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Franklin Templeton ETF Trust – ‘N-CSRS’ for 9/30/17

On:  Friday, 12/1/17, at 5:14pm ET   ·   Effective:  12/1/17   ·   For:  9/30/17   ·   Accession #:  1193125-17-359111   ·   File #:  811-23124

Previous ‘N-CSRS’:  ‘N-CSRS’ on 12/2/16 for 9/30/16   ·   Next:  ‘N-CSRS’ on 12/4/18 for 9/30/18   ·   Latest:  ‘N-CSRS/A’ on 4/16/24 for 9/30/23

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  As Of                Filer                Filing    For·On·As Docs:Size              Issuer               Agent

12/01/17  Franklin Templeton ETF Trust      N-CSRS      9/30/17    4:5.3M                                   Donnelley … Solutions/FAFranklin Dynamic Municipal Bond ETF FLMIFranklin Emerging Market Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF DIEMFranklin International Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF DIVIFranklin Investment Grade Corporate ETF FLCOFranklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF FLIOFranklin Municipal Green Bond ETF FLMBFranklin U.S. Core Dividend Tilt Index ETF UDIVFranklin U.S. Equity Index ETF USPXFranklin U.S. Large Cap Multifactor Index ETF FLQLFranklin U.S. Low Volatility ETF FLLVFranklin U.S. Mid Cap Multifactor Index ETF FLQMFranklin U.S. Small Cap Multifactor Index ETF FLQS

Certified Semi-Annual Shareholder Report by a Management Investment Company   —   Form N-CSR
Filing Table of Contents

Document/Exhibit                   Description                      Pages   Size 

 1: N-CSRS      Franklin Templeton Etf Trust                        HTML   2.74M 
 4: EX-99.906CE  906 Certifications                                 HTML      7K 
 3: EX-99.CERT  302 Certifications                                  HTML     12K 
 2: EX-99.CODE  Code of Ethics                                      HTML     43K 


N-CSRS   —   Franklin Templeton Etf Trust
Document Table of Contents

Page (sequential) | (alphabetic) Top
 
11st Page   -   Filing Submission
"Economic and Market Overview
"Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF
"Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF
"Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF
"Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF
"Financial Highlights and Statements of Investments
"Financial Statements
"Notes to Financial Statements
"Tax Information
"Shareholder Information
"Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF
"Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF
"Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF
"Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF
"Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF
"Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF
"Municipal Bond Market Overview
"Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF
"Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF

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  FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST  

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC 20549

 

 

FORM N-CSRS

 

 

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number 811-23124

 

 

Franklin Templeton ETF Trust

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

 

One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

 

 

Craig S. Tyle, One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403-1906

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 650 312-2000

Date of fiscal year end: 3/31

Date of reporting period: 9/30/17

 

 

 


Item 1. Reports to Stockholders.

 


LOGO

 

LOGO

 

LOGO

 

Franklin Templeton

ETF Trust

Semiannual Report

September 30, 2017

 

Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF

Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENTS

Gain From Our Perspective®

At Franklin Templeton Investments, we’re dedicated to one goal: delivering exceptional asset management for our clients. By bringing together multiple, world-class investment teams in a single firm, we’re able to offer specialized expertise across styles and asset classes, all supported by the strength and resources of one of the world’s largest asset managers. This has helped us to become a trusted partner to individual and institutional investors across the globe.

Contents        
Semiannual Report       
Economic and Market Overview      2  
Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF      3  
Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF      8  
Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF      13  
Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF      18  
Financial Highlights and Statements of Investments      24  
Financial Statements      56  
Notes to Financial Statements      60  
Tax Information      70  
Shareholder Information      71  

 

 

Visit libertyshares.com for fund updates and documents.

 

 

Not FDIC Insured   |   May Lose Value   |   No Bank Guarantee

 

libertyshares.com   Not part of the semiannual report      1  


SEMIANNUAL REPORT

Economic and Market Overview

 

The global economy generally expanded during the six-month period under review. In this environment, global developed and emerging market stocks rose, as measured by the MSCI All Country World Index. Global markets were aided by generally upbeat economic data across regions, Emmanuel Macron’s election as France’s president, encouraging corporate earnings reports, and the tax reform plan under the Trump administration toward period-end.

However, investors expressed concerns about political uncertainty in the US and the European Union, geopolitical tensions in the Korean peninsula and other regions, global oil oversupply despite a pact by major oil-producing countries to extend production cuts, and hawkish comments from key central bankers around the world.

The US economy strengthened in 2017’s second and third quarters, largely due to growth in consumer spending, business investment, exports and federal government spending. The unemployment rate decreased from 4.5% in March 2017 to 4.2% at period-end.1 Annual inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, decreased from 2.4% in March 2017 to 2.2% at period-end.1 At its June meeting, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) raised its target range for the federal funds rate by 0.25% to 1.00%–1.25%, amid signs of a growing US economy, strengthening labor market and improving business spending. At its July and September 2017 meetings, the Fed kept its target range unchanged. However, in September the Fed mentioned that it would begin implementing its balance sheet reduction in October, and most committee members indicated a likelihood of one more rate hike during 2017.

In Europe, the UK’s economy grew faster in 2017’s third quarter over the previous quarter. The Bank of England kept its key policy rate unchanged during the period but indicated in September that it expected a rate hike to be soon so that

inflation could return to target levels. The eurozone’s growth increased in 2017’s second quarter over the previous quarter. The bloc’s annual inflation rate fluctuated during the reporting period and ended the period where it began. The European Central Bank (ECB) kept its key policy rates unchanged during the period. However, at its September meeting, ECB President Mario Draghi signaled that the bank would reassess its policy stance on quantitative easing in October 2017.

In Asia, Japan’s quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) grew for the sixth consecutive quarter, in 2017’s second quarter, driven by household spending, capital expenditure and government spending. In July 2017, the Bank of Japan marginally raised its GDP forecasts for fiscal years 2017 and 2018, but lowered its inflation forecasts for the same period.

In emerging markets, Brazil’s quarterly GDP grew compared to the previous quarter. The country’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate four times during the period to spur economic growth. Russia’s GDP grew in 2017’s second quarter compared to the prior-year period amid the Bank of Russia’s continued policy support. China’s economic growth accelerated in 2017’s second and third quarters compared to the prior-year periods, largely driven by higher government spending. The People’s Bank of China left its benchmark interest rate unchanged during the period. Overall, emerging market stocks, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, rose during the period.

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis and opinions as of September 30, 2017. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable.

 

 

1. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 

2    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF covers the period ended September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ Emerging Markets (EM) Index.1 Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of the index and in depositary receipts representing such securities. The index includes stocks from emerging market countries that have favorable exposure to four investment-style factors: quality, value, momentum and low volatility, subject to a maximum 1% per company weighting. The index seeks to achieve a lower level of risk and higher risk-adjusted performance than the MSCI EM Index over the long term by selecting equity securities from the MSCI EM Index that have exposure to these investment-style factors.

Performance Overview

During the six-month period, the Fund posted cumulative total returns of +9.00% based on market price and +9.21% based on net asset value (NAV).2 In comparison, the LibertyQ EM Index generated a +9.76% total return for the same period, while the MSCI EM Index (Net Returns) produced a +14.66% total return.3 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 5.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

Geographic Composition
Based on Total Net Assets as of 9/30/17
LOGO
 

Investment Strategy

The Fund, using a passive or indexing investment approach, seeks investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ EM Index. The investment manager seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the index of 0.95 or better. A figure of 1.00 would indicate perfect correlation. The Fund’s intention is to replicate the component securities of the index as closely as possible. However, under various circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the component securities in their respective weightings in the index. In these circumstances, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy whereby the Fund would invest in what it believes to be a representative sample of the component securities of the index, but may not track the index with the same degree of accuracy as would an investment vehicle replicating the entire index. The Fund’s portfolio is reconstituted semiannually following the semiannual reconstitution of the index.

 

1. The LibertyQ EM Index is a systematic, rules-based proprietary index that is owned and calculated by MSCI Inc. (MSCI). It is based on the MSCI EM Index using a methodology developed with Franklin Templeton to reflect Franklin Templeton’s desired investment strategy. The MSCI EM Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of emerging markets.

2. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (6/3/16), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the market price to calculate market returns.

3. Source: Factset.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions (after the deduction of certain withholding taxes). It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 25.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report      3  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ EMERGING MARKETS ETF

 

Top 10 Sectors/Industries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 
Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels      12.0%  
Wireless Telecommunication Services      7.7%  
Banks      5.7%  
Automobiles      5.7%  
Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components      5.6%  
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment      4.6%  
IT Services      4.2%  
Real Estate Management & Development      4.2%  
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals      4.0%  
Metals & Mining      3.6%  
Top 10 Countries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 
China      15.7%  
South Korea      15.6%  
India      13.1%  
Taiwan      13.0%  
Russia      10.7%  
Brazil      5.0%  
South Africa      3.8%  
Indonesia      3.5%  
Thailand      3.4%  
Malaysia      2.9%  
 

 

Top 10 Holdings       
9/30/17       
Company
Sector/Industry, Country
  

% of Total

Net Assets

 

iShares MSCI India ETF

Diversified Financial Services, India

     1.6%  

SK Hynix Inc.

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment, South Korea

     1.4%  

AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components, China

     1.3%  

Sunac China Holdings Ltd.

Real Estate Management & Development, China

     1.3%  

Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. Ltd.

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components, China

     1.3%  

WisdomTree India Earnings ETF

Diversified Financial Services, India

     1.2%  

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components, Taiwan

     1.2%  

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

Wireless Telecommunication Services, Thailand

     1.1%  

Ambev SA

Beverages, Brazil

     1.1%  

MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC

Metals & Mining, Russia

     1.1%  

Thank you for your participation in Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Dina Ting, CFA

   Portfolio Manager

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

CFA® is a trademark owned by CFA Institute.

 

4    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ EMERGING MARKETS ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance table does not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (6/3/16), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
     

Based on

NAV3

    

Based on

market price4

    

Based on

NAV3

    

Based on

market price4

 

6-Month

     +9.21%        +9.00%        +9.21%        +9.00%  

Since Inception (6/1/16)

     +25.10%        +25.50%        +18.31%        +18.60%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

See page 6 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     5  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ EMERGING MARKETS ETF

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

 

Distributions (4/1/179/30/17)

Net Investment
Income
$0.289255

Total Annual Operating Expenses5

With Waiver   Without Waiver  
0.55%     0.79%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Special risks are associated with foreign investing, including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments. Investments in developing markets involve heightened risks related to the same factors, in addition to those associated with these markets’ smaller size, lesser liquidity and lack of established legal, political, business and social frameworks to support securities markets. The Fund is designed for the aggressive portion of a well-diversified portfolio. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s multi-factor stock selection process will enhance performance. Exposure to such investment factors may detract from performance in some market environments, perhaps for extended periods. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 7/31/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the periods indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

6    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ EMERGING MARKETS ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 x $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

      Actual
(actual return after expenses)
    Hypothetical
(5% annual return before expenses)
       
Beginning
Account
Value 4/1/17
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio2
 
  $1,000.00     $ 1,092.10     $ 2.83     $ 1,022.36     $ 2.74       0.54

1. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period.

2. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     7  


Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF covers the period ended September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ Global Dividend Index.1 Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of the index and in depositary receipts representing such securities. The index includes stocks from developed and emerging market countries with high and persistent dividend income that have favorable exposure to a quality investment-style factor, subject to a maximum 2% per company weighting. The index seeks to achieve a lower level of risk and higher risk-adjusted performance than the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) ex REITs Index over the long term by applying dividend persistence and yield screens and the quality factor selection process.

Performance Overview

For the six-month period, the Fund posted cumulative total returns of +5.12% based on market price and +5.25% based on net asset value (NAV).2 In comparison, the LibertyQ Global Dividend Index delivered a +5.25% total return for the same period, while the MSCI ACWI ex REITs Index (Net Returns) produced a +9.82% total return for the same period.3 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 10.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

Geographic Composition
Based on Total Net Assets as of 9/30/17
LOGO
 

Investment Strategy

The Fund, using a passive or indexing investment approach, seeks investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ Global Dividend Index. The investment manager seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the index of 0.95 or better. A figure of 1.00 would indicate perfect correlation. The Fund’s intention is to replicate the component securities of the index as closely as possible. However, under various circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the component securities in their respective weightings in the index. In these circumstances, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy whereby the Fund would invest in what it believes to be a representative sample of the component securities of the index, but may not track the index with the same degree of accuracy as would an investment vehicle replicating the entire index. The Fund’s portfolio is reconstituted semiannually following the semiannual reconstitution of the index.

 

1. The LibertyQ Global Dividend Index is a systematic, rules-based proprietary index that is owned and calculated by MSCI Inc. (MSCI). It is based on the MSCI ACWI ex REITs Index using a methodology developed with Franklin Templeton to reflect Franklin Templeton’s desired investment strategy. The MSCI ACWI ex REITs Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets, excluding REIT securities.

2. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (6/3/16), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the market price to calculate market returns.

3. Source: Factset.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions (after the deduction of certain withholding taxes). It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 31.

 

8    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ GLOBAL DIVIDEND ETF

 

Top 10 Sectors/Industries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 
Banks      17.6%  
Pharmaceuticals      16.2%  
Household Products      5.4%  
Tobacco      5.4%  
Diversified Telecommunication Services      4.6%  
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment      4.3%  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure      4.3%  
Personal Products      4.3%  
Food & Staples Retailing      4.0%  
Aerospace & Defense      3.6%  
Top 10 Countries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 
US      36.3%  
UK      14.1%  
Canada      10.0%  
Australia      9.5%  
Switzerland      5.5%  
Brazil      4.8%  
Japan      4.0%  
Sweden      3.7%  
South Africa      2.2%  
France      2.1%  
 

 

Top 10 Holdings       
9/30/17       

Company

Sector/Industry, Country

  

% of Total

Net Assets

 

Itau Unibanco Holding SA

Banks, Brazil

     2.5%  

Westpac Banking Corp.

Banks, Australia

     2.4%  

The Toronto-Dominion Bank

Banks, Canada

     2.4%  

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

Pharmaceuticals, US

     2.3%  

Ambev SA

Beverages, Brazil

     2.3%  

Bank of Nova Scotia

Banks, Canada

     2.2%  

Lockheed Martin Corp.

Aerospace & Defense, US

     2.2%  

Royal Bank of Canada

Banks, Canada

     2.2%  

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

Banks, Canada

     2.2%  

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

Banks, Australia

     2.2%  

Thank you for your participation in Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Dina Ting, CFA

   Portfolio Manager

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     9  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ GLOBAL DIVIDEND ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance tables do not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (6/3/16), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
     

Based on

NAV3

    

Based on

market price4

    

Based on

NAV3

    

Based on

market price4

 

6-Month

     +5.25%        +5.12%        +5.25%        +5.12%  

Since Inception (6/1/16)

     +15.56%        +16.04%        +11.47%        +11.82%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

See page 11 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

10    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ GLOBAL DIVIDEND ETF

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

 

Distributions (4/1/179/30/17)

Net Investment
Income
$0.621895

Total Annual Operating Expenses5

With Waiver   Without Waiver  
0.45%     0.98%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Special risks are associated with foreign investing, including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments; investments in emerging markets involve heightened risks related to the same factors. To the extent the Fund focuses on particular countries, regions, industries, sectors or types of investment from time to time, it may be subject to greater risks of adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of countries, regions, industries, sectors or investments. Companies that have historically paid regular dividends to shareholders may decrease or eliminate dividend payments in the future. A decrease in dividend payments by an issuer may result in a decrease in the value of the issuer’s stock and less available income for the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s multi-factor stock selection process will enhance performance. Exposure to such investment factors may detract from performance in some market environments, perhaps for extended periods. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 7/31/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the periods indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     11  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ GLOBAL DIVIDEND ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 x $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

      Actual
(actual return after expenses)
    Hypothetical
(5% annual return before expenses)
       
Beginning
Account
Value 4/1/17
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio2
 
  $1,000.00     $ 1,052.50     $ 2.32     $ 1,022.81     $ 2.28       0.45

1. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period.

2. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

12    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF covers the period ended September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ Global Equity Index.1 Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of the index and in depositary receipts representing such securities. The index includes stocks from developed and emerging market countries that have favorable exposure to four investment-style factors: quality, value, momentum and low volatility, subject to a maximum 1% per company weighting. The index seeks to achieve a lower level of risk and higher risk-adjusted performance than the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) over the long term by selecting equity securities from the MSCI ACWI that have exposure to these investment-style factors.

Performance Overview

During the six-month period, the Fund posted cumulative total returns of +8.52% based on market price and +8.68% based on net asset value (NAV).2 In comparison, the LibertyQ Global Equity Index delivered a +8.71% total return for the same period, while the MSCI ACWI (Net Returns) produced a +9.68% total return.3 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 15.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

Geographic Composition
Based on Total Net Assets as of 9/30/17
LOGO
 

Investment Strategy

The Fund, using a passive or indexing investment approach, seeks investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ Global Equity Index. The investment manager seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the index of 0.95 or better. A figure of 1.00 would indicate perfect correlation. The Fund’s intention is to replicate the component securities of the index as closely as possible. However, under various circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the component securities in their respective weightings in the index. In these circumstances, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy whereby the Fund would invest in what it believes to be a representative sample of the component securities of the index, but may not track the index with the same degree of accuracy as would an investment vehicle replicating the entire index. The Fund’s portfolio is reconstituted semiannually following the semiannual reconstitution of the index.

 

1. The LibertyQ Global Equity Index is a systematic, rules-based proprietary index that is owned and calculated by MSCI Inc. (MSCI). It is based on the MSCI ACWI using a methodology developed with Franklin Templeton to reflect Franklin Templeton’s desired investment strategy. The MSCI ACWI is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed and emerging markets.

2. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (6/3/16), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the market price to calculate market returns.

3. Source: Factset.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions (after the deduction of certain withholding taxes). It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 35.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report      13  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ GLOBAL EQUITY ETF

 

Top 10 Sectors/Industries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 
Pharmaceuticals      8.8%  
Banks      5.8%  
Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment      5.7%  
Aerospace & Defense      4.4%  
Specialty Retail      4.2%  
Diversified Telecommunication Services      4.2%  
IT Services      4.1%  
Biotechnology      3.8%  
Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure      3.3%  
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals      3.2%  
Top 10 Countries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 
US      54.6%  
UK      9.4%  
Japan      4.2%  
Australia      4.1%  
Canada      3.8%  
China      3.5%  
South Korea      2.9%  
Taiwan      2.5%  
Switzerland      2.0%  
Russia      1.3%  
 

 

Top 10 Holdings       
9/30/17       

Company

Sector/Industry, Country

  

% of Total

Net Assets

 

The Boeing Co.

Aerospace & Defense, US

    
1.3%
 

AbbVie Inc.

Biotechnology, US

    
1.3%
 

Mastercard Inc., A

IT Services, US

    
1.2%
 

Gilead Sciences Inc.

Biotechnology, US

    
1.2%
 

Novo Nordisk AS, B

Pharmaceuticals, Denmark

    
1.1%
 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment, Taiwan

    
1.1%
 

Microsoft Corp.

Software, US

    
1.1%
 

HSBC Holdings PLC

Banks, UK

    
1.1%
 

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

Health Care Providers & Services, US

    
1.1%
 

Accenture PLC, A

IT Services, US

     1.1%  

Thank you for your participation in Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Dina Ting, CFA

   Portfolio Manager

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

14    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ GLOBAL EQUITY ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance table does not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (6/3/16), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
      Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
     Based on
NAV3
    

Based on

market price4

 

6-Month

     +8.68%        +8.52%        +8.68%        +8.52%  

Since Inception (6/1/16)

     +19.49%        +19.92%        +14.31%        +14.62%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

See page 16 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     15  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ GLOBAL EQUITY ETF

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

 

Distributions (4/1/17–9/30/17)

Net Investment
Income
$0.324710

Total Annual Operating Expenses5

With Waiver      Without Waiver  
0.35%        1.05%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Special risks are associated with foreign investing, including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments; investments in emerging markets involve heightened risks related to the same factors. To the extent the Fund focuses on particular countries, regions, industries, sectors or types of investment from time to time, it may be subject to greater risks of adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of countries, regions, industries, sectors or investments. Performance of the Fund may vary significantly from the performance of an index, as a result of transaction costs, expenses and other factors. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s multi-factor stock selection process will enhance performance. Exposure to such investment factors may detract from performance in some market environments, perhaps for extended periods. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 7/31/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the periods indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

16    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ GLOBAL EQUITY ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 x $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

      Actual
(actual return after expenses)
    Hypothetical
(5% annual return before expenses)
       
Beginning
Account
Value 4/1/17
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio2
 
  $1,000.00     $ 1,086.80     $ 1.83     $ 1,023.31     $ 1.78       0.35

1. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period.

2. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     17  


Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF covers the period ended September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ International Equity Hedged Index.1 Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of the index and in depositary receipts representing such securities. The index includes stocks from developed market countries in Europe, Australasia and the Far East that have favorable exposure to four investment-style factors: quality, value, momentum and low volatility, subject to a maximum 2% per company weighting. The index seeks to achieve a lower level of risk and higher risk-adjusted performance than the MSCI EAFE Index over the long term by selecting equity securities from the MSCI EAFE Index that have exposure to these investment-style factors. The index incorporates a hedge against non-US currency fluctuations by reflecting the impact of rolling monthly currency forward contracts on the currencies represented in the index. In order to replicate the hedge impact incorporated in the calculation of the index, the Fund intends to enter into monthly foreign currency forward contracts designed to offset the Fund’s exposure to the component currencies of the index.

 

What is a currency forward contract?

A currency forward contract is an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty to buy or sell a foreign currency in exchange for another currency at a specific exchange rate on a future date.

 

Geographic Composition*
Based on Total Net Assets as of 9/30/17
LOGO

*Figures are stated as a percentage of total and may not equal 100% or may be negative due to rounding, use of derivatives, unsettled trades or other factors.

 

Performance Overview

During the six-month period, the Fund posted cumulative total returns of +3.94% based on market price and +4.78% based on net asset value (NAV).2 In comparison, the LibertyQ International Equity Hedged Index had a +4.93% total return for the same period, while the MSCI EAFE 100% Hedged to USD Index (Net Returns) produced a +6.95% total return.3 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 21.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

1. The LibertyQ International Equity Hedged Index is a systematic, rules-based proprietary index that is owned and calculated by MSCI Inc. (MSCI). It is based on the MSCI EAFE Index using a methodology developed with Franklin Templeton to reflect Franklin Templeton’s desired investment strategy. The MSCI EAFE Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets, excluding the US and Canada.

2. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (6/3/16), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the market price to calculate market returns.

3. Source: Factset.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions. It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 48.

 

18    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ INTERNATIONAL EQUITY HEDGED ETF

 

Investment Strategy

The Fund, using a passive or indexing investment approach, seeks investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ International Equity Hedged Index. The investment manager seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the index of 0.95 or better. A figure of 1.00 would indicate perfect correlation. The Fund’s intention is to replicate the component securities of the index as closely as possible. However, under various circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the component securities in their respective weightings in the index. In these circumstances, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy whereby the Fund would invest in what it believes to be a representative sample of the component securities of the index, but may not track the index with the same degree of accuracy as would an investment vehicle replicating the entire index. The Fund’s portfolio is reconstituted semiannually following the semiannual reconstitution of the index.

 

Top 10 Sectors/Industries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 
Banks      11.4%  
Pharmaceuticals      9.8%  
Insurance      5.6%  
Diversified Telecommunication Services      5.3%  
Personal Products      5.0%  
Tobacco      4.2%  
Automobiles      4.1%  
Specialty Retail      3.0%  
Professional Services      2.9%  
Chemicals      2.9%  
Top 10 Countries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 
UK      28.1%  
Japan      20.6%  
Australia      17.1%  
Switzerland      6.8%  
France      4.3%  
Denmark      3.8%  
Hong Kong      3.7%  
Sweden      3.3%  
Spain      2.7%  
Singapore      2.2%  

 

Top 10 Holdings       
9/30/17       
Company
Sector/Industry, Country
   % of Total
Net Assets
 

Novo Nordisk AS, B

Pharmaceuticals, Denmark

    
2.3%
 

HSBC Holding PLC

Banks, UK

    
2.2%
 

Toyota Motor Corp.

Automobiles, Japan

    
2.2%
 

Westpac Banking Corp.

Banks, Australia

    
2.1%
 

Unilever NV

Personal Products, UK

    
2.1%
 

Unilever PLC

Personal Products, UK

    
2.1%
 

AstraZeneca PLC

Pharmaceuticals, UK

    
1.9%
 

CSL Ltd.

Biotechnology, Australia

    
1.9%
 

Roche Holding AG

Pharmaceuticals, Switzerland

    
1.8%
 

GlaxoSmithKline PLC

Pharmaceuticals, UK

    
1.8%
 
 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     19  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ INTERNATIONAL EQUITY HEDGED ETF

 

Thank you for your participation in Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Dina Ting, CFA

   Portfolio Manager

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

 

20    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ INTERNATIONAL EQUITY HEDGED ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance table does not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (6/3/16), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
      Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
     Based on
NAV3
    

Based on

market price4

 

6-Month

     +4.78%        +3.94%        +4.78%        +3.94%  

Since Inception (6/1/16)

     +13.47%        +13.55%        +9.95%        +10.01  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

See page 22 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     21  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ INTERNATIONAL EQUITY HEDGED ETF

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

 

Distributions (4/1/17–9/30/17)

Net Investment

Income

$1.297820

Total Annual Operating Expenses5

With Waiver      Without Waiver  
0.40%        1.25%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Special risks are associated with foreign investing, including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments; investments in emerging markets involve heightened risks related to the same factors. To the extent the Fund focuses on particular countries, regions, industries, sectors or types of investment from time to time, it may be subject to greater risks of adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of countries, regions, industries, sectors or investments. The Fund will attempt to hedge the currency exposure of non-US dollar denominated securities held in its portfolio by investing in foreign currency forward contracts. Foreign currency forward contracts do not eliminate movements in the value of non-US currencies and securities but rather allow the Fund to establish a fixed rate of exchange for a future point in time. Investments in derivatives involve costs and create economic leverage, which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as gains) that significantly exceed the Fund’s initial investment. Currency management strategies could result in losses to the Fund if currencies do not perform as the investment manager expects. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s multi-factor stock selection process will enhance performance. Exposure to such investment factors may detract from performance in some market environments, perhaps for extended periods. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 7/31/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the periods indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

22    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ INTERNATIONAL EQUITY HEDGED ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 x $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

      Actual
(actual return after expenses)
    Hypothetical
(5% annual return before expenses)
       
Beginning
Account
Value 4/1/17
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio2
 
  $1,000.00     $ 1,047.80     $ 2.05     $ 1,023.06     $ 2.03       0.40

1. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period.

2. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     23  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF

 

     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 29.29      $ 25.66  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operationsb:  

Net investment incomec

    0.55        0.47  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    2.16        3.25  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.71        3.72  
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income

    (0.29      (0.09
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 31.71      $ 29.29  
 

 

 

 

Total returnd

    9.32%        14.55%  
Ratios to average net assetse  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.71%        0.75%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.54%        0.55%  

Net investment income

    3.56%        2.09%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $405,902        $328,086  

Portfolio turnover ratef

    13.95%        31.66%  

 

aFor the period June 1, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

eRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

fPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

24    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF

 

      Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks 94.8%  
    Brazil 5.0%  
 

Ambev SA

     Beverages          678,408        $ 4,512,497  
 

BB Seguridade Participacoes SA

     Insurance          435,208          3,939,113  
 

Cielo SA

     IT Services          556,816          3,869,186  
 

Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo

     Water Utilities          96,000          1,010,031  
 

EDP-Energias do Brasil SA

     Electric Utilities          195,808          937,209  
 

Engie Brasil SA

     Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers          121,688          1,394,556  
 

Fibria Celulose SA

     Paper & Forest Products          115,252          1,561,275  
 

M Dias Branco SA

     Food Products          25,600          402,232  
 

Odontoprev SA

     Health Care Providers & Services          205,528          1,002,576  
 

Qualicorp SA

     Health Care Providers & Services          108,888          1,304,666  
 

Transmissora Alianca de Energia Eletrica SA

     Electric Utilities          76,800          540,221  
              

 

 

 
                 20,473,562  
              

 

 

 
    Chile 0.7%  
 

Aguas Andinas SA, A

     Water Utilities          2,015,872          1,284,439  
 

Enel Chile SA

     Electric Utilities          5,304,128          647,653  
 

Enel Generacion Chile SA

     Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers          994,944          869,955  
              

 

 

 
                 2,802,047  
              

 

 

 
    China 15.7%  
 

AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          320,000          5,375,190  
 

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., H

     Banks          7,980,000          3,575,864  
 

Anta Sports Products Ltd.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          704,000          2,960,861  
 

China Everbright Bank Co. Ltd., H

     Banks          1,792,000          828,238  
 

China Mobile Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          352,000          3,567,004  
 

Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., B

     Automobiles          627,110          829,381  
 

Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd., H

     Banks          1,408,000          892,314  
 

Country Garden Holdings Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development          2,624,000          4,172,492  
 

CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Ltd.

