlier or later as deemed appropriate by the portfolio manager of the applicable Fund. Released portfolio holdings information can be viewed at franklintempleton.com

To the extent that this policy would permit the release of portfolio holdings information regarding a particular portfolio holding for the Fund that is the subject of ongoing purchase or sale orders/programs, or if the release of such portfolio holdings information would otherwise be sensitive or inappropriate due to liquidity or other market considerations, the portfolio manager for the Fund may request that the release of such information be withheld.

Exceptions to the portfolio holdings release policy (to the extent not otherwise permitted pursuant to an exclusion) will be made only when: (1) the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for releasing portfolio holdings information in advance of release to all shareholders or the general public; (2) the recipient is subject to a duty of confidentiality pursuant to a signed non-disclosure agreement; and (3) the release of

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such information would not otherwise violate the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws or fiduciary duties owed to Fund shareholders. The determination of whether to grant an exception, which includes the determination of whether the Fund has a legitimate business purpose for releasing portfolio holdings information in advance of release to all shareholders shall be made by the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee, following a request submitted in writing.

The eligible third parties to whom portfolio holdings information may be released in advance of general release fall into the following categories: data consolidators (including rating agencies), fund rating/ranking services and other data providers; service providers to the Fund and investment manager and investment manager; municipal securities brokers using the Investor Tools product which brings together buyers and sellers of municipal securities in the normal operation of the municipal securities markets; certain entities, in response to any regulatory requirements, approved by the investment manager's Chief Compliance Officer in limited circumstances; and transition managers hired by Fund shareholders. In addition, should the Fund process a shareholder's redemption request in-kind, the Fund may, under certain circumstances, provide portfolio holdings information to such shareholder to the extent necessary to allow the shareholder to prepare for receipt of such portfolio securities.

The specific entities to whom the Fund may provide portfolio holdings in advance of their release to the general public are:

• Bloomberg, Capital Access, CDA (Thomson Reuters), FactSet, Fidelity Advisors, S&P Global Ratings, Vestek, and Fidelity Trust Company, all of whom may receive portfolio holdings information 15 days after the quarter end.

• Service providers to the Fund that receive portfolio holdings information from time to time in advance of general release in the course of performing, or to enable them to perform, services for the Fund, including: Custodian Bank: The Bank of New York Mellon; Sub-Administrator: JPMorgan Chase Bank; Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm: Ernst & Young LLP; Outside Fund Legal Counsel: Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP; Independent Directors'/Trustees' Counsel: Duane Morris LLP and Vedder Price P.C.; Proxy Voting Services: Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC and Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc.; Brokerage Analytical Services: Sanford Bernstein, Brown Brothers Harriman, Royal Bank of Canada Capital Markets, JP Morgan Securities Inc.; Financial Printers: Donnelley Financial Solutions, Inc. or GCOM Solutions, Inc.

Eligible third parties that do not otherwise have a duty of confidentiality or have not acknowledged such a duty are required to (a) execute a non-disclosure agreement that includes the following provisions or (b) otherwise acknowledge and represent adherence to substantially similar provisions. Non-disclosure agreements include the following provisions:

• The recipient agrees to keep confidential until such information either is released to the public or the release is otherwise approved by the Chief Compliance Officer.

• The recipient agrees not to trade on the non-public information received.

• The recipient agrees to refresh its representation as to confidentiality and abstention from trading upon request from Franklin Templeton.

In no case does the Fund receive any compensation in connection with the arrangements to release portfolio holdings information to any of the above-described recipients of the information.

A fund other than a U.S. registered Franklin Templeton fund, such as an offshore fund or an unregistered private fund, with holdings that are not substantially similar to the holdings of a U.S. registered Franklin Templeton fund, is not subject to the restrictions imposed by the policy.

Several investment managers within Franklin Templeton (F-T Managers) serve as investment managers to offshore funds that are registered or otherwise authorized for sale with foreign regulatory authorities. Certain of these offshore funds may from time to time invest in securities substantially similar to those of the Fund. The release of portfolio holdings information for such offshore funds is excluded from the Fund's portfolio holdings release policy if such information is given to banks, broker-dealers, insurance companies, registered investment managers and other financial institutions (offshore investment managers) with discretionary authority to select offshore funds on behalf of their clients. Such information may only be disclosed for portfolio analytics, such as risk analysis/asset allocation, and the offshore investment manager will be required to execute a non-disclosure agreement, whereby such offshore investment manager: (1) agrees that it is subject to a duty of confidentiality; (2) agrees that it will not (a) purchase or sell any portfolio securities based on any information received; (b) trade against any U.S. registered Franklin Templeton fund, including the Fund; (c) knowingly engage in any trading practices that are adverse to any such fund or its shareholders; and (d) trade in shares of any such fund; and (3) agrees to limit the dissemination of such information so received within its organization other than to the extent necessary to fulfill its obligations with respect to portfolio analytics for its discretionary clients.

Certain F-T Managers serve as investment advisers to privately placed funds that are exempt from registration,

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including Canadian institutional pooled funds ("Canadian funds"). In certain circumstances, such unregistered private funds and Canadian funds may have portfolio holdings that are not, in the aggregate, substantially similar to the holdings of a U.S. registered fund, as determined by the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee. Under such circumstances the release of portfolio holdings information to a client or potential client or unitholder of the unregistered private fund or Canadian fund may be permissible. In circumstances where an unregistered private fund or Canadian fund invests in portfolio securities that, in the aggregate, are substantially similar to the holdings of a U.S. registered fund, such private funds and Canadian funds are subject to the restrictions imposed by the policy, except that the release of holdings information to a current investor therein is permissible conditioned upon such investor's execution of a non-disclosure agreement to mitigate the risk that portfolio holdings information may be used to trade inappropriately against a fund. Such non-disclosure agreement must provide that the investor: (1) agrees that it is subject to a duty of confidentiality; (2) agrees to not disseminate such information (except that the investor may be permitted to disseminate such information to an agent as necessary to allow the performance of portfolio analytics with respect to the investor's investment in such fund), and (3) agrees not to trade on the non-public information received or trade in shares of any U.S. registered Franklin or Templeton fund that is managed in a style substantially similar to that of such fund, in the case of a Canadian fund.

U.S. registered open-end funds and offshore registered funds substantially all of whose assets are invested in registered open-end funds and/or Exchange Traded Funds are excepted from the policy's restrictions.

Certain F-T Managers provide model portfolios composed of portfolio holdings information to the sponsors of programs offering separately managed accounts, unified model accounts or similar accounts ("Program Sponsors"). If such model portfolios are substantially similar to those of a U.S. registered fund, such model portfolios may be provided to Program Sponsors so long as: (1) the recipient Program Sponsors has executed a non-disclosure agreement or other agreement containing or incorporating confidentiality provisions that restrict the use and dissemination of confidential portfolio holdings information received by the Program Sponsor as described in the following sentence, or other provisions that impose similar restrictions on such use and dissemination and*,* (2) the model portfolio has been deemed sufficiently liquid by the F-T Manager's liquidity committee or the applicable F-T Managers for the strategies of the applicable model portfolios, as determined in their reasonable judgment. Such agreement must provide that the Program Sponsor agrees that: (1) it is subject to a duty of confidentiality; (2) it will use confidential model portfolio information only to the extent necessary to perform its obligations under the agreement; and (3) it will not disclose confidential model portfolio information except to personnel or parties who have a need to know such confidential information in connection with, or in order to fulfill the purposes contemplated by, the agreement.

Some F-T Managers serve as sub-advisers to other mutual funds not within the Franklin Templeton fund complex ("other funds"), which may be managed in a style substantially similar to that of a U.S. registered Franklin or Templeton fund. Such other funds are not subject to the Fund's portfolio holdings release policy. The sponsors of such funds may disclose the portfolio holdings of such funds at different times than the Fund discloses its portfolio holdings.

The Fund's portfolio holdings release policy and all subsequent amendments have been reviewed and approved by the Fund's board, and any other material amendments shall also be reviewed and approved by the board. The investment manager's compliance staff conducts periodic reviews of compliance with the policy and provides at least annually a report to the board regarding the operation of the policy and any material changes recommended as a result of such review. The investment manager's compliance staff also will supply the board yearly with a list of exceptions granted to the policy, along with an explanation of the legitimate business purpose of the Fund that is served as a result of the exception.

**Officers and Trustees**

The Trust has a board of trustees. Each trustee will serve until that person resigns or retires and/or a successor is elected and qualified. The board is responsible for the overall management of the Trust, including general supervision and review of each Fund's investment activities. The board, in turn, elects the officers of the Trust who are responsible for administering the Trust's day-to-day operations. The board also monitors the Fund to help ensure that no material conflicts exist among share classes. While none are expected, the board will act appropriately to resolve any material conflict that may arise.

The name, year of birth and address of the officers and board members, as well as their affiliations, positions held with the Trust, principal occupations during at least the past five years, number of portfolios overseen in the Franklin Templeton fund complex and other directorships held during at least the past five years are shown below.

**<u>Independent Board Members</u>**

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|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Year of Birth and Address** | **Position** | **Length of Time Served** | **Number of Portfolios <br>in Fund Complex <br>Overseen by <br>Board Member<sup>1</sup>**  | **Other Directorships Held During at Least the Past 5 Years** |
| Edward I. Altman, Ph.D. (1941)<br>One Franklin Parkway <br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Trustee | Since 2015 | 11 |  |
| <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Max L. Heine Professor of Finance, Emeritus and Director of The Credit and Debt Markets Research Program, Salomon Center, Stern School of Business, New York University; editor and author of numerous financial publications; financial consultant; an adviser to numerous financial and publishing organizations; and **formerly**, Vice Director, Salomon Center, Stern School of Business, New York University. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Max L. Heine Professor of Finance, Emeritus and Director of The Credit and Debt Markets Research Program, Salomon Center, Stern School of Business, New York University; editor and author of numerous financial publications; financial consultant; an adviser to numerous financial and publishing organizations; and **formerly**, Vice Director, Salomon Center, Stern School of Business, New York University. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Max L. Heine Professor of Finance, Emeritus and Director of The Credit and Debt Markets Research Program, Salomon Center, Stern School of Business, New York University; editor and author of numerous financial publications; financial consultant; an adviser to numerous financial and publishing organizations; and **formerly**, Vice Director, Salomon Center, Stern School of Business, New York University. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Max L. Heine Professor of Finance, Emeritus and Director of The Credit and Debt Markets Research Program, Salomon Center, Stern School of Business, New York University; editor and author of numerous financial publications; financial consultant; an adviser to numerous financial and publishing organizations; and **formerly**, Vice Director, Salomon Center, Stern School of Business, New York University. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Max L. Heine Professor of Finance, Emeritus and Director of The Credit and Debt Markets Research Program, Salomon Center, Stern School of Business, New York University; editor and author of numerous financial publications; financial consultant; an adviser to numerous financial and publishing organizations; and **formerly**, Vice Director, Salomon Center, Stern School of Business, New York University. |
| Ann Torre Bates (1958)<br>One Franklin Parkway <br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Trustee and<br>Chairperson | Chairperson of the Board since 2020<br>and Trustee since 2015 | 30 | Ares Strategic Income Fund (closed-end investment company) (September 2022-present); Ares Capital Corporation (specialty finance company) (2010-present), United Natural Foods, Inc. (distributor of natural, organic and specialty foods) (2013-present); and **formerly**, Navient Corporation (loan management, servicing and asset recovery) (2014-2016). |
| <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various companies; and **formerly**, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, NHP Incorporated (manager of multifamily housing) (1995-1997); and Vice President and Treasurer, US Airways, Inc. (until 1995). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various companies; and **formerly**, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, NHP Incorporated (manager of multifamily housing) (1995-1997); and Vice President and Treasurer, US Airways, Inc. (until 1995). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various companies; and **formerly**, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, NHP Incorporated (manager of multifamily housing) (1995-1997); and Vice President and Treasurer, US Airways, Inc. (until 1995). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various companies; and **formerly**, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, NHP Incorporated (manager of multifamily housing) (1995-1997); and Vice President and Treasurer, US Airways, Inc. (until 1995). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various companies; and **formerly**, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, NHP Incorporated (manager of multifamily housing) (1995-1997); and Vice President and Treasurer, US Airways, Inc. (until 1995). |
| Jan Hopkins Trachtman (1947)<br>One Franklin Parkway <br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Trustee | Since 2015 | 11 | FTAC Parnassus Acquisition Corp. (special purpose fintech acquisition company) (2021-present); and **formerly**, FTAC Olympus Acquisition Corp. (special purpose fintech acquisition company) (2020-2022) and FinTech Acquisition Corp. III (special purpose fintech acquisition company) (2018 - 2021). |
| <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>President and Founder, The Jan Hopkins Group (communications consulting firm); serves on Alumni Advisory Board of Knight Bagehot Fellowship; and **formerly**, President, Economic Club of New York (2007-2015); Anchor/Correspondent, CNN Financial News (until 2003); Managing Director and Head of Client Communications, Citigroup Private Bank (until 2005); Off-Air Reporter, ABC News' World News Tonight; and Editor, CBS Network News. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>President and Founder, The Jan Hopkins Group (communications consulting firm); serves on Alumni Advisory Board of Knight Bagehot Fellowship; and **formerly**, President, Economic Club of New York (2007-2015); Anchor/Correspondent, CNN Financial News (until 2003); Managing Director and Head of Client Communications, Citigroup Private Bank (until 2005); Off-Air Reporter, ABC News' World News Tonight; and Editor, CBS Network News. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>President and Founder, The Jan Hopkins Group (communications consulting firm); serves on Alumni Advisory Board of Knight Bagehot Fellowship; and **formerly**, President, Economic Club of New York (2007-2015); Anchor/Correspondent, CNN Financial News (until 2003); Managing Director and Head of Client Communications, Citigroup Private Bank (until 2005); Off-Air Reporter, ABC News' World News Tonight; and Editor, CBS Network News. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>President and Founder, The Jan Hopkins Group (communications consulting firm); serves on Alumni Advisory Board of Knight Bagehot Fellowship; and **formerly**, President, Economic Club of New York (2007-2015); Anchor/Correspondent, CNN Financial News (until 2003); Managing Director and Head of Client Communications, Citigroup Private Bank (until 2005); Off-Air Reporter, ABC News' World News Tonight; and Editor, CBS Network News. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>President and Founder, The Jan Hopkins Group (communications consulting firm); serves on Alumni Advisory Board of Knight Bagehot Fellowship; and **formerly**, President, Economic Club of New York (2007-2015); Anchor/Correspondent, CNN Financial News (until 2003); Managing Director and Head of Client Communications, Citigroup Private Bank (until 2005); Off-Air Reporter, ABC News' World News Tonight; and Editor, CBS Network News. |
| Keith E. Mitchell (1954)<br>One Franklin Parkway <br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Trustee | Since 2015 | 11 |  |
| <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various boards of asset management firms; and **formerly**, Managing Member, Mitchell, Hartley & Bechtel Advisers, LLC (**formerly**, Mitchell Advisers, LLC) (advisory firm) (2003-2015) and Managing Director, Putman Lovell NBF. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various boards of asset management firms; and **formerly**, Managing Member, Mitchell, Hartley & Bechtel Advisers, LLC (**formerly**, Mitchell Advisers, LLC) (advisory firm) (2003-2015) and Managing Director, Putman Lovell NBF. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various boards of asset management firms; and **formerly**, Managing Member, Mitchell, Hartley & Bechtel Advisers, LLC (**formerly**, Mitchell Advisers, LLC) (advisory firm) (2003-2015) and Managing Director, Putman Lovell NBF. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various boards of asset management firms; and **formerly**, Managing Member, Mitchell, Hartley & Bechtel Advisers, LLC (**formerly**, Mitchell Advisers, LLC) (advisory firm) (2003-2015) and Managing Director, Putman Lovell NBF. | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various boards of asset management firms; and **formerly**, Managing Member, Mitchell, Hartley & Bechtel Advisers, LLC (**formerly**, Mitchell Advisers, LLC) (advisory firm) (2003-2015) and Managing Director, Putman Lovell NBF. |
| David W. Niemiec (1949)<br>One Franklin Parkway <br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Trustee | Since 2011 | 30 | Hess Midstream LP (oil and gas midstream infrastructure) (2017-present). |
| <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Advisor, Saratoga Partners (private equity fund); and **formerly**, Managing Director, Saratoga Partners (1998-2001) and SBC Warburg Dillon Read (investment banking) (1997-1998); Vice Chairman, Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. (investment banking) (1991-1997); and Chief Financial Officer, Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. (1982-1997). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Advisor, Saratoga Partners (private equity fund); and **formerly**, Managing Director, Saratoga Partners (1998-2001) and SBC Warburg Dillon Read (investment banking) (1997-1998); Vice Chairman, Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. (investment banking) (1991-1997); and Chief Financial Officer, Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. (1982-1997). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Advisor, Saratoga Partners (private equity fund); and **formerly**, Managing Director, Saratoga Partners (1998-2001) and SBC Warburg Dillon Read (investment banking) (1997-1998); Vice Chairman, Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. (investment banking) (1991-1997); and Chief Financial Officer, Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. (1982-1997). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Advisor, Saratoga Partners (private equity fund); and **formerly**, Managing Director, Saratoga Partners (1998-2001) and SBC Warburg Dillon Read (investment banking) (1997-1998); Vice Chairman, Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. (investment banking) (1991-1997); and Chief Financial Officer, Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. (1982-1997). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Advisor, Saratoga Partners (private equity fund); and **formerly**, Managing Director, Saratoga Partners (1998-2001) and SBC Warburg Dillon Read (investment banking) (1997-1998); Vice Chairman, Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. (investment banking) (1991-1997); and Chief Financial Officer, Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. (1982-1997). |
| Gregory H. Williams (1943)<br>One Franklin Parkway <br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Trustee | Since 2008 | 11 |  |
| <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Private investor; Consultant; and **formerly**, President, University of Cincinnati (2009-2012); President, The City College of New York (2001-2009); Dean, College of Law, Ohio State University (1993-2001); and Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, University of Iowa (1977-1993). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Private investor; Consultant; and **formerly**, President, University of Cincinnati (2009-2012); President, The City College of New York (2001-2009); Dean, College of Law, Ohio State University (1993-2001); and Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, University of Iowa (1977-1993). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Private investor; Consultant; and **formerly**, President, University of Cincinnati (2009-2012); President, The City College of New York (2001-2009); Dean, College of Law, Ohio State University (1993-2001); and Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, University of Iowa (1977-1993). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Private investor; Consultant; and **formerly**, President, University of Cincinnati (2009-2012); President, The City College of New York (2001-2009); Dean, College of Law, Ohio State University (1993-2001); and Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, University of Iowa (1977-1993). | <br>**Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Private investor; Consultant; and **formerly**, President, University of Cincinnati (2009-2012); President, The City College of New York (2001-2009); Dean, College of Law, Ohio State University (1993-2001); and Associate Vice President, Academic Affairs and Professor of Law, University of Iowa (1977-1993). |

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| Valerie M. Williams (1956)<br>One Franklin Parkway <br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Trustee | Since January 2023 | 111 | Omnicom Group, Inc. (advertising and marketing communications services) (2016-present), DTE Energy Co. (gas and electric utility) (2018-present), Devon Energy Corporation (exploration and production of oil and gas) (2021-present); and **formerly**, WPX Energy, Inc. (exploration and production of oil and gas) (2018-2021). |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various companies; and **formerly**, Regional Assurance Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting) (2005-2016) and various roles of increasing responsibility at Ernst & Young (1981-2005). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various companies; and **formerly**, Regional Assurance Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting) (2005-2016) and various roles of increasing responsibility at Ernst & Young (1981-2005). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various companies; and **formerly**, Regional Assurance Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting) (2005-2016) and various roles of increasing responsibility at Ernst & Young (1981-2005). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various companies; and **formerly**, Regional Assurance Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting) (2005-2016) and various roles of increasing responsibility at Ernst & Young (1981-2005). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director of various companies; and **formerly**, Regional Assurance Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP (public accounting) (2005-2016) and various roles of increasing responsibility at Ernst & Young (1981-2005). |

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#### Interested Board Members and Officers

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|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Year of Birth and Address** | **Position** | **Length of Time Served** | **Number of Portfolios<br>in Fund Complex Overseen by <br>Board Member<sup>1</sup>** | **Other Directorships Held <br>During at Least the Past <br>5 Years** |
| Gregory E. Johnson<sup>2</sup> (1961)<br>One Franklin Parkway<br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Trustee  | Since 2015  | 130 |  |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; Vice Chairman, Investment Company Institute; and **formerly**, Chief Executive Officer (2013-2020) and President (1994-2015) Franklin Resources, Inc. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; Vice Chairman, Investment Company Institute; and **formerly**, Chief Executive Officer (2013-2020) and President (1994-2015) Franklin Resources, Inc. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; Vice Chairman, Investment Company Institute; and **formerly**, Chief Executive Officer (2013-2020) and President (1994-2015) Franklin Resources, Inc. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; Vice Chairman, Investment Company Institute; and **formerly**, Chief Executive Officer (2013-2020) and President (1994-2015) Franklin Resources, Inc. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Executive Chairman, Chairman of the Board and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; Vice Chairman, Investment Company Institute; and **formerly**, Chief Executive Officer (2013-2020) and President (1994-2015) Franklin Resources, Inc. |
| Jennifer M. Johnson<sup>3</sup> (1964)<br>One Franklin Parkway<br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Trustee | Since 2015 | 70 |  |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Chief Executive Officer, President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; and **formerly**, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc. (1994-2015); Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology, Franklin Resources, Inc. (2005-2010); and Senior Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc. (2003-2005). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Chief Executive Officer, President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; and **formerly**, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc. (1994-2015); Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology, Franklin Resources, Inc. (2005-2010); and Senior Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc. (2003-2005). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Chief Executive Officer, President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; and **formerly**, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc. (1994-2015); Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology, Franklin Resources, Inc. (2005-2010); and Senior Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc. (2003-2005). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Chief Executive Officer, President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; and **formerly**, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc. (1994-2015); Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology, Franklin Resources, Inc. (2005-2010); and Senior Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc. (2003-2005). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Chief Executive Officer, President and Director, Franklin Resources, Inc.; officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; and **formerly**, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc. (1994-2015); Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology, Franklin Resources, Inc. (2005-2010); and Senior Vice President, Franklin Resources, Inc. (2003-2005). |
| Alison E. Baur (1964)<br>One Franklin Parkway<br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Vice President | Since 2012 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Deputy General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; and officer of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex.  | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Deputy General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; and officer of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex.  | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Deputy General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; and officer of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex.  | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Deputy General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; and officer of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex.  | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Deputy General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; and officer of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex.  |
| Breda M. Beckerle (1958)<br>280 Park Avenue<br>New York, NY 10017 | Chief <br>Compliance Officer | Since 2020 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Chief Compliance Officer, Fiduciary Investment Management International, Inc., Franklin Advisers, Inc., Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC, Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Chief Compliance Officer, Fiduciary Investment Management International, Inc., Franklin Advisers, Inc., Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC, Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Chief Compliance Officer, Fiduciary Investment Management International, Inc., Franklin Advisers, Inc., Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC, Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Chief Compliance Officer, Fiduciary Investment Management International, Inc., Franklin Advisers, Inc., Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC, Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Chief Compliance Officer, Fiduciary Investment Management International, Inc., Franklin Advisers, Inc., Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC, Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. |
| Christian K. Correa (1973)<br>c/o Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC<br>101 John F. Kennedy Parkway<br>Short Hills, NJ 07078-2716 | President and Chief Executive Officer – Investment Management | Since 2021 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>President, Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>President, Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>President, Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>President, Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>President, Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. |

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|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name, Year of Birth and Address** | **Position** | **Length of Time Served** | **Number of Portfolios<br>in Fund Complex Overseen by <br>Board Member<sup>1</sup>** | **Other Directorships Held <br>During at Least the Past <br>5 Years** |
| Steven J. Gray (1955)<br>One Franklin Parkway<br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Vice President and Secretary | Secretary since 2005 and<br>Vice President since 2009 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Distributors, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Distributors, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Distributors, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Distributors, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Distributors, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. |
| Matthew T. Hinkle (1971)<br>One Franklin Parkway<br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Chief Executive <br>Officer - Finance and Administration | Since 2017 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Vice President, Franklin Templeton Services, LLC; officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; and **formerly**, Vice President, Global Tax (2012-April 2017) and Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer, Franklin Templeton (2009-2017). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Vice President, Franklin Templeton Services, LLC; officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; and **formerly**, Vice President, Global Tax (2012-April 2017) and Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer, Franklin Templeton (2009-2017). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Vice President, Franklin Templeton Services, LLC; officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; and **formerly**, Vice President, Global Tax (2012-April 2017) and Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer, Franklin Templeton (2009-2017). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Vice President, Franklin Templeton Services, LLC; officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; and **formerly**, Vice President, Global Tax (2012-April 2017) and Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer, Franklin Templeton (2009-2017). | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Vice President, Franklin Templeton Services, LLC; officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex; and **formerly**, Vice President, Global Tax (2012-April 2017) and Treasurer/Assistant Treasurer, Franklin Templeton (2009-2017). |
| Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. (1940)<br>One Franklin Parkway<br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906<br>| Vice President | 1989 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| **Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director (Vice Chairman), Franklin Resources, Inc.; Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; and officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director (Vice Chairman), Franklin Resources, Inc.; Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; and officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director (Vice Chairman), Franklin Resources, Inc.; Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; and officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director (Vice Chairman), Franklin Resources, Inc.; Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; and officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Director (Vice Chairman), Franklin Resources, Inc.; Director, Franklin Advisers, Inc.; and officer and/or director or trustee, as the case may be, of some of the other subsidiaries of Franklin Resources, Inc. and of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. |
| Susan Kerr (1949)<br>620 Eighth Avenue<br>New York, NY 10018 | Vice President - AML Compliance | Since 2021 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Compliance Analyst, Franklin Templeton; Chief Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer, Legg Mason & Co., or its affiliates; Anti Money Laundering Compliance Officer; Senior Compliance Officer, LMIS; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Compliance Analyst, Franklin Templeton; Chief Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer, Legg Mason & Co., or its affiliates; Anti Money Laundering Compliance Officer; Senior Compliance Officer, LMIS; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Compliance Analyst, Franklin Templeton; Chief Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer, Legg Mason & Co., or its affiliates; Anti Money Laundering Compliance Officer; Senior Compliance Officer, LMIS; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Compliance Analyst, Franklin Templeton; Chief Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer, Legg Mason & Co., or its affiliates; Anti Money Laundering Compliance Officer; Senior Compliance Officer, LMIS; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Compliance Analyst, Franklin Templeton; Chief Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer, Legg Mason & Co., or its affiliates; Anti Money Laundering Compliance Officer; Senior Compliance Officer, LMIS; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. |
| Christopher Kings (1974)<br>One Franklin Parkway<br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Chief Financial Officer, Chief Accounting Officer and Treasurer | Since 2022 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Treasurer, U.S. Fund Administration & Reporting; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Treasurer, U.S. Fund Administration & Reporting; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Treasurer, U.S. Fund Administration & Reporting; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Treasurer, U.S. Fund Administration & Reporting; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Treasurer, U.S. Fund Administration & Reporting; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. |
| Navid J. Tofigh (1972)<br>One Franklin Parkway<br>San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | Vice President | Since 2015 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. |
| Lori A. Weber (1964)<br>300 S.E. 2nd Street<br>Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-1923 | Vice President | Since 2011 | Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Vice President and Secretary, Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Vice President and Secretary, Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Vice President and Secretary, Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Vice President and Secretary, Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. | **<br>Principal Occupation During at Least the Past 5 Years:** <br>Senior Associate General Counsel, Franklin Templeton; Assistant Secretary, Franklin Resources, Inc.; Vice President and Secretary, Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC; and officer of certain funds in the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. |

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Note 1: Gregory E. Johnson and Jennifer M. Johnson are siblings. Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. is the uncle of Gregory E. Johnson and Jennifer M. Johnson.

Note 2: Officer information is current as of the date of this SAI. It is possible that after this date, information about officers may change.

Note 3: Effective December 31, 2022, Robert E. Wade ceased to be a trustee of the Trust.

1. We base the number of portfolios on each separate series of the U.S. registered investment companies within the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex. These portfolios have a common investment manager or affiliated investment managers.

2. Gregory E. Johnson is considered to be an interested person of the Fund under the federal securities laws due to his position as an officer and director of Franklin Resources, Inc. (Resources), which is the parent company of the Fund's investment manager and distributor.

3. Jennifer M. Johnson is considered to be an interested person of the Fund under the federal securities laws due to her position as an officer and director of Resources, which is the parent company of the Fund's investment manager and distributor.

The Trust's independent board members constitute the sole independent board members of three investment companies in the Franklin Templeton complex, for which each independent board member currently is paid a $215,000 annual retainer fee, together with a $7,000 per meeting fee for attendance at regularly scheduled board meetings. A portion of such annual retainer and meeting fees is allocated to the Trust. To the extent held, a $5,000 per meeting fee ($2,000

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for meetings via phone) may also be paid for attendance at specially held board meetings, a portion of which is also allocated to the Trust for meetings held jointly with such other investment companies. Ann Torre Bates, who serves as Chairperson of the Board of the Trust and such other investment companies, receives an additional retainer of $80,000 per year for serving as the Chairperson of each such board, a portion of which is allocated to the Trust. Board members who serve on the Audit Committee of the Trust and such other investment companies receive a flat fee of $3,000 per committee meeting attended, a portion of which is allocated to the Trust for meetings held jointly with such other investment companies. David W. Niemiec, who serves as Chair of the Audit Committee of the Trust and such other investment companies, receives an additional retainer of $15,000 per year, a portion of which is allocated to the Trust. Other committee members receive $2,000 for each meeting attended, a portion of which is allocated to the Trust for meetings held jointly with such other investment companies, which includes meetings of independent trustees held in consideration of approval of investment management agreements other than those held during regular board meeting occasions. The following table provides the total fees paid to independent board members by the Trust and by other funds in Franklin Templeton.

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name** | **Name** | **Total Fees <br>Received <br>from the <br>Trust <br> ($)<sup>1</sup>** | **Total Fees <br>Received from <br>Franklin <br>Templeton <br> ($)<sup>2</sup>** | **Number of <br>Boards in <br>Franklin <br>Templeton <br>on which <br>Each <br>Serves<sup>3</sup>** |
| Edward I. Altman | Edward I. Altman | 44663 | 278000 | 3 |
| Ann Torre Bates<sup>4</sup> | Ann Torre Bates<sup>4</sup> | 59021 | 671850 | 14 |
| Burton J. Greenwald<sup>5</sup> | Burton J. Greenwald<sup>5</sup> | 5906 | 3000 | N/A |
| Jan Hopkins Trachtman | Jan Hopkins Trachtman | 37841 | 269000 | 3 |
| Keith E. Mitchell | Keith E. Mitchell | 37190 | 265000 | 3 |
| David W. Niemiec | David W. Niemiec | 47326 | 611572 | 14 |
| Robert E. Wade<sup>6</sup> | Robert E. Wade<sup>6</sup> | 45359 | 567202 | N/A |
| Gregory H. Williams | Gregory H. Williams | 37841 | 269000 | 3 |
| Valerie M. Williams<sup>7</sup> | Valerie M. Williams<sup>7</sup> | 0 | 407466 | 27 |
| <sup>1.</sup> | For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022. | For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022. | For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022. | For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022. |
| <sup>2.</sup> | For the calendar year ended December 31, 2022. | For the calendar year ended December 31, 2022. | For the calendar year ended December 31, 2022. | For the calendar year ended December 31, 2022. |
| <sup>3.</sup> | We base the number of boards on the number of U.S. registered investment <br> companies in Franklin Templeton. This number does not include the <br> total number of series or portfolios within each investment company for which the <br> board members are responsible. | We base the number of boards on the number of U.S. registered investment <br> companies in Franklin Templeton. This number does not include the <br> total number of series or portfolios within each investment company for which the <br> board members are responsible. | We base the number of boards on the number of U.S. registered investment <br> companies in Franklin Templeton. This number does not include the <br> total number of series or portfolios within each investment company for which the <br> board members are responsible. | We base the number of boards on the number of U.S. registered investment <br> companies in Franklin Templeton. This number does not include the <br> total number of series or portfolios within each investment company for which the <br> board members are responsible. |
| <sup>4.</sup> | Ann Torre Bates is also an independent board member of Franklin Mutual Series Funds and may, in the future, receive payments pursuant to a discontinued retirement plan that generally provides payments to independent board members who have served seven years or longer for the Trust. | Ann Torre Bates is also an independent board member of Franklin Mutual Series Funds and may, in the future, receive payments pursuant to a discontinued retirement plan that generally provides payments to independent board members who have served seven years or longer for the Trust. | Ann Torre Bates is also an independent board member of Franklin Mutual Series Funds and may, in the future, receive payments pursuant to a discontinued retirement plan that generally provides payments to independent board members who have served seven years or longer for the Trust. | Ann Torre Bates is also an independent board member of Franklin Mutual Series Funds and may, in the future, receive payments pursuant to a discontinued retirement plan that generally provides payments to independent board members who have served seven years or longer for the Trust. |
| <sup>5.</sup> | Retired effective December 31, 2021. | Retired effective December 31, 2021. | Retired effective December 31, 2021. | Retired effective December 31, 2021. |
| <sup>6.</sup> | Retired effective December 31, 2022. | Retired effective December 31, 2022. | Retired effective December 31, 2022. | Retired effective December 31, 2022. |
| <sup>7.</sup> | Appointed as Trustee of the Trust effective January 1, 2023. | Appointed as Trustee of the Trust effective January 1, 2023. | Appointed as Trustee of the Trust effective January 1, 2023. | Appointed as Trustee of the Trust effective January 1, 2023. |

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Independent board members are reimbursed for expenses incurred in connection with attending board meetings and such expenses are paid pro rata by each fund in Franklin Templeton for which they serve as director or trustee. No officer or board member received any other compensation, including pension or retirement benefits, directly or indirectly from the Trust or other funds in Franklin Templeton. Certain officers or board members who are shareholders of Franklin Resources, Inc. (Resources) may be deemed to receive indirect remuneration by virtue of their participation, if any, in the fees paid to its subsidiaries.

Trustees of Franklin Value Investors Trust also constitute all the mutual fund board members of Franklin Mutual Series Funds and Franklin Alternative Strategies Funds and have historically followed a policy of having substantial investments in one or more funds overseen by the Trustees as is consistent with their individual financial goals. This policy has been formalized through adoption of a requirement that each board member invest one-third of fees received for serving as a trustee of Franklin Mutual Series Funds, Franklin Alternative Strategies Funds and Franklin Value Investors Trust (excluding committee fees and special meeting fees) in shares of one or more of such funds or the Franklin Rising Dividends Fund (as of December 31, 2017) until the value of such investments equals or exceeds three times the annual retainer and regular board meeting fees paid to such board member for service on those funds. Up to 25% of the cost of a Trustee's investments in other Franklin Templeton Funds (as of December 31, 2019) is credited toward this investment requirement. Investments in the name of family members or entities controlled by a board member constitute fund holdings of such board member for purposes of this policy, and a phase-in period applies to such investment requirements.

The following tables provide the dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned by the board members of the Fund on December 31, 2022.

#### Independent Board Members

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name of Board Member** | **Dollar Range of <br>Equity Securities in <br>Each Series of the Trust** | **Aggregate <br>Dollar Range of <br>Equity Securities in <br>All Funds Overseen <br>by the Board <br>Member in the <br>Franklin Templeton <br>Fund Complex** |
| Edward I. Altman |  | Over $100,000 |
| Ann Torre Bates | Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund<br>$10,001 - $50,000 | Over $100,000 |
| Jan Hopkins Trachtman |  | Over $100,000 |
| Keith E. Mitchell | Small Cap Value Fund<br>$50,001 - $100,000 | Over $100,000 |
| David W. Niemiec | Small Cap Value Fund<br>Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 |
| Gregory H. Williams | MicroCap Value Fund<br>Over $100,000<br>Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund<br>Over $100,000<br>Small Cap Value Fund<br>Over $100,000 | Over $100,000 |
| Valerie M. Williams<sup>1</sup> | N/A | $50001 - $100000 |

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **<u>Interested Board Members</u>** | **<u>Interested Board Members</u>** | **<u>Interested Board Members</u>** |
| **Name of Board Member** | **Dollar Range of <br>Equity Securities in <br>each Series of the Trust** | **Aggregate <br>Dollar Range of <br>Equity Securities in <br>All Funds Overseen <br>by the Board <br>Member in the <br>Franklin Templeton <br>Fund Complex** |
| Gregory E. Johnson |  | Over $100,000 |
| Jennifer M. Johnson |  | Over $100,000 |

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<sup>1.</sup> Appointed to the board effective January 1, 2023.

**Board committees** The board maintains two standing committees: the Audit Committee and the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. The Audit Committee is generally responsible for recommending the selection of the Trust's independent registered public accounting firm (auditors), including evaluating their independence and meeting with such auditors to consider and review matters relating primarily to the Trust's financial reports and internal controls. The Audit Committee is comprised of the following independent Trustees of the Trust: Edward I. Altman, Ann Torre Bates, David W. Niemiec (Chair) and Valerie M. Williams. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for nominating candidates for independent board member positions and for consideration of matters relating to corporate governance. It is composed of Jan Hopkins Trachtman and Gregory H. Williams (Chair).

In considering a candidate's qualifications, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee generally considers the potential candidate's educational background, business or professional experience, and reputation. In addition, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has established as minimum qualifications for board membership as an independent trustee (1) that such candidate be independent from relationships with the Fund's investment manager and other principal service providers both within the terms and the spirit of the statutory independence requirements specified under the 1940 Act and the rules thereunder, (2) that such candidate demonstrate an ability and willingness to make the considerable time commitment, including personal attendance at board and committee meetings, believed necessary to his or her function as an effective board member, and (3) that such candidate have no continuing relationship as a trustee, officer or board member of any open-end or closed-end fund investment company other than those within the Franklin Templeton fund complex or a closed-end business development company primarily investing in non-public entities.

When the board has or expects to have a vacancy, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee receives and reviews information on individuals qualified to be recommended to the full board as nominees for election as board members, including any recommendations by "Qualifying Fund Shareholders" (as defined below). To date, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has been able to identify, and expects to continue to be able to identify, from its own resources an ample number of qualified candidates. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, however, will review recommendations from Qualifying Fund Shareholders to fill vacancies on the board if these recommendations are submitted in writing and addressed to the Chairperson of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee at the Trust's offices at One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 and are presented with appropriate background material concerning the candidate that demonstrates his or her ability to serve as a board member, including as an independent board member, of the Trust. A Qualifying Fund Shareholder is a shareholder who (i) has continuously owned of record, or beneficially through a financial intermediary, shares of the Fund having a net asset value of not less than two hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) during the 24-month period prior to submitting the recommendation; and (ii) provides a written notice to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee containing the following information: (a) the name and address of the Qualifying Fund Shareholder making the recommendation; (b) the number of shares of the Fund which are owned of record and beneficially by such Qualifying Fund Shareholder and the length of time that such shares have been so owned by the Qualifying Fund Shareholder; (c) a description of all arrangements and understandings between such Qualifying Fund Shareholder and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the recommendation is being made; (d) the name, age, date of birth, business address and residence address of the person or persons being recommended; (e) such other information regarding each person recommended by such Qualifying Fund Shareholder as would be required to be included in a proxy statement filed pursuant to the proxy rules of the SEC had the nominee been nominated by the board; (f) whether the shareholder making the recommendation believes the person recommended would or would not be an "interested person" of the Trust, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act); and (g) the written consent of each person recommended to serve as a board member of the Trust if so nominated and elected/appointed.

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee may amend these procedures from time to time, including the procedures relating to the evaluation of nominees and the process for submitting recommendations to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, the Audit Committee met six times; the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee met twice.

**Board role in risk oversight** The board, as a whole, considers risk management issues as part of its general oversight responsibilities throughout the year at regular board meetings, through regular reports that have been developed by management, in consultation with the board and its

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counsel. These reports address certain investment, valuation, liquidity and compliance matters. The board also may receive special written reports or presentations on a variety of risk issues (e.g., COVID-19 related issues), either upon the board's request or upon the investment manager's initiative. In addition, the Audit Committee of the board meets regularly with the investment manager's internal audit group to review reports on their examinations of functions and processes within Franklin Templeton that affect the Fund.

With respect to investment risk, the board receives regular written reports describing and analyzing the investment performance of the Fund. In addition, the portfolio managers of the Fund meet regularly with the board to discuss portfolio performance, including investment risk. To the extent that the Fund changes a particular investment strategy that could have a material impact on the Fund's risk profile, the board generally is consulted with respect to such change. To the extent that the Fund invests in certain complex securities, including derivatives, the board receives periodic reports containing information about exposure of the Fund to such instruments. In addition, the investment manager's investment risk personnel meet regularly with the board to discuss a variety of issues, including the impact on the Fund of the investment in particular securities or instruments, such as derivatives and commodities.

With respect to valuation, the Fund's investment manager provides periodic reports to the board that enable the board to oversee the Fund's investment manager, as the board's Valuation Designee, in monitoring and assessing material risks associated with fair valuation determinations, including material conflicts of interest. In addition, the board reviews the investment manager's performance of an annual valuation risk assessment under which the investment manager seeks to identify and enumerate material valuation risks which are or may be impactful to the Fund including, but not limited to (1) the types of investments held (or intended to be held) by the Fund, giving consideration to those investments' characteristics; (2) potential market or sector shocks or dislocations which may affect the ongoing valuation operations; and (3) the extent to which each fair value methodology uses unobservable inputs. The investment manager reports any material changes to the risk assessment, along with appropriate actions designed to manage such risks, to the Board.

With respect to liquidity risk, the board receives liquidity risk management reports under the Fund's Liquidity Risk Management (LRM) Program and reviews, no less frequently than annually, a written report prepared by the LRM Program Administrator that addresses, among other items, the operation of the LRM Program and assesses its adequacy and effectiveness of implementation as well as any material changes to the LRM Program.

With respect to compliance risks, the board receives regular compliance reports prepared by the investment manager's compliance group and meets regularly with the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) to discuss compliance issues, including compliance risks. In accordance with SEC rules, the independent board members meet regularly in executive session with the CCO, and the Fund's CCO prepares and presents an annual written compliance report to the board. The Fund's board adopts compliance policies and procedures for the Fund and approves such procedures for the Fund's service providers. The compliance policies and procedures are specifically designed to detect and prevent violations of the federal securities laws.

The investment manager periodically provides an enterprise risk management presentation to the board to describe the way in which risk is managed on a complex-wide level. Such presentation covers such areas as investment risk, reputational risk, personnel risk, and business continuity risk.

**Board structure** Seventy-five percent or more of board members consist of independent trustees who are not deemed to be "interested persons" by reason of their relationship with the Fund's management or otherwise as provided under the 1940 Act. The Chairperson of the Board is an independent trustee who, in addition to presiding at board meetings also, in consultation with independent counsel when necessary, approves agendas for board meetings and generally acts as a liaison with management with respect to questions and issues raised by the independent trustees. The Chairperson also presides at separate meetings of independent trustees held in advance of each scheduled board meeting where various matters, including those being considered at such board meeting are discussed. The board believes that such structure is appropriate because it helps to assure that proper consideration is given at board meetings to matters deemed important to the Fund and its shareholders.

**Trustee qualifications** Information on the Trust's officers and board members appears above including information on the business activities of trustees during the past five years and beyond. In addition to personal qualities, such as integrity, the role of an effective Fund board members inherently requires the ability to comprehend, discuss and critically analyze materials and issues presented in exercising judgments and reaching informed conclusions relevant to his or her duties and fiduciary obligations. The board believes that the specific background of each trustee evidences such ability and is appropriate to his or her serving on the Trust's board. As indicated, Edward I. Altman, Ph.D., is a Professor of Finance (Emeritus) and author of numerous financial publications; Ann Torre Bates has served as chief financial officer of a major corporation and as a board member of a number of public companies; Jan Hopkins Trachtman has an executive background in communications, including service as an anchor/correspondent for CNN Financial News and was the President of the Economic Club of New York; Keith E.

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Mitchell has a background in asset management, including service as a managing director of an investment banking firm; David W. Niemiec has served as chief financial officer of a major corporation; Gregory H. Williams was president of a major university; Valerie M. Williams has over 35 years of audit and public accounting experience serving numerous global and multi-location companies in various industries; and Gregory E. Johnson and Jennifer M. Johnson are both high ranking executive officers of Franklin Templeton.

#### Fair Valuation
The Fund's board of trustees has designated the investment manager as the board's Valuation Designee to perform fair value determinations for the Fund and to assess any material risks associated with such determinations, including material conflicts of interest, if any. The Valuation Designee also performs an annual valuation risk assessment to identify and enumerate material valuation risks which are or may be impactful to the Fund. The Fund's investment manager and its affiliates have formed a Valuation Committee (VC) to assist these obligations. The VC oversees and administers the policies and procedures governing fair valuation determination of securities. The VC meets monthly to review and approve fair value reports and conduct other business, and meets whenever necessary to review potential significant market events and take appropriate steps to adjust valuations in accordance with established policies. The VC also reviews the investment manager's annual valuation risk assessment and provides periodic reports to the board of trustees regarding pricing determinations.

The Fund's policies and procedures governing fair valuation determination of securities have been initially reviewed and approved by the board of trustees and any material amendments will also be reviewed and approved by the board. The investment manager's compliance staff, or another group within Franklin Templeton, conducts periodic reviews of compliance with the policies and provides at least annually a report to the board of trustees regarding the operation of the policies and any material changes recommended as a result of such review.

#### Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
The board of trustees of the Fund has delegated the authority to vote proxies related to the portfolio securities held by the Fund to the Fund's investment manager, Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC, in accordance with the Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Policies) adopted by the investment manager. The Policies are included in Appendix A. Shareholders may also view the complete Policies online at franklintempleton.com. Copies of the Fund's proxy voting records are available online at franklintempleton.com (search proxy voting records) and posted on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. The proxy voting records are updated each year by August 31 to reflect the most recent 12-month period ended June 30.

#### Management and Other Services
**Investment manager and services provided** The Fund's investment manager is Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC (Franklin Mutual), 101 John F. Kennedy Parkway, Short Hills, New Jersey 07078 The investment manager is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Resources, a publicly owned company engaged in the financial services industry through its subsidiaries. Charles B. Johnson (former Chairman and Director of Resources) and Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. are the principal shareholders of Resources.

The investment manager provides investment research and portfolio management services, and selects the securities for the Fund to buy, hold or sell. The investment manager also selects the brokers who execute the Fund's portfolio transactions. The investment manager provides periodic reports to the board, which reviews and supervises the investment manager's investment activities. To protect the Fund, the investment manager and its officers, directors and employees are covered by fidelity insurance.

The investment manager makes decisions for the Fund in accordance with its obligations as investment adviser to the Fund. From time to time, certain affiliates may request that the investment manager focus the Fund's investments on certain securities, strategies or markets or shift the Fund's strategy slightly to enhance its attractiveness to specific investors, which may create a conflict of interest. The investment manager may, but is not required to, focus or shift the Fund's investments in the manner requested provided that the investment manager believes that such investments are consistent with the Fund's stated investment goals and strategies and are in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. In addition, the investment manager and its affiliates manage numerous other investment companies and accounts. The investment manager may give advice and take action with respect to any of the other funds it manages, or for its own account, that may differ from action taken by the investment manager on behalf of the Fund. Similarly, with respect to the Fund, the investment manager is not obligated to recommend, buy or sell, or to refrain from recommending, buying or selling any security that the investment manager and access persons, as defined by applicable federal securities laws, may buy or sell for its or their own account or for the accounts of any other fund. The investment manager is not obligated to refrain from investing in securities held by the Fund or other funds it manages.

The Fund, its investment manager and principal underwriter have each adopted a code of ethics, as required by federal securities laws. Under the code of ethics, employees who are

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designated as access persons may engage in personal securities transactions, including transactions involving securities that are being considered for the Fund or that are currently held by the Fund, subject to certain general restrictions and procedures. The personal securities transactions of access persons of the Fund, its investment manager and principal underwriter will be governed by the code of ethics. The code of ethics is on file with, and available from, the SEC.

**Management fees** The MicroCap Value Fund pays the investment manager a fee equal to an annual rate of 0.75% of the Fund's average daily net assets. The fee is calculated daily and paid monthly according to the terms of the management agreement. Each class of the MicroCap Value Fund's shares pays its proportionate share of the fee.

The Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund pays the investment manager a fee based on the average daily net assets of the Fund equal to an annual rate of:

• 0.625% of the value of net assets up to and including $100 million;

• 0.500% of the value of net assets over $100 million up to and including $250 million;

• 0.450% of the value of net assets over $250 million up to and including $7.5 billion;

• 0.440% of the value of net assets over $7.5 billion up to and including $10 billion;

• 0.430% of the value of net assets over $10 billion up to and including $12.5 billion;

• 0.420% of the value of net assets over $12.5 billion up to and including $15 billion; and

• 0.400% of the value of net assets over $15 billion.

The fee is calculated daily and paid monthly according to the terms of the management agreement. Each class of the Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund's shares pays its proportionate share of the fee.

The Small Cap Value Fund pays the investment manager a fee based on the average daily net assets of the Fund equal to an annual rate of:

• 0.75% of the value of net assets up to and including $500 million;

• 0.625% of the value of net assets over $500 million up to and including $1 billion;

• 0.50% of the value of net assets over $1 billion up to and including $5 billion; and

• 0.49% of the value of net assets over $5 billion.

The fee is calculated daily and paid monthly according to the terms of the management agreement. Each class of the Small Cap Value Fund's shares pays its proportionate share of the fee.

For the last three fiscal years ended October 31, the Fund paid the following management fees:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Management Fees Earned ($)** | **Management Fees Waived / Expenses Reimbursed ($)** | **Management Fee Paid (After Waivers / Expenses Reimbursed) ($)** |
| **2022** | **2022** | **2022** | **2022** |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 1561215 | 35941 | 1525274 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 4109598 | 87977 | 4021621 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 23763414 | 264362 | 23499052 |
| **2021** | **2021** | **2021** | **2021** |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 1516453 | 4758 | 1511695 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 3967921 | 24353 | 3943568 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 22864111 | 51647 | 22812464 |
| **2020** | **2020** | **2020** | **2020** |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 1086780 | 13072 | 1073708 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 3412962 | 161046 | 3251916 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 13267719 | 166382 | 13101337 |

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**Portfolio managers** This section reflects information about the portfolio managers as of October 31, 2022.

The following table shows the number of other accounts managed by the portfolio managers and the total assets in the accounts managed within each category:

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name** | **Number of Other Registered Investment Companies Managed<sup>1</sup>** | **Assets of Other Registered Investment Companies Managed (x $1 million) <sup>1</sup>** | **Number of Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Managed<sup>2</sup>** | **Assets of Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Managed <br>(x $1 million)<sup>2</sup>** | **Number of Other Accounts Managed** | **Assets of Other Accounts Managed <br>(x $1 million)** |
| Grace Hoefig | 2 | 8985.6 | 2 | 288.5 | 0 | N/A |
| Nicholas Karzon | 4 | 1655.1 | 4 | 278.9 | 0 | N/A |
| Christopher Meeker | 4 | 1655.1 | 4 | 278.9 | 0 | N/A |
| Steven Raineri | 4 | 1655.1 | 4 | 278.9 | 0 | N/A |

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name** | **Number of Other Registered Investment Companies Managed<sup>1</sup>** | **Assets of Other Registered Investment Companies Managed (x $1 million) <sup>1</sup>** | **Number of Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Managed<sup>2</sup>** | **Assets of Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Managed <br>(x $1 million)<sup>2</sup>** | **Number of Other Accounts Managed** | **Assets of Other Accounts Managed <br>(x $1 million)** |
| Stephen Shunk | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |
| Srini Vijay | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |
| Oliver H. Wong | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |

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1. These figures represent registered investment companies other than the Funds that are included in this SAI.

2. The various pooled investment vehicles and accounts listed are managed by a team of investment professionals. Accordingly, the portfolio managers listed would not be solely responsible for managing such listed amounts.

