497K 1 d800111d497k.htm FRANKLIN U.S. LARGE CAP EQUITY FUND Franklin U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund

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Summary Prospectus   April 1, 2024

Share class (Symbol): A (LMUPX), C (LMUGX), FI (LMUSX), R (LMUOX), I (LMTIX), IS (LMISX)

 

 

FRANKLIN

U.S. LARGE CAP EQUITY FUND

 

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the fund’s Prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund’s Prospectus and other information about the fund, including the fund’s statement of additional information and shareholder reports, online at www.franklintempleton.com/mutualfundsliterature. You can also get this information at no cost by calling the fund at 877-6LM-FUND/656-3863 or by sending an e-mail request to prospectus@franklintempleton.com, or from your financial intermediary. The fund’s Prospectus and statement of additional information, each dated April  1, 2024 (as may be amended or supplemented from time to time), and the independent registered public accounting firm’s report and financial statements in the fund’s annual report to shareholders, dated November 30, 2023, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.

 

 

 

 

 

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INVESTMENT PRODUCTS: NOT FDIC INSURED • NO BANK GUARANTEE • MAY LOSE VALUE


Investment objective

The fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Fees and expenses of the fund

The accompanying table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.

You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $25,000 in funds distributed through Franklin Distributors, LLC (“Franklin Distributors” or the “Distributor”), the fund’s distributor. More information about these and other discounts is available from your Service Agent, in the fund’s Prospectus on page 22 under the heading “Additional information about each share class,” in the appendix titled “Appendix: Waivers and Discounts Available from Certain Service Agents” on page A-1 of the fund’s Prospectus and in the fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) on page 57 under the heading “Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions for Class A Shares.” “Service Agents” include banks, brokers, dealers, insurance companies, investment advisers, financial consultants or advisers, mutual fund supermarkets and other financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with the Distributor to sell shares of the fund.

The fund does not currently offer Class A, Class C or Class R shares.

If you purchase Class I shares or Class IS shares through a Service Agent acting solely as an agent on behalf of its customers, that Service Agent may charge you a commission. Such commissions, if any, are not charged by the fund and are not reflected in the fee table or expense example below.

 

 

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 Shareholder fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
     Class A   Class C   Class FI   Class R   Class I    Class IS
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a % of offering price)   5.501,2   None   None   None   None    None
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a % of the lower of net asset value at purchase or redemption)3   None4   1.00   None   None   None    None
Small account fee5   $15   $15   None   None   None    None
            
 Annual fund operating expenses (%)
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
     Class A   Class C   Class FI   Class R   Class I    Class IS
Management fees   0.70   0.70   0.70   0.70   0.70    0.70
Distribution and/or service (12b-1) fees   0.25   1.00   0.25   0.50   None    None
Other expenses   0.226   0.226   0.32   0.326   0.23    0.12
Total annual fund operating expenses   1.17   1.92   1.27   1.52   0.93    0.82
Fees waived and/or expenses reimbursed7   (0.12)   (0.12)   (0.22)   (0.22)   (0.13)    (0.12)
Total annual fund operating expenses after waiving fees and/or reimbursing expenses   1.05   1.80   1.05   1.30   0.80    0.70

 

1 

The sales charge is waived for shareholders purchasing Class A shares through accounts where Franklin Distributors is the broker-dealer of record (“Distributor Accounts”).

2

Shareholders purchasing Class A shares through certain Service Agents or in certain types of accounts may be eligible for a waiver of the sales charge. For additional information, see “Additional information about each share class — Sales charges” in the Prospectus.

3 

Maximum deferred sales charge (load) may be reduced over time.

4 

You may buy Class A shares in amounts of $1,000,000 or more at net asset value (without an initial sales charge), but if you redeem those shares within 18 months of their purchase, you will pay a contingent deferred sales charge of 1.00%.

5 

If the value of your account is below $1,000 ($250 for retirement plans that are not employer-sponsored), the fund may charge you a fee of $3.75 per account that is determined and assessed quarterly by the fund or your Service Agent (with an annual maximum of $15.00 per account). Please contact your Service Agent or the fund for more information.

6 

Other expenses for Class A, Class C and Class R shares are estimated for the current fiscal year. Actual expenses may differ from estimates.

