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Stable, consistent, and reliable. Sounds boring?

Bonds are sometimes referred to as "boring" investments due to their relatively stable nature compared to other investment options like stocks or commodities. While the term "boring" might sound negative, there are several reasons why this relative stability can be seen as a positive attribute for investors. A reliable income from fixed income investments can help smooth out the overall returns of the portfolio and provide a stable cash flow. Including fixed income in a portfolio can add diversification benefits. It can provide a cushion during turbulent market conditions and could help maintain portfolio stability. 

Franklin Templeton’s Fixed Income Investment Capabilities

Unrivalled experience, unmatched global breadth and depth, and unparalleled innovation have put Franklin Templeton at the forefront of fixed income investing for more than 50 years. We understand client challenges and are here to help with long-term fixed income goals. We have a strong track record of navigating market cycles and creating value.

Strategies to address investor needs

  • Provide clients with a comprehensive range of investment strategies.
  • Multi-sector, unconstrained, country, and sector strategies.
  • Managed by our specialist investment managers.

Grounded in active management

  • We believe active management can help generate attractive returns and potentially reduce volatility over the long-term.
  • Robust research guides our investment decisions to help deliver outcomes that meet client needs.

Global expertise

  • Over 50 years of experience successfully navigating fixed income markets and varying market environments.
  • We have multiple, well-defined investment processes rooted in fundamental research, discipline and experience.

Four Fixed Income teams with deep sector strength

Our independent specialist managers provide deep expertise and specialization within and across asset classes, investment styles, and geographies. 

Brandywine Global

Brandywine Global

Acting with conviction and discipline, looks beyond short-term, conventional thinking to rigorously pursue long-term value across differentiated fixed income and equity solutions.

Multi-Sector > Multi-sector bond strategies typically aim to capture the income, return potential and diversification benefits offered by credit markets worldwide. This universe can include investment-grade and high-yield corporate credit, residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, emerging market debt, bank loans and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs).
Unconstrained > Unconstrained (now called Non-Traditional) - An unconstrained strategy seeks to separate duration and credit exposure in seeking to increase risk-adjusted returns by leveraging an extended toolkit including regular bonds and derivatives, used to establish negative exposure to rates, while maintaining positive exposure to credit. It doesn’t require the portfolio manager to track an index or benchmark.
Credit > Credit – Also known as corporate strategies, are issued by companies for a wide variety of purposes, including buying new equipment, investing in research and development and buying back their own stock, just to name a few. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings based on their evaluation of the risk that the company may default on its bonds. Based on their credit ratings, bonds can be either investment grade or non-investment grade.

Franklin Templeton Fixed Income

Franklin Templeton Fixed Income

Believes the best way to pursue alpha is by integrating top-down macroeconomic analysis with robust bottom-up fundamental sector research and quantitative science.

Multi-Sector > Multi-sector bond strategies typically aim to capture the income, return potential and diversification benefits offered by credit markets worldwide. This universe can include investment-grade and high-yield corporate credit, residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, emerging market debt, bank loans and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs).
Unconstrained > Unconstrained (now called Non-Traditional) - An unconstrained strategy seeks to separate duration and credit exposure in seeking to increase risk-adjusted returns by leveraging an extended toolkit including regular bonds and derivatives, used to establish negative exposure to rates, while maintaining positive exposure to credit. It doesn’t require the portfolio manager to track an index or benchmark.
Credit > Credit – Also known as corporate strategies, are issued by companies for a wide variety of purposes, including buying new equipment, investing in research and development and buying back their own stock, just to name a few. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings based on their evaluation of the risk that the company may default on its bonds. Based on their credit ratings, bonds can be either investment grade or non-investment grade.
Country > Country strategy: investment approach that focuses on constructing a portfolio of fixed income securities based on the analysis and evaluation of countries' economic and political factors. This strategy aims to capitalize on opportunities and manage risks associated with investing in bonds issued by different countries.

In a fixed income country strategy, investment decisions are primarily driven by the assessment of a country's macroeconomic indicators, monetary policy, fiscal stability, geopolitical factors, and other relevant factors that can influence the creditworthiness and performance of a country's debt securities.