Portfolio managers that provide investment services to the Fund may also provide services to a variety of other investment products, including other funds, institutional accounts and private accounts. The advisory fees for some of such other products and accounts may be different than that charged to the Fund but does not include performance based compensation. This may result in fees that are higher (or lower) than the advisory fees paid by the Fund. As a matter of policy, each fund or account is managed solely for the benefit of the beneficial owners thereof. As discussed below, the separation of the trading execution function from the portfolio management function and the application of objectively based trade allocation procedures help to mitigate potential conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of the portfolio managers managing accounts with different advisory fees.

*Conflicts.* The management of multiple funds, including the Fund, and accounts may also give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the funds and other accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as the portfolio manager must allocate his or her time and investment ideas across multiple funds and accounts. The investment manager seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most other accounts managed by a portfolio manager are managed using the same investment strategies that are used in connection with the management of the Fund. Accordingly, portfolio holdings, position sizes, and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios, which may minimize the potential for conflicts of interest. As noted above, the separate management of the trade execution and valuation functions from the portfolio management process also helps to reduce potential conflicts of interest. However, securities selected for funds or accounts other than the Fund may outperform the securities selected for the Fund. Moreover, if a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, the Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of that opportunity across all eligible funds and other accounts. The investment manager seeks to manage such potential conflicts by using procedures intended to provide a fair allocation of buy and sell opportunities among funds and other accounts.

The structure of a portfolio manager's compensation may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A portfolio manager's base pay and bonus tend to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management. As such, there may be a relationship between a portfolio manager's marketing or sales efforts and his or her bonus.

Finally, the management of personal accounts by a portfolio manager may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. While the funds and the investment manager have adopted a code of ethics which they believe contains provisions designed to prevent a wide range of prohibited activities by portfolio managers and others with respect to their personal trading activities, there can be no assurance that the code of ethics addresses all individual conduct that could result in conflicts of interest.

The investment manager and the Fund have adopted certain compliance procedures that are designed to address these, and other, types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation where a conflict arises.

*Compensation.* The investment manager seeks to maintain a compensation program that is competitively positioned to attract, retain and motivate top-quality investment professionals. Portfolio managers receive a base salary, a cash incentive bonus opportunity, an equity compensation opportunity, and a benefits package. Portfolio manager compensation is reviewed annually, and the level of compensation is based on individual performance, the salary range for a portfolio manager's level of responsibility and Franklin Templeton guidelines. Portfolio managers are provided no financial incentive to favor one fund or account over another. Each portfolio manager's compensation consists of the following three elements:

**Base salary** Each portfolio manager is paid a base salary.

**Annual bonus** Annual bonuses are structured to align the interests of the portfolio manager with those of the Fund's shareholders. Each portfolio manager is eligible to receive an annual bonus. Bonuses generally are split between cash (50% to 65%) and restricted shares of Resources stock (17.5% to 25%) and mutual fund shares (17.5% to 25%). The deferred equity-based compensation is intended to build a vested interest of the portfolio manager

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in the financial performance of both Resources and mutual funds advised by the investment manager. The bonus plan is intended to provide a competitive level of annual bonus compensation that is tied to the portfolio manager achieving consistently strong investment performance, which aligns the financial incentives of the portfolio manager and Fund shareholders. The Chief Investment Officer of the investment manager and/or other officers of the investment manager, with responsibility for the Fund, have discretion in the granting of annual bonuses to portfolio managers in accordance with Franklin Templeton guidelines. The following factors are generally used in determining bonuses under the plan:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• *Investment performance.* Primary consideration is given to the historic investment performance over the 1, 3 and 5 preceding years of all accounts managed by the portfolio manager. The pre-tax performance of each fund managed is measured relative to a relevant peer group and/or applicable benchmark as appropriate.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• *Non-investment performance*. The more qualitative contributions of the portfolio manager to the investment manager's business and the investment management team, including professional knowledge, productivity, responsiveness to client needs and communication, are evaluated in determining the amount of any bonus award.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• *Responsibilities.* The characteristics and complexity of funds managed by the portfolio manager are factored in the investment manager's appraisal.

**Additional long-term equity-based compensation** Portfolio managers may also be awarded restricted shares or units of Resources stock or restricted shares or units of one or more mutual funds. Awards of such deferred equity-based compensation typically vest over time, so as to create incentives to retain key talent.

**Benefits** Portfolio managers also participate in benefit plans and programs available generally to all employees of the investment manager.

*Ownership of Fund shares.* The investment manager has a policy of encouraging portfolio managers to invest in the funds they manage. Exceptions arise when, for example, a fund is closed to new investors or when tax considerations or jurisdictional constraints cause such an investment to be inappropriate for the portfolio manager. The following is the dollar range of Fund shares beneficially owned by the portfolio managers (such amounts may change from time to time):

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Portfolio Manager** | **Dollar Range of <br>Fund Shares <br>Beneficially Owned** |
| Grace Hoefig | Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund<br>Over $1,000,000 |
| Nicholas Karzon | Small Cap Value Fund<br>$100,001 - $500,000 |
| Christopher Meeker | Small Cap Value Fund<br>$100,001 - $500,000 |
| Steven Raineri | Small Cap Value Fund<br>Over $1,000,000 |
| Stephen Shunk | Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund<br>$100,001 - $500,000 |
| Srini Vijay | Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund<br>$100,001 - $500,000 |
| Oliver H. Wong | MicroCap Value Fund<br>$100,001 - $500,000 |

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**Administrator and services provided** Franklin Templeton Services, LLC (FT Services) has an agreement with the investment manager to provide certain administrative services and facilities for the Fund. FT Services is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Resources and is an affiliate of the Fund's investment manager and principal underwriter.

The administrative services FT Services provides include preparing and maintaining books, records, and tax and financial reports, and monitoring compliance with regulatory requirements.

**Administration fees** The investment manager pays FT Services a monthly fee equal to an annual rate of:

• 0.150% of the Fund's average daily net assets up to and including $200 million;

• 0.135% of the Fund's average daily net assets over $200 million, up to and including $700 million;

• 0.100% of the Fund's average daily net assets over $700 million, up to and including $1.2 billion; and

• 0.075% of the Fund's average daily net assets in excess of $1.2 billion.

For the last three fiscal years ended October 31, the investment manager paid FT Services the following administration fees:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
|  | **Administration Fees** <br>**Paid (After Waivers / Expenses Reimbursed) ($)** |
| **2022** | **2022** |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 302885 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 1121792 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 3657301 |
| **2021** | **2021** |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 300991 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 1100605 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 3724210 |
| **2020** | **2020** |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 217566 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 960624 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 2284698 |

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**Shareholder servicing and transfer agent** Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC (Investor Services) is the Fund's shareholder servicing agent and acts as the Fund's transfer agent and dividend-paying agent. Investor Services is located at 3344 Quality Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-7313. Please send all correspondence to Investor Services at P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151.

Investor Services receives a fee for servicing Fund shareholder accounts. The Fund also will reimburse Investor Services for certain out-of-pocket expenses necessarily incurred in servicing the shareholder accounts in accordance with the terms of its servicing contract with the Fund.

In addition, Investor Services may make payments to financial intermediaries that provide administrative services to defined benefit plans. Investor Services does not seek reimbursement by the Fund for such payments.

For all classes of shares of the Fund, except for Class R6 shares, Investor Services may also pay servicing fees, that will be reimbursed by the Fund, in varying amounts to certain financial institutions (to help offset their costs associated with client account maintenance support, statement preparation and transaction processing) that (i) maintain omnibus accounts with the Fund in the institution's name on behalf of numerous beneficial owners of Fund shares who are either direct clients of the institution or are participants in an IRS-recognized tax-deferred savings plan (including Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans and Section 529 Plans) for which the institution, or its affiliate, provides participant level recordkeeping services (called "Beneficial Owners"); or (ii) provide support for Fund shareholder accounts by sharing account data with Investor Services through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) networking system. In addition to servicing fees received from the Fund, these financial institutions also may charge a fee for their services directly to their clients. Investor Services will also receive a fee from the Fund (other than for Class R6 shares) for services provided in support of Beneficial Owners and NSCC networking system accounts.

**Sub-administrator** JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JPMorgan) has an agreement with FT Services to provide certain sub-administrative services for the Fund. The administrative services provided by JPMorgan include, but are not limited to, certain fund accounting, financial reporting, tax, corporate governance and compliance and legal administration services.

**Securities lending agent** The board of trustees has approved the Fund's participation in a securities lending program. Under the securities lending program, The Bank of New York Mellon serves as the Fund's securities lending agent ("Securities Lending Agent").

For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, the Fund did not lend any of its securities.

**Custodian** The Bank of New York Mellon, Mutual Funds Division, 100 Church Street, New York, NY 10286, acts as custodian of the Fund's securities and other assets. As foreign custody manager, the bank selects and monitors foreign sub-custodian banks, selects and evaluates non-compulsory foreign depositories, and furnishes information relevant to the selection of compulsory depositories.

**Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm** Ernst & Young LLP, 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA 02116, is the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm. The independent registered public accounting firm audits the financial statements included in the Fund's Annual Report to shareholders.

**Portfolio Transactions** 

The investment manager selects brokers and dealers to execute the Fund's portfolio transactions in accordance with criteria set forth in the management agreement and any directions that the board may give.

When placing a portfolio transaction, the trading department of the investment manager seeks to obtain "best execution" -- the best combination of high quality transaction execution services, taking into account the services and products to be provided by the broker or dealer, and low relative commission rates with the view of maximizing value for the Fund and its other clients. For most transactions in equity securities, the amount of commissions paid is negotiated between the investment manager and the broker executing the transaction. The determination and evaluation of the reasonableness of the brokerage commissions paid are based to a large degree on the professional opinions of the persons within the trading department of the investment manager responsible for placement and review of the transactions. These opinions are based on the experience of these individuals in the securities industry and information available to them about the level of commissions being paid by other institutional investors. The investment manager may also place orders to buy and sell equity securities on a principal rather than agency basis if the investment manager believes that trading on a principal basis will provide best execution. Orders for fixed income securities are ordinarily placed with market makers on a net basis, without any brokerage commissions. Purchases of portfolio securities from underwriters will include a commission or concession paid to the underwriter, and purchases from dealers will include a spread between the bid and ask price.

The investment manager may cause the Fund to pay certain brokers commissions that are higher than those another broker may charge, if the investment manager determines in good faith that the amount paid is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services it receives. This may be viewed in terms of either the particular transaction or the investment manager's overall responsibilities to client

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The research services that brokers may provide to the investment manager include, among others, supplying information about particular companies, markets, countries, or local, regional, national or transnational economies, statistical data, quotations and other securities pricing information, and other information that provides lawful and appropriate assistance to the investment manager in carrying out its investment advisory responsibilities. These services may not always directly benefit the Fund. They must, however, be of value to the investment manager in carrying out its overall responsibilities to its clients.

It is not possible to place an accurate dollar value on the special execution or on the research services the investment manager receives from dealers effecting transactions in portfolio securities. The allocation of transactions to obtain additional research services allows the investment manager to supplement its own research and analysis activities and to receive the views and information of individuals and research staffs from many securities firms. The receipt of these products and services does not reduce the investment manager's research activities in providing investment advice to the Fund.

As long as it is lawful and appropriate to do so, the investment manager and its affiliates may use this research and data in their investment advisory capacities with other clients.

Because Franklin Distributors, LLC (Distributors) is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), it may sometimes receive certain fees when the Fund tenders portfolio securities pursuant to a tender-offer solicitation. To recapture brokerage for the benefit of the Fund, any portfolio securities tendered by the Fund will be tendered through Distributors if it is legally permissible to do so. In turn, the next management fee payable to the investment manager will be reduced by the amount of any fees received by Distributors in cash, less any costs and expenses incurred in connection with the tender.

If purchases or sales of securities of the Fund and one or more other investment companies or clients supervised by the investment manager are considered at or about the same time, transactions in these securities will be allocated among the several investment companies and clients in a manner deemed equitable to all by the investment manager, taking into account the respective sizes of the accounts and the amount of securities to be purchased or sold. In some cases this procedure could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security so far as the Fund is concerned. In other cases it is possible that the ability to participate in volume transactions may improve execution and reduce transaction costs to the Fund.

For the last three fiscal years ended October 31, the Fund paid the following brokerage commissions:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Brokerage Commissions ($)** | **Brokerage Commissions ($)** | **Brokerage Commissions ($)** |
|  | **2022** | **2021** | **2020** |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 63894 | 125059 | 138464 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 279142 | 202321 | 227066 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 2192077 | 2949033 | 2119317 |

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For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, the Fund paid brokerage commissions from aggregate portfolio transactions to brokers who provided research services as follows:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Brokerage <br>Commissions <br>($)** | **Aggregate <br>Portfolio <br>Transactions <br>($)** |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 3509 | 14376378 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 76956 | 648707593 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 750010 | 2684936260 |

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As of October 31, 2022, the MicroCap Value Fund, Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund and Small Cap Value Fund did not own securities issued by their regular broker-dealers.

Because the Fund may, from time to time, invest in broker-dealers, it is possible that the Fund will own more than 5% of the voting securities of one or more broker-dealers through whom the Fund places portfolio brokerage transactions. In such circumstances, the broker-dealer would be considered an affiliated person of the Fund. To the extent the Fund places brokerage transactions through such a broker-dealer at a time when the broker-dealer is considered to be an affiliate of the Fund, the Fund will be required to adhere to certain rules relating to the payment of commissions to an affiliated broker-dealer. These rules require the Fund to adhere to procedures adopted by the board to ensure that the commissions paid to such broker-dealers do not exceed what would otherwise be the usual and customary brokerage commissions for similar transactions.

**Distributions and Taxes**

#### The discussion below pertains to each Fund, unless otherwise noted.
The following discussion is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders, some of which may not be described in the Fund's prospectus. No attempt is made to present a complete

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detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders. The discussions here and in the prospectus are not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

The following discussion is based on the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this SAI, including any amendments to the Code resulting from 2017 legislation commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ("TCJA"). Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes, including any provisions of law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect. Where indicated below, IRS refers to the United States Internal Revenue Service.

**This is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.** 

**Multi-class distributions** The Fund calculates income dividends and capital gain distributions the same way for each class. The amount of any income dividends per share will differ, however, generally due to any differences in the distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees applicable to the classes and Class R6 transfer agency fees.

**Distributions** The Fund intends to declare and pay income dividends at least annually from its net investment income. Capital gains, if any, may be paid at least annually. The Fund may distribute income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary or appropriate in the board's discretion. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Fund will pay either income dividends or capital gain distributions. Your income dividends and capital gain distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares at net asset value unless you elect to receive them in cash. Distributions declared in October, November or December to shareholders of record in such month and paid in January are taxable as if they were paid in December.

*Distributions of net investment income.* The Fund receives income generally in the form of dividends and interest on its investments. The Fund may also recognize ordinary income from other sources, including, but not limited to, certain gains on foreign currency-related transactions. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund's net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor, any income dividends (other than qualified dividends) the Fund pays are taxable to you at ordinary income tax rates. A portion of the income dividends paid to you may be qualified dividends eligible to be taxed at reduced rates.

*Distributions of capital gains.* The Fund may realize capital gains and losses on the sale of its portfolio securities.

Distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have owned your shares in the Fund. Any net capital gains realized by the Fund (in excess of any available capital loss carryovers) generally are distributed once each year, and may be distributed more frequently, if necessary, to reduce or eliminate excise or income taxes on the Fund.

Capital gain dividends and any net long-term capital gains you realize from the sale of Fund shares are generally taxable at the reduced long-term capital gains tax rates. For single individuals with taxable income not in excess of $44,625 in 2023 ($89,250 for married individuals filing jointly), the long-term capital gains tax rate is 0%. For single individuals and joint filers with taxable income in excess of these amounts but not more than $492,300 or $553,850, respectively, the long-term capital gains tax rate is 15%. The rate is 20% for single individuals with taxable income in excess of $492,300 and married individuals filing jointly with taxable income in excess of $553,850. The taxable income thresholds are adjusted annually for inflation. An additional 3.8% Medicare tax may also be imposed as discussed below.

*Returns of capital.* If the Fund's distributions exceed its earnings and profits (i.e., generally, its taxable income and realized capital gains) for a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in that taxable year may be characterized as a return of capital to you. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce the cost basis in your Fund shares and will result in a higher capital gain or in a lower capital loss when you sell your shares. Any return of capital in excess of the basis in your Fund shares, however, will be taxable as a capital gain. In the case of a non-calendar year fund, earnings and profits are first allocated to distributions made on or before December 31 of its taxable year and then to distributions made thereafter. The effect of this provision is to "push" returns of capital into the next calendar year.

*Undistributed capital gains*. The Fund may retain or distribute to shareholders its net capital gain for each taxable year. The Fund currently intends to distribute net capital gains. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the applicable corporate tax rate. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.

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**Investments in foreign securities** The following paragraphs describe tax considerations that are applicable to the Fund's investments in foreign securities.

*Foreign income tax*. Investment income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries, which entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. Some countries require the filing of a tax reclaim or other forms to receive the benefit of the reduced tax rate; whether or when the Fund will receive the tax reclaim is within the control of the individual country. Information required on these forms may not be available such as shareholder information; therefore, the Fund may not receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries have conflicting and changing instructions and restrictive timing requirements which may cause the Fund not to receive the reduced treaty rates or potential reclaims. Other countries may subject capital gains realized by the Fund on sale or disposition of securities of that country to taxation. These and other factors may make it difficult for the Fund to determine in advance the effective rate of tax on its investments in certain countries. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to pass-through certain eligible foreign income taxes paid by the Fund to shareholders, although it reserves the right not to do so. If the Fund makes such an election and obtains a refund of foreign taxes paid by the Fund in a prior year, the Fund may be eligible to reduce the amount of foreign taxes reported by the Fund to its shareholders, generally by the amount of the foreign taxes refunded, for the year in which the refund is received. Certain foreign taxes imposed on the Fund's investments, such as a foreign financial transaction tax, may not be creditable against U.S. income tax liability or eligible for pass through by the Fund to its shareholders.

*Effect of foreign debt investments on distributions.* Most foreign exchange gains realized on the sale of debt securities are treated as ordinary income by the Fund. Similarly, foreign exchange losses realized on the sale of debt securities generally are treated as ordinary losses. These gains when distributed are taxable to you as ordinary income, and any losses reduce the Fund's ordinary income otherwise available for distribution to you. This treatment could increase or decrease the Fund's ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the Fund's previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital.

*PFIC securities.* The Fund may invest in securities of foreign entities that could be deemed for tax purposes to be passive foreign investment companies (PFICs). In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, the Fund intends to mark-to-market these securities and recognize any gains at the end of its fiscal and excise (described below) tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that the Fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold the securities. Foreign companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in identifying PFICs, the Fund can give no assurances that it will be able to identify portfolio securities in foreign corporations that are PFICs in time for the Fund to make a mark-to-market election. If the Fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC and thus does not make a mark-to-market election, the Fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any "excess distribution" or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the Fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on the Fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

The Fund's designation of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause the income dividends of any designated securities to fall outside of the definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you by the Fund.

**Information on the amount and tax character of distributions** The Fund will inform you of the amount of your income dividends and capital gain distributions at the time they are paid, and will advise you of their tax status for federal income tax purposes shortly after the close of each calendar year. The amount of income dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders, consisting of qualified dividend income (which is relevant to U.S. investors) and interest-related and short-term capital gain dividends (which are relevant to non-U.S. investors) may exceed the total amount of income dividends paid. Such characterization will not result in more income being reported to you, but rather will allow the Fund to report dividends in a manner that is more tax efficient to both U.S. and non-U.S. investors. If you have not owned your Fund shares for a full year, the Fund may report and distribute to you:

• as an ordinary income, qualified dividend, or capital gain dividend (a distribution of net long-term capital gains) if you are a U.S. investor, or

• as an interest-related, short-term capital gain, or capital gain dividend if you are a non-U.S. investor

a percentage of income that may not be equal to the actual amount of each type of income earned during the period of your investment in the Fund.

The Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify income after it issues your tax reporting statement. This can result from rules in the Code that effectively prevent regulated

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investment companies such as the Fund from ascertaining with certainty until after the calendar year end the final amount and character of distributions the Fund has received on its investments during the prior calendar year. Prior to issuing your statement, the Fund makes every effort to identify reclassifications of income to reduce the number of corrected forms mailed to shareholders. However, when necessary, the Fund will send you a corrected tax reporting statement to reflect reclassified information. This can result from rules in the Code that effectively prevent regulated investment companies such as the Fund from ascertaining with certainty until after the calendar year end the final amount and character of distributions the Fund has received on its investments during the prior calendar year. If you receive a corrected tax reporting statement, use the information on this statement, and not the information on your original statement, in completing your tax returns.

**Avoid "buying a dividend"** At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund's net asset value may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in the value of the portfolio securities held by the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. This tax treatment is required even if you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares. Buying shares in the Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gain distribution is sometimes known as "buying a dividend." For example, if you buy 500 shares in a fund on December 10th at the fund's net asset value (NAV) of $10 per share, and the fund makes a distribution on December 15th of $1 per share, your shares will then have an NAV of $9 per share (disregarding any change in the fund's market value), and you will have to pay a tax on what is essentially a return of your investment of $1 per share.

**Election to be taxed as a regulated investment company** The Fund has elected to be treated as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. It has qualified as a regulated investment company for its most recent fiscal year, and intends to continue to qualify during the current fiscal year. As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. In order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must satisfy the requirements described below.

*Distribution requirement.* The Fund must distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).

*Income requirement.* The Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (QPTPs).

*Asset diversification test.* The Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification test at the close of each quarter of the Fund's tax year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund's assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets in securities of an issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund's total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other regulated investment companies) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or, in the securities of one or more QPTPs.

In some circumstances, the character and timing of income realized by the Fund for purposes of the income requirement or the identification of the issuer for purposes of the asset diversification test is uncertain under current law with respect to a particular investment, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to such type of investment may adversely affect the Fund's ability to satisfy these requirements. In other circumstances, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio holdings in order to meet the income requirement, distribution requirement, or asset diversification test, which may have a negative impact on the Fund's income and performance. In lieu of potential disqualification, the Fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the asset diversification test or income requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.

If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at the applicable corporate tax rate without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company, subject to savings provisions for certain qualification failures, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, would thus have a negative impact on the Fund's income and performance. In that case, the Fund would be

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liable for federal, and possibly state, corporate taxes on its taxable income and gains, and distributions to you would be taxed as dividend income to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits. Even if such savings provisions apply, the Fund may be subject to a monetary sanction of $50,000 or more. Moreover, the board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such a course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

**Capital loss carryovers** The capital losses of the Fund, if any, do not flow through to shareholders. Rather, the Fund may use its capital losses, subject to applicable limitations, to offset its capital gains without being required to pay taxes on or distribute to shareholders such gains that are offset by the losses. If the Fund has a "net capital loss" (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains), the excess (if any) of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year. Any such net capital losses of the Fund that are not used to offset capital gains may be carried forward indefinitely, subject to certain limitations, to reduce any future capital gains realized by the Fund in succeeding taxable years.

#### Excise tax distribution requirements
*Required distributions.* To avoid federal excise taxes, the Code requires the Fund to distribute to you by December 31 of each year, at a minimum, the following amounts:

• 98% of its taxable ordinary income earned during the calendar year;

• 98.2% of its capital gain net income earned during the 12-month period ending October 31; and

• 100% of any undistributed amounts of these categories of income or gain from the prior year.

The Fund intends to declare and pay these distributions in December (or to pay them in January, in which case you must treat them as received in December), but can give no assurances that its distributions will be sufficient to eliminate all taxes.

*Tax reporting for income and excise tax years.* Because the periods for measuring a regulated investment company's income are different for income (determined on a fiscal year basis) and excise tax years (determined as noted above), special rules are required to calculate the amount of income earned in each period, and the amount of earnings and profits needed to support that income. For example, if the Fund uses the excise tax period ending on October 31 as the measuring period for calculating and paying out capital gain net income and realizes a net capital loss between November 1 and the end of the Fund's fiscal year, the Fund may calculate its earnings and profits without regard to such net capital loss in order to make its required distribution of capital gain net income for excise tax purposes. The Fund also may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year, which may change the timing, amount, or characterization of Fund distributions.

A "qualified late year loss" includes (i) any net capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, or, if there is no such loss, any net long-term capital loss or any net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year ("post-October capital losses"), and (ii) the sum of (1) the excess, if any, of (a) specified losses incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) specified gains incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year and (2) the excess, if any, of (a) ordinary losses incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year, over (b) the ordinary income incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year. The terms "specified losses" and "specified gains" mean ordinary losses and gains from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of property (including the termination of a position with respect to such property), foreign currency losses and gains, and losses and gains resulting from holding stock in a passive foreign investment company (PFIC) for which a mark-to-market election is in effect. The terms "ordinary losses" and "ordinary income" mean other ordinary losses and income that are not described in the preceding sentence. Special rules apply to a fund with a fiscal year ending in November or December that elects to use its taxable year for determining its capital gain net income for excise tax purposes. The Fund may only elect to treat any post-October capital loss, specified gains and specified losses incurred after October 31 as if it had been incurred in the succeeding year in determining its taxable income for the current year.

Because these rules are not entirely clear, the Fund may be required to interpret the "qualified late-year loss" and other rules relating to these different year-ends to determine its taxable income and capital gains. The Fund's reporting of income and its allocation between different taxable and excise tax years may be challenged by the IRS, possibly resulting in adjustments in the income reported by the Fund on its tax returns and/or by the Fund to you on your year-end tax statements.

**Medicare tax** An additional 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on net investment income earned by certain individuals, estates and trusts. "Net investment income," for these purposes, means investment income, including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net

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gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares, reduced by the deductions properly allocable to such income. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (1) the shareholder's net investment income or (2) the amount by which the shareholder's modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing separately) or $200,000 (in any other case). Any liability for this additional Medicare tax is reported by you on, and paid with, your federal income tax return.

**Sales of Fund shares** Sales and exchanges of Fund shares are generally taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes. If you sell your Fund shares, or exchange them for shares of a different Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason fund, you are required to report any gain or loss on your sale or exchange. If you owned your shares as a capital asset, any gain or loss that you realize is a capital gain or loss, and is long-term or short-term, depending on how long you owned your shares. Under current law, shares held one year or less are short-term and shares held more than one year are long-term. The conversion of shares of one class into another class of the same fund is not a taxable exchange for federal income tax purposes. Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a noncorporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.

*Sales at a loss within six months of purchase.* Any loss incurred on the sale or exchange of Fund shares owned for six months or less is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gains distributed to you by the Fund on those shares.

*Wash sales.* All or a portion of any loss that you realize on the sale or exchange of your Fund shares will be disallowed to the extent that you buy other shares in the Fund (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after your sale or exchange. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to your tax basis in the new shares.

*Deferral of basis.* In reporting gain or loss on the sale of your Fund shares, you may be required to adjust your basis in the shares you sell under the following circumstances:

IF:

• In your original purchase of Fund shares, you paid a sales charge and received a reinvestment right (the right to reinvest your sales proceeds at a reduced or with no sales charge), and

• You sell some or all of your original shares within 90 days of their purchase, and

• You reinvest the sales proceeds in the Fund or in another Franklin Templeton fund by January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the disposition of the original shares occurred, and the sales charge that would otherwise apply is reduced or eliminated;

THEN: In reporting any gain or loss on your sale, all or a portion of the sales charge that you paid for your original shares is excluded from your tax basis in the shares sold and added to your tax basis in the new shares.

*Reportable transactions.* Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund's shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper.

**Cost basis reporting** Beginning in calendar year 2012, the Fund is required to report the cost basis of Fund shares sold or exchanged to you and the IRS annually. The cost basis of Fund shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the shares, including any front-end sales charges, and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of Fund shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of Fund shares. Capital gains and losses on the sale or exchange of Fund shares are generally taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes.

*Shares acquired on or after January 1, 2012.* Cost basis reporting is generally required for Fund shares that are acquired by purchase, gift, inheritance or other transfer on or after January 1, 2012 (referred to as "covered shares"), and subsequently sold or exchanged on or after that date. Cost basis reporting does not apply to sales or exchanges of shares acquired before January 1, 2012, or to shares held in money market funds that maintain a stable $1 net asset value and tax-deferred accounts, such as individual retirement accounts and qualified retirement plans.

*Cost basis methods*. Treasury regulations permit the use of several methods to determine the cost basis of mutual fund shares. The method used will determine which specific shares are treated as sold or exchanged when there are multiple purchases at different prices and the entire position is not sold at one time.

The Fund's default method is the average cost method. Under the average cost method, the cost basis of your Fund shares will be determined by averaging the cost basis of all outstanding shares. The holding period for determining whether gains and losses are short-term or long-term is based on the first-in-first-out method (FIFO) which treats the earliest shares acquired as those first sold or exchanged.

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If you wish to select a different cost basis method, or choose to specifically identify your shares at the time of each sale or exchange, you must contact the Fund. However, once a shareholder has sold or exchanged covered shares from the shareholder's account, a change by the shareholder from the average cost method to another permitted method will only apply prospectively to shares acquired after the date of the method change.

Under the specific identification method, Treasury regulations require that you adequately identify the tax lots of Fund shares to be sold, exchanged or transferred at the time of each transaction. An adequate identification is made by providing the dates that the shares were originally acquired and the number of shares to be sold, exchanged or transferred from each applicable tax lot. Alternatively, an adequate identification of shares may be made with a standing order of instruction on your account. If you do not provide an adequate identification the Fund is required to use the FIFO method with any shares with an unknown acquisition date treated as sold or exchanged first.

The Fund does not recommend any particular cost basis method and the use of other methods may result in more favorable tax consequences for some shareholders. It is important that you consult with your tax or financial advisor to determine which method is best for you and then notify the Fund if you intend to use a method other than average cost.

If your account is held by your financial advisor or other broker-dealer, that firm may select a different cost basis default method. In these cases, please contact the firm to obtain information with respect to the available methods and elections for your account.

*Shares acquired before January 1, 2012.* Cost basis reporting is not generally required for Fund shares that were acquired by purchase, gift, inheritance or other transfer prior to January 1, 2012 (referred to as "noncovered shares"), regardless of when they are sold or exchanged. As a service to shareholders, the Fund presently intends to continue to provide shareholders cost basis information for eligible accounts for shares acquired prior to January 1, 2012. Consistent with prior years, this information will not be reported to the IRS or any state taxing authority.

Shareholders that use the average cost method for shares acquired before January 1, 2012 must make the election to use the average cost method for these shares on their federal income tax returns in accordance with Treasury regulations. This election cannot be made by notifying the Fund.

*Important limitations regarding cost basis information.* The Fund will report the cost basis of your Fund shares by taking into account all of the applicable adjustments required by the Code for purposes of reporting cost basis information to shareholders and the IRS annually. However the Fund is not required, and in many cases the Fund does not possess the information, to take all possible basis, holding period or other adjustments into account in reporting cost basis information to you. Therefore shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund, whether this information is provided with respect to covered or noncovered shares, and make any additional basis, holding period or other adjustments that are required by the Code when reporting these amounts on their federal and state income tax returns. Shareholders remain solely responsible for complying with all federal and state income tax laws when filing their income tax returns.*

*Additional information about cost basis reporting.* For additional information about cost basis reporting, including the methods and elections available to you, please contact Franklin Templeton at (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236. Additional information is also available on franklintempleton.com/costbasis.

**Tax certification and backup withholding** Tax laws require that you certify your tax information when you become an investor in the Fund. For U.S. citizens and resident aliens, this certification is made on IRS Form W-9. Under these laws, you may be subject to federal backup withholding at 24%, and state backup withholding may also apply, on a portion of your taxable distributions and sales proceeds unless you:

• provide your correct Social Security or taxpayer identification number,

• certify that this number is correct,

• certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, and

• certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

The Fund must also withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding and information reporting.

**U.S. government securities** The income earned on certain U.S. government securities is exempt from state and local personal income taxes if earned directly by you. States also grant tax-free status to mutual fund dividends paid to you from interest earned on these securities, subject in some states to minimum investment or reporting requirements that must be met by the Fund. The income on Fund investments in certain securities, such as repurchase agreements, commercial paper and federal agency-backed obligations (e.g., Ginnie Mae and Fannie Mae securities), generally does not qualify for tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations.

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**Qualified dividends and the corporate dividends-received deduction** For individual shareholders, a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation at long-term capital gain tax rates. For single individuals with taxable income not in excess of $44,625 in 2023 ($89,250 for married individuals filing jointly), the long-term capital gains tax rate is 0%. For single individuals and joint filers with taxable income in excess of these amounts but not more than $492,300 or $553,850, respectively, the long-term capital gains tax rate is 15%. The rate is 20% for single individuals with taxable income in excess of $492,300 and married individuals filing jointly with taxable income in excess of $553,850. An additional 3.8% Medicare tax may also be imposed as discussed above.

"Qualified dividend income" means dividends paid to the Fund (a) by domestic corporations, (b) by foreign corporations that are either (i) incorporated in a possession of the United States, or (ii) are eligible for benefits under certain income tax treaties with the United States that include an exchange of information program, or (c) with respect to stock of a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Both the Fund and the investor must meet certain holding period requirements to qualify Fund dividends for this treatment. Specifically, the Fund must hold the stock for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend (or in the case of certain preferred stocks, for at least 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend). Similarly, investors must hold their Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the Fund distribution goes ex-dividend. Income derived from investments in derivatives, fixed-income securities, U.S. REITs, PFICs, and income received "in lieu of" dividends in a securities lending transaction generally is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income. If the qualified dividend income received by the Fund is equal to or greater than 95% of the Fund's gross income (exclusive of net capital gain) in any taxable year, all of the ordinary income dividends paid by the Fund will be qualified dividend income.

While the income received in the form of a qualified dividend is taxed at the same rates as long-term capital gains, such income will not be considered a long-term capital gain for other federal income tax purposes. For example, you will not be allowed to offset your long-term capital losses against qualified dividend income on your federal income tax return. Any qualified dividend income that you elect to be taxed at these reduced rates also cannot be used as investment income in determining your allowable investment interest expense.

For corporate shareholders, a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund may qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction. This deduction generally is available to corporations for dividends paid by a fund out of income earned on its investments in domestic corporations. The availability of the dividends-received deduction is subject to certain holding period and debt financing restrictions that apply to both the Fund and the investor. Specifically, the amount that the Fund may report as eligible for the dividends-received deduction will be reduced or eliminated if the shares on which the dividends earned by the Fund were debt-financed or held by the Fund for less than a minimum period of time, generally 46 days during a 91-day period beginning 45 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, if your Fund shares are debt-financed or held by you for less than a 46-day period then the dividends-received deduction for Fund dividends on your shares may also be reduced or eliminated. Income derived by the Fund from investments in derivatives, fixed-income and foreign securities generally is not eligible for this treatment.

Each year the Fund will report to shareholders the portion of the income dividends paid by the Fund that are eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income, if any, and for the corporate dividends-received deduction, if any. The amounts reported to shareholders may vary significantly each year depending on the particular mix of the Fund's investments. If the percentage of qualified dividend income or dividend income eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction is quite small, the Fund reserves the right to not report the small percentage of qualified dividend income for individuals or income eligible for the corporate dividends-received deduction for corporations.

**Investment in complex securities** The Fund's investment in certain complex securities could subject it to one or more special tax rules (including, but not limited to, the wash sale rules), which may affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary or capital or as short-term or long-term, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, and cause adjustments to the holding periods of the Fund's securities. These rules, therefore, could affect the amount, timing and/or tax character of the Fund's distributions to shareholders. Moreover, because the tax rules applicable to complex securities, including derivative financial instruments, are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether the Fund has made sufficient distributions and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid a fund-level tax. Set forth below is a general description of the tax treatment of certain types of securities, investment techniques and transactions that may apply to a fund; therefore, this section should be read in conjunction with the discussion above under "Goals, Strategies and Risks" for a detailed description of the various types of securities and investment techniques that apply to the Fund.

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*In general.* Gain or loss recognized by the Fund on the sale or other disposition of its portfolio investments will generally be capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Portfolio investments held for more than one year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment.

*Derivatives.* The Fund may invest in certain derivative contracts, including some or all of the following types of investments: options on securities and securities indices; financial and futures contracts; options on financial or futures contracts and stock index futures; foreign currency contracts; and forward and futures contracts on foreign currencies. The tax treatment of certain forward and futures contracts entered into by the Fund, as well as listed non-equity options written or purchased by the Fund on U.S. exchanges (including options on futures contracts, broad-based equity indices and debt securities), may be governed by section 1256 of the Code ("section 1256 contracts"). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses ("60/40"), although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, any section 1256 contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) are "marked to market" with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable, even though the Fund continues to hold the contracts. The Fund may be required to distribute this income and gains annually in order to avoid income or excise taxes on the Fund. Section 1256 contracts do not include any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement.

*Short selling and constructive sales.* The Fund's entry into certain derivative instruments, including options, forward contracts , futures and short sale transactions could be treated as the "constructive sale" of an "appreciated financial position," causing it to realize gain, but not loss, on the position.

*Securities lending transactions.* The Fund may obtain additional income by lending its securities, typically to brokers. All amounts that are paid to the Fund in a securities lending transaction, including substitute dividend or interest payments, are treated as a "fee" for the temporary use of property. As a result, any substitute dividend payments received by the Fund are neither qualified dividend income eligible for taxation at reduced long-term capital gain rates in the case of individual shareholders nor eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders. Similarly, any foreign tax withheld on payments made "in lieu of" dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign taxes to shareholders.

*Tax straddles.* If the Fund invests in certain derivative instruments, if it actively trades stock or otherwise acquires a position with respect to substantially similar or related property in connection with certain hedging transactions, or if it engages in spread, straddle or collar transactions, it could be deemed to hold offsetting positions in securities. If the Fund's risk of loss with respect to specific securities in its portfolio is substantially diminished by the fact that it holds offsetting securities, the Fund could be deemed to have entered into a tax "straddle" or to hold a "successor position" that would require any loss realized by it to be deferred for tax purposes.

*Synthetic convertible securities.* The Fund is permitted to invest in synthetic convertible securities, which are comprised of two distinct security components, for example, a nonconvertible fixed income security and warrants or stock or stock index call options. When combined, these investments achieve the same economic effect as an investment in a traditional convertible security: a desired income stream and the right to acquire shares of the underlying equity security. Even though these securities are economically equivalent to traditional convertible securities, each security forming part of such an investment is analyzed separately, and the tax consequences of an investment in the component parts of these securities could differ from those of an investment in a traditional convertible security.

*Structured investments.* The Fund may invest in instruments that are designed to restructure the investment characteristics of a security or securities, such as certain structured notes, swap contracts, or swaptions. By investing in these securities, the Fund could be subject to tax consequences that differ from those of an investment in traditional debt or equity securities.

*Certain fixed-income investments*. Gain recognized on the disposition of a debt obligation purchased by the Fund with market discount (generally, at a price less than its principal amount) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of the market discount that accrued during the period of time the Fund held the debt obligation, unless the Fund made an election to accrue market discount into income currently. Fund distributions of accrued market discount, including any current inclusions, are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund's earnings and profits. If the Fund purchases a debt obligation (such as a zero coupon security or pay-in-kind security) that was originally issued at a discount, the Fund generally is required to include in gross income each year the portion of the original issue discount that accrues during such year. Therefore an investment in such securities may cause the Fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on the

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securities. To generate cash to satisfy those distribution requirements, the Fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of fund shares.

*Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default*. The Fund may also hold obligations that are at risk of or in default. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether and to what extent the Fund should recognize market discount on such a debt obligation, when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent the Fund may take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities and how the Fund should allocate payments received on obligations in default between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by the Fund in order to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company.

*Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income).* Under a Notice issued by the IRS, the Code and Treasury regulations to be issued, a portion of the Fund's income from a U.S. REIT that is attributable to the REIT's residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC) or equity interests in a "taxable mortgage pool" (referred to in the Code as an excess inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. The excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as the Fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest or, if applicable, taxable mortgage pool directly. In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on unrelated business income (UBTI), thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign stockholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year a "disqualified organization" (which generally includes certain cooperatives, governmental entities, and tax-exempt organizations not subject to UBTI) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the applicable corporate tax rate. The Notice imposes certain reporting requirements upon regulated investment companies that have excess inclusion income. There can be no assurance that the Fund will not allocate to shareholders excess inclusion income.

These rules are potentially applicable to a fund with respect to any income it receives from the equity interests of certain mortgage pooling vehicles, either directly or, as is more likely, through an investment in a U.S. REIT. It is not anticipated that these rules will apply to a fund that does not invest in any U.S. REITs.

**State income taxes** Some state tax codes adopt the Code through a certain date. As a result, such conforming states may not have adopted the version of the Code as amended by the TCJA, the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, or other federal tax laws enacted after the applicable conformity date. Other states may have adopted an income or other basis of tax that differs from the Code.

The tax information furnished by the Fund to shareholders and the IRS annually with respect to the amount and character of dividends paid, cost basis information with respect to shares redeemed or exchanged, and records maintained by the Fund with respect to the cost basis of Fund shares, will be prepared on the basis of current federal income tax law to comply with the information reporting requirements of the Code, and not necessarily on the basis of the law of any state in which a shareholder is resident or otherwise subject to tax. If your account is held by your financial advisor or other broker, contact that firm with respect to any state information reporting requirements applicable to your investment in the Fund. Under the current California Revenue and Taxation Code, certain funds are required to report tax information to the California Franchise Tax Board annually.

Accordingly, the amount and character of income, gain or loss realized by a shareholder with respect to an investment in Fund shares for state income tax purposes may differ from that for federal income tax purposes. Franklin Templeton provides additional tax information, on franklintempleton.com (under the Tax Center) to assist shareholders with the preparation of their federal and state income tax returns. Shareholders are solely responsible for determining the amount and character of income, gain or loss to report on their federal, state and local income tax returns each year as a result of their purchase, holding and sale of Fund shares.

**Non-U.S. investors** Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax, and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements.

*In general.* The United States imposes a flat 30% withholding tax (or a tax at a lower treaty rate) on U.S. source dividends. Exemptions from U.S. withholding tax are provided for capital gains realized on the sales of Fund shares, capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from net long-term capital gains, short-term capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from net

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short-term capital gains, and interest-related dividends paid by the Fund from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources, unless you are a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year. "Qualified interest income" includes, in general, the sum of the Fund's U.S. source: i) bank deposit interest, ii) short-term original issue discount, iii) portfolio interest, and iv) any interest-related dividend passed through from another regulated investment company.

However, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding tax at source, any taxable distributions and proceeds from the sale of your Fund shares will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 24% if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

It may not be practical in every case for the Fund to report to shareholders, and the Fund reserves the right in these cases to not report, interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends. Additionally, the Fund's reporting of interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends may not, in turn, be passed through to shareholders by intermediaries who have assumed tax reporting responsibilities for this income in managed or omnibus accounts due to systems limitations or operational constraints.

*Effectively connected income.* Taxable ordinary income dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. investors on portfolio investments are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at 30% or a lower treaty rate. However, if you hold your Fund shares in connection with a U.S. trade or business, your income and gains may be considered effectively connected income and taxed in the U.S. on a net basis at graduated income tax rates in which case you may be required to file a nonresident U.S. income tax return.

*U.S. estate tax.* An individual who is a non-U.S. investor will be subject to U.S. federal estate tax on the value of the Fund shares owned at the time of death, unless a treaty exemption applies between the country of residence of the non-U.S. investor and the U.S. Even if a treaty exemption is available, a decedent's estate may nevertheless be required to file a U.S. estate tax return to claim the exemption, as well as to obtain a U.S. federal transfer certificate. The transfer certificate will identify the property (i.e., Fund shares) on which a U.S. federal tax lien has been released and is required before the Fund can release a nonresident alien decedent's investment in the Fund to his or her estate. A transfer certificate is not required for property administered by an executor or administrator appointed, qualified and acting within the United States. For estates with U.S. situs assets of not more than $60,000 (there is a statutory estate tax credit for this amount of property), an affidavit from the executor of the estate or other authorized individual along with additional evidence requested by the IRS relating to the decedent's estate evidencing the U.S. situs assets may be provided in lieu of a federal transfer certificate. Transfers by gift of shares of the Fund by a non-U.S. investor who is a nonresident alien individual will not be subject to U.S. federal gift tax. The tax consequences to a non-U.S. investor entitled to claim the benefits of a treaty between the country of residence of the non-U.S. investor and the U.S. may be different from the consequences described above.

*Tax certification and backup withholding as applied to non-U.S. investors.* Non-U.S. investors have special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding at a rate of 24% and, if applicable, to obtain the benefit of any income tax treaty between the non-U.S. investor's country of residence and the United States. To claim these tax benefits, the non-U.S. investor must provide a properly completed Form W-8BEN (or other Form W-8, where applicable) to establish his or her status as a non-U.S. investor, to claim beneficial ownership over the assets in the account, and to claim, if applicable, a reduced rate of or exemption from withholding tax under the applicable treaty. A Form W-8BEN generally remains in effect for a period of three years beginning on the date that it is signed and ending on the last day of the third succeeding calendar year. In certain instances, Form W-8BEN may remain valid indefinitely unless the investor has a change of circumstances that renders the form incorrect and necessitates a new form and tax certification. Non-U.S. investors must advise the Fund of any change of circumstances that would render the information given on the form incorrect and must then provide a new W-8BEN to avoid the prospective application of backup withholding.

*Investment in U.S. real property.* The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (FIRPTA) makes non-U.S. persons subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a U.S. real property interest (USRPI) as if he or she were a U.S. person. Such gain is sometimes referred to as FIRPTA gain. The Fund may invest in equity securities of corporations that invest in USRPI, including U.S. REITs, which may trigger FIRPTA gain to the Fund's non-U.S. shareholders.

The Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of FIRPTA gain when a regulated investment company is classified as a qualified investment entity. A regulated investment company will be classified as a qualified investment entity if, in general, 50% or more of the regulated investment company's assets consist of interests in U.S. REITs and other U.S. real property holding corporations (USRPHC). If a regulated investment company is a qualified investment entity and the non-U.S. shareholder owns more than 5% of a class of Fund shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the FIRPTA distribution, the FIRPTA distribution to the non-U.S. shareholder is treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing the distribution to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the applicable corporate tax rate (unless reduced by future regulations), and requiring the non-U.S. shareholder to file a nonresident U.S.

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income tax return. In addition, even if the non-U.S. shareholder does not own more than 5% of a class of Fund shares, but the Fund is a qualified investment entity, the FIRPTA distribution will be taxable as ordinary dividends (rather than as a capital gain or short-term capital gain dividend) subject to withholding at 30% or a lower treaty rate.

Because the Fund expects to invest less than 50% of its assets at all times, directly or indirectly, in U.S. real property interests, it expects that neither gain on the sale or redemption of Fund shares nor Fund dividends and distributions should be subject to FIRPTA reporting and tax withholding.

**Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act** Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), foreign entities, referred to as foreign financial institutions (FFI) or non-financial foreign entities (NFFE) that are shareholders in the Fund may be subject to a 30% withholding tax on income dividends paid by the Fund. The FATCA withholding tax generally can be avoided: (a) by an FFI, if it reports certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts held by U.S. persons with the FFI, and (b) by an NFFE, if it: (i) certifies that it has no substantial U.S. persons as owners, or (ii) if it does have such owners, reports information relating to them to the withholding agent, which will, in turn, report that information to the IRS. The U.S. Treasury has negotiated intergovernmental agreements (IGA) with certain countries and is in various stages of negotiations with a number of other foreign countries with respect to one or more alternative approaches to implement FATCA. An entity in one of those countries may be required to comply with the terms of an IGA and applicable local law instead of U.S. Treasury regulations.

An FFI can avoid FATCA withholding if it is deemed compliant or by becoming a "participating FFI," which requires the FFI to enter into a U.S. tax compliance agreement with the IRS under section 1471(b) of the Code (FFI agreement) under which it agrees to verify, report and disclose certain of its U.S. accountholders and provided that such entity meets certain other specified requirements. The FFI will report to the IRS, or, depending on the FFI's country of residence, to the government of that country (pursuant to the terms and conditions of an applicable IGA and applicable law), which will, in turn, report to the IRS. An FFI that is resident in a country that has entered into an IGA with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the FFI shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of such agreement.

An NFFE that is the beneficial owner of a payment from the Fund can avoid the FATCA withholding tax generally by certifying that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or by providing the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner. The NFFE will report information either (i) to the Fund, or other applicable withholding agent, which will, in turn, report information to the IRS, or (ii) directly to the IRS.

Such foreign shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by U.S. Treasury regulations, IGAs, and other guidance regarding FATCA. An FFI or NFFE that invests in the Fund will need to provide the Fund with documentation properly certifying the entity's status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. The requirements imposed by FATCA are different from, and in addition to, the U.S. tax certification rules to avoid backup withholding described above.

**Organization, Voting Rights and Principal Holders** 

The Funds are diversified series of Franklin Value Investors Trust (Trust), an open-end management investment company, commonly called a mutual fund. The Trust was originally organized as a Massachusetts business trust on September 11, 1989, was reorganized effective November 2, 2015, as a Delaware statutory trust and is registered with the SEC.

The MicroCap Value Fund currently offers three classes of shares, Class A, Class R6 and Advisor Class. The Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund and Small Cap Value Fund currently offer five classes of shares, Class A, Class C, Class R, Class R6 and Advisor Class. The Funds may offer additional classes of shares in the future. The full title of each class is:

• Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Class A

• Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Class R6

• Franklin MicroCap Value Fund - Advisor Class

• Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class A

• Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class C

• Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class R

• Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Class R6

• Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Advisor Class

• Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class A

• Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class C

• Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class R

• Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class R6

• Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Advisor Class

Shares of each class represent proportionate interests in the Fund's assets. On matters that affect the Fund as a whole, each class has the same voting and other rights and

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preferences as any other class. On matters that affect only one class, only shareholders of that class may vote. Each class votes separately on matters affecting only that class, or matters expressly required to be voted on separately by state or federal law. Shares of each class of a series have the same voting and other rights and preferences as the other classes and series of the Trust for matters that affect the Trust as a whole. Additional series may be offered in the future.

The Trust has noncumulative voting rights. For board member elections, this gives holders of more than 50% of the shares voting the ability to elect all of the members of the board. If this happens, holders of the remaining shares voting will not be able to elect anyone to the board.

The Trust does not intend to hold annual shareholder meetings. The Trust or a series of the Trust may hold special meetings, however, for matters requiring shareholder approval.

