Franklin Templeton has launched two new ETFs in its Liberty Shares range, one covering European corporate bonds and the other US and other dollar-denominated bonds
The group, which launched its Franklin Liberty Shares proposition into the UK in September, stated the short maturity Euro ETF and the USD Investment Grade Corporate bond ETF would help to deal with demand for further income.
Caroline Baron, head of ETF sales EMEA at Franklin Templeton, said: "In a persistently low-yield environment and with several inefficiencies present in the bond market, investors are faced with seeking new ways to generate income and diversify their portfolios.
"Many investors are turning to actively managed fixed income ETFs with the ultimate objective of achieving true diversification.£
Both funds will be actively managed and will be listed on the London Stock Exchange on 27 June.
David Zahn, head of European fixed income at Franklin Templeton, said: "I am excited to be launching the Franklin Liberty Euro Short Maturity Ucits ETF, an actively managed short-term European fixed income ETF that offers exposure to high quality European short maturity bonds with a yield and return advantage over cash equivalent investments.
"As active managers, we have the flexibility to pursue investment opportunities that are beyond the fund's benchmark index to help identify the most attractive securities to invest in."
Scott Gallacher, financial adviser from Leicestershire-based financial planners Rowley Turton, said the funds were "a little bit niche."
He said: "We have not used Franklin Templeton much yet, and there will be a place for these, particularly for advisers who drill down into client's portfolios to provide diversification on a fund-by-fund basis.
"We are moving towards using a lot of multi-asset funds, because it can be easier, and we aren’t big users of ETFs."
rosie.murray-west@ft.com