Templeton Global Macro

Templeton Global Macro

Research-intensive, fundamentals-based, high-conviction approach to capitalize on short-term inefficiencies and capture long-term value across global interest rate, currency, and credit markets.

Unconstrained > Unconstrained (now called Non-Traditional) - An unconstrained strategy seeks to separate duration and credit exposure in seeking to increase risk-adjusted returns by leveraging an extended toolkit including regular bonds and derivatives, used to establish negative exposure to rates, while maintaining positive exposure to credit. It doesn’t require the portfolio manager to track an index or benchmark.

Western Asset

Western Asset

Known for team management and proprietary research, supported by robust risk management and a long-term fundamental value approach.

Multi-Sector > Multi-sector bond strategies typically aim to capture the income, return potential and diversification benefits offered by credit markets worldwide. This universe can include investment-grade and high-yield corporate credit, residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, emerging market debt, bank loans and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs).
Unconstrained > Unconstrained (now called Non-Traditional) - An unconstrained strategy seeks to separate duration and credit exposure in seeking to increase risk-adjusted returns by leveraging an extended toolkit including regular bonds and derivatives, used to establish negative exposure to rates, while maintaining positive exposure to credit. It doesn’t require the portfolio manager to track an index or benchmark.
Credit > Credit – Also known as corporate strategies, are issued by companies for a wide variety of purposes, including buying new equipment, investing in research and development and buying back their own stock, just to name a few. Credit rating agencies assign credit ratings based on their evaluation of the risk that the company may default on its bonds. Based on their credit ratings, bonds can be either investment grade or non-investment grade.
Country > Country strategy: investment approach that focuses on constructing a portfolio of fixed income securities based on the analysis and evaluation of countries' economic and political factors. This strategy aims to capitalize on opportunities and manage risks associated with investing in bonds issued by different countries.

In a fixed income country strategy, investment decisions are primarily driven by the assessment of a country's macroeconomic indicators, monetary policy, fiscal stability, geopolitical factors, and other relevant factors that can influence the creditworthiness and performance of a country's debt securities.

 

Glossary

Credit: An alternative name for fixed income securities.
Alpha: A term used in investing to describe an investment strategy's ability to beat the market.
Duration: A measure of a fixed income portfolio or bond's price sensitivity to interest rate changes.
Bottom up investing: An investment approach that analyzes individual stocks while deemphasizing the significance of macroeconomic and market cycles.

Featured Funds

FTGF Brandywine Global Income Optimiser Fund*

An all-weather global bond fund that seeks attractive income generation while guarding against downside risks.

Fund details

Franklin European Total Return Fund**

A European multi-sector fixed income fund built around a diversified set of low-correlated positions

Fund details

Franklin Sustainable Euro Green Bond UCITS ETF***

Invest in green-labelled and climate-aligned bonds with the Franklin Euro Green Bond UCITS ETF – Europe’s first actively managed green bond ETF.

Fund details

* A sub-fund of Franklin Templeton Global Funds plc (“FTGF plc”), FTGF is an open-ended investment company with variable capital, organised as an undertaking for collective investment in transferable securities (“UCITS”). FTGF is authorised in Ireland by the Central Bank of Ireland.
** A sub-fund of Franklin Templeton Investment Funds, a Luxembourg-registered SICAV (“FTIF”)
*** A sub-fund ("Fund") of Franklin Templeton ICAV, an Irish collective asset-management vehicle.

Explore the full range of our Fixed Income solutions

Fixed Income mutual funds

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Fixed Income ETFs

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Insights

18 NOVEMBER 2025

Sector Views: Proceed with caution

The Franklin Templeton Fixed Income team believes that the US economic outlook at this stage likely doesn't warrant additional monetary easing; however, outside the United States, economic growth still faces some challenges and suggests proceeding with caution. Read more in their latest Sector Views.

17 NOVEMBER 2025

Global Investment Management Survey

This bi-annual outlook survey is designed to give a view across our investment teams. The survey results are from investment professionals across all asset classes, and we provide our predictions on inflation, recession, asset class performance and more.

17 NOVEMBER 2025

Global Investment Outlook: 2026 and beyond

Looking ahead to 2026, Franklin Templeton Institute sees broadening opportunities across global capital markets, with emerging debt and equity markets, European equities, and US smaller-cap stocks poised to lead the way.