 

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7 

The manager has agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse operating expenses (other than interest, brokerage, taxes, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses) so that the ratio of total annual fund operating expenses will not exceed 1.05% for Class A shares, 1.80% for Class C shares, 1.05% for Class FI shares, 1.30% for Class R shares, 0.80% for Class I shares and 0.70% for Class IS shares, subject to recapture as described below. In addition, the ratio of total annual fund operating expenses for Class IS shares will not exceed the ratio of total annual fund operating expenses for Class I shares, subject to recapture as described below. These arrangements cannot be terminated prior to December 31, 2025 without the Board of Trustees’ consent. The manager is permitted to recapture amounts waived and/or reimbursed to a class during the same fiscal year in which the manager earned the fee or incurred the expense if the class’ total annual fund operating expenses have fallen to a level below the limits described above. In no case will the manager recapture any amount that would result, on any particular business day of the fund, in the class’ total annual fund operating expenses exceeding the applicable limits described above or any other lower limit then in effect.

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:

 

 

You invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated

 

 

Your investment has a 5% return each year and the fund’s operating expenses remain the same (except that any applicable fee waiver or expense reimbursement is reflected only through its expiration date)

 

 

You reinvest all distributions and dividends without a sales charge

Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

 Number of years you own your shares ($)                
     1 year   3 years   5 years   10 years
Class A (with or without redemption at end of period)   651   890   1,147   1,881
Class C (with redemption at end of period)   283   591   1,025   2,037
Class C (without redemption at end of period)   183   591   1,025   2,037
Class FI (with or without redemption at end of period)   107   380   675   1,515
Class R (with or without redemption at end of period)   132   458   808   1,794
Class I (with or without redemption at end of period)   82   284   502   1,132
Class IS (with or without redemption at end of period)   72   250   444   1,003

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 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 25% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus borrowings for investment purposes, if any, in U.S. equity securities or other investments with similar economic characteristics of large capitalization companies. Large capitalization companies are those

 

 

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companies with market capitalizations similar to companies in the Russell 1000 Index (the “Index”). The fund may invest in a variety of equity securities, including but not limited to exchange-traded and over-the-counter (“OTC”) common and preferred stocks, warrants and rights, securities convertible into common stocks, and securities of other investment companies and of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”).

The fund has exposure to growth and value equities of large capitalization companies. The fund seeks to produce returns that exceed those of the Index over a full market cycle (typically three to five years).

The portfolio managers use a quantitative process that assesses stocks by relative attractiveness based on a variety of measures including value, cash flow, earnings growth and sentiment. The portfolio managers are part of a team that uses research in an effort to improve the quantitative models, and thus the models are expected to evolve over time as changes are incorporated.

Principal risks

Risk is inherent in all investing. The value of your investment in the fund, as well as the amount of return you receive on your investment, may fluctuate significantly. You may lose part or all of your investment in the fund or your investment may not perform as well as other similar investments. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or by any bank or government agency. The following is a summary description of certain risks of investing in the fund. The relative significance of the risks of investing in the fund may change over time.

Stock market and equity securities risk. The stock markets are volatile and the market prices of equity securities held by the fund may decline generally. Equity securities may include exchange-traded and over-the-counter common stocks, preferred stock, depositary receipts, trust certificates, limited partnership interests, warrants, rights, securities convertible into equity securities, and shares of other investment companies, including exchange-traded funds, and of real estate investment trusts. Equity securities may have greater price volatility than other asset classes, such as fixed income securities. The market price of a security may fluctuate based on overall market conditions, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions or trends, tariffs and trade disruptions, inflation, substantial economic downturn or recession, changes in interest rates, or adverse investor sentiment. Changes in market conditions will not typically have the same impact on all types of securities. If the market prices of the equity securities owned by the fund fall, the value of your investment in the fund will decline. If the fund holds equity securities in a company that becomes insolvent, the fund’s interests in the company will be subordinated to the interests of debtholders and general creditors of the company, and the fund may lose its entire investment.