As of February 1, 2023, the principal shareholders of the Fund, beneficial or of record, were:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name and Address** | **Share Class** | **Percentage**<br>**(%)** |
| **Franklin MicroCap Value Fund** | | |
| Edward Jones & Co\* | A | 14.96 |
| 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road |
| Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 |
| National Financial Services LLC\* | A | 7.63 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr |
| 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard |
| Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 |
| Pershing LLC\* | A | 7.02 |
| 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza |
| Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
| WFCS LLC\* | A | 5.48 |
| 2801 Market Street | 2801 Market Street | 2801 Market Street |
| Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 | Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 | Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 |
| National Financial Services LLC\* | Advisor | 24.88 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr |
| 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard |
| Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 |
| Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC\* | Advisor | 13.22 |
| 1 New York Plaza FL 12 | 1 New York Plaza FL 12 | 1 New York Plaza FL 12 |
| New York, NY 10004-1901 | New York, NY 10004-1901 | New York, NY 10004-1901 |
| Pershing LLC\* | Advisor | 9.73 |
| 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza |
| Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
| LPL Financial\* | Advisor | 5.74 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Trading | Attn: Mutual Fund Trading | Attn: Mutual Fund Trading |
| 4707 Executive Drive | 4707 Executive Drive | 4707 Executive Drive |
| San Diego, CA 92121-3091 | San Diego, CA 92121-3091 | San Diego, CA 92121-3091 |
| Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith\* | R6 | 69.84 |
| Attn: Fund Administration | Attn: Fund Administration | Attn: Fund Administration |
| 4800 Deer Lake Drive East FL 2 | 4800 Deer Lake Drive East FL 2 | 4800 Deer Lake Drive East FL 2 |
| Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 | Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 | Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 |
| Edward Jones & Co\* | R6 | 26.14 |
| 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road |
| Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 |
| **Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund** |  |  |
| Edward Jones & Co\* | A | 34.65 |
| 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road |
| Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 |
| National Financial Services LLC\* | Advisor | 20.71 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr |
| 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard |
| Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 |
| Rupert H. Johnson Jr. Trust | Advisor | 13.11 |
| One Franklin Parkway | One Franklin Parkway | One Franklin Parkway |
| San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 | San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 |
| Raymond James\* | Advisor | 7.78 |
| Attn: Courtney Waller | Attn: Courtney Waller | Attn: Courtney Waller |
| 880 Carillon Parkway | 880 Carillon Parkway | 880 Carillon Parkway |
| St Petersburg, FL 33716-1102 | St Petersburg, FL 33716-1102 | St Petersburg, FL 33716-1102 |
| PIMS Prudential Retirement | Advisor | 6.46 |
| as Nominee for the TTEE CUST PL 763 | as Nominee for the TTEE CUST PL 763 | as Nominee for the TTEE CUST PL 763 |
| Uniformed Firefighters ASSN | Uniformed Firefighters ASSN | Uniformed Firefighters ASSN |
| 204 E 23rd Street - 3RD FL | 204 E 23rd Street - 3RD FL | 204 E 23rd Street - 3RD FL |
| New York, NY 10010 | New York, NY 10010 | New York, NY 10010 |
| Pershing LLC\* | Advisor | 5.54 |
| 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza |
| Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
| Charles Schwab & Co\* | C | 14.83 |
| 211 Main Street | 211 Main Street | 211 Main Street |
| San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 | San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 | San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 |
| Edward Jones & Co\* | C | 6.58 |
| 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road |
| Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 |
| Pershing LLC\* | C | 5.75 |
| 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza |
| Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
| LPL Financial\* | C | 5.66 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Trading | Attn: Mutual Fund Trading | Attn: Mutual Fund Trading |
| 4707 Executive Drive | 4707 Executive Drive | 4707 Executive Drive |
| San Diego, CA 92121-3091 | San Diego, CA 92121-3091 | San Diego, CA 92121-3091 |
| Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc.\* | C | 5.37 |
| 501 N Broadway | 501 N Broadway | 501 N Broadway |
| Saint Louis, MO 63102-2131 | Saint Louis, MO 63102-2131 | Saint Louis, MO 63102-2131 |
| National Financial Services LLC\* | C | 5.04 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr |
| 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard |
| Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 |
| Voya Retirement Insurance And Annuity Company\* | R | 23.30 |
| 1 Orange Way B3N | 1 Orange Way B3N | 1 Orange Way B3N |
| Windsor, CT 06095-4774 | Windsor, CT 06095-4774 | Windsor, CT 06095-4774 |
| Capital Bank & Trust Company TTEE | R | 7.90 |
| FBO Gutman Mintz Baker & | FBO Gutman Mintz Baker & | FBO Gutman Mintz Baker & |
| Sonnenfeldt 401K Plan | Sonnenfeldt 401K Plan | Sonnenfeldt 401K Plan |
| c/o Plan Premier/FASCORE LLC | c/o Plan Premier/FASCORE LLC | c/o Plan Premier/FASCORE LLC |
| 8515 East Orchard Road 2T2 | 8515 East Orchard Road 2T2 | 8515 East Orchard Road 2T2 |
| Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 | Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 | Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 |

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name and Address** | **Share Class** | **Percentage**<br>**(%)** |
| Voya Institutional Trust Company\* | R | 6.84 |
| 1 Orange Way B3N | 1 Orange Way B3N | 1 Orange Way B3N |
| Windsor CT 06095-4774 | Windsor CT 06095-4774 | Windsor CT 06095-4774 |
| Edward Jones & Co\* | R6 | 91.87 |
| 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road |
| Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 |
| **Franklin Small Cap Value Fund** |  |  |
| Edward Jones & Co\* | A | 24.86 |
| 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road |
| Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 |
| Pershing LLC\* | A | 6.34 |
| 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza |
| Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
| National Financial Services LLC\* | A | 6.29 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr |
| 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard |
| Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 |
| Pershing LLC\* | Advisor | 23.55 |
| 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza |
| Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
| National Financial Services LLC\* | Advisor | 15.05 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr |
| 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard |
| Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 |
| Charles Schwab & Co\* | Advisor | 8.81 |
| 211 Main Street | 211 Main Street | 211 Main Street |
| San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 | San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 | San Francisco, CA 94105-1905 |
| Dengel Co. | Advisor | 5.84 |
| c/o Fiduciary Trust Company Intl. | c/o Fiduciary Trust Company Intl. | c/o Fiduciary Trust Company Intl. |
| P.O. Box 3199 | P.O. Box 3199 | P.O. Box 3199 |
| New York, NY 10008 | New York, NY 10008 | New York, NY 10008 |
| WFCS LLC\* | C | 8.98 |
| 2801 Market Street | 2801 Market Street | 2801 Market Street |
| Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 | Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 | Saint Louis, MO 63103-2523 |
| LPL Financial\* | C | 8.44 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Trading | Attn: Mutual Fund Trading | Attn: Mutual Fund Trading |
| 4707 Executive Drive | 4707 Executive Drive | 4707 Executive Drive |
| San Diego, CA 92121-3091 | San Diego, CA 92121-3091 | San Diego, CA 92121-3091 |
| Pershing LLC\* | C | 7.90 |
| 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza | 1 Pershing Plaza |
| Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 | Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001 |
| National Financial Services LLC\* | C | 6.10 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr |
| 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard |
| Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 |
| Hartford Life Insurance Co\* | R | 13.76 |
| Attn: UIT Operations | Attn: UIT Operations | Attn: UIT Operations |
| P.O. BOX 2999 | P.O. BOX 2999 | P.O. BOX 2999 |
| Hartford, CT 06104-2999 | Hartford, CT 06104-2999 | Hartford, CT 06104-2999 |
| DCGT As Trustee And Or Custodian\* | R | 9.30 |
| Attn: NPIO Trade Desk | Attn: NPIO Trade Desk | Attn: NPIO Trade Desk |
| 711 High Street | 711 High Street | 711 High Street |
| Des Moines, IA 50303 | Des Moines, IA 50303 | Des Moines, IA 50303 |
| State Street Bank and Trust\* | R | 9.21 |
| As Trustee And / Or Custodian | As Trustee And / Or Custodian | As Trustee And / Or Custodian |
| FBO ADP Access Product | FBO ADP Access Product | FBO ADP Access Product |
| 1 Lincoln Street | 1 Lincoln Street | 1 Lincoln Street |
| Boston, MA 02111-2901 | Boston, MA 02111-2901 | Boston, MA 02111-2901 |
| National Financial Services LLC\* | R6 | 18.86 |
| Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr | Attn: Mutual Fund Department 4th Flr |
| 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard | 499 Washington Boulevard |
| Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 | Jersey City, NJ 07310-1995 |
| Merrill Lynch Pierce Fenner & Smith\* | R6 | 10.54 |
| Attn: Fund Administration | Attn: Fund Administration | Attn: Fund Administration |
| 4800 Deer Lake Drive East FL 2 | 4800 Deer Lake Drive East FL 2 | 4800 Deer Lake Drive East FL 2 |
| Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 | Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 | Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484 |
| DCGT As Trustee And Or Custodian\* | R6 | 9.80 |
| Attn: NPIO Trade Desk | Attn: NPIO Trade Desk | Attn: NPIO Trade Desk |
| 711 High Street | 711 High Street | 711 High Street |
| Des Moines, IA 50303 | Des Moines, IA 50303 | Des Moines, IA 50303 |
| Edward Jones & Co\* | R6 | 5.79 |
| 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road | 12555 Manchester Road |
| Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 | Saint Louis, MO 63131-3710 |
| Chair of the Board of Trustees of TN | R6 | 5.47 |
| Consolidated Retirement System the  | Consolidated Retirement System the  | Consolidated Retirement System the  |
| COMM of FINA | COMM of FINA | COMM of FINA |
| FBO State of Tennessee 401K | FBO State of Tennessee 401K | FBO State of Tennessee 401K |
| c/o FASCORE LLC | c/o FASCORE LLC | c/o FASCORE LLC |
| 8515 East Orchard Road 2T2 | 8515 East Orchard Road 2T2 | 8515 East Orchard Road 2T2 |
| Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 | Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 | Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002 |

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\* For the benefit of its customer(s).

Note: Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. is an officer and/ or trustee of the Trust.

To the best knowledge of the Fund, no other person holds beneficially or of record more than 5% of the outstanding shares of any class.

As of February 1, 2023, the officers and board members, as a group, owned of record and beneficially 3.17% of MicroCap Value Fund - Advisor Class and 17.23% of Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund - Advisor Class, and less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the other classes of each Fund. The board members may own shares in other funds in Franklin Templeton.

**Buying and Selling Shares** 

The Fund continuously offers its shares through securities dealers who have an agreement with Franklin Distributors, LLC (Distributors). A securities dealer includes any financial institution that, either directly or through affiliates, has an agreement with Distributors to handle customer orders and accounts with the Fund. This reference is for convenience only and does not indicate a legal conclusion of capacity. Banks and financial institutions that sell shares of the Fund may be required by state law to register as securities dealers. If you buy or sell shares through your securities dealer, you may be charged a transaction processing fee by your

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securities dealer. Your securities dealer will provide you with specific information about any transaction processing fees you will be charged.

The Fund and other U.S. registered investment companies within the Franklin Templeton fund complex are intended for sale to residents of the U.S., and, with very limited exceptions, are not registered or otherwise offered for sale in other jurisdictions. The above restrictions are generally not applicable to sales in U.S. territories or to diplomatic staff members or members of the U.S. military with an APO or FPO address outside of the U.S. Investors are responsible for compliance with tax, securities, currency exchange or other regulations applicable to redemption and purchase transactions in any state or jurisdiction to which they may be subject. Investors should consult with their financial intermediary and appropriate tax and legal advisors to obtain information on the rules applicable to these transactions.

In particular, the Fund is not registered in any provincial or territorial jurisdiction in Canada, and shares of the Fund have not been qualified for sale in any Canadian jurisdiction. Shares of the Fund may not be directly or indirectly offered or sold in any provincial or territorial jurisdiction in Canada or to or for the benefit of residents thereof. Prospective investors may be required to declare that they are not Canadian residents and are not acquiring shares on behalf of any Canadian residents. If an investor becomes a Canadian resident after purchasing shares of the Fund, the investor will not be able to purchase any additional shares of the Fund (other than reinvestment of dividends and capital gains) or exchange shares of the Fund for other U.S. registered Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason funds.

Similarly, the Fund is not registered, and shares of the Fund have not been qualified for distribution, in any member country of the European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA). The shares offered by this prospectus may not be directly or indirectly offered or distributed in any such country. If an investor becomes an EU or EEA resident after purchasing shares of the Fund, the investor will not be able to purchase any additional shares of the Fund (other than reinvestment of dividends and capital gains) or exchange shares of the Fund for other U.S. registered Franklin Templeton or Legg Mason funds.

All purchases of Fund shares will be credited to you, in full and fractional Fund shares (rounded to the nearest 1/100 of a share). All checks, drafts, wires and other payment mediums used to buy or sell shares of the Fund must be denominated in U.S. dollars. We may, in our sole discretion, either (a) reject any order to buy or sell shares denominated in any other currency or (b) honor the transaction or make adjustments to your account for the transaction as of a date and with a foreign currency exchange factor determined by the drawee bank. We may deduct any applicable banking charges imposed by the bank from your account.

When you buy shares, if you submit a check or a draft that is returned unpaid to the Fund, we may impose a $10 charge against your account for each returned item.

If you buy shares through the reinvestment of dividends, the shares will be purchased at the net asset value determined on the business day following the dividend record date (sometimes known as the "ex-dividend date"). The processing date for the reinvestment of dividends may vary and does not affect the amount or value of the shares acquired.

**Investment by asset allocators and large shareholders** Particularly during times of overall market turmoil or price volatility, the Fund may experience adverse effects when certain large shareholders such as other funds, institutional investors (including those trading by use of non-discretionary mathematical formulas) and asset allocators (who make investment decisions on behalf of underlying clients), purchase or redeem large amounts of shares of the Fund. Such large shareholder redemptions may cause the Fund to sell portfolio securities at times when it would not otherwise do so. Similarly, large Fund share purchases may adversely affect the Fund's performance to the extent that the Fund is delayed in investing new cash and is required to maintain a larger cash position than it ordinarily would.

These transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income to shareholders if such sales of investments resulted in gains, and may also increase transaction costs. In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund's current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund's expense ratio.

When experiencing such purchases and redemptions by large shareholders, the Fund may restrict or reject purchases, in accordance with the Frequent Trading Policy of the Fund as set forth in the Fund's Prospectus. The Fund also may delay payment of redemptions up to seven days to provide the investment manager with time to determine if the Fund can redeem the request in-kind or to consider other alternatives to lessen the harm to remaining shareholders. Under certain circumstances, however, the Fund may be unable to delay a purchase or redemption request, which could result in the automatic processing of a large transaction that is detrimental to the Fund and its shareholders.

**Initial sales charges** The maximum initial sales charge is 5.50% for Class A. There is no initial sales charge for Class C, Class R, Class R6 and Advisor Class.

The initial sales charge for Class A shares may be reduced for certain large purchases, as described in the prospectus. We offer several ways for you to combine your purchases in Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds to take advantage of the lower sales charges for large purchases.

*Letter of intent (LOI).* You may buy Class A shares at a reduced sales charge by completing the LOI section of your

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account application. An LOI is a commitment by you to invest a specified dollar amount during a 13-month period. The amount you agree to invest determines the sales charge you pay. By completing the LOI section of the application, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

• You authorize Distributors to reserve approximately 5% of your total intended purchase in Class A shares registered in your name until you fulfill your LOI. Your periodic statements will include the reserved shares in the total shares you own, and we will pay or reinvest dividend and capital gain distributions on the reserved shares according to the distribution option you have chosen.

• You give Distributors a security interest in the reserved shares and appoint Distributors as attorney-in-fact.

• Distributors may sell any or all of the reserved shares to cover any additional sales charge if you do not fulfill the terms of the LOI.

• Although you may exchange your shares, you may not sell reserved shares until you complete the LOI or pay the higher sales charge.

After you file your LOI with the Fund, you may buy Class A shares at the sales charge applicable to the amount specified in your LOI. Sales charge reductions based on purchases in more than one Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason fund will be effective only after notification to Distributors that the investment qualifies for a discount. If you file your LOI with the Fund before a change in the Fund's sales charge, you may complete the LOI at the lower of the new sales charge or the sales charge in effect when the LOI was filed.

Your holdings in Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds acquired before you filed your LOI will be counted towards the completion of the LOI.

If the terms of your LOI are met, the reserved shares will be deposited to an account in your name or delivered to you or as you direct.

If the amount of your total purchases is less than the amount specified in your LOI, the sales charge will be adjusted upward, depending on the actual amount purchased during the period. You will need to send Distributors an amount equal to the difference in the actual dollar amount of sales charge paid and the amount of sales charge that would have applied to the total purchases if the total of the purchases had been made at one time. Upon payment of this amount, the reserved shares held for your account will be deposited to an account in your name or delivered to you or as you direct. If within 20 days after written request the difference in sales charge is not paid, we will redeem an appropriate number of reserved shares to realize the difference. If you redeem the total amount in your account before you fulfill your LOI, we will deduct the additional sales charge due from the sale proceeds and forward the balance to you.

For LOIs filed on behalf of certain retirement plans, the level and any reduction in sales charge for these plans will be based on actual plan participation and the projected investments in Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason funds under the LOI. These plans are not subject to the requirement to reserve 5% of the total intended purchase or to the policy on upward adjustments in sales charges described above, or to any penalty as a result of the early termination of a plan.

*Sales in Taiwan.* Under agreements with certain banks in Taiwan, Republic of China, the Fund's shares are available to these banks' trust accounts without a sales charge. The banks may charge service fees to their customers who participate in the trusts. A portion of these service fees may be paid to Distributors or one of its affiliates to help defray expenses of maintaining a service office in Taiwan, including expenses related to local literature fulfillment and communication facilities.

The Fund's Class A shares may be offered to investors in Taiwan through securities advisory firms known locally as Securities Investment Consulting Enterprises. In conformity with local business practices in Taiwan, Class A shares may be offered with the following schedule of sales charges:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Size of Purchase - U.S. Dollars** | **Sales Charge (%)** |
| Under $30,000 | 3.0 |
| $30,000 but less than $50,000 | 2.5 |
| $50,000 but less than $100,000 | 2.0 |
| $100,000 but less than $200,000 | 1.5 |
| $200,000 but less than $400,000 | 1.0 |
| $400,000 or more  | 0 |

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*Purchases of certain share classes through financial intermediaries (Class R6 and Advisor Class).* There are no associated sales charges or Rule 12b-1 distribution and service fees for the purchase of Class R6 and Advisor Class shares. However, pursuant to SEC guidance, certain financial intermediaries acting as agents on behalf of their customers may directly impose on shareholders sales charges or transaction fees determined by the financial intermediary related to the purchase of these shares. These charges and fees are not disclosed in this prospectus. You should consult with your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

The Fund's service providers also may pay financial intermediaries for marketing support and other related services as disclosed below for Advisor Class shares, but not for Class R6 shares. These payments may create a conflict of

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interest by influencing the financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend one share class over another. There is some uncertainty concerning whether marketing support or other similar payments may be made or received in connection with Advisor Class shares where a financial intermediary has imposed its own sales charges or transaction fees. Based on future regulatory developments, such payments may be terminated.

*Financial intermediary compensation.* Financial intermediaries may at times receive the entire sales charge. A financial intermediary who receives 90% or more of the sales charge may be deemed an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Financial institutions or their affiliated brokers may receive an agency transaction fee in the percentages indicated in the financial intermediary compensation table in the Fund's prospectus.

Distributors may pay the following commissions to financial intermediaries who initiate and are responsible for purchases of Class A shares in the following amounts:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Amount of Investment** | **For Funds with <br>an initial sales <br>charge of 5.50% <br>(%)** |
| Under $25,000 | 5.00 |
| $25,000 but under $50,000 | 4.75 |
| $50,000 but under $100,000 | 4.00 |
| $100,000 but under $250,000 | 3.00 |
| $250,000 but under $500,000 | 2.25 |
| $500,000 but under $750,000 | 1.75 |
| $750,000 but under $1 million | 1.25 |
| $1 million but under $5 million  | 1.00 |
| $5 million but under $50 million  | 0.50 |
| $50 million or more  | 0.25 |

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Consistent with the provisions and limitations set forth in its Class A Rule 12b-1 distribution plans, the Fund may reimburse Distributors for a portion of these commission payments.

These payments may be made in the form of contingent advance payments, which may be recovered from the financial intermediary or set off against other payments due to the financial intermediary if shares are sold within 18 months of the calendar month of purchase. Other conditions may apply. Other terms and conditions may be imposed by an agreement between Distributors, or one of its affiliates, and the financial intermediary.

In addition to the sales charge payments described above and the distribution and service (12b-1) fees described below under "The Underwriter - Distribution and service (12b-1) fees," Distributors and/or its non-fund affiliates may make the following additional payments to financial intermediaries that sell shares of Franklin Templeton mutual funds:

*Marketing support payments (applicable to all classes of shares except Class R6).* Distributors may make payments to certain financial intermediaries in connection with their efforts to educate financial advisors and provide services which may facilitate, directly or indirectly, investment in Franklin Templeton mutual funds. A financial intermediary's marketing support services may include business planning assistance, advertising, educating financial intermediary personnel about Franklin Templeton mutual funds and shareholder financial planning needs, placement on the financial intermediary's list of offered funds, and access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the financial intermediary. Distributors compensates financial intermediaries differently depending upon, among other factors, sales and assets levels, redemption rates and the level and/or type of marketing and educational activities provided by the financial intermediary. Such compensation may include financial assistance to financial intermediaries that enable Distributors to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other employees, client and investor events and other financial intermediary-sponsored events. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event. Distributors will, on an annual basis, determine whether to continue such payments. In the case of any one financial intermediary, marketing support payments generally will not exceed 0.05% of the total assets of Franklin Templeton mutual funds attributable to that financial intermediary, on an annual basis. For a financial intermediary exceeding $50 billion in total assets of Franklin Templeton mutual funds, Distributors may agree to make annual marketing support payments up to a limit of 0.06% of such assets. In other limited circumstances, Distributors or an affiliate will have alternative arrangements with an intermediary that provides for payments in excess of the 0.05% limitation, which may include arrangements based on assets or sales of the funds, combined assets or sales of related funds, or other criteria. Any assets held on behalf of Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans for which payment is made to a financial intermediary pursuant to the following paragraph will be excluded from the calculation of marketing support payments pursuant to this paragraph.

Distributors may also make marketing support payments to financial intermediaries in connection with their activities that are intended to assist in the sale of shares of Franklin Templeton mutual funds, directly or indirectly, to certain Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans that have retained such financial intermediaries as plan service providers. Payments may be made on account of activities that may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: business planning assistance for financial intermediary personnel, educating financial intermediary personnel about Franklin Templeton mutual funds, access to sales meetings, sales representatives, wholesalers, and management representatives of the financial intermediary, and detailed sales reporting. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the

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services. In the case of any one financial intermediary, such payments will not exceed 0.10% of the total assets of Franklin Templeton mutual funds held, directly or indirectly, by such Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans, on an annual basis. Distributors will, on an annual basis, determine whether to continue such payments.

Consistent with the provisions and limitations set forth in its Rule 12b-1 distribution plans, the Fund may reimburse Distributors for the cost of a portion of these marketing support payments.

Marketing support payments may be in addition to any servicing and other fees paid by Investor Services, as described further below and under "Management and Other Services - Shareholder servicing and transfer agent" above.

The following list includes FINRA member firms (or, in some instances, their respective affiliates) that, as of March 31, 2022, Distributors anticipates will receive marketing support payments. In addition to member firms of FINRA, Distributors also makes marketing support payments, and Distributors' non-fund affiliates may make administrative services payments, to certain other financial intermediaries, such as banks, insurance companies, and plan administrators, that sell mutual fund shares or provide services to Franklin Templeton mutual funds and shareholders. These firms may not be included in this list. You should ask your financial intermediary if it receives such payments.

ADP Retirement Services, American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc., American Enterprise Investment Services, Inc., American United Life Insurance Company, Ascensus, Inc., Avantax Wealth Management, AXA Advisors, LLC, BBVA Securities, Inc., Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc., Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc., Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Financial Specialists LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Citizens Securities, Inc., Commonwealth Financial Network, CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc., CUSO Financial Services, L.P., Digital Retirement Solutions, DWC-The 401(k) Experts, E\*TRADE Securities LLC, Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. (dba Edward Jones), Empower Retirement, ePlan Services, Inc., Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc., First Allied Securities, Inc., First Command Financial Planning, Inc., FPS Services LLC, FSC Securities Corporation, Goldman, Sachs & Co., Group 3 Financial LLC, Hantz Financial Services, Inc., Investacorp, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, John Hancock Distributors LLC, KMS Financial Services, Inc., LaSalle St. Securities, LLC, Lincoln Financial Advisors Corporation, Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation, Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc., Lincoln Retirement Services Company LLC, LPL Financial LLC, M&T Securities, Inc., Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., Minnesota Life Insurance Company, MML Investors Services, LLC, Morgan Stanley, MSCS Financial Services LLC, Nationwide Financial Services, Inc., Newport Retirement Services, Inc., NEXT Financial Group, Inc., Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, Paychex Securities Corporation, PFS Investments Inc., PNC Investments LLC, Principal Financial Group, Prudential Insurance Company of America, Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., RBC Capital Markets LLC, Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc., Royal Alliance Associates, Inc., SagePoint Financial, Inc., Securities America, Inc., Securities Service Network, Inc., Sorrento Pacific Financial, LLC, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, TD Ameritrade Trust Company, TFS Securities, Inc., The Huntington Investment Company, The Investment Center, Inc., TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC, Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company, Transamerica Retirement Solutions Corporation, Triad Advisors, Inc., UBS Financial Services Inc., UnionBanc Investment Services, LLC, U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., USI Advisors, Inc., Voya Financial Advisors, Inc., Voya Institutional Plan Services LLP, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Western International Securities, Inc., and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc.

Marketing support payments made to organizations located outside the U.S., with respect to investments in the Fund by non-U.S. persons, may exceed the above-stated limitation.

In addition to marketing support payments, to the extent permitted by SEC and FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations, Distributors may from time to time at its expense make or allow other promotional incentives or additional payments to financial intermediaries that sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the Fund. These payments may include additional compensation to financial intermediaries, including financial intermediaries not listed above, related to transaction support, various financial intermediary-sponsored events intended to educate financial advisers and their clients about the Franklin Templeton mutual funds, and data analytics and support.

*Transaction support payments.* The types of payments that Distributors may make under this category include, among others, payment of ticket charges of up to $20 per purchase or exchange order placed by a financial intermediary. Other payments may include ancillary services such as set-up, ongoing support, and assistance with a financial intermediary's mutual fund trading system.

*Conference support payments.* Compensation may include financial assistance to financial intermediaries that enable Distributors to participate in and/or present at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other employees, client and investor events, co-operative advertising, newsletters, and other financial intermediary-sponsored events. These payments may vary depending upon the nature of the event, and can

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include travel expenses, such as lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with training and educational meetings, client prospecting and due diligence trips.

Distributors routinely sponsors due diligence meetings for registered representatives during which they receive updates on various Franklin Templeton mutual funds and are afforded the opportunity to speak with portfolio managers. Invitation to these meetings is not conditioned on selling a specific number of shares. Those who have shown an interest in Franklin Templeton mutual funds, however, are more likely to be considered. To the extent permitted by their firm's policies and procedures, registered representatives' expenses in attending these meetings may be covered by Distributors.

*Data support payments.* Compensation may include data support payments to certain holders or financial intermediaries of record for accounts in one or more of the Franklin Templeton mutual funds. A financial intermediary's data support services may include the provision of analytical data on such accounts.

*Other payments.* Other compensation may be offered to the extent not prohibited by federal or state laws or any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. Distributors makes payments for events it deems appropriate, subject to Distributors' guidelines and applicable law.

You should ask your financial intermediary for information about any payments it receives from Distributors and any services provided.

In addition, Investor Services may make payments to financial intermediaries that provide administrative services to defined benefit plans. Investor Services does not seek reimbursement by the Fund for such payments.

**Contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) – Class A and C** If you invest any amount in Class C shares, $1 million or more in Class A shares of mutual funds with a maximum initial sales charge of 5.50% or $500,000 or more for mutual funds with a maximum initial sales charge of 3.75% or 2.25%, either as a lump sum or through our cumulative quantity discount or letter of intent programs, a CDSC may apply on any Class A shares you sell within 18 months and any Class C shares you sell within 12 months of purchase. The CDSC is 1% of the value of the shares sold or the net asset value at the time of purchase, whichever is less, for Class A shares and Class C shares.

*CDSC waivers.* The CDSC for any share class will be waived for:

• Account fees

• Redemptions by the Fund when an account falls below the minimum required account size

• Redemptions following the death of the shareholder or beneficial owner

• Redemptions through a systematic withdrawal plan, up to 1% monthly, 3% quarterly, 6% semiannually or 12% annually of your account's net asset value depending on the frequency of your plan

• Redemptions by Employer Sponsored Retirement Plans

• Distributions from individual retirement accounts (IRAs) due to death or disability or upon periodic distributions based on life expectancy or returns of excess contributions and earnings

• Any trust or plan established as part of a qualified tuition program under Section 529 of the Code

**Exchange privilege** If you request the exchange of the total value of your account, declared but unpaid income dividends and capital gain distributions will be reinvested in the Fund and exchanged into the new fund at net asset value when paid. Backup withholding and information reporting may apply.

If a substantial number of shareholders should, within a short period, sell their Fund shares under the exchange privilege, the Fund might have to sell portfolio securities it might otherwise hold and incur the additional costs related to such transactions. On the other hand, increased use of the exchange privilege may result in periodic large inflows of money. If this occurs, it is the Fund's general policy to initially invest this money in short-term, interest bearing money market instruments unless it is believed that attractive investment opportunities consistent with the Fund's investment goals exist immediately. This money will then be withdrawn from the short-term, interest bearing money market instruments and invested in portfolio securities in as orderly a manner as is possible when attractive investment opportunities arise.

The proceeds from the sale of shares of an investment company may not be available until the seventh day following the sale. The funds you are seeking to exchange into may delay issuing shares pursuant to an exchange until that seventh day. The sale of Fund shares to complete an exchange will be effected at net asset value at the close of business on the day the request for exchange is received in proper form.

In certain comprehensive fee or advisory programs that hold Class A shares, at the discretion of the financial intermediary, you may exchange to Advisor Class shares or Class Z shares (if offered by the fund).

Class C shares of a Franklin Templeton fund may be exchanged for Advisor Class or Class Z shares of the same fund, if offered by the fund, provided you meet the fund's

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eligibility requirements for purchasing Advisor Class or Class Z shares. Unless otherwise permitted, the Class C shares that you wish to exchange must not currently be subject to any CDSC.

**Systematic withdrawal plan** Our systematic withdrawal plan allows you to sell your shares and receive regular payments from your account on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual basis. The value of your account must be at least $5,000 and the minimum payment amount for each withdrawal must be at least $50. For retirement plans subject to mandatory distribution requirements, the $50 minimum will not apply. There are no service charges for establishing or maintaining a systematic withdrawal plan.

Each month in which a payment is scheduled, we will redeem an equivalent amount of shares in your account on the day of the month you have indicated on your account application or, if no day is indicated, on the 20th day of the month. If that day falls on a weekend or holiday, we will process the redemption on the next business day. When you sell your shares under a systematic withdrawal plan, it is a taxable transaction.

To avoid paying sales charges on money you plan to withdraw within a short period of time, you may not want to set up a systematic withdrawal plan if you plan to buy shares on a regular basis. Shares sold under the plan also may be subject to a CDSC.

For plans set up before June 1, 2000, we will continue to process redemptions on the 25th day of the month (or the next business day) unless you instruct us to change the processing date. Available processing dates currently are the 1st, 5th, 10th, 15th, 20th and 25th days of the month.

Redeeming shares through a systematic withdrawal plan may reduce or exhaust the shares in your account if payments exceed distributions received from the Fund. This is especially likely to occur if there is a market decline. If a withdrawal amount exceeds the value of your account, your account will be closed and the remaining balance in your account will be sent to you. Because the amount withdrawn under the plan may be more than your actual yield or income, part of the payment may be a return of your investment.

To discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan, change the amount and schedule of withdrawal payments, or suspend one payment, we must receive instructions from you at least three business days before a scheduled payment. The Fund may discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan by notifying you in writing and will discontinue a systematic withdrawal plan automatically if all shares in your account are withdrawn, if the Fund receives notification of the shareholder's death or incapacity, or if mail is returned to the Fund marked "unable to forward" by the postal service.

**Redemptions in kind** The Fund has committed itself to pay in cash (by check) all requests for redemption by any shareholder of record, limited in amount, however, during any 90-day period to the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the value of the Fund's net assets at the beginning of the 90-day period. This commitment is irrevocable without the prior approval of the SEC. In the case of redemption requests in excess of these amounts, the Fund reserves the right to make payments in whole or in part in securities or other assets of the Fund, in case of an emergency, or if the payment of such a redemption in cash would be detrimental to the existing shareholders of the Fund. In these circumstances, the securities distributed would be valued at the price used to compute the Fund's net assets and you may incur brokerage fees in converting the securities to cash. The Fund does not intend to redeem illiquid securities in kind. If this happens, however, you may not be able to recover your investment in a timely manner. In addition, in certain circumstances, the Fund may not be able to redeem securities in-kind or the investment manager may not have the ability to determine whether a particular redemption can be paid in-kind before the redemption request is paid.

**Share certificates** We will credit your shares to your Fund account, and we do not issue share certificates. This eliminates the costly problem of replacing lost, stolen or destroyed certificates.

Any outstanding share certificates must be returned to the Fund if you want to sell, exchange or reregister those shares or if you would like to start a systematic withdrawal plan. The certificates should be properly endorsed. You can do this either by signing the back of the certificate or by completing a share assignment form. For your protection, you may prefer to complete a share assignment form and to send the certificate and assignment form in separate envelopes. We do not issue new share certificates if any outstanding share certificates are returned to the Fund. If a certificate is lost, stolen or destroyed, you may have to pay an insurance premium of up to 2% of the value of the certificate to cancel it.

**General information** If the Fund receives notification of the shareholder's death or if mail is returned to the Fund by the postal service, we will consider this a request by you to change your dividend option to reinvest all future distributions until we receive new instructions. If the item of mail returned is a check, the proceeds may be reinvested in additional shares at the current day's net asset value.

Distribution or redemption checks sent to you do not earn interest or any other income during the time the checks remain uncashed. Neither the Fund nor its affiliates will be liable for any loss caused by your failure to cash such checks. The Fund is not responsible for tracking down uncashed checks, unless a check is returned as undeliverable.

In most cases, if mail is returned as undeliverable, we are required to take certain steps to try to find you free of charge. If these attempts are unsuccessful, however, we may deduct the costs of any additional efforts to find you from your

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account. These costs may include a percentage of the account when a search company charges a percentage fee in exchange for its location services.

Sending redemption proceeds by wire or electronic funds transfer (ACH) is a special service that we make available whenever possible. By offering this service to you, the Fund is not bound to meet any redemption request in less than the seven-day period prescribed by law. Neither the Fund nor its agents shall be liable to you or any other person if, for any reason, a redemption request by wire or ACH is not processed as described in the prospectus.

The Fund's transfer agent, acting on behalf of the Fund, may place a temporary hold for up to 25 business days on the disbursement of redemption proceeds from an account held directly with the Fund if the transfer agent, in consultation with the Fund, reasonably believes that financial exploitation of a Specified Adult (as defined below) has occurred, is occurring, has been attempted, or will be attempted. In order to delay payment of redemption proceeds under these circumstances, the Fund and the transfer agent must adopt certain policies and procedures and otherwise comply with the terms and conditions of no-action relief provided by the SEC staff. Financial exploitation means: (i) the wrongful or unauthorized taking, withholding, appropriation, or use of a Specified Adult's funds or securities; or (ii) any act or omission by a person, including through the use of a power of attorney, guardianship, or any other authority regarding a Specified Adult, to (a) obtain control, through deception, intimidation or undue influence, over the Specified Adult's money, assets or property, or (b) convert the Specified Adult's money, assets or property. The transfer agent and/or the Fund may not be aware of factors suggesting financial exploitation of a Specified Adult and may not be able to identify Specified Adults in all circumstances. Furthermore, the transfer agent is not required to delay the disbursement of redemption proceeds and does not assume any obligation to do so. For purposes of this paragraph, the term "Specified Adult" refers to an individual who is a natural person (i) age 65 and older, or (ii) age 18 and older and whom the Fund's transfer agent reasonably believes has a mental or physical impairment that renders the individual unable to protect his or her own interests.

There are special procedures for banks and other institutions that wish to open multiple accounts. An institution may open a single master account by filing one application form with the Fund, signed by personnel authorized to act for the institution. Individual sub-accounts may be opened when the master account is opened by listing them on the application, or by providing instructions to the Fund at a later date. These sub-accounts may be registered either by name or number. The Fund's investment minimums apply to each sub-account. The Fund will send confirmation and account statements for the sub-accounts to the institution.

If you buy or sell shares through your securities dealer, we use the net asset value next calculated after your securities dealer receives your request, which is promptly transmitted to the Fund. If you sell shares through your securities dealer, it is your dealer's responsibility to transmit the order to the Fund in a timely fashion. Your redemption proceeds will not earn interest between the time we receive the order from your dealer and the time we receive any required documents. Any loss to you resulting from your dealer's failure to transmit your redemption order to the Fund in a timely fashion must be settled between you and your securities dealer. Certain shareholder servicing agents may be authorized to accept your transaction request. For institutional and bank trust accounts, there may be additional methods of buying or selling Fund shares than those described in this SAI or in the prospectus. Institutional and bank trust accounts include accounts opened by or in the name of a person (includes a legal entity or an individual) that has signed an Institutional Account Application or Bank Trust Account Application accepted by Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC or entered into a selling agreement and/or servicing agreement with Distributors or Investor Services. For example, the Fund permits the owner of an institutional account to make a same day wire purchase if a good order purchase request is received (a) before 1 p.m. Pacific time or (b) through the National Securities Clearing Corporation's automated system for processing purchase orders (Fund/SERV), even though funds are delivered by wire after 1 p.m. Pacific time. If funds to be wired are not received as scheduled, the purchase order may be cancelled or reversed and the institutional account owner could be liable for any losses or fees the Fund, Distributors and/or Investor Services may incur. "Good order" refers to a transaction request where the investor or financial intermediary (or other person authorized to make such requests) has provided complete information (e.g., fund and account information and the dollar amount of the transaction) to enable the processing of such request.

In the event of disputes involving conflicting claims of ownership or authority to control your shares, the Fund has the right (but has no obligation) to: (i) restrict the shares and require the written agreement of all persons deemed by the Fund to have a potential interest in the shares before executing instructions regarding the shares; or (ii) interplead disputed shares or the proceeds from the court-ordered sale thereof with a court of competent jurisdiction.

Should the Fund be required to defend against joint or multiple shareholders in any action relating to an ownership dispute, you expressly grant the Fund the right to obtain reimbursement for costs and expenses including, but not limited to, attorneys' fees and court costs, by unilaterally redeeming shares from your account.

The Fund or its transfer agent may be required (i) pursuant to a validly issued levy, garnishment or other form of legal process, to sell your shares and remit the proceeds to a

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levying officer or other recipient; or (ii) pursuant to a final order of forfeiture or other form of legal process, to sell your shares and remit the proceeds to the U.S. or state government as directed.

As long as we follow reasonable security procedures and act on instructions that we reasonably believe are genuine, we will not be responsible for any losses that may occur from unauthorized requests in any form (written, telephone, or online). We will investigate any unauthorized request that you report to us and we will ask you to cooperate with us in the investigation, which may require you to file a police report and complete a notarized affidavit regarding the unauthorized request. We will assist in the claims process, on your behalf, with other financial institutions regarding the unauthorized request.

Using good faith efforts, the investment manager attempts to identify class action litigation settlements and regulatory or governmental recovery funds involving securities presently or formerly held by the Fund or issuers of such securities or related parties (Claims) in which the Fund may be eligible to participate. When such Claims are identified, the investment manager will cause the Fund to file proofs of claim. Currently, such Claim opportunities predominate in the U.S. and in Canada; the investment manager's efforts are therefore focused on Claim opportunities in those jurisdictions. The investment manager may learn of such class action lawsuit or victim fund recovery opportunities in jurisdictions outside of North America (Foreign Actions), in which case the investment manager has complete discretion to determine, on a case-by-case basis, whether to cause the Fund to file proofs of claim in such Foreign Actions. In addition, the investment manager may participate in bankruptcy proceedings relating to securities held by the Fund and join creditors' committees on behalf of the Fund.

Further, the investment manager may on occasion initiate and/or recommend, and the board of trustees of the Fund may approve, pursuit of separate litigation against an issuer or related parties in connection with securities presently or formerly held by the Fund (whether by opting out of an existing class action lawsuit or otherwise).

**The Underwriter**

Franklin Distributors, LLC (Distributors) acts as the principal underwriter in the continuous public offering of the Fund's shares. Distributors is located at One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906.

Distributors does not receive compensation from the Fund for acting as underwriter of the Fund's Class R6 and Advisor Class shares.

The table below shows the aggregate underwriting commissions Distributors received in connection with the offering of the Fund's Class A, Class C and Class R shares, the net underwriting discounts and commissions Distributors retained after allowances to dealers, and the amounts Distributors received in connection with redemptions or repurchases of shares for the last three fiscal years ended October 31:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Total Commissions Received ($)** | **Amount Retained** <br>**by** <br>**Distributors ($)** | **Amount Received**<br>**in Connection with Redemptions and Repurchases ($)** |
| **2022** |  |  |  |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 178778 | 19932 | 2327 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 668901 | 76161 | 6280 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 411668 | 45267 | 11881 |
| **2021** |  |  |  |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 382295 | 45361 | 27 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 704910 | 81164 | 2413 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 1531706 | 172417 | 17533 |
| **2020** |  |  |  |
| MicroCap Value Fund | 50777 | 5606 | 51 |
| Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund | 420417 | 48122 | 1860 |
| Small Cap Value Fund | 1030577 | 114899 | 22727 |

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Distributors may be entitled to payments from the Fund under the Rule 12b-1 plans, as discussed below. Except as noted, Distributors received no other compensation from the Fund for acting as underwriter.

**Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Class A, C and R** The board has adopted a separate plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 for each class. Although the plans differ in some ways for each class, each plan is designed to benefit the Fund and its shareholders. The plans are expected to, among other things, increase advertising of the Fund, encourage purchases of Fund shares and service to its shareholders, and increase or maintain assets of the Fund so that certain fixed expenses may be spread over a broader asset base, with a positive impact on per share expense ratios. In addition, a positive cash flow into the Fund is useful in managing the Fund because the investment manager has more flexibility in taking advantage of new investment opportunities and handling shareholder redemptions.

Under each plan, the Fund pays Distributors or others for the expenses of activities that are primarily intended to sell shares of the class. These expenses also may include service fees paid to securities dealers or others who have executed a

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servicing agreement with the Fund, Distributors or its affiliates and who provide service or account maintenance to shareholders (service fees); and the expenses of printing prospectuses and reports used for sales purposes, of marketing support and of preparing and distributing sales literature and advertisements. Together, these expenses, including the service fees, are "eligible expenses." The 12b-1 fees charged to each class are based only on the fees attributable to that particular class and are calculated, as a percentage of such class' net assets, over the 12-month period of February 1 through January 31. Because this 12-month period may not match the Fund's fiscal year, the amount, as a percentage of a class' net assets, for the Fund's fiscal year may vary from the amount stated under the applicable plan, but will never exceed that amount during the 12-month period of February 1 through January 31. Because the Small Cap Value Fund is currently closed to new investors, the amounts paid by the Small Cap Value Fund under its plans are primarily to pay for ongoing shareholder servicing.

*The Class A, C and R plans*. The MicroCap Value Fund and Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund may pay up to 0.25% per year of Class A's average daily net assets. The Small Cap Value Fund may pay up to 0.35% per year of Class A's average daily net assets. Of this amount, the Small Cap Value Fund may pay up to 0.35% to Distributors or others, out of which Distributors generally will retain 0.10% for distribution expenses. Notwithstanding the higher limit provided under the Class A distribution plan as set by the board of trustees, until further notice, the Small Cap Value Fund currently may pay up to 0.25% per year of Class A's average daily net assets, the entire amount of which may be paid for services to the shareholders (service fees).

The Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund and Small Cap Value Fund pay Distributors up to 1% per year of Class C's average daily net assets, out of which 0.25% may be paid for services to shareholders (service fees). For Class R shares, the Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund and Small Cap Value Fund pay Distributors up to 0.50% per year of the class's average daily net assets. The Class C and R plans also may be used to pay Distributors for advancing commissions to securities dealers with respect to the initial sale of Class C and R shares.

The Class A plan is a reimbursement plan. It allows the Fund to reimburse Distributors for eligible expenses that Distributors has shown it has incurred. The Fund will not reimburse more than the maximum amount allowed under the plan.

The Class C and R plans are compensation plans. They allow the Fund to pay a fee to Distributors that may be more than the eligible expenses Distributors has incurred at the time of the payment. Distributors must, however, demonstrate to the board that it has spent or has near-term plans to spend the amount received on eligible expenses. The Fund will not pay more than the maximum amount allowed under the plans.

Under the Class A plan, the amounts paid or accrued to be paid by the Fund pursuant to the plan for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, were:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **MicroCap Value Fund <br> ($)** | **Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund <br> ($)** | **Small Cap Value Fund <br> ($)** |
| Advertising | 18914 | 80251 | 102997 |
| Printing and mailing | 69 | 208 | 499 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;prospectuses other |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;than to current |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;shareholders |  |  |  |
| Payments to | 663 | 3476 | 2186 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;underwriters |  |  |  |
| Payments to broker- | 346271 | 1775808 | 3405605 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;dealers |  |  |  |
| Other | – | – | – |
| Total | 365917 | 1859743 | 3511287 |

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Under the Class C plan, the amounts paid or accrued to be paid by the Fund pursuant to the plan for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, were:

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **MicroCap Value Fund <br> ($)** | **Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund <br> ($)** | **Small Cap Value Fund <br> ($)** |
| Advertising | – | 60301 | 489968 |
| Printing and mailing | – | 129 | 903 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;prospectuses other |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;than to current |  |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;shareholders |  |  |  |
| Payments to | – | 3126 | 11924 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;underwriters |  |  |  |
| Payments to broker- | – | 120070 | 329270 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;dealers |  |  |  |
| Other | – | – | – |
| Total | – | 183626 | 832065 |

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Under the Class R plan, the amounts paid or accrued to be paid by the Fund pursuant to the plan for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2022, were:

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund <br> ($)** | **Small Cap Value Fund <br> ($)** |
| Advertising | 21953 | 612169 |
| Printing and mailing | 288 | 782 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;prospectuses other |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;than to current |  |  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;shareholders |  |  |
| Payments to | 7101 | 43478 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;underwriters |  |  |
| Payments to broker- | – | – |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;dealers |  |  |
| Other | – | – |
| Total | 29342 | 656429 |

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In addition to the payments that Distributors or others are entitled to under each plan, each plan also provides that to the extent the Fund, the investment manager or Distributors or other parties on behalf of the Fund, the investment manager or Distributors make payments that are deemed to

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be for the financing of any activity primarily intended to result in the sale of Fund shares within the context of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, then such payments shall be deemed to have been made pursuant to the plan.

To the extent fees are for distribution or marketing functions, as distinguished from administrative servicing or agency transactions, certain banks may not participate in the plans because of applicable federal law prohibiting certain banks from engaging in the distribution of mutual fund shares. These banks, however, are allowed to receive fees under the plans for administrative servicing or for agency transactions.

Distributors must provide written reports to the board at least quarterly on the amounts and purpose of any payment made under the plans and any related agreements, and furnish the board with such other information as the board may reasonably request to enable it to make an informed determination of whether the plans should be continued.

Each plan has been approved according to the provisions of Rule 12b-1. The terms and provisions of each plan also are consistent with Rule 12b-1.

**Performance**

Performance quotations are subject to SEC rules. These rules require the use of standardized performance quotations or, alternatively, that every non-standardized performance quotation furnished by the Fund be accompanied by certain standardized performance information computed as required by the SEC. Average annual total return before taxes, average annual total return after taxes on distributions and average annual total return after taxes on distributions and sale of shares quotations used by the Fund are based on the standardized methods of computing performance mandated by the SEC. An explanation of these and other methods used by the Fund to compute or express performance follows. Regardless of the method used, past performance does not guarantee future results, and is an indication of the return to shareholders only for the limited historical period used.

**Average annual total return before taxes** Average annual total return before taxes is determined by finding the average annual rates of return over certain periods that would equate an initial hypothetical $1,000 investment to its ending redeemable value. The calculation assumes that the maximum initial sales charge, if applicable, is deducted from the initial $1,000 purchase, and income dividends and capital gain distributions are reinvested at net asset value. The quotation assumes the account was completely redeemed at the end of each period and the deduction of all applicable charges and fees. If a change is made to the sales charge structure, historical performance information will be restated to reflect the maximum initial sales charge currently in effect.

When considering the average annual total return before taxes quotations for Class A shares, you should keep in mind that the maximum initial sales charge reflected in each quotation is a one-time fee charged on all direct purchases, which will have its greatest impact during the early stages of your investment. This charge will affect actual performance less the longer you retain your investment in the Fund.

The following SEC formula is used to calculate these figures:

#### P(1+T) <sup>n</sup> = ERV
where:

P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000

T = average annual total return

n = number of years

ERV = ending redeemable value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of each period at the end of each period

**Average annual total return after taxes on distributions** Average annual total return after taxes on distributions is determined by finding the average annual rates of return over certain periods that would equate an initial hypothetical $1,000 investment to its ending redeemable value, after taxes on distributions. The calculation assumes that the maximum initial sales charge, if applicable, is deducted from the initial $1,000 purchase, and income dividends and capital gain distributions, less the taxes due on such distributions, are reinvested at net asset value. The quotation assumes the account was completely redeemed at the end of each period and the deduction of all applicable charges and fees, but assumes that the redemption itself had no tax consequences. If a change is made to the sales charge structure, historical performance information will be restated to reflect the maximum initial sales charge currently in effect.

Taxes due on distributions are calculated by applying the highest individual marginal federal income tax rates in effect on the reinvestment date, using the rates that correspond to the tax character of each component of the distributions (e.g., the ordinary income rate for distributions of ordinary income and net short-term capital gains, and the long-term capital gain rate for distributions of net long-term capital gains). The taxable amount and tax character of a distribution may be adjusted to reflect any recharacterization of the distribution since its original date. Distributions are adjusted to reflect the federal tax impact the distribution would have on an individual taxpayer on the reinvestment date; for example, no taxes are assumed to be due on the portion of any distribution that would not result in federal income tax on an individual (e.g., tax-exempt interest or non-taxable returns of capital). The effect of applicable tax credits, such as the foreign tax credit, is taken into account in accordance with federal tax law. Any

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potential tax liabilities other than federal tax liabilities (e.g., state and local taxes) are disregarded, as are the effects of phaseouts of certain exemptions, deductions, and credits at various income levels, and the impact of the federal alternative minimum tax. Any redemptions of shares required to pay recurring fees charged to shareholder accounts are assumed to result in no additional taxes or tax credits.

The Fund's sales literature and advertising commonly refer to this calculation as the Fund's after-tax average annual total return (pre-liquidation). When considering the average annual total return after taxes on distributions quotations for Class A shares, you should keep in mind that the maximum initial sales charge reflected in each quotation is a one-time fee charged on all direct purchases, which will have its greatest impact during the early stages of your investment. This charge will affect actual performance less the longer you retain your investment in the Fund.

The following SEC formula is used to calculate these figures:

#### P(1+T) <sup>n</sup> = ATV <sub>D</sub>
where:

P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000

T = average annual total return (after taxes on distributions)

n = number of years

ATVD = ending value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of each period at the end of each period, after taxes on fund distributions but not after taxes on redemption

**Average annual total return after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares** Average annual total return after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares is determined by finding the average annual rates of return over certain periods that would equate an initial hypothetical $1,000 investment to its ending redeemable value, after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares. The calculation assumes that the maximum initial sales charge, if applicable, is deducted from the initial $1,000 purchase, and income dividends and capital gain distributions are reinvested at net asset value. The quotation assumes the account was completely redeemed at the end of each period and the deduction of all applicable charges and fees, including taxes upon sale of fund shares. If a change is made to the sales charge structure, historical performance information will be restated to reflect the maximum initial sales charge currently in effect.

Taxes due on distributions are calculated by applying the highest individual marginal federal income tax rates in effect on the reinvestment date, using the rates that correspond to the tax character of each component of the distributions (e.g., the ordinary income rate for distributions of ordinary income and net short-term capital gains, and the long-term capital gain rate for distributions of net long-term capital gains). The taxable amount and tax character of a distribution may be adjusted to reflect any recharacterization of the distribution since its original date. Distributions are adjusted to reflect the federal tax impact the distribution would have on an individual taxpayer on the reinvestment date; for example, no taxes are assumed to be due on the portion of any distribution that would not result in federal income tax on an individual (e.g., tax-exempt interest or non-taxable returns of capital). The effect of applicable tax credits, such as the foreign tax credit, is taken into account in accordance with federal tax law. Any potential tax liabilities other than federal tax liabilities (e.g., state and local taxes) are disregarded, as are the effects of phaseouts of certain exemptions, deductions, and credits at various income levels, and the impact of the federal alternative minimum tax. Any redemptions of shares required to pay recurring fees charged to shareholder accounts are assumed to result in no additional taxes or tax credits.