     Pharmaceuticals          1,280,000          2,143,521  
 

Dongfeng Motor Group Co. Ltd., H

     Automobiles          1,920,000          2,536,828  
 

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., H

     Automobiles          2,144,000          2,635,154  
 

Guangdong Investment Ltd.

     Water Utilities          1,792,000          2,555,838  
 

Guangzhou Automobile Group Co. Ltd., H

     Automobiles          896,000          2,074,037  
 

Huaneng Power International Inc., H

     Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers          2,176,000          1,345,600  
 

Jiangsu Expressway Co. Ltd., H

     Transportation Infrastructure          768,000          1,175,987  
 

Longfor Properties Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development          864,000          2,179,164  
 

NetEase Inc., ADR

     Internet Software & Services          13,824          3,646,909  
 

Shenzhou International Group Holdings Ltd.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          384,000          3,008,796  
 

Sihuan Pharmaceutical Holdings Group Ltd.

     Pharmaceuticals          1,216,000          442,142  
 

Sino-Ocean Land Holdings Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development          1,056,000          704,388  
 

Sinopec Engineering Group Co. Ltd.

     Construction & Engineering          832,000          733,927  
 

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co. Ltd., H

     Chemicals          1,792,000          1,066,844  
 

Sunac China Holdings Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development          1,152,000          5,272,767  
 

Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. Ltd.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          320,000          5,088,404  
a  

Yum China Holdings Inc.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          104,448          4,174,787  
a  

YY Inc., ADR

     Internet Software & Services          9,664          838,642  
              

 

 

 
                 63,825,079  
              

 

 

 
    Colombia 0.3%  
 

Grupo Inversiones Suramericcana SA.

     Diversified Financial Services          76,800          1,069,073  
              

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     25  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF (continued)

 

      Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)  
    Czech Republic 0.4%  
 

Moneta Money Bank AS

     Banks          204,608        $ 720,316  
 

O2 Czech Republic AS

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          62,848          771,818  
              

 

 

 
                 1,492,134  
              

 

 

 
    Hungary 0.7%  
 

MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas PLC

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          264,704          3,021,950  
              

 

 

 
    India 10.3%  
 

Asian Paints Ltd.

     Chemicals          141,888          2,458,277  
 

Bajaj Auto Ltd.

     Automobiles          33,280          1,584,214  
 

Bharat Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          425,292          3,068,587  
 

Coal India Ltd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          348,672          1,445,772  
 

Dabur India Ltd.

     Personal Products          210,624          983,471  
 

Eicher Motors Ltd.

     Machinery          5,628          2,689,352  
 

HCL Technologies Ltd.

     IT Services          253,760          3,398,488  
 

Hero Motocorp Ltd.

     Automobiles          28,608          1,653,128  
 

Hindustan Petroleum Corp. Ltd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          300,416          1,962,914  
 

Hindustan Unilever Ltd.

     Household Products          214,336          3,851,945  
 

Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          134,592          825,231  
 

Infosys Ltd.

     IT Services          199,668          2,750,784  
 

ITC Ltd.

     Tobacco          730,176          2,887,392  
 

Marico Ltd.

     Personal Products          222,464          1,058,339  
 

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd.

     Automobiles          32,384          3,955,389  
 

Rural Electrification Corp. Ltd.

     Diversified Financial Services          56,000          131,084  
 

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

     IT Services          81,024          3,021,592  
 

Tech Mahindra Ltd.

     IT Services          218,944          1,534,653  
 

Wipro Ltd.

     IT Services          601,408          2,580,291  
              

 

 

 
                 41,840,903  
              

 

 

 
    Indonesia 3.5%  
 

Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk PT

     Tobacco          6,009,600          1,722,255  
 

Matahari Department Store Tbk PT

     Multiline Retail          1,894,400          1,304,519  
 

PT Telekom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          11,078,400          3,849,351  
 

Surya Citra Media Tbk PT

     Media          4,320,000          702,413  
 

Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT

     Household Products          1,126,400          4,095,734  
 

United Tractors Tbk PT

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          1,011,200          2,402,435  
              

 

 

 
                 14,076,707  
              

 

 

 
    Malaysia 2.9%  
 

AirAsia Bhd.

     Airlines          403,200          329,435  
 

Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd.

     Media          1,126,400          752,267  
 

British American Tobacco Malaysia Bhd.

     Tobacco          134,400          1,392,222  
 

Digi.com Bhd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          2,976,000          3,453,499  
 

Hartalega Holdings Bhd.

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies          377,600          622,403  
 

Maxis Bhd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          1,171,200          1,608,753  
 

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd.

     Chemicals          1,484,800          2,563,456  
 

Petronas Dagangan Bhd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          76,800          442,339  
 

Westports Holdings Bhd.

     Transportation Infrastructure          723,200          652,550  
              

 

 

 
                 11,816,924  
              

 

 

 
    Mexico 2.5%  
 

Gruma SAB de CV

     Food Products          120,512          1,766,808  
 

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV

     Transportation Infrastructure          219,456          2,252,659  
 

Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV, A

     Household Products          1,047,744          2,137,694  
 

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV, V

     Food & Staples Retailing          1,753,984          4,027,762  
              

 

 

 
                 10,184,923  
              

 

 

 
    Pakistan 0.4%  
 

Engro Corp. Ltd.

     Chemicals          83,200          239,422  
 

Habib Bank Ltd.

     Banks          172,800          296,561  

 

26    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF (continued)

 

      Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)  
    Pakistan (continued)  
 

Lucky Cement Ltd.

     Construction Materials        44,800        $ 240,323  
 

MCB Bank Ltd.

     Banks        128,000          251,552  
 

Oil & Gas Development Co. Ltd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        224,000          315,397  
 

United Bank Ltd.

     Banks        134,400          239,897  
            

 

 

 
               1,583,152  
            

 

 

 
    Philippines 0.2%  
 

DMCI Holdings Inc.

     Industrial Conglomerates        755,200          231,914  
 

Globe Telecom Inc.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services        17,920          723,157  
            

 

 

 
               955,071  
            

 

 

 
    Poland 1.5%  
a  

PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA

     Electric Utilities        608,000          2,219,130  
 

Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen SA

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        100,800          3,366,501  
a  

Tauron Polska Energia SA

     Electric Utilities        557,184          573,400  
            

 

 

 
               6,159,031  
            

 

 

 
    Qatar 1.0%  
a  

The Commercial Bank QSC

     Banks        742          5,933  
 

Doha Bank QSC

     Banks        97,377          775,646  
 

Industries Qatar QSC

     Industrial Conglomerates        94,400          2,377,405  
 

Qatar Electricity & Water Co. QSC

     Multi-Utilities        20,992          1,007,870  
            

 

 

 
               4,166,854  
            

 

 

 
    Russia 9.9%  
 

Alrosa PJSC

     Metals & Mining        2,352,896          3,338,183  
 

Federal Hydrogenerating Co.

     Electric Utilities        51,377,216          767,210  
 

Gazprom PJSC

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        1,708,224          3,616,927  
 

Inter RAO UES PJSC

     Electric Utilities        19,866,560          1,289,001  
 

LUKOIL PJSC

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        75,456          4,010,904  
 

MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC

     Metals & Mining        25,728          4,442,698  
 

Mobile TeleSystems PJSC, ADR

     Wireless Telecommunication Services        416,384          4,347,049  
 

NLMK PJSC

     Metals & Mining        486,144          1,113,974  
b  

Novatek PJSC, GDR, Reg S

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        29,376          3,445,805  
b  

PhosAgro PJSC, GDR, Reg S

     Chemicals        101,568          1,447,344  
 

Rosneft PJSC

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        742,720          4,118,301  
 

Severstal PJSC

     Metals & Mining        164,416          2,485,200  
 

Surgutneftegas OAO

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        3,492,608          1,784,305  
 

Tatneft PAO

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        556,160          3,951,555  
            

 

 

 
               40,158,456  
            

 

 

 
    South Africa 3.8%  
 

Bidvest Group Ltd.

     Industrial Conglomerates        146,112          1,868,372  
 

Fortress Income Fund Ltd., A

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      499,904          638,648  
 

Mr. Price Group Ltd.

     Specialty Retail        186,048          2,480,732  
 

Pick ‘N Pay Stores Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing        192,448          821,102  
 

Sibanye-Stillwater

     Metals & Mining        1,070,720          1,206,914  
 

Tiger Brands Ltd.

     Food Products        85,120          2,378,821  
 

Truworths International Ltd.

     Specialty Retail        330,496          1,890,822  
 

Vodacom Group Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services        328,448          3,919,727  
            

 

 

 
               15,205,138  
            

 

 

 
    South Korea 14.5%  
 

BGF Retail Co. Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing        10,688          774,527  
 

BNK Financial Group Inc.

     Banks        75,264          657,127  
 

Coway Co. Ltd.

     Household Durables        40,000          3,282,839  
 

DGB Financial Group Inc.

     Banks        81,920          751,002  
 

Hana Financial Group Inc.

     Banks        105,984          4,381,492  
 

Hankook Tire Co. Ltd.

     Auto Components        43,840          2,304,246  
 

Hanon Systems

     Auto Components        121,152          1,332,794  
 

Hanssem Co. Ltd.

     Household Durables        5,888          778,829  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     27  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF (continued)

 

      Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)  
    South Korea (continued)  
 

Hanwha Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

     Insurance          103,680        $ 620,079  
 

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co. Ltd.

     Insurance          36,160          1,430,172  
 

Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.

     Auto Components          16,576          3,473,384  
 

Industrial Bank of Korea

     Banks          132,032          1,659,982  
 

Kangwon Land Inc.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          76,160          2,327,324  
 

KB Financial Group Inc.

     Banks          86,144          4,219,390  
 

Kia Motors Corp.

     Automobiles          111,872          3,091,412  
 

KT&G Corp.

     Tobacco          41,536          3,825,947  
 

LG Display Co. Ltd.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          68,096          1,816,329  
 

Lotte Chemical Corp.

     Chemicals          9,280          3,062,680  
 

Naver Corp.

     Internet Software & Services          5,120          3,330,336  
 

S-1 Corp.

     Commercial Services & Supplies          13,568          1,056,677  
 

S-Oil Corp.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          14,016          1,560,257  
 

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          1,856          4,154,873  
 

SK Hynix Inc.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          80,640          5,836,693  
 

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          13,120          2,921,028  
              

 

 

 
                 58,649,419  
              

 

 

 
    Taiwan 13.0%  
 

Advantech Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          208,194          1,462,384  
 

Asustek Computer Inc.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          384,000          3,140,483  
 

Catcher Technology Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          384,000          3,735,655  
 

Chicony Electronics Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          385,770          915,956  
 

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          1,024,000          3,528,822  
 

Eclat Textile Co. Ltd.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          128,280          1,592,713  
 

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          1,088,000          2,604,828  
 

Feng Tay Enterprise Co. Ltd.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          256,800          1,168,658  
 

Formosa Petrochemical Corp.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          576,000          2,013,455  
 

Foxconn Technology Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          448,200          1,308,063  
 

Highwealth Construction Corp.

     Real Estate Management & Development          576,000          780,689  
 

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          1,344,000          4,742,382  
 

Largan Precision Co. Ltd.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          24,000          4,254,056  
 

Micro-Star International Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          256,000          553,806  
 

Nanya Technology Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          384,000          1,092,837  
 

Nien Made Enterprise Co. Ltd.

     Household Durables          64,000          656,378  
 

Novatek Microelectronics Corp. Ltd.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          448,000          1,691,597  
 

Phison Electronics Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          128,000          1,519,588  
 

President Chain Store Corp.

     Food & Staples Retailing          384,000          3,222,794  
 

Realtek Semiconductor Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          256,000          899,090  
 

Ruentex Industries Ltd.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          320,000          478,037  
 

Siliconware Precision Industries Co.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          1,536,000          2,454,135  
 

Taiwan Mobile Co. Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          960,000          3,434,903  
 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          576,000          4,112,386  
 

Transcend Information Inc.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          192,000          548,318  
 

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          640,000          1,105,923  
              

 

 

 
                 53,017,936  
              

 

 

 
    Thailand 3.4%  
 

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          806,400          4,618,363  
 

BEC World PCL, NVDR

     Media          800,000          391,004  
 

Bumrungrad Hospital PCL, NVDR

     Health Care Providers & Services          204,800          1,320,300  
 

Central Pattana PCL, NVDR

     Real Estate Management & Development          742,400          1,736,348  
 

Delta Electronics Thailand PCL, NVDR

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          371,200          971,130  
 

Glow Energy PCL, NVDR

     Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers          140,800          376,804  
 

KCE Electronics PCL, NVDR

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          128,000          383,808  
 

The Siam Cement PCL, NVDR

     Construction Materials          185,600          2,782,609  
 

Thai Oil PCL, NVDR

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          441,600          1,224,827  
              

 

 

 
                 13,805,193  
              

 

 

 

 

28    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF (continued)

 

      Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)  
    Turkey 2.9%  
 

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS

     Aerospace & Defense          61,696        $ 456,288  
 

BIM Birlesik Magazalar AS

     Food & Staples Retailing          151,680          3,167,020  
 

Eregli Demir ve Celik Fabrikalari AS

     Metals & Mining          946,816          2,058,122  
 

Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS

     Automobiles          49,472          634,381  
 

Petkim Petrokimya Holding AS

     Chemicals          308,160          518,207  
 

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS

     Transportation Infrastructure          113,472          563,196  
 

Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS

     Automobiles          81,728          709,699  
 

Tupras-Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          84,352          2,884,397  
 

Turkiye Is Bankasi, C

     Banks          402,688          767,758  
              

 

 

 
                 11,759,068  
              

 

 

 
    United Arab Emirates 2.2%  
 

Aldar Properties PJSC

     Real Estate Management & Development          2,084,992          1,322,759  
 

Damac Properties Dubai Co. PJSC

     Real Estate Management & Development          792,832          820,324  
 

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC

     Banks          414,784          683,279  
 

Emirates Telecommunications Group Co. PJSC

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          787,840          3,711,116  
 

First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC

     Banks          870,382          2,417,300  
              

 

 

 
                 8,954,778  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Common Stocks
(Cost $342,496,542)

               385,017,398  
              

 

 

 
    Management Investment Companies 2.8%                    
    India 2.8%  
 

iShares MSCI India ETF

     Diversified Financial Services          198,080          6,506,928  
 

WisdomTree India Earnings ETF

     Diversified Financial Services          196,672          4,950,234  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Management Investment Companies
(Cost $9,975,650)

               11,457,162  
              

 

 

 
    Preferred Stocks 2.0%  
    Colombia 0.1%  
c  

Grupo de Inversiones Surameric SA, 1.498%, pfd.

     Diversified Financial Services          26,496          362,515  
              

 

 

 
    Russia 0.8%  
 

Surgutneftegas OAO, 2.029%, pfd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          4,127,168          2,119,962  
 

Transneft PJSC, 4.604%, pfd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          320          986,839  
              

 

 

 
                 3,106,801  
              

 

 

 
    South Korea 1.1%  
c  

Hyundai Motor Co., 4.327%, pfd.

     Automobiles          14,912          1,218,635  
c  

Hyundai Motor Co., 4.000%, pfd., 2

     Automobiles          23,936          2,142,087  
 

LG Chem Ltd., 1.992%, pfd.

     Chemicals          3,200          708,255  
c  

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., 2.015%, pfd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          256          460,883  
              

 

 

 
                 4,529,860  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Preferred Stocks (Cost $7,347,505)

               7,999,176  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Investments
(Cost $359,819,697) 99.6%

               404,473,736  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 0.4%

               1,428,318  
              

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

             $ 405,902,054  
              

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 69.

aNon-income producing.

bSecurity was purchased pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, which exempts from registration securities offered and sold outside of the United States. Such a security cannot be sold in the United States without either an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption registration. These securities have been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. At September 30, 2017, the aggregate value of these securities was $4,893,149, representing 1.2% of net assets.

cVariable rate securities. The rate shown represents the yield at period end.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     29  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF

 

     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 27.31      $ 25.43  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operationsb:  

Net investment incomec

    0.44        0.67  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    0.99        1.79  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.43        2.46  
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income

    (0.62      (0.58
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 28.12      $ 27.31  
 

 

 

 

Total returnd

    5.25%        9.79%  
Ratios to average net assetse  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.97%        0.98%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.45%        0.45%  

Net investment income

    3.16%        3.11%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $16,870        $27,306  

Portfolio turnover ratef

    23.62%        13.38%  

 

aFor the period June 1, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

eRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

fPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

30    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks 97.0%  
    Australia 9.5%  
 

Amcor Ltd.

     Containers & Packaging          14,124        $ 168,563  
 

Challenger Ltd.

     Diversified Financial Services          7,275          71,069  
 

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

     Banks          6,264          369,857  
 

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          795          28,077  
 

Macquarie Group Ltd.

     Capital Markets          2,889          206,102  
 

Wesfarmers Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing          11,205          363,374  
 

Westpac Banking Corp.

     Banks          15,867          397,405  
              

 

 

 
                 1,604,447  
              

 

 

 
    Belgium 0.4%  
 

Proximus SADP

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          2,103          72,484  
              

 

 

 
    Brazil 2.3%  
 

Ambev SA

     Beverages          58,280          387,655  
              

 

 

 
    Canada 10.0%  
 

Bank of Nova Scotia

     Banks          5,925          379,950  
 

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

     Banks          4,245          370,548  
 

IGM Financial Inc.

     Capital Markets          1,335          44,769  
 

Royal Bank of Canada

     Banks          4,809          371,216  
 

TELUS Corp.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          2,058          73,852  
 

The Toronto-Dominion Bank

     Banks          7,071          397,184  
 

Vermilion Energy Inc.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          1,551          55,001  
              

 

 

 
                 1,692,520  
              

 

 

 
    Denmark 0.2%  
 

Tryg AS

     Insurance          1,164          26,887  
              

 

 

 
    Finland 1.4%  
 

Elisa OYJ

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          1,278          55,025  
 

Kone OYJ, B

     Machinery          2,316          122,661  
 

Nokian Renkaat OYJ

     Auto Components          1,437          63,927  
              

 

 

 
                 241,613  
              

 

 

 
    France 2.1%  
 

CNP Assurances

     Insurance          1,335          31,296  
 

Sanofi

     Pharmaceuticals          3,336          331,320  
              

 

 

 
                 362,616  
              

 

 

 
    Germany 1.9%  
 

Deutsche Boerse AG

     Capital Markets          1,590          172,387  
 

Hannover Rueck SE

     Insurance          450          54,236  
 

Hugo Boss AG

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          1,023          90,209  
              

 

 

 
                 316,832  
              

 

 

 
    Hong Kong 0.4%  
 

Sands China Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          13,200          68,698  
              

 

 

 
    Japan 4.0%  
 

Daito Trust Construction Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development          1,400          254,963  
 

NTT DoCoMo Inc.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          13,500          308,282  
 

Resona Holdings Inc.

     Banks          22,200          113,993  
              

 

 

 
                 677,238  
              

 

 

 
    Qatar 0.5%  
 

Qatar National Bank SAQ

     Banks          2,544          85,248  
              

 

 

 
    Singapore 1.6%  
 

SATS Ltd.

     Transportation Infrastructure          6,900          23,424  
 

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          87,900          238,140  
              

 

 

 
                 261,564  
              

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     31  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)  
    South Africa 2.2%  
 

Barclays Africa Group Ltd.

     Banks          5,022        $ 51,698  
 

FirstRand Ltd.

     Diversified Financial Services          33,579          129,392  
 

Rand Merchant Investment Holdings Ltd.

     Insurance          3,984          12,236  
 

RMB Holdings Ltd.

     Diversified Financial Services          9,813          46,149  
 

Sanlam Ltd.

     Insurance          12,201          61,138  
 

The Spar Group Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing          2,604          32,222  
 

Truworths International Ltd.

     Specialty Retail          6,672          38,172  
              

 

 

 
                 371,007  
              

 

 

 
    Spain 0.5%  
 

Red Electrica Corp. SA

     Electric Utilities          3,699          77,751  
              

 

 

 
    Sweden 3.7%  
 

Atlas Copco AB

     Machinery          5,013          193,952  
 

Hennes & Mauritz AB, B

     Specialty Retail          13,479          348,438  
 

Skanska AB, B

     Construction & Engineering          3,705          85,653  
              

 

 

 
                 628,043  
              

 

 

 
    Switzerland 5.5%  
 

Novartis AG

     Pharmaceuticals          4,074          349,044  
 

Roche Holding AG

     Pharmaceuticals          1,200          306,573  
 

Zurich Insurance Group AG

     Insurance          879          268,351  
              

 

 

 
                 923,968  
              

 

 

 
    Taiwan 0.3%  
 

Feng Tay Enterprise Co. Ltd.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          6,600          30,036  
 

Phison Electronics Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          1,000          11,872  
 

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          9,000          15,522  
              

 

 

 
                 57,430  
              

 

 

 
    United Arab Emirates 0.1%  
 

Aldar Properties PJSC

     Real Estate Management & Development          32,058          20,338  
              

 

 

 
    United Kingdom 14.1%  
 

BAE Systems PLC

     Aerospace & Defense          26,754          226,674  
 

British American Tobacco PLC

     Tobacco          4,689          293,915  
 

BT Group PLC

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          85,524          325,756  
 

GlaxoSmithKline PLC

     Pharmaceuticals          15,372          306,986  
 

IMI PLC

     Machinery          3,153          52,582  
 

Marks & Spencer Group PLC

     Multiline Retail          17,340          82,216  
 

Relx NV

     Professional Services          12,717          270,763  
 

Smiths Group PLC

     Industrial Conglomerates          3,471          73,439  
 

Tate & Lyle PLC

     Food Products          3,681          32,027  
 

Unilever NV, IDR

     Personal Products          5,985          354,056  
 

Unilever PLC

     Personal Products          6,123          354,802  
              

 

 

 
                 2,373,216  
              

 

 

 
    United States 36.3%  
 

Altria Group Inc.

     Tobacco          4,644          294,523  
 

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

     Pharmaceuticals          6,123          390,280  
 

Cincinnati Financial Corp.

     Insurance          1,116          85,452  
 

Clorox Co.

     Household Products          1,908          251,684  
 

Darden Restaurants Inc.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          1,395          109,898  
 

Eli Lilly & Co.

     Pharmaceuticals          4,248          363,374  
 

Garmin Ltd.

     Household Durables          984          53,107  
 

General Mills Inc.

     Food Products          3,579          185,249  
 

H&R Block Inc.

     Diversified Consumer Services          2,130          56,402  
 

Hasbro Inc.

     Leisure Equipment & Products          1,227          119,841  
 

Intel Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          9,510          362,141  

 

32    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)  
    United States (continued)  
 

Johnson & Johnson

     Pharmaceuticals          2,595        $ 337,376  
 

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

     Household Products          2,631          309,616  
 

Las Vegas Sands Corp.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          2,487          159,566  
 

Leggett & Platt Inc.

     Household Durables          2,079          99,231  
 

Lockheed Martin Corp.

     Aerospace & Defense          1,209          375,141  
 

LyondellBasell Industries NV, A

     Chemicals          3,177          314,682  
 

Maxim Integrated Products Inc.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          3,657          174,475  
 

McDonald’s Corp.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          2,229          349,240  
 

Merck & Co. Inc.

     Pharmaceuticals          5,181          331,739  
 

Microchip Technology Inc.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          1,689          151,638  
 

Paychex Inc.

     IT Services          4,893          293,384  
 

Philip Morris International Inc.

     Tobacco          2,868          318,377  
 

The Procter & Gamble Co.

     Household Products          3,813          346,907  
 

Seagate Technology PLC

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          442          14,661  
 

Sysco Corp.

     Food & Staples Retailing          4,959          267,538  
              

 

 

 
                 6,115,522  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $14,962,667)

               16,365,077  
              

 

 

 
    Preferred Stocks 2.5%  
    Brazil 2.5%  
a  

Itau Unibanco Holding SA, 4.208%, pfd.

     Banks          30,600          419,364  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (Cost $15,190,315) 99.5%

               16,784,441  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 0.5%

               85,707  
              

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

             $ 16,870,148  
              

 

 

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 69.

aVariable rate security. The rate shown represents the yield at period end.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     33  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF

 

     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 27.18      $ 25.32  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operationsb:  

Net investment incomec

    0.41        0.56  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    1.93        1.92  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    2.34        2.48  
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income

    (0.32      (0.62
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 29.20      $ 27.18  
 

 

 

 

Total returnd

    8.68%        9.95%  
Ratios to average net assetse  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    1.25%        1.04%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.35%        0.35%  

Net investment income

    2.94%        2.60%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $17,522        $21,744  

Portfolio turnover ratef

    15.09%        13.84%  

 

aFor the period June 1, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

eRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

fPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

34    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests 98.1%  
    Australia 4.1%  
 

AGL Energy Ltd.

     Multi-Utilities        1,206        $ 22,115  
 

Amcor Ltd.

     Containers & Packaging        2,325          27,748  
 

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        1,116          18,389  
 

Aurizon Holdings Ltd.

     Road & Rail        3,441          13,230  
 

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.

     Banks        3,339          77,550  
 

Bluescope Steel Ltd.

     Metals & Mining        633          5,449  
 

Caltex Australia Ltd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        498          12,543  
 

Cimic Group Ltd.

     Construction & Engineering        162          5,620  
 

Cochlear Ltd.

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies        156          19,488  
 

Crown Resorts Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        519          4,606  
 

CSL Ltd.

     Biotechnology        1,017          106,899  
 

Dexus

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      2,784          20,752  
 

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        117          4,132  
 

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.

     Metals & Mining        2,421          9,764  
 

Goodman Group

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      2,889          18,679  
 

GPT Group

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      6,474          25,196  
 

Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd.

     Multiline Retail        1,728          5,261  
 

James Hardie Industries PLC, CDI

     Construction Materials        513          7,133  
 

Macquarie Group Ltd.

     Capital Markets        429          30,605  
 

Medibank Private Ltd.

     Insurance        6,564          15,039  
 

Mirvac Group

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      9,396          16,883  
 

National Australia Bank Ltd.

     Banks        2,262          55,909  
 

Newcrest Mining Ltd.

     Metals & Mining        957          15,784  
 

Qantas Airways Ltd.

     Airlines        1,086          4,968  
 

REA Group Ltd.

     Media        117          6,151  
 

Sonic Healthcare Ltd.

     Health Care Providers & Services        696          11,419  
 

Tabcorp Holdings Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        1,512          5,066  
 

Tatts Group Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        2,868          8,956  
 

TPG Telecom Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        1,626          6,213  
 

Vicinity Centres

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      12,333          25,741  
 

Wesfarmers Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing        2,148          69,659  
 

Woolworths Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing        2,334          46,169  
            

 

 

 
               723,116  
            

 

 

 
    Austria 0.1%  
 

OMV AG

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        243          14,160  
            

 

 

 
    Belgium 0.1%  
 

Colruyt SA

     Food & Staples Retailing        153          7,838  
 

Proximus SADP

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        312          10,754  
            

 

 

 
               18,592  
            

 

 

 
    Bermuda 0.1%  
 

Axis Capital Holdings Ltd.

     Insurance        195          11,175  
            

 

 

 
    Brazil 0.7%  
 

Ambev SA

     Beverages        9,300          61,860  
 

BB Seguridade Participacoes SA

     Insurance        1,614          14,609  
 

Cielo SA

     IT Services        2,152          14,954  
 

Companhia de Saneamento Basico do Estado de Sao Paulo

     Water Utilities        300          3,156  
 

EDP-Energias do Brasil SA

     Electric Utilities        621          2,972  
 

Engie Brasil SA

     Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers        309          3,541  
 

Fibria Celulose SA

     Paper & Forest Products        325          4,403  
 

Odontoprev SA

     Health Care Providers & Services        516          2,517  
 

Qualicorp SA

     Health Care Providers & Services        362          4,337  
 

Transmissora Alianca de Energia Eletrica SA

     Electric Utilities        300          2,110  
            

 

 

 
               114,459  
            

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     35  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    Canada 3.8%  
 

Agrium Inc.

     Chemicals        228        $ 24,378  
 

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., B

     Food & Staples Retailing        750          34,122  
 

BCE Inc.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        303          14,163  
 

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

     Banks        597          52,112  
 

Canadian National Railway Co.

     Road & Rail        1,275          105,393  
 

CCL Industries Inc., B

     Containers & Packaging        270          13,035  
 

CI Financial Corp.

