Franklin Resources, Inc. (the “Company”) [NYSE:BEN], a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton, today announced that it has completed its previously announced acquisition of Legg Mason, Inc. [NYSE:LM] and its specialist investment managers. Royce Investment Partners will continue to operate as an autonomous investment organization with its own brand to reinforce the distinctiveness of Royce’s investment culture and processes.

The newly combined organization establishes Franklin Templeton as one of the world’s largest independent, specialized global investment managers with a combined $1.4 trillion in assets under management (AUM) across one of the broadest ranges of high-quality investment teams in the industry. The combined footprint significantly deepens Franklin Templeton’s presence in key geographies and creates an expansive investment platform that is well balanced between institutional and retail client AUM.

“We’re extremely excited to announce the close of our Legg Mason acquisition, representing the largest and most significant transaction in Franklin Templeton’s history,” said Jenny Johnson, President and CEO of Franklin Templeton. “A tremendous amount has happened since we made our announcement in mid-February, but the strategic rationale for this powerful combination has only strengthened. This acquisition unlocks substantial value and growth opportunities driven by greater scale, diversity and balance across investment strategies, distribution channels and geographies. Our combined firm is aligned in terms of culture and our shared focus on delivering strong investment results for our valued clients.”

The transaction also brings notable added leadership and strength in core fixed income, equities and alternatives, as well as expanding the firm’s multi-asset solutions capabilities. Importantly to Royce, no changes are planned for the specialist investment managers’ differentiated investment strategies, which will benefit from Franklin Templeton’s global infrastructure and ongoing investment in technology and innovation.

“A significant amount of work has gone into preparing us for this exciting firm combination over the past five months, all during an unprecedented pandemic with nearly everyone involved working remotely. I want to thank employees from both companies for their tremendous contributions and exceptional focus on our clients and the business throughout the process,” Johnson added.

We are very excited about this transaction. Franklin Templeton not only has a long track record of successful acquisitions but has also preserved the independence of existing investment organizations in doing so. In addition, Franklin has maintained the strengths of existing investment processes while regularly adding the additional resources that come with being a global investment management firm with a broad footprint.

For our clients and employees, we believe this acquisition represents the best of these strengths: it preserves Royce’s autonomy as an investment organization while providing support to accelerate our business growth. Franklin leads in several key areas where we see growth opportunities, such as research data analytics and international distribution.

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