The capital gain or loss upon redemption is calculated by subtracting the tax basis from the redemption proceeds, after deducting any nonrecurring charges assessed at the end of the period, subtracting capital gains taxes resulting from the redemption, or adding the tax benefit from capital losses resulting from the redemption. In determining the basis for a reinvested distribution, the distribution is included net of taxes assumed paid from the distribution, but not net of any sales loads imposed upon reinvestment. Tax basis is adjusted for any distributions representing returns of capital and any other tax basis adjustments that would apply to an individual taxpayer, as permitted by applicable federal law. The amount and character (e.g., short-term or long-term) of capital gain or loss upon redemption are separately determined for shares acquired through the initial investment and each subsequent purchase through reinvested distributions. Shares acquired through reinvestment of distributions are not assumed to have the same holding period as the initial investment. The tax character of such reinvestments is determined by the length of the period between reinvestment and the end of the measurement period in the case of reinvested distributions. Capital gains taxes (or the benefit resulting from tax losses) are calculated using the highest federal individual capital gains tax rate for gains of the appropriate character in effect on the redemption date and in accordance with federal law applicable on the redemption date. Shareholders are assumed to have sufficient capital gains of the same character from other investments to offset any capital losses from the redemption, so that the taxpayer may deduct the capital losses in full.

The Fund's sales literature and advertising commonly refer to this calculation as the Fund's after-tax average annual total return (post-liquidation). When considering the average annual total return after taxes on distributions quotations for

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Class A shares, you should keep in mind that the maximum initial sales charge reflected in each quotation is a one-time fee charged on all direct purchases, which will have its greatest impact during the early stages of your investment. This charge will affect actual performance less the longer you retain your investment in the Fund.

The following SEC formula is used to calculate these figures:

#### P(1+T) <sup>n</sup> = ATV <sub>DR</sub>
where:

P = a hypothetical initial payment of $1,000

T = average annual total return (after taxes on distributions and redemptions)

n = number of years

ATVDR = ending value of a hypothetical $1,000 payment made at the beginning of each period at the end of each period, after taxes on fund distributions and redemption

**Cumulative total return** Like average annual total return, cumulative total return assumes that the maximum initial sales charge, if applicable, is deducted from the initial $1,000 purchase, income dividends and capital gain distributions are reinvested at net asset value, the account was completely redeemed at the end of each period and the deduction of all applicable charges and fees. Cumulative total return, however, is based on the actual return for a specified period rather than on the average return.

**Volatility** Occasionally statistics may be used to show the Fund's volatility or risk. Measures of volatility or risk are generally used to compare the Fund's net asset value or performance to a market index. One measure of volatility is beta. Beta is the volatility of a fund relative to the total market, as represented by an index considered representative of the types of securities in which the fund invests. A beta of more than 1.00 indicates volatility greater than the market and a beta of less than 1.00 indicates volatility less than the market. Another measure of volatility or risk is standard deviation. Standard deviation is used to measure variability of net asset value or total return around an average over a specified period of time. The idea is that greater volatility means greater risk undertaken in achieving performance.

**Other performance quotations** The Fund also may quote the performance of Class A shares without a sales charge. Sales literature and advertising may quote a cumulative total return, average annual total return and other measures of performance with the substitution of net asset value for the public offering price.

Sales literature referring to the use of the Fund as a potential investment for IRAs, business retirement plans, and other tax-advantaged retirement plans may quote a total return based upon compounding of dividends on which it is presumed no federal income tax applies.

The Fund may include in its advertising or sales material information relating to investment goals and performance results of funds belonging to Franklin Templeton. Resources is the parent company of the advisors and underwriter of Franklin Templeton funds.

**Miscellaneous Information**

The Fund may help you achieve various investment goals such as accumulating money for retirement, saving for a down payment on a home, college costs and other long-term goals. The Franklin College Savings Planner may help you in determining how much money must be invested on a monthly basis to have a projected amount available in the future to fund a child's college education. (Projected college cost estimates are based upon current costs published by the College Board.) The Franklin Retirement Savings Planner leads you through the steps to start a retirement savings program. Of course, an investment in the Fund cannot guarantee that these goals will be met.

The Fund is a member of the Franklin Templeton/Legg Mason fund complex, one of the largest mutual fund organizations in the U.S., and may be considered in a program for diversification of assets. Founded in 1947, Franklin is one of the oldest mutual fund organizations and now services more than 2 million shareholder accounts. In 1992, Franklin, a leader in managing fixed-income mutual funds and an innovator in creating domestic equity funds, joined forces with Templeton, a pioneer in international investing. The Mutual Series team, known for its value-driven approach to domestic equity investing, became part of the organization four years later. In 2001, the Fiduciary Trust team, known for providing global investment management to institutions and high net worth clients worldwide, joined the organization. On July 31, 2020, Franklin Templeton acquired Legg Mason, a global investment management firm with specialized expertise across asset classes and markets around the globe. Legg Mason's affiliates include: BrandywineGLOBAL, Clarion Partners, ClearBridge Investments, Martin Currie, Royce Investment Partners and Western Asset. Together, Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason have, as of January 31, 2023, $1.45 trillion in assets under management for more than 3 million U.S. based mutual fund shareholder and other accounts. Franklin Templeton and Legg Mason together offer over 300 U.S. based open-end investment companies to the public. The Fund may identify itself by its NASDAQ symbol or CUSIP number.

Currently, there are more mutual funds than there are stocks listed on the NYSE. While many of them have similar investment goals, no two are exactly alike. Shares of the Fund are generally sold through securities dealers, whose

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investment representatives are experienced professionals who can offer advice on the type of investments suitable to your unique goals and needs, as well as the risks associated with such investments.

**Description of Ratings** 

#### Corporate Obligation Ratings
*Moody's*

INVESTMENT GRADE

Aaa: Bonds rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, with minimal credit risk.

Aa: Bonds rated Aa are judged to be high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

A: Bonds rated A are considered upper medium-grade obligations and are subject to low credit risk.

Baa: Bonds rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk and are considered medium-grade obligations. As such they may have certain speculative characteristics.

BELOW INVESTMENT GRADE

Ba: Bonds rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements and are subject to substantial credit risk.

B: Bonds rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

Caa: Bonds rated Caa are judged to be of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

Ca: Bonds rated Ca are considered highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

C: Bonds rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default. They have little prospects for recovery of principal or interest.

Note: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2 and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

*S&P<sup><sup>®</sup></sup>*

The issue rating definitions are expressions in terms of default risk. As such, they pertain to senior obligations of an entity. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy. (Such differentiation applies when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.) Accordingly, in the case of junior debt, the rating may not conform exactly with the category definition.

INVESTMENT GRADE

AAA: This is the highest rating assigned by S&P to a debt obligation. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

AA: Obligations rated AA differ from AAA issues only in a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

A: Obligations rated A are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in the higher ratings categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

BBB: Obligations rated BBB exhibit adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

BELOW INVESTMENT GRADE

BB, B, CCC, CC, C: Obligations rated BB, B, CCC, CC and C are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. BB indicates the least degree of speculation and C the highest degree of speculation. While these obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.

BB: An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B: An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CCC: An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

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CC: An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.

C: A subordinated debt or preferred stock obligation rated C is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued. The C rating is also assigned to a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments, but that is still making payments.

D: An obligation rated D is in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating is also used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on the obligation are jeopardized.

Plus (+) or minus (-): The ratings from "AA" to "CCC" may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

r: This symbol is attached to the ratings of instruments with significant noncredit risks and highlights risks to principal or volatility of expected returns that are not addressed in the credit rating.

#### Short-Term Debt Ratings
*Moody's* 

Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor short-term financial obligations. Ratings may be assigned to issuers, short-term programs and to individual short-term debt instruments. These obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding 13 months, unless explicitly noted. Moody's employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment capacity of rated issuers:

P-1 (Prime-1): Issuers (or supporting institutions) so rated have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-2 (Prime-2): Issuers (or supporting institutions) so rated have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-3 (Prime-3): Issuers (or supporting institutions) so rated have an acceptable ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

NP: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

*S&P<sup><sup>®</sup></sup>* 

S&P's ratings are a current opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program. Short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days -- including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. The result is a dual rating, in which the short-term rating addresses the put feature, in addition to the usual long-term rating.

A-1: This designation indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

A-2: Issues carrying this designation are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations carrying the higher designations. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

A-3: Issues carrying this designation exhibit adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B: Issues carrying this designation are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

C: Issues carrying this designation are currently vulnerable to nonpayment and are dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

D: Issues carrying this designation are in payment default. The D rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the due date even if the applicable grace period has not expired, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made during such grace period. The D rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action if payments on an obligation are jeopardized.

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|:---|:---|:---|
| ![](img_2778474aa9da4f3.jpg) | **FRANKLIN MUTUAL ADVISERS, LLC**<br>**Proxy Voting Policies & Procedures**<br>**An SEC Compliance Rule Policy and Procedures\*** | **March 2022** |

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#### Appendix A

#### RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INVESTMENT MANAGER TO VOTE PROXIES
Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC (hereinafter the "Investment Manager") has delegated its administrative duties with respect to voting proxies for securities to the Franklin Templeton Proxy Group within Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC (the "Proxy Group"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC provides a variety of general corporate services to its affiliates, including, but not limited to, legal and compliance activities. Proxy duties consist of disseminating proxy materials and analyses of issuers whose stock is owned by any client (including both investment companies and any separate accounts managed by the Investment Manager) that has either delegated proxy voting administrative responsibility to the Investment Manager or has asked for information and/or recommendations on the issues to be voted. The Investment Manager will inform Advisory Clients that have not delegated the voting responsibility but that have requested voting advice about the Investment Manager's views on such proxy votes. The Proxy Group also provides these services to other advisory affiliates of the Investment Manager.

The Proxy Group will process proxy votes on behalf of, and the Investment Manager votes proxies solely in the best interests of, separate account clients, the Investment Manager-managed investment company shareholders, or shareholders of funds that have appointed Franklin Templeton International Services S.à.r.l. ("FTIS S.à.r.l.") as the Management Company, provided such funds or clients have properly delegated such responsibility in writing, or, where employee benefit plan assets subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, are involved ("ERISA accounts"), in the best interests of the plan participants and beneficiaries (collectively, "Advisory Clients"), unless (i) the power to vote has been specifically retained by the named fiduciary in the documents in which the named fiduciary appointed the Investment Manager or (ii) the documents otherwise expressly prohibit the Investment Manager from voting proxies. The Investment Manager recognizes that the exercise of voting rights on securities held by ERISA plans for which the Investment Manager has voting responsibility is a fiduciary duty that must be exercised with care, skill, prudence and diligence.

In certain circumstances, Advisory Clients are permitted to direct their votes in a solicitation pursuant to the Investment Management Agreement. An Advisory Client that wishes to direct its vote shall give reasonable prior written notice to the Investment Manager indicating such intention and provide written instructions directing the Investment Manager or the Proxy Group to vote regarding the solicitation. Where such prior written notice is received, the Proxy Group will vote proxies in accordance with such written notification received from the Advisory Client.

The Investment Manager has adopted and implemented Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Proxy Policies") that it believes are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interest of Advisory Clients in accordance with its fiduciary duties and rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. To the extent that the Investment Manager has a subadvisory agreement with an affiliated investment manager (the "Affiliated Subadviser") with respect to a particular Advisory Client, the Investment Manager may delegate proxy voting responsibility to the Affiliated Subadviser. The Investment Manager may also delegate proxy voting responsibility to a subadviser that is not an Affiliated Subadviser in certain limited situations as disclosed to fund shareholders (e.g., where an Investment Manager to a pooled investment vehicle has engaged a subadviser that is not an Affiliated Subadviser to manage all or a portion of the assets).

#### HOW THE INVESTMENT MANAGER VOTES PROXIES

#### Proxy Services
All proxies received by the Proxy Group will be voted based upon the Investment Manager's instructions and/or policies. To assist it in analyzing proxies of equity securities, the Investment Manager subscribes to Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS"), an unaffiliated third-party corporate governance research service that provides in-depth analyses of shareholder meeting agendas and vote recommendations. In addition, the Investment Manager subscribes to ISS's Proxy Voting Service and Vote Disclosure Service. These services include receipt of proxy ballots, custodian bank relations, account maintenance, vote execution, ballot reconciliation, vote record maintenance, comprehensive reporting capabilities, and vote disclosure services. Also, the Investment Manager subscribes to Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC ("Glass Lewis"), an unaffiliated third-party analytical research firm, to receive analyses and vote recommendations on the shareholder meetings of publicly held U.S. companies, as well as a limited subscription to its international research. Although analyses provided by ISS, Glass Lewis, and/or another independent third-party

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proxy service provider (each a "Proxy Service") are thoroughly reviewed and considered in making a final voting decision, the Investment Manager does not consider recommendations from a Proxy Service or any third-party to be determinative of the Investment Manager's ultimate decision. Rather, the Investment Manager exercises its independent judgment in making voting decisions. As a matter of policy, the officers, directors and employees of the Investment Manager and the Proxy Group will not be influenced by outside sources whose interests conflict with the interests of Advisory Clients.

For ease of reference, the Proxy Policies often refer to all Advisory Clients. However, our processes and practices seek to ensure that proxy voting decisions are suitable for individual Advisory Clients. In some cases, the investment manager's evaluation may result in an individual Advisory Client or Investment Manager voting differently, depending upon the nature and objective of the fund or account, the composition of its portfolio, whether the Investment Manager has adopted a specialty or custom voting policy, and other factors.

Certain of the Investment Managers' separate accounts or funds (or a portion thereof) are included under Franklin Templeton Investment Solutions ("FTIS"), a separate investment group within Franklin Templeton, and employ a quantitative strategy. For such accounts, FTIS's proprietary methodologies rely on a combination of quantitative, qualitative, and behavioral analysis rather than fundamental security research and analyst coverage that an actively-managed portfolio would ordinarily employ. Accordingly, absent client direction, in light of the high number of positions held by such accounts and the considerable time and effort that would be required to review proxy statements and ISS or Glass Lewis recommendations, the Investment Manager may review ISS's non-US Benchmark guidelines, ISS's specialty guidelines (in particular, ISS's Sustainability guidelines), or Glass Lewis's US guidelines (the "ISS and Glass Lewis Proxy Voting Guidelines") and determine, consistent with the best interest of its clients, to provide standing instructions to the Proxy Group to vote proxies according to the recommendations of ISS or Glass Lewis.

The Investment Manager, however, retains the ability to vote a proxy differently than ISS or Glass Lewis recommends if the Investment Manager determines that it would be in the best interests of Advisory Clients (for example, where an issuer files additional solicitation materials after a Proxy Service has issued its voting recommendations but sufficiently before the vote submission deadline and these materials would reasonably be expected to affect the Investment Manager's voting determination).

#### Conflicts of Interest
All conflicts of interest will be resolved in the best interests of the Advisory Clients. The Investment Manager is an affiliate of a large, diverse financial services firm with many affiliates and makes its best efforts to mitigate conflicts of interest. However, as a general matter, the Investment Manager takes the position that relationships between certain affiliates that do not use the "Franklin Templeton" name ("Independent Affiliates") and an issuer (e.g., an investment management relationship between an issuer and an Independent Affiliate) do not present a conflict of interest for the Investment Manager in voting proxies with respect to such issuer because: (i) the Investment Manager operates as an independent business unit from the Independent Affiliate business units, and (ii) informational barriers exist between the Investment Manager and the Independent Affiliate business units.

Material conflicts of interest could arise in a variety of situations, including as a result of the Investment Manager's or an affiliate's (other than an Independent Affiliate as described above): (i) material business relationship with an issuer or proponent, (ii) direct or indirect pecuniary interest in an issuer or proponent; or (iii) significant personal or family relationship with an issuer or proponent. Material conflicts of interest are identified by the Proxy Group based upon analyses of client, distributor, broker dealer, and vendor lists, information periodically gathered from directors and officers, and information derived from other sources, including public filings. The Proxy Group gathers and analyzes this information on a best-efforts basis, as much of this information is provided directly by individuals and groups other than the Proxy Group, and the Proxy Group relies on the accuracy of the information it receives from such parties.

Nonetheless, even though a potential conflict of interest between the Investment Manager or an affiliate (other than an Independent Affiliate as described above) and an issuer may exist: (1) the Investment Manager may vote in opposition to the recommendations of an issuer's management even if contrary to the recommendations of a third-party proxy voting research provider; (2) if management has made no recommendations, the Proxy Group may defer to the voting instructions of the Investment Manager; and (3) with respect to shares held by Franklin Resources, Inc. or its affiliates for their own corporate accounts, such shares may be voted without regard to these conflict procedures.

Otherwise, in situations where a material conflict of interest is identified between the Investment Manager or one of its affiliates (other than Independent Affiliates) and an issuer, the Proxy Group may vote consistent with the voting recommendation of a Proxy

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Service or send the proxy directly to the relevant Advisory Clients with the Investment Manager's recommendation regarding the vote for approval.

Where the Proxy Group refers a matter to an Advisory Client, it may rely upon the instructions of a representative of the Advisory Client, such as the board of directors or trustees, a committee of the board, or an appointed delegate in the case of a U.S. registered investment company, a conducting officer in the case of a fund that has appointed FTIS S.à.r.l as its Management Company, the Independent Review Committee for Canadian investment funds, or a plan administrator in the case of an employee benefit plan. A quorum of the board of directors or trustees or of a committee of the board can be reached by a majority of members, or a majority of non-recused members. The Proxy Group may determine to vote all shares held by Advisory Clients of the Investment Manager and affiliated Investment Managers (other than Independent Affiliates) in accordance with the instructions of one or more of the Advisory Clients.

The Investment Manager may also decide whether to vote proxies for securities deemed to present conflicts of interest that are sold following a record date, but before a shareholder meeting date. The Investment Manager may consider various factors in deciding whether to vote such proxies, including the Investment Manager's long-term view of the issuer's securities for investment, or it may defer the decision to vote to the applicable Advisory Client. The Investment Manager also may be unable to vote, or choose not to vote, a proxy for securities deemed to present a conflict of interest for any of the reasons outlined in the first paragraph of the section of these policies entitled "Proxy Procedures."

Where a material conflict of interest has been identified, but the items on which the Investment Manager's vote recommendations differ from a Proxy Service relate specifically to (1) shareholder proposals regarding social or environmental issues, (2) "Other Business" without describing the matters that might be considered, or (3) items the Investment Manager wishes to vote in opposition to the recommendations of an issuer's management, the Proxy Group may defer to the vote recommendations of the Investment Manager rather than sending the proxy directly to the relevant Advisory Clients for approval. To address certain affiliate conflict situations (e.g., under Section 12 of the 1940 Act), the Investment Manager will employ pass-through voting or mirror voting when required pursuant to a fund's governing documents or applicable law.

#### Weight Given Management Recommendations
One of the primary factors the Investment Manager considers when determining the desirability of investing in a particular company is the quality and depth of that company's management. Accordingly, the recommendation of management on any issue is a factor that the Investment Manager considers in determining how proxies should be voted. However, the Investment Manager does not consider recommendations from management to be determinative of the Investment Manager's ultimate decision. Each issue is considered on its own merits, and the Investment Manager will base its decision on its own analysis, proxy guidelines, and its judgment as to what is the best interest of the client. The recommendation of management will be an input into this analysis.

#### Engagement with Issuers
The Investment Manager believes that engagement with issuers is important to good corporate governance and to assist in making proxy voting decisions. The Investment Manager may engage with issuers to discuss specific ballot items to be voted on in advance of an annual or special meeting to obtain further information or clarification on the proposals. The Investment Manager may also engage with management on a range of environmental, social or corporate governance ("ESG") issues throughout the year. We take a proactive approach focusing on long-term, financially material ESG risks and opportunities that may affect a company's valuation and ability to create value.

The Investment Manager may choose engagement as the preferred route to achieving change over voting for a proposal, which may be poorly written or overly burdensome, but where there is a legitimate issue being raised. In such cases, the Investment Manager will consider management's response to such engagement in future votes.

#### THE PROXY GROUP
The Proxy Group is part of the Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC Legal Department and is overseen by legal counsel. Full- time staff members and support staff (which includes individuals that are employees of affiliates of Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC) are devoted to proxy voting administration and oversight and providing support and assistance where needed. On a daily basis, the Proxy Group will review each proxy upon receipt as well as any agendas, materials and recommendations that they receive from a Proxy Service or other sources. The Proxy Group maintains a record of all shareholder meetings that are scheduled for companies whose securities are held by the Investment Manager's managed funds and accounts. For each shareholder meeting, a member of the Proxy Group will consult with the research analyst that follows the security and provide the analyst with the agenda, analyses of one or more Proxy Services, recommendations and any other information provided to the Proxy Group.

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Except in situations identified as presenting material conflicts of interest, the Investment Manager's research analyst and relevant portfolio manager(s), working with the Investment Manager's ESG professionals and Chief Investment Officer, are responsible for making the final voting decision based on their review of the agenda, analyses of one or more Proxy Services, proxy statements, their knowledge of the company, the investment objectives of the client if known, and any other information publicly available.

In situations where the Investment Manager has not responded with vote recommendations to the Proxy Group by the deadline date, the Proxy Group may vote consistent with the vote recommendations of a Proxy Service. Except in cases where the Proxy Group is voting consistent with the voting recommendation of a Proxy Service, the Proxy Group must obtain voting instructions from the Investment Manager's research analyst, relevant portfolio manager(s), legal counsel and/or the Advisory Client prior to submitting the vote. In the event that an account holds a security that the Investment Manager did not purchase on its behalf, and the Investment Manager does not normally consider the security as a potential investment for other accounts, the Proxy Group may vote consistent with the voting recommendations of a Proxy Service or take no action on the meeting.

#### GENERAL PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES
The Investment Manager has adopted general guidelines for voting proxies as summarized below. In keeping with its fiduciary obligations to its Advisory Clients, the Investment Manager reviews all proposals, even those that may be considered to be routine matters. Although these guidelines are to be followed as a general policy, in all cases each proxy and proposal (including both management and shareholder proposals) will be considered based on the relevant facts and circumstances on a case-by- case basis. The Investment Manager may deviate from the general policies and procedures when it determines that the particular facts and circumstances warrant such deviation to protect the best interests of the Advisory Clients. These guidelines cannot provide an exhaustive list of all the issues that may arise, nor can the Investment Manager anticipate all future situations. Corporate governance issues are diverse and continually evolving and the Investment Manager devotes significant time and resources to monitor these changes.

#### THE INVESTMENT MANAGER'S PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PRINCIPLES
The Investment Manager's proxy voting positions have been developed based on years of experience with proxy voting and corporate governance issues. These principles have been reviewed by various members of the Investment Manager's organization, including portfolio management, legal counsel, and the Investment Manager's officers. Potential changes to the proxy voting policies are considered on an annual basis, and the Board of Directors of Franklin Templeton's U.S.-registered investment companies will approve the proxy voting policies and procedures annually.

The following guidelines reflect what the Investment Manager believes to be good corporate governance and behavior:

**Board of Directors:** The election of directors and an independent board are key to good corporate governance. Directors are expected to be competent individuals and they should be accountable and responsive to shareholders. The Investment Manager supports an independent, diverse board of directors, and believes that key committees such as audit, nominating, and compensation committees should be comprised of independent directors. The Investment Manager supports boards with strong risk management oversight.

In evaluating its vote for directors, the Investment Manager will consider the individual's qualifications, their ability to devote sufficient time to the Board, and their independence from management, as well as the overall composition of the Board. As it relates to the composition of a Board, the Investment Manager will consider current local market best practices and governance structures. Consideration will be given to the different qualifications and expertise of each director and the relevance of their experience to the company's operations, how representative the Board is of the company's operations, diversity of experience and backgrounds and other factors deemed relevant to that specific situation. Additionally, the Investment Manager will consider withholding votes from directors chairing or serving on committees which in its view have not been sufficiently responsive to shareholder concerns.

The Investment Manager will generally vote against management efforts to classify a board and will generally support proposals to declassify the board of directors. The Investment Manager will consider withholding votes from directors who have attended less than 75% of meetings without a valid reason. The Investment Manager will generally vote in favor of separating Chair and CEO positions, although consideration will be given to whether there is a strong Lead Independent Director as well as the company's corporate governance performance generally. The Investment Manager evaluates proposals to restore or provide for cumulative voting on a case-by-case basis and considers such factors as corporate governance provisions as well as relative performance. The Investment Manager generally will support non-binding shareholder proposals to require a majority vote standard for the election of directors; however, if these proposals are binding, the Investment Manager will give careful review on a case-by-case

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basis of the potential ramifications of such implementation. In control situations, the Investment Manager will consider the specific circumstances of the situation. In general, the Investment Manager will focus on the protection of minority shareholder rights, and the history of the exercise of control by the controlling shareholder(s). While the general proxy voting guidelines generally apply to control situations as well, the Investment Manager will be mindful of the specifics of the situation in evaluating any matter up for vote.

In the event of a contested election, the Investment Manager will review a number of factors in making a decision including management's track record, the company's financial performance, qualifications of candidates on both slates, and the strategic plan of the dissidents and/or shareholder nominees.

**Ratification of Auditors:** The Investment Manager will closely scrutinize the independence, role, and performance of auditors. On a case-by-case basis, The Investment Manager will examine proposals relating to non-audit relationships and non-audit fees. The Investment Manager will also consider, on a case-by-case basis, proposals to rotate auditors, and will vote against the ratification of auditors when there is clear and compelling evidence of a lack of independence, accounting irregularities or negligence attributable to the auditors. The Investment Manager may also consider whether the ratification of auditors has been approved by an appropriate audit committee that meets applicable composition and independence requirements.

**Management & Director Compensation**: A company's equity-based compensation plan should be in alignment with the shareholders' long-term interests. The Investment Manager believes that executive compensation should be directly linked to the performance of the company. The Investment Manager evaluates plans on a case-by-case basis by considering several factors to determine whether the plan is fair and reasonable. The Investment Manager reviews the ISS quantitative model utilized to assess such plans and/or the Glass Lewis evaluation of the plan. The Investment Manager will generally oppose plans that have the potential to be excessively dilutive and will almost always oppose plans that are structured to allow the repricing of underwater options, or plans that have an automatic share replenishment "evergreen" feature. The Investment Manager will generally support employee stock option plans in which the purchase price is at least 85% of fair market value, and when potential dilution is 10% or less.

Severance compensation arrangements will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, although the Investment Manager will generally oppose "golden parachutes" that are considered excessive or include tax gross-ups. The Investment Manager will normally support proposals that require that a percentage of directors' compensation be in the form of common stock, as it aligns their interests with those of the shareholders.

The Investment Manager will generally support holding say-on-pay votes annually. The Investment Manager will review non-binding say-on-pay proposals on a case-by-case basis. The Investment Manager will consider ISS's and/or Glass Lewis's analysis of the plan, the alignment of pay and performance, the overall structure of the plan, the metrics used to judge performance and management performance. This will all be considered in light of current best practice for the local market. The Investment Manager will generally seek strong disclosure of the basis and rationale for pay decisions. Any discretionary elements of the compensation plan will be reviewed on the basis of sound judgement. Repricing of compensation awards, retroactive adjustments favoring management, or discretion which is considered poorly exercised will lead to strong consideration of a vote against the compensation decision. The Investment Manager will generally support the inclusion of material, measurable, and clearly disclosed ESG metrics in executive remuneration

**Anti-Takeover Mechanisms and Related Issues:** The Investment Manager generally opposes anti-takeover measures since they tend to reduce shareholder rights. However, as with all proxy issues, the Investment Manager conducts an independent review of each anti-takeover proposal. On occasion, the Investment Manager may vote with management when the research analyst has concluded that the proposal is not onerous and would not harm Advisory Clients' interests as stockholders. The Investment Manager generally supports proposals that require shareholder rights plans ("poison pills") to be subject to a shareholder vote. The Investment Manager will closely evaluate shareholder rights' plans on a case-by-case basis to determine whether or not they warrant support. The Investment Manager will generally vote against any proposal to issue stock that has unequal or subordinate voting rights. In addition, the Investment Manager generally opposes any supermajority voting requirements as well as the payment of "greenmail." The Investment Manager usually supports "fair price" provisions and confidential voting. The Investment Manager will review a company's proposal to reincorporate to a different state or country on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration financial benefits such as tax treatment as well as comparing corporate governance provisions and general business laws that may result from the change in domicile. The Investment Manager will generally support strong rights for shareholders as it relates to calling special meetings and acting by written consent.

**Changes to Capital Structure:** The Investment Manager realizes that a company's financing decisions have a significant impact on its shareholders, particularly when they involve the issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock or the

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assumption of additional debt. The Investment Manager will carefully review, on a case-by-case basis, proposals by companies to increase authorized shares and the purpose for the increase. The Investment Manager will generally not vote in favor of dual- class capital structures to increase the number of authorized shares where that class of stock would have superior voting rights. The Investment Manager will generally vote in favor of the issuance of preferred stock in cases where the company specifies the voting, dividend, conversion and other rights of such stock and the terms of the preferred stock issuance are deemed reasonable. The Investment Manager will review proposals seeking preemptive rights on a case-by-case basis.

**Mergers and Corporate Restructuring:** Mergers and acquisitions will be subject to careful review by the research analyst to determine whether they would be beneficial to shareholders. The Investment Manager will analyze various economic and strategic factors in making the final decision on a merger or acquisition. Corporate restructuring proposals are also subject to a thorough examination on a case-by-case basis.

**Environmental and Social Issues:** The Investment Manager believes that environmental and social issues can have significant impact on a company's performance over time. Companies may face significant financial, legal and reputational risks resulting from poor environmental and social practices, or negligent oversight of environmental and social issues. Appropriate oversight and handling of such issues can benefit corporate culture and performance over time. More information on the Investment Manager's approach to incorporation of ESG issues into its investments can be found at https://www.franklintempleton.com/investor/our-firm/sustainable-investing.

The Investment Manager believes that corporations have a responsibility to provide strong oversight of ESG issues, both at the Board and management level, and that the oversight process should be explained clearly to shareholders. The Investment Manager also believes that corporations should provide strong disclosures of their performance on relevant ESG metrics, which should be based upon one or more of the available reporting frameworks, such as SASB, TCFD, CDP, CDSB, or GRI, but the Investment Manager will consider the overall quality and level of disclosure provided, as well as that planned to be provided, in considering its support for any proposal advocating a specific type of disclosure or report. It is important that shareholders have sufficient information to assess the ESG-related risks and opportunities of the company, and the management of those risks. The Investment Manager may hold directors accountable in situations where disclosures or business practices are deemed inadequate.

**Climate Change/Net Zero:** The Investment Manager recognizes the impact of climate change and the need for society to accelerate the transition toward global net zero greenhouse gas emissions ("Net Zero"). The Investment Manager believes that corporations have a responsibility to understand and manage the risks associated with the potential for changing regulatory environments and societal preferences as a result of the efforts to accelerate toward Net Zero. The Investment Manager further believes that corporations should take appropriate steps, consistent with the interests of shareholders, to position their business for a Net Zero future. The Investment Manager also recognizes that a Net Zero future does not require every individual asset type to be Net Zero, and that the path to achieve Net Zero is uncertain. Accordingly, the Investment Manager will consider each proposal relating to carbon emissions or Net Zero on its own merits, in light of the relevant regulatory environment(s) and economic impact on the business. The Investment Manager will consider such proposals on the basis of seeking to ensure that companies are exercising strong oversight, considering and disclosing relevant information, and taking reasonable, economic steps to position the business for a Net Zero future.

**Political Lobbying:** The Investment Manager believes that companies should have strong oversight of lobbying spending and political contributions, with the oversight process clearly explained to shareholders. The Investment Manager believes such spending and contributions should be thoroughly disclosed and readily accessible. The Investment Manager believes all lobbying spending should be consistent with the company's stated strategies and policies. The Investment Manager will consider any shareholder proposals related to lobbying and political contributions based on the specifics of the situation, with these guidelines in mind.

**Human Capital Management & Diversity:** The Investment Manager will generally support reasonable shareholder resolutions requesting disclosure of diversity data and targets and disclosure on gender pay gaps within companies, while considering existing policies and procedures of the company, local market norms, and whether the proposed information is useful to shareholders.

**Governance Matters:** The Investment Manager generally supports the right of shareholders to call special meetings and act by written consent. However, the Investment Manager will review such shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis in an effort to ensure that such proposals do not disrupt the course of business or require a disproportionate or inappropriate use of company resources.

**Proxy Access:** The Investment Manager will consider shareholder proxy access proposals on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as the size of the company, ownership thresholds and holding periods, nomination limits (e.g., number of

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candidates that can be nominated), the responsiveness of management, the intentions of the shareholder proponent, company performance, and shareholder base.

**Global Corporate Governance:** The Investment Manager manages investments in countries worldwide. Many of the tenets discussed above generally apply to the Investment Manager's proxy voting decisions around the world, subject to local market best practices. Principles of good corporate governance may vary by country, given the constraints of a country's laws and acceptable practices in the markets. As a result, it is on occasion difficult to apply a consistent set of governance practices to all issuers. As experienced money managers, the Investment Manager's analysts are skilled in understanding the complexities of the regions in which they specialize and are trained to analyze proxy issues germane to their regions.

#### PROXY PROCEDURES
The Proxy Group is fully cognizant of its responsibility to process proxies and maintain proxy records as may be required by relevant rules and regulations. In addition, the Investment Manager understands its fiduciary duty to vote proxies and that proxy voting decisions may affect the value of shareholdings. Therefore, the Investment Manager will generally attempt to process every proxy it receives for all domestic and foreign securities. However, there may be situations in which the Investment Manager may be unable to successfully vote a proxy, or may choose not to vote a proxy, such as where: (i) a proxy ballot was not received from the custodian bank; (ii) a meeting notice was received too late; (iii) there are fees imposed upon the exercise of a vote and it is determined that such fees outweigh the benefit of voting; (iv) there are legal encumbrances to voting, including blocking restrictions in certain markets that preclude the ability to dispose of a security if the Investment Manager votes a proxy or where the Investment Manager is prohibited from voting by applicable law, economic or other sanctions, or other regulatory or market requirements, including but not limited to, effective Powers of Attorney; (v) additional documentation or the disclosure of beneficial owner details is required; (vi) the Investment Manager held shares on the record date but has sold them prior to the meeting date; (vii) the Advisory Client held shares on the record date, but the Advisory Client closed the account prior to the meeting date; (viii) a proxy voting service is not offered by the custodian in the market; (ix) due to either system error or human error, the Investment Manager's intended vote is not correctly submitted; (x) the Investment Manager believes it is not in the best interest of the Advisory Client to vote the proxy for any other reason not enumerated herein; or (xi) a security is subject to a securities lending or similar program that has transferred legal title to the security to another person.

#### Rejected Votes
Even if the Investment Manager uses reasonable efforts to vote a proxy on behalf of its Advisory Clients, such vote or proxy may be rejected because of (a) operational or procedural issues experienced by one or more third parties involved in voting proxies in such jurisdictions; (b) changes in the process or agenda for the meeting by the issuer for which the Investment Manager does not have sufficient notice; or (c) the exercise by the issuer of its discretion to reject the vote of the Investment Manager. In addition, despite the best efforts of the Proxy Group and its agents, there may be situations where the Investment Manager's votes are not received, or properly tabulated, by an issuer or the issuer's agent.

#### Securities on Loan
The Investment Manager or its affiliates may, on behalf of one or more of the proprietary registered investment companies advised by the Investment Manager or its affiliates, make efforts to recall any security on loan where the Investment Manager or its affiliates (a) learn of a vote on an event that may materially affect a security on loan and (b) determine that it is in the best interests of such proprietary registered investment companies to recall the security for voting purposes. The ability to timely recall shares is not entirely within the control of the Investment Manager. Under certain circumstances, the recall of shares in time for such shares to be voted may not be possible due to applicable proxy voting record dates or other administrative considerations.

#### Split Voting
There may be instances in certain non-U.S. markets where split voting is not allowed. Split voting occurs when a position held within an account is voted in accordance with two differing instructions. Some markets and/or issuers only allow voting on an entire position and do not accept split voting. In certain cases, when more than one Franklin Templeton Investment Manager has accounts holding shares of an issuer that are held in an omnibus structure, the Proxy Group will seek direction from an appropriate representative of the Advisory Client with multiple Investment Managers (such as a conducting officer of the Management Company in the case of a SICAV), or the Proxy Group will submit the vote based on the voting instructions provided by the Investment Manager with accounts holding the greatest number of shares of the security within the omnibus structure.

#### Bundled Items

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If several issues are bundled together in a single voting item, the Investment Manager will assess the total benefit to shareholders and the extent that such issues should be subject to separate voting proposals.

#### PROCEDURES FOR MEETINGS INVOLVING FIXED INCOME SECURITIES & PRIVATELY HELD ISSUERS
From time to time, certain custodians may process events for fixed income securities through their proxy voting channels rather than corporate action channels for administrative convenience. In such cases, the Proxy Group will receive ballots for such events on the ISS voting platform. The Proxy Group will solicit voting instructions from the Investment Manager for each account or fund involved. If the Proxy Group does not receive voting instructions from the Investment Manager, the Proxy Group will take no action on the event. The Investment Manager may be unable to vote a proxy for a fixed income security, or may choose not to vote a proxy, for the reasons described under the section entitled "Proxy Procedures."

In the rare instance where there is a vote for a privately held issuer, the decision will generally be made by the relevant portfolio managers or research analysts.

The Proxy Group will monitor such meetings involving fixed income securities or privately held issuers for conflicts of interest in accordance with these procedures. If a fixed income or privately held issuer is flagged as a potential conflict of interest, the Investment Manager may nonetheless vote as it deems in the best interests of its Advisory Clients. The Investment Manager will report such decisions on an annual basis to Advisory Clients as may be required.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST | FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST | FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST |
| FILE NOS. 033-31326 and 811-05878 | FILE NOS. 033-31326 and 811-05878 | FILE NOS. 033-31326 and 811-05878 |
| PART C | PART C | PART C |
| Other Information | Other Information | Other Information |
| Item 28. Exhibits | Item 28. Exhibits | Item 28. Exhibits |
| The following exhibits are incorporated by reference to the previously document indicated below, except as noted: | The following exhibits are incorporated by reference to the previously document indicated below, except as noted: | The following exhibits are incorporated by reference to the previously document indicated below, except as noted: |
| (a) Agreement and Declaration of Trust | (a) Agreement and Declaration of Trust | (a) Agreement and Declaration of Trust |
| (i) | [<u>Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated May 17, 2018</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949118006401/fvitamendedandrestatedagreem.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 21, 2018 | [<u>Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated May 17, 2018</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949118006401/fvitamendedandrestatedagreem.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 21, 2018 |
| (b) By-Laws | (b) By-Laws | (b) By-Laws |
| (i) | [<u>Amended and Restated By-Laws dated May 17, 2018</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949118006401/fvitamendedandrestatedbylaws.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 21, 2018 | [<u>Amended and Restated By-Laws dated May 17, 2018</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949118006401/fvitamendedandrestatedbylaws.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 21, 2018 |
| (c) Instruments Defining rights of Securities Holders | (c) Instruments Defining rights of Securities Holders | (c) Instruments Defining rights of Securities Holders |
| (i) | Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust | Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust |
| (a) | Article III, Shares | Article III, Shares |
| (b) | Article V, Shareholders' Voting Powers and Meetings | Article V, Shareholders' Voting Powers and Meetings |
| (c) | Article VI, Net Asset Value, Distributions and Redemptions and Transfers  | Article VI, Net Asset Value, Distributions and Redemptions and Transfers  |
| (d) | Article VIII, Certain Transactions - Section 4  | Article VIII, Certain Transactions - Section 4  |
| (e) | Article X, Miscellaneous - Section 4 | Article X, Miscellaneous - Section 4 |
| (ii) | Amended and Restated By-Laws | Amended and Restated By-Laws |
| (a) | (a) | Article II, Meetings of Shareholders |
| (b) | (b) | Article VI, Records and Reports- Section 1, 2 and 3 |
| (c) | (c) | Article VII, General Matters Section 3, 4, 6 and 7 |
| (d) | (d) | Article VIII Amendments - Section 1 |
| (iii) | Part B, Statement of Additional Information – Item 22 | Part B, Statement of Additional Information – Item 22 |
| (d) Investment Advisory Contracts | (d) Investment Advisory Contracts | (d) Investment Advisory Contracts |
| (i) | [<u>Amended and Restated Management Agreement dated November 1, 2018 between Registrant on behalf of Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund (formerly, Franklin Balance Sheet Investment Fund) and Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949118006401/fvitimafranklinbalancesheetf.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 21, 2018 | [<u>Amended and Restated Management Agreement dated November 1, 2018 between Registrant on behalf of Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund (formerly, Franklin Balance Sheet Investment Fund) and Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949118006401/fvitimafranklinbalancesheetf.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 21, 2018 |
| (ii) | [<u>Amended and Restated Management Agreement dated November 1, 2018 Between Registrant on behalf of Franklin MicroCap Value Fund and Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949118006401/fvitimafranklinmicrocapvalue.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 21, 2018 | [<u>Amended and Restated Management Agreement dated November 1, 2018 Between Registrant on behalf of Franklin MicroCap Value Fund and Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949118006401/fvitimafranklinmicrocapvalue.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 21, 2018 |
| (iii) | [<u>Amended and Restated Management Agreement dated November 1, 2018 between Registrant on behalf of Franklin Small Cap Value Fund and Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949118006401/fvitimafranklinsmallcapvalue.htm) | [<u>Amended and Restated Management Agreement dated November 1, 2018 between Registrant on behalf of Franklin Small Cap Value Fund and Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949118006401/fvitimafranklinsmallcapvalue.htm) |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
|  | Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to Registration Statement<br>on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 21, 2018 |
| (iv) | [<u>Assignment and Assumption Agreement dated November 1, 2018, by and between Franklin Advisory Services, LLC ("FASF") and Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC ("FMA") on behalf of Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund (formerly Franklin Balance Sheet Investment Fund)</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949120000596/assignmentandassumptionagree.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2020  |
| (v) | [<u>Assignment and Assumption Agreement dated November 1, 2018, by and between Franklin Advisory Services, LLC ("FASF") and Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC ("FMA") on behalf of Franklin MicroCap Value Fund</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949120000596/assignmentandassumptionagre1.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2020 |
| (vi) | [<u>Assignment and Assumption Agreement dated November 1, 2018, by and between Franklin Advisory Services, LLC ("FASF") and Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC ("FMA") on behalf of Franklin Small Cap Value Fund</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949120000596/assignmentandassumptionagre2.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2020 |
| (vii) | [<u>Amendment to Investment Management Agreements dated May 14, 2020</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949121000782/exdvii_amendmenttoimadated05.htm) |
|  | Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A  |
|  | File No. 033-31326 |
|  | Filing Date: February 26, 2021 |
| (viii) | [<u>Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement Agreement dated June 1, 2020</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949121000782/exdviii_franklinfeewaiveragr.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2021 |
| (e) Underwriting contracts | (e) Underwriting contracts |
| (i) | [<u>Form of Distribution Agreement between Registrant and Franklin Distributors, LLC dated July 7, 2021</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99eundrcontr-i.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (ii) | [<u>Forms of Selling Agreements between Franklin/Templeton Distributors, Inc. and Securities Dealers</u>](ex99eundrcontr-eii.htm) |
| (f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts | (f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts |
| Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| (g) Custodian Agreements | (g) Custodian Agreements |
| (i) | [<u>Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/798523/0000798523-96-000004.txt)<br>Registrant: Franklin New York Tax-Free Trust<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-07785<br>Filing Date: March 1, 1996 |
| (ii) | [<u>Amendment dated May 7, 1997 to the Master Custody Agreement dated February 16, 1996 between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/0000856119-98-000005.txt) |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
|  | Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 17 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 27, 1998 |
| (iii) | [<u>Amendment dated February 27, 1998 to Master Custody Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000085611904000009/fvitexgiii.txt)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 27, 2004 |
| (iv) | [<u>Amendment dated September 8, 2022 to Exhibit A of the Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996</u>](ex99gcustagreemt-giv.htm) |
| (v) | [<u>Amendment dated May 16, 2001 to Master Custody Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000085611901500012/ex-gv.txt)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 23 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 20, 2001 |
| (vi) | [<u>Amendment dated August 1, 2019 to Schedule 1 of the Amendment dated May 16, 2001, to the Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949120000596/schedule10819.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2020 |
| (vii) | [<u>Amended and Restated Foreign Custody Manager Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon made as of May 16, 2001</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000085611901500012/ex-gvi.txt)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 23 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: December 20, 2001 |
| (viii) | [<u>Amendment dated January 27, 2017 to Schedule 1 of the Amended and Restated Foreign Custody Manager Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon made as of May 16, 2001</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949117001069/bonyfcmschedule1revised01-27.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 54 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 27, 2017 |
| (ix) | [<u>Amendment dated November 19, 2014 to Schedule 2 of the Amended and Restated Foreign Custody Manager Agreement between the Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon made as of May 16, 2001</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949115000165/bnyfcmschedule2revised11-191.htm) |
|  | Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 48 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2015 |
| (x) | [<u>Terminal Link Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/798523/0000798523-96-000004.txt)<br>Registrant: Franklin New York Tax-Free Trust<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 13 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-07785<br>Filing Date: March 1, 1996 |
| (xi) | [<u>Amendment dated September 8, 2022 to Exhibit A of the Terminal Link Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996</u>](ex99gcustagreemt-gxi.htm) |
| (xii) | [<u>Assignment dated November 2, 2015 of Master Custody Agreement between Franklin Value Investors Trust, a Massachusetts business trust, Franklin Value Investors Trust, a Delaware statutory trust, and The Bank of New York Mellon</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949117001069/fvitassignmentassumptionmast.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 54 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 27, 2017 |

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------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| (xiii) | [<u>Supplement to the Master Custody Agreement Hong Kong - China Connect Service dated July 26, 2018, revised Exhibit A dated August 1, 2019</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949121000782/exgxiii_mcaamendment2018-072.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2021 |
| (h) Other Material Contracts | (h) Other Material Contracts |
| (i) | [<u>Subcontract for Fund Administrative Services dated November 1, 2018 between Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC on behalf of Franklin Value Investors Trust (Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund, Franklin MicroCap Value Fund and Franklin Small Cap Value Fund) and Franklin Templeton Services, LLC</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949119000886/subcontractforfundadminservi.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 60 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2019 |
| (ii) | [<u>Second Amended and Restated Transfer Agent and Shareholder Services Agreement dated October 1, 2022 between Registrant and Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC</u>](ex99hothmatcont-hii.htm) |
| (iii) | [<u>Amendment to Fund Services Agreement dated January 22, 2020, as amended July 15, 2020 between Franklin Templeton Services, LLC and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. on behalf of the Registrant</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949121000782/exhiii_firstamendmenttofsa-0.htm) |
|  | Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A  |
|  | File No. 033-31326 |
|  | Filing Date: February 26, 2021 |
| (iv) | [<u>Fund Services Agreement dated January 22, 2020 between Franklin Templeton Services, LLC and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. on behalf of the Registrant</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99hothmatcont-iv.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (v) | [<u>Amendment to Fund Services Agreement effective January 29, 2021 between Franklin Templeton Services, LLC for the Registrant and JPMorgan dated January 22, 2020</u>](ex99hothmatcont-hv.htm) |
| (vi) | [<u>Third Amendment to Fund Services Agreement dated March 12, 2021 between Franklin Templeton Services, LLC for the Registrant and JPMorgan dated January 22, 2020</u>](ex99hothmatcont-hvi.htm) |
| (vii) | [<u>Fourth Amendment to Fund Services Agreement effective September 1, 2021 between Franklin Templeton Services, LLC for the Registrant and JPMorgan dated January 22, 2020</u>](ex99hothmatcont-hvii.htm) |
| (viii) | [<u>Fifth Amendment to Fund Services Agreement dated June 10, 2022 between Franklin Templeton Services, LLC for the Registrant and JPMorgan dated January 22, 2020</u>](ex99hothmatcont-hviii.htm) |
| (ix) | [<u>Form of Rule 12d1-4 Fund of Funds Investment Agreement</u>](ex99hothmatcont-hix.htm) |
| (i) Legal Opinion | (i) Legal Opinion |
| (i) | [<u>Opinion and Consent of Counsel dated October 30, 2015</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000085611915000036/ex99_iilegalopinion.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 51 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: November 2, 2015 |
| (j) Other Opinions | (j) Other Opinions |
| (i) | [<u>Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Ernst & Young LLP</u>](ex99jotheropinin-ji.htm) |
| Not Applicable | Not Applicable |

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------

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| (k) Omitted Financial Statements | (k) Omitted Financial Statements |
| Not Applicable | Not Applicable |
| (l) Initial Capital Agreements | (l) Initial Capital Agreements |
| (i) | [<u>Letter of Understanding relating to Initial Capital of Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund dated November 17, 1989</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/0000856119-95-000013.txt)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 7 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: September 21, 1995 |
| (ii) | [<u>Letter of Understanding relating to Initial Capital of Franklin MicroCap Value Fund dated November 29, 1995</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/0000856119-95-000017.txt)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 8 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing date: December 1, 1995  |
| (iii) | [<u>Letter of Understanding relating to Initial Capital of Franklin Small Cap Value Fund dated December 4, 1995</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/0000856119-96-000003.txt)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 11 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing date: March 8, 1996 |
| (iv) | [<u>Letter of Understanding relating to Initial Capital of Franklin Small Cap Value Fund - Class C dated August 30, 1996</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000085611904000009/fvitexliv.txt)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 28 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A<br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 27, 2004 |
| (m) Rule 12b-1 Plan | (m) Rule 12b-1 Plan |
| (i) | [<u>Class A Amended and Restated Distribution Plan between the Registrant on behalf of Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund and Franklin Distributors, LLC dated July 7, 2021.</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99m12b1plan-i.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (ii) | [<u>Class A Amended and Restated Distribution Plan between the Registrant on behalf of Franklin Microcap Value Fund and Franklin Distributors, LLC dated July 7, 2021.</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99m12b1plan-ii.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (iii) | [<u>Class A Amended and Restated Distribution Plan between the Registrant on behalf of Franklin Small Cap Value Fund and Franklin Distributors, LLC dated July 7, 2021.</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99m12b1plan-iii.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (iv) | [<u>Class C Amended and Restated Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund and Franklin Small Cap Value Fund, and Franklin Distributors, LLC dated July 7, 2021</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99m12b1plan-iv.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (v) | [<u>Class R Amended and Restated Distribution Plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 between Registrant, on behalf of Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund and Franklin Small Cap Value Fund, and Franklin Distributors, LLC dated July 7, 2021</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99m12b1plan-v.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A  |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
|  | File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (n) Rule 18f-3 Plan | (n) Rule 18f-3 Plan |
| (i) | [<u>Amended Multiple Class Plan on behalf of Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund dated July 7, 2021.</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99n18f3plan-i.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (ii) | [<u>Amended Multiple Class Plan on behalf of Franklin MicroCap Value Fund dated July 7, 2021.</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99n18f3plan-ii.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (iii) | [<u>Amended Multiple Class Plan on behalf of Franklin Small Cap Value Fund dated July 7, 2021</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99n18f3plan-iii.htm).<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (p) Code of Ethics | (p) Code of Ethics |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (i) | [<u>Code of Ethics dated January 1, 2023</u>](ex99pcodeeth-pi.htm) |
| (q) Power of Attorney | (q) Power of Attorney |
| (i) | [<u>Power of Attorney dated February 25, 2020</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000137949121000782/exqi_fvitpoan-1a2020.htm) |
|  | Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A  |
|  | File No. 033-31326 |
|  | Filing Date: February 26, 2021 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(ii)  | [<u>Power of Attorney for Christian Correa dated April 13, 2021</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99-ii.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(iii) | [<u>Power of Attorney for Christopher Kings dated December 10, 2021</u>](http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/856119/000174177322000404/ex99-iii.htm)<br>Filing: Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 to Registration Statement on Form N-1A <br>File No. 033-31326<br>Filing Date: February 26, 2022 |
| (iv) | [<u>Power of Attorney for Valerie M. Williams dated January 19, 2023</u>](ex99-qiv.htm) |

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Item 29. Persons Controlled by or under Common Control with Registrant

None

Item 30. Indemnification

The Agreement and Declaration of Trust (the "Declaration") provides that any person who is or was a Trustee, officer, employee or other agent, including the underwriter, of such Trust shall be liable to the Trust and its shareholders only for (1) any act or omission that constitutes a bad faith violation of the implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing, or (2) the person's own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person (such conduct referred to herein as Disqualifying Conduct) and for nothing else. Except in these instances and to the fullest extent that limitations of liability of agents are permitted by the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (the "Delaware Act"), these Agents (as defined in the Declaration) shall not be responsible or liable for any act or omission of any other Agent of the Trust or any investment adviser or principal underwriter. Moreover, except and to the extent provided in these instances, none of these Agents, when acting in their

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respective capacity as such, shall be personally liable to any other person, other than such Trust or its shareholders, for any act, omission or obligation of the Trust or any trustee thereof.