     Capital Markets        456          9,950  
 

Constellation Software Inc.

     Software        48          26,127  
 

Dollarama Inc.

     Multiline Retail        243          26,528  
 

First Capital Realty Inc.

     Real Estate Management & Development        198          3,116  
 

Gildan Activewear Inc.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        453          14,123  
 

H&R Real Estate Investment Trust

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      1,053          18,136  
 

The Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc.

     Food & Staples Retailing        156          3,031  
 

Linamar Corp.

     Auto Components        93          5,662  
 

Magna International Inc.

     Auto Components        789          42,010  
 

Metro Inc., A

     Food & Staples Retailing        456          15,645  
 

RioCan REIT

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      1,314          25,142  
 

Rogers Communications Inc., B

     Wireless Telecommunication Services        666          34,262  
 

Saputo Inc.

     Food Products        471          16,265  
 

Shaw Communications Inc.

     Media        762          17,499  
 

Smart REIT

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      924          21,751  
 

TELUS Corp.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        396          14,211  
 

The Toronto-Dominion Bank

     Banks        2,160          121,329  
            

 

 

 
               657,990  
            

 

 

 
    Chile 0.1%  
 

Aguas Andinas SA, A

     Water Utilities        6,588          4,197  
 

Enel Americas SA

     Electric Utilities        51,675          10,596  
 

Enel Chile SA

     Electric Utilities        35,553          4,341  
 

Enel Generacion Chile SA

     Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers        3,927          3,434  
            

 

 

 
               22,568  
            

 

 

 
    China 3.5%  
 

AAC Technologies Holdings Inc.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components        1,500          25,196  
 

Agricultural Bank of China Ltd., H

     Banks        42,000          18,820  
 

Bank of China Ltd., H

     Banks        135,000          66,543  
 

Bank of Communications Co. Ltd.

     Banks        9,000          6,568  
 

China Construction Bank Corp., H

     Banks        144,000          119,467  
 

China Everbright Bank Co. Ltd., H

     Banks        9,000          4,160  
 

China Mobile Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services        10,500          106,402  
 

China Resources Power Holdings Co. Ltd.

     Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers        6,000          10,831  
 

Chongqing Changan Automobile Co. Ltd., B

     Automobiles        3,000          3,968  
 

Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Co. Ltd., H

     Banks        9,000          5,704  
 

Country Garden Holdings Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        9,000          14,311  
 

Dongfeng Motor Group Co. Ltd., H

     Automobiles        6,000          7,928  
 

Fuyao Group Glass Industries Co. Ltd., H

     Auto Components        1,200          4,356  
 

Great Wall Motor Co. Ltd., H

     Automobiles        6,000          7,375  
 

Guangdong Investment Ltd.

     Water Utilities        6,000          8,557  
 

Huaneng Power International Inc., H

     Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers        6,000          3,710  
 

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd., H

     Banks        126,000          93,564  
 

Longfor Properties Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        4,500          11,350  
 

NetEase Inc., ADR

     Internet Software & Services        120          31,657  
 

Sino-Ocean Land Holdings Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        10,500          7,004  
 

Sinopec Engineering Group Co. Ltd.

     Construction & Engineering        3,000          2,646  
 

Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Co. Ltd., H

     Chemicals        6,000          3,572  

 

36    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    China (continued)  
 

Sunac China Holdings Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        3,000        $ 13,731  
 

Sunny Optical Technology Group Co. Ltd.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components        1,000          15,901  
a  

Yum China Holdings Inc.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        405          16,188  
a  

YY Inc., ADR

     Internet Software & Services        42          3,645  
            

 

 

 
               613,154  
            

 

 

 
    Colombia 0.0%  
 

Grupo Inversiones Suramericcana SA.

     Diversified Financial Services        99          1,378  
            

 

 

 
    Czech Republic 0.0%  
 

Moneta Money Bank AS

     Banks        236          831  
 

O2 Czech Republic AS

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        249          3,058  
            

 

 

 
               3,889  
            

 

 

 
    Denmark 1.2%  
 

Coloplast AS, B

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies        291          23,623  
 

Novo Nordisk AS, B

     Pharmaceuticals        4,080          195,094  
            

 

 

 
               218,717  
            

 

 

 
    Finland 0.4%  
 

Elisa OYJ

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        252          10,850  
 

Kone OYJ, B

     Machinery        618          32,731  
 

Neste Oil OYJ

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        201          8,780  
 

Nokian Renkaat OYJ

     Auto Components        285          12,679  
 

Orion OYJ

     Pharmaceuticals        288          13,367  
            

 

 

 
               78,407  
            

 

 

 
    France 0.7%  
 

Cie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, B

     Auto Components        321          46,867  
 

CNP Assurances

     Insurance        312          7,314  
 

Hermes International

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        45          22,692  
 

SCOR SE

     Insurance        288          12,078  
 

Unibail-Rodamco SE

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      117          28,459  
            

 

 

 
               117,410  
            

 

 

 
    Germany 0.3%  
b  

Covestro AG, 144A

     Chemicals        180          15,481  
 

Deutsche Lufthansa AG

     Airlines        447          12,424  
 

Hugo Boss AG

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        135          11,904  
 

TUI AG

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        396          6,726  
            

 

 

 
               46,535  
            

 

 

 
    Hong Kong 1.0%  
 

ASM Pacific Technology Ltd.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment        300          4,321  
 

CK Infrastructure Holdings Ltd.

     Electric Utilities        1,500          12,905  
 

CLP Holdings Ltd.

     Electric Utilities        3,000          30,746  
 

Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        1,500          10,800  
 

Hysan Development Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        3,000          14,115  
a  

I-CABLE Communications Ltd.

     Media        831          27  
 

Kerry Properties Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        1,500          6,213  
 

Link REIT

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      3,000          24,313  
 

MGM China Holdings Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        2,400          5,752  
 

NWS Holdings Ltd.

     Industrial Conglomerates        3,000          5,846  
 

Sands China Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        4,800          24,981  
 

Sino Land Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        6,000          10,539  
 

The Wharf Holdings Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        3,000          26,733  
 

Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings Ltd.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        1,500          5,704  
            

 

 

 
               182,995  
            

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     37  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    Hungary 0.1%  
 

MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas PLC

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          672        $ 7,672  
 

Richter Gedeon Nyrt

     Pharmaceuticals          228          5,683  
              

 

 

 
                 13,355  
              

 

 

 
    Indonesia 0.4%  
 

Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna Tbk PT

     Tobacco          37,200          10,661  
 

PT Telekom Indonesia (Persero) Tbk

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          102,600          35,650  
 

Unilever Indonesia Tbk PT

     Household Products          3,300          11,999  
 

United Tractors Tbk PT

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          3,300          7,840  
              

 

 

 
                 66,150  
              

 

 

 
    Israel 0.1%  
 

Azrieli Group Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development          69          3,832  
a  

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

     Software          141          16,077  
 

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd.

     Banks          255          4,572  
              

 

 

 
                 24,481  
              

 

 

 
    Italy 0.3%  
 

Ferrari NV

     Automobiles          114          12,601  
c  

Poste Italiane SpA, Reg S

     Insurance          1,218          8,971  
 

Recordati SpA

     Pharmaceuticals          96          4,426  
 

Snam SpA

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          4,050          19,515  
              

 

 

 
                 45,513  
              

 

 

 
    Japan 4.2%  
 

ABC-Mart Inc.

     Specialty Retail          300          15,831  
 

Astellas Pharma Inc.

     Pharmaceuticals          4,500          57,227  
 

Bandai Namco Holdings Inc.

     Leisure Equipment & Products          300          10,287  
 

Bridgestone Corp.

     Auto Components          1,200          54,433  
 

CANON Inc.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          1,800          61,485  
 

Concordia Financial Group Ltd.

     Banks          1,500          7,410  
 

Daito Trust Construction Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development          200          36,423  
 

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.

     Automobiles          1,500          54,102  
 

Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd.

     Chemicals          300          8,222  
 

Hoya Corp.

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies          600          32,381  
 

Iida Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

     Household Durables          300          5,346  
 

Isuzu Motors Ltd.

     Automobiles          1,200          15,895  
 

Japan Airlines Co. Ltd.

     Airlines          300          10,149  
 

KDDI Corp.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          3,300          86,982  
 

Kuraray Co. Ltd.

     Chemicals          900          16,822  
 

Lawson Inc.

     Food & Staples Retailing          300          19,855  
 

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. Inc.

     Chemicals          300          7,028  
 

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          1,200          54,976  
 

Nitori Co. Ltd.

     Specialty Retail          100          14,294  
 

Nitto Denko Corp.

     Chemicals          300          25,004  
 

NTT DoCoMo Inc.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          3,000          68,507  
 

Obayashi Corp.

     Construction & Engineering          1,200          14,381  
 

Resona Holdings Inc.

     Banks          4,500          23,107  
 

Start Today Co. Ltd.

     Internet & Direct Marketing Retail          300          9,501  
 

Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.

     Auto Components          600          10,991  
 

Sundrug Co. Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing          300          12,420  
              

 

 

 
                 733,059  
              

 

 

 
    Malaysia 0.3%  
 

AirAsia Bhd.

     Airlines          1,500          1,225  
 

Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd.

     Media          5,100          3,406  
 

Digi.com Bhd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          8,100          9,400  
 

Hartalega Holdings Bhd.

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies          1,500          2,472  

 

38    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    Malaysia (continued)  
 

Malayan Banking Bhd.

     Banks          3,600        $ 8,125  
 

Maxis Bhd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          2,400          3,297  
 

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd.

     Chemicals          5,100          8,805  
 

Petronas Dagangan Bhd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          600          3,456  
 

Westports Holdings Bhd.

     Transportation Infrastructure          4,800          4,331  
              

 

 

 
                 44,517  
              

 

 

 
    Mexico 0.2%  
 

Gruma SAB de CV

     Food Products          651          9,544  
 

Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV

     Transportation Infrastructure          633          6,498  
 

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV, V

     Food & Staples Retailing          8,787          20,178  
              

 

 

 
                 36,220  
              

 

 

 
    Netherlands 0.1%  
 

Aegon NV

     Insurance          2,760          16,079  
              

 

 

 
    New Zealand 0.1%  
 

Fletcher Building Ltd.

     Construction Materials          1,254          7,243  
 

Spark New Zealand Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          5,160          13,615  
              

 

 

 
                 20,858  
              

 

 

 
    Norway 0.3%  
a  

Marine Harvest ASA

     Food Products          600          11,871  
 

Telenor ASA

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          1,173          24,815  
 

Yara International ASA

     Chemicals          306          13,712  
              

 

 

 
                 50,398  
              

 

 

 
    Pakistan 0.0%  
 

MCB Bank Ltd.

     Banks          1,800          3,538  
 

Oil & Gas Development Co. Ltd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          3,000          4,224  
              

 

 

 
                 7,762  
              

 

 

 
    Philippines 0.0%  
 

DMCI Holdings Inc.

     Industrial Conglomerates          6,300          1,935  
 

Globe Telecom Inc.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          60          2,421  
              

 

 

 
                 4,356  
              

 

 

 
    Poland 0.2%  
a  

PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna SA

     Electric Utilities          1,788          6,526  
 

Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen SA

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          567          18,937  
 

Polskie Gornictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo SA

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          1,647          3,069  
a  

Tauron Polska Energia SA

     Electric Utilities          1,482          1,525  
              

 

 

 
                 30,057  
              

 

 

 
    Qatar 0.1%  
 

Barwa Real Estate Co.

     Real Estate Management & Development          99          872  
a  

The Commercial Bank QSC

     Banks          2          19  
 

Doha Bank QSC

     Banks          380          3,027  
 

Industries Qatar QSC

     Industrial Conglomerates          345          8,688  
 

Qatar Electricity & Water Co. QSC

     Multi-Utilities          90          4,321  
              

 

 

 
                 16,927  
              

 

 

 
    Russia 1.3%  
 

Alrosa PJSC

     Metals & Mining          9,384          13,314  
 

Federal Hydrogenerating Co.

     Electric Utilities          350,562          5,235  
 

Gazprom PJSC

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          21,822          46,205  
 

Inter RAO UES PJSC

     Electric Utilities          77,838          5,051  
 

LUKOIL PJSC

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          921          48,956  
 

MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC

     Metals & Mining          126          21,758  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     39  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    Russia (continued)  
 

Mobile TeleSystems PJSC, ADR

     Wireless Telecommunication Services        1,287        $ 13,436  
 

NLMK PJSC

     Metals & Mining        1,764          4,042  
c  

Novatek PJSC, GDR, Reg S

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        156          18,299  
c  

PhosAgro PJSC, GDR, Reg S

     Chemicals        357          5,087  
 

Rosneft PJSC

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        2,280          12,642  
 

Severstal PJSC

     Metals & Mining        432          6,530  
 

Surgutneftegas OAO

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        23,730          12,123  
 

Tatneft PAO

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        2,970          21,102  
            

 

 

 
               233,780  
            

 

 

 
    Singapore 0.5%  
 

CapitaLand Commercial Trust

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      3,900          4,753  
a  

CapitaLand Commercial Trust, rts., 10/19/17

     Equity Real Estate investment Trusts (REITs      647          139  
 

CapitaLand Mall Trust

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      4,500          6,628  
 

SATS Ltd.

     Transportation Infrastructure        1,500          5,092  
 

Singapore Airlines Ltd.

     Airlines        900          6,654  
 

Singapore Exchange Ltd.

     Capital Markets        2,100          11,428  
 

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.

     Aerospace & Defense        2,700          6,840  
 

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        15,600          42,275  
 

StarHub Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services        2,700          5,170  
 

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd.

     Machinery        5,100          5,371  
            

 

 

 
               94,350  
            

 

 

 
    South Africa 0.3%  
 

Bidvest Group Ltd.

     Industrial Conglomerates        510          6,522  
 

Fortress Income Fund Ltd., A

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      2,358          3,012  
 

Mr. Price Group Ltd.

     Specialty Retail        609          8,120  
 

Pick ‘N Pay Stores Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing        921          3,930  
 

Tiger Brands Ltd.

     Food Products        234          6,540  
 

Truworths International Ltd.

     Specialty Retail        1,290          7,380  
 

Vodacom Group Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services        927          11,063  
            

 

 

 
               46,567  
            

 

 

 
    South Korea 2.7%  
 

BNK Financial Group Inc.

     Banks        192          1,676  
 

Coway Co. Ltd.

     Household Durables        129          10,587  
 

DGB Financial Group Inc.

     Banks        318          2,915  
 

Dongbu Insurance Co. Ltd.

     Insurance        81          5,163  
 

Hana Financial Group Inc.

     Banks        432          17,859  
 

Hankook Tire Co. Ltd.

     Auto Components        138          7,253  
 

Hanon Systems

     Auto Components        504          5,545  
 

Hanssem Co. Ltd.

     Household Durables        36          4,762  
 

Hanwha Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

     Insurance        288          1,722  
 

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co. Ltd.

     Insurance        114          4,509  
 

Hyundai Mobis Co. Ltd.

     Auto Components        135          28,288  
 

Industrial Bank of Korea

     Banks        285          3,583  
 

Kangwon Land Inc.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        225          6,876  
 

KB Financial Group Inc.

     Banks        606          29,682  
 

KT&G Corp.

     Tobacco        273          25,146  
 

LG Display Co. Ltd.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components        258          6,882  
 

LG Uplus Corp.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        123          1,434  
 

Lotte Chemical Corp.

     Chemicals        24          7,921  
 

Naver Corp.

     Internet Software & Services        36          23,416  
 

S-1 Corp.

     Commercial Services & Supplies        54          4,206  
 

S-Oil Corp.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        90          10,019  
 

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals        75          167,896  
 

SK Hynix Inc.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment        1,182          85,553  
 

SK Telecom Co. Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services        36          8,015  
            

 

 

 
               470,908  
            

 

 

 

 

40    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    Spain 0.8%  
 

Amadeus IT Group SA, A

     IT Services          645        $ 41,931  
 

Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentacion SA

     Food & Staples Retailing          2,286          13,337  
 

Endesa SA

     Electric Utilities          597          13,463  
 

Industria de Diseno Textil SA

     Specialty Retail          1,965          74,069  
              

 

 

 
                 142,800  
              

 

 

 
    Sweden 0.9%  
 

Electrolux AB, B

     Household Durables          186          6,303  
 

Hennes & Mauritz AB, B

     Specialty Retail          2,241          57,931  
 

ICA Gruppen AB

     Food & Staples Retailing          132          4,950  
 

L E Lundbergforetagen AB, B

     Diversified Financial Services          45          3,589  
 

Nordea Bank AB

     Banks          3,483          47,109  
 

Skanska AB, B

     Construction & Engineering          816          18,865  
 

Swedish Match AB

     Tobacco          573          20,056  
              

 

 

 
                 158,803  
              

 

 

 
    Switzerland 2.0%  
 

EMS-Chemie Holding AG

     Chemicals          24          15,974  
 

Geberit AG

     Building Products          66          31,247  
 

Kuehne + Nagel International AG

     Marine          84          15,566  
 

Partners Group Holding AG

     Capital Markets          39          26,481  
 

Roche Holding AG

     Pharmaceuticals          621          158,651  
 

Straumann Holding AG

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies          9          5,785  
a  

Swiss Life Holding AG

     Insurance          60          21,151  
 

Swiss Re AG

     Insurance          579          52,479  
 

Swisscom AG

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          45          23,077  
              

 

 

 
                 350,411  
              

 

 

 
    Taiwan 2.5%  
 

Asustek Computer Inc.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          1,000          8,228  
 

Catcher Technology Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          1,000          9,316  
 

Chicony Electronics Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          3,040          7,218  
 

Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          9,000          31,015  
 

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co. Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          3,000          7,133  
 

First Financial Holding Co. Ltd.

     Banks          12,060          7,735  
 

Formosa Petrochemical Corp.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          3,000          10,338  
 

Foxconn Technology Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          3,050          8,801  
 

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          30,000          103,878  
 

Lite-On Technology Corp.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          6,049          8,638  
 

Ruentex Industries Ltd.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          3,000          4,442  
 

Siliconware Precision Industries Co.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          6,000          9,596  
 

Taiwan Mobile Co. Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          6,000          21,369  
 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          27,000          192,768  
 

Transcend Information Inc.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          3,000          8,479  
 

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          3,000          5,174  
              

 

 

 
                 444,128  
              

 

 

 
    Thailand 0.2%  
 

Advanced Info Service PCL, NVDR

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          2,400          13,745  
 

Bumrungrad Hospital PCL, NVDR

     Health Care Providers & Services          600          3,868  
 

Central Pattana PCL, NVDR

     Real Estate Management & Development          2,700          6,315  
 

Delta Electronics Thailand PCL, NVDR

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          1,800          4,709  
 

Glow Energy PCL, NVDR

     Independent Power and Renewable Electricity Producers          600          1,606  
 

Home Product Center PCL, NVDR

     Specialty Retail          5,700          2,085  
 

IRPC PCL, NVDR

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          11,100          2,097  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     41  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    Thailand (continued)  
 

The Siam Cement PCL, NVDR

     Construction Materials          300        $ 4,498  
 

Thai Oil PCL, NVDR

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          1,500          4,160  
              

 

 

 
                 43,083  
              

 

 

 
    Turkey 0.2%  
 

Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi ve Ticaret AS

     Aerospace & Defense          282          2,086  
 

BIM Birlesik Magazalar AS

     Food & Staples Retailing          396          8,268  
 

Eregli Demir ve Celik Fabrikalari AS

     Metals & Mining          3,327          7,232  
 

Ford Otomotiv Sanayi AS

     Automobiles          90          1,154  
 

Petkim Petrokimya Holding AS

     Chemicals          1,407          2,366  
 

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS

     Transportation Infrastructure          282          1,400  
 

Tofas Turk Otomobil Fabrikasi AS

     Automobiles          225          1,954  
 

Tupras-Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          285          9,745  
 

Turkiye Is Bankasi, C

     Banks          600          1,144  
              

 

 

 
                 35,349  
              

 

 

 
    United Arab Emirates 0.2%  
 

Damac Properties Dubai Co. PJSC

     Real Estate Management & Development          2,124          2,198  
 

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC

     Banks          1,059          1,744  
 

Emirates Telecommunications Group Co. PJSC

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          2,982          14,047  
 

First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC

     Banks          2,886          8,015  
              

 

 

 
                 26,004  
              

 

 

 
    United Kingdom 9.4%  
 

3i Group PLC

     Capital Markets          1,371          16,794  
 

Admiral Group PLC

     Insurance          573          13,969  
 

AstraZeneca PLC

     Pharmaceuticals          2,229          148,181  
 

BAE Systems PLC

     Aerospace & Defense          5,721          48,471  
 

Barratt Developments PLC

     Household Durables          1,593          13,133  
 

The Berkeley Group Holdings PLC

     Household Durables          309          15,410  
 

British American Tobacco PLC

     Tobacco          2,511          157,394  
 

BT Group PLC

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          17,364          66,139  
 

Burberry Group PLC

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          819          19,339  
 

Capita PLC

     Professional Services          1,062          8,050  
 

Compass Group PLC

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          2,082          44,218  
 

Croda International PLC

     Chemicals          252          12,824  
 

Direct Line Insurance Group PLC

     Insurance          2,733          13,332  
 

easyJet PLC

     Airlines          348          5,682  
 

Experian PLC

     Professional Services          1,290          25,944  
 

GKN PLC

     Auto Components          1,848          8,579  
 

GlaxoSmithKline PLC

     Pharmaceuticals          7,740          154,571  
 

Hargreaves Lansdown PLC

     Capital Markets          537          10,663  
 

HSBC Holdings PLC

     Banks          19,194          189,815  
 

IMI PLC

     Machinery          192          3,202  
 

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA

     Airlines          1,062          8,462  
 

Intertek Group PLC

     Professional Services          255          17,044  
 

Johnson Matthey PLC

     Chemicals          294          13,490  
 

Marks & Spencer Group PLC

     Multiline Retail          3,771          17,880  
 

Mondi PLC

     Paper & Forest Products          462          12,428  
 

Next PLC

     Multiline Retail          426          30,063  
 

Persimmon PLC

     Household Durables          762          26,397  
 

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

     Household Products          1,110          101,461  
 

Relx NV

     Professional Services          2,040          43,435  
 

RELX PLC

     Professional Services          2,232          49,021  
 

SSE PLC

     Electric Utilities          2,001          37,504  
 

Tate & Lyle PLC

     Food Products          1,557          13,547  
 

Taylor Wimpey PLC

     Household Durables          3,450          9,049  
 

Unilever NV, IDR

     Personal Products          2,673          158,127  

 

42    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    United Kingdom (continued)  
 

Unilever PLC

     Personal Products        2,271        $ 131,595  
            

 

 

 
               1,645,213  
            

 

 

 
    United States 54.6%  
 

3M Co.

     Industrial Conglomerates        855          179,464  
 

AbbVie Inc.

     Biotechnology        2,535          225,260  
 

Accenture PLC, A

     IT Services        1,395          188,423  
 

AGNC Investment Corp.

     Mortgage Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      726          15,740  
 

Altria Group Inc.

     Tobacco        2,691          170,663  
 

American Airlines Group Inc.

     Airlines        192          9,118  
 

American Electric Power Co. Inc.

     Electric Utilities        723          50,784  
 

AmerisourceBergen Corp.

     Health Care Providers & Services        243          20,108  
 

Annaly Capital Management Inc.

     Mortgage Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      2,241          27,318  
 

Apple Inc.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals        1,113          171,536  
 

Applied Materials Inc.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment        1,149          59,851  
 

AT&T Inc.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        4,476          175,325  
 

Atmos Energy Corp.

     Gas Utilities        135          11,318  
 

Avery Dennison Corp.

     Containers & Packaging        141          13,866  
 

Baxter International Inc.

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies        525          32,944  
 

Best Buy Co. Inc.

     Specialty Retail        594          33,834  
a  

Biogen Inc.

     Biotechnology        342          107,087  
 

The Boeing Co.

     Aerospace & Defense        921          234,127  
 

Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc.

     IT Services        243          19,639  
 

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.

     Air Freight & Logistics        318          24,200  
 

CA Inc.

     Software        609          20,328  
a  

Cadence Design Systems Inc.

     Software        309          12,196  
 

Carnival Corp.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        297          19,177  
 

CBOE Holdings Inc.

     Capital Markets        84          9,041  
 

Celanese Corp., A

     Chemicals        108          11,261  
 

Church & Dwight Co. Inc.

     Household Products        528          25,582  
 

Cisco Systems Inc.

     Communications Equipment        5,409          181,905  
 

Clorox Co.

     Household Products        318          41,947  
 

Coach Inc.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        570          22,960  
 

The Coca-Cola Co.

     Beverages        3,987          179,455  
 

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

     Household Products        1,518          110,586  
 

Colony NorthStar Inc., A

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      1,251          15,713  
 

Consolidated Edison Inc.

     Multi-Utilities        459          37,032  
 

Corning Inc.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components        870          26,030  
 

Cummins Inc.

     Machinery        255          42,848  
 

Darden Restaurants Inc.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        231          18,198  
a  

Dell Technologies Inc., V

     Software        234          18,067  
 

Delphi Automotive PLC

     Auto Components        462          45,461  
 

Delta Air Lines Inc.

     Airlines        321          15,479  
 

Dollar General Corp.

     Multiline Retail        414          33,555  
 

Dominos Pizza Inc.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        60          11,913  
 

DowDuPont Inc.

     Chemicals        1,416          98,030  
 

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc.

     Beverages        513          45,385  
 

Eli Lilly & Co.

     Pharmaceuticals        1,662          142,167  
 

Emerson Electric Co.

     Electrical Equipment        1,092          68,621  
 

Estee Lauder Cos. Inc., A

     Personal Products        360          38,822  
 

Everest Re Group Ltd.

     Insurance        78          17,814  
 

Expeditors International of Washington Inc.

     Air Freight & Logistics        336          20,113  
a  

F5 Networks Inc.

     Communications Equipment        150          18,084  
 

Fastenal Co.

     Trading Companies & Distributors        594          27,075  
 

FirstEnergy Corp.

     Electric Utilities        375          11,561  
 

The Gap Inc.

     Specialty Retail        576          17,009  
 

Garmin Ltd.

     Household Durables        231          12,467  
a  

Gartner Inc., A

     IT Services        90          11,197  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     43  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    United States (continued)  
 

General Dynamics Corp.

     Aerospace & Defense          450        $ 92,511  
 

General Motors Co.

     Automobiles          2,382          96,185  
 

Gilead Sciences Inc.

     Biotechnology          2,577          208,789  
 

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.

     Auto Components          357          11,870  
 

H&R Block Inc.

     Diversified Consumer Services          423          11,201  
 

Hasbro Inc.

     Leisure Equipment & Products          192          18,753  
 

The Hershey Co.

     Food Products          429          46,834  
 

The Home Depot Inc.

     Specialty Retail          1,074          175,663  
 

Hormel Foods Corp.

     Food Products          849          27,287  
 

HP Inc.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          2,931          58,503  
 

Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.

     Aerospace & Defense          60          13,586  
 

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

     Machinery          489          72,352  
 

Ingredion Inc.

     Food Products          159          19,182  
 

Intel Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          4,653          177,186  
 

International Business Machines Corp.

     IT Services          1,200          174,096  
 

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.

     Chemicals          123          17,578  
 

Intuit Inc.

     Software          573          81,446  
a  

Intuitive Surgical Inc.

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies          63          65,890  
 

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.

     Road & Rail          150          16,662  
 

Jack Henry & Associates Inc.

     IT Services          108          11,101  
 

Johnson & Johnson

     Pharmaceuticals          1,308          170,053  
 

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

     Household Products          750          88,260  
 

KLA-Tencor Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          330          34,980  
 

Kohl’s Corp.

     Multiline Retail          414          18,899  
 

Las Vegas Sands Corp.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          684          43,885  
 

Lear Corp.

     Auto Components          96          16,616  
 

Lennox International Inc.

     Building Products          48          8,591  
 

Lockheed Martin Corp.

     Aerospace & Defense          528          163,833  
 

Lowe’s Cos. Inc.

     Specialty Retail          1,482          118,471  
 

LyondellBasell Industries NV, A

     Chemicals          828          82,013  
 

Macy’s Inc.

     Multiline Retail          636          13,878  
 

Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc.

     Insurance          807          67,635  
 

Mastercard Inc., A

     IT Services          1,500          211,800  
 

Maxim Integrated Products Inc.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          546          26,050  
 

McCormick & Co. Inc.

     Food Products          273          28,021  
 

McDonald’s Corp.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          1,131          177,205  
 

Merck & Co. Inc.

     Pharmaceuticals          2,586          165,582  
a  

Mettler-Toledo International Inc.

     Life Sciences Tools & Services          48          30,056  
a  

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          465          22,250  
 

Microsoft Corp.