Market events risk. The market values of securities or other assets will fluctuate, sometimes sharply and unpredictably, due to factors such as economic events, governmental actions or intervention, actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks, market disruptions caused by trade disputes, labor strikes or other factors, political developments, armed conflicts, economic sanctions and countermeasures in response to sanctions, major cybersecurity events, the global and domestic effects of widespread or local health, weather or climate events, and other factors that may or may not be related to the issuer of the security or other asset. Economies and financial markets throughout the world are increasingly

 

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interconnected. Economic, financial or political events, trading and tariff arrangements, public health events, terrorism, wars, natural disasters and other circumstances in one country or region could have profound impacts on global economies or markets. As a result, whether or not the fund invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to the countries or markets directly affected, the value and liquidity of the fund’s investments may be negatively affected. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russian stocks lost all, or nearly all, of their market value. Other securities or markets could be similarly affected by past or future geopolitical or other events or conditions. Furthermore, events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect one industry, such as the financial services industry, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems, may spread to other industries, and could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the fund’s investments.

Raising the ceiling on U.S. government debt has become increasingly politicized. Any failure to increase the total amount that the U.S. government is authorized to borrow could lead to a default on U.S. government obligations, with unpredictable consequences for economies and markets in the U.S. and elsewhere. Recently, inflation and interest rates have increased and may rise further. These circumstances could adversely affect the value and liquidity of the fund’s investments, impair the fund’s ability to satisfy redemption requests, and negatively impact the fund’s performance.

The United States and other countries are periodically involved in disputes over trade and other matters, which may result in tariffs, investment restrictions and adverse impacts on affected companies and securities. For example, the United States has imposed tariffs and other trade barriers on Chinese exports, has restricted sales of certain categories of goods to China, and has established barriers to investments in China. Trade disputes may adversely affect the economies of the United States and its trading partners, as well as companies directly or indirectly affected and financial markets generally. The United States government has prohibited U.S. persons from investing in Chinese companies designated as related to the Chinese military. These and possible future restrictions could limit the fund’s opportunities for investment and require the sale of securities at a loss or make them illiquid. Moreover, the Chinese government is involved in a longstanding dispute with Taiwan that has included threats of invasion. If the political climate between the United States and China does not improve or continues to deteriorate, if China were to attempt unification of Taiwan by force, or if other geopolitical conflicts develop or get worse, economies, markets and individual securities may be severely affected both regionally and globally, and the value of the fund’s assets may go down.

Large capitalization company risk. Large capitalization companies may fall out of favor with investors based on market and economic conditions. In addition, larger companies may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies and may be less capable of responding quickly to competitive challenges and industry changes. As a result, the fund’s value may not rise as much as, or may fall more than, the value of funds that focus on companies with smaller market capitalizations.

Issuer risk. The market price of a security held by the fund can go up or down more than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole due to factors specifically relating to the security’s issuer, such as disappointing earnings reports by the issuer, unsuccessful products or services, loss of major customers, changes in management,

 

 

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corporate actions, negative perception in the marketplace, or major litigation or changes in government regulations affecting the issuer or the competitive environment. An individual security may also be affected by factors relating to the industry or sector of the issuer or the securities markets as a whole, and conversely an industry or sector or the securities markets may be affected by a change in financial condition or other event affecting a single issuer. The fund may experience a substantial or complete loss on an individual security.

Growth and value investing risk. Growth or value securities as a group may be out of favor and underperform the overall equity market while the market favors other types of securities. Growth securities typically are very sensitive to market movements because their market prices tend to reflect future expectations. When it appears those expectations will not be met, the prices of growth securities typically fall. Growth securities may also be more volatile than other investments because they often do not pay dividends. The values of growth securities tend to go down when interest rates rise because the rise in interest rates reduces the current value of future cash flows. The value approach to investing involves the risk that stocks may remain undervalued, undervaluation may become more severe, or perceived undervaluation may actually represent intrinsic value. A value stock may not increase in price as anticipated by the subadviser if other investors fail to recognize the company’s value and bid up the price or the factors that the subadviser believes will increase the price of the security do not occur or do not have the anticipated effect.

Model risk. The subadviser’s investment models may not adequately take into account certain factors and may result in the fund having a lower return than if the fund were managed using another model or investment strategy. When a model or data used in managing the fund contains an error, or is incorrect or incomplete, any investment decision made in reliance on the model or data may not produce the desired results and the fund may suffer losses.