The Trust shall indemnify, out of its property, to the fullest extent permitted under applicable law, any of the persons who was or is a party, or is threatened to be made a party to any Proceeding (as defined in the Declaration) because the person is or was an Agent of such Trust. These persons shall be indemnified against any Expenses (as defined in the Declaration), judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with the Proceeding if the person acted in good faith or, in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that the conduct was unlawful. The termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not in itself create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that the person's conduct was unlawful. There shall nonetheless be no indemnification for a person's own Disqualifying Conduct.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to Trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Trust pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Trust has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Trust of expenses incurred or paid by a Trustee, officer or controlling person of the Trust in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such Trustee, officer or controlling person in connection with securities being registered, the Trust may be required, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, to submit to a court or appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser

Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC

Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC (Mutual Advisers), the Registrant's investment manager, is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. (Resources). The officers of Mutual Advisers also serve as officers for (1) Resources and/or (2) other investment companies in the Franklin Templeton Investments. For additional information please see Part B and Schedules A and D of Form ADV of Mutual Advisers (SEC File 80153068), incorporated herein by reference, which sets forth the officers of Mutual Advisers and information as to any business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature engaged in by those officers and directors during the past two years.

Item 32. Principal Underwriters

(a) Franklin Distributors, LLC (Distributors) also acts as principal underwriter of shares of:

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| |
|:---|
| Franklin Alternative Strategies Fund |
| Franklin California Tax-Free Income Fund |
| Franklin California Tax-Free Trust |
| Franklin Custodian Funds |
| Franklin ETF Trust |
| Franklin Fund Allocator Series |
| Franklin Global Trust |
| Franklin Gold and Precious Metals Fund  |
| Franklin High Income Trust |
| Franklin Investors Securities Trust |
| Franklin Managed Trust |
| Franklin Municipal Securities Trust |
| Franklin Mutual Series Funds |
| Franklin New York Tax-Free Income Fund |
| Franklin New York Tax-Free Trust |
| Franklin Real Estate Securities Trust |
| Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio |
| Franklin Strategic Series |
| Franklin Tax-Free Trust |
| Franklin Templeton ETF Trust |
| Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust |
| Franklin U.S. Government Money Fund |

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---

| |
|:---|
| Institutional Fiduciary Trust |
| Templeton China World Fund |
| Templeton Developing Markets Trust |
| Templeton Funds |
| Templeton Global Investment Trust |
| Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund |
| Templeton Growth Fund, Inc. |
| Templeton Income Trust |
| Templeton Institutional Funds |
| Legg Mason ETF Investment Trust<br>Legg Mason ETF Investment Trust II<br>Legg Mason Global Asset Management Trust<br>Legg Mason Partners Income Trust<br>Legg Mason Partners Institutional Trust<br>Legg Mason Partners Investment Trust<br>Legg Mason Partners Variable Equity Trust<br>Legg Mason Partners Variable Income Trust<br>Legg Mason Partners Institutional Trust<br>Legg Mason Partners Money Market Trust<br>Western Asset Funds, Inc. |

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(b) The information required with respect to each director and officer of Distributors is incorporated by reference to Part B of this Form N-1A and Schedule A of Form BD filed by Distributors with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1934 (SEC File No. 008-05889).

(c) Not Applicable. Registrant's principal underwriter is an affiliated person of an affiliated person of the Registrant.

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

The accounts, books or other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 are kept by the Fund at One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906 or its shareholder service agent, Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC, at 3344 Quality Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670-7313.

Item 34. Management Services

There are no management-related service contracts not discussed in Part A or Part B.

Item 35. Undertakings

Not Applicable

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<u>SIGNATURES</u>

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement pursuant to Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized in the City of San Mateo and the State of California, on the 23rd day of February 2023.

FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

(Delaware statutory trust)

(Registrant)

By: <u>/s/Steven J. Gray</u>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Steven J. Gray

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Vice President and Secretary

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| <u>Christian Correa\*</u><br>Christian Correa | President, Chief Executive Officer-Investment Management <br>Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>Matthew T. Hinkle\*</u><br>Matthew T. Hinkle | Chief Executive Officer-Finance and Administration<br>Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>Christopher Kings\*</u><br>Christopher Kings | Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer<br>Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>Edward I. Altman\*</u> | Trustee |
| Edward I. Altman | Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>Ann Torre Bates\*</u> | Trustee |
| Ann Torre Bates | Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>Jan Hopkins Trachtman\*</u> | Trustee |
| Jan Hopkins Trachtman | Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>Gregory E. Johnson\*</u> | Trustee |
| Gregory E. Johnson | Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>Jennifer M. Johnson\*</u> | Trustee |
| Jennifer M. Johnson | Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>Keith Mitchell\*</u> | Trustee |
| Keith Mitchell | Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>David W. Niemiec\*</u><br>David W. Niemiec | Trustee<br>Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>Gregory H. Williams\*</u><br>Gregory H. Williams | Trustee<br>Dated: February 23, 2023 |
| <u>Valerie M. Williams\*</u> | Trustee |
| Valerie M. Williams | Dated: February 23, 2023 |

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\*By: <u>/s/Steven J. Gray</u>

Steven J. Gray

Attorney-in-Fact

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(Pursuant to Power of Attorney previously filed)

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST | FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST |
| REGISTRATION STATEMENT | REGISTRATION STATEMENT |
| EXHIBIT NO. | DESCRIPTION |
| EX-99. (e) (ii) | Forms of Selling Agreements between Franklin Distributors LLC., and securities dealers |
| EX-99. (g) (iv) | Amendment dated September 8, 2022 to Exhibit A of the Master Custody Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996 |
| EX-99. (g) (xi) | Amendment dated September 8, 2022 to Exhibit A of the Terminal Link Agreement between Registrant and The Bank of New York Mellon dated February 16, 1996 |
| EX-99. (h) (ii) | Second Amended and Restated Transfer Agent and Shareholder Services Agreement between the Registrant and Franklin Templeton Investor Services, LLC dated March 1, 2022 |
| EX-99. (h) (v) | Amendment to Fund Services Agreement effective January 29, 2021 between Franklin Templeton Services, LLC for the Registrant and JPMorgan dated January 22, 2020 |
| EX-99. (h) (vi) | Third Amendment to Fund Services Agreement dated March 12, 2021 between Franklin Templeton Services, LLC for the Registrant and JPMorgan dated January 22, 2020 |
| EX-99. (h) (vii) | Fourth Amendment to Fund Services Agreement effective September 1, 2021 between Franklin Templeton Services, LLC for the Registrant and JPMorgan dated January 22, 2020 |
| EX-99. (h) (viii) | Fifth Amendment to Fund Services Agreement dated June 10, 2022 between Franklin Templeton Services, LLC for the Registrant and JPMorgan dated January 22, 2020 |
| EX-99. (h) (ix) | Form of Rule 12d1-4 Fund of Funds Investment Agreement |
| EX-99. (j)(i) | Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm Ernst & Young LLP |
| EX-99. (p)(i) | Code of Ethics dated January 1, 2023 |
| EX-99. (q)(iv) | Power of Attorney for Valerie M. Williams dated January 19, 2023 |

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## Ex-99.E

#### [FORM OF]

#### SELLING AGREEMENT
July 7, 2021

Dear Securities Dealer:

Franklin Distributors, LLC ("we" or "us") invites you to participate in the distribution of shares of the Franklin Templeton investment companies (the "Funds") for which we now or in the future serve as principal underwriter, subject to the terms of this Agreement. We will notify you from time to time of the Funds that are eligible for distribution and the terms of compensation under this Agreement. This Agreement supersedes any prior dealer or selling agreements between us, as stated in Section 21, below.

1. Licensing.

(a) You represent that you are (i) a broker or dealer validly registered with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and a member in good standing of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") and are presently licensed to the extent necessary by the appropriate regulatory agency of each jurisdiction in which you will offer and sell shares of the Funds, or (ii) a broker, dealer or other company licensed, registered or otherwise qualified to effect transactions in securities in a country (a "foreign country") other than the United States of America (the "U.S.") where you will offer or sell shares of the Funds. You agree that termination or suspension of such membership with FINRA, or of your license to do business by any regulatory agency having jurisdiction, at any time shall terminate or suspend this Agreement forthwith and shall require you to notify us in writing of such action. If you are not a member of FINRA but are a broker, dealer or other company subject to the laws of a foreign country, you agree to conform to the Conduct Rules of FINRA. This Agreement is in all respects subject

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to the Conduct Rules of FINRA, particularly Conduct Rule 2830 of FINRA, which shall control any provision to the contrary in this Agreement.

You agree to notify us immediately in writing if at any time you are not a member in good standing of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation ("SIPC").

2. Sales of Fund Shares. You may offer and sell shares of each Fund and class of each Fund only at the public offering price which shall be applicable to, and in effect at the time of, each transaction. The procedures relating to all orders and the handling of them shall be subject to the terms of the applicable then current prospectus and statement of additional information (hereafter, the "Prospectus") and new account application, including amendments, for each such Fund and each class of such Fund, and our written instructions from time to time. This Agreement is not exclusive, and either party may enter into similar agreements with third parties.

Duties of Dealer. You agree:

(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, to act as principal, or as agent on behalf of your customers, in all transactions in shares of the Funds. Except as otherwise provided, you shall not have any authority to act as agent for the issuer (the Funds), for the Principal Underwriter, or for any other dealer in any respect, nor will you represent to any third party that you have such authority or are acting in such capacity.

To purchase shares of the Funds only from us or from your customers.

(b) To enter orders for the purchase of shares of the Funds only from us and only for the purpose of covering purchase orders you have already received from your customers or for your own bona fide investment.

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To maintain records of all sales, redemptions and repurchases of shares made through you and to furnish us with copies of such records on request.

(c) To distribute Prospectuses and reports to your customers in compliance with applicable legal requirements, except to the extent that we expressly undertake to do so on your behalf.

That you will not withhold placing customers' orders for shares so as to profit yourself as a result of such withholding or place orders for shares in amounts just below the point at which sales charges are reduced so as to benefit from a higher sales charge applicable to an amount below the breakpoint.

(d) That if any shares confirmed to you or your customer hereunder are repurchased or redeemed by any of the Funds within seven (7) business days after such confirmation of the original order, you shall forthwith refund to us the full concession, allowed to you on such orders, including any payments we made to you from our own resources as provided in Section 6(b) hereof with respect to such orders. We shall notify you of such repurchase or redemption within a reasonable time after settlement. Termination or suspension of this Agreement shall not relieve you or us from the requirements of this subsection.

That if payment for the shares purchased is not received within the time customary or the time required by law for such payment, the sale may be canceled without notice or demand and without any responsibility or liability on our part or on the part of the Funds, or at our option, we may sell the shares which you ordered back to the Funds, in which latter case we may hold you responsible for any loss to the Funds or loss of profit suffered by us resulting from your failure to make payment as aforesaid. We shall have no liability for any check or other item returned unpaid to you after you have paid us on behalf of a purchaser. We may refuse to liquidate the investment unless we receive the purchaser's signed authorization for the liquidation.

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(e) That you shall assume responsibility for any loss to the Funds caused by a correction made subsequent to trade date, provided such correction was not based on any error, omission or negligence on our part, and that you will immediately pay such loss to the Funds upon notification.

That if on a redemption which you have ordered, instructions in proper form, including outstanding certificates, are not received within the time customary or the time required by law, the redemption may be canceled forthwith without any responsibility or liability on our part or on the part of any Fund, or at our option, we may buy the shares redeemed on behalf of the Fund, in which latter case we may hold you responsible for any loss to the Fund or loss of profit suffered by us resulting from your failure to settle the redemption.

(f) To obtain from your customers all consents required by applicable privacy laws (1) to permit us, any of our affiliates or the Funds to provide you either directly or through a service established for that purpose with confirmations, account statements and other information about your customers' investments in the Funds and (2) to permit you and your registered representatives, agents, independent contractors and/or employees to transmit and receive confidential information concerning such customers to or from us and through our websites at franklintempleton.com, AdvisorCentral.com, dstvision.com and such other URL(s) through which we may permit you to conduct business concerning the Funds from time to time (referred to collectively as the "Sites").

That orders for the purchase of Fund shares shall be placed by you only for customers for whom you have appropriate identification as required by applicable anti-money laundering laws or policies in your jurisdiction.

(g) To the extent you are a "financial intermediary" with respect to the Funds, as that term is defined in Appendix A and Rule 22c-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the " 1940 Act"), to

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comply with the additional terms and conditions set forth on Appendix A.

3. Duties of Dealer: Retirement Accounts. In connection with orders for the purchase of shares on behalf of an individual retirement account, self-employed retirement plan or other retirement accounts, by mail, telephone, wire or through the Sites you shall act as agent for the custodian or trustee of such plans and you shall not place such an order until you have received from your customer payment for such purchase and, if such purchase represents the first contribution to such a plan, the completed documents necessary to establish the plan and enrollment in the plan. You agree to indemnify us and Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust, F.S.B. and/or Fiduciary Trust International of the South as applicable for any claim, loss, or liability resulting from incorrect investment instructions received from you which cause a tax liability or other tax penalty.

Conditional Orders; Certificates. We will not accept from you any conditional orders for shares of any of the Funds. Delivery of certificates or confirmations for shares purchased shall be made by the Funds only against constructive receipt of the purchase price, subject to deduction for your concession and our portion of the sales charge, if any, on such sale. No certificates for shares of the Funds will be issued unless specifically requested.

4. Dealer Compensation.

(a) On each purchase of shares by you from us, the total sales charges and your dealer concessions shall be as stated in each Fund's then current Prospectus, subject to FINRA rules and applicable laws. Such sales charges and dealer concessions are subject to reductions under a variety of circumstances as described in the Funds' Prospectuses. For an investor to obtain these reductions, we must be notified at the time of the sale that the sale qualifies for the reduced charge. If you fail to notify us of the applicability of a reduction in the sales charge at the time the trade is placed, neither we nor any of

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the Funds will be liable for amounts necessary to reimburse any investor for the reduction which should have been effected.

In accordance with the Funds' Prospectuses, we or our affiliates may, but are not obligated to, make payments to you from our own resources as compensation for certain sales which are made at net asset value ("Qualifying Sales"). If you notify us of a Qualifying Sale, we may make a contingent advance payment up to the maximum amount available for payment on the sale. If any of the shares purchased in a Qualifying Sale are repurchased or redeemed within twelve (12) months of the month of purchase, we shall be entitled to recover any advance payment attributable to the repurchased or redeemed shares by reducing any account payable or other monetary obligation we may owe to you or by making demand upon you for repayment in cash. We reserve the right to withhold advances to you, if for any reason we believe that we may not be able to recover unearned advances from you. Termination or suspension of this Agreement shall not relieve you or us from the requirements of this subsection.

(b) You agree to waive payment of any dealer concessions payable to you by us until such time as we are in receipt of such dealer concessions.

5. Redemptions or Repurchases. Redemptions or repurchases of shares of the Funds will be made at the net asset value of such shares, less any applicable deferred sales or redemption charges, in accordance with the applicable Prospectuses of the Funds. Except as permitted by applicable law, you agree not to purchase any shares from your customers at a price lower than the net asset value of such shares next computed by the Funds after the purchase is made by you (the "Redemption/Repurchase Price"). You shall, however, be permitted to sell shares of the Funds for the account of the record owner to the Funds at the Redemption/Repurchase Price for such shares.

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Exchanges. Exchange orders will be effective only for uncertificated shares or for which share certificates have been previously deposited and may be subject to any fees or other restrictions set forth in the applicable Prospectuses. Exchanges from a Fund sold with no sales charge to a Fund which carries a sales charge, and exchanges from a Fund sold with a sales charge to a Fund which carries a higher sales charge may be subject to a sales charge in accordance with the terms of the applicable Fund's Prospectus. You will be obligated to comply with any additional exchange policies described in the applicable Fund's Prospectus, including without limitation any policy restricting or prohibiting excessive and/or short term trading activity, the collection of redemption fees associated with such trading activity and the prohibition of "market timing," as defined in the Prospectus.

6. Transaction Processing. All orders are subject to acceptance by us and by the Fund or its transfer agent, and become effective only upon confirmation by us. If required by law, each transaction shall be confirmed in writing on a fully disclosed basis and if confirmed by us, a copy of each confirmation shall be sent to you if you so request. All sales are made subject to receipt of shares by us from the Funds. We reserve the right in our discretion, without notice, to suspend the sale of shares of the Funds or withdraw the offering of shares of the Funds entirely. Orders will be effected at the price(s) next computed on the day they are received if, as set forth in the applicable Fund's current Prospectus, the orders are received by us or an agent appointed by us or the Fund prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. eastern time ("Close of Trading"). Orders received after that time will be effected at the price(s) computed on the next business day. All orders must be accompanied by payment in U.S. Dollars. Orders payable by check must be drawn payable in U.S. Dollars on a U.S. bank, for the full amount of the investment.

If you have entered into a FundSERV Agreement with us to effect transactions in Fund shares through FundSERV, you are hereby authorized to act on our behalf for the limited purpose of

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receiving purchase, exchange and redemption orders for Fund shares executed through FundSERV. You represent and warrant that all orders for the purchase, exchange or redemption of Fund shares transmitted to FundSERV for processing on or as of a given business day (Day 1) shall have been received by you prior to the Close of Trading on Day 1. Such orders shall receive the share price next calculated following the Close of Trading on Day 1 .You represent and warrant that orders received by you after the Close of Trading on Day 1 shall be treated by you and transmitted to FundSERV as if received on the next business day (Day 2). Such orders shall receive the share price next calculated following the Close of Trading on Day 2. You represent that you have systems in place reasonably designed to prevent orders received after the Close of Trading on Day 1 from being executed with orders received before the Close of Trading on Day 1.

7. Multiple Classes. We may from time to time provide to you written compliance guidelines or standards relating to the sale or distribution of Funds offering multiple classes of shares (each, a "Class") with different sales charges and distribution related operating expenses. In addition, you will be bound by any applicable rules or regulations of government agencies or self-regulatory organizations generally affecting the sale or distribution of shares of investment companies offering multiple classes of shares.

Rule 12b-1 Plans. You are invited to participate in all distribution plans (each, a "Plan") adopted for a Class of a Fund or for a Fund that has only a single Class (each, a "Plan Class") pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act.

To the extent you provide administrative and other services, including, but not limited to, furnishing personal and other services and assistance to your customers who own shares of a Plan Class, answering routine inquiries regarding a Fund or Class, assisting in changing account designations and addresses, maintaining such accounts or such other services as a Fund may require, to the extent permitted by applicable statutes, rules, or regulations, we shall pay

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you a Rule 12b-1 servicing fee. To the extent that you participate in the distribution of Fund shares that are eligible for a Rule 12b-1 distribution fee, we shall also pay you a Rule 12b-1 distribution fee. All Rule 12b-1 servicing and distribution fees shall be based on the value of shares attributable to customers of your firm and eligible for such payment, and shall be calculated on the basis and at the rates set forth in the compensation schedule then in effect for the applicable Plan (the "Schedule"). Without prior approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of a particular Class of a Fund which has a Plan, the aggregate annual fees paid to you pursuant to such Plan shall not exceed the amounts stated as the "annual maximums" in such Plan Class' Prospectus, which amount shall be a specified percent of the value of such Plan Class' net assets held in your customers' accounts which are eligible for payment pursuant to this Agreement (determined in the same manner as such Plan Class uses to compute its net assets as set forth in its effective Prospectus).

You shall furnish us and each Fund that has a Plan Class (each, a "Plan Fund") with such information as shall reasonably be requested by the Board of Directors, Trustees or Managing General Partners (hereinafter referred to as "Directors") of such Plan Fund with respect to the fees paid to you pursuant to the Schedule of such Plan Fund. We shall furnish to the Directors of the Plan Funds, for their review on a quarterly basis, a written report of the amounts expended under the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.

Each Plan and the provisions of any agreement relating to such Plan must be approved annually by a vote of the Directors of the Fund that has such Plan, including such persons who are not interested persons of such Plan Fund and who have no financial interest in such Plan or any related agreement ("Rule 12b-1 Directors"). Each Plan or the provisions of this Agreement relating to such Plan may be terminated at any time by the vote of a majority of the Rule 12b-1 Directors, or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Class that has such Plan, on sixty (60) days' written notice, without payment of any penalty. A Plan or the

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provisions of this Agreement may also be terminated by any act that terminates the underwriting agreement between us and the Fund that has such Plan, and/or the management or administration agreement between Franklin Advisers, Inc. or Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC or their affiliates and such Plan Fund. In the event of the termination of a Plan for any reason, the provisions of this Agreement relating to such Plan will also terminate.

Continuation of a Plan and provisions of this Agreement relating to such Plan are conditioned on Rule 12b-1 Directors being ultimately responsible for selecting and nominating any new Rule 12b-1 Directors. Under Rule 12b-1, Directors of any of the Plan Funds have a duty to request and evaluate, and persons who are party to any agreement related to a Plan have a duty to furnish, such information as may reasonably be necessary to an informed determination of whether the Plan or any agreement should be implemented or continued. Under Rule 12b-1, a Plan Fund is permitted to implement or continue a Plan or the provisions of this Agreement relating to such Plan from year to year only if, based on certain legal considerations, the Directors of such Plan Fund are able to conclude that such Plan will benefit the Plan Class. Absent such yearly determination, such Plan and the provisions of this Agreement relating to such Plan must be terminated as set forth above. In addition, any obligation assumed by a Fund pursuant to this Agreement shall be limited in all cases to the assets of such Fund and no person shall seek satisfaction thereof from shareholders of a Fund. You agree to waive payment of any amounts payable to you by us under a Fund's Plan until such time as we are in receipt of such fee from the Fund.

The provisions of the Plans between the Plan Funds and us shall have control over the provisions of this Agreement in the event of any inconsistency.

8. Registration of Shares. Upon request, we shall notify you of the states or other jurisdictions in which each Fund's shares are currently noticed, registered or qualified for offer or sale to the

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public. We shall have no obligation to make notice filings of, register or qualify, or to maintain notice filings of, registration of or qualification of, Fund shares in any particular state or other jurisdiction.

We shall have no responsibility, under the laws regulating the sale of securities in any U.S. or foreign jurisdiction, for the registration, qualification or licensed status of persons offering or selling Fund shares or for the manner of offering or sale of Fund shares. If it is necessary to file notice of, register or qualify Fund shares in any foreign jurisdictions in which you intend to offer the shares of any Funds, it will be your responsibility to arrange for and to pay the costs of such notice filing, registration or qualification; prior to any such notice filing, registration or qualification, you will notify us of your intent and of any limitations that might be imposed on the Funds, and you agree not to proceed with such notice filing, registration or qualification without the written consent of the applicable Funds and of ourselves. Except as stated in this section, we shall not, in any event, be liable or responsible for the issue, form, validity, enforceability and value of such shares or for any matter in connection therewith, and no obligation not expressly assumed by us in this Agreement shall be implied. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to be a condition, stipulation or provision binding any person acquiring any security to waive compliance with any provision of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations of the SEC, or any applicable laws or regulations of any government or authorized agency in the U.S. or any other country having jurisdiction over the offer or sale of shares of the Funds, or to relieve the parties hereto from any liability arising under such laws, rules and regulations.

9. Continuously Offered Closed-End Funds. This Section 13 relates solely to shares of Funds that represent a beneficial interest in shares issued by a fund that is a closed-end investment company registered under the 1940 Act that makes a continuous offering of its

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shares, for which we or an affiliate of ours serve as principal underwriter, and that periodically repurchases its shares (each, a "Trust"). Shares of a Trust that are offered to the public will be registered under the 1933 Act, and are expected to be offered during an offering period that may continue indefinitely ("Continuous Offering Period"). There is no guarantee that such a continuous offering will be maintained by a Trust. The Continuous Offering Period, shares of a Trust and certain of the terms on which such shares are offered shall be as described in the Prospectus of the Trust.

As set forth in a Trust's then current Prospectus, we may, but are not obligated to, provide you with appropriate compensation for selling shares of the Trust. In addition, you may be entitled to a fee for servicing your clients who are shareholders in a Trust, subject to applicable law and FINRA Conduct Rules. You agree that any repurchases of shares of a Trust that were originally purchased as Qualifying Sales shall be subject to Subsection 6(b) hereof.

You expressly acknowledge and understand that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement:

(a) No Trust has a Rule 12b-1 Plan and in no event will a Trust pay, or have any obligation to pay, any compensation directly or indirectly to you.

Shares of a Trust will not be repurchased by either the Trust (other than through repurchase offers by the Trust from time to time, if any) or by us and no secondary market for such shares exists currently, or is expected to develop. Any representation as to a repurchase or tender offer by a Trust, other than that set forth in the Trust's then current Prospectus, notification letters, reports or other related material provided by the Trust, is expressly prohibited.

(b) An early withdrawal charge payable by shareholders of a Trust to us may be imposed on shares accepted for repurchase by the

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Trust that have been held for less than a stated period, as set forth in the Trust's then current Prospectus.

In the event your customer cancels his or her order for shares of a Trust after confirmation, such shares will not be repurchased, remarketed or otherwise disposed of by or through us.

10. Fund Information. You are not authorized to give any information or make any representations concerning shares of a Fund except those contained in the Fund's then current Prospectus, Summary Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information or in other materials produced by us or by the Fund nor may you present or create any information or materials that are contrary to or inconsistent with the materials so provided to you. We will supply reasonable quantities of, and/or reasonable electronic access to, Prospectuses (and/or any applicable Summary Prospectuses), sales or other marketing materials, and additional information as issued by the Fund or by us. We will not be responsible for reimbursing you for any costs or expenses you may incur for accessing or printing such materials. You are not authorized to modify or translate any materials we have provided to you.

You agree, represent and warrant that you are solely responsible for any materials prepared by you that are based upon information concerning shares of a Fund produced by us or the Fund and that such materials will (a) conform to all requirements of any applicable laws or regulations of any government or authorized agency in the U.S. or any other country having jurisdiction over the offering or sale of shares of the Funds, (b) not be contrary to or inconsistent with the information or materials provided to you by us or a Fund, and (c) be made available to us upon request. You agree to file any advertising or sales material relating to the Funds prepared by you with FINRA, or other applicable legal or regulatory authority, within the timeframes that may be required from time to time by FINRA or such other legal or regulatory authority. Unless otherwise expressly agreed to in writing, it is understood that we will neither review nor approve for use any materials prepared by you

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and will have no involvement in the preparation of, or responsibility for, any such materials prepared by you. Notwithstanding the above, you may not use our Franklin Templeton Investments name or logo in materials prepared by you without our prior written consent.

11. Use of Site. Each of your registered representatives, agents, independent contractors and employees will have access to the Sites as provided herein, (a) upon registration by such individual on a Site (including providing certain data and codes identifying you), (b) if you cause an MOS Site Access Request Form (an "Access Form") to be signed by your authorized supervisory personnel and submitted to us, as a Schedule to, and legally a part of, this Agreement, or (c) if you provide such individual with the necessary access codes or other information necessary to access the Sites through any generic or firm-wide authorization we may grant you from time to time. Upon receipt by us of a completed registration submitted by an individual through the Sites or a signed Access Form referencing such individual, we shall be entitled to rely upon the representations contained therein as if you had made them directly hereunder and we will issue a user identification, express number and/or password (collectively, "Access Code"). Any person to whom we issue an Access Code or to whom you provide the necessary Access Codes or other information necessary to access the Sites through any generic or firm-wide authorization we may grant you from time to time shall be an "Authorized User." We shall be entitled to assume that such person validly represents you and that all instructions received from such person are authorized, in which case such person will have access to the Site, including all services and information to which you are authorized to access on the Site. All inquiries and transactions initiated by you (including your Authorized Users) are your responsibility, are at your risk and are subject to our review and approval (which could cause a delay in processing).You agree that we do not have a duty to question information or instructions you (including Authorized Users) give to us under this Agreement, and that we are entitled to treat as authorized, and act upon, any such instructions and information you submit to us. You agree to take all reasonable measures to prevent any individual other than an

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Authorized User from obtaining access to the Site. You agree to inform us if you wish to restrict or revoke the access of any individual Access Code. If you become aware of any loss or theft or unauthorized use of any Access Code, you agree to contact us immediately. You also agree to monitor your (including Authorized Users') use of the Site to ensure the terms of this Agreement are followed. You acknowledge that the Sites are transmitted over the Internet on a reasonable efforts basis and we do not warrant or guarantee their accuracy, timeliness, completeness, reliability or non-infringement. Moreover, you acknowledge that the Sites are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended to comply with any requirements established by any regulatory or governmental agency.

Dealer Representation. You represent and warrant that you will comply with all applicable U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations in performing your obligations hereunder. Without limiting the foregoing, you agree that in recommending to a customer the purchase, sale or exchange of any shares, or class of shares, of a Fund, you shall have reasonable grounds for believing that the recommendation is suitable for such customer. You also agree that you will comply with all policies and agreements concerning Site usage, including without limitation the Terms of Use Agreement(s) posted on the Sites ("Site Terms"), as may be revised and reposted on the Sites from time to time, and those Site Terms (as in effect from time to time) are a part of this Agreement.

12. Indemnification; Defense of Claims; Attorneys' Fees. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless us and the Funds, as well as our and the Funds' respective officers, directors and employees (collectively, "indemnitees"), from any and all actual and/or alleged losses, claims, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses) (collectively "Losses") arising from or as the result of (1) any actual or alleged violation of any statute or regulation (including without limitation U.S. and state securities laws and regulations and consumer protection laws, as well as the laws of any foreign country where you offer or sell shares of the

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Funds) and/or any actual or alleged violation of common law (including without limitation all tort and/or contract claims), which in any way relate to any offer, sale, redemption, transfer or exchange of shares of the Funds (including any actual and/or alleged mishandling of the transaction and/or misappropriation of the proceeds in connection therewith) by you and/or by or through any of your officers, directors, employees, independent contractors or agents, (2) the breach by you or any of your officers, directors, employees, independent contractors or agents of any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and/or (3) any use, including unauthorized access obtained through you, of the Sites by you or your officers, directors, employees or agents, provided, however, that an Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification hereunder to the extent the actual and proximate cause of any such Losses is attributed to such Indemnitee's own negligence, willful misconduct or breach.

In addition, you agree that in the event that the Indemnitees are named in any legal proceedings (including, but not limited to lawsuits filed in court and statements of claim filed in an arbitration forum) which involve claims and/or liabilities that are the subject of this indemnification agreement, we and the Fund(s) may, following notice to you, retain attorneys of our choice to represent us and/or the Fund(s) in such legal proceedings at your expense, and you will promptly reimburse us and/or the Fund(s) for the attorneys' fees and expenses incurred in connection with the defense of any such legal proceedings. This Section 17 shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

13. Termination; Succession; Assignment; Amendment. Each party to this Agreement may terminate its participation in this Agreement by giving written notice to the other parties. Such notice shall be deemed to have been given and to be effective on the date on which it was either delivered personally to the other parties or any officer or member thereof, or was mailed postpaid or delivered by electronic transmission to the other parties' chief legal officers at the addresses shown herein or the address listed with FINRA. This

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Agreement shall terminate immediately upon the appointment of a Trustee under the Securities Investor Protection Act or any other act of insolvency by you. The termination of this Agreement by any of the foregoing means shall have no effect upon transactions entered into prior to the effective date of termination. A trade placed by you subsequent to your voluntary termination of this Agreement will not serve to reinstate the Agreement. Reinstatement, except in the case of a temporary suspension of a dealer, will be effective only upon written notification by us to you. This Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment by us. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the word "assignment" shall have the meaning given to it in the 1940 Act. This Agreement may not be assigned by you without our prior written consent. This Agreement may be amended by us at any time by written notice to you at the address given below (or such other address as specified in writing by you) or the address listed with FINRA and your placing of an order for shares of a Fund or acceptance of payments of any kind after the effective date and receipt of notice of any such Amendment shall constitute your acceptance of such Amendment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Site Terms may be separately amended as provided therein and as so amended and in effect from time to time shall be a part of this Agreement.

Privacy; Anti-Money Laundering.

(a) Each party to this Agreement agrees to limit the disclosure of nonpublic personal information of shareholders and customers consistent with its policies on privacy with respect to such information and Regulation S-P of the SEC. Each party hereby agrees that it will comply with all applicable requirements under the regulations implementing Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and any other applicable federal and state consumer privacy acts, rules and regulations. Each party further represents that it has in place, and agrees that it will maintain, information security policies and procedures for protecting nonpublic personal customer information adequate to conform to applicable legal requirements.

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Each party to this Agreement acknowledges that it is a financial institution subject to the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, the Bank Secrecy Act and their corresponding implementing regulations (collectively, the "AML Laws"), which require, among other things, that financial institutions adopt compliance programs to guard against money laundering. Each party represents and warrants that it has established policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent money laundering and to comply with the AML Laws, including FINRA Rule 3011, in all relevant aspects. Each party agrees that it will take such further steps and cooperate with the other party as may be reasonably necessary to facilitate compliance with the AML Laws. Each party also certifies that it complies with the economic sanction programs administered by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

14. Setoff; Dispute Resolution. Should any of your concession accounts with us have a debit balance, we may offset and recover the amount owed to us or the Funds from any other account you have with us, without notice or demand to you. In the event of a dispute concerning any provision of this Agreement, either party may require the dispute to be submitted to binding arbitration under the commercial arbitration rules of FINRA or the American Arbitration Association. Judgment upon any arbitration award may be entered by any court having jurisdiction. This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, not including any provision that would require the general application of the law of another jurisdiction.

Acceptance; Cumulative Effect. This Agreement is cumulative and supersedes any similar agreement previously in effect. It shall be binding upon the parties hereto when signed by us and accepted by you. If you have a current dealer or selling agreement with us, your first trade or acceptance of payments from us after your receipt of this Agreement, as it may be amended pursuant to Section 18, above, shall constitute your acceptance of its terms. Otherwise, your signature below shall constitute your acceptance of its terms.

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FRANKLIN DISTRIBUTORS, LLC

By

Jeffrey S. Masom, President

One Franklin Parkway

San Mateo, CA 94403-1906

Attention: Chief Legal Officer (for legal notices only)

(___) ___-____

100 Fountain Parkway

St. Petersburg, Florida 33716-1205

(___) ___-____

DEALER: If you have not previously signed a dealer or selling agreement with us, please complete and sign this section and return the original to us.

Dealer Name

Date

By:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(Signature)

Name Title

Address City State ZIP

NASD CRD # Telephone

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(Internal Use Only) ()

Franklin Templeton dealer number

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Appendix A - Additional Terms and Conditions Regarding Rule 22c-2

To the extent you are a "financial intermediary" with respect to the Funds, you agree as follows:

1.1 Agreement to Provide Information. You agree to provide Distributors, upon written request, the taxpayer identification number ("TIN") of any or all Shareholder (s) of the account and the amount, date, name or other identifier of any investment professional(s) associated with the Shareholder(s) or account (if known), and transaction type (purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange) of every purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange of Fund Shares held through an account maintained by you during the period covered by the request.

1.1.1 Period Covered by Request. Requests must set forth a specific period, not to exceed ninety (90) days from the date of the request, for which transaction information is sought. Distributors may request transaction information older than ninety (90) days from the date of the request as it deems necessary to investigate compliance with policies established by it for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding Shares issued by the Funds.

1.1.2 Form and timing of Response. You agree to transmit the requested information that is on your books and records to Distributors or its designee promptly, but in any event not later than five (5) business days, after receipt of a request. If the requested information is not on your books and records, you agree to: (i) provide or arrange to provide Distributors or its designee the requested information regarding Shareholders who hold an account with an indirect intermediary; or (ii) prohibit further purchases of Fund Shares by such indirect intermediary on behalf of itself or other persons. Responses required by this paragraph must be communicated in writing and in a format mutually agreed upon by the parties. To the extent practicable, the format for any transaction

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information provided to Distributors should be consistent with the NSCC Standardized Data Reporting Format.

1.1.3 Limitations on Use of Information. Distributors agrees not to use the information received for marketing or any other similar purpose without your prior written consent.

1.2 Agreement to Restrict Trading. You agree to execute written instructions from Distributors or its designee to restrict or prohibit further purchases or exchanges of Shares by a Shareholder who has been identified by Distributors or its designee as having engaged in transactions in Shares (directly or indirectly through an account established by you) that violate policies established by the Funds for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding Shares issued by the Funds.

1.2.1 -Form of Instructions. Instructions must include the TIN and the specific restriction(s) to be executed. If the TIN is not known, the instructions must include an equivalent identifying number of the Shareholder(s) or account(s) or other agreed upon information to which the instruction relates.

1.2.2 -Timing of Response. You agree to execute instructions as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than five (5) business days after your receipt of the instructions.

1.2.3 Confirmation. You must provide written confirmation to Distributors or its designee that instructions have been executed. You agree to provide confirmation as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than ten (10) business days after the instructions have been executed.

1.3 Excepted Funds. These terms and conditions shall not apply to any "excepted fund" as defined in Section 1.4.

1.4 Definitions

"Distributors" means Franklin Distributors, LLC

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"Funds" or a "Fund" means certain registered investment companies, and separate series of such companies, for which Distributors serves as the principal underwriter. "Financial Intermediary" means:

(i) any broker, dealer, bank, or other person that holds securities issued by a Fund, in nominee name;

(ii) a unit investment trust or fund that invests in a Fund in reliance on section 12(d)(l)(E) of the 1940 Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-12(d)(l)(E)); and

(iii) in the case of a participant-directed employee benefit plan that owns the securities issued by a Fund, a retirement plan's administrator under section 3(16)(A) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1002 (16)(A)) or any person that maintains the plan's participant records.

Notwithstanding the above, "financial intermediary" does not include any person that the Fund treats as an individual investor with respect to the Fund's policies established for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding securities issued by the Fund.

"Excepted Fund" means:

(i) any Fund that is regulated as a money market fund under Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act;

(ii) any Fund that issues securities that are listed on a national securities exchange; and

(iii) any Fund that affirmatively permits short-term trading of its securities, if its prospectus clearly and prominently discloses that the Fund permits short-term trading of its securities and that such trading may result in additional costs for the Fund.

"Shareholder" means:

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(iv) a beneficial owner of securities held in nominee name;

(v) a participant in a participant-directed employee benefit plan;

(vi) a holder of interests in a fund or unit investment trust that has invested in a Fund in reliance on section 12(d)(l)(E) of the 1940 Act; and

(vii) a holder of interests in a variable annuity or variable life insurance contract issued by a financial intermediary and for which one or more Funds serve as underlying investments.

"Shareholder" does not include a fund investing pursuant to section 12(d)(l)(G) of the 1940 Act, a trust established pursuant to section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 529), or a holder of an interest in such a trust.

"Shares" means the interests of Fund Shareholders corresponding to the redeemable securities of record issued by the Fund under the 1940 Act that are held by a financial intermediary.

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#### [FORM OF]

#### BANK SELLING AGREEMENT
July 7, 2021

1. Introduction. The parties to this Agreement are the undersigned bank or trust company ("Bank") and Franklin Distributors, LLC ("FDL"). This Agreement sets forth the terms and conditions under which FDL will execute purchases and redemptions of shares of the Franklin or Templeton investment companies or series of such investment companies for which FDL now or in the future serves as principal underwriter (each, a "Fund"), at the request of Bank upon the order and for the account of Bank's customers ("Customers"). In this Agreement, "Customer" shall include the beneficial owners of an account and any agent or attorney in fact duly authorized or appointed to act on the owner's behalf with respect to the account; and "redemptions" shall include redemptions of shares of Funds that are open-end management investment companies and repurchases of shares of Funds that are closed-end investment companies by the Fund that is the issuer of such shares. FDL will notify Bank from time to time of the Funds that are eligible for distribution and the terms of compensation under this Agreement. This Agreement is not exclusive, and either party may enter into similar agreements with third parties.

2. Representations and Warranties of Bank. Bank warrants and represents to FDL and the Funds that:

(a) Bank is a "bank" as defined in section 3(a)(6) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act");

(b) Bank is authorized to enter into this Agreement as agent for Customers, and Bank's performance of its obligations and receipt of consideration under this Agreement will not violate any law, regulation, charter, agreement or regulatory restriction to which Bank is subject;

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(c) Bank has received all regulatory agency approvals and taken all legal and other steps necessary for offering the services Bank will provide to Customers and receiving any applicable compensation in connection with this Agreement; and

(d) Bank will comply with all applicable U.S. federal, state and local laws and regulations in performing its obligations hereunder. Without limiting the foregoing, Bank agrees that in recommending to a customer the purchase, sale or exchange of any shares, or class of shares, of a Fund, Bank shall have reasonable grounds for believing that the recommendation is suitable for such customer. Bank also agrees that it will comply with all policies and agreements concerning Site (as defined in Paragraph 4(b)(4) below) usage, including, without limitation, the Terms of Use Agreement(s) posted on the Sites ("Site Terms") as may be revised and reposted on the Sites from time to time, and those Site Terms (as in effect from time to time) are part of this Agreement.

3. Representations and Warranties of the Principal Underwriter. FDL warrants and represents to Bank that:

(a) FDL is a broker/dealer registered under the 1934 Act; and

(b) FDL is the principal underwriter of the Funds.

4. Covenants of Bank.

(a) For each purchase, redemption or exchange transaction under this Agreement (each, a "Transaction"), Bank will:

(1) be authorized to engage in the Transaction;

(2) except as otherwise provided herein, act as agent for Customer, unless Bank is the Customer;

(3) act solely for the account of Customer, unless Bank is the Customer;

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(4) not submit an order unless Bank has already received the order from Customer, unless Bank is the Customer;

(5) not withhold placing any Customer's order for the purpose of profiting from the delay or place orders for Fund shares in amounts just below the point at which sales charges are reduced so as to benefit from a higher Fee (as defined in Paragraph 5(e) below) applicable to a Transaction in an amount below the breakpoint;

(6) have no beneficial ownership of the securities in any purchase Transaction (Customer will have the full beneficial ownership), unless Bank is the Customer (in which case, Bank will not engage in the Transaction unless the Transaction is legally permissible for Bank);

(7) not accept or withhold any Fee (as defined in Paragraph 5(e) of this Agreement) otherwise allowed under Paragraphs 5(d) and (e) of this Agreement, if prohibited by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or trust or similar laws to which Bank is subject, in the case of Transactions of Fund shares involving retirement plans, trusts, or similar accounts;

(8) maintain records of all Transactions of Fund shares made through Bank and furnish FDL with copies of such records upon request; and

(9) distribute Prospectuses, statements of additional information and reports to Customers in compliance with applicable legal requirements, except to the extent that FDL expressly undertakes to do so on behalf of Bank.

(b) While this Agreement is in effect, Bank will:

(1) not purchase any Fund shares from any person at a price lower than the redemption or repurchase price, as applicable, next determined by the applicable Fund;

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(2) repay FDL the full Fee received by Bank under Paragraphs 5(d) and (e) of this Agreement, and any payments FDL or its affiliates made to Bank from their own resources under Paragraph 5(e) of this Agreement ("FDL Payments"), for any Fund shares purchased under this Agreement which are redeemed or repurchased by the Fund within seven (7) business days after the purchase; in turn, FDL shall pay to the Fund the amount repaid by Bank (other than any portion of such repayment that is a repayment of FDL Payments) and will notify Bank of any such redemption within a reasonable time (termination or suspension of this Agreement shall not relieve Bank or FDL from the requirements of this subparagraph);

(3) in connection with orders for the purchase of Fund shares on behalf of an individual retirement account, self employed retirement plan or other retirement accounts, by mail, telephone, wire or through the Sites, act as agent for the custodian or trustee of such plans and shall not place such an order until Bank has received from its Customer payment for such purchase and, if such purchase represents the first contribution to such a plan, the completed documents necessary to establish the plan and enrollment in the plan (Bank agrees to indemnify FDL and Franklin Templeton Bank & Trust, F.S.B. and/or Fiduciary Trust International of the South, as applicable, for any claim, loss, or liability resulting from incorrect investment instructions received from Bank which cause a tax liability or other tax penalty);

(4) obtain from its Customers any consents required by applicable federal and/or state privacy laws to (a) permit FDL, any of its affiliates or the Funds to provide Bank with confirmations, account statements and other information about Customers' investments in the Funds, and (b) permit Bank and its registered representatives, agents, independent contractors and/or employees to transmit and receive confidential information concerning such Customers to or from FDL and through its websites at franklintempleton.com, AdvisorCentral.com, dstvision.com and such other URL(s) through which FDL may permit Bank to conduct

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business concerning the Funds from time to time (referred to collectively as the "Sites");

(5) place orders for the purchase of Fund shares by Bank only for Customers for whom Bank has appropriate identification as required by applicable anti-money laundering laws or policies in Bank's jurisdiction; and

(6) to the extent Bank is a "financial intermediary" with respect to the Funds, as that term is defined in Appendix A and Rule 22c-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act"), comply with the additional terms and conditions set forth in Appendix A.

5. Terms and Conditions for Transactions.

(a) Price Purchase orders for Fund shares received from Bank will be accepted only at the public offering price and in compliance with procedures applicable to each purchase order as set forth in the then current prospectus and statement of additional information (hereinafter, collectively, "Prospectus") for the applicable Fund. All purchase orders must be accompanied by payment in U.S. Dollars. Orders payable by check must be drawn payable in U.S. Dollars on a U.S. bank, for the full amount of the investment. All sales are made subject to receipt of shares by FDL from the Funds. FDL reserves the right in its discretion, without notice, to suspend the sale of shares or withdraw the offering of shares entirely.

(b) Orders and Confirmations Except as otherwise provided, Bank shall not have any authority to act as agent for the Funds, FDL, or any other dealer in any respect, nor will Bank represent to any third party that it has such authority or is acting in such capacity. All orders are subject to acceptance or rejection by FDL and by the Fund or its transfer agent at their sole discretion, and become effective only upon confirmation by one of them. Transaction orders shall be made using the procedures and forms provided by FDL from time to time. Orders will be effected at the price(s) next computed on the

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day they are received if, as set forth in the applicable Fund's current Prospectus, the orders are received by FDL or an agent appointed by FDL or the Funds prior to the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, generally 4:00 p.m. eastern time ("Close of Trading"). Orders received after that time will be effected at the price determined on the next business day. No order will be accepted unless Bank or Customer shall have provided FDL with Customer's full name, address and other information normally required by FDL to open a customer account, and FDL shall be entitled to rely on the accuracy of the information provided by Bank. A written confirming statement will be sent to the shareholder of record upon settlement of each Transaction.

If Bank has entered into a FundSERV Agreement with FDL to effect Transactions in Fund shares through FundSERV, Bank is hereby authorized to act on FDL's behalf for the limited purpose of receiving purchase, exchange and redemption orders for Fund shares executed through FundSERV. Bank represents and warrants that all orders for the purchase, exchange or redemption of Fund shares transmitted to FundSERV for processing on or as of a given business day (Day 1) shall have been received by Bank prior to the Close of Trading on Day 1. Such orders shall receive the share price next calculated following the Close of Trading on Day 1. Bank represents and warrants that orders received by Bank after the Close of Trading on Day 1 shall be treated by Bank and transmitted to FundSERV as if received on the next business day (Day 2). Such orders shall receive the share price next calculated following the Close of Trading on Day 2. Bank represents that it has systems in place reasonably designed to prevent orders received after the Close of Trading on Day 1 from being executed with orders received before the Close of Trading on Day 1.

(c) Multiple Class Guidelines FDL may from time to time provide to Bank written compliance guidelines or standards relating to the sale or distribution of Funds offering multiple classes of shares (each, a "Class") with different sales charges and distribution related operating expenses. Bank will comply with FDL's written

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compliance guidelines and standards, as well as with any applicable rules or regulations of government agencies or self regulatory organizations generally affecting the sale or distribution of investment companies offering multiple classes of shares, whether or not Bank deems itself otherwise subject to such rules or regulations.

(d) Payments by Bank for Purchases On the settlement date for each purchase, Bank shall either (i) remit the full purchase price by wire transfer to an account designated by FDL, or (ii) following FDL's procedures, wire the purchase price less the Fee allowed by Paragraph 5(e) of this Agreement. Twice monthly, FDL will pay Bank Fees not previously paid to or withheld by Bank. Each calendar month, FDL, as applicable, will prepare and mail an activity statement summarizing all Transactions.

(e) Fees and Payments Where permitted by the Prospectus for a Fund, a charge, concession, or fee (each of the foregoing forms of compensation, a "Fee") may be paid to Bank, related to services provided by Bank in connection with Transactions in shares of such Fund. The amount of the Fee, if any, is set by the relevant Prospectus. Adjustments in the Fee are available for certain purchases, and Bank is solely responsible for notifying FDL when any purchase or redemption order is qualified for such an adjustment. If Bank fails to notify FDL of the applicability of a reduction in the sales charge at the time the trade is placed, neither FDL nor any of the Funds will be liable for amounts necessary to reimburse any Customer for the reduction which should have been effected.

In accordance with the Funds' Prospectuses, FDL or its affiliates may, but are not obligated to, make payments from their own resources to Bank as compensation for certain sales that are made at net asset value ("Qualifying Sales"). If Bank notifies FDL of a Qualifying Sale, FDL may make a contingent advance payment up to the maximum amount available for payment on the sale. If any of the shares purchased in a Qualifying Sale are redeemed or repurchased within twelve (12) months of the month of purchase,

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FDL shall be entitled to recover any advance payment attributable to the redeemed or repurchased shares by reducing any account payable or other monetary obligation FDL may owe to Bank or by making demand upon Bank for repayment in cash. FDL reserves the right to withhold any one or more advances, if for any reason FDL believes that FDL may not be able to recover unearned advances. Termination or suspension of this Agreement does not relieve Bank from the requirements of this paragraph. Bank agrees to waive payment of any amounts of dealer concessions payable to Bank by FDL until such time as FDL is in receipt of such dealer concessions.

(f) Rule 12b-1 Plans Bank is also invited to participate in all distribution plans (each, a "Plan") adopted for a Class of a Fund or for a Fund that has only a single Class (each, a "Plan Class") pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").

To the extent Bank provides administrative and other services, including, but not limited to, furnishing personal and other services and assistance to Customers who own shares of a Plan Class, answering routine inquiries regarding a Fund or Class, assisting in changing account designations and addresses, maintaining such accounts or such other services as a Fund may require, to the extent permitted by applicable statutes, rules, or regulations, FDL shall pay Bank a Rule 12b-1 servicing fee. To the extent that Bank participates in the distribution of Fund shares that are eligible for a Rule 12b-1 distribution fee, FDL shall also pay Bank a Rule 12b-1 distribution fee. All Rule 12b-1 servicing and distribution fees shall be based on the value of shares attributable to Customers and eligible for such payment, and shall be calculated on the basis and at the rates set forth in the compensation schedule then in effect for the applicable Plan (the "Schedule"). Without prior approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of a particular Class of a Fund, the aggregate annual fees paid to Bank pursuant to such Plan shall not exceed the amounts stated as the "annual maximums" in such Plan Class' Prospectus, which amount shall be a specified percent of the value of such Plan Class' net assets held in

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Customers' accounts which are eligible for payment pursuant to this Agreement (determined in the same manner as such Plan Class uses to compute its net assets, as set forth in its effective Prospectus).

Bank shall furnish FDL and each Fund that has a Plan Class (each, a "Plan Fund") with such information as shall reasonably be requested by the Board of Directors, Trustees or Managing General Partners (hereinafter referred to as "Directors") of such Plan Fund with respect to the fees paid to Bank pursuant to the Schedule of such Plan Fund. FDL shall furnish to the Directors of the Plan Funds, for their review on a quarterly basis, a written report of the amounts expended under the Plans and the purposes for which such expenditures were made.