     Software          2,586          192,631  
 

MSCI Inc.

     Capital Markets          81          9,469  
 

Nordstrom Inc.

     Multiline Retail          297          14,004  
 

Northrop Grumman Corp.

     Aerospace & Defense          297          85,453  
a  

NVR Inc.

     Household Durables          3          8,565  
 

Packaging Corp. of America

     Containers & Packaging          108          12,385  
 

Paychex Inc.

     IT Services          708          42,452  
 

PepsiCo Inc.

     Beverages          1,620          180,517  
 

Pfizer Inc.

     Pharmaceuticals          4,992          178,214  
 

Philip Morris International Inc.

     Tobacco          1,461          162,186  
 

Pinnacle West Capital Corp.

     Electric Utilities          183          15,474  
 

Polaris Industries Inc.

     Leisure Equipment & Products          138          14,439  
 

The Procter & Gamble Co.

     Household Products          1,893          172,225  
 

Public Service Enterprise Group Inc.

     Multi-Utilities          927          42,874  
 

QUALCOMM Inc.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          2,784          144,323  
 

Raytheon Co.

     Aerospace & Defense          504          94,036  
 

Reinsurance Group of America Inc.

     Insurance          57          7,953  
 

ResMed Inc.

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies          255          19,625  

 

44    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    United States (continued)  
 

Robert Half International Inc.

     Professional Services        327        $ 16,461  
 

Rockwell Automation Inc.

     Electrical Equipment        198          35,286  
 

Rockwell Collins Inc.

     Aerospace & Defense        144          18,822  
 

Rollins Inc.

     Commercial Services & Supplies        102          4,706  
 

Ross Stores Inc.

     Specialty Retail        957          61,793  
 

Scripps Networks Interactive Inc., A

     Media        201          17,264  
 

Seagate Technology PLC

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals        774          25,674  
 

SEI Investments Co.

     Capital Markets        234          14,288  
 

The Sherwin-Williams Co.

     Chemicals        165          59,077  
 

Skyworks Solutions Inc.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment        363          36,990  
 

Southwest Airlines Co.

     Airlines        282          15,786  
 

Starbucks Corp.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        2,760          148,240  
 

Sysco Corp.

     Food & Staples Retailing        975          52,601  
 

Target Corp.

     Multiline Retail        978          57,712  
 

TE Connectivity Ltd.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components        315          26,164  
 

Texas Instruments Inc.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment        2,076          186,093  
 

The TJX Cos. Inc.

     Specialty Retail        1,548          114,134  
 

Tractor Supply Co.

     Specialty Retail        207          13,101  
 

Tyson Foods Inc.

     Food Products        504          35,507  
a  

Ulta Beauty Inc.

     Specialty Retail        108          24,414  
 

Union Pacific Corp.

     Road & Rail        711          82,455  
a  

United Continental Holdings Inc.

     Airlines        132          8,036  
 

United Parcel Service Inc., B

     Air Freight & Logistics        1,350          162,122  
a  

United Therapeutics Corp.

     Biotechnology        108          12,657  
 

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

     Health Care Providers & Services        969          189,779  
 

Vail Resorts Inc.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        36          8,212  
 

Valero Energy Corp.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        858          66,006  
 

VEREIT Inc.

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      4,890          40,538  
 

Verizon Communications Inc.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        3,765          186,330  
 

VF Corp.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        672          42,719  
a  

VMware Inc., A

     Software        81          8,844  
 

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

     Food & Staples Retailing        2,121          165,735  
 

Waste Management Inc.

     Commercial Services & Supplies        609          47,666  
 

WEC Energy Group Inc.

     Multi-Utilities        531          33,336  
 

Wyndham Worldwide Corp.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        84          8,854  
 

Xcel Energy Inc.

     Electric Utilities        732          34,638  
 

Xilinx Inc.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment        438          31,024  
            

 

 

 
               9,572,326  
            

 

 

 
 

Total Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests
(Cost $15,282,821)

             17,197,999  
            

 

 

 
    Management Investment Companies
(Cost $157,005) 1.0%
                      
    India 1.0%  
 

iShares MSCI India ETF

     Diversified Financial Services        5,415          177,883  
            

 

 

 
    Preferred Stocks 0.4%  
    Brazil 0.1%  
d  

Itausa-Investimentos Itau SA, 5.257%, pfd.

     Banks        5,770          20,120  
            

 

 

 
    Colombia 0.0%  
d  

Grupo de Inversiones Surameric SA, 1.498%, pfd.

     Diversified Financial Services        291          3,981  
            

 

 

 
    Germany 0.1%  
 

Fuchs Petrolub SE, 1.777%, pfd.

     Chemicals        132          7,817  
            

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     45  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Preferred Stocks (continued)  
    South Korea 0.2%  
d  

Hyundai Motor Co., 4.327%, pfd.

     Automobiles          45        $ 3,677  
d  

Hyundai Motor Co., 4.000%, pfd., 2

     Automobiles          66          5,907  
 

LG Chem Ltd., 1.992%, pfd.

     Chemicals          15          3,320  
d  

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., 2.015%, pfd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          12          21,604  
              

 

 

 
                 34,508  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Preferred Stocks (Cost $44,931)

               66,426  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (Cost $15,484,757) 99.5%

               17,442,308  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 0.5%

               79,812  
              

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

             $ 17,522,120  
              

 

 

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 69.

Rounds to less than 0.1% of net assets.

aNon-income producing.

bSecurity was purchased pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 and may be sold in transactions exempt from registration only to qualified institutional buyers or in a public offering registered under the Securities Act of 1933. These securities have been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. At September 30, 2017, the aggregate value of these securities was $15,481, representing 0.1% of net assets.

cSecurity was purchased pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, which exempts from registration securities offered and sold outside of the United States. Such a security cannot be sold in the United States without either an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption registration. These securities have been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. At September 30, 2017, the aggregate value of these securities was $32,357, representing 0.2% of net assets.

dVariable rate security. The rate shown represents the yield at period end.

 

46    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF

 

     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 24.70      $ 25.45  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operationsb:  

Net investment incomec

    0.44        0.52  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    0.74        1.45  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.18        1.97  
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income and net foreign currency gains

    (1.30      (2.72
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 24.58      $ 24.70  
 

 

 

 

Total returnd

    4.78%        8.30%  
Ratios to average net assetse  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    2.22%        1.25%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.40%        0.40%  

Net investment income

    3.52%        2.47%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

  $ 9,832      $ 9,880  

Portfolio turnover ratef

    13.37%        19.09%  

 

 

aFor the period June 1, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

eRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

fPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     47  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests 99.4%  
    Australia 17.1%  
 

AGL Energy Ltd.

     Multi-Utilities        2,040        $ 37,408  
 

Amcor Ltd.

     Containers & Packaging        3,836          45,781  
 

Aristocrat Leisure Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        1,936          31,901  
 

Aurizon Holdings Ltd.

     Road & Rail        6,190          23,799  
 

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd.

     Banks        5,986          139,029  
 

Australian Stock Exchange Ltd.

     Capital Markets        402          16,538  
 

Bluescope Steel Ltd.

     Metals & Mining        888          7,644  
 

Brambles Ltd.

     Commercial Services & Supplies        4,744          33,501  
 

Caltex Australia Ltd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        806          20,301  
 

Challenger Ltd.

     Diversified Financial Services        1,202          11,742  
 

Cimic Group Ltd.

     Construction & Engineering        274          9,505  
 

Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd.

     Beverages        1,650          10,008  
 

Cochlear Ltd.

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies        256          31,981  
 

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

     Banks        2,328          137,456  
 

Computershare Ltd.

     IT Services        682          7,743  
 

Crown Resorts Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        822          7,295  
 

CSL Ltd.

     Biotechnology        1,786          187,729  
 

Dexus

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      3,322          24,763  
 

Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        210          7,417  
 

Fortescue Metals Group Ltd.

     Metals & Mining        4,414          17,802  
 

Goodman Group

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      5,104          33,000  
 

GPT Group

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      5,746          22,363  
 

Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd.

     Multiline Retail        2,200          6,698  
 

James Hardie Industries PLC, CDI

     Construction Materials        1,264          17,575  
 

Macquarie Group Ltd.

     Capital Markets        782          55,788  
 

Medibank Private Ltd.

     Insurance        11,136          25,515  
 

Mirvac Group

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      9,534          17,131  
 

National Australia Bank Ltd.

     Banks        3,982          98,421  
 

Newcrest Mining Ltd.

     Metals & Mining        1,600          26,389  
 

Qantas Airways Ltd.

     Airlines        1,916          8,765  
 

REA Group Ltd.

     Media        200          10,514  
 

Rio Tinto Ltd.

     Metals & Mining        594          31,008  
 

Sonic Healthcare Ltd.

     Health Care Providers & Services        1,250          20,509  
 

Tabcorp Holdings Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        2,654          8,892  
 

Tatts Group Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        3,958          12,360  
 

Telstra Corp. Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        18,696          51,198  
 

TPG Telecom Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        1,066          4,073  
 

Vicinity Centres

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      9,476          19,778  
 

Wesfarmers Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing        3,700          119,989  
 

Westpac Banking Corp.

     Banks        8,350          209,134  
 

Woolworths Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing        3,918          77,502  
            

 

 

 
               1,685,945  
            

 

 

 
    Austria 0.3%  
 

OMV AG

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        428          24,940  
            

 

 

 
    Belgium 0.3%  
 

Colruyt SA

     Food & Staples Retailing        220          11,271  
 

Proximus SADP

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        524          18,060  
            

 

 

 
               29,331  
            

 

 

 
    Denmark 3.8%  
 

Coloplast AS, B

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies        494          40,102  
 

Danske Bank AS

     Banks        1,522          60,882  
 

Novo Nordisk AS, B

     Pharmaceuticals        4,678          223,689  
 

Pandora AS

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        456          45,022  
 

Tryg AS

     Insurance        312          7,207  
            

 

 

 
               376,902  
            

 

 

 

 

48    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF (continued)

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    Finland 1.3%  
 

Elisa OYJ

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        422        $ 18,170  
 

Kone OYJ, B

     Machinery        1,080          57,200  
 

Neste Oil OYJ

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        352          15,376  
 

Nokian Renkaat OYJ

     Auto Components        340          15,125  
 

Orion OYJ

     Pharmaceuticals        400          18,565  
            

 

 

 
               124,436  
            

 

 

 
    France 4.3%  
 

AXA SA

     Insurance        5,116          154,772  
 

Cie Generale des Etablissements Michelin, B

     Auto Components        552          80,593  
 

CNP Assurances

     Insurance        492          11,534  
 

Hermes International

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        76          38,324  
 

Ipsen SA

     Pharmaceuticals        50          6,647  
 

Peugeot SA

     Automobiles        702          16,722  
 

SCOR SE

     Insurance        488          20,466  
 

Societe BIC SA

     Commercial Services & Supplies        80          9,590  
 

Thales SA

     Aerospace & Defense        246          27,855  
 

Unibail-Rodamco SE

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      218          53,026  
            

 

 

 
               419,529  
            

 

 

 
    Germany 1.5%  
 

Continental AG

     Auto Components        152          38,589  
a  

Covestro AG, 144A

     Chemicals        342          29,414  
 

Deutsche Lufthansa AG

     Airlines        700          19,455  
 

Hugo Boss AG

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        238          20,987  
 

ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE

     Media        754          25,703  
 

TUI AG

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        662          11,244  
            

 

 

 
               145,392  
            

 

 

 
    Hong Kong 3.7%  
 

ASM Pacific Technology Ltd.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment        400          5,761  
 

CK Infrastructure Holdings Ltd.

     Electric Utilities        2,000          17,207  
 

CLP Holdings Ltd.

     Electric Utilities        4,500          46,119  
 

HKT Trust and HKT Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        12,000          14,580  
 

Hongkong Land Holdings Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        3,200          23,040  
 

Hysan Development Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        2,000          9,410  
b  

I-CABLE Communications Ltd.

     Media        1,109          36  
 

Kerry Properties Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        2,000          8,284  
 

Link REIT

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      7,000          56,730  
 

MGM China Holdings Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        3,200          7,670  
 

New World Development Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        16,000          22,984  
 

NWS Holdings Ltd.

     Industrial Conglomerates        6,000          11,692  
 

PCCW Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        12,000          6,499  
 

Sands China Ltd.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        8,000          41,635  
 

Sino Land Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        8,000          14,053  
 

Swire Properties Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        3,200          10,857  
 

Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd.

     Household Durables        2,000          10,678  
c  

WH Group Ltd., Reg S

     Food Products        11,000          11,689  
 

The Wharf Holdings Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        4,000          35,643  
 

Yue Yuen Industrial Holdings Ltd.

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        3,000          11,407  
            

 

 

 
               365,974  
            

 

 

 
    Ireland 0.1%  
b  

Ryanair Holdings PLC

     Airlines        420          8,103  
            

 

 

 
    Israel 0.8%  
 

Azrieli Group Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development        148          8,220  
 

Bank Hapoalim BM

     Banks        2,824          19,769  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     49  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    Israel (continued)  
 

Bezeq Israeli Telecommunication Corp. Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          8,822        $ 12,614  
b  

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd.

     Software          206          23,488  
 

Mizrahi Tefahot Bank Ltd.

     Banks          370          6,633  
b  

Taro Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

     Pharmaceuticals          40          4,508  
              

 

 

 
                 75,232  
              

 

 

 
    Italy 0.7%  
 

Ferrari NV

     Automobiles          188          20,781  
 

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA, di Risp

     Banks          1,320          4,369  
c  

Poste Italiane SpA, Reg S

     Insurance          758          5,583  
 

Recordati SpA

     Pharmaceuticals          202          9,313  
 

Snam SpA

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          6,388          30,782  
              

 

 

 
                 70,828  
              

 

 

 
    Japan 20.6%  
 

ABC-Mart Inc.

     Specialty Retail          100          5,277  
 

Asahi Kasei Corp.

     Chemicals          4,000          49,216  
 

Ashikaga Holdings Co. Ltd.

     Banks          2,000          7,729  
 

Astellas Pharma Inc.

     Pharmaceuticals          7,200          91,563  
 

Bandai Namco Holdings Inc.

     Leisure Equipment & Products          400          13,716  
 

Bridgestone Corp.

     Auto Components          2,000          90,721  
 

CANON Inc.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          3,200          109,306  
 

Concordia Financial Group Ltd.

     Banks          1,600          7,904  
 

Daito Trust Construction Co. Ltd.

     Real Estate Management & Development          300          54,635  
 

Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.

     Automobiles          2,600          93,777  
 

Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd.

     Chemicals          200          5,481  
 

Hoya Corp.

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies          1,200          64,763  
 

Idemitsu Kosan Co. Ltd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          200          5,641  
 

Iida Group Holdings Co. Ltd.

     Household Durables          200          3,564  
 

Isuzu Motors Ltd.

     Automobiles          1,800          23,842  
 

Japan Airlines Co. Ltd.

     Airlines          600          20,298  
 

Japan Post Bank Co. Ltd.

     Banks          1,000          12,348  
 

Japan Tobacco Inc.

     Tobacco          3,000          98,290  
 

Kajima Corp.

     Construction & Engineering          2,000          19,864  
 

Kakaku.com Inc.

     Internet Software & Services          600          7,644  
 

Kansai Electric Power Co. Inc.

     Electric Utilities          1,000          12,788  
 

KAO Corp.

     Personal Products          1,400          82,335  
 

KDDI Corp.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          6,000          158,149  
 

Konami Holdings Corp.

     Software          200          9,612  
 

Kuraray Co. Ltd.

     Chemicals          800          14,953  
 

Lawson Inc.

     Food & Staples Retailing          200          13,237  
 

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co. Inc.

     Chemicals          600          14,056  
 

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corp.

     Pharmaceuticals          600          13,752  
 

mixi, Inc.

     Internet Software & Services          200          9,648  
 

Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          600          88,162  
 

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services          2,200          100,790  
 

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.

     Automobiles          3,200          31,683  
 

Nitori Co. Ltd.

     Specialty Retail          200          28,588  
 

Nitto Denko Corp.

     Chemicals          400          33,339  
 

NTT DoCoMo Inc.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          5,000          114,178  
 

Obayashi Corp.

     Construction & Engineering          1,600          19,175  
 

Oracle Corp. Japan

     Software          200          15,706  
 

Otsuka Corp.

     IT Services          200          12,810  
 

Park24 Co. Ltd.

     Commercial Services & Supplies          400          9,737  
 

Recruit Holdings Co. Ltd.

     Professional Services          1,600          34,639  
 

Resona Holdings Inc.

     Banks          5,600          28,755  
 

Sekisui House Ltd.

     Household Durables          1,000          16,848  
 

Shionogi & Co. Ltd.

     Pharmaceuticals          800          43,715  

 

50    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF (continued)

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    Japan (continued)  
 

Start Today Co. Ltd.

     Internet & Direct Marketing Retail        600        $ 19,002  
 

Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd.

     Auto Components        600          10,991  
 

Sundrug Co. Ltd.

     Food & Staples Retailing        200          8,280  
 

Taisei Corp.

     Construction & Engineering      400          20,966  
 

Tokyo Electron Ltd.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment        200          30,702  
 

Tosoh Corp.

     Chemicals        500          11,265  
 

Toyota Motor Corp.

     Automobiles        3,600          214,596  
 

Trend Micro Inc.

     Software        100          4,922  
 

USS Co. Ltd.

     Specialty Retail        800          16,133  
            

 

 

 
               2,029,091  
            

 

 

 
    Luxembourg 0.1%  
 

RTL Group SA

     Media        138          10,448  
            

 

 

 
    Netherlands 0.3%  
 

Aegon NV

     Insurance        4,842          28,209  
            

 

 

 
    New Zealand 0.4%  
 

Fletcher Building Ltd.

     Construction Materials        2,126          12,280  
 

Ryman Healthcare Ltd.

     Health Care Providers & Services        1,030          6,902  
 

Spark New Zealand Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        7,962          21,008  
            

 

 

 
               40,190  
            

 

 

 
    Norway 0.9%  
b  

Marine Harvest ASA

     Food Products        1,048          20,736  
 

Telenor ASA

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        2,208          46,710  
 

Yara International ASA

     Chemicals        582          26,079  
            

 

 

 
               93,525  
            

 

 

 
    Portugal 0.1%  
 

Jeronimo Martins SGPS SA

     Food & Staples Retailing        738          14,561  
            

 

 

 
    Singapore 2.2%  
 

CapitaLand Commercial Trust

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      5,800          7,069  
b  

CapitaLand Commercial Trust, rts., 10/19/17

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      963          207  
 

CapitaLand Mall Trust

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      6,800          10,015  
 

ComfortDelGro Corp. Ltd.

     Road & Rail        7,200          11,028  
 

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.

     Banks        2,400          36,797  
 

Jardine Cycle & Carriage Ltd.

     Distributors        200          5,794  
 

SATS Ltd.

     Transportation Infrastructure        2,000          6,790  
 

Singapore Airlines Ltd.

     Airlines        1,400          10,351  
 

Singapore Exchange Ltd.

     Capital Markets        3,400          18,503  
 

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd.

     Aerospace & Defense        4,800          12,159  
 

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        27,400          74,249  
 

StarHub Ltd.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services        2,600          4,978  
 

Suntec REIT

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      6,600          9,064  
 

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings Ltd.

     Machinery        7,800          8,214  
            

 

 

 
               215,218  
            

 

 

 
    Spain 2.7%  
 

Amadeus IT Group SA, A

     IT Services        1,194          77,621  
 

Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentacion SA

     Food & Staples Retailing        1,978          11,540  
 

Endesa SA

     Electric Utilities        1,016          22,911  
 

Industria de Diseno Textil SA

     Specialty Retail        3,424          129,066  
 

Red Electrica Corp. SA

     Electric Utilities        1,188          24,971  
            

 

 

 
               266,109  
            

 

 

 
    Sweden 3.3%  
 

Atlas Copco AB

     Machinery        1,114          43,100  
 

Electrolux AB, B

     Household Durables        344          11,657  
 

Hennes & Mauritz AB, B

     Specialty Retail        3,506          90,632  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     51  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF (continued)

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    Sweden (continued)  
 

ICA Gruppen AB

     Food & Staples Retailing        240        $ 9,000  
 

L E Lundbergforetagen AB, B

     Diversified Financial Services        70          5,583  
 

Nordea Bank AB

     Banks        6,448          87,213  
 

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, A

     Banks        2,942          38,675  
 

Skanska AB, B

     Construction & Engineering        842          19,466  
 

Swedish Match AB

     Tobacco        594          20,791  
            

 

 

 
               326,117  
            

 

 

 
    Switzerland 6.8%  
 

EMS-Chemie Holding AG

     Chemicals        28          18,636  
 

Geberit AG

     Building Products        116          54,919  
 

Kuehne + Nagel International AG

     Marine        164          30,390  
 

Partners Group Holding AG

     Capital Markets        72          48,888  
 

Roche Holding AG

     Pharmaceuticals        700          178,834  
 

Sika AG

     Chemicals        4          29,785  
 

Straumann Holding AG

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies        14          9,000  
b  

Swiss Life Holding AG

     Insurance        92          32,432  
 

Swiss Re AG

     Insurance        1,010          91,543  
 

Swisscom AG

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        74          37,948  
 

Zurich Insurance Group AG

     Insurance        432          131,886  
            

 

 

 
               664,261  
            

 

 

 
    United Kingdom 28.1%  
 

3i Group PLC

     Capital Markets        2,390          29,276  
 

Admiral Group PLC

     Insurance        894          21,794  
 

AstraZeneca PLC

     Pharmaceuticals        2,874          191,060  
 

BAE Systems PLC

     Aerospace & Defense        9,892          83,810  
 

Barratt Developments PLC

     Household Durables        3,370          27,784  
 

The Berkeley Group Holdings PLC

     Household Durables        490          24,436  
 

British American Tobacco PLC

     Tobacco        2,738          171,623  
 

BT Group PLC

     Diversified Telecommunication Services        28,416          108,235  
 

Burberry Group PLC

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods        1,412          33,342  
 

Capita PLC

     Professional Services        1,598          12,113  
 

Compass Group PLC

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        4,816          102,284  
 

Croda International PLC

     Chemicals        416          21,170  
 

Direct Line Insurance Group PLC

     Insurance        4,360          21,269  
 

Dixons Carphone PLC

     Specialty Retail        1,382          3,586  
 

easyJet PLC

     Airlines        588          9,601  
 

Experian PLC

     Professional Services        2,856          57,438  
 

GKN PLC

     Auto Components        4,606          21,382  
 

GlaxoSmithKline PLC

     Pharmaceuticals        8,928          178,296  
 

Hargreaves Lansdown PLC

     Capital Markets        948          18,824  
 

HSBC Holdings PLC

     Banks        22,056          218,118  
 

IMI PLC

     Machinery        800          13,341  
 

Imperial Brands PLC

     Tobacco        2,740          117,048  
 

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA

     Airlines        1,874          14,932  
 

Intertek Group PLC

     Professional Services        462          30,880  
 

ITV PLC

     Media        16,258          38,106  
 

Johnson Matthey PLC

     Chemicals        416          19,088  
 

Kingfisher PLC

     Specialty Retail        6,140          24,590  
 

Land Securities Group PLC

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      1,027          13,400  
 

Marks & Spencer Group PLC

     Multiline Retail        5,392          25,566  
 

Mondi PLC

     Paper & Forest Products        1,012          27,223  
 

Next PLC

     Multiline Retail        660          46,577  
 

Persimmon PLC

     Household Durables        1,294          44,826  
 

Randgold Resources Ltd.

     Metals & Mining        222          21,787  
 

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

     Household Products        1,922          175,683  
 

Relx NV

     Professional Services        3,162          67,323  

 

52    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests (continued)  
    United Kingdom (continued)  
 

RELX PLC

     Professional Services          3,840        $ 84,337  
 

Rio Tinto PLC

     Metals & Mining          1,732          80,703  
 

Royal Mail PLC

     Air Freight & Logistics          3,024          15,588  
 

SSE PLC

     Electric Utilities          2,958          55,441  
 

Tate & Lyle PLC

     Food Products          1,380          12,007  
 

Taylor Wimpey PLC

     Household Durables          9,352          24,530  
 

The Sage Group PLC

     Software          3,074          28,808  
 

Unilever NV, IDR

     Personal Products          3,478          205,749  
 

Unilever PLC

     Personal Products          3,538          205,012  
 

Whitbread PLC

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          268          13,541  
              

 

 

 
                 2,761,527  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Common Stocks and Other Equity Interests
(Cost $8,942,296)

               9,775,868  
              

 

 

 
    Preferred Stocks 0.2%  
    Germany 0.2%  
 

Fuchs Petrolub SE, 1.777%, pfd.

     Chemicals          210          12,435  
 

Schaeffler AG, 3.663%, pfd.

     Auto Components          380          6,132  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Preferred Stocks (Cost $14,770)

               18,567  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Investments
(Cost $8,957,066) 99.6%

               9,794,435  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 0.4%

               37,256  
              

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

             $ 9,831,691  
              

 

 

 

Rounds to less than 0.1% of net assets.

aSecurity was purchased pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 and may be sold in transactions exempt from registration only to qualified institutional buyers or in a public offering registered under the Securities Act of 1933. This security has been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. At September 30, 2017, the value of this security was $29,414, representing 0.3% of net assets.

bNon-income producing.

cSecurity was purchased pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, which exempts from registration securities offered and sold outside of the United States. Such a security cannot be sold in the United States without either an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption registration. These securities have been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. At September 30, 2017, the aggregate value of these securities was $17,272, representing 0.2% of net assets.

At September 30, 2017 the Fund had the following forward exchange contracts outstanding. See Note 1(c).