Illiquidity risk. Some assets held by the fund may be or become impossible or difficult to sell, particularly during times of market turmoil. These illiquid assets may also be difficult to value. Markets may become illiquid quickly. Markets may become illiquid when, for instance, there are few, if any, interested buyers or sellers or when dealers are unwilling or unable to make a market for certain securities. As a general matter, dealers have been less willing to make markets in recent years. If the fund is forced to sell an illiquid asset to meet redemption requests or other cash needs, or to try to limit losses, the fund may be forced to sell at a substantial loss or may not be able to sell at all.

Industry or sector focus risk. The fund may be susceptible to an increased risk of loss, including losses due to events that adversely affect the fund’s investments more than the market as a whole, to the extent that the fund may, from time to time, have greater exposure to the securities of a particular issuer or issuers within the same industry or sector.

Information technology sector risk. Companies in the rapidly changing field of information technology face special risks. Additionally, companies in this field are dependent upon consumer and business acceptance as new technologies evolve. Information technology companies face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. They are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of, or inability to enforce, those rights.

 

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REITs risk. The value of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) may be affected by factors including the condition of the economy as a whole, changes in the value of the underlying real estate, the creditworthiness of the issuers of the investments, property taxes, interest rates, liquidity of the credit markets, poor performance by the REIT’s manager, and the real estate regulatory environment. REITs that concentrate their holdings in specific businesses, such as apartments, offices or retail space, will be affected by conditions affecting those businesses.

Portfolio management risk. The value of your investment may decrease if the subadviser’s judgment about the attractiveness or value of, or market trends affecting, a particular security, industry, sector or region, or about market movements, is incorrect or does not produce the desired results, or if there are imperfections, errors or limitations in the models, tools and data used by the subadviser. In addition, the fund’s investment strategies or policies may change from time to time. Those changes may not lead to the results intended by the subadviser and could have an adverse effect on the value or performance of the fund.

Cybersecurity risk. Like other funds and business enterprises, the fund, the manager, the subadvisers and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time. Cybersecurity incidents, whether intentionally caused by third parties or otherwise, 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 manager, the subadvisers 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, receiving distributions or receiving timely information regarding the fund or their investment in the fund. The fund, the manager, and the subadvisers have 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, the manager, and/or the subadvisers. Cybersecurity incidents may result in financial losses to the fund and its shareholders, and substantial costs may be incurred in order to prevent or mitigate any 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.

New ways to carry out cyber attacks continue to develop. 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.

These and other risks are discussed in more detail in the Prospectus or in the Statement of Additional Information.

Performance

The accompanying 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 IS shares. The table shows the average annual total returns of each class of the fund that has been in operation for at least one full calendar year and also compares the fund’s performance with the average annual total returns of an index or other benchmark. Performance for classes other than those shown may vary from the performance shown to the extent the expenses for those classes differ. The fund makes updated performance information, including its current net asset

 

 

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value, available at www.franklintempleton.com/mutualfunds (select fund and share class), or by calling the fund at 877-6LM-FUND/656-3863.

The fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the fund will perform in the future.

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

 

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Best Quarter (06/30/2020): 22.57 Worst Quarter (03/31/2020): (21.86)

 

 Average annual total returns (%)
(for periods ended December 31, 2023)                    
Class IS   1 year   5 years   10 years   Since inception   Inception date
Return before taxes   27.79   14.50   10.66        
Return after taxes on distributions   25.35   12.14   8.64        
Return after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares   17.83   11.32   8.28        
Other Classes (Return before taxes only)            
Class FI   27.30   14.20   10.36        
Class I   27.63   14.39   N/A   10.28   05/01/2015
Russell 1000 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)1   26.53   15.52   11.80        

 

1 

For Class I shares, for the period from the class’ inception date to December 31, 2023, the average annual total return of the Russell 1000 Index was 11.68%.

The after-tax returns are shown only for Class IS shares, 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, and the after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their fund shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns for classes other than Class IS will vary from returns shown for Class IS.

 

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Management

Investment manager: Franklin Templeton Fund Adviser, LLC (“FTFA”) (formerly known as Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor, LLC)

Subadviser: Franklin Advisers, Inc. (“Franklin Advisers”)

Portfolio managers: Primary responsibility for the day-to-day management of the fund lies with the following portfolio managers. At Franklin Advisers, all portfolios are managed on a collaborative basis using a systematic, rules based approach.