Each Plan and the provisions of any agreement relating to such Plan must be approved annually by a vote of the Directors of the Fund that has such Plan, including such persons who are not interested persons of such Plan Fund and who have no financial interest in such Plan or any related agreement ("Rule 12b-1 Directors"). Each Plan or the provisions of this Agreement relating to such Plan may be terminated at any time by the vote of a majority of Rule 12b-1 Directors of the Fund that has such Plan, or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Class that has such Plan on sixty (60) days' written notice, without payment of any penalty. A Plan or the provisions of this Agreement may also be terminated by any act that terminates the underwriting agreement between FDL and the Fund that has such Plan, and/or the management or administration agreement between Franklin Advisers, Inc. or Templeton Investment Counsel, LLC or their affiliates and such Plan Fund. In the event of the termination of a Plan for any reason, the provisions of this Agreement relating to such Plan will also terminate.

Continuation of a Plan and the provisions of this Agreement relating to such Plan are conditioned on Rule 12b-1 Directors being ultimately responsible for selecting and nominating any new Rule 12b-1 Directors. Under Rule 12b-1, Directors of any of the Plan

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Funds have a duty to request and evaluate, and persons who are party to any agreement related to a Plan have a duty to furnish, such information as may reasonably be necessary to an informed determination of whether the Plan or any agreement should be implemented or continued. Under Rule 12b-1, a Plan Fund is permitted to implement or continue a Plan or the provisions of this Agreement relating to such Plan from year to year only if, based on certain legal considerations, the Board of Directors of such Plan Fund is able to conclude that the Plan will benefit the Plan Class. Absent such yearly determination, a Plan and the provisions of this Agreement relating to such Plan must be terminated as set forth above. In addition, any obligation assumed by a Fund pursuant to this Agreement shall be limited in all cases to the assets of such Fund and no person shall seek satisfaction thereof from shareholders of a Fund. Bank agrees to waive payment of any amounts payable to Bank by FDL under a Fund's Plan until such time as FDL is in receipt of such fee from the Fund.

In the event of any inconsistency, the provisions of the Plans between the Plan Funds and FDL shall control over the provisions of this Agreement.

(g) Other Distribution Services From time to time, FDL may offer telephone and other augmented services in connection with Transactions under this Agreement. If Bank uses any such service, Bank will be subject to the procedures applicable to the service, whether or not Bank has executed any agreement required for the service.

(h) Conditional Orders; Certificates FDL will not accept any conditional Transaction orders. Delivery of certificates or confirmations for shares purchased shall be made by a Fund only against constructive receipt of the purchase price, subject to deduction of any Fee and FDL's portion of the sales charge, if any, on such sale. No certificates for shares of the Funds will be issued unless specifically requested.

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(i) Cancellation of Orders If payment for shares purchased is not received within the time customary or the time required by law for such payment, the sale may be canceled without notice or demand, and neither FDL nor the Fund(s) shall have any responsibility or liability for such a cancellation; alternatively, at FDL's option, the unpaid shares may be sold back to the Fund, and Bank shall be liable for any resulting loss to FDL or to the Fund(s). FDL shall have no liability for any check or other item returned unpaid to Bank after Bank has paid FDL on behalf of a purchaser. FDL may refuse to liquidate the investment unless FDL receives the purchaser's signed authorization for the liquidation.

(j) Order Corrections Bank shall assume responsibility for any loss to a Fund(s) caused by a correction made subsequent to the trade date, provided such correction was not based on any error, omission or negligence on FDL's part, and Bank will immediately pay such loss to the Fund (s) upon notification.

(k) Redemptions; Cancellation Redemptions or repurchases of shares will be made at the net asset value of such shares, less any applicable deferred sales or redemption charges, in accordance with the applicable Fund Prospectuses. If Bank sells shares for the account of the record owner to the Fund(s), Bank shall be deemed to represent to FDL that Bank is doing so as agent for Customer and that Bank is authorized to do so in such capacity. Such sales to the Fund(s) shall be at the redemption or repurchase price then currently in effect for such shares. If on a redemption which Bank has ordered, instructions in proper form, including outstanding certificates, are not received within the time customary or the time required by law, the redemption may be canceled forthwith without any responsibility or liability on the part of FDL or any Fund, or at the option of FDL, FDL may buy the shares redeemed on behalf of the Fund(s), in which latter case, FDL may hold Bank responsible for any loss to the Fund(s) or loss of profit suffered by FDL resulting from Bank's failure to settle the redemption.

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(l) Exchanges Exchange orders will be effective only for uncertificated shares or for which share certificates have been previously deposited and may be subject to any fees or other restrictions set forth in the applicable Prospectuses. Exchanges from a Fund sold with no sales charge to a Fund which carries a sales charge, and exchanges from a Fund sold with a sales charge to a Fund which carries a higher sales charge may be subject to a sales charge in accordance with the terms of the applicable Fund's Prospectus. Bank will be obligated to comply with any additional exchange policies described in the applicable Fund's Prospectus, including without limitation any policy restricting or prohibiting excessive and/or short term trading activity, the collection of redemption fees associated with such trading activity and the prohibition of "market timing," as defined in the Prospectus.

(m) Qualification of Shares Upon request, FDL shall notify Bank of the states or other jurisdictions in which each Fund's shares are currently noticed, registered or qualified for offer or sale to the public. FDL shall have no obligation to make notice filings of, register or qualify, or to maintain notice filings of, registration of or qualification of, Fund shares in any particular state or other jurisdiction. FDL shall have no responsibility, under the laws regulating the sale of securities in any U.S. or foreign jurisdiction, for the registration, qualification or licensed status of Bank or any of its agents or sub agents in connection with the purchase or sale of Fund shares or for the manner of offering, sale or purchase of Fund shares. Except as stated in this paragraph, FDL shall not, in any event, be liable or responsible for the issue, form, validity, enforceability and value of such shares or for any matter in connection therewith, and no obligation not expressly assumed by FDL in this Agreement shall be implied. If it is necessary to file notice, register or qualify shares of any Fund in any country, state or other jurisdiction having authority over the purchase or sale of Fund shares that are purchased by a Customer, it will be Bank's responsibility to arrange for and to pay the costs of such notice filing, registration or qualification; prior to any such notice filing, registration or qualification, Bank will notify FDL of its intent and of

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any limitations that might be imposed on the Funds, and Bank agrees not to proceed with such notice filing, registration or qualification without the written consent of the applicable Fund(s) and of FDL. Nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to be a condition, stipulation, or provision binding any person acquiring any security to waive compliance with any provision of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act"), the 1934 Act, the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), or any applicable laws or regulations of any government or authorized agency in the U.S. or any other country having jurisdiction over the offer or sale of shares of the Funds, or to relieve the parties hereto from any liability arising under such laws, rules or regulations.

(n) Indemnification Bank agrees to indemnify, and hold harmless FDL, and the Funds, as well as FDL's and the Funds' respective officers, directors and employees (collectively "Indemnitees"), from any and all actual or alleged losses, claims, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees and expenses) (collectively, "Losses") arising from or as the result of (1) any actual or alleged violation of any statute or regulation (including without limitation U.S. and state securities laws and regulations and consumer protection laws, as well as the laws of any foreign country where Bank offers or sells shares of the Funds) and/or any actual and/or alleged violation of common law (including without limitation all tort and/or contract claims), which in any way relate to any offer, sale, redemption, transfer or exchange of shares of the Funds (including any actual and/or alleged mishandling of the Transaction and/or misappropriation of the proceeds in connection therewith) by Bank and/or by or through any of Bank's registered representatives, agents, independent contractors and/or employees; (2) the breach by Bank or any of Bank's registered representatives, agents, independent contractors and/or employees of any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement; and/or (3) any use of, including unauthorized access obtained through Bank, of the Sites by Bank or Bank's officers, directors, employees or agents; provided, however, that an Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification hereunder

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to the extent the actual and proximate cause of any such Losses is attributed to such Indemnitee's own negligence, willful misconduct or breach of this Agreement.

In addition, Bank agrees that in the event that Indemnitees are named in any legal proceedings (including, but not limited to, lawsuits filed in court and statements of claim filed in an arbitration forum) which involve claims and/or liabilities that are the subject of this indemnification agreement, FDL and the Funds may, following notice to Bank, retain attorneys of FDL's choice to represent FDL and/or the Funds in such legal proceedings at Bank's expense, and Bank will promptly reimburse FDL and/or the Funds for the attorneys' fees and expenses incurred in connection with the defense of any such legal proceedings. This Paragraph 5(n) shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

(o) Prospectus and Sales Materials; Limit on Advertising Bank is not authorized to give any information or make any representations concerning shares of a Fund except those contained in the Fund's then current Prospectus, Summary Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information or in other materials produced by FDL or by the Fund nor may Bank present or create any information or materials that are contrary to or inconsistent with the materials so provided to Bank. FDL will supply reasonable quantities of, and/or reasonable electronic access to, Prospectuses (and/or any applicable Summary Prospectuses), sales or other marketing materials, and additional information as issued by the Fund or by FDL. FDL will not be responsible for reimbursing Bank for any costs or expenses Bank may incur for accessing or printing such materials. Bank is not authorized to modify or translate any materials FDL has provided to Bank.

Bank agrees, represents and warrants that it is solely responsible for any materials prepared by Bank that are based upon information concerning shares of a Fund produced by FDL or the Fund and that such materials will (a) conform to all requirements of any applicable laws or regulations of any government or authorized

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agency in the U.S. or any other country having jurisdiction over the offering or sale of shares of the Funds, (b) not be contrary to or inconsistent with the information or materials provided to Bank by FDL or a Fund, and (c) be made available to FDL upon request. Bank agrees to file any advertising or sales material relating to the Funds prepared by Bank with any applicable legal or regulatory authority, within the timeframes that may be required from time to time by such legal or regulatory authority. Unless otherwise expressly agreed to in writing, it is understood that FDL will neither review nor approve for use any materials prepared by Bank and will have no involvement in the preparation of, or responsibility for, any such materials prepared by Bank. Notwithstanding the above, Bank may not use the Franklin Templeton Investments name or logo in materials prepared by Bank without FDL's prior written consent.

(p) Customer Information Each party to this Agreement agrees to limit the disclosure of non-public personal information of shareholders and customers consistent with its policies on privacy with respect to such information and Regulation S-P of the SEC. Each party hereby agrees that it will comply with all applicable requirements under the regulations implementing Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and any other applicable federal and state consumer privacy acts, rules and regulations. Each party further represents that it has in place, and agrees that it will maintain, information security policies and procedures for protecting nonpublic personal customer information adequate to conform to applicable legal requirements.

(q) Use of Site Each of Bank's representatives, agents, independent contractors and employees will have access to the Sites as provided herein, (a) upon registration by such individual on a Site (including providing certain data and codes identifying Bank), (b) if Bank causes an MOS Site Access Request Form (an "Access Form") to be signed by Bank's authorized supervisory personnel and submitted to FDL, as a Schedule to, and legally a part of, this Agreement, or (c) if Bank provides such individual with the necessary access codes or other information necessary to access the

------

Sites through any generic or firm-wide authorization FDL may grant Bank from time to time. Upon receipt by FDL of a completed registration submitted by an individual through the Sites or a signed Access Form referencing such individual, FDL shall be entitled to rely upon the representations contained therein as if Bank had made them directly hereunder and FDL will issue a user identification, express number and/or password (collectively, "Access Code"). Any person to whom FDL issues an Access Code or to whom Bank provides the necessary Access Codes or other information necessary to access the Sites through any generic or firm-wide authorization FDL may grant Bank from time to time shall be an "Authorized User." FDL shall be entitled to assume that such person validly represents Bank and that all instructions received from such person are authorized, in which case such person will have access to the Site, including all services and information to which Bank is authorized to access on the Site. All inquiries and Transactions initiated by Bank (including Bank's Authorized Users) are Bank's responsibility, are at Bank's risk and are subject to FDL's review and approval (which could cause a delay in processing). Bank agrees that FDL does not have a duty to question information or instructions Bank (including Authorized Users) gives to FDL under this Agreement, and that FDL is entitled to treat as authorized, and act upon, any such instructions and information Bank submits to FDL. Bank agrees to take all reasonable measures to prevent any individual other than an Authorized User from obtaining access to the Site. Bank agrees to inform FDL if Bank wishes to restrict or revoke the access of any individual Access Code. If Bank becomes aware of any loss or theft or unauthorized use of any Access Code, Bank agrees to contact FDL immediately. Bank also agrees to monitor its (including Authorized Users') use of the Site to ensure the terms of this Agreement are followed. Bank acknowledges that the Sites are transmitted over the Internet on a reasonable efforts basis and FDL does not warrant or guarantee their accuracy, timeliness, completeness, reliability or non-infringement. Moreover, Bank acknowledges that the Sites are provided for informational purposes only, and are not intended to comply with any requirements established by any regulatory or governmental agency.

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(r) Anti-Money Laundering Each party to this Agreement acknowledges that it is a financial institution subject to the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, the Bank Secrecy Act and their corresponding implementing regulations (collectively, the "AML Laws"), which require, among other things, that financial institutions adopt compliance programs to guard against money laundering. Each party represents and warrants that it has established policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent money laundering and to comply with the AML Laws, in all relevant aspects. Each party agrees that it will take such further steps and cooperate with the other party as may be reasonably necessary to facilitate compliance with the AML Laws. Each party also certifies that it complies with the economic sanction programs administered by the U.S. Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

6. Continuously Offered Closed-End Funds. This Paragraph 6 relates solely to shares of Funds that represent a beneficial interest in shares that are issued by a Fund that is a closed end investment company registered under the 1940 Act that makes a continuous offering of it shares, for which FDL or an affiliate of FDL serves as principal underwriter and that periodically repurchases its shares (each, a "Trust"). Shares of a Trust being offered to the public will be registered under the 1933 Act and are expected to be offered during an offering period that may continue indefinitely ("Continuous Offering Period"). There is no guarantee that such a continuous offering will be maintained by the Trust. The Continuous Offering Period, shares of a Trust and certain of the terms on which such shares are being offered are more fully described in the Prospectus of the Trust.

As set forth in a Trust's then current Prospectus, FDL shall provide Bank with appropriate compensation for purchases of shares of the Trust made by Bank for the account of Customers or by Customers. In addition, Bank may be entitled to a fee for servicing Customers who are shareholders in a Trust, subject to applicable law. Bank agrees that any repurchases of shares of a Trust that were originally

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purchased as Qualifying Sales shall be subject to Paragraph 5(e) hereof.

Bank expressly acknowledges and understands that, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement:

(a) No Trust has a Rule-12b 1 Plan and in no event will a Trust pay, or have any obligation to pay, any compensation directly or indirectly to Bank.

(b) Shares of a Trust will not be repurchased by either the Trust (other than through repurchase offers by the Trust from time to time, if any) or by FDL and no secondary market for such shares exists currently, or is expected to develop. Any representation as to a repurchase or tender offer by the Trust, other than that set forth in the Trust's then current Prospectus, notification letters, reports or other related material provided by the Trust, is expressly prohibited.

(c) An early withdrawal charge payable by shareholders of a Trust to FDL may be imposed on shares accepted for repurchase by the Trust that have been held for less than a stated period, as set forth in the Trust's then current Prospectus.

(d) In the event a Customer cancels his or her order for shares of a Trust after confirmation, such shares will not be repurchased, remarketed or otherwise disposed of by or through FDL.

7. General.

(a) Successors and Assignments This Agreement shall extend to and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns; provided that this Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment by FDL. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the word "assignment" shall have the meaning given to it in the 1940 Act. Bank may not assign this Agreement without the advance written consent of FDL.

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(b) Paragraph Headings The paragraph headings of this Agreement are for convenience only, and shall not be deemed to define, limit, or describe the scope or intent of this Agreement.

(c) Severability Should any provision of this Agreement be determined to be invalid or unenforceable under any law, rule, or regulation, that determination shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision of this Agreement.

(d) Waivers There shall be no waiver of any provision of this Agreement except a written waiver signed by Bank and FDL. No written waiver shall be deemed a continuing waiver or a waiver of any other provision, unless such written waiver expresses such intention.

(e) Sole Agreement This Agreement is the entire agreement of Bank and FDL and supersedes all oral negotiations and prior writings, including any prior bank selling agreements.

(f) Governing Law This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, not including any provision which would require the general application of the law of another jurisdiction, and shall be binding upon the parties hereto when signed by FDL and accepted by Bank, either by Bank's signature in the space provided below or by Bank's first trade entered after receipt of this Agreement.

(g) Setoff; Arbitration Should Bank owe any sum of money to FDL under or in relation to this Agreement for the purchase, sale, redemption or repurchase of any Fund shares, FDL may offset and recover the amount owed by Bank to FDL or the Funds from any amount owed by FDL to Bank or from any other account Bank has with FDL, without notice or demand to Bank. Either party may submit any dispute under this Agreement to binding arbitration under the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association. Judgment upon any arbitration award may be entered by any court having jurisdiction.

------

(h) Amendments FDL may amend this Agreement at any time by depositing a written notice of the amendment in the U.S. mail, first class postage pre paid, addressed to Bank's address given below (or such other address as specified in writing by Bank). Bank's placement of any Transaction order for shares of a Fund or acceptance of any payments after the effective date and receipt of notice of any such amendment shall constitute Bank's acceptance of the amendment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Site Terms may be separately amended as provided therein and as so amended and in effect from time to time shall be a part of this Agreement.

(i) Term and Termination This Agreement shall continue in effect until terminated and shall terminate automatically in the event that Bank ceases to be a "bank" as set forth in paragraph 2(a) of this Agreement. FDL or Bank may terminate this Agreement at any time by written notice to the other, but such termination shall not affect the payment or repayment of Fees on Transactions prior to the termination date. Termination also will not affect the indemnities given under this Agreement.

(j) Acceptance; Cumulative Effect This Agreement is cumulative and supersedes any similar agreement previously in effect. It shall be binding upon the parties hereto when signed by FDL and accepted by Bank. If Bank has a current selling agreement with FDL, Bank's first trade or acceptance of payments from FDL after receipt of this Agreement, as it may be amended pursuant to paragraph 7(h), above, shall constitute Bank's acceptance of the terms of this Agreement.

Otherwise, Bank's signature below shall constitute Bank's acceptance of these terms.

FRANKLIN DISTRIBUTORS, LLC

By

Jeffrey S. Masom, President

------

One Franklin Parkway

San Mateo, CA 94403-1906

Attention: Chief Legal Officer (for legal notices only)

(___) ___-____

100 Fountain Parkway

St. Petersburg, Florida 33716-1205

(___) ___-____

TO THE BANK OR TRUST COMPANY: If you have not previously signed an agreement with FDL for the sale of mutual fund shares to your customers, please complete and sign this section and return the original to us.

BANK OR TRUST COMPANY:

Bank's Name

Date

By:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(Signature)

Name Title

Address City State ZIP

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Appendix A - Additional Terms and Conditions Regarding Rule 22c-2

To the extent Bank is a "financial intermediary" with respect to the Funds, Bank agrees as follows:

1.5 Agreement to Provide Information. Bank agrees to provide Distributors, upon written request, the taxpayer identification number ("TIN") of any or all Shareholder (s) of the account and the amount, date, name or other identifier of any investment professional(s) associated with the Shareholder(s) or account (if known), and transaction type (purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange) of every purchase, redemption, transfer, or exchange of Fund Shares held through an account maintained by Bank during the period covered by the request.

1.5.1 Period Covered by Request. Requests must set forth a specific period, not to exceed ninety (90) days from the date of the request, for which transaction information is sought. Distributors may request transaction information older than ninety (90) days from the date of the request as it deems necessary to investigate compliance with policies established by it for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding Shares issued by the Funds.

1.5.2 Form and timing of Response. Bank agrees to transmit the requested information that is on Bank's books and records to Distributors or its designee promptly, but in any event not later than five (5) business days, after receipt of a request. If the requested information is not on Bank's books and records, Bank agrees to: (i) provide or arrange to provide Distributors or its designee the requested information regarding Shareholders who hold an account with an indirect intermediary; or (ii) prohibit further purchases of Fund Shares by such indirect intermediary on behalf of itself or other persons. Responses required by this paragraph must be communicated in writing and in a format mutually agreed upon by the parties. To the extent practicable, the format for any transaction

------

information provided to Distributors should be consistent with the NSCC Standardized Data Reporting Format.

1.5.3 Limitations on Use of Information. Distributors agrees not to use the information received for marketing or any other similar purpose without Bank's prior written consent.

1.6 Agreement to Restrict Trading. Bank agrees to execute written instructions from Distributors or its designee to restrict or prohibit further purchases or exchanges of Shares by a Shareholder who has been identified by Distributors or its designee as having engaged in transactions in Shares (directly or indirectly through an account established by Bank) that violate policies established by the Funds for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding Shares issued by the Funds.

1.6.1 Form of Instructions. Instructions must include the TIN and the specific restriction(s) to be executed. If the TIN is not known, the instructions must include an equivalent identifying number of the Shareholder(s) or account(s) or other agreed upon information to which the instruction relates.

1.6.2 Timing of Response. Bank agrees to execute instructions as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than five (5) business days after Bank's receipt of the instructions.

1.6.3 Confirmation. Bank must provide written confirmation to Distributors or its designee that instructions have been executed. Bank agrees to provide confirmation as soon as reasonably practicable, but not later than ten (10) business days after the instructions have been executed.

1.7 Excepted Funds. These terms and conditions shall not apply to any "Excepted Fund" as defined in Section 1.4.

1.8 Definitions.

"Distributors" means Franklin Distributors, LLC

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"Funds" or a "Fund" means certain registered investment companies, and separate series of such companies, for which Distributors serves as the principal underwriter. "Financial Intermediary" means:

(i) any broker, dealer, bank, or other person that holds securities issued by a Fund, in nominee name;

(ii) a unit investment trust or fund that invests in a Fund in reliance on section 12(d)(l)(E) of the 1940 Act (15 U.S.C. 80a-12(d)(l)(E)); and

(iii) in the case of a participant-directed employee benefit plan that owns the securities issued by a Fund, a retirement plan's administrator under section 3(16)(A) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1002 (16)(A)) or any person that maintains the plan's participant records.

Notwithstanding the above, "financial intermediary" does not include any person that the Fund treats as an individual investor with respect to the Fund's policies established for the purpose of eliminating or reducing any dilution of the value of the outstanding securities issued by the Fund.

"Excepted Fund" means:

(iv) any Fund that is regulated as a money market fund under Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act;

(v) any Fund that issues securities that are listed on a national securities exchange; and

(vi) any Fund that affirmatively permits short-term trading of its securities, if its prospectus clearly and prominently discloses that the Fund permits short-term trading of its securities and that such trading may result in additional costs for the Fund.

"Shareholder" means:

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(vii) a beneficial owner of securities held in nominee name;

(viii) a participant in a participant-directed employee benefit plan;

(ix) a holder of interests in a fund or unit investment trust that has invested in a Fund in reliance on section 12(d)(l)(E) of the 1940 Act; and

(x) a holder of interests in a variable annuity or variable life insurance contract issued by a financial intermediary and for which one or more Funds serve as underlying investments.

"Shareholder" does not include a fund investing pursuant to section 12(d)(l)(G) of the 1940 Act, a trust established pursuant to section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 529), or a holder of an interest in such a trust.

"Shares" means the interests of Fund Shareholders corresponding to the redeemable securities of record issued by the Fund under the 1940 Act that are held by a financial intermediary.

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## Ex-99.G

#### MASTER CUSTODY AGREEMENT

#### EXHIBIT A
(Effective as of September 2022)

The following is a list of the Investment Companies and their respective Series for which the Custodian shall serve under the Master Custody Agreement dated as of February 16, 1996.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **INVESTMENT COMPANY** | **ORGANIZATION** | **SERIES --- (if applicable)** |
| Franklin Alternative Strategies Funds | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin K2 Alternative Strategies Fund<br>Franklin K2 Long Short Credit Fund |
| Franklin California Tax-Free Income Fund  | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin California Tax-Free Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free<br> Income Fund |
| Franklin Custodian Funds | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Dynatech Fund<br>Franklin Focused Growth Fund<br>Franklin Growth Fund<br>Franklin Income Fund<br>Franklin U.S. Government Securities Fund<br>Franklin Utilities Fund |
| Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin Floating Rate Master Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Floating Rate Master Series<br>Franklin Floating Rate Income Fund |

---

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---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Franklin ETF Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Liberty Short Duration U.S. Government |
| Franklin Global Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin International Growth Fund<br>Franklin International Small Cap Fund<br>Franklin Emerging Market Debt Opportunities Fund |
| Franklin Gold and Precious Metals Fund | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin High Income Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin High Income Fund |
| Franklin Investors Securities Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Adjustable U.S. Government Securities Fund<br>Franklin Managed Income Fund<br>Franklin Convertible Securities Fund<br>Franklin Equity Income Fund<br>Franklin Floating Rate Daily Access Fund<br>Franklin Low Duration Total Return Fund<br>Franklin Total Return Fund |
| Franklin Managed Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Rising Dividends Fund |
| Franklin U.S. Government Money Fund | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin Municipal Securities Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin California High Yield Municipal Bond Fund |

---

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **INVESTMENT COMPANY** | **ORGANIZATION** | **SERIES --- (if applicable)** |
| Franklin Mutual Series Funds | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Mutual Beacon Fund<br>Franklin Mutual European Fund<br>Franklin Mutual Financial Services Fund<br>Franklin Mutual Global Discovery Fund |

---

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| | |  | Franklin Mutual Quest Fund<br>Franklin Mutual Shares Fund |
| Franklin New York Tax-Free Income Fund | Franklin New York Tax-Free Income Fund | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin New York Tax-Free Trust | Franklin New York Tax-Free Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin New York Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund |
| Franklin Real Estate Securities Trust | Franklin Real Estate Securities Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund |
| Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio | Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin Strategic Series | Franklin Strategic Series | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Biotechnology Discovery Fund<br>Franklin Growth Opportunities Fund<br>Franklin Natural Resources Fund<br>Franklin Small Cap Growth Fund<br>Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund<br>Franklin Strategic Income Fund<br>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series I<br>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series CH<br>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series H<br>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series E |
| **INVESTMENT COMPANY** | **ORGANIZATION** | **ORGANIZATION** | **SERIES --- (if applicable)** |
| Franklin Tax-Free Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Alabama Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Arizona Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Colorado Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Connecticut Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Federal Intermediate-Term Tax-Free <br> Income Fund<br>Franklin Federal Limited-Term Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Georgia Tax-Free Income Fund |

---

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---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | Franklin High Yield Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Louisiana Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Maryland Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Massachusetts Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Michigan Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Minnesota Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Missouri Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin New Jersey Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin North Carolina Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Ohio Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Oregon Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Pennsylvania Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Virginia Tax-Free Income Fund |
| Franklin Fund Allocator Series | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund<br>Franklin Corefolio Allocation Fund <br>Franklin Global Allocation Fund <br>Franklin Growth Allocation Fund<br>Franklin Moderate Allocation Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart Retirement Income Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2020 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2025 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2030 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2035 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2040 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2045 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2050 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2055 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2060 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin U.S. Core Equity (IU) Fund<br>Franklin Emerging Markets Core Equity (IU) Fund <br>Franklin International Core Equity (IU) Fund  |
| Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Dynatech VIP Fund<br>Franklin Global Real Estate VIP Fund<br>Franklin Growth and Income VIP Fund |

---

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | Franklin Income VIP Fund<br>Franklin Large Cap Growth VIP Fund<br>Franklin VolSmart Allocation VIP Fund<br>Franklin Rising Dividends VIP Fund<br>Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth VIP Fund<br>Franklin Small Cap Value VIP Fund<br>Franklin Strategic Income VIP Fund<br>Franklin Allocation VIP Fund<br>Franklin U.S. Government Securities VIP Fund |
|  |  | Franklin Mutual Global Discovery VIP Fund<br>Franklin Mutual Shares VIP Fund<br>Templeton Global Bond VIP Fund |
| Franklin Value Investors Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid-Cap Value Fund<br>Franklin MicroCap Value Fund<br>Franklin Small Cap Value Fund |
| Institutional Fiduciary Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Money Market Portfolio |
| The Money Market Portfolios | Delaware Statutory Trust | The U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio |
| Templeton Global Investment Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Templeton Global Balanced Fund <br>*(formerly Templeton Income Fund)*<br>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series EM |
| Templeton Income Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Templeton Global Bond Fund<br>Templeton Global Total Return Fund<br>Templeton International Bond Fund |
| Templeton Funds | Delaware Statutory Trust | Templeton International Climate Change Fund |
| **CLOSED END FUNDS:** |  |  |
| Franklin Limited Duration Income Trust  | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin Universal Trust | Massachusetts Business Trust |  |

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## Ex-99.G

#### TERMINAL LINK AGREEMENT

#### EXHIBIT A
(Effective as of September 2022)

The following is a list of the Investment Companies and their respective Series for which the Custodian shall serve under the Master Custody Agreement dated as of February 16, 1996.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **INVESTMENT COMPANY** | **ORGANIZATION** | **SERIES --- (if applicable)** |
| Franklin Alternative Strategies Funds | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin K2 Alternative Strategies Fund<br>Franklin K2 Long Short Credit Fund |
| Franklin California Tax-Free Income Fund  | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin California Tax-Free Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free<br> Income Fund |
| Franklin Custodian Funds | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Dynatech Fund<br>Franklin Focused Growth Fund<br>Franklin Growth Fund<br>Franklin Income Fund<br>Franklin U.S. Government Securities Fund<br>Franklin Utilities Fund |
| Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin Floating Rate Master Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Floating Rate Master Series<br>Franklin Floating Rate Income Fund |
| Franklin ETF Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Liberty Short Duration U.S. Government |
| Franklin Global Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin International Growth Fund<br>Franklin International Small Cap Fund<br>Franklin Emerging Market Debt Opportunities Fund |
| Franklin Gold and Precious Metals Fund | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin High Income Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin High Income Fund |
| Franklin Investors Securities Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Adjustable U.S. Government Securities Fund<br>Franklin Managed Income Fund |

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | Franklin Convertible Securities Fund<br>Franklin Equity Income Fund<br>Franklin Floating Rate Daily Access Fund<br>Franklin Low Duration Total Return Fund<br>Franklin Total Return Fund |
| Franklin Managed Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Rising Dividends Fund |
| Franklin U.S. Government Money Fund | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin Municipal Securities Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin California High Yield Municipal Bond Fund |

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **INVESTMENT COMPANY** | **ORGANIZATION** | **SERIES --- (if applicable)** |
| Franklin Mutual Series Funds | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Mutual Beacon Fund<br>Franklin Mutual European Fund<br>Franklin Mutual Financial Services Fund<br>*Franklin Mutual Global Discovery Fund*<br>Franklin Mutual Quest Fund<br>Franklin Mutual Shares Fund |
| Franklin New York Tax-Free Income Fund | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin New York Tax-Free Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin New York Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund |
| Franklin Real Estate Securities Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund |
| Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin Strategic Series | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Biotechnology Discovery Fund<br>Franklin Growth Opportunities Fund<br>Franklin Natural Resources Fund<br>Franklin Small Cap Growth Fund<br>Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund<br>Franklin Strategic Income Fund<br>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series I<br>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series CH<br>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series H<br>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series E |

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **INVESTMENT COMPANY** | **ORGANIZATION** | **SERIES --- (if applicable)** |
| Franklin Tax-Free Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Alabama Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Arizona Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Colorado Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Connecticut Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Federal Intermediate-Term Tax-Free <br> Income Fund<br>Franklin Federal Limited-Term Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Georgia Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin High Yield Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Louisiana Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Maryland Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Massachusetts Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Michigan Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Minnesota Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Missouri Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin New Jersey Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin North Carolina Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Ohio Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Oregon Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Pennsylvania Tax-Free Income Fund<br>Franklin Virginia Tax-Free Income Fund |
| Franklin Fund Allocator Series | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund<br>Franklin Corefolio Allocation Fund <br>Franklin Global Allocation Fund <br>Franklin Growth Allocation Fund<br>Franklin Moderate Allocation Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart Retirement Income Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2020 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2025 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2030 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2035 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2040 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2045 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2050 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2055 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin Lifesmart 2060 Retirement Target Fund<br>Franklin U.S. Core Equity (IU) Fund<br>Franklin Emerging Markets Core Equity (IU) Fund <br>Franklin International Core Equity (IU) Fund  |
| Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Dynatech VIP Fund<br>Franklin Global Real Estate VIP Fund<br>Franklin Growth and Income VIP Fund |

---

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---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | Franklin Income VIP Fund<br>Franklin Large Cap Growth VIP Fund<br>Franklin VolSmart Allocation VIP Fund<br>Franklin Rising Dividends VIP Fund<br>Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth VIP Fund<br>Franklin Small Cap Value VIP Fund<br>Franklin Strategic Income VIP Fund<br>Franklin Allocation VIP Fund<br>Franklin U.S. Government Securities VIP Fund |
|  |  | Franklin Mutual Global Discovery VIP Fund<br>Franklin Mutual Shares VIP Fund<br>Templeton Global Bond VIP Fund |
| Franklin Value Investors Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid-Cap Value Fund<br>Franklin MicroCap Value Fund<br>Franklin Small Cap Value Fund |
| Institutional Fiduciary Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Money Market Portfolio |
| The Money Market Portfolios | Delaware Statutory Trust | The U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio |
| Templeton Global Investment Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Templeton Global Balanced Fund <br>*(formerly Templeton Income Fund)*<br>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series EM |
| Templeton Income Trust | Delaware Statutory Trust | Templeton Global Bond Fund<br>Templeton Global Total Return Fund<br>Templeton International Bond Fund |
| Templeton Funds | Delaware Statutory Trust | Templeton International Climate Change Fund |
| **CLOSED END FUNDS:** |  |  |
| Franklin Limited Duration Income Trust  | Delaware Statutory Trust |  |
| Franklin Universal Trust | Massachusetts Business Trust |  |

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## Ex-99.H

FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTOR SERVICES, LLC

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED

TRANSFER AGENT AND SHAREHOLDER SERVICES AGREEMENT

Investment Company: FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST

Date: October 1, 2022

The parties to this Agreement are the Investment Company named above ("Investment Company"), an open-end investment company registered as such under the Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act"), on behalf of each class of shares of each series, if any, of the Investment Company which now exists or may hereafter be created (individually, a "Fund" and collectively, the "Funds") and FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTOR SERVICES, LLC ("FTIS"), a registered transfer agent. This Agreement supersedes the Amended and Restated Transfer Agent and Shareholder Services Agreement between the parties.

#### WITNESSETH :
That, for and in consideration of the mutual promises hereinafter set forth, the Investment Company and FTIS agree as follows:

1. **<u>Definitions</u>.** Whenever used in this Agreement, the following words and phrases, unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the following meanings:

(a) "Articles" shall mean the Articles of Incorporation or Agreement and Declaration of Trust, as

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appropriate, of the Investment Company as the same may be amended from time to time;

(b) "Authorized Person" shall be deemed to include any person, whether or not such person is an officer or employee of the Investment Company, duly authorized to give Oral Instructions or Written Instructions on behalf of the Investment Company, as indicated in a resolution of the Investment Company's Board which was valid at the time of this Agreement, or as indicated in a certificate furnished to FTIS pursuant to Section 4(c) hereof;

(c) "Board" shall mean the Investment Company's Board of Directors, Board of Trustees or Managing General Partners, as appropriate;

(d) "Custodian" shall mean a custodian and any sub-custodian of securities and other property which the Investment Company may from time to time deposit, or cause to be deposited or held under the name or account of such custodian pursuant to the Custody Agreement;

(e) "Oral Instructions" shall mean instructions (including without limitation instructions received by telephone, facsimile, electronic mail or other electronic communication), other than written instructions, actually received by FTIS from a person reasonably believed by FTIS to be an Authorized Person;

(f) "Shares" shall mean shares of each class of capital stock, beneficial interest or limited partnership interest, as appropriate, of each series of the Investment Company; and

(g) "Written Instructions" shall mean a written communication signed by a person reasonably believed by FTIS to be an Authorized Person and actually received by FTIS.

2. **<u>Appointment of FTIS</u>**. The Investment Company hereby appoints FTIS as transfer agent for Shares of the Investment Company, as service agent in connection with dividend and

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distribution functions, and as shareholder servicing agent for the Investment Company, and FTIS accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the duties described in this Agreement.

3. **<u>Payments to FTIS</u>.** 

(a) **Compensation for Servicing**: The Investment Company, on behalf of each Fund, agrees to pay FTIS for its services, as set forth in Schedule A hereto. FTIS will bill the Investment Company as soon as practicable after the end of each calendar month for such compensation. The Investment Company will promptly pay to FTIS the amount of such billing.

(b) **Reimbursement of FTIS**

(i) *Out-of-Pocket Expenses*: The Investment Company, on behalf of each Fund, will reimburse FTIS in the manner set forth is Schedule B for out-of-pocket disbursements paid to third parties by FTIS on behalf of the Fund or its share classes in the performance of FTIS's obligations hereunder including, but not limited to, the items specified in the written schedule of out-of-pocket expenses paid to third parties annexed hereto as Schedule B and incorporated herein. Unspecified out-of-pocket expenses shall be limited to those out-of-pocket expenses reasonably incurred by FTIS in the performance of its obligations hereunder, subject to approval by the Board. Reimbursement by the Investment Company for out-of-pocket disbursements paid by FTIS in any month shall be made as soon as practicable after the receipt of an itemized bill from FTIS.

(ii) *Beneficial Owner Servicing Fees to Third Parties*: Subject to the limitation set forth in paragraph (c) below, the Investment Company, on behalf of each Fund, will reimburse FTIS for servicing fee payments ("Beneficial Owner Servicing Fees") made by FTIS on the Investment Company's behalf to:

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(A) institutions that purchase and hold the Fund's shares (other than Class R6 shares or Class IS shares, if any) in the institution's name, or in the name of an affiliate, nominee or other designated entity, through a master fund level account ("Omnibus Account") on behalf of numerous "Beneficial Owners," or

(B) in the case of shares issued to a 529 Plan Portfolio, institutions that hold units of the 529 Plan Portfolio in the institution's name on behalf of numerous 529 Plan accounts for whom the institution provides Individual 529 Investor Servicing; it being understood, however, that to the extent FTIS causes Beneficial Owner Servicing Fees to be paid directly by the Investment Company on behalf of a Fund, FTIS shall not be entitled to reimbursement therefor.

Each account maintained in the name of a financial intermediary by a Fund under preceding sub-paragraph (A) or by a 529 Plan Portfolio under preceding sub-paragraph (B) is referred to as an "Omnibus Account." For purposes of this Agreement, (i) "Beneficial Owner" means each person with an indirect interest in fund shares issued and recorded in an Omnibus Account; and (ii) a person will be deemed to have an "indirect interest" in a Fund's shares if the value of the person's interest changes directly in relation to changes in the net asset value of the Fund's shares.

(iii) *Networked Account Servicing Fees to Third Parties:* Subject to the limitation set forth in paragraph (c) below, the Investment Company, on behalf of each Fund, will reimburse FTIS for servicing fee payments ("Networked Account Servicing Fees") made by FTIS on the Investment Company's behalf to an institution for each Fund account (a "Networked Account"), other than accounts holding Class R6 shares or Class IS shares maintained by FTIS in which servicing is shared with that institution by the exchange of account data through the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC) networking system. It is understood, however,

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that to the extent FTIS causes Networked Account Servicing Fees to be paid directly by the Investment Company on behalf of a Fund, FTIS shall not be entitled to reimbursement therefor.

(c) **Negotiation of Beneficial Owner Servicing Fees and Networked Account Servicing Fees**. The Investment Company authorizes FTIS to negotiate Beneficial Owner Servicing Fees and Networked Account Servicing Fees (other than with respect to Class R6 shares or Class IS shares, if any) on the Investment Company's behalf and shall reimburse FTIS for those fees negotiated as set forth above. For all classes of shares of a Fund, other than Class R6 shares or Class IS shares, FTIS will in no event negotiate and agree, on behalf of any Fund, after the date of this Agreement, nor will the Investment Company, on behalf of a Fund, reimburse FTIS for, Beneficial Owner Servicing Fees and Networked Account Servicing Fees for each fiscal year of the Fund that exceed the amounts set forth in Schedule C hereto, unless otherwise agreed to in advance by the Investment Company's Board of Trustees/Directors.

4. **<u>Documents</u>.** In connection with the appointment of FTIS, the Investment Company shall, within a reasonable period of time for FTIS to prepare to perform its duties hereunder, deliver to FTIS the following documents:

(a) If applicable, specimens of the certificates for the Shares;

(b) All account application forms and other documents relating to Shareholder accounts or to any plan, program or service offered by the Investment Company;

(c) A certificate identifying the Authorized Persons and specimen signatures of Authorized Persons who will sign Written Instructions; and

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(d) All documents and papers necessary under the laws of the Investment Company's state of domicile, under the Investment Company's Articles, and as may be required for the due performance of FTIS's duties under this Agreement or for the due performance of additional duties as may from time to time be agreed upon between the Investment Company and FTIS.

5. **<u>Duties of FTIS</u>**.

(a) **General**. FTIS shall be responsible for administering and/or performing transfer agent functions; for acting as service agent in connection with dividend and distribution functions; and for performing shareholder account and administrative agent functions in connection with the issuance, transfer, exchange, redemption or repurchase (including coordination with the Custodian) of Shares. FTIS shall be bound to follow its usual and customary operating standards and procedures, as they may be amended from time to time, and each current prospectus and Statement of Additional Information (hereafter, collectively, the "prospectus") of the Investment Company. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, FTIS agrees to perform the specific duties listed on Schedule D.

(b) "**Blue Sky**" **Reporting**. The Investment Company's administrator and/or distributor shall identify to FTIS the states and countries where Shares of each Fund are registered or exempt, and the number of Shares of each class registered for sale with respect to each state or country, as applicable. FTIS shall (i) establish parameters for the daily transmission of a file to the Investment Company's investment manager or to such person or entity to which the Investment Company or its investment manager has designated responsibility for submitting "blue sky" filings on behalf of the Investment Company (the "Blue Sky Filer"), showing sales of Shares by class in each state or country ("Blue Sky Parameters"), and (ii) transmit the "blue sky" file resulting from the application of the Blue Sky Parameters with respect to each business day ("Blue Sky File") to the Blue Sky Filer in a format designated

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by the Blue Sky Filer ("Blue Sky Format"). The Investment Company's administrator shall verify that the Blue Sky Parameters have been correctly established for each state or country prior to the sale of any applicable Shares. The responsibility of FTIS for the Investment Company's blue sky registration status is solely limited to the establishment of the Blue Sky Parameters and the daily transmission of the Blue Sky File to the Blue Sky Filer in the Blue Sky Format.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) **Not Responsible for Requirements Under Laws of Foreign Countries.** The duties to be performed by FTIS shall not include the engagement, supervision or compensation of any service providers, or the payment of any registrations or fees of any kind, which are required by the laws of any foreign country in which the Fund may choose to invest portfolio assets or sell Shares.

6. (a) **Distributions Payable in Shares**. In the event that the Board of the Investment Company shall declare a distribution payable in Shares, the Investment Company shall deliver to FTIS written notice of such declaration signed on behalf of the Investment Company by an officer thereof, upon which FTIS shall be entitled to rely for all purposes, certifying (i) the number of Shares involved, and (ii) that all appropriate action has been taken to effect such distribution.

(b) **Distributions Payable in Cash; Redemption Payments**. In the event that the Board of the Investment Company shall declare a distribution payable in cash, the Investment Company shall deliver to FTIS written notice of such declaration signed on behalf of the Investment Company by an officer thereof, upon which FTIS shall be entitled to rely for all purposes, certifying (i) the amount per share to be distributed, (ii) the record and payment dates for the distribution, and (iii) that all appropriate action has been taken to effect such distribution. Once the amount and validity of any dividend or redemption payments to shareholders have been determined, the Investment Company shall transfer the payment amounts from the Investment Company's

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accounts to an account or accounts held in the name of FTIS, as paying agent for the shareholders, in accordance with any applicable laws or regulations, and FTIS shall promptly cause payments to be made to the shareholders.

7. **<u>Recordkeeping and Other Information</u>**. FTIS shall create, maintain and preserve all necessary records in accordance with all applicable laws, rules and regulations. Such records are the property of the Investment Company, and FTIS will promptly surrender them to the Investment Company upon request or upon termination of this Agreement. In the event of such a request or termination, FTIS shall be entitled to make and retain copies of all records surrendered, and to be reimbursed by the Investment Company for reasonable expenses actually incurred in making such copies. FTIS will take reasonable actions to maintain the confidentiality of the Investment Company's records, which may nevertheless be disclosed to the extent permitted under Section 16.

8. **<u>Other Duties</u>**. In addition, FTIS shall perform such other duties and functions,

and shall be paid such amounts therefor, as may from time to time be agreed upon in writing between the Investment Company and FTIS. Such other duties and functions shall be reflected in a written amendment to Schedule D, and the compensation for such other duties and functions shall be reflected in a written amendment to Schedule A.

9. **<u>Reliance by FTIS; Instructions</u>**.

(a) FTIS will be protected in acting upon Written or Oral Instructions reasonably believed to have been executed or orally communicated by an Authorized Person and will not be held to have any notice of any change of authority of any person until receipt of a Written Instruction thereof from an officer of the Investment Company. FTIS will also be protected in processing Share certificates which it reasonably believes to bear the proper

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manual or facsimile signatures of the officers of the Investment Company and the proper countersignature of FTIS.

(b) At any time FTIS may apply to any Authorized Person of the Investment Company for Written Instructions, or may seek advice at the Investment Company's expense from legal counsel for the Investment Company, with respect to any matter arising in connection with this Agreement. FTIS shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken or suffered by it in good faith in accordance with such Written Instructions or in accordance with the opinion of counsel for the Investment Company. Written Instructions requested by FTIS will be provided by the Investment Company within a reasonable period of time.

10. **<u>Force Majeure</u>**. No party will be liable or responsible for delays or errors by reason of circumstances beyond its control, including acts of civil or military authority, national emergencies, labor difficulties, fire, mechanical breakdown beyond its control, earthquake, flood or catastrophe, acts of God, insurrection, war, riots or failure beyond its control of transportation, communication or power supply, except in any case to the extent that FTIS shall have failed to use its reasonable best efforts to minimize the likelihood of occurrence of such circumstances or to mitigate any loss or damage to the Investment Company caused by such circumstances, or has not complied with the terms of Section 18. In any such event, the non-performing party shall be excused from the further performance of the obligations so affected only for as long as such circumstances prevail and such party continues to use commercially reasonable efforts to mitigate damages and to recommence performance or observance as soon as practicable. This Section 10 shall not in any way limit FTIS's obligations under Section 18.

11. **<u>Duty of Care; Indemnification</u>**.

(a) **Duty of Care**. FTIS shall provide its services as transfer agent in accordance with the applicable provisions of

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Section 17A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In performing the responsibilities delegated to it under this Agreement, FTIS shall at all times act in good faith and agrees to exercise reasonable care, diligence and expertise of a transfer agent having responsibility for providing transfer agent services to investment companies registered under the 1940 Act, but FTIS shall not be liable for any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses arising out of its performance of or failure to perform its duties under this Agreement, except to the extent such damages arise out of its own negligence, bad faith, willful misfeasance or reckless disregard of duty or that of its employees, agents, representatives or delegates or violations of applicable laws, regulations or requirements of any governmental authority having jurisdiction over FTIS or the Investment Company, or breach of this Agreement. FTIS's liability may arise from or in connection with this Agreement, or from any services under this Agreement provided or omitted to be provided during the term of this Agreement, whether in contract, or in tort, or otherwise.

(b) **Indemnification**. FTIS will indemnify the Investment Company against and hold it harmless from any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) resulting from any claim, demand, action or suit resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith, negligence, reckless disregard of duty, violations of applicable laws, regulations or requirements of any governmental authority having jurisdiction over FTIS or the Investment Company, or breach of this Agreement on the part of FTIS or its employees, agents, representatives or delegates, and arising out of, or in connection with, its or their duties hereunder. However, FTIS shall have no liability for or obligation to indemnify the Investment Company against any losses, claims, damages, liabilities or expenses (including reasonable counsel fees and expenses) incurred by the Investment Company as a result of: (i) any action taken in accordance with written or oral advice reasonably believed by FTIS to have been given by counsel for the Investment Company; or (ii) any action taken in accordance with shareholder instructions which meet the standards described in the

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Investment Company's current prospectus, including without limitation oral instructions which meet the standards described in the section of the prospectus dealing with telephone transactions, so long as FTIS believes such instructions to be genuine. The obligations of the parties hereto under this Section shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

12. **<u>Term and Termination</u>.** 

(a) This Agreement shall be effective as of the date first written above, shall continue through June 1, 2022, and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods ending on June 1 of each year, provided such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by the Investment Company's Board, in each case, unless terminated sooner pursuant to Section 12(b).

(b) Either party hereto may terminate this Agreement by giving to the other party a notice in writing specifying the date of such termination, which shall be not less than 60 days after the date of receipt of such notice. Upon such termination, FTIS will (i) deliver to such successor a certified list of shareholders of the Investment Company (with names and addresses) and a historical record of the account of each Shareholder and the status thereof; (ii) surrender all other relevant records in accordance with Section 7 of this Agreement, above, and (iii) cooperate in the transfer of such duties and responsibilities, including provisions for assistance from FTIS's personnel in the establishment of books, records and other data by such successor or successors. FTIS shall be entitled to charge the Investment Company a reasonable fee for services rendered and expenses actually incurred in performing its duties under this paragraph.

(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 12, until a successor transfer agent is designated and the Funds' books and records and other property have been transferred

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to such successor transfer agent, this Agreement will remain in effect unless FTIS is notified otherwise by the Investment Company.

13. **<u>Amendment</u>.** This Agreement may not be amended or modified in any manner except by a written agreement executed by both parties.

14. **<u>Delegation</u>.** The Investment Company agrees that FTIS may, in its discretion and at its expense, delegate to one or more entities all or any portion of its responsibility for the services and other obligations described in this Agreement or the Schedules hereto; provided that (i) FTIS reasonably believes, after due investigation, that each entity (an "Agent") engaged by FTIS to provide any such services or assume any such responsibilities has the requisite capability, qualifications and experience to provide such services and that such Agent shall perform such services in accordance with the applicable provisions of Section 17A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and any other applicable laws and regulations; (ii) FTIS adopts and implements a reasonable program for the supervision and monitoring of each such Agent; and (iii) the appointment of any such Agent shall not relieve FTIS of any of its responsibilities hereunder. FTIS will be responsible for the compensation, if any, of any such Agents for such services to the Investment Company, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties. Notwithstanding any delegation pursuant to this paragraph, FTIS will continue to have overall responsibility and liability for all such services provided to the Investment Company under this Agreement. FTIS will be responsible for the services of Agents (and FTIS's other agents and delegates) provided with respect to the Investment Company as if FTIS were performing the services itself.

15. **<u>Data Processing System,</u> <u>Program and Information</u>** 

(a) The Investment Company shall not, solely by virtue of this Agreement, obtain any rights, title and interest in and to the computer systems and programs, including all related

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documentation, employed by FTIS in connection with rendering services hereunder; provided however, that the records prepared, maintained and preserved by FTIS pursuant to this Agreement shall be the property of the Investment Company.

(b) Any modifications, changes and improvements in the automatic data processing system (the "System") or in the manner in which the services are rendered shall be made or provided as follows, and provided further that modifications for which the Investment Company will be required to bear any expenses shall be made only as set forth herein.

(i) FTIS shall, at no expense to the Investment Company, make any revisions in the System necessary to (1) perform the services which it has contracted to perform, (2) create and maintain the records which it has contracted to create and maintain hereunder or (3) enhance or update the System to the extent and in the manner necessary to maintain said System. However, if specific reprogramming, coding or other changes are necessary in the records of the Investment Company or in its shareholder accounts in order to complete a system revision, the costs for completing work specific to the Investment Company shall be subject to a subsequent agreement between the parties. The System is at all times to be competitive with that which is generally available to the mutual fund industry from transfer agents.