 

Forward Exchange Contracts  
Currency    Counterpartya      Type      Quantity      Contract
Amount
     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation
     Unrealized
Depreciation
 
OTC Forward Exchange Contracts  

Australian Dollar

     GSCO        Buy        1,064,882      $ 835,560        10/03/17      $      $  

Australian Dollar

     GSCO        Sell        1,064,882        844,339        10/03/17        8,779         

Australian Dollar

     MSCO        Buy        1,064,882        835,560        10/03/17                

Australian Dollar

     MSCO        Sell        1,064,882        844,337        10/03/17        8,778         

Danish Krone

     GSCO        Buy        1,144,292        181,784        10/03/17                

Danish Krone

     GSCO        Sell        1,144,292        183,201        10/03/17        1,418         

Danish Krone

     MSCO        Buy        1,144,292        181,784        10/03/17                

Danish Krone

     MSCO        Sell        1,144,292        183,202        10/03/17        1,418         

Euro

     GSCO        Buy        588,463        695,681        10/03/17                

Euro

     GSCO        Sell        588,463        700,682        10/03/17        5,001         

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     53  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF (continued)

 

Forward Exchange Contracts (continued)  
Currency    Counterpartya      Type      Quantity      Contract
Amount
     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation
     Unrealized
Depreciation
 
OTC Forward Exchange Contracts (continued)  

Euro

     MSCO        Buy        588,463      $ 695,681        10/03/17      $      $  

Euro

     MSCO        Sell        588,463        700,683        10/03/17        5,002         

Great British Pound

     GSCO        Buy        922,096        1,237,130        10/03/17                

Great British Pound

     GSCO        Sell        922,096        1,189,338        10/03/17               (47,792

Great British Pound

     MSCO        Buy        922,096        1,237,130        10/03/17                

Great British Pound

     MSCO        Sell        922,096        1,189,323        10/03/17               (47,807

Hong Kong Dollar

     GSCO        Sell        1,314,717        168,119        10/03/17               (204

Hong Kong Dollar

     MSCO        Buy        1,314,717        168,323        10/03/17                

Hong Kong Dollar

     MSCO        Sell        1,314,717        168,118        10/03/17               (205

Israeli Shekel

     GSCO        Sell        84,208        23,500        10/03/17               (338

Israeli Shekel

     MSCO        Buy        84,208        23,837        10/03/17                

Israeli Shekel

     MSCO        Sell        84,208        23,499        10/03/17               (338

Japanese Yen

     GSCO        Buy        110,731,140        983,708        10/03/17                

Japanese Yen

     GSCO        Sell        110,731,140        1,007,432        10/03/17        23,724         

Japanese Yen

     MSCO        Buy        110,731,140        983,708        10/03/17                

Japanese Yen

     MSCO        Sell        110,731,140        1,007,422        10/03/17        23,713         

New Zealand Dollar

     GSCO        Buy        28,599        20,674        10/03/17                

New Zealand Dollar

     GSCO        Sell        28,599        20,472        10/03/17               (203

New Zealand Dollar

     MSCO        Buy        28,599        20,674        10/03/17                

New Zealand Dollar

     MSCO        Sell        28,599        20,471        10/03/17               (203

Norwegian Krone

     GSCO        Buy        335,885        42,195        10/03/17                

Norwegian Krone

     GSCO        Sell        335,885        43,201        10/03/17        1,006         

Norwegian Krone

     MSCO        Buy        335,885        42,195        10/03/17                

Norwegian Krone

     MSCO        Sell        335,885        43,199        10/03/17        1,004         

Singapore Dollar

     GSCO        Buy        146,817        108,117        10/03/17                

Singapore Dollar

     GSCO        Sell        146,817        108,132        10/03/17        15         

Singapore Dollar

     MSCO        Buy        146,817        108,117        10/03/17                

Singapore Dollar

     MSCO        Sell        146,817        108,136        10/03/17        19         

Swedish Krona

     GSCO        Buy        1,261,746        154,581        10/03/17                

Swedish Krona

     GSCO        Sell        1,261,746        158,816        10/03/17        4,235         

Swedish Krona

     MSCO        Buy        1,261,746        154,581        10/03/17                

Swedish Krona

     MSCO        Sell        1,261,746        158,813        10/03/17        4,232         

Swiss Franc

     GSCO        Buy        309,279        319,635        10/03/17                

Swiss Franc

     GSCO        Sell        309,279        322,464        10/03/17        2,829         

Swiss Franc

     MSCO        Buy        309,279        319,635        10/03/17                

Swiss Franc

     MSCO        Sell        309,279        322,419        10/03/17        2,784         

Australian Dollar

     GSCO        Sell        1,073,261        841,850        11/02/17               (2

Australian Dollar

     MSCO        Sell        1,073,261        841,844        11/02/17               (7

Danish Krone

     GSCO        Sell        1,190,557        189,453        11/02/17               (5

Danish Krone

     MSCO        Sell        1,190,557        189,455        11/02/17               (3

Euro

     GSCO        Sell        604,757        716,078        11/02/17               (7

Euro

     MSCO        Sell        604,757        716,069        11/02/17               (16

Great British Pound

     GSCO        Sell        919,005        1,234,177        11/02/17               (15

Great British Pound

     MSCO        Sell        919,005        1,234,168        11/02/17               (24

Hong Kong Dollar

     GSCO        Sell        1,332,910        170,780        11/02/17               (1

Hong Kong Dollar

     MSCO        Sell        1,332,910        170,781        11/02/17                

Israeli Shekel

     GSCO        Sell        84,208        23,837        11/02/17               (24

Israeli Shekel

     MSCO        Sell        84,208        23,861        11/02/17               (1

Japanese Yen

     GSCO        Sell        114,409,480        1,017,756        11/02/17        1         

Japanese Yen

     MSCO        Sell        114,409,480        1,017,742        11/02/17               (12

New Zealand Dollar

     GSCO        Sell        28,599        20,674        11/02/17        12         

New Zealand Dollar

     MSCO        Sell        28,599        20,662        11/02/17                

Norwegian Krone

     GSCO        Sell        369,612        46,463        11/02/17                

Norwegian Krone

     MSCO        Sell        369,612        46,462        11/02/17               (1

Singapore Dollar

     GSCO        Sell        146,817        108,117        11/02/17               (36

Singapore Dollar

     MSCO        Sell        146,817        108,148        11/02/17               (5

Swedish Krona

     GSCO        Sell        1,322,917        162,341        11/02/17               (2

 

54    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF (continued)

 

Forward Exchange Contracts (continued)  
Currency    Counterpartya      Type      Quantity      Contract
Amount
     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation
     Unrealized
Depreciation
 
OTC Forward Exchange Contracts (continued)  

Swedish Krona

     MSCO        Sell        1,322,917      $ 162,340        11/02/17      $      $ (4

Swiss Franc

     GSCO        Sell        318,593        329,900        11/02/17               (4

Swiss Franc

     MSCO        Sell        318,593        329,891        11/02/17               (13
                 

 

 

 

Total Forward Exchange Contracts

 

   $ 93,970      $ (97,272
                 

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

 

      $ (3,302
                    

 

 

 

aMay be comprised of multiple contracts with the same counterparty, currency and settlement date.

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 69.

See Note 7 regarding other derivative information.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     55  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

      Franklin
LibertyQ
Emerging
Markets ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ Global
Dividend ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ Global
Equity ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ
International
Equity
Hedged ETF
 

Assets:

 

Investments in securities:

 

Cost – Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 359,819,697      $ 15,190,315      $ 15,484,757      $ 8,957,066  
  

 

 

 

Value – Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 404,473,736      $ 16,784,441      $ 17,442,308      $ 9,794,435  

Cash

     127,125        18,113        34,325        30,019  

Foreign currency, at value (cost $1,545,914, $83,968, $52,747 and $54,038, respectively)

     1,537,101        83,805        52,817        53,796  

Receivables:

 

Investment securities sold

            429,363                

Dividends

     521,716        47,603        32,461        37,906  

Affiliates

            8,501        19,684        15,387  

Unrealized appreciation on OTC forward exchange contracts

                          93,970  
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     406,659,678        17,371,826        17,581,595        10,025,513  
  

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

Payables:

 

Investment securities purchased

            459,018        4,827        32,533  

Management fees

     92,654                       

Transfer agent fees

     6,521        6,521        6,521        6,521  

Custody fees

     110,600        2,058        1,846        14,232  

Professional fees

     18,046        20,882        18,313        22,274  

Reports to shareholders

     12,718        3,124        3,091        2,949  

Pricing fees

     9,030        4,493        14,864        11,047  

Deferred tax

     503,514                       

Unrealized depreciation on OTC forward exchange contracts

                          97,272  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     4,541        5,582        10,013        6,994  
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     757,624        501,678        59,475        193,822  
  

 

 

 

Net assets, at value

   $ 405,902,054      $ 16,870,148      $ 17,522,120      $ 9,831,691  
  

 

 

 

Net assets consist of:

 

Paid-in capital

   $ 357,090,428      $ 14,278,951      $ 15,024,525      $ 9,415,148  

Undistributed net investment income

     4,690,083        37,291        162,892        169,383  

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     44,140,141        1,594,359        1,957,669        833,927  

Accumulated net realized gain (loss)

     (18,598      959,547        377,034        (586,767
  

 

 

 

Net assets, at value

   $ 405,902,054      $ 16,870,148      $ 17,522,120      $ 9,831,691  
  

 

 

 

Shares outstanding

     12,800,000        600,000        600,000        400,000  
  

 

 

 

Net asset value per share

   $ 31.71      $ 28.12      $ 29.20      $ 24.58  
  

 

 

 

 

56    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Operations

for the period ended September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

      Franklin
LibertyQ
Emerging
Markets ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ Global
Dividend ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ Global
Equity ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ
International
Equity
Hedged ETF
 

Investment income:

 

Dividends: (net of foreign taxes)a

           

Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 7,465,323      $ 400,516      $ 280,538      $ 194,382  

Income from securities loaned (net of fees and rebates)

                   1         
  

 

 

 

Total investment income

     7,465,323        400,516        280,539        194,382  
  

 

 

 

Expenses:

 

Management fees (Note 3a)

     1,001,588        49,970        29,861        19,830  

Transfer agent fees

     7,821        7,821        7,821        7,821  

Custodian fees

     141,281        2,340        2,636        17,466  

Reports to shareholders

     7,141        2,635        2,634        2,634  

Registration and filing fees

     38,771        4,333        3,747        3,164  

Professional fees

     30,939        25,481        28,492        35,266  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     45,109        3,977        2,492        1,262  

Pricing fees

     16,570        6,740        22,296        16,570  

Other

     3,139        4,936        6,528        6,172  
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     1,292,359        108,233        106,507        110,185  

Expenses waived/paid by affiliates (Note 3c)

     (304,127      (58,265      (76,776      (90,355
  

 

 

 

Net expenses

     988,232        49,968        29,731        19,830  
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     6,477,091        350,548        250,808        174,552  
  

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses):

 

Net realized gain (loss) from:

 

Investments unaffiliated issuers

     1,652,052        106,538        (89,327      93,281  

In-kind redemptions

     981,315        967,165        470,610         

Foreign currency transactions

     (17,881      1,524        1,323        3,382  

Forward exchange contracts

                          (420,799
  

 

 

 

Net realized gain (loss)

     2,615,486        1,075,227        382,606        (324,136
  

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Investments

     22,911,950        (267,964      769,245        612,875  

Translation of other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     (74,258      469        (211      (79

Forward exchange contracts

                          7,198  
  

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     22,837,692        (267,495      769,034        619,994  
  

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

     25,453,178        807,732        1,151,640        295,858  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

   $ 31,930,269      $ 1,158,280      $ 1,402,448      $ 470,410  
  

 

 

 

aForeign taxes withheld on dividends

   $ 941,752      $ 24,902      $ 17,244      $ 16,069  

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     57  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

     Franklin LibertyQ Emerging
Markets ETF
     Franklin LibertyQ Global
Dividend ETF
 
      Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 

Increase (decrease) in net assets:

 

Operations:

 

Net investment income

   $ 6,477,091      $ 2,587,948      $ 350,548      $ 673,825  

Net realized gain (loss)

     2,615,486        (3,009,052      1,075,227        (80,576

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     22,837,692        21,302,449        (267,495      1,861,854  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

     31,930,269        20,881,345        1,158,280        2,455,103  
  

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income

     (3,123,954      (876,033      (443,503      (580,561
  

 

 

 

Capital share transactions: (Note 2)

     49,010,189        308,080,238        (11,150,857      25,431,686  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets

     77,816,504        328,085,550        (10,436,080      27,306,228  

Net assets:

 

Beginning of period

     328,085,550               27,306,228         
  

 

 

 

End of period

   $ 405,902,054      $ 328,085,550      $ 16,870,148      $ 27,306,228  
  

 

 

 

Undistributed net investment income included in net assets, end of period

   $ 4,690,083      $ 1,336,946      $ 37,291      $ 130,246  
  

 

 

 

aFor the period June 1, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

 

58    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

     Franklin LibertyQ Global
Equity ETF
     Franklin LibertyQ International
Equity Hedged ETF
 
      Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 

Increase (decrease) in net assets:

 

Operations:

 

Net investment income

   $ 250,808      $ 486,816      $ 174,552      $ 380,260  

Net realized gain (loss)

     382,606        27,979        (324,136      (56,879

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     769,034        1,188,635        619,994        213,933  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

     1,402,448        1,703,430        470,410        537,314  
  

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net foreign currency gains

     (194,826      (371,677      (519,128      (1,086,182
  

 

 

 

Capital share transactions: (Note 2)

     (5,429,740      20,412,485               10,429,277  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets

     (4,222,118      21,744,238        (48,718      9,880,409  

Net assets:

 

Beginning of period

     21,744,238               9,880,409         
  

 

 

 

End of period

   $ 17,522,120      $ 21,744,238      $ 9,831,691      $ 9,880,409  
  

 

 

 

Undistributed net investment income included in net assets, end of period

   $ 162,892      $ 106,910      $ 169,383      $ 513,959  
  

 

 

 

aFor the period June 1, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     59  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies

Franklin Templeton ETF Trust (Trust) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) as an open-end management investment company, consisting of twelve separate funds, four of which are included in this report (Funds) and the financial statements of the remaining funds are presented separately, and applies the specialized accounting and reporting guidance in U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP). Each of the Funds are an exchange traded fund (ETF) and seek to provide the investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of each Fund’s corresponding underlying index.

The following summarizes the Funds’ significant accounting policies.

a. Financial Instrument Valuation

The Funds’ investments in financial instruments are carried at fair value daily. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The Funds calculate the net asset value (NAV) per share as of 4 p.m. Eastern time each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. Under compliance policies and procedures approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the Board), the Funds’ administrator has responsibility for oversight of valuation, including leading the cross-functional Valuation Committee (VC). The VC provides administration and oversight of the Funds’ valuation policies and procedures, which are approved annually by the Board. Among other things, these procedures allow the Funds to utilize independent pricing services, quotations from securities and financial instrument dealers, and other market sources to determine fair value.

Equity securities and exchange traded funds listed on an exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the last quoted sale price or the official closing price of the day, respectively. Foreign equity securities are valued as of the close of trading on the foreign stock exchange on which the security is primarily traded or as of 4 p.m. Eastern time. The value is then converted into its U.S. dollar equivalent at the foreign exchange rate in effect at 4 p.m. London time on the day that the value of the security is determined. Over-the-counter (OTC) securities are valued within the range of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices. Securities that trade in multiple markets or on multiple exchanges are valued

according to the broadest and most representative market. Certain equity securities are valued based upon fundamental characteristics or relationships to similar securities.

Certain derivative financial instruments (derivatives) trade in the OTC market. The Funds’ pricing services use various techniques including industry standard option pricing models and proprietary discounted cash flow models to determine the fair value of those instruments. The Funds’ net benefit or obligation under the derivative contract, as measured by the fair value of the contract, is included in net assets.

The Funds have procedures to determine the fair value of financial instruments for which market prices are not reliable or readily available. Under these procedures, the VC convenes on a regular basis to review such financial instruments and considers a number of factors, including significant unobservable valuation inputs, when arriving at fair value. The VC primarily employs a market-based approach which may use related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values, and other relevant information for the investment to determine the fair value of the investment. An income-based valuation approach may also be used in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted to calculate fair value. Discounts may also be applied due to the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. Due to the inherent uncertainty of valuations of such investments, the fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had an active market existed. The VC employs various methods for calibrating these valuation approaches including a regular review of key inputs and assumptions, transactional back-testing or disposition analysis, and reviews of any related market activity.

Trading in securities on foreign securities stock exchanges and OTC markets may be completed before 4 p.m. Eastern time. In addition, trading in certain foreign markets may not take place on every Funds’ business day. Occasionally, events occur between the time at which trading in a foreign security is completed and 4 p.m. Eastern time that might call into question the reliability of the value of a portfolio security held by the Funds. As a result, differences may arise between the value of the Funds’ portfolio securities as determined at the foreign market close and the latest indications of value at 4 p.m. Eastern time. The VC monitors price movements for significant events following the close of trading in foreign stock markets through a series of country specific market proxies (such as baskets of American Depositary Receipts, futures contracts and exchange traded funds).

 

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

These price movements are measured against established trigger thresholds for each specific market proxy to assist in determining if an event has occurred that may call into question the reliability of the values of the foreign securities held by the Funds. If such an event occurs, the securities may be valued using fair value procedures, which may include the use of independent pricing services.

When the last day of the reporting period is a non-business day, certain foreign markets may be open on those days that the Funds’ NAV is not calculated, which could result in differences between the value of the Funds’ portfolio securities on the last business day and the last calendar day of the reporting period. Any significant security valuation changes due to an open foreign market are adjusted and reflected by the Funds for financial reporting purposes. Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF Statement of Investments has been adjusted to reflect investment values as of September 30, 2017.

b. Foreign Currency Translation

Portfolio securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars based on the exchange rate of such currencies against U.S. dollars on the date of valuation. The Funds may enter into foreign currency exchange contracts to facilitate transactions denominated in a foreign currency. Purchases and sales of securities, income and expense items denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate in effect on the transaction date. Portfolio securities and assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies contain risks that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Occasionally, events may impact the availability or reliability of foreign exchange rates used to convert the U.S. dollar equivalent value. If such an event occurs, the foreign exchange rate will be valued at fair value using procedures established and approved by the Board.

The Funds do not separately report the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates from changes in market prices on securities held. Such changes are included in net realized and unrealized gain or loss from investments in the Statements of Operations.

Realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the recorded amounts of dividends, interest, and foreign withholding taxes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or

paid. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in foreign exchange rates on foreign denominated assets and liabilities other than investments in securities held at the end of the reporting period.

c. Derivative Financial Instruments

Certain or all Funds invested in derivatives in order to manage risk or gain exposure to various other investments or markets. Derivatives are financial contracts based on an underlying or notional amount, require no initial investment or an initial net investment that is smaller than would normally be required to have a similar response to changes in market factors, and require or permit net settlement. Derivatives contain various risks including the potential inability of the counterparty to fulfill their obligations under the terms of the contract, the potential for an illiquid secondary market, and/or the potential for market movements which expose the Fund to gains or losses in excess of the amounts shown in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Realized gain and loss and unrealized appreciation and depreciation on these contracts for the period are included in the Statements of Operations.

Collateral requirements differ by type of derivative. Collateral terms are contract specific for OTC derivatives. For OTC derivatives traded under an ISDA master agreement, posting of collateral is required by either the Fund or the applicable counterparty if the total net exposure of all OTC derivatives with the applicable counterparty exceeds the minimum transfer amount, which typically ranges from $100,000 to $250,000, and can vary depending on the counterparty and the type of the agreement. Generally, collateral is determined at the close of Fund business each day and any additional collateral required due to changes in derivative values may be delivered by the Fund or the counterparty within a few business days. Collateral pledged and/or received by the Fund, if any, is held in segregated accounts with the Fund’s custodian/ counterparty broker and can be in the form of cash and/or securities. Unrestricted cash may be invested according to the Funds’ investment objectives. To the extent that the amounts due to the Fund from its counterparties are not subject to collateralization or are not fully collateralized, the Fund bears the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance.

Certain or all Funds entered into OTC forward exchange contracts primarily to manage and/or gain exposure to certain foreign currencies. A forward exchange contract is an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty to buy or

 

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

c. Derivative Financial Instruments (continued)

 

sell a foreign currency at a specific exchange rate on a future date.

See Note 7 regarding other derivative information.

d. Securities Lending

Certain or all Funds participate in an agency based securities lending program to earn additional income. The Fund receives cash collateral against the loaned securities in an amount equal to at least 102% of the fair value of the loaned securities. Collateral is maintained over the life of the loan in an amount not less than 100% of the fair value of loaned securities, as determined at the close of Fund business each day; any additional collateral required due to changes in security values is delivered to the Fund on the next business day. The collateral is deposited into a joint cash account with other funds and is used to invest in a money market fund managed by Franklin Advisers, Inc. The Fund may receive income from the investment of cash collateral, in addition to lending fees and rebates paid by the borrower. Income from securities loaned, net of fees paid to the securities lending agent and/or third-party vendor, is reported separately in the Statements of Operations. The Fund bears the market risk with respect to the collateral investment, securities loaned, and the risk that the agent may default on its obligations to the Fund. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned, the Fund has the right to repurchase the securities in the open market using the collateral received. At September 30, 2017, the Funds had no securities on loan.

e. Income and Deferred Taxes

It is each Fund’s policy to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. Each Fund intends to distribute to shareholders substantially all of its taxable income and net realized gains to relieve it from federal income and excise taxes. As a result, no provision for U.S. federal income taxes is required.

The Funds may be subject to foreign taxation related to income received, capital gains on the sale of securities and certain foreign currency transactions in the foreign jurisdictions in which the Funds invest. Foreign taxes, if any, are recorded based on the tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign markets in which the Funds invests. When a

capital gain tax is determined to apply, certain or all Funds record an estimated deferred tax liability in an amount that would be payable if the securities were disposed of on the valuation date.

Each Fund may recognize an income tax liability related to its uncertain tax positions under U.S. GAAP when the uncertain tax position has a less than 50% probability that it will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities based on its technical merits. As of September 30, 2017, each Fund has determined that no tax liability is required in its financial statements related to uncertain tax positions for any open tax years (or expected to be taken in future tax years). Open tax years are those that remain subject to examination and are based on the statute of limitations in each jurisdiction in which the Fund invests.

f. Security Transactions, Investment Income, Expenses and Distributions

Security transactions are accounted for on trade date. Realized gains and losses on security transactions are determined on a specific identification basis. Estimated expenses are accrued daily. Dividend income and realized gain distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date except for certain dividends from securities where the dividend rate is not available. In such cases, the dividend is recorded as soon as the information is received by the Funds. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributable earnings are determined according to income tax regulations (tax basis) and may differ from earnings recorded in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts to reflect their tax character. These reclassifications have no impact on net assets or the results of operations. Temporary differences are not reclassified, as they may reverse in subsequent periods.

Common expenses incurred by the Trust are allocated among the Funds based on the ratio of net assets of each Fund to the combined net assets of the Trust. Fund specific expenses are charged directly to the fund that incurred the expense.

g. Accounting Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

h. Guarantees and Indemnifications

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and trustees are indemnified by the Trust against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust.

Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred. Currently, the Trust expects the risk of loss to be remote.

 

2. Shares of Beneficial Interest

Shares of the Funds are issued and redeemed at their respective NAV in blocks of 200,000 shares or multiples thereof (Creation Units). Certain large institutional investors (Authorized Participants) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Funds. Once created, shares of the Funds generally trade in the secondary market in amounts less than one Creation Unit. The market price of the Funds’ shares will be based on the price in the secondary market which may be at, above or below the most recent NAV. Creation Units may be issued and redeemed in exchange for a designated portfolio of securities and/or cash (which may include cash in lieu of certain securities).

Authorized participants pay a transaction fee to the shareholder servicing agent when purchasing or redeeming Creation Units of the Funds regardless of the number of Creation Units that are being created or redeemed on the same day by the Authorized Participant. The standard transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance or redemption of Creation Units and is not charged to or paid by the Funds.

In addition, for cash Creation Unit transactions, a variable fee for creation and redemption transactions may be charged to the Authorized Participant to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades. Variable fees received by the Funds, if any, are included in capital share transactions in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets.

At September 30, 2017, there were an unlimited number of shares authorized (without par value). Transactions in the Funds’ shares were as follows:

 

     Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF  
     Six Months Ended September 30, 2017            Year Ended March 31, 2017a  
      Shares      Amount             Shares      Amount  

Shares sold

     2,000,000      $ 61,092,740          11,200,000      $ 308,080,238  

Shares redeemed

     (400,000      (12,082,551                
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease)

     1,600,000      $ 49,010,189          11,200,000      $ 308,080,238  
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF  
     Six Months Ended September 30, 2017            Year Ended March 31, 2017a  
      Shares      Amount             Shares      Amount  

Shares sold

                     1,000,000      $ 25,431,686  

Shares redeemed

     (400,000    $ (11,150,857                
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease)

     (400,000    $ (11,150,857        1,000,000      $ 25,431,686  
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

2. Shares of Beneficial Interest (continued)

 

     Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF  
     Six Months Ended September 30, 2017            Year Ended March 31, 2017a  
      Shares      Amount             Shares      Amount  

Shares sold

                     1,200,000      $ 30,695,587  

Shares redeemed

     (200,000    $ (5,429,740        (400,000      (10,283,102
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease)

     (200,000    $ (5,429,740        800,000      $ 20,412,485  
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF  
     Six Months Ended September 30, 2017            Year Ended March 31, 2017a  
      Shares      Amount             Shares      Amount  

Shares sold

                                —          1,000,000      $ 25,447,822  

Shares redeemed

                     (600,000      (15,018,545
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease)

                     400,000      $ 10,429,277  
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

aFor the period June 1, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

3. Transactions with Affiliates

Franklin Resources, Inc. is the holding company for various subsidiaries that together are referred to as Franklin Templeton Investments. Certain officers and trustees of the Funds are also officers and/or directors of the following subsidiaries:

 

Subsidiary    Affiliation

Franklin Advisers, Inc. (Advisers)

  

Investment manager

Franklin Templeton Services, LLC (FT Services)

  

Administrative manager

Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. (Distributors)

  

Principal underwriter

a. Management Fees

The Funds pay an investment management fee to Advisers based on the average net assets of each of the Funds as follows:

 

      Annualized Fee Rate

Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF

  

0.55%

Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF

  

0.45%

Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF

  

0.35%

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF

  

0.40%

b. Administrative Fees

Under an agreement with Advisers, FT Services provides administrative services to the Funds. The fee is paid by Advisers based on the Funds’ average daily net assets, and is not an additional expense of the Funds.

c. Waiver and Expense Reimbursements

Effective September 1, 2017, Advisers has contractually agreed in advance to waive or limit its fees and to assume as its own expense certain expenses otherwise payable by Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF, Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF, Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF and Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF so that the expenses (including acquired fund fees and expenses) of the Funds do not exceed 0.55%, 0.45%, 0.35%, and 0.40%, respectively, based on the average net assets (other than certain non-routine expenses or costs, including those relating to litigation, indemnification, reorganizations, and liquidations) until July 31, 2018. Total expenses waived or paid are not subject to recapture subsequent to the Funds’ fiscal year end.

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Prior to September 1, 2017, Advisers had contractually agreed in advance to waive or limit its fees and to assume as its own expense certain expenses otherwise payable by Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF, Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF, Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF and Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF so that the expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses) of the Funds do not exceed 0.55%, 0.45%, 0.35%, and 0.40%, respectively, based on the average net assets (other than certain non-routine expenses or costs, including those relating to litigation, indemnification, reorganizations, and liquidations).

The Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF invests in one or more affiliated management investment companies for purposes other than exercising a controlling influence over the management or policies. During the period ended September 30, 2017, the Fund held investments in affiliated management investment companies as follows:

 

     Number of
Shares
Held at
Beginning
of Period
    Gross
Additions
    Gross
Reductions
    Number of
Shares
Held at
End of
Period
    Value
Held at
End of
Period
    Dividend
Income
    Realized
Gain
(Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 
Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF                
Non-Controlled Affiliates                
Institutional Fiduciary Trust                

Money Market Portfolio, 0.67%

          4,900       (4,900         $     $     $     $  

d. Other Affiliated Transactions

At September 30, 2017, the shares of the Funds were owned by the following entities.

 

Funds    Shares     Percentage of
Outstanding Sharesa
 
Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF     

Franklin Moderate Allocation Fund

     3,869,400       30.2%  

Franklin Growth Allocation Fund

     3,249,800       25.4%  

Franklin 529 Portfolios

     1,909,000       14.9%  

Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund

     1,693,800       13.2%  

Franklin LifeSmart™ 2020 – 2055 Retirement Target Funds

     1,005,400       7.9%  
  

 

 

 

Total

     11,727,400       91.6%  
  

 

 

 
Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF     

Franklin Resources Inc.

     193,300       32.2%  
  

 

 

 
Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF     

Franklin Resources Inc.

     109,400       18.2%  
  

 

 

 

aInvestment activities of significant shareholders could have a material impact on the Funds.

4. Income Taxes

For tax purposes, capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. At March 31, 2017, the capital loss carryforwards were as follows:

 

      Franklin LibertyQ
Emerging Markets
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
Global Dividend
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
Global Equity
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
International
Equity Hedged
ETF
 
Capital loss carryforwards:         

Short term

   $ 2,253,131     $ 64,583     $ 3,758     $ 203,280  

Long term

                        
  

 

 

 

Total capital loss carryforwards

   $ 2,253,131     $ 64,583     $ 3,758     $ 203,280  
  

 

 

 

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

4. Income Taxes (continued)

 

At September 30, 2017, the cost of investments and net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) for income tax purposes were as follows:

 

      Franklin LibertyQ
Emerging Markets
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
Global Dividend
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
Global Equity
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
International
Equity Hedged
ETF
 

Cost of investments

   $ 360,685,892     $ 15,243,649     $ 15,495,823     $ 9,031,293  
  

 

 

 

Unrealized appreciation

   $ 53,829,159     $ 1,878,743     $ 2,191,149     $ 1,277,375  

Unrealized depreciation

     (10,041,315     (337,951     (244,664     (517,535
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

   $ 43,787,844     $ 1,540,792     $ 1,946,485     $ 759,840  
  

 

 

 

Differences between income and/or capital gains as determined on a book basis and a tax basis are primarily due to differing

treatment of corporate actions, passive foreign investment company shares, in-kind redemptions and wash sales.

5. Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investments (excluding short term securities and in-kind transactions) for the period ended September 30, 2017, were as follows:

 

      Franklin LibertyQ
Emerging Markets
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
Global Dividend
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
Global Equity
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
International
Equity Hedged
ETF
 

Purchases

   $ 83,148,999     $ 5,035,679     $ 2,654,205     $ 1,317,352  

Sales

   $ 50,345,588     $ 5,660,563     $ 2,987,531     $ 2,072,352  

In-kind transactions associated with creation and redemptions for the period ended September 30, 2017, were as follows:

 

      Franklin LibertyQ
Emerging Markets
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
Global Dividend
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
Global Equity
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
International
Equity Hedged
ETF
 

Cost of Securities Received

   $ 28,230,341     $     $     $  —  

Value of Securities Delivereda

   $ 5,584,797     $ 10,563,080     $ 5,033,001     $  

aRealized gains and losses from in-kind redemptions, as shown on the Statement of Operations, are not recognized by the Funds for tax purposes.

6. Concentration of Risk

Investing in foreign securities may include certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities, such as fluctuating currency values and changing local and regional economic, political and social conditions, which may result in greater market volatility. In addition, certain foreign securities may not be as liquid as U.S. securities.

