Company Press Release

Franklin World Perspectives Fund Leverages Global Network of Local Asset Managers

San Mateo, CA, January 10, 2011 – Franklin Templeton Investments today announced the introduction of Franklin World Perspectives Fund, an actively-managed global growth equity fund that draws upon the investment expertise of Franklin’s global network of local asset management teams. The Fund’s managers, Stephen H. Dover, CFA, and Purav A. Jhaveri, CFA, work closely with Franklin’s regionally based sub-advisors to develop local portfolios of securities that seek to outperform the relevant markets of each region and to combine them into a broadly diversified global fund.

“The Fund epitomizes Franklin’s philosophy that combining a global investment perspective with local insight and presence can drive successful global investing,” said Dover, international chief investment officer for Franklin's Local Asset Management group. “Our network of portfolio managers, analysts, traders and risk management experts around the world provides us with a unique understanding of local markets. We believe the Fund’s investors can benefit from having these multiple perspectives focused on maximizing risk-adjusted performance.”

The sub-advisors who construct the Fund’s regional sub-portfolios include the senior investment professionals from Franklin’s local asset management teams in Brazil, Japan, India and South Korea—as well as the heads of the U.S., Canadian and European Franklin Equity Group growth teams.

The Fund employs a diversified, opportunistic approach to stock selection that is unconstrained by geographical location or market capitalization. It can invest across all markets—including developed, emerging and frontier markets. For investors with a large portion of their portfolio invested domestically, a strategic selection of global equities—which may include companies of different sizes, industries and countries—can provide added diversification.

“Our local asset management teams provide a bottom-up perspective on market conditions and valuations,” said Dover, who has over 25 years of experience in global investing. “Having investment professionals on-the-ground allows the Fund to be nimble in reacting to market events and to be responsive to growth opportunities specific to each market. Their firsthand knowledge of local markets includes a familiarity with local language, culture and company management practices. This insight means that our investments are not limited to the largest or most visible companies in each market, but often include less recognizable names that meet our rigorous investment criteria.”

The Fund employs an interactive regional allocation process, which means that exposure to various regions will vary over time, according to the portfolio managers’ and the sub-advisors’ opinions as to the prevailing conditions and prospects for these markets.

The benchmark for this Fund, the MSCI All Country World Plus Frontier Markets Index, consists of all investable countries in the world. It was selected as the most appropriate benchmark since the Fund is anticipated to typically have assets invested in emerging and frontier markets, whereas many other global equity funds and benchmarks do not.

Special risks are associated with foreign investing, including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments. Investments in emerging market countries involve heightened risks related to the same factors, in addition to those associated with these markets’ smaller size, lesser liquidity and lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets. Smaller company stocks have historically had more price volatility than large-company stocks, particularly over the short term. The Fund is designed for the aggressive portion of a well-diversified portfolio. These and other risk considerations are discussed in the Fund’s prospectus.

Investors should carefully consider a fund’s investment goals, risks, charges and expenses before investing. To obtain a summary prospectus and/or prospectus, which contains this and other information, talk to your financial advisor, call us at (800) DIAL BEN /(800)342-5236 or visit franklintempleton.com. Please carefully read a prospectus before you invest or send money.