(ii) To the extent that the System is modified to comply with changes in the accounting or record-keeping rules applicable to mutual funds, the Investment Company agrees to pay a reasonable pro rata portion of the costs of the design, revision and programming of the System; provided, however, that if the Investment Company's pro rata portion exceeds $1,000 per 12 month period, the Investment Company's obligation to pay a reasonable pro rata portion shall be conditioned upon FTIS's having obtained prior Written Instructions from the Investment Company for any charge. The determination that such modifications or revisions are necessary, and that the System as so modified produces

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records which comply with the record-keeping requirements, as amended, shall be by mutual agreement; provided, however, that upon written request by the Investment Company, FTIS will provide the Investment Company with a written opinion of counsel to FTIS to the effect that the modifications were required by changes in the applicable laws or regulations and that the System, as modified, complies with the laws or regulations as amended. Upon completion of the changes FTIS shall render a statement to the Investment Company, in reasonably detailed form, identifying the nature of the revisions, the services, expenses and costs, and the basis for determining the Investment Company's reasonable pro rata portion. Any determination by FTIS of the Investment Company's pro rata portion based upon the ratio of the number of shareholder accounts of the Investment Company to the total number of shareholder accounts of all clients for which FTIS provides comparable services shall conclusively be presumed to be reasonable unless the nature of the change to the System relates to certain types of shareholder accounts, in which case the pro rata portion will be determined on a mutually agreeable basis.

(iii) If system improvements are requested by the Investment Company and are not otherwise required under Section 15(b), FTIS shall be entitled to request a reasonable fee before agreeing to make the improvements and shall be entitled to refuse to make any requested improvements which FTIS reasonably believes to be incompatible with its systems providing services to other funds.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;16. **<u>Confidentiality/Privacy</u>.**

FTIS shall keep the Confidential Information (as defined in Section 16(a) below) of the Investment Company in confidence and will not use or disclose or allow access to or use of such Confidential Information except (A) as appropriate in connection with activities contemplated by this Agreement; (B) as required pursuant to a court order, subpoena, governmental or regulatory or self-regulatory authority or agency, law, regulation, or

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binding discovery request in pending litigation (provided the receiving party will provide the other party written notice of such requirement, to the extent such notice is permitted, and subject to proper jurisdiction, if applicable); (C) as requested by a governmental, regulatory or self-regulatory authority or agency in connection with an inquiry, examination, audit or other review; or (D) the information or data is relevant and material to any claim or cause of action between the parties or the defense of any claim or cause of action asserted against FTIS.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) "Confidential Information" means non-public personal information of the Investment Company's shareholders.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) FTIS represents, warrants and agrees that it has adopted and implemented, and shall maintain policies and procedures that address administrative, technical and physical safeguards for the protection of Confidential Information and records that are in compliance with Regulation S-P promulgated under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 ("Regulation S-P") and all other applicable laws, rules, regulations, and governmental standards and FTIS represents, warrants and agrees that it will use Confidential Information only in compliance with all of the following: (i) the provisions of this Agreement; (ii) its own Privacy and Information Sharing Policy, as amended and updated from time to time; and (iii) privacy laws and regulations applicable to the Fund's and FTIS's business, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999. When FTIS disposes of Confidential Information, FTIS shall properly dispose of Confidential Information, including, without limitation, any electronic or physical copies in any form, by taking reasonable measures to protect against unauthorized access to or use of the records or information in connection with its disposal, as required by Regulation S-P and all applicable laws, rules, regulations and governmental standards, or as directed by the Investment Company.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;17. **<u>Security</u>.**

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) FTIS represents, warrants and agrees that it shall itself implement, and also enter into and maintain in effect with appropriate parties one or more agreements which implement, reasonable procedures and systems to safeguard from loss or damage attributable to fire, flood, theft or any other cause (including provision for twenty-four hours a day restricted access) Confidential Information and the Investment Company's records and other data and FTIS's records, data equipment facilities and other property used in the performance of its obligations hereunder consistent with industry standards applicable to serving as a transfer agent to a publicly offered registered investment company. FTIS will make such changes therein from time to time as it may deem reasonably necessary for the secure performance of its obligations hereunder, and to ensure that FTIS's equipment, facilities and other property used in the performance of its obligations hereunder comply with all applicable laws, rules, regulations and governmental standards, and it will make such changes therein from time to time as in its reasonable judgment, or as reasonably requested by the Board of the Investment Company and agreed to by FTIS, are required for the secure performance of its obligations hereunder. FTIS shall review such systems and procedures on a periodic basis (no less than annually).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) FTIS or its agents shall conduct a prompt investigation if it is reasonably suspected that a breach of security has occurred in connection with Confidential Information. If FTIS or its agents determine after appropriate investigation that such a breach of security has occurred, and if the applicable Confidential Information was in the possession or under the control of FTIS or its employees, agents, representatives or delegates at the time of such violation, FTIS will promptly (i) notify the applicable Fund, (ii) investigate and contain the breach and put safeguards in place that are designed to prevent similar occurrences of the breach, (iii) provide the Fund with assurance reasonably satisfactory to the Fund that such breach will not recur, and (iv) determine whether it is appropriate, under the circumstances, to provide credit monitoring services to individuals whose personal information was

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compromised due to the security breach and, if so, shall provide such services for a one-year period. In addition, FTIS will take such other action as may be required under FTIS's applicable policies and procedures.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;18. **<u>Disaster Recovery</u>.** FTIS, through Franklin Templeton, shall maintain a comprehensive business recovery plan that shall be presented to the Board of Trustees/Directors of the Investment Company not less frequently than annually, which shall be reasonably designed for sufficient recovery of FTIS's administrative operations to enable FTIS, within 24 hours after any event necessitating the use of such plan to fulfill its obligations under this Agreement; provided, however, FTIS will (i) endeavor to achieve a recovery time objective of four hours or less (a recovery time objective is tested and validated, but it should be noted that there is no guarantee that facilities, operations or services can be recovered in any given time frame due to the unpredictable nature of events, such as a force majeure event), and (ii) test such business recovery plan no less frequently than annually. FTIS has provided the Investment Company with a report regarding FTIS's business recovery plan. In the event of a business disruption that materially impacts FTIS's provision of services under this Agreement, FTIS will promptly notify the Investment Company of the disruption and the steps being implemented under the business recovery plan.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;19. **<u>The</u> <u>U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (</u>**"**<u>FATCA</u>**"**<u>)</u>.**

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) FTIS shall collect from all accountholders registered on the books of the Funds (each a "Customer", and, collectively, the "Customers"), valid documentation sufficient to establish the US-status or non-US status, as the case may be, of each such Customer, for purposes of FATCA including by requiring Customers to provide FTIS with an executed United States Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN or other applicable United States Internal Revenue Service Form W-8 (or any successor thereto) and/or a United States Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 (or any

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successor thereto). All such documentation is hereinafter referred to as the "Customer Information."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) FTIS shall monitor Customers and Customer Information for any changes with respect to a Customer's US or non-US status in accordance with its reasonably designed FATCA compliance standards.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) To the extent required by applicable law, FTIS shall diligently request from each Customer a waiver of such Customer's privacy, data protection and similar rights in connection with the collection, processing and transferring of the Customer's personal data pursuant to each Fund's obligations under FATCA, or otherwise obtain the written consent of the Customer for FTIS to collect, process and transfer the Customer's personal data pursuant to a Fund's obligations under FATCA.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(d) FTIS shall comply with all applicable provisions of FATCA to the extent a Customer is a "Foreign Financial Institution, " as that term is defined under FATCA.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;20. **<u>AML Compliance</u>**. FTIS shall comply with the Investment Company's and FTIS' policies and procedures to: implement the Investment Company's Anti-Money Laundering ("AML"), Customer Identification ("CIP") Programs and any applicable identity theft regulatory requirements (the "Red Flags Rules"), as such policies and procedures may be amended from time to time, including currency transaction reporting; screen account names and addresses against the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (the "SDN list") and the country-based U.S. trade and economic sanctions programs administered by OFAC; respond to requests for information from the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network ("FinCEN") pursuant to Section 314(a) of the USA PATRIOT Act; file Suspicious Activity Reports ("SARs"), as necessary, on behalf of the

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Investment Company; and perform such other anti-money laundering functions as agent of the Investment Company.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;21. **<u>Unclaimed Property Services</u>**. FTIS shall employ commercially reasonable measures to comply on behalf of the Investment Company with the unclaimed property laws and regulations of the states and territories of the United States ("Unclaimed Property Laws") with respect to Eligible Property (as defined below). In connection with its performance of the foregoing services ("Unclaimed Property Services"), FTIS and its agents shall be entitled to rely on the written advice of counsel with respect to the interpretation of and compliance with the Unclaimed Property Laws and interaction with the agencies enforcing and administering the Unclaimed Property Laws and neither shall be liable for conduct undertaken in accordance with such advice, provided such advice is a reasoned interpretation of such Unclaimed Property Laws.

"Eligible Property" means property beneficially owned by a person or entity other than the Investment Company and held in a bank account maintained by FTIS for or on behalf of the Investment Company, or property held in an Investment Company shareholder account, which is (a) subject to reporting or escheat under an Unclaimed Property Law, and (b) of a nature or type or classification reasonably related to the services performed by FTIS under this Agreement (such as cash amounts representing non-negotiated dividend checks and shares in abandoned shareholder accounts).

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;22. **<u>Insurance</u>.** FTIS, directly or through an affiliate, shall maintain insurance coverage with respect to FTIS, including, without limitation, errors and omissions, fidelity bond (covering, among other things, larceny and embezzlement) and electronic data processing coverages at levels of coverage consistent with those customarily maintained by other transfer agents for large registered investment company complexes. Upon the request of the Investment Company, FTIS shall provide evidence that such coverage is in place. FTIS shall promptly notify the Investment Company in the event that such coverage is cancelled, or in the event there are material claims made with respect to any service provided under this Agreement. To the extent that policies of insurance may provide for coverage of claims for liability or indemnity by the parties set forth in this Agreement, the contracts of insurance shall take precedence, and no provision of this Agreement shall be construed to relieve an insurer of any obligation to pay claims to a Fund, FTIS or other insured party which would otherwise be a covered claim in the absence of any provision of this Agreement.

23. **<u>Miscellaneous</u>.** 

(a) Any notice or other instrument authorized or required by this Agreement to be given in writing to the Investment Company or FTIS shall be sufficiently given if addressed to that party and received by it at its office at the place described in the Investment Company's most recent registration statement or at such other place as it may from time to time designate in writing.

(b) This Agreement shall extend to and shall be binding upon the parties hereto, and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that this Agreement shall not be assignable by either party without the written consent of the other party.

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(c) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California applicable to contracts between California residents which are to be performed primarily within California.

(d) This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original; but such counterparts shall, together, constitute only one instrument. This Agreement supersedes all prior Shareholder Services Agreements between the parties, and supersedes all prior agreements between the parties relating to the subject matters of this Agreement to the extent they are inconsistent with this Agreement.

(e) The captions of this Agreement are included for convenience of reference only and in no way define or delimit any of the provisions hereof or otherwise affect their construction or effect.

(f) It is understood and expressly stipulated that neither the holders of Shares of the Investment Company nor any member of the Board, officer, agent or employee of the Investment Company shall be personally liable hereunder, nor shall any resort be had to other private property for the satisfaction of any claim or obligation hereunder, but the Investment Company only shall be liable. FTIS agrees that it shall look only to the assets and property of the applicable Fund in asserting any rights or claims under this Agreement with respect to services rendered with respect to such Fund and will not seek to obtain satisfaction of such rights or claims from the assets of any other Fund.

**IN WITNESS WHEREOF,** the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be executed by their respective corporate officers thereunder duly authorized as of the day and year first above written.

#### FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTOR

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#### SERVICES, LLC
By: <u>/s/Steven J. Gray</u> By: <u>/s/Basil K. Fox, Jr.</u> 

Name: Steven J. Gray Name: Basil K. Fox, Jr.

Title: Vice President & Secretary Title: President

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#### SCHEDULE A

#### BASE FEE:
The Investment Company, on behalf of each Fund, agrees to pay FTIS for its services an annual base service fee and certain transaction charges, to be calculated daily and paid monthly, as follows: (i) for all classes of shares, other than Class R6 shares, if any, (A) a base service fee, based on the value of the Fund's average daily net assets for such classes, at the annual rate of 0.016% and (B) a charge of $1.20 for each transaction recorded on the shareholder accounting system, including, but not limited to, the transactions set forth below; and (ii) for Class R6 shares, if any, (A) a base service fee, based on the value of the Fund's average daily net assets for such Class R6 shares, at the annual rate of 0.016% and (B) a charge of $1.20 for each transaction recorded on the shareholder accounting system, including, but not limited to, the transactions set forth below.1

#### TRANSACTION CHARGES:
A charge will be charged for each transaction recorded on the shareholder accounting system, including, but not limited to, the following transactions:

· Share purchases;

· Share redemptions;

· Fund liquidations;

· Dividends;

· Wire order purchases and redemptions (placement and confirmations);

· Exchanges;

· Account maintenance such as address changes;

· Transfers; and

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· Account opening.

For transactions within the 529 portfolios, FTIS will allocate the transaction fee on a pro-rata basis to the underlying Funds based on the 529 portfolio's holdings in such Funds.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. The proposed transfer agent fee schedule is not intended to apply to the funds within Franklin Templeton Variable Insurance Products Trust, Franklin Floating Rate Master Trust, The Money Market Portfolios or Institutional Fiduciary Trust or the Franklin Emerging Market Core Equity (IU) Fund, Franklin International Core Equity (IU) Fund and the Franklin U.S. Core Equity (IU) Fund of Franklin Fund Allocator Series that do not currently pay transfer agent fees. Such funds will continue to be charged no transfer agency fees as is currently the case under their current transfer agent fee schedules, although they will continue to reimburse out-of-pocket expenses.

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#### SCHEDULE B

#### OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES
In addition to Beneficial Owner Servicing Fees and Networked Account Servicing Fees paid in accordance with Section 3 of this Agreement, the Investment Company shall reimburse FTIS monthly (i) for all classes of shares, other than any Class R6 shares, for the following out-of-pocket expenses paid to third parties in connection with the servicing of Accounts as required under the terms of this Agreement and (ii) for any Class R6 shares, for the following out-of-pocket expenses paid to third parties in connection with the servicing of shareholder accounts as required under the terms of this Agreement:

o Expenses in connection with the preparation and physical or electronic delivery of shareholder communications required under the terms of this Agreement, such as prospectuses, shareholder reports, tax information, proxy statements, and shareholder statements. Such amounts paid to third parties include, but are not limited to, costs of printing, mailing, stationary, forms, postage, and electronic delivery. In the case of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by FTIS or an affiliate associated with the printing of new account confirming prospectuses (which prospectuses the Investment Company is obligated to deliver under its Underwriting Agreement and that FTIS agrees to deliver, on behalf of the Fund, in connection with the confirmation process), FTIS and the Investment Company each will pay one-half (50%) of the costs of printing the new account confirming prospectus (including, but not limited to, print on demand prospectuses used for that purpose);

o Telephone costs associated with servicing shareholders in accordance with this agreement;

o ACH, Federal Reserve and bank charges for check clearance, electronic funds transfers, wire transfers, and other banking charges associated with account and cash reconciliation for shareholder activity;

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o Data Storage: Retention of electronic and paper account records; and other costs associated with data storage of account records and transactions records (e.g., magnetic tape, microfilm and microfiche, and digital images);

o Insurance against loss of Share certificates when in transit;

o Terminals, transmitting lines and any expenses incurred in connection with such terminals and lines established and/or maintained by FTIS to perform its obligations under this agreement;

o Amounts paid to independent accounting firms to perform independent audits of FTIS and the issuance of reports such as a SOC-1;

o Amounts paid in connection with use of national data bases to comply with requirements for locating lost shareholders;

o Proxy solicitation and tabulation expenses;

o NSCC expenses. Costs associated with NSCC system use, including networking services, hardware and circuits to send customer cost basis information, commission and 12b-1 fees to brokerage firms

o All other miscellaneous expenses reasonably incurred by FTIS in the performance of its obligations under the Agreement, excluding the costs relating to the compensation of Agents as contemplated under Section 14 of the Agreement.

This Schedule B may be amended by FTIS upon not less than 30 days' written notice to the Investment Company, subject to approval by the Board.

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#### SCHEDULE C
Beneficial Owner Servicing Fees and Networked Account Servicing Fees for each fiscal year of the Fund may not exceed (i), for each contract with an institution based on Fund assets, 15 basis points (0.15%) of such Fund's net assets attributable to the appropriate class of shares for which such institution provides services as contemplated by Section 3(b)(ii) and (iii) of this Agreement ("Services") or (ii) for each contract with an institution based upon a flat per account fee, $16 per account for accounts that are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge for which the institution provides Services and $19 per account for accounts that are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge for which the institution provides Services.

This Schedule C may be amended only upon agreement in advance of FTIS, the Investment Company and its Board of Trustees/Directors.

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#### SCHEDULE D
As the registered transfer agent and shareholder servicing agent for the Funds, FTIS is responsible for providing overall support for the customers of each Fund, including shareholders, financial advisors, distribution intermediaries, and other authorized representatives. FTIS controls the flow of the customer interactions, processes transactions, and handles inquiries while ensuring mitigation of operational, financial, regulatory, and reputational risk. FTIS is responsible for affecting activity in accordance with fund policies, (e.g. Rule 12b-1 payments, fund openings, reorganizations, closings), as well as required trade confirmations, statements, and tax reporting. FTIS maintains relationships with the back offices of intermediaries and ensures appropriate payments to intermediaries and other service vendors in accordance with this Agreement.

Specific functions FTIS performs in accordance with securities laws, IRS laws or other regulations include:

AS TRANSFER AGENT FOR THE INVESTMENT COMPANY, FTIS WILL:

o Upon receipt of proper authorization, record the transfer of Fund shares ("Shares") in its transfer records in the name(s) of the appropriate legal shareholder(s) of record; and

o Upon receipt of proper authorization, redeem Shares, debit shareholder accounts and provide for payment to shareholders.

AS SHAREHOLDER SERVICE AGENT FOR THE INVESTMENT COMPANY, FTIS WILL:

 Receive from the Investment Company, from the Investment Company's Principal Underwriter or from a Fund shareholder, in a manner acceptable to FTIS, information necessary to record Share sales and redemptions and to generate sale and/or redemption confirmations;

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o Mail, or electronically transmit, sale and/or redemption confirmations;

o Coordinate the delivery of an account opening prospectus with delivery of initial purchase confirmations;

o Accept and process payments from investors and their broker-dealers or other agents, for the purchase of Shares;

o Support the use of automated systems for payment and other share transactions, such as NSCC Fund/Serv and Networking and other systems which may be reasonably requested by FTIS customers;

o Keep records as necessary to implement any deferred sales charges, exchange restrictions or other policies of the Investment Company affecting Share transactions, including without limitation any restrictions or policies applicable to certain classes of shares, as stated in the applicable prospectus;

o Requisition Shares in accordance with instructions of the Principal Underwriter, if applicable;

o Open, maintain and close shareholder accounts;

o Establish registration of ownership of Shares in accordance with generally accepted form;

o Maintain records of (i) issued Shares and (ii) number of shareholders and their aggregate shareholdings classified according to their residence in each State of the United States or foreign country;

o Accept and process telephone exchanges and redemptions for Shares in accordance with a Fund's Telephone Exchange and Redemption Privileges as described in the Fund's current prospectus.

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o Maintain and safeguard records for each shareholder showing name(s), address, number of any certificates issued, and number of Shares registered in such name(s), together with continuous proof of the outstanding Shares, and dealer identification, and reflecting all current changes. On request, provide information as to an investor's qualification for Cumulative Quantity Discount. Provide all accounts with, at minimum, quarterly and year-end historical statements;

o Provide on request a duplicate set of records for file maintenance in the Investment Company's office;

o Provide for the proper allocation of proceeds of share sales to the Investment Company and to the Principal Underwriter, in accordance with the applicable prospectus;

o Redeem Shares and provide for the preparation and delivery of liquidation proceeds, including the processing of redemption checks and maintain checking account records;

o Exercise reasonable and good-faith business judgment in the registration of Share transfers, pledges and releases from pledges in accordance with the California Uniform Commercial Code - - Investment Securities;

o Upon receipt of proper documentation, place stop transfers, obtain necessary insurance forms, and cancel lost, stolen or destroyed Share certificates, and record ownership of Shares formerly represented by such certificates in its transfer records in the name(s) of the appropriate legal shareholder(s) of record, so long as applicable;

o Check surrendered certificates for stop transfer restrictions, so long as applicable. Although FTIS cannot ensure the genuineness of certificates surrendered for cancellation, it will employ all due reasonable care in deciding the

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genuineness of such certificates and the guarantor of the signature(s) thereon;

o Cancel surrendered certificates and record ownership of Shares formerly represented by such certificates in its transfer records in the name(s) of the appropriate legal shareholder(s) of record, so long as applicable;

o Certify outstanding Shares to auditors;

o In connection with any meeting of shareholders, upon receiving appropriate detailed instructions and written materials prepared by the Investment Company and proxy proofs checked by the Investment Company, provide for: (a) the printing of proxy cards, (b) the delivery to shareholders of all reports, prospectuses, proxy cards and related proxy materials of suitable design for enclosing, (c) the receipt and tabulation of executed proxies, (d) solicitation of shareholders for their votes and (e) delivery of a list of shareholders for the meeting;

o Answer routine written correspondence, email, and telephone inquiries about individual accounts. Prepare monthly reports for correspondence volume and correspondence data necessary for the Investment Company's Semi-Annual Report on Form N -CEN;

o Provide for the preparation and delivery of dealer commission statements and checks;

o Maintain and furnish the Investment Company and its shareholders with such information as the Investment Company may reasonably request for the purpose of compliance by the Investment Company with the applicable tax and securities laws of applicable jurisdictions;

o Deliver confirmations of transactions to investors and dealers in a timely fashion;

------

o Provide for the payment or reinvestment of income dividends and/or capital gains distributions to shareholders of record, in accordance with the Investment Company's and/or shareholder's instructions, provided that:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) The Investment Company shall notify FTIS promptly upon declaration of any such dividend and/or distribution, and in any event at least forty-eight (48) hours before the record date;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) Such notification shall include the declaration date, the record date, the payable date, the rate, and, if applicable, the reinvestment date and the reinvestment price to be used; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; (c) Prior to the payable date, the Investment Company shall furnish FTIS with sufficient fully and finally collected funds to make such distribution;

o Prepare and file annual U.S. information returns of dividends and capital gain distributions, gross redemption proceeds, foreign person's U.S. source income, and other U.S. federal and state information returns as required, and mail payee copies to shareholders, report and pay U.S. backup withholding on all reportable payments; report and pay U.S. federal income taxes withheld from distributions and other payments made to nonresidents of the U.S.; prepare and mail to shareholders any notice required by the Internal Revenue Code as to taxable dividends, tax-exempt interest dividends, realized net capital gains distributed and/or retained, foreign taxes paid and foreign source income distributed or deemed distributed, U.S. source income and any tax withheld on such income, dividends received deduction information, or other applicable tax information appropriate for dissemination to shareholders of the Trust.

------

o Comply with all U.S. federal income tax requirements regarding the collection of tax identification numbers and other required shareholder certifications and information pertaining to shareholder accounts; respond to all notifications from the U.S. Internal Revenue Service regarding the application of the U.S. backup withholding requirements including tax identification number solicitation requirements;

o Prepare transfer journals;

o Set up wire order Share transactions on file;

o Provide for receipt of payment for Share transactions, and update the transaction file;

o Sort and print shareholder information by state, social code, price break, etc.; and

o Promptly transmit the Statement of Additional Information of the Investment Company to each shareholder upon request.

IN CONNECTION WITH THE INVESTMENT COMPANY'S SYSTEMATIC WITHDRAWAL PLAN, FTIS WILL:

o Make payment of amounts withdrawn periodically by the shareholder pursuant to the systematic withdrawal plan by redeeming Shares, and confirm such redemptions to the shareholder; and

o Provide confirmations of all redemptions, reinvestment of dividends and distributions, and any additional investments in the systematic withdrawal plan, including a summary confirmation at the year-end.

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## Ex-99.H

#### AMENDMENT TO FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT
This Amendment ("Amendment") to the FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT, dated January 22, 2020 among FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SERVICES, LLC (the "Customer") and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. ("J.P. Morgan"), as amended from time to time (the "Agreement"), is made and entered into as of January 27, 2021 and shall be effective as of January 29, 2021, between the Customer and J.P. Morgan.

W I T N E S S E T H:

**WHEREAS**, the Customer and J.P. Morgan entered into the Agreement;

**WHEREAS**, the Customer wants to update the list of Funds, as set forth in Annex I to the Agreement, to which J.P. Morgan shall provide fund administration services under the terms and conditions set forth in the Agreement to include Franklin USD Diversified Fixed Tenure Bond Series II SP, Franklin Lifesmart 2060 Retirement Target Fund; and

**WHEREAS**, J.P. Morgan agrees to update Annex I as set forth in this Amendment.

**NOW, THEREFORE**, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereby agree as follows:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. **<u>Definitions</u>**. Unless otherwise defined herein, defined terms used in this Amendment shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. **<u>Amendments</u>**. The Agreement shall be amended as follows:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(A) Annex I of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety by Annex I hereto.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(B) Save as amended by this Amendment, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. **<u>Representations</u>**. Each party represents to the other parties that all representations contained in the Agreement are true and accurate as of the date of this Amendment, and that such representations are deemed to be given or repeated by each party, as the case may be, on the date of this Amendment.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. **<u>Entire Agreement</u>**. This Amendment and the Agreement and any documents referred to in each of them, constitutes the whole agreement between the parties relating to their subject matter and supersedes and extinguishes any other drafts, agreements, undertakings, representations, warranties and arrangements of any nature, whether in writing or oral, relating to such subject matter. If any of the provisions of this Amendment are inconsistent with or in conflict with any of the provisions of the Agreement then, to the extent of any such inconsistency or conflict, the provisions of this Amendment shall prevail as between the parties.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. **<u>Counterparts</u>**. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts which together shall constitute one agreement. Each party hereto may enter into this Amendment by executing a counterpart and this Amendment shall not take effect until it has been executed by both parties.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. **<u>Law and Jurisdiction</u>**. This Amendment shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date first above written.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SERVICES, LLC**<br>**By:<u>/s/Laura F. Fergerson</u>** <br>**Name: Laura F. Fergerson**<br>**Title: President** | **JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.** <br>**By:<u>/s/Gregory Cook</u>** <br>**Name: Gregory Cook**<br>**Title: Executive Director** |

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#### ANNEX I

#### "ANNEX I TO THE FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT"

#### List of Funds

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name** | **Entity Type** | **Jurisdiction** |
| Franklin Templeton US Government Securities II Ltd |  | Bermuda |
| Templeton Growth Fund II Limited |  | Cayman |
| Alternative Strategies (FT) Ltd |  | Cayman |
| Templeton China Opportunities Fund, Ltd |  | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond 2021 Fund |  | Cayman |
| Franklin Diversified High Yield Global Sukuk 2022 Fund |  | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond Fund III |  | Cayman |
| Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TF-Templeton World Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TF-Templeton Foreign Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton Global Bond Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Growth Fund, Inc. |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Emerging Markets Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Global Income Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TIF-International Equity Series |  | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Developing Markets VIP Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Beacon Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Global Discovery Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual European Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Quest Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Shares Fund |  | U.S.A. |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| Templeton Developing Markets Trust | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Foreign VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Dragon Fund, Inc. | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Financial Services Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Universal Trust | U.S.A. |
| FFRMT-Franklin Floating Rate Master Series | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin U.S. Government Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FVIT-Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCTFT-Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income  | U.S.A. |
| FNYTFT-Franklin New York Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income F | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Federal Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMST-Franklin California High Yield Municipal Fund | U.S.A. |
| TMMP-The U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FVIT-Franklin Microcap Value Fund | U.S.A. |
| FREST-Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Strategic Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMST-Franklin Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| FVIT-Franklin Small Cap Value Fund | U.S.A. |
| TGIT-Templeton Global Balanced Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Gold And Precious Metals Fund | U.S.A. |
| FHIT-Franklin High Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Growth Fund | U.S.A. |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| FCF-Franklin Utilities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin DynaTech Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FUSGMF-Franklin U.S. Government Money Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin California Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin New York Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Massachusetts Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Michigan Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Minnesota Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Ohio Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Colorado Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Georgia Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Pennsylvania Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin High Yield Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Convertible Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Adjustable U.S. Government Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Equity Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| IFT-Money Market Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Federal Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMT-Franklin Rising Dividends Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Missouri Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Oregon Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Virginia Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Alabama Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Florida Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| TGIT-Templeton Emerging Markets Small Cap Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Biotechnology Discovery Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Natural Resources Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Flex Cap Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Floating Rate Daily Access Fund | U.S.A. |
| FGT-Franklin Emerging Market Debt Opportunities Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIF-Foreign Smaller Companies Series | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Managed Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FGT-Franklin International Small Cap Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Total Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Growth Opportunities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Arizona Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Small Cap Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Connecticut Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Louisiana Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Limited Duration Income Trust | U.S.A. |
| Templeton China World Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Maryland Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin North Carolina Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin New Jersey Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Growth and Income VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Global Real Estate VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Global Bond VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Income VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin U.S. Government Securities VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Rising Dividends VIP Fund | U.S.A. |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| FTVIPT-Templeton Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Large Cap Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Mutual Global Discovery VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Mutual Shares VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Small Cap Value VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Strategic Income VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Real Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Low Duration Total Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Select U.S. Equity Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIF-Global Equity Series | U.S.A. |
| FGT-Franklin International Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| TGIT-Templeton Frontier Markets Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton Global Total Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin VolSmart Allocation VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton Emerging Markets Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual International Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton International Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2019 Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2020 Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2021 Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Flexible Alpha Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFRMT-Franklin Floating Rate Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Focused Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2022 Fund | U.S.A. |
| TF Templeton International - Climate Change Fund | U.S.A. |

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 9-10 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 13-14 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart Retirement Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Founding Funds 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2025 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2035 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Allocation VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2045 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Corefolio Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Founding Funds Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Moderate Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Growth Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Corefolio 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Newborn - 4 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Income 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Small Mid Cap Growth 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Income Allocation 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Mutual Shares 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Growth 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| S&P 500 Index 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Newborn-4 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Newborn-4 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 9-10 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2030 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2050 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2040 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2020 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Conservative Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Moderate Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Mutual Global Discovery 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Global Bond 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2055 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust A | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust B | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust C | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust D | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust E | U.S.A. |
| NJ Better Educational Saving Trust | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Pooled Equity | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 9 - 10 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 13 - 14 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth & Income Allocation 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 13-14 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin U.S. Government Money 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations III | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FT Holdings Corporations IV | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations I | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations II | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series CH | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series H | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series E | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series I | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond IV 2024 Fund A (Qdis) USD | Cayman |
| Franklin U.S. Core Equity (IU) Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin International Core Equity (IU) Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Emerging Markets Core Equity (UI) Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond 2021 Fund II | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond V 2024 | Cayman |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond VI 2024 SP | Cayman |
| FTFT-Franklin Municipal Green Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Fixed Tenure Bond SP | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond VII 2024 SP | Cayman |
| Franklin Equity Portfolio Fund, a series of Franklin ETF Trust | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Fixed Income Portfolio Fund, a series of Franklin ETF Trust | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Fixed Tenure Bond Series II SP\* | Cayman |
| Franklin Lifesmart 2060 Retirement Target Fund\* | U.S.A. |

---

\*Denotes a Fund added through this Amendment.

------

## Ex-99.H

#### THIRD AMENDMENT TO FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT
This third Amendment ("**Amendment**") to the FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT, dated January 22, 2020 among FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SERVICES, LLC (the "**Customer**") and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. ("**J.P. Morgan**"), as amended from time to time (the "**Agreement**"), is made and entered into as of March 12, 2021, and shall be effective as of March 12, 2021, between the Customer and J.P. Morgan.

**<u>W I</u> <u>T</u> <u>N</u> <u>E S S</u> <u>E</u> <u>T</u> <u>H</u>**:

**WHEREAS**, the Customer and J.P. Morgan entered into the Agreement;

**WHEREAS**, the Customer wants to update the list of Funds, as set forth in Annex I to the Agreement, to which J.P. Morgan shall provide fund administration services under the terms and conditions set forth in the Agreement to include Franklin Equity Portfolio Fund, a series of Franklin ETF Trust and Franklin Fixed Income Portfolio Fund, a series of Franklin ETF Trust; and

**WHEREAS**, J.P. Morgan agrees to update Annex I as set forth in this Amendment.

**NOW, THEREFORE**, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereby agree as follows:

1. **<u>Definitions</u>**. Unless otherwise defined herein, defined terms used in this Amendment shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.

2. **<u>Amendments</u>**. The Agreement shall be amended as follows:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(A) Annex I of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety by Annex I hereto. (B) Save as amended by this Amendment, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

3. **<u>Representations</u>**. Each party represents to the other parties that all representations contained in the Agreement are true and accurate as of the date of this Amendment, and that such representations are deemed to be given or repeated by each party, as the case may be, on the date of this Amendment.

4. **<u>Entire Agreement</u>**. This Amendment and the Agreement and any documents referred to in each of them, constitutes the whole agreement between the parties relating to their subject matter and supersedes and extinguishes any other drafts, agreements, undertakings, representations, warranties and arrangements of any nature, whether in writing or oral, relating to such subject matter. If any of the provisions of this Amendment are inconsistent with or in conflict with any of the provisions of the Agreement then, to the extent of any such inconsistency or conflict, the provisions of this Amendment shall prevail as between the parties.

5. **<u>Counterparts</u>**. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts which together shall constitute one agreement. Each party hereto may enter into this Amendment by executing a counterpart and this Amendment shall not take effect until it has been executed by both parties.

6. **<u>Law and Jurisdiction</u>**. This Amendment shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

**IN WITNESS WHEREOF**, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date first above written.

#### FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SERVICES, LLC JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
**By:** <u>/s/</u> <u>Matthew</u> <u>T.</u> <u>Hinkle</u> **By: <u>/s/</u>** <u>Gregory Cook</u> 

**Name: Matthew T.** Hinkle **Name:** Gregory Cook

**Title: Sr. Vice President Title:** Executive Director

#### ANNEX I

#### "ANNEX I TO THE FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT"

------

#### List of Funds

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name**  | **Entity Type**  | **Jurisdiction**  |
| Franklin Templeton US Government Securities II Ltd  |  | Bermuda  |
| Templeton Growth Fund II Limited  |  | Cayman  |
| Alternative Strategies (FT) Ltd  |  | Cayman  |
| Templeton China Opportunities Fund, Ltd  |  | Cayman  |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond 2021 Fund  |  | Cayman  |
| Franklin Diversified High Yield Global Sukuk 2022 Fund  |  | Cayman  |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond Fund III  |  | Cayman  |
| Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| TF-Templeton World Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| TF-Templeton Foreign Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| TIT-Templeton Global Bond Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| Templeton Growth Fund, Inc.  |  | U.S.A.  |
| Templeton Emerging Markets Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| Templeton Global Income Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| TIF-International Equity Series  |  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Developing Markets VIP Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Beacon Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Global Discovery Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual European Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Quest Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Shares Fund  |  | U.S.A.  |
| Templeton Developing Markets Trust  |  | U.S.A.  |

---

<br> <u>FTVIPT-Templeton Foreign VIP Fund </u> <u>U.S.A. </u>

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Templeton Dragon Fund, Inc.  | U.S.A.  |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Financial Services Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Universal Trust  | U.S.A.  |
| FFRMT-Franklin Floating Rate Master Series  | U.S.A.  |
| FCF-Franklin U.S. Government Securities Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FVIT-Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FCTFT-Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income  | U.S.A.  |
| FNYTFT-Franklin New York Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income F  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Federal Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FMST-Franklin California High Yield Municipal Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| TMMP-The U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| FVIT-Franklin Microcap Value Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FREST-Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Strategic Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FMST-Franklin Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FVIT-Franklin Small Cap Value Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| TGIT-Templeton Global Balanced Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Gold And Precious Metals Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FHIT-Franklin High Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FCF-Franklin Growth Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FCF-Franklin Utilities Fund  | U.S.A.  |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FCF-Franklin DynaTech Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FCF-Franklin Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FUSGMF-Franklin U.S. Government Money Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin California Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin New York Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Massachusetts Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Michigan Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Minnesota Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Ohio Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Colorado Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Georgia Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Pennsylvania Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin High Yield Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FIST-Franklin Convertible Securities Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FIST-Franklin Adjustable U.S. Government Securities Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FIST-Franklin Equity Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| IFT-Money Market Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Federal Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FMT-Franklin Rising Dividends Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Missouri Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Oregon Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Virginia Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Alabama Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Florida Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| TGIT-Templeton Emerging Markets Small Cap Fund  | U.S.A.  |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FSS-Franklin Biotechnology Discovery Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Natural Resources Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Flex Cap Growth VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FIST-Franklin Floating Rate Daily Access Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FGT-Franklin Emerging Market Debt Opportunities Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| TIF-Foreign Smaller Companies Series  | U.S.A.  |
| FIST-Franklin Managed Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FGT-Franklin International Small Cap Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FIST-Franklin Total Return Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Growth Opportunities Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Arizona Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Small Cap Growth Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Connecticut Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Louisiana Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Limited Duration Income Trust  | U.S.A.  |
| Templeton China World Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin Maryland Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin North Carolina Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTFT-Franklin New Jersey Tax-Free Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Growth and Income VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Global Real Estate VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Global Bond VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Income VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin U.S. Government Securities VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Rising Dividends VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |

---

------

<br> <u>FTVIPT-Templeton Growth VIP Fund </u> <u>U.S.A. </u>

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FTVIPT-Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Large Cap Growth VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Mutual Global Discovery VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Mutual Shares VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Small Cap Value VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Strategic Income VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FIST-Franklin Real Return Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FIST-Franklin Low Duration Total Return Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Select U.S. Equity Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| TIF-Global Equity Series  | U.S.A.  |
| FGT-Franklin International Growth Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| TGIT-Templeton Frontier Markets Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| TIT-Templeton Global Total Return Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin VolSmart Allocation VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| TIT-Templeton Emerging Markets Bond Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual International Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| TIT-Templeton International Bond Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2019 Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2020 Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2021 Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Flexible Alpha Bond Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFRMT-Franklin Floating Rate Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FCF-Franklin Focused Growth Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2022 Fund  | U.S.A.  |

---

------

<br> <u>TF Templeton International - Climate Change Fund </u> <u>U.S.A. </u> <br> <u>Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 9-10 Years 529 Portfolio </u> <u>U.S.A. </u>

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 13-14 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart Retirement Income Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Founding Funds 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2025 Retirement Target Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2035 Retirement Target Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Allocation VIP Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2045 Retirement Target Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin Corefolio Allocation Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin Founding Funds Allocation Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin Moderate Allocation Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin Growth Allocation Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Corefolio 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Newborn - 4 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Income 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Small Mid Cap Growth 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Income Allocation 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Mutual Shares 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Templeton Growth 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| S&P 500 Index 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Newborn-4 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Newborn-4 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 9-10 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2030 Retirement Target Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2050 Retirement Target Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2040 Retirement Target Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2020 Retirement Target Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Conservative Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Moderate Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Growth Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Mutual Global Discovery 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Templeton Global Bond 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2055 Retirement Target Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| NJ Best Trust A  | U.S.A.  |
| NJ Best Trust B  | U.S.A.  |
| NJ Best Trust C  | U.S.A.  |
| NJ Best Trust D  | U.S.A.  |
| NJ Best Trust E  | U.S.A.  |
| NJ Better Educational Saving Trust  | U.S.A.  |
| NJ Best Pooled Equity  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 9 - 10 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 13 - 14 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth & Income Allocation 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 13-14 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin U.S. Government Money 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| FT Holdings Corporations III  | U.S.A.  |
| FT Holdings Corporations IV  | U.S.A.  |

---

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FT Holdings Corporations I  | U.S.A.  |
| FT Holdings Corporations II  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series CH  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series H  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series E  | U.S.A.  |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series I  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond IV 2024 Fund A (Qdis) USD  | Cayman  |
| Franklin U.S. Core Equity (IU) Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin International Core Equity (IU) Fund  | U.S.A.  |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Franklin Emerging Markets Core Equity (UI) Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond 2021 Fund II  | Cayman  |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond V 2024  | Cayman  |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond VI 2024 SP  | Cayman  |
| FTFT-Franklin Municipal Green Bond Fund  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin USD Diversified Fixed Tenure Bond SP  | Cayman  |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond VII 2024 SP  | Cayman  |
| Franklin Equity Portfolio Fund, a series of Franklin ETF Trust  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin Fixed Income Portfolio Fund, a series of Franklin ETF Trust  | U.S.A.  |
| Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund \*  | U.S.A.  |

---

\*Denotes a Fund added through this Amendment.

------

## Ex-99.H

#### FOURTH AMENDMENT TO FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT
This fourth Amendment ("**Amendment**") to the FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT, dated January 22, 2020 among FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SERVICES, LLC (the "**Customer**") and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. ("**J.P. Morgan**"), as amended from time to time (the "**Agreement**"), is made and entered into as of August 11, 2021 and shall be effective as of September 1, 2021, between the Customer and J.P. Morgan.

**<u>W</u> <u>I</u> <u>T</u> <u>N</u> <u>E</u> <u>S</u> <u>S</u> <u>E</u> <u>T</u> <u>H</u>**:

**WHEREAS**, the Customer and J.P. Morgan entered into the Agreement;

**WHEREAS**, the Customer wants to update the list of Funds (as set forth in Annex I to the Agreement) to which J.P. Morgan shall provide fund administration services under the terms and conditions set forth in the Agreement, to include the Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series EM, a series of Templeton Global Investment Trust; and

**WHEREAS**, J.P. Morgan agrees to update Annex I as set forth in this Amendment.

**NOW, THEREFORE**, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereby agree as follows:

1. **<u>Definitions</u>**. Unless otherwise defined herein, defined terms used in this Amendment shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.

2. **<u>Amendments</u>**. The Agreement shall be amended as follows:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(A) Annex I of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety by Annex I hereto.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(B) Save as amended by this Amendment, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

3. **<u>Representations</u>**. Each party represents to the other parties that all representations contained in the Agreement are true and accurate as of the date of this Amendment, and that such representations are deemed to be given or repeated by each party, as the case may be, on the date of this Amendment.

4. **<u>Entire Agreement</u>**. This Amendment and the Agreement and any documents referred to in each of them, constitutes the whole agreement between the parties relating to their subject matter and supersedes and extinguishes any other drafts, agreements, undertakings, representations, warranties and arrangements of any nature, whether in writing or oral, relating to such subject matter. If any of the provisions of this Amendment are inconsistent with or in conflict with any of the provisions of the Agreement then, to the extent of any such inconsistency or conflict, the provisions of this Amendment shall prevail as between the parties.

5. **<u>Counterparts</u>**. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts which together shall constitute one agreement. Each party hereto may enter into this Amendment by executing a counterpart and this Amendment shall not take effect until it has been executed by both parties.

6. **<u>Law and Jurisdiction</u>**. This Amendment shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

**IN WITNESS WHEREOF**, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date first above written.

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SERVICES, LLC**<br>**By: <u>/s/ Matthew Hinkle</u>** <br>**Name: Matthew Hinkle**<br>**Title: Senior Vice President** | **JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.** <br>**By: <u>/s/ Gregory Cook</u>** <br>**Name: Gregory Cook**<br>**Title: Executive Director** |

---

------

#### ANNEX I

#### "ANNEX I TO THE FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT"

#### List of Funds

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name** | **Entity Type** | **Jurisdiction** |
| Franklin Templeton US Government Securities II Ltd |  | Bermuda |
| Templeton Growth Fund II Limited |  | Cayman |
| Alternative Strategies (FT) Ltd |  | Cayman |
| Templeton China Opportunities Fund, Ltd |  | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond 2021 Fund |  | Cayman |
| Franklin Diversified High Yield Global Sukuk 2022 Fund |  | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond Fund III |  | Cayman |
| Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TF-Templeton World Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TF-Templeton Foreign Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton Global Bond Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Growth Fund, Inc. |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Emerging Markets Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Global Income Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TIF-International Equity Series |  | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Developing Markets VIP Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Beacon Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Global Discovery Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual European Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Quest Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Shares Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Developing Markets Trust |  | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Foreign VIP Fund |  | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Dragon Fund, Inc. | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Financial Services Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Universal Trust | U.S.A. |
| FFRMT-Franklin Floating Rate Master Series | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin U.S. Government Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FVIT-Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCTFT-Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income  | U.S.A. |
| FNYTFT-Franklin New York Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income F | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Federal Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMST-Franklin California High Yield Municipal Fund | U.S.A. |
| TMMP-The U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FVIT-Franklin Microcap Value Fund | U.S.A. |
| FREST-Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Strategic Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMST-Franklin Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| FVIT-Franklin Small Cap Value Fund | U.S.A. |
| TGIT-Templeton Global Balanced Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Gold And Precious Metals Fund | U.S.A. |
| FHIT-Franklin High Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Utilities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin DynaTech Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Income Fund | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FUSGMF-Franklin U.S. Government Money Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin California Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin New York Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Massachusetts Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Michigan Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Minnesota Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Ohio Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Colorado Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Georgia Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Pennsylvania Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin High Yield Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Convertible Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Adjustable U.S. Government Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Equity Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| IFT-Money Market Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Federal Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMT-Franklin Rising Dividends Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Missouri Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Oregon Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Virginia Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Alabama Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Florida Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| TGIT-Templeton Emerging Markets Small Cap Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Biotechnology Discovery Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Natural Resources Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Flex Cap Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FIST-Franklin Floating Rate Daily Access Fund | U.S.A. |
| FGT-Franklin Emerging Market Debt Opportunities Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIF-Foreign Smaller Companies Series | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Managed Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FGT-Franklin International Small Cap Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Total Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Growth Opportunities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Arizona Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Small Cap Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Connecticut Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Louisiana Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Limited Duration Income Trust | U.S.A. |
| Templeton China World Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Maryland Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin North Carolina Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin New Jersey Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Growth and Income VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Global Real Estate VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Global Bond VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Income VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin U.S. Government Securities VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Rising Dividends VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Large Cap Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Mutual Global Discovery VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Mutual Shares VIP Fund | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FTVIPT-Franklin Small Cap Value VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Strategic Income VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Real Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Low Duration Total Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Select U.S. Equity Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIF-Global Equity Series | U.S.A. |
| FGT-Franklin International Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| TGIT-Templeton Frontier Markets Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton Global Total Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin VolSmart Allocation VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton Emerging Markets Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual International Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton International Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2019 Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2020 Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2021 Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Flexible Alpha Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFRMT-Franklin Floating Rate Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Focused Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2022 Fund | U.S.A. |
| TF Templeton International - Climate Change Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 9-10 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 13-14 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart Retirement Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Founding Funds 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2025 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2035 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FTVIPT-Franklin Allocation VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2045 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Corefolio Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Founding Funds Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Moderate Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Growth Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Corefolio 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Newborn - 4 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Income 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Small Mid Cap Growth 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Income Allocation 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Mutual Shares 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Growth 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| S&P 500 Index 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Newborn-4 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Newborn-4 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 9-10 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2030 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2050 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2040 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2020 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Conservative Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Moderate Fund | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Mutual Global Discovery 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Global Bond 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2055 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust A | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust B | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust C | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust D | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust E | U.S.A. |
| NJ Better Educational Saving Trust | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Pooled Equity | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 9 - 10 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 13 - 14 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth & Income Allocation 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 13-14 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin U.S. Government Money 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations III | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations IV | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations I | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations II | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series CH | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series H | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series E | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series I | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond IV 2024 Fund A (Qdis) USD | Cayman |
| Franklin U.S. Core Equity (IU) Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin International Core Equity (IU) Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Emerging Markets Core Equity (UI) Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond 2021 Fund II | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond V 2024 | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond VI 2024 SP | Cayman |
| FTFT-Franklin Municipal Green Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Fixed Tenure Bond SP | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond VII 2024 SP | Cayman |
| Franklin Equity Portfolio Fund, a series of Franklin ETF Trust | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Fixed Income Portfolio Fund, a series of Franklin ETF Trust | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Fixed Tenure Bond Series II SP Cayman | Cayman |
| Franklin Lifesmart 2060 Retirement Target Fund U.S.A. | U.S.A. |

---

------

<br> <u>Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund</u>   <u>U.S.A.</u> <br> <u>Franklin Templeton SMACS: Series EM\*</u>   <u>U.S.A.</u>

\*Denotes a Fund added through this Amendment.

------

## Ex-99.H

#### FIFTH AMENDMENT TO FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT
This fifth Amendment ("**Amendment**") to the FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT, dated January 22, 2020, among FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SERVICES, LLC (the "**Customer**") and JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A. ("**J.P. Morgan**"), as amended from time to time (the "**Agreement**"), between the Customer and J.P. Morgan is made and entered into as of June 10, 2022, and shall be effective as of the relevant effective dates set forth below and in Annex I hereto.

**<u>W</u> <u>I</u> <u>T</u> <u>N</u> <u>E</u> <u>S</u> <u>S</u> <u>E</u> <u>T</u> <u>H</u>**:

**WHEREAS**, the Customer and J.P. Morgan entered into the Agreement;

**WHEREAS**, the Customer wants to update the list of Funds (as set forth in Annex I to the Agreement) to which J.P. Morgan shall provide fund administration services under the terms and conditions set forth in the Agreement, to:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) include the following new funds as of June 16, 2022:

Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 7 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio

Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 18 Years 529 Portfolio

Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 7 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio

Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 18 Years 529 Portfolio

Franklin Growth Allocation Age 7 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio

Franklin Growth Allocation Age 18 Years 529 Portfolio

Franklin Conservative Allocation 529 Portfolio

Franklin Conservative Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio

Franklin Moderate Allocation 529 Portfolio

Franklin Moderate Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio

Franklin Aggressive Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio

Franklin DynaTech 529 Portfolio

ClearBridge Large Cap Value 529 Portfolio

ClearBridge International Growth 529 Portfolio

BrandywineGLOBAL - Global Opportunities 529 Portfolio

Western Asset Short Term Bond 529 Portfolio

Western Asset Core Plus Bond 529 Portfolio

Martin Currie International Sustainable Equity 529 Portfolio

Ariel 529 Portfolio

ClearBridge Sustainability Leaders 529 Portfolio; and

(b) remove the following Funds as of November 19, 2021:

FTFT-Franklin Florida Tax-Free Income Fund

FTFT-Franklin Kentucky Tax-Free Income Fund

FMST-Franklin Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) remove the following Funds as of the effective dates outlined below:

Franklin Income Allocation 529 Portfolio (effective as of 6/17/22)

Franklin Growth and Income Allocation 529 Portfolio (effective as of 06/21/22)

Franklin Founding Funds 529 Portfolio (effective as of 06/17/2022)

Franklin Corefolio 529 Portfolio (effective as of 06/22/22)

Franklin Mutual Shares 529 Portfolio (effective as of 06/21/22)

Templeton Growth 529 Portfolio (effective as of 06/17/2022)

Franklin Mutual Global Discovery 529 Portfolio (effective as of 06/22/2022)

Templeton Global Bond 529 Portfolio; (effective as of 06/21/22) and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(d) rename certain funds, pursuant to Annex I hereto and further update the list of funds.

**WHEREAS**, J.P. Morgan agrees to update Annex I as set forth in this Amendment.

**NOW, THEREFORE**, in consideration of the mutual agreements herein contained, the parties hereby agree as follows:

1. **<u>Definitions</u>**. Unless otherwise defined herein, defined terms used in this Amendment shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Agreement.

2. **<u>Amendments</u>**. The Agreement shall be amended as follows:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(A) Annex I of the Agreement is hereby amended and restated in its entirety by Annex I hereto.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(B) Save as amended by this Amendment, the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

------

3. **<u>Representations</u>**. Each party represents to the other parties that all representations contained in the Agreement are true and accurate as of the date of this Amendment, and that such representations are deemed to be given or repeated by each party, as the case may be, on the date of this Amendment.

4. **<u>Entire Agreement</u>**. This Amendment, prior amendments, and the Agreement and any documents referred to in each of them, constitutes the whole agreement between the parties relating to their subject matter and supersedes and extinguishes any other drafts, agreements, undertakings, representations, warranties and arrangements of any nature, whether in writing or oral, relating to such subject matter. If any of the provisions of this Amendment are inconsistent with or in conflict with any of the provisions of the Agreement then, to the extent of any such inconsistency or conflict, the provisions of this Amendment shall prevail as between the parties.