The United States and other nations have imposed and could impose additional sanctions on certain issuers in Russia due to regional conflicts. These sanctions could result in the devaluation of Russia’s currency, a downgrade in Russian issuers’ credit ratings, or a decline in the value and liquidity of Russian stocks or other securities. Such sanctions could also adversely affect Russia’s economy, possibly forcing the economy into a recession. Certain or all Funds may be prohibited from investing in securities issued by companies subject to such sanctions. In addition, if the Fund holds the securities of an issuer that is subject to such sanctions, an immediate freeze of that issuer’s securities could result, impairing the ability of the Fund to buy, sell, receive or deliver those securities. There is also the risk that countermeasures could be taken by Russia’s government, which could involve the seizure of the Fund’s assets. These risks could affect the value of the Funds’ portfolio. While the Funds hold

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

securities of certain companies recently impacted by the sanctions, the restrictions do not impact the existing investments in those issuers. At September 30, 2017, Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF had 10.7% of its net assets invested in Russia. The remaining Funds in the Trust did not have significant investment in Russia.

7. Other Derivative Information

At September 30, 2017, the Funds’ investments in derivative contracts are reflected in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as follows:

 

    

Asset Derivatives

   

Liability Derivatives

 
Derivative Contracts
Not Accounted for as
Hedging Instruments
   Statements of Assets and
Liabilities Location
  Fair Value     Statements of Assets and
Liabilities Location
  Fair Value  
Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF         

Foreign exchange contracts

  

Unrealized appreciation on OTC forward exchange contracts

  $ 93,970    

Unrealized depreciation on OTC forward exchange contracts

  $ 97,272  

For the period ended September 30, 2017, the effect of derivative contracts in the Funds’ Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

    

Asset Derivatives

   

Liability Derivatives

 
Derivative Contracts
Not Accounted for as
Hedging Instruments
   Statements of
Operations Locations
  Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
for the Period
    Statements of
Operations Locations
  Net Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
for the Period
 
Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF         
  

Net realized gain (loss) from:

   

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Foreign exchange contracts

  

Forward exchange contracts

  $ (420,799  

Forward exchange contracts

  $ 7,198  

For the period ended September 30, 2017, the average month end contract value of forward exchange contracts was $29,977,224.

At September 30, 2017, Funds’ OTC derivative assets and liabilities are as follows:

 

     Gross and Net
Amounts of Assets
and Liabilities
Presented in the
Statements of Assets
and Liabilities
 
      Assetsa     Liabilitiesa  
Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF     

Derivatives

    

Forward exchange contracts

   $ 93,970     $ 97,272  

aAbsent an event of default or early termination, OTC derivative assets and liabilities are presented gross and not offset in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities.

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

7. Other Derivative Information (continued)

 

At September 30, 2017, the Funds’ OTC derivative assets, which may be offset against the Funds’ OTC derivative liabilities and collateral received from the counterparty, are as follows:

 

           Amounts Not Offset in the
Statements of Assets and Liabilities
       
      Gross and Net
Amounts of Assets
Presented in the
Statements of
Assets and Liabilities
    Financial
Instruments
Available for Offset
    Financial
Instruments
Collateral
Received
    Cash
Collateral
Received
    Net Amount (Not
less than zero)
 
Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF           
Counterparty         

GSCO

   $ 47,020     $ (47,020   $  —     $  —     $  —  

MSCO

   $ 46,950     $ (46,950   $     $     $  

At September 30, 2017, the Funds’ OTC derivative liabilities, which may be offset against the Funds’ OTC derivative assets and collateral received from the counterparty, are as follows:

 

           Amounts Not Offset in the
Statements of Assets and Liabilities
       
      Gross and Net
Amounts of Liabilities
Presented in the
Statements of
Assets and Liabilities
    Financial
Instruments
Available for Offset
    Financial
Instruments
Collateral
Pledged
    Cash
Collateral
Pledged
    Net Amount (Not
less than zero)
 
Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF         
Counterparty         

GSCO

   $ 48,633     $ (47,020   $  —     $  —     $ 1,613  

MSCO

   $ 48,639     $ (46,950   $     $     $ 1,689  

See Note 1(c) regarding derivative financial instruments.

See Abbreviations on page 69.

8. Fair Value Measurements

The Funds follow a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and the Funds’ own market assumptions (unobservable inputs). These inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ financial instruments and are summarized in the following fair value hierarchy:

 

    Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical financial instruments

 

    Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar financial instruments, interest rates, prepayment speed, credit risk, etc.)

 

    Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Funds’ own assumptions in determining the fair value of financial instruments)

The input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level.

For movements between the levels within the fair value hierarchy, the Funds have adopted a policy of recognizing the transfers as of the date of the underlying event which caused the movement.

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

A summary of inputs used as of September 30, 2017, in valuing the Funds’ assets and liabilities carried at fair value, is as follows:

 

      Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  
Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF         
Assets:         

Investments in Securities:a

        

China

   $ 61,189,925     $ 2,635,154     $  —     $ 63,825,079  

Other Equity Investmentsb

     340,648,657                   340,648,657  
  

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

   $ 401,838,582     $ 2,635,154     $     $ 404,473,736  
  

 

 

 
Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF         
Assets:         

Investments in Securities:

        

Equity Investmentsa,b

   $ 16,784,441     $     $     $ 16,784,441  
  

 

 

 
Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF         
Assets:         

Investments in Securities:a

        

China

   $ 605,779     $ 7,375     $  —     $ 613,154  

Other Equity Investmentsb

     16,829,154                   16,829,154  
  

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

   $ 17,434,933     $ 7,375     $     $ 17,442,308  
  

 

 

 
Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF         
Assets:         

Investments in Securities:

        

Equity Investmentsa,b

   $ 9,794,435     $     $     $ 9,794,435  
  

 

 

 

Other Financial Instruments:

        

Forward Exchange Contracts

   $     $ 93,970     $     $ 93,970  
  

 

 

 
Liabilities:         

Other Financial Instruments:

        

Forward Exchange Contracts

   $     $ 97,272     $     $ 97,272  
  

 

 

 

aIncludes common and preferred stocks, management investment companies, as well as other equity investments.

bFor detailed categories, see the accompanying Statement of Investments.

9. Subsequent Events

The Funds have evaluated subsequent events through the issuance of the financial statements and determined that no events have occurred that require disclosure.

Abbreviations

 

Counterparty
GSCO   Goldman Sachs Banks US
MSCO   Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
Selected Portfolio
ADR   American Depository Receipt
CDI   Clearing House Electronic Subregister System Depositary Interest
ETF   Exchange Traded Fund
GDR   Global Depositary Receipt
IDR   International Depositary Receipt
NVDR   Non Voting Depositary Receipt
REIT   Real Estate Investment Trust
 

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Tax Information (unaudited)

 

At March 31, 2017, more than 50% of Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF, Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF, and Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF total assets were invested in securities of foreign issuers. In most instances, foreign taxes were withheld from income paid to the Funds on these investments. As shown in the table below, the Funds hereby reports to shareholders the foreign source income and foreign taxes paid, pursuant to Section 853 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). This written statement will allow shareholders of record on June 22, 2017, to treat their proportionate share of foreign taxes paid by the Funds as having been paid directly by them. The shareholder shall consider these amounts as foreign taxes paid in the tax year in which they receive the Fund distribution.

The following tables provide a detailed analysis of foreign tax paid, foreign source income, and foreign source qualified dividends as reported by the Funds to shareholders of record.

 

Fund    Foreign Tax Paid
Per Share
    Foreign Source Income
Per Share
    Foreign Source Qualified
Dividends Per Share
 

Franklin LibertyQ Emerging Markets ETF

   $ 0.0389     $ 0.2824     $ 0.1926  

Franklin LibertyQ Global Dividend ETF

   $ 0.0393     $ 0.5627     $ 0.5401  

Franklin LibertyQ International Equity Hedged ETF

   $ 0.0655     $ 1.1317     $ 0.2733  

Foreign Tax Paid Per Share (Column 1) is the amount per share available to you, as a tax credit (assuming you held your shares in the Fund for a minimum of 16 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days before the ex-dividend date of the Fund’ distribution to which the foreign taxes relate), or, as a tax deduction.

Foreign Source Income Per Share (Column 2) is the amount per share of income dividends attributable to foreign securities held by the Fund, plus any foreign taxes withheld on these dividends. The amounts reported include foreign source qualified dividends that have not been adjusted for the rate differential applicable to such dividend income.1

Foreign Source Qualified Dividends Per Share (Column 3) is the amount per share of foreign source qualified dividends, plus any foreign taxes withheld on these dividends. These amounts represent the portion of the Foreign Source Income reported to you in column 2 that were derived from qualified foreign securities held by the Fund.1

By mid-February 2018, shareholders will receive Form 1099-DIV which will include their share of taxes paid and foreign source income distributed during the calendar year 2017. The Foreign Source Income reported on Form 1099-DIV has not been adjusted for the rate differential on foreign source qualified dividend income. Shareholders are advised to check with their tax advisors for information on the treatment of these amounts on their 2017 individual income tax returns.

1. Qualified dividends are taxed at reduced long term capital gains tax rates. In determining the amount of foreign tax credit that may be applied against the U.S. tax liability of individuals receiving foreign source qualified dividends, adjustments may be required to the foreign tax credit limitation calculation to reflect the rate differential applicable to such dividend income. The rules however permit certain individuals to elect not to apply the rate differential adjustments for capital gains and/or dividends for any taxable year. Please consult your tax advisor and the instructions to Form 1116 for more information.

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Shareholder Information

 

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

The Trust’s investment manager has established Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Policies) that the Trust uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. Shareholders may view the Trust’s complete Policies online at franklintempleton.com. Alternatively, shareholders may request copies of the Policies free of charge by calling the Proxy Group collect at (954) 527-7678 or by sending a written request to: Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC, 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, Attention: Proxy Group. Copies of the Trust’s proxy voting records are also made available online at franklintempleton.com and posted on the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at sec.gov and reflect the most recent 12-month period ended June 30.

Quarterly Statement of Investments

The Trust files a complete statement of investments with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters for each fiscal year on Form N-Q. Shareholders may view the filed Form N-Q by visiting the Commission’s website at sec.gov. The filed form may also be viewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information regarding the operations of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

Premium/Discount Information

Information about the differences between the daily market price on the secondary market for the shares of the Funds and the Funds’ net asset value may be found on the Funds’ website at libertyshares.com.

 

 

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Authorized for distribution only when accompanied or preceded by a summary prospectus and/or prospectus. Investors should carefully consider a fund’s investment goals, risks, charges and expenses before investing. A prospectus contains this and other information; please read it carefully before investing.

To help ensure we provide you with quality service, all calls to and from our service areas are monitored and/or recorded.

 

 

 

LOGO   Semiannual Report  
  Franklin Templeton ETF Trust
 

Investment Manager

Franklin Advisers, Inc.

 

Distributor

Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.

(800) DIAL BEN®/342-5236

libertyshares.com

 

Investor Services

Transfer Agent

State Street Bank and
Trust Company

1 Heritage Drive
Mail Stop OHD0100

North Quincy, MA 02171

 

© 2017 Franklin Templeton Investments. All rights reserved.    ETF S 11/17


LOGO

 

LOGO

 

LOGO

 

Franklin Templeton

ETF Trust

Semiannual Report

September 30, 2017

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF


Franklin Templeton Investments

Gain From Our Perspective®

At Franklin Templeton Investments, we’re dedicated to one goal: delivering exceptional asset management for our clients. By bringing together multiple, world-class investment teams in a single firm, we’re able to offer specialized expertise across styles and asset classes, all supported by the strength and resources of one of the world’s largest asset managers. This has helped us to become a trusted partner to individual and institutional investors across the globe.

Contents        
Semiannual Report       
Economic and Market Overview      2  
Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF      3  
Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF      8  
Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF      13  
Financial Highlights and Statements of Investments      18  
Financial Statements      40  
Notes to Financial Statements      43  
Shareholder Information      49  

 

Visit libertyshares.com for fund updates and documents.

 

 

Not FDIC Insured   |   May Lose Value   |   No Bank Guarantee

 

libertyshares.com   Not part of the semiannual report      1  


SEMIANNUAL REPORT

Economic and Market Overview

 

The US economy strengthened during the period since the Funds’ inception on April 26, 2017. Key growth drivers in 2017’s second and third quarters included consumer spending, business investment, exports and federal government spending. The manufacturing and services sectors expanded during the period. The unemployment rate decreased from 4.4% in April 2017 to 4.2% at period-end.1 Monthly retail sales were volatile during the period. Annual inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, began at 2.2% in April 2017 and declined during most of the period, but rose again to 2.2% at period-end.1

At its June meeting, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) raised its target range for the federal funds rate by 0.25% to 1.00%–1.25%, amid signs of a growing US economy, strengthening labor market and improving business spending. At its July and September 2017 meetings, the Fed kept its target range unchanged. Furthermore in September, the Fed mentioned that it would begin implementing its balance sheet reduction in October.

US equity markets rose during the period, benefiting from mostly upbeat economic data and better US corporate earnings. The markets were also supported by investor optimism arising from pro-growth and pro-business policy plans in the US; Emmanuel Macron’s victory in France’s presidential election; comments from the US Fed chair indicating optimism about the US economy and the likelihood of gradual rate hikes; and the Republican tax reform plan. However, uncertainty about President Trump’s ability to implement reforms and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the Korean peninsula curbed market sentiment. The broad US stock market, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s® 500 Index, generated a +6.79% total return for the period.2

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis and opinions as of September 30, 2017. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable.

 

 

1. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

2. Source: Morningstar.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

 

2    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF covers the period since the Fund’s inception on April 26, 2017, through September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ U.S. Large Cap Equity Index.1 Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of the index. The index seeks to achieve a lower level of risk and higher risk-adjusted performance than the Russell 1000® Index over the long term by applying a multi-factor selection process, which is designed to select equity securities from the Russell 1000® Index that have favorable exposure to four investment-style factors: quality, value, momentum and low volatility.

Performance Overview

For the period since inception on April 26, 2017, through September 30, 2017, the Fund posted cumulative total returns of +5.80% based on market price and +5.88% based on net asset value (NAV).2 In comparison, the LibertyQ U.S. Large Cap Equity Index delivered a +6.02% total return for the same period, while the Russell 1000® Index produced a +6.37% total return.3 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 5.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

Top 10 Sectors/Industries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 
Information Technology      20.9%  
Industrials      17.5%  
Consumer Discretionary      17.5%  
Consumer Staples      14.5%  
Health Care      11.6%  
Utilities      7.7%  
Financials      3.6%  
Materials      2.6%  
Real Estate      1.9%  
Energy      1.0%  
 

Investment Strategy

The Fund, using a passive or indexing investment approach, seeks investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ U.S. Large Cap Equity Index. The investment manager seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the index of 0.95 or better. A figure of 1.00 would indicate perfect correlation. The Fund’s intention is to replicate the component securities of the index as closely as possible. However, under various circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the component securities in their respective weightings in the index. In these circumstances, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy whereby the Fund would invest in what it believes to be a representative sample of the component securities of the index, but may not track the index with the same degree of accuracy as would an investment vehicle replicating the entire index. The Fund’s portfolio is reconstituted semiannually following the semiannual reconstitution of the index.

 

1. The LibertyQ U.S. Large Cap Equity Index is a systematic, rules-based proprietary index maintained and calculated by FTSE Russell (Russell) based on the Russell 1000® Index using a methodology developed with Franklin Templeton to reflect Franklin Templeton’s desired investment strategy. The Russell 1000® Index is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index and is designed to measure the performance of large capitalization stocks in the US. It includes approximately 1,000 of the largest issuers based on a combination of their market cap and current index membership. The Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by, or affiliated with FTSE Russell. FTSE Russell does not make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF.

2. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (4/28/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the market price to calculate market returns.

3. Source: Factset.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions (after the deduction of certain withholding taxes). It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 19.

 

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FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. EQUITY ETF

 

Top 10 Holdings       
9/30/17       

Company

Sector/Industry

  

% of Total

Net Assets

 

AbbVie Inc.

Health Care

    
1.3%
 

The Boeing Co.

Industrials

    
1.3%
 

Gilead Sciences Inc.

Health Care

    
1.2%
 

Biogen Inc.

Health Care

    
1.2%
 

General Motors Co.

Consumer Discretionary

    
1.2%
 

Mastercard Inc.

Information Technology

    
1.1%
 

Raytheon Co.

Industrials

    
1.1%
 

United Parcel Service Inc.

Industrials

    
1.1%
 

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

Health Care

    
1.1%
 

Northrop Grumman Corp.

Industrials

    
1.1%
 

Thank you for your participation in Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Dina Ting, CFA

   Portfolio Manager

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

CFA® is a trademark owned by CFA Institute.

 

4    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. EQUITY ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance table does not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (4/28/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
     

Based on

NAV3

    

Based on

market price4

    

Based on

NAV3

    

Based on

market price4

 

Since Inception (4/26/17)

     +5.88%        +5.80%        +5.88%        +5.80%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

See page 6 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

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FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. EQUITY ETF

 

Distributions (4/26/17–9/30/17)

Net Investment
Income
$0.164693

Total Annual Operating Expenses5

With Waiver    Without Waiver  

0.25%

     0.43%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Generally, those offering potential for higher returns are accompanied by a higher degree of risk. Special risks are associated with foreign investing, including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments; investments in emerging markets involve heightened risks related to the same factors. To the extent the Fund focuses on particular countries, regions, industries, sectors or types of investment from time to time, it may be subject to greater risks of adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of countries, regions, industries, sectors or investments. Companies that have historically paid regular dividends to shareholders may decrease or eliminate dividend payments in the future. A decrease in dividend payments by an issuer may result in a decrease in the value of the issuer’s stock and less available income for the Fund. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s multi-factor stock selection process will enhance performance. Exposure to such investment factors may detract from performance in some market environments, perhaps for extended periods. Performance of the Fund may vary significantly from the performance of an index, as a result of transactions costs, expenses and other factors. The Fund’s risk considerations are discussed in the prospectus. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 7/31/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the period indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

6    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. EQUITY ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 x $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

      Actual
(actual return after expenses)
    Hypothetical
(5% annual return before expenses)
       
Beginning
Account
Value1
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/26/17–9/30/172,3
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/172,3
    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio3
 
  $1,000.00     $ 1,058.80     $ 1.11     $ 1,023.82     $ 1.27       0.25

1. 4/26/17 for Actual; 4/1/17 for Hypothetical.

2. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period for Hypothetical expenses. For Actual expenses, the multiplier is 157/365 to reflect the number of days since commencement of operations.

3. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     7  


Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF covers the period since the Fund’s inception on April 26, 2017, through September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity Index.1 Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of the index. The index seeks to achieve a lower level of risk and higher risk-adjusted performance than the Russell Midcap® Index over the long term by applying a multi-factor selection process, which is designed to select equity securities from the Russell Midcap® Index that have favorable exposure to four investment-style factors: quality, value, momentum and low volatility.

Performance Overview

For the period since inception on April 26, 2017, through September 30, 2017, the Fund posted cumulative total returns of +1.93% based on market price and +1.82% based on net asset value (NAV).2 In comparison, the LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity Index delivered a +1.95% total return for the same period, while the Russell Midcap® Index produced a +4.75% total return for the same period.3 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 10.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

Top 10 Sectors/Industries       
9/30/17       
      % of Total
Net Assets
 
Consumer Discretionary      23.3%  
Industrials      17.7%  
Information Technology      14.4%  
Financials      14.3%  
Health Care      10.4%  
Consumer Staples      8.6%  
Real Estate      6.6%  
Materials      2.1%  
Utilities      1.8%  
Telecommunication Services      0.6%  

 

 

Investment Strategy

The Fund, using a passive or indexing investment approach, seeks investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity Index. The investment manager seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the index of 0.95 or better. A figure of 1.00 would indicate perfect correlation. The Fund’s intention is to replicate the component securities of the index as closely as possible. However, under various circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the component securities in their respective weightings in the index. In these circumstances, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy whereby the Fund would invest in what it believes to be a representative sample of the component securities of the index, but may not track the index with the same degree of accuracy as would an investment vehicle replicating the entire index. The Fund’s portfolio is reconstituted semiannually following the semiannual reconstitution of the index.

 

1. The LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity Index is a systematic, rules-based proprietary index that is maintained and calculated by FTSE Russell (Russell). It is based on the Russell Midcap® Index using a methodology developed with Franklin Templeton to reflect Franklin Templeton’s desired investment strategy. The Russell Midcap® Index is a subset of the Russell 1000® Index and is designed to measure the performance of mid-capitalization stocks in the US. It includes approximately 800 of the smallest issuers in the Russell 1000® Index. The Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by, or affiliated with FTSE Russell. FTSE Russell does not make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF.

2. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (4/28/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the market price to calculate market returns.

3. Source: Factset.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions (after the deduction of certain withholding taxes). It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 25.

 

8    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. MID CAP EQUITY ETF

 

Top 10 Holdings       
9/30/17       

Company

Sector/Industry

   % of Total
Net Assets
 

Moody’s Corp.

Financials

     1.2%  

Amphenol Corp.

Information Technology

     1.1%  

The Progressive Corp.

Financials

     1.1%  

Rockwell Automation Inc.

Industrials

     1.1%  

Dollar General Corp.

Consumer Discretionary

     1.1%  

Cummins Inc.

Industrials

     1.1%  

Mettler-Toledo International Inc.

Health Care

     1.1%  

CR Bard Inc.

Health Care

     1.1%  

Genuine Parts Co.

Consumer Discretionary

     1.0%  

Zoetis Inc.

Health Care

     1.0%  

Thank you for your participation in Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Dina Ting, CFA

   Portfolio Manager

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     9  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. MID CAP EQUITY ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance table does not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (4/28/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
     

Based on

NAV3

    

Based on

market price4

    

Based on

NAV3

    

Based on

market price4

 

Since Inception (4/26/17)

     +1.82%        +1.93%        +1.82%        +1.93%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

See page 11 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

10    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. MID CAP EQUITY ETF

 

Distributions (4/26/179/30/17)

Net Investment
Income
$0.140770

Total Annual Operating Expenses5

With Waiver      Without Waiver  
0.30%        0.48%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Generally, those offering potential for higher returns are accompanied by a higher degree of risk. Stock prices fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and dramatically, due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or sectors, or general market conditions. Historically, mid-size company securities have been more volatile in price than larger company securities, especially over the short term. Mid-size companies may be more susceptible to particular economic events or competitive factors than are larger, more broadly diversified companies. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s multi-factor stock selection process will enhance performance. Exposure to such investment factors may detract from performance in some market environments, perhaps for extended periods. Performance of the Fund may vary significantly from the performance of an index, as a result of transactions costs, expenses and other factors. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 7/31/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the period indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     11  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. MID CAP EQUITY ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 x $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

     

Actual

(actual return after expenses)

   

Hypothetical

(5% annual return before expenses)

       
Beginning
Account
Value1
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/26/17–9/30/172,3
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/172,3
    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio3
 
  $1,000.00     $ 1,018.20     $ 1.30     $ 1,023.56     $ 1.52       0.30

1. 4/26/17 for Actual; 4/1/17 for Hypothetical.

2. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period for Hypothetical expenses. For Actual expenses, the multiplier is 157/365 to reflect the number of days since commencement of operations.

3. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

12    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF covers the period since the Fund’s inception on April 26, 2017, through September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks to provide investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity Index.1 Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of the index. The index seeks to achieve a lower level of risk and higher risk-adjusted performance than the Russell 2000® Index over the long term by applying a multi-factor selection process, which is designed to select equity securities from the Russell 2000® Index that have favorable exposure to four investment-style factors: quality, value, momentum and low volatility.

Performance Overview

For the period since the Fund’s inception on April 26, 2017, through September 30, 2017, the Fund had a cumulative total return of -1.42% based on market price and posted a cumulative total return of +1.83% based on net asset value (NAV).2 In comparison, the LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity Index delivered a +1.96% total return for the same period, while the Russell 2000® Index produced a +5.67% total return.3 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 15.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

Top 10 Sectors/Industries       
9/30/17       
      % of Total
Net Assets
 
Consumer Discretionary      24.4%  
Information Technology      17.5%  
Industrials      17.1%  
Health Care      11.7%  
Financials      8.6%  
Utilities      7.1%  
Consumer Staples      6.3%  
Real Estate      4.7%  
Materials      1.9%  
Telecommunication Services      0.7%  
 

Investment Strategy

The Fund, using a passive or indexing investment approach, seeks investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of the LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity Index. The investment manager seeks to achieve, over time, a correlation between the Fund’s performance, before fees and expenses, and that of the index of 0.95 or better. A figure of 1.00 would indicate perfect correlation. The Fund’s intention is to replicate the component securities of the index as closely as possible. However, under various circumstances, it may not be possible or practicable to purchase all of the component securities in their respective weightings in the index. In these circumstances, the Fund may use a “representative sampling” strategy whereby the Fund would invest in what it believes to be a representative sample of the component securities of the index, but may not track the index with the same degree of accuracy as would an investment vehicle replicating the entire index. The Fund’s portfolio is reconstituted semiannually following the semiannual reconstitution of the index.

 

1. The LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity Index is a systematic, rules-based proprietary index that is maintained and calculated by FTSE Russell (Russell). It is based on the Russell 2000® Index using a methodology developed with Franklin Templeton to reflect Franklin Templeton’s desired investment strategy. The Russell 2000® Index is a subset of the Russell 3000® Index and is designed to measure the performance of small capitalization stocks in the US. It includes approximately 2000 of the smallest issuers in the Russell 3000® Index. The Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF is not sponsored, endorsed, issued, sold or promoted by, or affiliated with FTSE Russell. FTSE Russell does not make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in the Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF.

2. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (4/28/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the market price to calculate market returns.

3. Source: Factset.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions (after the deduction of certain withholding taxes). It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 30.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report      13  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. SMALL CAP EQUITY ETF

 

 

Top 10 Holdings       
9/30/17       

Company

Sector/Industry

   % of Total
Net Assets
 

Aspen Technology Inc.

Information Technology

     1.0%  

Knight-Swift Transportation Holdings Inc.

Industrials

     0.9%  

Masimo Corp.

Health Care

     0.9%  

Grand Canyon Education Inc.

Consumer Discretionary

     0.9%  

Fair Isaac Corp.

Information Technology

     0.9%  

HealthSouth Corp.

Health Care

     0.9%  

Littlefuse Inc.

Information Technology

     0.8%  

Deluxe Corp.

Industrials

     0.9%  

EPAM Systems Inc.

Information Technology

     0.8%  

WGL Holdings Inc.

Utilities

     0.8%  

Thank you for your participation in Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Dina Ting, CFA

   Portfolio Manager

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

14    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. SMALL CAP EQUITY ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance table does not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (4/28/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
      Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
     Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
 

Since Inception (4/26/17)

     +1.83%        -1.42%        +1.83%        -1.42%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

See page 16 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     15  


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. SMALL CAP EQUITY ETF

 

Distributions (4/26/179/30/17)

Net Investment
Income
$0.139392

Total Annual Operating Expenses5

With Waiver      Without Waiver  
0.35%        0.53%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Generally, those offering potential for higher returns are accompanied by a higher degree of risk. Stock prices fluctuate, sometimes rapidly and dramatically, due to factors affecting individual companies, particular industries or sectors, or general market conditions. Smaller, mid-sized and relatively new or unseasoned companies can be particularly sensitive to changing economic conditions, and their prospects for growth are less certain than those of larger, more established companies. Historically, these securities have experienced more price volatility than larger company stocks, especially over the short term. Smaller companies may be more susceptible to particular events or economic conditions, less certain growth prospects, lack of depth of management and funds for growth and development and limited or less developed product lines and markets. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s multi-factor stock selection process will enhance performance. Exposure to such investment factors may detract from performance in some market environments, perhaps for extended periods. Performance of the Fund may vary significantly from the performance of an index, as a result of transactions costs, expenses and other factors. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 7/31/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the period indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

16    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTYQ U.S. SMALL CAP EQUITY ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 x $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

      Actual
(actual return after expenses)
    Hypothetical
(5% annual return before expenses)
       
Beginning
Account
Value1
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/26/17–9/30/172,3
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/172,3
    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio3
 
  $1,000.00     $ 1,018.30     $ 1.52     $ 1,023.31     $ 1.78       0.35

1. 4/26/17 for Actual; 4/1/17 for Hypothetical.

2. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period for Hypothetical expenses. For Actual expenses, the multiplier is 157/365 to reflect the number of days since commencement of operations.

3. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     17  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF

 

     Period Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)a
 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 25.44  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operationsb:  

Net investment incomec

    0.25  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    1.24  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.49  
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income

    (0.16
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 26.77  
 

 

 

 

Total returnd

    5.88%  
Ratios to average net assetse  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.38%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.25%  

Net investment income

    2.25%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $111,081  

Portfolio turnover ratef

    15.41%  

 

aFor the period April 26, 2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

eRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

fPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

18    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks 99.8%                
    Consumer Discretionary 17.5%                
 

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.

