Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. on Thursday proposed changes to the investment objectives and investment strategies of Franklin Bissett Dividend Income Fund and Franklin Bissett Dividend Income Corporate Class to provide investors with pure dividend-paying equity offerings, which invest in Canada and the U.S.
The proposals will be voted on at a special meeting of securityholders for each fund to be held on or about June 25 in Toronto.
The proposed investment objective change for both funds is to provide long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in dividend-paying Canadian and U.S. common stocks. The portfolio managers propose to make the strategy pure equity, with 100% of the fund’s investments allocated to equity (60% in Canadian equities and 40% in U.S. equities).
The current investment objective for both funds is to provide high current income by investing primarily in Canadian and American dividend-paying preferred and common stocks and, from time to time, bonds up to a maximum of 25% of the fund’s total assets.
If securityholders approve the proposed changes to the investment objectives and investment strategies for each fund, the changes will be implemented after the close of business on or about June 29.