5. **<u>Counterparts</u>**. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts which together shall constitute one agreement. Each party hereto may enter into this Amendment by executing a counterpart and this Amendment shall not take effect until it has been executed by both parties.

6. **<u>Law and Jurisdiction</u>**. This Amendment shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

[ *Signature Page Follows* ]

**IN WITNESS WHEREOF**, the parties have executed this Amendment as of the date first above written.

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **FRANKLIN TEMPLETON SERVICES, LLC**<br>**By<u>:/s/ Matthew T. Hinkle</u>** <br>**Name: Matthew T. Hinkle**<br>**Title: Vice President** | **JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.** <br>**By:_<u>/s/ George Theodoropoulos</u>** <br>**Name: George Theodoropoulos**<br>**Title: Vice President** |

---

------

#### ANNEX I

#### "ANNEX I TO THE FUND SERVICES AGREEMENT"

#### List of Funds

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name** | **Entity Type** | **Jurisdiction** |
| Franklin Templeton US Government Securities II Ltd |  | Bermuda |
| Templeton Growth Fund II Limited |  | Cayman |
| Templeton China Opportunities Fund, Ltd |  | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond Fund III |  | Cayman |
| Templeton Global Smaller Companies Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TF-Templeton World Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TF-Templeton Foreign Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton Global Bond Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Growth Fund, Inc. |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Emerging Markets Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Global Income Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| TIF-International Equity Series |  | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Developing Markets VIP Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Beacon Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Global Discovery Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual European Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Quest Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Shares Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Developing Markets Trust |  | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Foreign VIP Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Templeton Dragon Fund, Inc. |  | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual Financial Services Fund |  | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Universal Trust |  | U.S.A. |
| FFRMT-Franklin Floating Rate Master Series |  | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FCF-Franklin U.S. Government Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FVIT-Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCTFT-Franklin California Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income  | U.S.A. |
| FNYTFT-Franklin New York Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income F | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Strategic Mortgage Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Federal Intermediate-Term Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMST-Franklin California High Yield Municipal Fund | U.S.A. |
| TMMP-The U.S. Government Money Market Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FVIT-Franklin Microcap Value Fund | U.S.A. |
| FREST-Franklin Real Estate Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Strategic Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FVIT-Franklin Small Cap Value Fund | U.S.A. |
| TGIT-Templeton Global Balanced Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Gold And Precious Metals Fund | U.S.A. |
| FHIT-Franklin High Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Utilities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin DynaTech Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FUSGMF-Franklin U.S. Government Money Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin California Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin New York Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Federal Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Massachusetts Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Michigan Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Minnesota Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Ohio Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Colorado Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Georgia Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FTFT-Franklin Pennsylvania Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin High Yield Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Convertible Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Adjustable U.S. Government Securities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Equity Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| IFT-Money Market Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Federal Limited-Term Tax-Free Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMT-Franklin Rising Dividends Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Missouri Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Oregon Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Virginia Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Alabama Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| TGIT-Templeton Emerging Markets Small Cap Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Biotechnology Discovery Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Natural Resources Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Flex Cap Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Floating Rate Daily Access Fund | U.S.A. |
| FGT-Franklin Emerging Market Debt Opportunities Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIF-Foreign Smaller Companies Series | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Managed Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FGT-Franklin International Small Cap Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Total Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Growth Opportunities Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Arizona Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Small Cap Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Connecticut Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Louisiana Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Limited Duration Income Trust | U.S.A. |
| Templeton China World Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin Maryland Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |

---

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---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FTFT-Franklin North Carolina Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTFT-Franklin New Jersey Tax-Free Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Growth and Income VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Global Real Estate VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Global Bond VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Income VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin U.S. Government Securities VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Rising Dividends VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Templeton Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Small-Mid Cap Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Large Cap Growth VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Mutual Global Discovery VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Mutual Shares VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Small Cap Value VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Strategic Income VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Real Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FIST-Franklin Low Duration Total Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Select U.S. Equity Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIF-Global Equity Series | U.S.A. |
| FGT-Franklin International Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| TGIT-Templeton Frontier Markets Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton Global Total Return Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin VolSmart Allocation VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton Emerging Markets Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| FMSF-Franklin Mutual International Fund | U.S.A. |
| TIT-Templeton International Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2019 Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2020 Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2021 Fund | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Flexible Alpha Bond Fund | U.S.A. |

---

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---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| FFRMT-Franklin Floating Rate Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FCF-Franklin Focused Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Payout 2022 Fund | U.S.A. |
| TF Templeton International - Climate Change Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 9-10 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 13-14 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart Retirement Income Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2025 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2035 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FTVIPT-Franklin Allocation VIP Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2045 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Corefolio Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Founding Funds Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Moderate Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin Growth Allocation Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Newborn - 4 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Income 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Small Mid Cap Growth 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| *Franklin U.S. Large Cap Index 529 Portfolio (*f/k/a S&P 500 Index 529 Portfolio)\*\** | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Newborn-4 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Newborn-4 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 9-10 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| *Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 17 Years 529 Portfolio (*f/k/a Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio)\*\*\** | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2030 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2050 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2040 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2020 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |

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------

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Conservative Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Moderate Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin NextStep Growth Fund | U.S.A. |
| FFAS-Franklin LifeSmart 2055 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust A | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust B | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust C | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust D | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Trust E | U.S.A. |
| NJ Better Educational Saving Trust | U.S.A. |
| NJ Best Pooled Equity | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 9 - 10 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 13 - 14 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| *Franklin Growth Allocation Age 17 Years 529 Portfolio (*f/k/a Franklin Growth Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio)\*\*\** | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 17 Years 529 Portfolio (*f/k/a Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 17-18 Years 529 Portfolio*)\*\*\* | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 13-14 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin U.S. Government Money 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations III | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations IV | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations I | U.S.A. |
| FT Holdings Corporations II | U.S.A. |
| *Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 5 - 6 Years 529 Portfolio (*f/k/a Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio)\*\*\** | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| *Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 5 - 6 Years 529 Portfolio (*f/k/a Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio)\*\*\** | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| *Franklin Growth Allocation Age 5 - 6 Years 529 Portfolio (*f/k/a Franklin Growth Allocation Age 5 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio)\*\*\** | U.S.A. |

---

------

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 11 - 12 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 15 - 16 Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 19+ Years 529 Portfolio | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series CH | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series H | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series E | U.S.A. |
| FSS-Franklin Templeton SMACS Series I | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond IV 2024 Fund A (Qdis) USD | Cayman |
| Franklin U.S. Core Equity (IU) Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin International Core Equity (IU) Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Emerging Markets Core Equity (UI) Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond VI 2024 SP | Cayman |
| FTFT-Franklin Municipal Green Bond Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Fixed Tenure Bond SP | Cayman |
| Franklin USD Diversified Bond VII 2024 SP | Cayman |
| Franklin Equity Portfolio Fund, a series of Franklin ETF Trust | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Fixed Income Portfolio Fund, a series of Franklin ETF Trust | U.S.A. |
| Franklin USD Diversified Fixed Tenure Bond Series II SP | Cayman |
| Franklin Lifesmart 2060 Retirement Target Fund | U.S.A. |
| Franklin OnChain U.S. Government Money Fund  | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Templeton SMACS Fund: Series EM | U.S.A. |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 7 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio\* |  |
| Franklin Conservative Allocation Age 18 Years 529 Portfolio\* |  |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 7 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio\*  |  |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation Age 18 Years 529 Portfolio\* |  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 7 - 8 Years 529 Portfolio\* |  |
| Franklin Growth Allocation Age 18 Years 529 Portfolio\* |  |

---

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---

| |
|:---|
| Franklin Conservative Allocation 529 Portfolio\* |
| Franklin Conservative Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio\* |
| Franklin Moderate Allocation 529 Portfolio\* |
| Franklin Moderate Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio\*  |
| Franklin Aggressive Growth Allocation 529 Portfolio\* |
| Franklin DynaTech 529 Portfolio\* |
| ClearBridge Large Cap Value 529 Portfolio\*  |
| ClearBridge International Growth 529 Portfolio\*  |
| BrandywineGLOBAL - Global Opportunities 529 Portfolio\*  |
| Western Asset Short Term Bond 529 Portfolio\* |
| Western Asset Core Plus Bond 529 Portfolio\* |
| Martin Currie International Sustainable Equity 529 Portfolio\*  |
| Ariel 529 Portfolio\* |
| ClearBridge Sustainability Leaders 529 Portfolio\* |

---

\*Denotes a Fund added through this Amendment.

\*\* Name change effective as of June 24, 2022

\*\*\*Name change effective as of June 16, 2022

------

## Ex-99.H

#### FORM OF RULE 12d1-4

#### FUND OF FUNDS INVESTMENT AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of [___________], is made among each entity listed on Schedule A (as amended from time to time), severally and not jointly (each, an "**Acquiring Fund**"), and each Acquired Fund listed on Schedule A (as amended from time to time), severally and not jointly (each, an "**Acquired Fund**" and together with the Acquiring Funds, the "**Funds**").

WHEREAS, each Fund is registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("**SEC**") as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "**1940 Act**");

WHEREAS, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act limits the extent to which a registered investment company may invest in shares of other registered investment companies, Section 12(d)(1)(B) limits the extent to which a registered investment company, its principal underwriter ("**Distributor**") or registered brokers or dealers ("**Brokers**") may knowingly sell shares of such registered investment company to other investment companies, and Section 12(d)(1)(C) limits the extent to which an investment company may invest in the shares of a registered closed-end investment company;

WHEREAS, Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act (the "**Rule**") permits (i) registered investment companies, such as the Acquiring Funds, to invest in shares of other registered investment companies, such as the Acquired Funds, in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1)(A) and Section 12(d)(1)(C) of the 1940 Act, and (ii) registered investment companies, such as the Acquired Funds, as well as the Distributor and Brokers, knowingly to sell shares of the Acquired Funds to the Acquiring Funds in excess of the limits of Section 12(d)(1)(B) of the 1940 Act, subject to compliance with the conditions of the Rule;

WHEREAS, an Acquiring Fund may, from time to time, invest in shares of one or more Acquired Funds in excess of the limitations of Section 12(d)(1)(A) and Section 12(d)(1)(C), as applicable, in reliance on the Rule; and

WHEREAS, an Acquired Fund, Distributor, or Broker, from time to time, may knowingly sell shares of one or more Acquired Funds to an Acquiring Fund in excess of the limitations of Section 12(d)(1)(B) in reliance on the Rule;

NOW THEREFORE, in accordance with the Rule, each Acquiring Fund and each Acquired Fund desires to set forth the following terms pursuant to which an Acquiring Fund may invest in an Acquired Fund in reliance on the Rule and each Acquired Fund, Distributor, or Broker may sell shares of an Acquired Fund to an Acquiring Fund in reliance on the Rule.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. Terms of Investment

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) In order to help reasonably address the risk of undue influence on an Acquired Fund that operates as a mutual fund ("**Acquired Mutual Fund**") by an Acquiring Fund, and to assist the Acquired Mutual Fund's investment adviser with making the required findings under the Rule, each Acquiring Fund and each Acquired Mutual Fund agree as follows:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) *In-kind redemptions*. The Acquiring Fund acknowledges and agrees that, if and to the extent consistent with the Acquired Mutual Fund's registration statement, as amended from time to time, the Acquired Mutual Fund in its sole discretion may honor any redemption request partially or wholly in-kind. In the event that the Acquired Mutual Fund honors a redemption request partially or wholly in-kind, the Acquired Mutual Fund shall have sole discretion to determine the selection of its portfolio securities to distribute in-kind.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(ii) *Timing/advance notice of redemptions*. The Acquiring Fund will use reasonable efforts to spread large redemption requests (greater than % of the Acquired Mutual Fund's total outstanding shares) over multiple days or to provide at least business days' advance

------

notification to the Acquired Mutual Fund of redemption requests in excess of % of the Acquired Fund's outstanding shares whenever practicable and consistent with the Acquiring Fund's best interests. The Acquired Mutual Fund acknowledges and agrees that any notification provided pursuant to the foregoing is not a commitment to redeem and constitutes an estimate that may differ materially from the amount, timing and manner in which a redemption request is submitted, if any.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(iii) *Scale of investment.* Upon the reasonable request of an Acquired Mutual Fund, the Acquiring Fund will provide summary information regarding the anticipated timeline of its investment in the Acquired Mutual Fund and the scale of its contemplated investments in the Acquired Mutual Fund.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) With respect to investments in Acquired Funds that operate as exchange-traded funds ("**Acquired ETFs**"), the Funds note that each Acquired ETF is designed to accommodate large investments and redemptions, whether from Acquiring Funds or other investors. Creation and redemption orders for shares of the Acquired ETFs can only be submitted by Brokers or other participants of a registered clearing agency (collectively, "**Authorized Participants**") that have entered into an agreement ("**Authorized Participant Agreement**") with the Acquired ETFs' Distributor to transact in shares of the Acquired ETFs. The Acquired ETFs also have policies and procedures (the "**Basket Policies**") that have been adopted pursuant to Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act, which govern creations and redemptions of the Acquired ETFs' shares. Any creation or redemption order submitted by an Acquiring Fund through an Authorized Participant will be satisfied pursuant to the Basket Policies and the relevant Authorized Participant Agreement. The Basket Policies include provisions that govern in-kind creations and redemptions, as well as cash transactions. In any event, the Funds generally expect that the Acquiring Funds will transact in shares in the Acquired ETFs on the secondary market rather than through direct creation and redemption transactions with the Acquired ETF. The Funds believe that these material terms regarding an Acquiring Fund's investment in shares of an Acquired ETF should assist the Acquired ETF's investment adviser with making the required findings under the Rule.<br>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) With respect to investments in Acquired Funds that operate as closed-end funds ("**Acquired CEFs**"), the Funds note that Acquired CEFs do not permit daily redemptions and that Acquired CEFs that permit periodic repurchases, such as interval funds that operate under Rule 23c-3 under the 1940 Act or funds that conduct periodic tender offers pursuant to Rule 13e-4 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, would do so only under prescribed circumstances. Upon a reasonable request by an Acquired CEF, the Acquiring Fund will provide summary information regarding the anticipated timeline of its investment in the Acquired CEF and the scale of its contemplated investments in the Acquired CEF.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(d) In order to assist the Acquiring Fund's investment adviser, principal underwriter or depositor, as applicable, with evaluating the complexity of the structure and fees and expenses associated with an investment in an Acquired Fund, the Acquired Fund shall provide the Acquiring Fund with information on the fees and expenses of the Acquired Fund reasonably requested by the Acquiring Fund in order to facilitate compliance with the Rule. In accordance with the foregoing and in recognition of each Acquired Fund's obligations regarding disclosure of material nonpublic information under applicable laws, rules and regulations, including without limitation Regulation FD, the Funds agree that information on fees and expenses of an Acquired Fund shall be provided through delivery of or access to publicly available documents.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(e) An Acquiring Fund shall promptly provide an Acquired Fund with information regarding the amount of the Acquiring Fund's investments in the Acquired Fund, and information regarding affiliates of the Acquiring Fund, upon the Acquired Fund's request.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. Representations of the Acquired Funds.

------

In connection with any investment by an Acquiring Fund in an Acquired Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(A) or Section 12(d)(1)(C) or knowing sale of shares by an Acquired Fund, Distributor, or Broker to an Acquiring Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(B), the Acquired Fund agrees to: (i) comply with all conditions of the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, applicable to Acquired Funds; (ii) comply with its obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) promptly notify the Acquiring Fund if such Acquired Fund fails to comply with the Rule with respect to an investment by the Acquiring Fund, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, or fails to comply with this Agreement.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;3. Representations of the Acquiring Funds.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) In connection with any investment by an Acquiring Fund in an Acquired Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(A) or Section 12(d)(1)(C) or knowing sale of shares by an Acquired Fund, Distributor, or Broker to an Acquiring Fund in excess of the limitations in Section 12(d)(1)(B), the Acquiring Fund agrees to: (i) comply with all conditions of the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, applicable to Acquiring Funds; (ii) comply with its obligations under this Agreement; and (iii) promptly notify the Acquired Fund if such Acquiring Fund fails to comply with the Rule with respect to its investment in such Acquired Fund, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, or fails to comply with this Agreement.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) Except as set forth on Schedule A, no Acquiring Fund holds outstanding voting securities of any Acquired Fund in excess of the limit in Section 12(d)(1)(A)(i). No Acquiring Fund will purchase or acquire shares of an Acquired Fund that would cause such Acquiring Fund to hold outstanding voting securities of such Acquired Fund in excess of the limit in Section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) without prior written approval from the Acquired Fund.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) An Acquiring Fund shall promptly notify an Acquired Fund:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) of any purchase or acquisition of shares of an Acquired Fund that causes the Acquiring Fund to hold 5% or more of the Acquired Fund's total outstanding voting securities;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(ii) if at any time the Acquiring Fund and its "Advisory Group" (as defined in the Rule), individually or in the aggregate, hold more than 25% of the Acquired Fund's total outstanding voting securities; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(iii) if at any time the Acquiring Fund and, if applicable, its Advisory Group no longer holds voting securities of the Acquired Fund in excess of an amount noted in clause (i) or (ii) above.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if an Acquiring Fund has an "affiliated person" (as defined under the 1940 Act) that is: (i) a broker-dealer, (ii) a broker-dealer or bank that borrows as part of a securities lending program, or (iii) a futures commission merchant or a swap dealer, such Acquiring Fund: (a) will not make an investment in an Acquired Fund that causes such Acquiring Fund to hold 5% or more of the Acquired Fund's total outstanding voting securities without prior approval from the Acquired Fund; and (b) will notify the Acquired Fund if, notwithstanding compliance with clause (a) at the time of investment, the Acquired Fund subsequently holds 5% or more of the Acquired Fund's total outstanding voting securities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(e) With respect to any investment by an Acquiring Fund in an Acquired CEF, the Acquiring Fund agrees as follows:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(i) the Acquiring Fund and its Advisory Group will not control (individually or in the aggregate) any Acquired Fund;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(ii) the Acquiring Fund shall not purchase or otherwise acquire securities issued by any Acquired Fund in excess of the limit in Section 12(d)(1)(A)(i) of the 1940 Act (i.e., three percent (3%) of the total outstanding voting shares of the Acquired Fund);

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(iii) the Acquiring Fund, together with all affiliated persons of the Acquiring Fund (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any private funds and managed accounts), in the aggregate, will not purchase or otherwise acquire more than ten percent (10%) of the outstanding voting securities of any Acquired Fund; if such 10% ownership limit is exceeded in any Acquired Fund, the Acquiring Fund will notify the applicable Acquired Fund immediately, will not purchase any additional securities of the Acquired Fund and will cause such ownership to comply with the 10% limit within six (6) months or such shorter time as may be required by law;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(iv) during the term of this Agreement, the Acquiring Fund agrees to appear at all Acquired Fund shareholder meetings or otherwise cause Acquired Fund shares owned by the Acquiring Fund to be counted as present thereat for purposes of calculating a quorum;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(v) (A) except as provided in paragraph (B) below, or otherwise required by applicable law or rules thereunder, the Acquiring Fund will vote all Acquired Fund securities held by the Acquiring Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such securities ("echo voting");

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(B) if requested in writing by the Acquired Fund at least 30 days prior to the date on which Acquired Fund shareholders are to vote on any matter, the Acquiring Fund will consider, to the extent permitted, voting in its own discretion (rather than echo voting) in accordance with the best interest of its unitholders or shareholders; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(vi) during the term of this Agreement, the Acquiring Fund will not effect, seek, offer, engage in, propose (whether publicly or otherwise), cause or participate in, or assist any other person to effect, seek, offer, engage in, propose (whether publicly or otherwise), cause or participate in, any "solicitation" of "proxies" (as defined in Rule 14a-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) with respect to any Acquired Fund or propose any matter for submission to a vote of shareholders of any Acquired Fund. Additionally, the Acquiring Fund will not knowingly sell shares of any Acquired Fund to any investor which the Acquiring Fund knows or reasonably should know to be engaged in acquiring or holding the securities of publicly traded companies with a purpose or effect of changing or influencing control of such companies, or in connection with or as a participant in any transactions having that purpose or effect.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;4. Notices.

All notices, including all information that either party is required to provide under the terms of this Agreement and the Rule, shall be in writing and shall be delivered by registered or overnight mail, facsimile, or electronic mail to the address for each party specified below.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| If to the Acquiring Fund: | If to the Acquired Fund: |
| [Name] | [Name] |
| c/o [Company] [Address] | c/o [Company] [Address] |
| [City, State, Zip] | [City, State, Zip] |
| Fax: | Fax: |
| Email: | Email: |
| With a copy to: [Name] | With a copy to: [Name] |
| Attn: Legal Dept. [Address] | Attn: Legal Dept. [Address] |
| [City, State, Zip] | [City, State, Zip] |
| Fax: | Fax: |

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<br> Email: Email:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;5. Term and Termination

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) This Agreement shall be effective for the duration of the Acquired Funds' and the Acquiring Funds' reliance on the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time. While the terms of the Agreement shall only be applicable to investments in Funds made in reliance on the Rule, as interpreted or modified by the SEC or its Staff from time to time, the Agreement shall continue in effect until terminated pursuant to Section 5(b).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) This Agreement shall continue until terminated in writing (i) by either party upon 60 days' notice to the other party or (ii) by a non-breaching party immediately if the other party is in material breach of this Agreement. Upon termination of this Agreement, an Acquiring Fund may not purchase additional shares of an Acquired Fund beyond the Section 12(d)(1)(A) or Section 12(d)(1)(C) limits in reliance on the Rule. In addition, the Acquired Fund shall have the right to require the Acquiring Fund to sell or otherwise dispose of any shares of the Acquired Fund that the Acquiring Fund purchased or otherwise acquired in violation of the Rule or in breach of this Agreement.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to Section 5(b) hereof with respect to an Acquiring Fund and corresponding Acquired Fund, the provisions set forth in Sections 3(e)(iv) and (v) shall survive and be a continuing obligation of such Acquiring Fund so long as the Acquiring Fund holds voting securities of the applicable Acquired Fund.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;6. <u>Assignment, Amendment; Miscellaneous</u>

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(a) This Agreement may not be "assigned" (as defined in the 1940 Act) by either party without the prior written consent of the other.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(b) This Agreement may be amended, including the addition of Acquiring Funds and Acquired Funds to Schedule A, only by a writing that is signed by each affected party.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(c) In any action involving the Acquiring Funds under this Agreement, each Acquired Fund agrees to look solely to the individual Acquiring Fund that is involved in the matter in controversy for satisfaction, and not to any other series of the trust or corporation of which any such Acquiring Fund is a series, if applicable, or to the Acquiring Funds' directors, trustees, officers, employees or shareholders, or any of them, or any of their personal assets for such satisfaction.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(d) In any action involving the Acquired Funds under this Agreement, each Acquiring Fund agrees to look solely to the individual Acquired Fund that is involved in the matter in controversy for satisfaction, and not to any other series of the trust or corporation of which any such Acquired Fund is a series, if applicable, or to the Acquired Funds' directors, trustees, officers, employees or shareholders, or any of them, or any of their personal assets for such satisfaction.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(e) In no event and under no circumstances will any party to this Agreement be liable to any person, including without limitation any other party to this Agreement, for any special, indirect or consequential loss or damages resulting from any act or failure to act in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, even if such party had been advised of the possibility of such losses or damages.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(f) The Acquiring Funds and Acquired Funds may file a copy of this Agreement with the SEC or any other regulatory body if required by applicable law.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(g) For any Acquired Fund that is a Massachusetts business trust or a series of a Massachusetts business trust, a copy of the Declaration of Trust of such Acquired Fund or trust is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Notice is hereby given that no trustee, officer, employee, agent or shareholder of an Acquired Fund shall have any personal liability under this Agreement and that this Agreement is binding only upon the assets and property of the applicable Acquired Fund.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(h) This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to its choice of law principles.

[Signature page to follow]

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date first written above.

#### [Acquired Funds]
By:

Name:

Title:

#### [Acquiring Fund]
By:

Name:

Title:

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#### SCHEDULE A

#### List of Funds to Which the Agreement Applies

#### Acquiring Funds

#### Acquired Funds

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## Ex-99.J

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

We consent to the references to our firm under the captions "Financial Highlights" in the Prospectus and "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm" and "Policies and Procedures Regarding the Release of Portfolio Holdings" in the Statement of Additional Information, each dated March 1, 2023 and each included in this Post-Effective Amendment No. 69 to the Registration Statement (Form N-1A, File No. 033-31326) of Franklin Value Investors Trust (the "Registration Statement").

We also consent to the incorporation by reference of our report dated December 19, 2022, with respect to the financial statements and financial highlights of Franklin Small Cap Value Fund, Franklin MicroCap Value Fund and Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund (formerly, Franklin Mutual U.S. Value Fund) (the funds constituting Franklin Value Investors Trust) included in the Annual Report to Shareholders (Form N-CSR) for the year ended October 31, 2022, into this Registration Statement, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

February 24, 2023

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## Ex-99.P

![](img_45a322adabeb4f15.jpg)

(This Policy serves as a code of ethics adopted pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the

Investment Company Act of 1940 and Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940)

#### Revised January 1, 2023

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **SECTION 1.** | **PURPOSE OF THE POLICY** | 1 |
| 1.1 | SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THE POLICY | 2 |
| 1.2 | STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES | 2 |
| 1.3 | PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES | 2 |
| 1.4 | MONITORING OF THE POLICY AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | 3 |
| **SECTION 2.** | **PERSONAL INVESTMENTS** | 3 |
| 2.1 | STATEMENT ON COVERED EMPLOYEE INVESTMENTS | 3 |
| 2.2 | CATEGORIES OF PERSONS SUBJECT TO THE POLICY | 3 |
| 2.3 | ACCOUNTS AND TRANSACTIONS COVERED BY THE POLICY | 4 |
| 2.4 | PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS | 4 |
| 2.5 | ADDITIONAL PROHIBITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESS PERSONS AND PORTFOLIO PERSONS | 5 |
| 2.6 | REPORTING REQUIREMENTS | 6 |
| 2.7 | PRE-CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS | 7 |
| 2.8 | REQUIREMENTS FOR INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS | 7 |
| **SECTION 3.** | **INSIDER TRADING** | **8** |
| 3.1 | POLICY ON INSIDER TRADING | 8 |
| **SECTION 4.** | **RELATED POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS** | **9** |
| 4.1 | STATEMENT ON OTHER POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS | 9 |
| **SECTION 5.** | **ADMINISTRATION OF THE POLICY, WAIVERS & REPORTING VIOLATIONS** | **9** |
| 5.1 | CODE OF ETHICS COMMITTEE; REPORTING TO FT FUND BOARDS | **9** |
| 5.2 | VIOLATIONS OF THE POLICY | **9** |
| 5.3 | WAIVERS OF THE POLICY | **9** |
| 5.4 | REPORTING VIOLATIONS | **9** |

---

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#### This document is the proprietary product of Franklin Templeton. Any unauthorized use, reproduction or transfer of this document is strictly prohibited. Franklin Templeton© 2023. All Rights Reserved.

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#### SECTION 1. PURPOSE OF THE POLICY
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**1.1 Scope and Purpose of the Policy**

The Franklin Templeton Personal Investments and Insider Trading Policy (the "Policy") applies to the personal investment activities of all Covered Employees (as defined in section 2.2 of the Policy) of Franklin Resources, Inc. ("FRI") and all of its subsidiaries (collectively, "Franklin Templeton").

Franklin Templeton provides services to the funds that are advised or sub-advised by a Franklin Templeton investment adviser (the "FT Funds") and other client accounts ("Client Accounts"). Thus, for purposes of this Policy, "FT Fund" includes all open-end and closed-end funds within the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, as well as any other fund that is advised or sub-advised by a Franklin Templeton investment adviser.

The purpose of the Policy is to summarize the values, principles and business practices that guide Franklin Templeton's business conduct and to establish a set of principles to guide Covered Employees regarding the conduct expected of them when managing their personal investments.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**1.2 Statement of Principles**

All Covered Employees are required to conduct themselves in a lawful, honest and ethical manner in their business practices and to maintain an environment that fosters fairness, respect and integrity.

Franklin Templeton's policy is that the interests of the FT Funds and Client Accounts are paramount and come before the interests of any employee. Information concerning the securities1 holdings and financial circumstances of the FT Funds and Client Accounts, as well as the identity of certain Client Accounts, is confidential and Covered Employees are required to safeguard this information.

The personal investment activities of Covered Employees must be conducted in a manner to avoid actual or potential conflicts of interest with the FT Funds and Client Accounts. In particular, to the extent that a Covered Employee learns of an investment opportunity because of his or her position with Franklin Templeton (e.g., internal or third party research, Franklin Templeton or company sponsored conferences, or communications with company officers), the Covered Employee must give preference to the FT Funds or Client Accounts.

Personal transactions in a security may not be executed, regardless of quantity, if the Covered Employee has access to information regarding, or knowledge or even a presumed knowledge of, FT Fund or Client Account activity in such security, including proposed activity and recommendations.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**1.3 Prohibited Activities**

Covered Employees generally are prohibited from engaging or participating in any activity that has the potential to cause harm to an FT Fund or Client Account. Examples of prohibited activities include, but are not limited to:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Making investment decisions, changes in research ratings and trading decisions other than exclusively for the benefit of, and in the best interest of, the FT Funds or Client Accounts;

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Taking, delaying or omitting to take any action with respect to any research recommendation, report or rating or any investment or trading decision for an FT Fund or Client Account in order to avoid economic injury to themselves or anyone other than the FT Funds or Client Accounts;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Purchasing or selling a security on the basis of knowledge of a possible trade by or for an FT Fund or Client Account with the intent of personally profiting from, or avoiding a loss with respect to, personal holdings in the same or related securities;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;1. For purposes of this Policy, the term "securities" also includes derivatives, such as futures, options and swaps.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Revealing to any other person (except in the normal course of the Covered Employee's duties on behalf of an

FT Fund or Client Account) any information regarding securities transactions by any FT Fund or Client Account or the consideration by any FT Fund or Client Account of any such securities transactions; or

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Engaging in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on an FT Fund or Client Account or engaging in any manipulative practice with respect to any FT Fund or Client Account.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**1.4 Monitoring of the Policy and Additional Information**

Questions regarding the Policy and related requirements should be directed to the Code of Ethics Department located in San Mateo, CA. The Code of Ethics Department can be reached by e-mail at lpreclear@franklintempleton.com. The Code of Ethics Department uses PTA, http://coeprod/pta/index.jsp, an automated transaction pre-clearance system, to manage the oversight of personal investments. Administration of the Policy is the responsibility of the Code of Ethics Committee.

#### SECTION 2. PERSONAL INVESTMENTS
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2.1 Statement on Covered Employee Investments**

Franklin Templeton recognizes the importance to Covered Employees of managing their own financial resources. However, because of the potential conflicts of interest inherent in its business, Franklin Templeton has implemented this Policy with regard to personal investments of Covered Employees. This Policy is designed to minimize these conflicts and help ensure that Franklin Templeton focuses on meeting its duties as a fiduciary to the FT Funds or Client Accounts.

Covered Employees should be aware that their ability to invest in certain securities and to liquidate those positions may be severely restricted under this Policy due to trading by the FT Funds or Client Accounts, including during times of market volatility. Therefore, as a general matter, Franklin Templeton encourages Covered Employees to exercise caution when investing in individual securities, particularly in situations where a Covered Employee wishes to invest in securities held or likely to be held by the FT Funds or Client Accounts.

Franklin Templeton also discourages Covered Employees from engaging in a pattern of securities transactions that is so excessively frequent as to potentially impact the Covered Employee's ability to carry out their assigned responsibilities, increases the possibility of potential conflicts or violates the Policy or the FT Funds' prospectuses.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2.2 Categories of Persons Subject to the Policy**

All persons subject to the Policy are assigned to the following categories based on their access to information regarding, or involvement in, investment activities. Persons subject to other personal trading policies or codes of ethics adopted by Franklin Templeton or its affiliates generally are exempt from this Policy.2 Please consult the Code of Ethics Department if you have any questions about how this Policy applies to you.

**Covered Employees:** Covered Employees are: (1) partners, officers, directors (or persons

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occupying a similar status or having similar functions) and employees (including certain designated temporary employees or consultants) of any Franklin Templeton investment adviser, as well as any other persons who provide advice on behalf of any Franklin Templeton investment adviser and are subject to the supervision and control of that investment adviser; (2) Access Persons, as defined below; and (3) Independent directors of FT Funds within the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds and independent directors of Franklin Templeton investment advisers (collectively, "Independent Directors").

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;2. In limited circumstances, certain affiliates of FRI may adopt separate policies or codes of ethics governing personal trading in order to address the specific features of their investment activities and operations. Individuals subject to such separate policies or codes of ethics generally are exempt from this Policy.

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**Access Persons:** Access Persons are those who have access to non-public information regarding FT Funds' or Client Accounts' securities transactions; or have access to recommendations that are non-public; or have access to non-public information regarding the portfolio holdings of the FT Funds or Client Accounts.

**Portfolio Persons:** Portfolio Persons, a subset of Access Persons, are those who, in connection with their regular functions or duties, make or participate in the decision to purchase or sell a security by an FT Fund or Client Account or if his or her functions relate to the making of any recommendations about those purchases or sales.

Please see the Appendix to this Policy for a table indicating how the provisions of the Policy apply to each category of persons. In addition, please see section 2.8 of the Policy for a description of the requirements for Independent Directors.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2.3 Accounts and Transactions Covered by the Policy**

The Policy covers two types of securities accounts and transactions: (1) those in which Covered Employees have or share investment control, and (2) those in which Covered Employees have direct or indirect beneficial ownership.

Generally, a person has a beneficial ownership in a security if he or she, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, has or shares a direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the security. "Pecuniary interest" has the same meaning as in Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Generally, a pecuniary interest in a security means the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the security. Covered Employees are presumed to have a pecuniary interest in securities held by members of their immediate family or domestic partners sharing the same household.

Certain types of securities and investments are exempt from the Policy. These include, but are not limited to, direct obligations of the U.S. government, money market instruments, and registered open-end funds other than the FT Funds. Cryptocurrencies are reportable only, (1) by members of those investment teams investing in cryptocurrencies, and (2) for the cryptocurrencies in which they are investing on behalf of clients or funds. Please consult the Code of Ethics Department for further information about specific types of securities that are exempt from the Policy.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2.4 Prohibited Transactions**

#### Trading that Conflicts with FT Funds or Client Accounts
Covered Employees are prohibited from any trading activity that conflicts with the FT Funds' or Client Accounts' trading activity. Examples of prohibited trading activity include, but are not limited to:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• "front running" or trading ahead of an FT Fund or Client Account; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• trading parallel to or against an FT Fund or Client Account.

#### Short Sales of Securities Issued by Franklin Resources and FT Sponsored Closed-end Funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)
Covered Employees are prohibited from effecting short sales, including "short sales against the box," of securities issued by FRI, or any FT sponsored closed-end funds or FT exchange traded

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funds (ETFs). This prohibition includes economically equivalent transactions such as call or put options, swap transactions or other derivatives that would result in having a net short exposure to FRI or any closed-end fund or ETF sponsored or advised by Franklin Templeton.

#### Pledged Securities
Directors and Executive Officers are also prohibited from pledging, hypothecating or otherwise encumbering securities issued by Franklin Resources as described in greater detail in the FRI Code of Ethics and Business Conduct.

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#### Trading in Shares of the FT Funds
A Covered Employee is prohibited from buying or selling shares of an FT Fund while in possession of material non public information about the FT Fund. Specifically, Covered Employees are prohibited from taking personal advantage of their non-public knowledge of recent or impending investment activities of FT Funds or the FT Funds' investment advisers or any other non-public information that a reasonable investor would likely consider important in making his or her investment decisions, including information that may have a material effect on an FT Fund's share price or net asset value.

In addition, Covered Employees must keep confidential at all times non-public information they may obtain about an FT Fund, including but not limited to information such as portfolio holdings, pricing or valuation of an FT Fund's portfolio holdings, recent or impending securities transactions by an FT Fund, changes related to an FT Fund's investment adviser, offerings of new FT Funds, changes to investment minimums, FT Fund closures or liquidations, changes to investment personnel, FT Fund flow activity, and information on current or prospective FT Fund shareholders.

Please consult your local Legal or Compliance department if you have any questions about materiality, confidentiality, or any other concerns before trading on or sharing non-public information relating to FT Funds.

#### Short-Term Trading in Open-end FT Funds
Franklin Templeton discourages short-term or excessive trading, often referred to as "market timing," in shares of the open-end FT Funds. Covered Employees must be familiar with the "Frequent Trading Policy" or its equivalent described in the prospectus of each open-end FT Fund in which they invest and must not engage in trading activity that might violate the purpose or intent of such policy. Accordingly, all Covered Employees must comply with the purpose and intent of each open-end FT Fund's Frequent Trading Policy or its equivalent and must not engage in any short-term or excessive trading in open-end FT Funds.

For open-end FT Funds within the Franklin Templeton Group of Funds, including FT Funds purchased through a 401(k) plan, trading activity by Covered Employees is monitored and any trading patterns or behaviors that may constitute short-term or excessive trading is reported to the Code of Ethics Department. These reports will include descriptions of any actions taken and any sanctions or penalties imposed in response to such trading activity. This policy does not apply to purchases and sales of money market funds.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2.5 Additional Prohibitions and Requirements for Access Persons and Portfolio Persons**

#### Initial Public Offerings
Access Persons are prohibited from investing in securities sold in an initial public offering or a secondary offering (including Initial Coin Offerings ("ICOs")) by an issuer except for offerings of securities made by closed-end FT Funds advised or sub-advised by Franklin Templeton. However, IPOs may be permissible in certain circumstances or jurisdictions. Please contact the Code of Ethics department or your local Compliance Officer in advance of executing any IPO.

#### Short Sales of Securities
Portfolio Persons are prohibited from selling short any security held by the FT Funds, including

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"short sales against the box." This prohibition also applies to effecting economically equivalent transactions, including, but not limited to, sales of uncovered call options, sales of put options while not owning the underlying security, and short sales of bonds that are convertible into equity positions, swaps or other derivatives where the security is held by FT Funds.

#### Short Swing Rule
Portfolio Persons are subject to a short swing rule whereby they cannot profit from the purchase and sale or sale and purchase of any security within a 60 calendar day period, including transactions in derivatives and transactions that may occur in margin and option accounts. For purposes of this rule, profits will be determined based upon the maximum gain that could be realized on the purchases and sales (or sales and purchases) occurring during the 60

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calendar day period. Please consult the Code of Ethics Department about how profits are calculated for purposes of this rule.

#### Disclosure of Interest in Securities or Private Investments
Portfolio Persons are required to disclose any interest they have in the securities of an issuer or direct investment in any company if they are involved in either analysis or investment decisions related to the issuer or company.

Portfolio Persons must re-disclose any such interest if they participate in later recommendations or investment decisions related to the issuer or company.

Portfolio Persons must also disclose any personal transactions they are contemplating in the securities referenced above, any position they hold with the issuer and any proposed business relationship between the issuer and the Portfolio Person or any party in which the Portfolio Person has an interest.

The disclosures above must be made to their Chief Investment Officer and /or Director of Research.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2.6 Reporting Requirements**

#### All Accounts
All Covered Employees must complete an Initial Code of Ethics Certification no later than 10 calendar days after the date the person is notified by a member of the Human Resources Department of the requirement to do so.

Additionally, by **February 15<sup>th</sup>** of each subsequent year they must complete an annual certification that they have complied with and will comply with the Policy.

Access Persons must also file an Initial Broker Accounts Certification and Initial Holdings Certification no later than 10 calendar days after the date the person is notified by a member of the Human Resources Department of the requirement to do so. Additionally, by **February 15<sup>th</sup>** of each subsequent year, Access Persons must file a then current **annual** report of all personal securities accounts and securities holdings and must certify that they have complied with and will comply with the Policy.

#### Non-Discretionary Accounts
On a **quarterly** basis, and no later than 30 calendar days after the end of each calendar quarter, every Access Person must report all transactions in securities covered by this Policy, except for those executed through an Automatic Investment Plan or that would duplicate information already provided in broker confirmations or statements sent to the Code of Ethics Department directly from the broker.

No later than 30 calendar days after the calendar quarter, Access Persons must report any account established in which any securities were held during that calendar quarter.

#### Discretionary Accounts
Reporting of transactions is not required for discretionary accounts. **A** discretionary account is managed by a non affiliated third party (registered broker-dealer, a registered investment adviser, or other investment manager acting in a similar fiduciary capacity) who exercises sole investment discretion.

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The Access Person must certify initially and annually thereafter that they do not have investment control of the discretionary account other than the right to terminate. If the Access Person makes or participates in an investment decision for an account that has been reported as a discretionary account, any transactions related to that investment decision must be pre-cleared. If there is any uncertainty about whether a particular account would be deemed discretionary for purposes of the Policy, please consult the Code of Ethics Department.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2.7 Pre-Clearance Requirements**

#### Securities Transactions
Access Persons must obtain pre-clearance from the Code of Ethics Department before buying or selling any security (other than those not requiring pre-clearance, a full list of which is available from the Code of Ethics Department) and are always prohibited from executing transactions in a security if aware that the FT Funds or Client Accounts are active or contemplate being active in the security (even if the transactions have been pre cleared}. Pre-clearance requests should be submitted via PTA.

#### Private Investments and Limited Offerings
Access Persons must obtain pre-clearance from the Code of Ethics Department before investing in a private placement or purchasing other securities in a limited offering. For example, investments in private or unregistered funds (i.e., hedge funds) are required to be pre-cleared under the Policy.

#### Discretionary Accounts
Transactions in discretionary accounts do not need to be pre-cleared if satisfactory evidence has been provided to the Code of Ethics Department that sole investment discretion has been granted to an investment manager. If the Access Person makes or participates in an investment decision for an account that has been reported as a discretionary account, any transactions related to that investment decision must be pre-cleared.

#### Exemptions from Pre- Clearance
Certain types of securities and transactions are exempt from pre-clearance requirements. Examples of these types of securities and transactions include, but are not limited to, shares issued by FRI; shares of open-end and closed end funds (including the FT Funds); shares of ETFs; certain government obligations and transactions effected pursuant to dividend reinvestment plans. In addition, transactions in small quantities of securities (e.g., in the case of equity securities, 500 shares within a 30 calendar day period} are not required to be pre-cleared. Please consult the Code of Ethics Department for further information about the types of securities and transactions that are exempt from the pre-clearance requirements of the Policy.

#### "Intent" Is Important
While pre-clearance of Access Persons' transactions is a cornerstone of Franklin Templeton's compliance efforts, it cannot detect inappropriate or illegal transactions where the intent conflicts with the principles of the Policy. Thus, the fact that a proposed transaction received pre-clearance is not a defense against a charge of violating the Policy or the securities laws. For example, even if an Access Person received pre-clearance for a transaction, that transaction might constitute front-running if it occurred shortly before a transaction by an FT Fund or Client Account that the Access Person was aware of. In cases like this, the intent may not be evident when a particular transaction request is analyzed for pre-clearance.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**2.8 Requirements for Independent Directors**

#### Pre-clearance and Reporting Requirements
An Independent Director is subject to the pre-clearance and transaction reporting requirements of the Policy only if such Independent Director, at the time of his or her transaction, knew or should have known that, during the 15 calendar day period before or after the date of the Independent Director's transaction, the security was purchased or sold or considered for purchase or sale by

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an FT Fund or Client Account. The pre-clearance and reporting requirements of the Policy do not apply to securities transactions conducted in an account where an Independent Director has granted full investment discretion to a brokerage firm, bank or investment adviser or conducted in a trust account in which the trustee has full investment discretion. Independent Directors are not required to disclose any securities holdings or brokerage accounts, including brokerage accounts where he/she has granted discretionary authority to a brokerage firm, bank or investment adviser.

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#### Initial and Annual Acknowledgment Reports
An Independent Director must complete and return an executed Acknowledgment Form to the Code of Ethics Department no later than 10 calendar days after the date the person becomes an Independent Director.

Independent Directors will be asked to certify by **February 15<sup>th</sup>** of each year that they have complied with and will comply with the Policy by filing the Acknowledgment Form with the Code of Ethics Department.

#### SECTION 3. INSIDER TRADING
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**3.1 Policy on Insider Trading**

Insider trading, or trading on material non-public information, is against the law and penalties are severe, both for individuals involved in such unlawful conduct and their employers. No Covered Employee may **(1)** trade, either personally or on behalf of the FT Funds or Client Accounts, while in possession of material non-public information, or (2) communicate material non-public information to others.

Material non-public information may be obtained by many means, both in connection with a Covered Employee's job functions (e.g., from meetings with company executives or consultations with expert networks) or independent of the Covered Employee's employment or relationship with Franklin Templeton (e.g., from friends or relatives).

Before trading for themselves or others (including FT Funds and Client Accounts) in the securities of a company about which a Covered Employee potentially may have material non-public information, the Covered Employee should consider the following questions:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• First, is the information material? Information is considered material if there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider the information to be important in making his or her investment decision, or if it is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of the company's securities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Second, is the information non-public? Information is non-public until it has been effectively communicated to the marketplace. For example, information in a report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or that appears in a publication of general circulation (e.g., The Wall Street Journal or Reuters) would be considered public. If the information has been obtained from someone who is betraying an obligation not to share the information (e.g., a company insider), that information is very likely to be non-public.

If, after consideration of these questions, the Covered Employee believes that the information that they have about a company may be material and non-public, or if the Covered Employee has questions as to whether the information is material or non-public, he or she must report the matter immediately to Trading Desk Compliance/IC, the designated Compliance Officer or Legal Department. In addition, the Covered Employee must not purchase or sell any securities issued by such company on behalf of themselves or others (including on behalf of any FT Fund or Client Account), or communicate the information inside or outside Franklin Templeton.

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Trading Desk Compliance/IC or the Compliance Officer will promptly contact the Legal Department for advice. After review of the facts, the Legal Department, Trading Desk Compliance/IC or the Compliance Officer will provide instructions to the Covered Employee. If the information in the Covered Employee's possession is determined to be material and non-public, the Covered Employee is required to keep the information confidential and secure. Those securities for which the Covered Employee has material non-public information will be placed on restricted trading lists for a timeframe determined by the Compliance Officer.

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#### SECTION 4. RELATED POLICIES AND REQUIREMENTS
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**4.1 Statement on Other Policies and Requirements**

In addition to the Policy, Covered Employees are required to observe the applicable policies and procedures prescribed in the *Code of Ethics and Business Conduct,* the policies contained in the U.S. and non-U.S. employee handbooks (as applicable), and various other policies adopted by Franklin Templeton.

#### SECTION 5. ADMINISTRATION OF THE POLICY, WAIVERS & REPORTING VIOLATIONS
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**5.1 Code of Ethics Committee; Reporting to FT Fund Boards**

The Code of Ethics Committee is responsible for the administration of the Policy and provides oversight of compliance with the personal trading requirements of the Policy. Among other things, the Committee has the authority and responsibility to review the Policy periodically, review sanction guidelines for violations of the Policy and review trading violations and waivers granted.

At least annually, the Franklin Templeton Fund Boards will be provided with a report describing any issues arising under the Policy.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**5.2 Violations of the Policy**

A Covered Employee that violates this Policy will be sanctioned in a manner commensurate with the violation. Prescribed sanctions range from warning memos for a first time failure to pre-clear a transaction to the immediate sale of positions, disgorgement of profits, personal trading suspensions and other sanctions, up to and including termination and reporting to regulatory authorities for more serious violations.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**5.3 Waivers of the Policy**

The Chief Compliance Officer of the relevant investment adviser, or primary regional officer, may, in his or her discretion, waive compliance by any Covered Employee with the provisions of the Policy, if he or she finds that such a waiver:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(1) is necessary to alleviate undue hardship or in view of unforeseen circumstances or is otherwise appropriate under all the relevant facts and circumstances;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(2) will not be inconsistent with the purposes and objectives of the Policy;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(3) will not adversely affect the interests of the FT Funds or Client Accounts or the interests of Franklin Templeton; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(4) will not result in a transaction or conduct that would violate provisions of applicable laws or regulations.

Any waiver will be in writing, will contain a statement of the basis for it, and any waivers granted by the Chief Compliance Officer of the relevant investment adviser, or primary regional officer, will be reported to the SVP of Regulatory Compliance.

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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**5.4 Reporting Violations**

Covered Employees are required to report violations of the Policy or the related Procedures, whether by themselves or by others.

Franklin Templeton is dedicated to providing Covered Employees with the means and opportunity to report violations of the Policy or the related Procedures, or other instances of wrongdoing, or any concerns they may have regarding ethical violations or accounting, internal control or auditing matters, including fraud. Several means are provided by which reports to the Compliance and Ethics Hotline can be made including:

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Online at: <u>https://franklintempleton</u><u>.</u><u>ethicspoint.com</u>

U.S., U.S. Territories or Canada can call toll-free 1-800-648-7932 All other countries can call collect at 704-540-0139

Franklin Templeton will not allow retaliation against any Covered Employee who has submitted a report of a violation of the Policy or the related Procedures in good faith.

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#### Appendix

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | **Covered Employees** | **Access Persons** | **Portfolio Persons** | **Independent Directors** |
| **Prohibited Activities (Section 1.3)** | **X** | **X** | **X** | **X** |
| **Prohibited Transactions and Other Requirements (Sections 2.4 and 2.5)** |  |  |  |  |
| Prohibition on Trading Activity that Conflicts with FT Funds or Client Accounts | **X** | **X** | **X** | **X** |
| Prohibition on Short Sales of FRI and Closed-end FT Funds | **X** | **X** | **X** | **X** |
| Trading in Shares of the FT Funds When in Possession of Material Non-Public Information | **X** | **X** | **X** | **X** |
| Short-Term Trading in Open-end FT Funds | **X** | **X** | **X** | **X** |
| Prohibition on Investments in Initial Public Offerings |  | **X** | **X** |  |
| Prohibition on Short Sales of All Securities |  |  | **X** |  |
| Short Swing Rule |  |  | **X** |  |
| Disclosure of Interest in Securities |  |  | **X** |  |
| **Reporting Requirements (Section 2.6)** |  |  |  |  |
| Initial Certification/Acknowledgment | **X** | **X** | **X** | **X** |
| Initial Disclosure of Accounts and Holdings |  | **X** | **X** |  |
| Annual Disclosure of Accounts and Holdings |  | **X** | **X** |  |
| Annual Certification of Compliance | **X** | **X** | **X** | **X** |
| Quarterly Disclosure of Transactions |  | **X** | **X** | **X\*** |
| Quarterly Disclosure of New Accounts |  | **X** | **X** |  |
| **Pre-Clearance Requirements (Section 2.7)** |  | **X** | **X** | **X\*** |
| **Insider Trading (Section 3)** | **X** | **X** | **X** | **X** |
| **Requirement to Report Violations (Section 5.4)** | **X** | **X** | **X** | **X** |

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\*Only applicable if the Independent Director, at the time of his or her transaction, knew or should have known that, during the 15 calendar day period before or after the date of the Independent Director's transaction, the security was purchased or sold or considered for purchase or sale by an FT Fund or Client Account.

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## Ex-99

<u>POWER OF ATTORNEY</u>

The undersigned trustee of FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST, a Delaware statutory trust (the "Registrant") hereby appoint ALISON E. BAUR, STEVEN J. GRAY, LORI A. WEBER, ALEX KYMN, THOMAS MANDIA, BRUCE G. LETO, ALISON M. FULLER, KRISTIN H. IVES AND MARGUERITE C. BATEMAN (with full power to each of them to act alone) her attorney-in-fact and agent, in all capacities, to execute, deliver and file in the names of the undersigned, any and all instruments that said attorneys and agents may deem necessary or advisable to enable the Registrant to comply with or register any security issued by the Registrant under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and/or the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, including but not limited to, any registration statement, including any and all pre- and post-effective amendments thereto, any other document to be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and any and all documents required to be filed with respect thereto with any other regulatory authority. Each of the undersigned grants to each of said attorneys, full authority to do every act necessary to be done in order to effectuate the same as fully, to all intents and purposes, as she could do if personally present, thereby ratifying all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

The undersigned trustee hereby executes this Power of Attorney as of the 19th day of January 2023.

<u>/s/Valerie M. Williams</u> 

Valerie M. Williams

Trustee

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