Managed Fund Since 2018
FRSTX Franklin Core Plus Bond Fund
- Core building block. Provides broad, diversified exposure to high quality US fixed income markets.
- Differentiated approach. Our portfolio construction approach is designed to reduce performance volatility and provide a consistent range of outcomes and strong risk-adjusted returns across market environments.
- Experienced Portfolio Management Team. Tenured investment team with expertise across market cycles.
Popular Documents
Name and principal investment strategy changes
Effective November 12, 2024, the fund updated its principal investment strategies, policies and practices to follow a “core plus” strategy, among other changes. Effective December 11, 2024, the fund was renamed Franklin Core Plus Bond Fund. If you have any questions, please contact your financial professional.
Overview
Fund Facts
Fund description
The fund seeks to provide a high level of current income. Its secondary goal is capital appreciation over the long term. The fund is a core plus fund that invests across fixed income sectors, primarily in investment grade rated securities.
- Benchmark
- Bloomberg US Aggregate Index
- Dividend Frequency, if any
- Monthly
- Fund Inception Date
- 05/24/1994
- Distribution Rate at NAV
4 As of 01/09/2026 (Updated Daily) - 4.13%
- Effective Duration
As of 12/31/2025 (Updated Monthly) - 5.76 Years
Identifiers
- Ticker
- FRSTX
- Fund Number
- 194
- CUSIP Code
- 354713505
Average Annual Total Returns As of 11/30/2025
Class A
- 1.53%1 Year
- 4.87%3 Years
- 1.35%5 Years
- 2.54%10 Years
- 5.55%Since Inception
05/24/1994
Performance data quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when sold or redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown.
Top Sectors
As of 12/31/2025 - Notional Exposure % of Total (Updated Monthly)
Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities39.36% | |
Investment Grade Corporates32.12% | |
U.S. Treasuries14.69% | |
High Yield Corporates9.33% | |
Interest Rate Derivatives7.91% |
Additional Fund Info
- Share Class Inception Date
- 05/24/1994
- Investment Style
- Multi-Sector
- Lipper Classification
- Core Plus Bond Funds
- Morningstar Category
11 - Intermediate Core-Plus Bond
Manager and Commentary
About the Team
Franklin Templeton Fixed Income
A global leader in fixed income, the team strives to provide consistent and resilient returns by combining deep fundamental research with rigorous portfolio construction. This solutions-drives approach means maintaining portfolio and risk exposures that align with client expectations.
Commentary Highlights
September 30, 2025- Markets: Market sentiment improved across the third quarter of 2025 (Q3) due to a partial resolution of some of the outstanding trade policy concerns. At its September meeting, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) cut the fed funds rate by 25 basis points (bps) and signaled that more cuts were likely to come by the end of this year. This bolstered markets which viewed that the cut was addressing some of the weakening economic measures, such as the status of the US labor market. As per Bloomberg, fixed income spread markets performed well as corporate bond spreads reached multidecade lows by the end of the quarter. Other fixed income sectors, such as securitized, also posted positive returns. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury yield fell eight bps to end the quarter at 4.15%.
- Contributors: Overweight investment-grade (IG) corporate bonds and agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS). Out-of-index exposure to high-yield (HY) corporate bonds and.
- Detractors: Security selection in senior secured-floating rate bank loans and HY and IG corporate bonds.
- Outlook: There is high uncertainty about future Fed policy, even between members, as reflected in a large distribution seen in the Fed’s scattered projections for the path of fed funds for the remainder or the year. In our view, this level of uncertainty has the potential to spur volatility in the UST market..
Managed Fund Since 2024
Managed Fund Since 2022
Managed Fund Since 2025
Managed Fund Since 2016
Latest Insights
January 8, 2026
January 6, 2026
December 22, 2025
December 18, 2025
Performance
Average Annual Total Returns
As of 11/30/2025
Performance data quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the figures shown. Principal value and investment returns will fluctuate, and investors' shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original cost. Performance would have been lower if fees had not been waived in various periods. Total returns assume the reinvestment of all distributions and the deduction of all Fund expenses. Returns with sales charge reflect a deduction of the stated maximum sales charge. Returns without sales charge would have been lower had sales charges been reflected. An investor cannot invest directly in an index, and unmanaged index returns do not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
©2025 Morningstar, Inc. All rights reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information.