     5,727        $ 134,413  
 

Best Buy Co. Inc.

     7,968          453,857  
 

Carnival Corp.

     5,976          385,870  
 

Carter’s Inc.

     1,245          122,944  
 

Choice Hotels International Inc.

     913          58,341  
 

Coach Inc.

     10,209          411,218  
 

Darden Restaurants Inc.

     4,316          340,014  
 

Delphi Automotive PLC

     2,241          220,514  
 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc.

     2,407          65,013  
 

Dominos Pizza Inc.

     1,411          280,154  
 

Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc.

     1,494          79,302  
 

GameStop Corp., A

     3,901          80,595  
 

The Gap Inc.

     9,130          269,609  
 

Garmin Ltd.

     4,233          228,455  
 

General Motors Co.

     32,121          1,297,046  
 

Gentex Corp.

     5,810          115,038  
 

Genuine Parts Co.

     4,897          468,398  
 

H&R Block Inc.

     8,300          219,784  
 

Hasbro Inc.

     3,569          348,584  
 

The Home Depot Inc.

     7,138          1,167,491  
 

Kohl’s Corp.

     6,142          280,382  
 

L Brands Inc.

     8,051          335,002  
 

Lear Corp.

     1,079          186,753  
 

Leggett & Platt Inc.

     4,067          194,118  
a  

Lululemon Athletica Inc.

     2,573          160,169  
 

Macy’s Inc.

     6,059          132,207  
 

Marriott International Inc., A

     5,146          567,398  
 

Mattel Inc.

     11,371          176,023  
 

McDonald’s Corp.

     7,221          1,131,386  
a  

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.

     5,810          278,008  
a  

The Michaels Cos. Inc.

     1,743          37,422  
 

NIKE Inc., B

     20,584          1,067,280  
 

Nordstrom Inc.

     3,818          180,019  
a  

NVR Inc.

     30          85,650  
a  

O’Reilly Automotive Inc.

     2,988          643,526  
 

Omnicom Group Inc.

     4,316          319,686  
 

Polaris Industries Inc.

     2,324          243,160  
 

Pool Corp.

     830          89,781  
 

Regal Entertainment Group, A

     2,822          45,152  
 

Ross Stores Inc.

     14,608          943,239  
 

Signet Jewelers Ltd.

     581          38,666  
 

Starbucks Corp.

     17,015          913,876  
 

Target Corp.

     8,466          499,579  
 

Thor Industries Inc.

     1,162          146,307  
 

Tiffany & Co.

     1,660          152,355  
 

The TJX Cos. Inc.

     14,442          1,064,809  
 

Tractor Supply Co.

     3,237          204,870  
 

Tupperware Brands Corp.

     1,992          123,145  
a  

Ulta Beauty Inc.

     1,577          356,497  
a  

Urban Outfitters Inc.

     2,324          55,544  
 

Vail Resorts Inc.

     581          132,538  
 

VF Corp.

     10,624          675,368  
 

Williams-Sonoma Inc.

     3,071          153,120  
 

Yum! Brands Inc.

     14,857          1,093,624  
         

 

 

 
            19,453,299  
         

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     19  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Consumer Staples 14.5%                
 

Altria Group Inc.

     13,778        $ 873,801  
a  

Blue Buffalo Pet Products Inc.

     747          21,177  
 

Brown-Forman Corp., A

     1,909          106,312  
 

Brown-Forman Corp., B

     1,494          81,124  
 

Campbell Soup Co.

     5,810          272,024  
 

Casey’s General Stores Inc.

     747          81,759  
 

Church & Dwight Co. Inc.

     8,466          410,178  
 

Clorox Co.

     4,897          645,963  
 

The Coca-Cola Co.

     23,987          1,079,655  
 

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

     14,193          1,033,960  
 

CVS Health Corp.

     14,110          1,147,425  
 

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc.

     5,810          514,011  
 

Estee Lauder Cos. Inc., A

     7,138          769,762  
 

Flowers Foods Inc.

     4,067          76,500  
 

General Mills Inc.

     16,683          863,512  
 

The Hershey Co.

     5,063          552,728  
 

Hormel Foods Corp.

     8,466          272,097  
 

Ingredion Inc.

     1,411          170,223  
 

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

     8,051          947,442  
 

Lamb Weston Holdings Inc.

     2,241          105,080  
 

McCormick & Co. Inc.

     3,818          391,879  
 

Nu Skin Enterprises Inc., A

     1,162          71,440  
 

PepsiCo Inc.

     9,296          1,035,853  
 

Philip Morris International Inc.

     9,047          1,004,307  
a  

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.

     1,992          56,593  
 

The Procter & Gamble Co.

     12,367          1,125,150  
 

Sysco Corp.

     16,268          877,659  
 

Tyson Foods Inc.

     6,059          426,857  
 

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

     13,861          1,083,099  
         

 

 

 
            16,097,570  
         

 

 

 
    Energy 1.0%                
 

Valero Energy Corp.

     14,857          1,142,949  
         

 

 

 
    Financials 3.6%                
 

AGNC Investment Corp.

     3,237          70,178  
 

American National Insurance Co.

     332          39,203  
 

Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd.

     2,158          87,183  
 

CBOE Holdings Inc.

     2,988          321,598  
 

Chimera Investment Corp.

     3,818          72,237  
 

CNA Financial Corp.

     498          25,024  
 

Eaton Vance Corp.

     996          49,172  
 

Erie Indemnity Co., A

     581          70,051  
 

FactSet Research Systems Inc.

     664          119,593  
 

Federated Investors Inc., B

     3,320          98,604  
 

FNF Group

     2,158          102,419  
 

Lazard Ltd., A

     3,486          157,637  
 

MarketAxess Holdings Inc.

     664          122,515  
 

Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc.

     10,043          841,704  
 

Mercury General Corp.

     913          51,758  
 

MFA Financial Inc.

     12,948          113,424  
 

Morningstar Inc.

     332          28,217  
 

MSCI Inc.

     830          97,027  
 

People’s United Financial Inc.

     8,300          150,562  
 

The Progressive Corp.

     4,814          233,094  
 

Realty Income Corp.

     8,466          484,171  
 

S&P Global Inc.

     2,158          337,317  
a  

Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc.

     1,494          22,963  

 

20    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Financials (continued)                
 

Two Harbors Investment Corp.

     2,905        $ 29,282  
 

VEREIT Inc.

     27,307          226,375  
         

 

 

 
            3,951,308  
         

 

 

 
    Health Care 11.6%                
 

AbbVie Inc.

     16,517          1,467,701  
a  

Align Technology Inc.

     1,743          324,669  
 

Baxter International Inc.

     18,343          1,151,023  
a  

Biogen Inc.

     4,233          1,325,437  
a  

Bioverativ Inc.

     2,241          127,894  
a  

Cerner Corp.

     2,407          171,667  
 

CR Bard Inc.

     1,411          452,226  
 

Eli Lilly & Co.

     13,695          1,171,470  
 

Gilead Sciences Inc.

     16,766          1,358,381  
a  

IDEXX Laboratories Inc.

     747          116,151  
a  

Intuitive Surgical Inc.

     332          347,232  
 

Johnson & Johnson

     8,466          1,100,665  
a  

Mettler-Toledo International Inc.

     664          415,770  
 

Pfizer Inc.

     33,283          1,188,203  
 

ResMed Inc.

     4,482          344,935  
a  

United Therapeutics Corp.

     1,577          184,809  
 

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

     6,225          1,219,166  
a  

Varian Medical Systems Inc.

     2,905          290,674  
 

West Pharmaceutical Services Inc.

     1,328          127,833  
         

 

 

 
            12,885,906  
         

 

 

 
    Industrials 17.5%                
 

3M Co.

     5,312          1,114,989  
 

Alaska Air Group Inc.

     4,565          348,173  
 

The Boeing Co.

     5,727          1,455,861  
 

BWX Technologies Inc.

     1,826          102,293  
 

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.

     5,229          397,927  
 

Cintas Corp.

     2,407          347,282  
 

Copa Holdings SA

     249          31,008  
a  

Copart Inc.

     4,067          139,783  
 

Cummins Inc.

     3,403          571,806  
 

Delta Air Lines Inc.

     14,359          692,391  
 

Donaldson Co. Inc.

     1,909          87,699  
 

Emerson Electric Co.

     18,260          1,147,458  
 

Expeditors International of Washington Inc.

     4,565          273,261  
 

Fastenal Co.

     9,794          446,411  
 

Graco Inc.

     1,328          164,260  
 

HEICO Corp., A

     747          56,921  
 

Honeywell International Inc.

     8,217          1,164,678  
 

Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.

     913          206,740  
 

J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.

     3,071          341,127  
a  

JetBlue Airways Corp.

     4,731          87,665  
 

Landstar System Inc.

     913          90,980  
 

Lennox International Inc.

     1,079          193,109  
 

Lincoln Electric Holdings Inc.

     830          76,094  
 

Lockheed Martin Corp.

     3,901          1,210,441  
 

MSC Industrial Direct Co. Inc., A

     913          68,995  
 

Northrop Grumman Corp.

     4,233          1,217,919  
 

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.

     1,411          155,365  
 

Pitney Bowes Inc.

     7,553          105,818  
 

Raytheon Co.

     6,640          1,238,891  
 

Robert Half International Inc.

     4,648          233,980  
 

Rockwell Automation Inc.

     4,067          724,780  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     21  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Industrials (continued)                
 

Rockwell Collins Inc.

     4,731        $ 618,389  
 

Rollins Inc.

     3,486          160,844  
 

Southwest Airlines Co.

     11,620          650,488  
a  

Spirit Airlines Inc.

     996          33,276  
 

Toro Co.

     4,150          257,549  
 

Union Pacific Corp.

     9,877          1,145,436  
a  

United Continental Holdings Inc.

     7,802          474,986  
 

United Parcel Service Inc., B

     10,292          1,235,966  
 

W.W. Grainger Inc.

     1,826          328,223  
 

Watsco Inc.

     415          66,844  
         

 

 

 
            19,466,106  
         

 

 

 
    Information Technology 20.9%                
 

Accenture PLC, A

     8,715          1,177,135  
a  

Alphabet Inc., A

     653          635,839  
a  

Alphabet Inc., C

     470          450,782  
 

Amdocs Ltd.

     4,980          320,314  
 

Analog Devices Inc.

     6,723          579,321  
 

Apple Inc.

     7,138          1,100,109  
 

Applied Materials Inc.

     17,015          886,311  
 

Automatic Data Processing Inc.

     10,624          1,161,416  
 

Broadridge Financial Solutions Inc.

     4,067          328,695  
 

CA Inc.

     9,794          326,924  
a  

Cadence Design Systems Inc.

     2,324          91,728  
 

Cisco Systems Inc.

     34,611          1,163,968  
 

Corning Inc.

     13,861          414,721  
 

Dolby Laboratories Inc., A

     1,743          100,257  
a  

eBay Inc.

     8,383          322,410  
a  

F5 Networks Inc.

     2,158          260,169  
 

FLIR Systems Inc.

     2,573          100,116  
 

HP Inc.

     58,017          1,158,019  
 

Intel Corp.

     30,129          1,147,312  
 

International Business Machines Corp.

     7,138          1,035,581  
 

Intuit Inc.

     7,719          1,097,179  
 

Jack Henry & Associates Inc.

     2,656          273,010  
 

KLA-Tencor Corp.

     1,577          167,162  
 

Lam Research Corp.

     1,328          245,733  
 

Mastercard Inc., A

     8,881          1,253,997  
 

Maxim Integrated Products Inc.

     6,723          320,754  
 

Microchip Technology Inc.

     6,308          566,332  
 

Microsoft Corp.

     15,604          1,162,342  
 

Motorola Solutions Inc.

     3,320          281,768  
 

NetApp Inc.

     4,150          181,604  
 

Paychex Inc.

     11,786          706,689  
 

QUALCOMM Inc.

     18,841          976,718  
 

Skyworks Solutions Inc.

     6,391          651,243  
 

Teradyne Inc.

     1,660          61,901  
 

Texas Instruments Inc.

     13,197          1,182,979  
a  

VeriSign Inc.

     3,154          335,554  
 

Versum Materials Inc.

     1,743          67,663  
a  

VMware Inc., A

     2,407          262,820  
 

Xilinx Inc.

     8,549          605,526  
         

 

 

 
            23,162,101  
         

 

 

 
    Materials 2.6%                
 

Avery Dennison Corp.

     747          73,460  
 

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.

     2,075          296,538  
 

LyondellBasell Industries NV, A

     11,537          1,142,740  

 

22    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Materials (continued)                
 

NewMarket Corp.

     332        $ 141,349  
 

The Sherwin-Williams Co.

     2,905          1,040,106  
 

Sonoco Products Co.

     2,988          150,745  
 

Valvoline Inc.

     1,909          44,766  
         

 

 

 
            2,889,704  
         

 

 

 
    Real Estate 1.9%                
 

Apple Hospitality REIT Inc.

     3,154          59,642  
 

DDR Corp.

     2,822          25,850  
 

EPR Properties

     1,411          98,403  
 

Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc.

     3,154          116,351  
 

Kimco Realty Corp.

     3,403          66,529  
 

National Retail Properties Inc.

     4,731          197,093  
 

OMEGA Healthcare Investors Inc.

     6,059          193,343  
 

Public Storage

     4,648          994,626  
 

Senior Housing Properties Trust

     7,553          147,661  
 

Spirit Realty Capital Inc.

     12,699          108,830  
 

STORE Capital Corp.

     2,656          66,055  
 

WP Carey Inc.

     913          61,527  
         

 

 

 
            2,135,910  
         

 

 

 
    Telecommunication Services 1.0%  
 

AT&T Inc.

     28,220          1,105,378  
         

 

 

 
    Utilities 7.7%                
 

Alliant Energy Corp.

     4,233          175,966  
 

American Electric Power Co. Inc.

     13,363          938,617  
 

Atmos Energy Corp.

     2,324          194,844  
 

Consolidated Edison Inc.

     7,304          589,287  
 

DTE Energy Co.

     5,561          597,029  
 

Duke Energy Corp.

     12,699          1,065,700  
 

Eversource Energy

     2,573          155,512  
 

Exelon Corp.

     28,054          1,056,794  
 

Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc.

     2,822          94,170  
 

NextEra Energy Inc.

     3,984          583,855  
 

OGE Energy Corp.

     2,739          98,686  
 

PG&E Corp.

     13,861          943,796  
 

Pinnacle West Capital Corp.

     3,486          294,776  
 

Public Service Enterprise Group Inc.

     17,347          802,299  
 

SCANA Corp.

     3,154          152,937  
 

Vectren Corp.

     2,324          152,850  
 

Xcel Energy Inc.

     13,944          659,830  
         

 

 

 
            8,556,948  
         

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (Cost $106,608,600) 99.8%

          110,847,179  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 0.2%

          233,713  
         

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

        $ 111,080,892  
         

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 48.

aNon-income producing.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     23  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF

 

     Period Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)a
 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 25.51  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operationsb:  

Net investment incomec

    0.19  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    0.27  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.46  
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income

    (0.14
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 25.83  
 

 

 

 

Total returnd

    1.82%  
Ratios to average net assetse  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    1.88%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.30%  

Net investment income

    1.78%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $5,165  

Portfolio turnover ratef

    21.64%  

 

aFor the period April 26, 2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

eRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

fPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

24    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks 99.8%                
    Consumer Discretionary 23.3%                
a  

AutoZone Inc.

     80        $ 47,609  
 

Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.

     616          14,458  
 

Best Buy Co. Inc.

     868          49,441  
a  

Burlington Stores Inc.

     212          20,238  
 

Carter’s Inc.

     164          16,195  
 

Choice Hotels International Inc.

     120          7,668  
 

Coach Inc.

     1,064          42,858  
 

Delphi Automotive PLC

     416          40,934  
 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc.

     324          8,751  
 

Dollar General Corp.

     700          56,735  
 

Dominos Pizza Inc.

     196          38,916  
 

Foot Locker Inc.

     580          20,428  
 

GameStop Corp., A

     448          9,256  
 

The Gap Inc.

     972          28,703  
 

Garmin Ltd.

     396          21,372  
 

Genuine Parts Co.

     556          53,181  
 

H&R Block Inc.

     780          20,654  
 

Hasbro Inc.

     420          41,021  
a  

Hilton Grand Vacations Inc.

     96          3,708  
 

The Interpublic Group of Cos. Inc.

     1,404          29,189  
 

John Wiley & Sons Inc., A

     160          8,560  
 

Kohl’s Corp.

     744          33,964  
 

L Brands Inc.

     832          34,620  
 

Macy’s Inc.

     1,248          27,231  
 

Mattel Inc.

     1,120          17,338  
a  

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd.

     688          32,921  
a  

The Michaels Cos. Inc.

     428          9,189  
 

Nordstrom Inc.

     512          24,141  
a  

NVR Inc.

     12          34,260  
a  

O’Reilly Automotive Inc.

     212          45,658  
 

Pool Corp.

     152          16,442  
 

Ralph Lauren Corp.

     188          16,599  
 

Regal Entertainment Group, A

     396          6,336  
 

Ross Stores Inc.

     804          51,914  
a  

Sally Beauty Holdings Inc.

     652          12,766  
 

Signet Jewelers Ltd.

     108          7,187  
 

Six Flags Entertainment Corp.

     256          15,601  
a  

Skechers USA. Inc., A

     208          5,219  
 

Tiffany & Co.

     368          33,775  
 

Tractor Supply Co.

     556          35,189  
 

Tupperware Brands Corp.

     252          15,579  
a  

Ulta Beauty Inc.

     168          37,978  
a  

Under Armour Inc., C

     520          7,810  
a  

Urban Outfitters Inc.

     300          7,170  
 

VF Corp.

     520          33,056  
 

Williams-Sonoma Inc.

     368          18,348  
 

Wyndham Worldwide Corp.

     180          18,974  
a  

Yum China Holdings Inc.

     616          24,622  
         

 

 

 
            1,203,762  
         

 

 

 
    Consumer Staples 8.6%                
a  

Blue Buffalo Pet Products Inc.

     272          7,711  
 

Brown-Forman Corp., A

     144          8,019  
 

Brown-Forman Corp., B

     728          39,530  
 

Campbell Soup Co.

     612          28,654  
 

Church & Dwight Co. Inc.

     956          46,318  
 

Clorox Co.

     380          50,126  
 

Coty Inc., A

     1,236          20,431  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     25  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Consumer Staples (continued)                
 

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc.

     556        $ 49,189  
 

Flowers Foods Inc.

     792          14,898  
a  

Herbalife Ltd.

     124          8,411  
 

The Hershey Co.

     448          48,908  
 

Kellogg Co.

     692          43,160  
 

Lamb Weston Holdings Inc.

     232          10,879  
 

McCormick & Co. Inc.

     448          45,983  
 

Nu Skin Enterprises Inc., A

     228          14,018  
a  

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.

     184          5,227  
a  

Sprouts Farmers Market Inc.

     248          4,655  
         

 

 

 
            446,117  
         

 

 

 
    Financials 14.3%                
 

American National Insurance Co.

     32          3,779  
 

Annaly Capital Management Inc.

     1,680          20,479  
a  

Arch Capital Group Ltd.

     496          48,856  
 

Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd.

     236          9,534  
 

Axis Capital Holdings Ltd.

     336          19,256  
 

CBOE Holdings Inc.

     324          34,872  
 

CNA Financial Corp.

     88          4,422  
a  

Credit Acceptance Corp.

     36          10,086  
 

Discover Financial Services

     660          42,557  
 

Erie Indemnity Co., A

     40          4,823  
 

Everest Re Group Ltd.

     148          33,802  
 

FactSet Research Systems Inc.

     148          26,656  
 

Federated Investors Inc., B

     328          9,742  
 

First American Financial Corp.

     168          8,395  
 

FNF Group

     408          19,364  
 

Lazard Ltd., A

     308          13,928  
 

MarketAxess Holdings Inc.

     108          19,927  
 

Mercury General Corp.

     96          5,442  
 

Moody’s Corp.

     436          60,696  
 

MSCI Inc.

     252          29,459  
 

Nasdaq Inc.

     316          24,512  
 

The Progressive Corp.

     1,208          58,491  
 

Prosperity Bancshares Inc.

     112          7,362  
 

Realty Income Corp.

     760          43,464  
a  

Santander Consumer USA Holdings Inc.

     244          3,750  
 

SEI Investments Co.

     548          33,461  
 

Torchmark Corp.

     404          32,356  
 

Two Harbors Investment Corp.

     604          6,088  
 

Unum Group

     900          46,017  
 

Validus Holdings Ltd.

     252          12,401  
 

Voya Financial Inc.

     544          21,700  
 

W.R. Berkley Corp.

     312          20,823  
         

 

 

 
            736,500  
         

 

 

 
    Health Care 10.4%                
a  

Acadia Healthcare Co. Inc.

     176          8,406  
a  

Align Technology Inc.

     248          46,195  
a  

Bioverativ Inc.

     208          11,871  
a  

Cerner Corp.

     696          49,639  
 

CR Bard Inc.

     168          53,844  
a  

Edwards Lifesciences Corp.

     328          35,854  
a  

Henry Schein Inc.

     560          45,914  
a  

IDEXX Laboratories Inc.

     304          47,269  
a  

Mednax Inc.

     160          6,899  
a  

Mettler-Toledo International Inc.

     88          55,102  

 

26    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Health Care (continued)                
a  

Premier Inc., A

     164        $ 5,341  
a  

United Therapeutics Corp.

     184          21,563  
 

Universal Health Services Inc., B

     340          37,720  
a  

Varian Medical Systems Inc.

     324          32,419  
a  

Waters Corp.

     132          23,697  
 

Zoetis Inc.

     828          52,793  
         

 

 

 
            534,526  
         

 

 

 
    Industrials 17.7%                
 

Air Lease Corp.

     232          9,888  
 

Alaska Air Group Inc.

     412          31,423  
 

Allegion PLC

     160          13,835  
 

American Airlines Group Inc.

     1,064          50,529  
 

BWX Technologies Inc.

     144          8,067  
 

C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc.

     520          39,572  
 

Cintas Corp.

     336          48,478  
 

Copa Holdings SA

     100          12,453  
 

Crane Co.

     164          13,118  
 

Cummins Inc.

     328          55,114  
 

Donaldson Co. Inc.

     448          20,581  
 

Dun & Bradstreet Corp.

     136          15,832  
 

Equifax Inc.

     376          39,852  
 

Expeditors International of Washington Inc.

     572          34,240  
 

Fastenal Co.

     1,116          50,867  
 

Fortive Corp.

     504          35,678  
 

Graco Inc.

     208          25,728  
 

HEICO Corp., A

     108          8,230  
 

Hubbell Inc., B

     84          9,746  
a  

JetBlue Airways Corp.

     812          15,046  
 

Lennox International Inc.

     140          25,056  
 

ManpowerGroup Inc.

     228          26,863  
 

MSC Industrial Direct Co. Inc., A

     192          14,510  
 

Nielsen Holdings PLC

     1,060          43,937  
 

Old Dominion Freight Line Inc.

     240          26,426  
 

Pitney Bowes Inc.

     848          11,881  
 

Robert Half International Inc.

     544          27,385  
 

Rockwell Automation Inc.

     324          57,740  
 

Rollins Inc.

     412          19,010  
 

Toro Co.

     456          28,299  
a  

United Continental Holdings Inc.

     648          39,450  
 

W.W. Grainger Inc.

     212          38,107  
 

Watsco Inc.

     100          16,107  
         

 

 

 
            913,048  
         

 

 

 
    Information Technology 14.4%                
 

Amphenol Corp., A

     692          58,571  
 

Analog Devices Inc.

     552          47,566  
 

Avnet Inc.

     440          17,292  
 

Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corp.

     552          20,639  
 

CA Inc.

     1,148          38,320  
a  

Cadence Design Systems Inc.

     960          37,891  
 

CDK Global LLC

     228          14,384  
 

CDW Corp. of Delaware

     564          37,224  
 

CSRA Inc.

     264          8,519  
 

Dolby Laboratories Inc., A

     184          10,584  
a  

F5 Networks Inc.

     276          33,275  
a  

Gartner Inc., A

     300          37,323  
 

Genpact Ltd.

     388          11,155  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     27  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Information Technology (continued)                
 

Jack Henry & Associates Inc.

     276        $ 28,370  
 

Juniper Networks Inc.

     624          17,366  
a  

Keysight Technologies Inc.

     584          24,329  
 

KLA-Tencor Corp.

     440          46,640  
a  

Manhattan Associates Inc.

     236          9,811  
a  

Match Group Inc.

     60          1,391  
 

National Instruments Corp.

     292          12,314  
 

NetApp Inc.

     980          42,885  
 

Paychex Inc.

     868          52,045  
a  

Red Hat Inc.

     444          49,222  
a  

Synopsys Inc.

     472          38,010  
a  

VeriSign Inc.

     140          14,895  
 

Western Union Co.

     1,872          35,942  
         

 

 

 
            745,963  
         

 

 

 
    Materials 2.1%                
 

Avery Dennison Corp.

     300          29,502  
a  

Crown Holdings Inc.

     372          22,216  
 

NewMarket Corp.

     24          10,218  
 

RPM International Inc.

     436          22,384  
 

The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co., A

     164          15,964  
 

Valvoline Inc.

     380          8,911  
         

 

 

 
            109,195  
         

 

 

 
    Real Estate 6.6%                
 

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc.

     264          31,408  
 

Apple Hospitality REIT Inc.

     656          12,405  
 

Brandywine Realty Trust

     580          10,144  
 

Colony NorthStar Inc., A

     888          11,153  
 

Columbia Property Trust Inc.

     520          11,321  
 

CoreCivic Inc.

     420          11,243  
 

Digital Realty Trust Inc.

     436          51,592  
 

EPR Properties

     208          14,506  
a  

Equity Commonwealth

     192          5,837  
 

Essex Property Trust Inc.

     200          50,806  
 

Federal Realty Investment Trust

     252          31,301  
 

Highwoods Properties Inc.

     280          14,585  
 

Hospitality Properties Trust

     564          16,068  
 

Lamar Advertising Co., A

     276          18,914  
 

National Retail Properties Inc.

     464          19,330  
 

Senior Housing Properties Trust

     1,008          19,707  
 

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers Inc.

     332          8,108  
         

 

 

 
            338,428  
         

 

 

 
    Telecommunication Services 0.6%                
 

CenturyLink Inc.

     1,680          31,752  
         

 

 

 
    Utilities 1.8%                
 

Edison International

     632          48,771  
 

Entergy Corp.

     588          44,900  
         

 

 

 
            93,671  
         

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (Cost $5,105,806) 99.8%

          5,152,962  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 0.2%

          12,457  
         

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

        $ 5,165,419  
         

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 48.

aNon-income producing.

 

28    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF

 

     Period Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)a
 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 25.36  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operationsb:  

Net investment incomec

    0.18  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    0.28  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.46  
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income

    (0.14
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 25.68  
 

 

 

 

Total returnd

    1.83%  
Ratios to average net assetse  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    2.35%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.35%  

Net investment income

    1.66%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $3,851  

Portfolio turnover ratef

    13.47%  

 

aFor the period April 26, 2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

eRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

fPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     29  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks 100.0%                
    Consumer Discretionary 24.4%                
a  

1-800-FLOWERS.Com Inc.

     219        $ 2,157  
 

Abercrombie & Fitch Co., A

     591          8,534  
 

Adtalem Global Education Inc.

     330          11,830  
a  

America’s Car-Mart Inc.

     51          2,097  
 

American Eagle Outfitters Inc.

     1,341          19,176  
a  

American Outdoor Brands Corp.

     393          5,993  
a  

American Public Education Inc.

     123          2,589  
a  

Asbury Automotive Group Inc.

     177          10,815  
a  

Ascena Retail Group Inc.

     876          2,146  
a  

At Home Group Inc.

     33          754  
 

Barnes & Noble Inc.

     309          2,348  
 

Bassett Furniture Industries Inc.

     78          2,941  
a  

Belmond Ltd., A

     288          3,931  
 

Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp.

     168          1,285  
 

Big Lots Inc.

     435          23,303  
a  

BJ’s Restaurants Inc.

     159          4,842  
 

Bloomin’ Brands Inc.

     816          14,362  
 

Bob Evans Farms Inc.

     183          14,184  
 

Buckle Inc.

     252          4,246  
a  

Buffalo Wild Wings Inc.

     111          11,733  
a  

Build-A-Bear-Workshop Inc.

     111          1,016  
 

Caleres Inc.

     351          10,713  
 

Camping World Holdings Inc., A

     78          3,178  
 

Capella Education Co.

     105          7,366  
a  

Career Education Corp.

     336          3,491  
 

The Cato Corp., A

     216          2,858  
 

The Cheesecake Factory Inc.

