Investment objective & strategy
As of April 28, 2025 · prospectusObjective. Capital appreciation, which may occasionally be short term. The secondary goal is income.
Strategy. 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. and foreign 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. To a lesser extent, the Fund also invests in merger arbitrage securities and the debt and equity of distressed companies. The Fund may invest a significant portion (up to 35%) of its … 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. and foreign 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. To a lesser extent, the Fund also invests in merger arbitrage securities and the debt and equity of distressed companies. The Fund may invest a significant portion (up to 35%) of its assets in foreign securities and participations in foreign government debt. The Fund presently does not intend to invest more than 15% of its assets in foreign securities. Although the investment manager will search for investments across a large number of countries and regions, from time to time, based on economic conditions, the Fund may have significant positions in particular countries or regions. The Fund is not limited to pre-set maximums or minimums governing the size of the companies in which it may invest. However, the Fund currently invests the equity portion of its portfolio predominantly in large- and mid-cap companies, with the remaining portion of its equity portfolio in smaller companies. While the Fund does not concentrate in any one industry, from time to time, based on economic conditions, it may make significant investments in certain sectors. The Fund regularly attempts to hedge (protect) against currency risks, largely using currency forward contracts and currency futures contracts (including currency index futures contracts) when, in the investment managers opinion, it would be advantageous to the Fund to do so. The Fund may also, from time to time, attempt to hedge against market risk using a variety of derivatives. 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, book value, and fundamental analysis, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations. The investment manager examines each investment separately and there are no set criteria as to specific value parameters, asset size, earnings or industry type. The investment manager does not assess every investment for ESG factors and, when it does, not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. For example, the investment managers assessment of investments in special situations investments, notably merger arbitrage and distressed debt, generally does not include analysis of ESG factors.
Top holdings
As of March 31, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMAZON.COM INC | — | $220.77M | 3.30% |
| ALPHABET INC CL A | — | $213.91M | 3.20% |
| JPMORGAN CHASE and CO | — | $213.18M | 3.19% |
| CHEVRON CORP | — | $192.20M | 2.87% |
| HALEON PLC | — | $177.88M | 2.66% |
| JOHNSON CONTROLS INTERNATIONAL PLC | — | $177.78M | 2.66% |
| DOVER CORP | — | $177.56M | 2.65% |
| HARTFORD INSURANCE GROUP INC/THE | — | $166.81M | 2.49% |
| FERGUSON ENTERPRISES INC | — | $166.28M | 2.49% |
| COLGATE-PALMOLIVE CO | — | $162.21M | 2.42% |
Portfolio moves
Dec 31, 2025 → Mar 31, 2026How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.
Similar funds
Funds whose portfolios most overlap this one, by weight| Fund | Overlap | Net exp. |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin Mutual Shares VIP Fund | 99% | 0.69% |
| Franklin Mutual Beacon Fund · TEBIX, TEMEX, BEGRX, FMBRX | 61% | 0.72% |
| Franklin Mutual U.S. Mid Cap Value Fund · FRBSX, FCBSX, FBSAX, FBSRX, FBSIX | 43% | 0.57% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC | Adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of April 28, 2025, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of March 31, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
- Total return for calendar year 2025, before tax and after fund expenses. Computed by compounding the twelve monthly total returns the fund reported in its SEC N-PORT filings for 2025 (the latest prospectus does not yet chart this year).
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