Portfolio
Assets
As of12/31/2025 (Updated Monthly)
- Total Net Assets
- $2.61 Billion
Positions
As of 12/31/2025 (Updated Monthly)
- Fund
- 855
- Benchmark
- 13,974
Portfolio Statistics
As of 12/31/2025 (Updated Monthly)
- Fund
- 12.59 Years
- Benchmark
- 12.12 Years
- Fund
- 5.76 Years
- Benchmark
- 5.92 Years
Sector Exposure
As of 12/31/2025 - Notional Exposure % of Total (Updated Monthly)
| Sector | % of Total | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities | 39.36% | 24.07% |
Investment Grade Corporates | 32.12% | 23.00% |
U.S. Treasuries | 14.69% | 44.76% |
High Yield Corporates | 9.33% | 0.00% |
Interest Rate Derivatives | 7.91% | — |
Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities | 5.88% | — |
Collateralized Loan Obligation | 5.46% | — |
Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities | 5.17% | 1.38% |
Non-Local Currency Emerging Market Bonds | 2.75% | 0.83% |
Bank Loans | 1.81% | — |
Other | 0.85% | 2.47% |
Asset-Backed Securities | 0.51% | 0.34% |
U.S. Agency | 0.24% | 0.41% |
Marketplace Loans | 0.19% | — |
Non-US Developed Bonds | 0.11% | 2.29% |
Currency Derivatives | 0.02% | — |
Local Currency Emerging Market Bonds | 0.00% | — |
Municipal Bonds | — | 0.45% |
Cash & Cash Equivalents | -20.67% | — |
Holdings
As of 11/30/2025 (Updated Monthly)
Portfolio holdings are based on the total portfolio and are subject to change at any time. Holdings are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell any security.
Distributions & Tax
Federal ID Number 94-3198573
For information on tax years prior to 2008, please contact us2025 tax information will be available in early February
These amounts represent distributions paid by the fund, foreign taxes passed through (if any), and other distribution characteristics for the calendar year selected. These amounts are reported to shareholders on Form 1099-DIV.
Distributions per Share ($)
Pricing
Pricing History
As of 01/09/2026 (Updated Daily)
Daily Fund Prices and Breakpoints
As of 01/09/2026
Share Prices
As of 01/09/2026
POP and Sales Charge at Breakpoints
52-Week Range
- Highest NAV
As of 10/27/2025 - $8.50
- Lowest NAV
As of 01/13/2025 - $8.10
Documents
| Name | Download | Add to Cart | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factsheet - Franklin Core Plus Bond Fund | |||
| Product Commentary - Franklin Core Plus Bond Fund |
| Name | Download | Add to Cart | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Report - Franklin Core Plus Bond Fund Class A | |||
| Annual Financial Statements and Other Information - Franklin Strategic Series | |||
| Semi-Annual Report - Franklin Core Plus Bond Fund - Class A | |||
| Semiannual Financial Statements And Other Information - Franklin Strategic Series | |||
| Prospectus - Franklin Core Plus Bond Fund (fka Franklin Strategic Income Fund) | |||
| Summary Prospectus - Franklin Core Plus Bond Fund (fka Franklin Strategic Income Fund) as amended 11/12/24 | |||
| Statement of Additional Information - Franklin Core Plus Bond Fund (fka Franklin Strategic Income Fund) | |||
| Fiscal Q1 Holdings - Franklin Strategic Series | |||
| Fiscal Q3 Holdings - Franklin Strategic Series |
Risks
All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Fixed income securities involve interest rate, credit, inflation and reinvestment risks, and possible loss of principal. As interest rates rise, the value of fixed income securities falls. Changes in the credit rating of a bond, or in the credit rating or financial strength of a bond’s issuer, insurer or guarantor, may affect the bond’s value. Low-rated, high-yield bonds are subject to greater price volatility, illiquidity and possibility of default. Floating-rate loans and debt securities are typically rated below investment grade and are subject to greater risk of default, which could result in loss of principal. International investments are subject to special risks, including currency fluctuations and social, economic and political uncertainties, which could increase volatility. These risks are magnified in emerging markets. Derivative instruments can be illiquid, may disproportionately increase losses, and have a potentially large impact on performance. The manager may consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in the research or investment process; however, ESG considerations may not be a determinative factor in security selection. In addition, the manager may not assess every investment for ESG criteria, and not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. These and other risks are discussed in the fund’s prospectus.
Important Information
Total Returns include change in share price, assume reinvestment of all distributions, and reflect the deduction of fund expenses and applicable fees. Total returns, distribution rate, and yields reflect any applicable expense reductions and fee waivers; without these reductions, the results would have been lower.
Most funds offer multiple share classes. Share classes are subject to different fees and expenses, which will affect their performance.
Certain share classes are only offered to eligible investors as stated in the prospectus. Different minimums may apply to clients of certain service agents. All classes of shares are not available through all distribution channels. See the Fund's prospectus for additional information.
Franklin Distributors, LLC. Member FINRA, SIPC. All entities mentioned are Franklin Templeton affiliated companies. Investment Products: NOT FDIC INSURED | NO BANK GUARANTEE | MAY LOSE VALUE.
Reports and other information about the funds are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov.
You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print PDF documents. Download a free version from Adobe's website.
Important data provider notices and terms available at www.franklintempletondatasources.com.
Performance data quoted represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results.
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
Indexes are unmanaged and one cannot invest directly in an index. They do not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges.
Investors should carefully consider a fund's investment goals, risks, sales charges and expenses before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing or sending money.
The Bloomberg US Aggregate Index is comprised of investment-grade, U.S. dollar-denominated government, corporate, and mortgage- and asset-backed issues having at least one year to maturity.
Source: Bloomberg Indices.