 

Portfolio manager   Title  

Portfolio manager of the fund

since

   
Sundaram Chettiappan, CFA   Portfolio Manager   September 2023
   
Christopher W. Floyd, CFA   Portfolio Manager   2022
   
Chandra Seethamraju, PhD   Portfolio Manager   September 2023

Purchase and sale of fund shares

You may purchase, redeem or exchange shares of the fund each day the New York Stock Exchange is open, at the fund’s net asset value determined after receipt of your request in good order, subject to any applicable sales charge.

The fund’s initial and subsequent investment minimums generally are set forth in the accompanying table:

 

 Investment minimum initial/additional investment ($)            
     Class A   Class C1   Class FI2   Class R   Class I   Class IS
General   1,000/50   1,000/50   N/A   N/A   1 million/None3   N/A
Uniform Gifts or Transfers to Minor Accounts   1,000/50   1,000/50   N/A   N/A   1 million/None3   N/A
IRAs   250/50   250/50   N/A   N/A   1 million/None3,4   N/A4
SIMPLE IRAs   None/None   None/None   N/A   N/A   1 million/None3   N/A
Systematic Investment Plans   25/25   25/25   N/A   N/A   1 million/None3,5   N/A5
Clients of Eligible Financial Intermediaries   None/None   N/A   None/None   None/None   None/None6   None/None6
Eligible Investment Programs   None/None   N/A   None/None   None/None   None/None   None/None
Omnibus Retirement Plans   None/None   None/None   None/None   None/None   None/None   None/None
Individual Retirement Plans except as noted   None/None   None/None   N/A   N/A   1 million/None3   N/A
Institutional Investors   1,000/50   1,000/50   N/A   N/A   1 million/None   1 million/None

 

 

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1 

Class C shares are not available for purchase through Distributor Accounts.

2 

Class FI shares are not available for purchase through Distributor Accounts.

3 

Available to investors investing directly with the fund.

4 

IRA accountholders who purchase Class I or Class IS shares through a Service Agent acting as agent on behalf of its customers are subject to the initial and subsequent minimums of $250/$50. If a Service Agent does not have this arrangement in place with the Distributor, the initial and subsequent minimums listed in the table apply. Please contact your Service Agent for more information.

5 

Investors investing through a Systematic Investment Plan who purchase Class I or Class IS shares through a Service Agent acting as agent on behalf of its customers are subject to the initial and subsequent minimums of $25/$25. If a Service Agent does not have this arrangement in place with the Distributor, the initial and subsequent minimums listed in the table apply. Please contact your Service Agent for more information.

6 

Individual investors who purchase Class I shares or Class IS shares through a Service Agent acting as agent on behalf of its customers are subject to the initial and subsequent minimums of $1,000/$50. If a Service Agent does not have this arrangement in place with the Distributor, the initial and subsequent minimums listed in the table apply. Please contact your Service Agent for more information.

Your Service Agent may impose higher or lower investment minimums, or may impose no minimum investment requirement.

For more information about how to purchase, redeem or exchange shares, and to learn which classes of shares are available to you, you should contact your Service Agent, or, if you hold your shares or plan to purchase shares through the fund, you should contact the fund by phone at 877-6LM-FUND/656-3863, by regular mail at Legg Mason Funds, P.O. Box 33030, St. Petersburg, FL 33733-8030 or by express, certified or registered mail at Legg Mason Funds, 100 Fountain Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1205.

Tax information

The fund’s distributions are generally taxable as ordinary income or capital gains.

Payments to broker/dealers and other financial intermediaries

The fund’s related companies pay Service Agents for the sale of fund shares, shareholder services and other purposes. These payments create a conflict of interest by influencing your Service Agent or its employees or associated persons to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your financial adviser or salesperson or visit your Service Agent’s or salesperson’s website for more information.

 

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Franklin Distributors, LLC

One Franklin Parkway

San Mateo, CA 94403-1906

franklintempleton.com

 

Franklin U.S. Large Cap Equity Fund

 

Investment Company Act file #811-06444

© 2024 Franklin Templeton. All rights reserved.

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