     447          18,828  
 

Chico’s FAS Inc.

     1,068          9,559  
 

The Children’s Place Inc.

     147          17,368  
a  

Chuy’s Holdings Inc.

     126          2,652  
 

Citi Trends Inc.

     114          2,265  
 

Collectors Universe Inc.

     69          1,654  
 

Columbia Sportswear Co.

     183          11,269  
a  

The Container Store Group Inc.

     150          632  
 

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.

     375          14,025  
a  

Cooper-Standard Holding Inc.

     105          12,177  
 

Core-Mark Holding Co. Inc.

     321          10,317  
 

Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc.

     180          27,292  
 

CSS Industries Inc.

     75          2,161  
 

Culp Inc.

     69          2,260  
a  

Dave & Buster’s Entertainment Inc.

     303          15,901  
a  

Deckers Outdoor Corp.

     219          14,982  
a  

Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group Inc.

     86          1,251  
a  

Denny’s Corp.

     546          6,798  
 

Dillard’s Inc., A

     51          2,860  
 

DineEquity Inc.

     108          4,642  
a  

Dorman Products Inc.

     210          15,040  
 

DSW Inc., A

     465          9,988  
a  

Duluth Holdings Inc.

     66          1,339  
a  

El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc.

     165          2,005  
 

Escalade Inc.

     75          1,020  
 

Ethan Allen Interiors Inc.

     210          6,804  
a  

Fiesta Restaurant Group Inc.

     225          4,275  
 

The Finish Line Inc., A

     315          3,789  
a  

Five Below Inc.

     429          23,544  
 

Flexsteel Industries Inc.

     54          2,738  
a  

Fossil Group Inc.

     249          2,323  

 

30    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Consumer Discretionary (continued)                
a  

Francesca’s Holdings Corp.

     339        $ 2,495  
 

Gannett Co. Inc.

     921          8,289  
a  

Genesco Inc.

     171          4,549  
a  

Grand Canyon Education Inc.

     384          34,875  
 

Group 1 Automotive Inc.

     75          5,434  
 

Guess? Inc.

     435          7,408  
a  

The Habit Restaurants Inc., A

     132          1,723  
 

Haverty Furniture Cos. Inc.

     183          4,785  
a  

Hibbett Sports Inc.

     177          2,522  
 

Hooker Furniture Corp.

     84          4,011  
 

HSN Inc.

     294          11,481  
 

ILG Inc.

     696          18,604  
a  

iRobot Corp.

     138          10,634  
a  

J. Jill Inc.

     44          479  
 

Jack in the Box Inc.

     234          23,849  
 

Johnson Outdoors Inc., A

     42          3,078  
a  

Kirkland’s Inc.

     120          1,372  
 

La-Z-Boy Inc.

     372          10,007  
 

LCI Industries

     147          17,030  
 

Libbey Inc.

     132          1,222  
 

Liberty Tax Inc.

     66          950  
 

Lifetime Brands Inc.

     93          1,702  
 

Marcus Corp.

     147          4,072  
 

Marine Products Corp.

     66          1,059  
 

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp.

     70          8,717  
a  

MCBC Holdings Inc.

     61          1,243  
 

Meredith Corp.

     303          16,816  
 

Monro Inc.

     207          11,602  
 

Movado Group Inc.

     111          3,108  
a  

MSG Networks Inc., A

     279          5,915  
 

National CineMedia Inc.

     426          2,973  
a  

Nautilus Inc.

     219          3,701  
 

New Media Investment Group Inc.

     459          6,789  
 

The New York Times Co., A

     936          18,346  
 

Nutrisystem Inc.

     201          11,236  
 

Office Depot Inc.

     1,902          8,635  
a  

Ollie’s Bargain Outlet Holdings Inc.

     225          10,440  
 

Oxford Industries Inc.

     123          7,815  
 

Papa John’s International Inc.

     201          14,687  
 

PetMed Express Inc.

     186          6,166  
 

Pier 1 Imports Inc.

     744          3,117  
a  

Potbelly Corp.

     183          2,269  
 

Rent-A-Center Inc.

     369          4,236  
 

Ruth’s Hospitality Group Inc.

     222          4,651  
 

Scholastic Corp.

     231          8,593  
a  

Select Comfort Corp.

     333          10,340  
 

Shoe Carnival Inc.

     105          2,350  
 

Sonic Automotive Inc.

     213          4,345  
a  

Sportsman’s Warehouse Holdings Inc.

     249          1,123  
 

Standard Motor Products Inc.

     159          7,672  
a  

Steven Madden Ltd.

     414          17,926  
 

Strayer Education Inc.

     96          8,378  
 

Sturm Ruger & Co. Inc.

     147          7,600  
 

Superior Uniform Group Inc.

     75          1,717  
 

Tailored Brands Inc.

     183          2,643  
 

Tenneco Inc.

     384          23,297  
 

Texas Roadhouse Inc., A

     591          29,042  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     31  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Consumer Discretionary (continued)                
 

Tile Shop Holdings Inc.

     234        $ 2,972  
 

Tilly’s Inc., A

     108          1,295  
 

Time Inc.

     771          10,408  
a  

Vera Bradley Inc.

     150          1,322  
a  

Vitamin Shoppe Inc.

     177          947  
 

Weyco Group Inc.

     54          1,533  
 

Winmark Corp.

     24          3,162  
 

Wolverine World Wide Inc.

     753          21,724  
 

World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.

     210          4,945  
a  

Zoe’s Kitchen Inc.

     144          1,819  
a  

Zumiez Inc.

     129          2,335  
         

 

 

 
            941,226  
         

 

 

 
    Consumer Staples 6.3%                
 

B&G Foods Inc., A

     426          13,568  
a  

Boston Beer Inc., A

     66          10,309  
a  

Central Garden & Pet Co.

     57          2,214  
a  

Central Garden & Pet Co., A

     177          6,583  
 

Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated

     39          8,414  
 

Dean Foods Co.

     723          7,866  
a  

Farmer Brothers Co.

     63          2,070  
a  

Hostess Brands Inc., A

     261          3,565  
 

Ingles Markets Inc., A

     111          2,853  
 

Inter Parfums Inc.

     114          4,702  
 

J & J Snack Foods Corp.

     123          16,150  
 

John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc.

     66          4,442  
 

Lancaster Colony Corp.

     138          16,577  
 

Medifast Inc.

     93          5,521  
 

National Beverage Corp.

     102          12,653  
a  

Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage Inc.

     69          385  
 

Natures Sunshine Products Inc.

     84          853  
a  

Performance Food Group Co.

     354          10,000  
 

PriceSmart Inc.

     168          14,994  
 

Sanderson Farms Inc.

     150          24,228  
a  

Smart & Final Stores Inc.

     120          942  
 

Snyders-Lance Inc.

     528          20,138  
 

SpartanNash Co.

     246          6,487  
 

Universal Corp.

     165          9,454  
a  

USANA Health Sciences Inc.

     78          4,501  
 

Vector Group Ltd.

     710          14,534  
 

Village Super Market Inc., A

     69          1,707  
 

WD-40 Co.

     111          12,421  
 

Weis Markets Inc.

     84          3,654  
         

 

 

 
            241,785  
         

 

 

 
    Energy 0.0%                
a  

Smart Sand Inc.

     45          305  
         

 

 

 
    Financials 8.6%                
 

1st Source Corp.

     65          3,302  
 

Ames National Corp.

     69          2,060  
 

AmTrust Financial Services Inc.

     291          3,917  
 

Anworth Mortgage Asset Corp.

     323          1,941  
 

Apollo Commercial Finance Inc.

     513          9,290  
 

B. Riley Financial Inc.

     77          1,313  
 

Baldwin & Lyons Inc., B

     54          1,218  
 

BancFirst Corp.

     114          6,469  
 

Blue Capital Reinsurance Holdings Ltd.

     23          378  

 

32    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Financials (continued)                
 

Bryn Mawr Bank Corp.

     117        $ 5,125  
 

Capstead Mortgage Corp.

     368          3,551  
 

Citizens & Northern Corp.

     81          1,989  
a  

Citizens Inc., A

     357          2,624  
 

Clifton Bancorp Inc.

     132          2,207  
 

CNB Financial Corp.

     87          2,377  
 

Cohen & Steers Inc.

     138          5,450  
 

Community Bank System Inc.

     357          19,724  
 

Crawford & Co., B

     108          1,292  
 

Diamond Hill Investment Group Inc.

     13          2,761  
 

Dynex Capital Inc.

     167          1,214  
 

EMC Insurance Group Inc.

     30          844  
a  

Essent Group Ltd.

     327          13,243  
 

Evercore Inc.

     255          20,464  
 

Farmers Capital Bank Corp.

     54          2,271  
 

FBL Financial Group Inc., A

     37          2,756  
 

Financial Institutions Inc.

     120          3,456  
 

First Bancorp Inc.

     69          2,091  
 

First Citizens Bancorp

     32          715  
 

First Commonwealth Financial Corp.

     651          9,199  
 

First Community Bancshares Inc.

     105          3,057  
 

First Defiance Financial Corp.

     69          3,622  
 

First Financial Corp.

     78          3,713  
 

First Financial Northwest Inc.

     48          816  
 

First Guaranty Bancshares Inc.

     18          485  
 

Greenhill & Co. Inc.

     198          3,287  
a  

Hallmark Financial Services Inc.

     75          871  
 

Heritage Commerce Corp.

     123          1,750  
 

Heritage Financial Corp.

     186          5,487  
 

Horace Mann Educators Corp.

     315          12,395  
 

International Bancshares Corp.

     339          13,594  
 

Invesco Mortgage Capital

     750          12,847  
 

Investors Title Co.

     9          1,612  
 

Kingstone Cos. Inc.

     28          456  
 

Lakeland Financial Corp.

     165          8,039  
 

LCNB Corp.

     57          1,194  
 

Macatawa Bancorp

     156          1,601  
 

Maiden Holdings Ltd.

     513          4,078  
 

MBT Financial Corp.

     99          1,084  
 

MidSouth Bancorp Inc.

     29          349  
 

Midwestone Financial Group Inc.

     63          2,127  
 

National Bankshares Inc.

     54          2,427  
 

National Western Life Group Inc., A

     21          7,329  
 

NBT Bancorp Inc.

     300          11,016  
 

Nelnet Inc., A

     141          7,120  
 

Northfield Bancorp Inc.

     351          6,090  
 

Northwest Bancshares Inc.

     708          12,227  
 

Ohio Valley Banc Corp.

     18          655  
 

Old Point Financial Corp.

     15          486  
 

Penns Woods Bancorp Inc.

     17          790  
 

Premier Financial Bancorp Inc.

     69          1,504  
 

Provident Financial Services Inc.

     489          13,042  
 

Pzena Investment Management Inc., A

     61          664  
a  

Regional Management Corp.

     96          2,324  
 

Shore Bancshares Inc.

     72          1,199  
 

Silvercrest Asset Management Group Inc., A

     66          960  
 

Summit Financial Group Inc.

     60          1,540  
 

Territorial Bancorp Inc.

     54          1,705  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     33  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Financials (continued)                
 

Tompkins Financial Corp.

     50        $ 4,307  
 

TrustCo Bank Corp. NY

     648          5,767  
 

United Fire Group Inc.

     75          3,436  
 

United Security Bancshares

     41          390  
 

Universal Insurance Holdings Inc.

     204          4,692  
 

Value Line Inc.

     6          106  
 

Virtu Financial Inc., A

     79          1,280  
 

Waddell & Reed Financial Inc., A

     477          9,573  
a  

Walker & Dunlop Inc.

     96          5,024  
 

Westwood Holdings Group Inc.

     63          4,238  
a  

World Acceptance Corp.

     54          4,476  
         

 

 

 
            330,072  
         

 

 

 
    Health Care 11.7%                
a  

AAC Holdings Inc.

     72          715  
a  

Acorda Therapeutics Inc.

     285          6,740  
a  

Addus Homecare Corp.

     27          953  
a  

Almost Family Inc.

     78          4,189  
a  

Amedisys Inc.

     219          12,255  
a  

AMN Healthcare Services Inc.

     327          14,944  
a  

AtriCure Inc.

     105          2,349  
 

Atrion Corp.

     12          8,064  
a  

Biospecifics Technologies Corp.

     39          1,814  
a  

BioTelemetry Inc.

     192          6,336  
 

Cantel Medical Corp.

     237          22,318  
a  

Cardiovascular Systems Inc.

     120          3,378  
 

Chemed Corp.

     132          26,671  
a  

Civitas Solutions Inc.

     96          1,771  
a  

Community Health Systems Inc.

     621          4,769  
 

Computer Programs and Systems Inc.

     90          2,660  
 

CONMED Corp.

     204          10,704  
a  

Corcept Therapeutics Inc.

     576          11,117  
a  

CorVel Corp.

     63          3,427  
a  

CryoLife Inc.

     195          4,426  
a  

Cutera Inc.

     69          2,853  
a  

Enzo Biochem Inc.

     249          2,607  
a  

Exactech Inc.

     90          2,966  
a  

Fonar Corp.

     22          671  
a  

Genomic Health Inc.

     156          5,006  
a  

Globus Medical Inc., A

     534          15,870  
 

HealthSouth Corp.

     717          33,233  
a  

Heska Corp.

     36          3,171  
a  

Inogen Inc.

     57          5,421  
a  

Integra LifeSciences Holdings

     402          20,293  
 

Kindred Healthcare Inc.

     822          5,590  
 

Landauer Inc.

     57          3,836  
 

LeMaitre Vascular Inc.

     99          3,705  
a  

LHC Group Inc.

     108          7,659  
 

Luminex Corp.

     258          5,245  
a  

Masimo Corp.

     405          35,057  
 

Meridian Bioscience Inc.

     363          5,191  
a  

Merit Medical Systems Inc.

     156          6,607  
a  

MiMedx Group Inc.

     558          6,629  
a  

Myriad Genetics Inc.

     495          17,909  
 

National Healthcare Corp.

     84          5,256  
 

National Research Corp., A

     57          2,149  
a  

NuVasive Inc.

     162          8,985  
a  

Orthofix International Nv

     126          5,953  

 

34    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Health Care (continued)                
 

Owens & Minor Inc.

     432        $ 12,614  
a  

PDL BioPharma Inc.

     1,404          4,760  
a  

Penumbra Inc.

     180          16,254  
 

Phibro Animal Health Corp.

     117          4,335  
a  

Prestige Brands Holdings Inc.

     181          9,066  
a  

Quality Systems Inc.

     357          5,616  
a  

Reata Pharmaceuticals Inc.

     42          1,306  
a  

SciClone Pharmaceuticals Inc.

     411          4,603  
 

Simulations Plus Inc.

     39          605  
a  

Supernus Pharmaceuticals Inc.

     315          12,600  
a  

Tactile Systems Technology Inc.

     36          1,114  
 

U.S. Physical Therapy Inc.

     81          4,977  
 

Utah Medical Products Inc.

     27          1,986  
a  

Varex Imaging Corp.

     141          4,771  
a  

Vocera Communications Inc.

     99          3,106  
         

 

 

 
            449,175  
         

 

 

 
    Industrials 17.1%                
 

ABM Industries Inc.

     408          17,018  
 

Aircastle Ltd.

     330          7,356  
 

Alamo Group Inc.

     63          6,764  
 

Allegiant Travel Co.

     105          13,828  
 

Altra Industrial Motion Corp.

     192          9,235  
 

Applied Industrial Technologies Inc.

     339          22,306  
 

Astec Industries Inc.

     114          6,385  
 

BG Staffing Inc.

     30          497  
 

Brady Corp., A

     342          12,979  
 

Briggs & Stratton Corp.

     243          5,711  
 

The Brink’s Co.

     327          27,550  
a  

Covenant Transportation Group Inc., A

     72          2,087  
 

Deluxe Corp.

     447          32,613  
 

Douglas Dynamics Inc.

     138          5,437  
 

The Eastern Co.

     18          517  
 

Ennis Inc.

     183          3,596  
 

EnPro Industries Inc.

     71          5,718  
 

EnviroStar Inc.

     12          332  
 

ESCO Technologies Inc.

     126          7,554  
 

Essendant Inc.

     267          3,516  
 

Exponent Inc.

     156          11,528  
 

Federal Signal Corp.

     372          7,916  
 

Forward Air Corp.

     222          12,705  
a  

Franklin Covey Co.

     84          1,705  
 

Global Brass & Copper Holdings Inc.

     108          3,650  
a  

Hawaiian Holdings Inc.

     318          11,941  
 

Healthcare Services Group Inc.

     429          23,153  
 

Heartland Express Inc.

     315          7,900  
 

Heidrick & Struggles International Inc.

     156          3,299  
 

Herman Miller Inc.

     477          17,124  
 

Hillenbrand Inc.

     414          16,084  
 

HNI Corp.

     351          14,556  
a  

Huttig Building Products Inc.

     81          572  
 

Hyster-Yale Materials Handling Inc.

     69          5,274  
a  

ICF International Inc.

     147          7,931  
 

Insperity Inc.

     144          12,672  
 

Interface Inc.

     417          9,132  
 

John Bean Technologies Corp.

     204          20,624  
 

Kadant Inc.

     81          7,983  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     35  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Industrials (continued)                
 

Kaman Corp., A

     207        $ 11,546  
 

Kelly Services Inc., A

     252          6,323  
 

Kforce Inc.

     222          4,484  
 

Kimball International Inc., B

     258          5,101  
a  

Knight-Swift transportation Holdings Inc.

     847          35,193  
 

Knoll Inc.

     345          6,900  
 

Korn/Ferry International

     435          17,152  
a  

Lawson Products Inc.

     45          1,134  
 

Lindsay Corp.

     72          6,617  
 

LSC Communications Inc.

     111          1,833  
 

McGrath RentCorp

     168          7,350  
 

Mobile Mini Inc.

     324          11,162  
a  

Moog Inc., A

     105          8,760  
 

MSA Safety Inc.

     117          9,303  
 

National Presto Industries Inc.

     33          3,513  
 

Omega Flex Inc.

     24          1,724  
 

Preformed Line Products Co.

     18          1,211  
 

Quad/Graphics Inc.

     104          2,351  
 

Resources Connection Inc.

     279          3,878  
a  

SAIA Inc.

     213          13,344  
 

Schneider National Inc.

     120          3,036  
 

Simpson Manufacturing Co. Inc.

     267          13,094  
 

Standex International Corp.

     90          9,558  
 

Steelcase Inc., A

     747          11,504  
 

Tennant Co.

     153          10,129  
a  

Trex Co. Inc.

     153          13,781  
 

UniFirst Corp.

     102          15,453  
 

Universal Logistics Holdings Inc.

     66          1,350  
a  

Veritiv Corp.

     69          2,243  
 

Watts Water Technologies Inc., A

     180          12,456  
 

Werner Enterprises Inc.

     357          13,048  
 

West Corp.

     303          7,111  
a  

Willdan Group Inc.

     27          876  
         

 

 

 
            659,266  
         

 

 

 
    Information Technology 17.5%                
a  

Acacia Communications Inc.

     72          3,391  
a  

Advanced Energy Industries Inc.

     133          10,741  
 

American Software Inc., A

     186          2,113  
a  

Aspen Technology Inc.

     600          37,686  
a  

Avid Technology Inc.

     249          1,130  
 

Badger Meter Inc.

     162          7,938  
a  

Barracuda Networks Inc.

     150          3,635  
 

Blackbaud Inc.

     156          13,697  
 

Cabot Microelectronics Corp.

     129          10,311  
a  

Carbonite Inc.

     120          2,640  
a  

Care.com Inc.

     46          731  
a  

CEVA Inc.

     75          3,210  
a  

Cimpress NV

     183          17,872  
a  

Cirrus Logic Inc.

     450          23,994  
a  

Clearfield Inc.

     63          857  
a  

CommerceHub Inc., A

     54          1,219  
a  

CommerceHub Inc., C

     111          2,370  
a  

CommVault Systems Inc.

     306          18,605  
a  

Control4 Corp.

     83          2,445  
 

Convergys Corp.

     600          15,534  
 

CSG Systems International Inc.

     273          10,947  

 

36    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Information Technology (continued)                
a  

CyberOptics Corp.

     24        $ 390  
 

Daktronics Inc.

     237          2,505  
a  

EPAM Systems Inc.

     333          29,281  
a  

ePlus Inc.

     90          8,321  
 

EVERTEC Inc.

     408          6,467  
a  

EXA Corp.

     72          1,741  
 

Fair Isaac Corp.

     240          33,720  
 

Forrester Research Inc.

     90          3,767  
a  

Gigamon Inc.

     168          7,081  
a  

GrubHub Inc.

     273          14,376  
 

Hackett Group Inc.

     174          2,643  
a  

Imperva Inc.

     114          4,948  
a  

Insight Enterprises Inc.

     312          14,327  
 

InterDigital Inc.

     270          19,912  
a  

Iteris Inc.

     84          559  
 

J2 Global Inc.

     339          25,045  
 

Littelfuse Inc.

     168          32,908  
 

ManTech International Corp., A

     156          6,887  
a  

The Meet Group Inc.

     333          1,212  
 

Mesa Laboratories Inc.

     21          3,136  
a  

MicroStrategy Inc.

     66          8,429  
a  

Mitek Systems Inc.

     210          1,995  
 

MKS Instruments Inc.

     261          24,651  
 

Monolithic Power Systems

     270          28,768  
 

Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc.

     297          5,717  
 

NIC Inc.

     489          8,386  
 

NVE Corp.

     17          1,342  
 

PC Connection Inc.

     102          2,875  
a  

PC Mall Inc.

     36          504  
 

Pegasystems Inc.

     285          16,430  
a  

Pixelworks Inc.

     92          433  
a  

Planet Payment Inc.

     258          1,107  
 

Plantronics Inc.

     255          11,276  
 

QAD Inc., A

     69          2,370  
a  

Qualys Inc.

     114          5,905  
a  

Quantum Corp.

     92          563  
a  

RingCentral Inc., A

     201          8,392  
a  

Rudolph Technologies Inc.

     165          4,340  
a  

ScanSource Inc.

     186          8,119  
 

Science Applications International Corp.

     207          13,838  
a  

Silicon Laboratories Inc.

     228          18,217  
a  

Stamps.com Inc.

     58          11,754  
a  

Sykes Enterprises Inc.

     237          6,911  
 

Syntel Inc.

     117          2,299  
a  

Tech Data Corp.

     213          18,925  
 

TeleTech Holdings Inc.

     111          4,634  
 

Travelport Worldwide Ltd.

     422          6,625  
a  

Tucows Inc., A

     29          1,698  
a  

Ubiquiti Networks Inc.

     183          10,252  
a  

Varonis Systems Inc.

     69          2,891  
 

Vishay Intertechnology Inc.

     447          8,404  
a  

XO Group Inc.

     192          3,777  
a  

Yelp Inc.

     256          11,085  
a  

Yext Inc.

     38          505  
a  

Zix Corp.

     447          2,186  
         

 

 

 
            675,895  
         

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     37  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Materials 1.9%                
 

Chase Corp.

     48        $ 5,347  
 

Greif Inc., A

     177          10,362  
 

Greif Inc., B

     36          2,313  
a  

Handy & Harman Ltd.

     11          358  
 

Innophos Holdings Inc.

     123          6,050  
 

Innospec Inc.

     144          8,878  
 

KMG Chemicals Inc.

     60          3,293  
 

Myers Industries Inc.

     156          3,268  
 

Schweitzer-Mauduit International Inc.

     207          8,582  
 

Sensient Technologies Corp.

     300          23,076  
         

 

 

 
            71,527  
         

 

 

 
    Real Estate 4.7%                
a  

Altisource Portfolio Solutions SA

     72          1,863  
 

Chesapeake Lodging Trust

     210          5,664  
 

Franklin Street Properties Corp.

     801          8,507  
 

Government Properties Income Trust

     531          9,967  
 

Healthcare Realty Trust Inc.

     747          24,158  
 

LaSalle Hotel Properties

     843          24,464  
 

Lexington Realty Trust

     1,728          17,660  
 

LTC Properties Inc.

     285          13,389  
 

One Liberty Properties Inc.

     111          2,704  
 

Preferred Apartment Communities Inc., A

     198          3,738  
 

PS Business Parks Inc.

     171          22,828  
a  

Quality Care Properties Inc.

     375          5,813  
 

Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust

     588          7,650  
 

RE/MAX Holdings Inc., A

     150          9,532  
 

Select Income REIT

     459          10,750  
 

STAG Industrial Inc.

     304          8,351  
 

Urstadt Biddle Properties, A

     189          4,101  
         

 

 

 
            181,139  
         

 

 

 
    Telecommunication Services 0.7%                
 

Cogent Communications Holdings Inc.

     237          11,589  
 

IDT Corp., B

     135          1,901  
 

Spok Holdings Inc.

     135          2,072  
a  

Vonage Holdings Corp.

     1,314          10,696  
         

 

 

 
            26,258  
         

 

 

 
    Utilities 7.1%                
 

ALLETE Inc.

     333          25,738  
 

American States Water Co.

     279          13,741  
 

Artesian Resources Corp., A

     45          1,701  
 

Avista Corp.

     453          23,452  
 

California Water Service Group

     297          11,330  
 

Chesapeake Utilities Corp.

     102          7,981  
 

El Paso Electric Co.

     291          16,078  
 

IDACORP Inc.

     164          14,420  
 

MGE Energy Inc.

     249          16,085  
 

New Jersey Resources Corp.

     555          23,393  
 

Northwest Natural Gas Co.

     189          12,172  
 

NRG Yield Inc., A

     192          3,642  
 

SJW Group

     75          4,245  
 

South Jersey Industries Inc.

     462          15,953  
 

Southwest Gas Holdings Inc.

     327          25,382  
 

Spark Energy Inc., A

     93          1,395  
 

Spire Inc.

     294          21,947  

 

38    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Utilities (continued)                
 

Unitil Corp.

     102        $ 5,045  
 

WGL Holdings Inc.

     345          29,049  
         

 

 

 
            272,749  
         

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (Cost $3,789,665) 100.0%

          3,849,397  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 0.0%

          1,907  
         

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

        $ 3,851,304  
         

 

 

 

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 48.

Rounds to less than 0.1% of net assets.

aNon-income producing.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     39  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

      Franklin
LibertyQ U.S.
Equity ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ U.S.
Mid Cap Equity
ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ U.S.
Small Cap
Equity ETF
 

Assets:

        

Investments in securities:

        

Cost - Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 106,608,600      $ 5,105,806      $ 3,789,665  
  

 

 

 

Value - Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 110,847,179      $ 5,152,962      $ 3,849,397  

Cash

     134,243        13,477        14,464  

Receivables:

        

Dividends

     127,588        5,751        4,376  

Affiliates

            10,366        10,628  
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     111,109,010        5,182,556        3,878,865  
  

 

 

 

Liabilities:

        

Payables:

        

Investment securities purchased

                   10,344  

Management fees

     1,985                

Transfer agent fees

     5,528        5,528        5,528  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     2,339        76        76  

Professional fees

     7,573        6,249        6,323  

Reports to shareholders

     1,916        1,242        1,242  

Registration and filing fees

     7,769        2,739        2,739  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     1,008        1,303        1,309  
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     28,118        17,137        27,561  
  

 

 

 

Net assets, at value

   $ 111,080,892      $ 5,165,419      $ 3,851,304  
  

 

 

 

Net assets consist of:

        

Paid-in capital

   $ 106,590,116      $ 5,110,349      $ 3,803,994  

Undistributed net investment income

     175,022        7,899        5,560  

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     4,238,579        47,156        59,732  

Accumulated net realized gain (loss)

     77,175        15        (17,982
  

 

 

 

Net assets, at value

   $ 111,080,892      $ 5,165,419      $ 3,851,304  
  

 

 

 

Shares outstanding

     4,150,000        200,000        150,000  
  

 

 

 

Net asset value per share

   $ 26.77      $ 25.83      $ 25.68  
  

 

 

 

 

40    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Operations

for the period ended September 30, 2017a (unaudited)

 

      Franklin
LibertyQ U.S.
Equity ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ U.S.
Mid Cap Equity
ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ U.S.
Small Cap
Equity ETF
 

Investment income:

        

Dividends:

        

Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 956,074      $ 42,126      $ 32,061  

Income from securities loaned (net of fees and rebates)

     54                
  

 

 

 

Total investment income

     956,128        42,126        32,061  
  

 

 

 

Expenses:

        

Management fees (Note 3a)

     95,599        6,073        5,592  

Transfer agent fees

     6,828        6,828        6,828  

Custodian fees

     807        557        557  

Reports to shareholders

     2,712        2,038        2,038  

Registration and filing fees

     7,942        2,761        2,761  

Professional fees

     21,435        17,781        17,707  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     7,286        241        235  

Other

     1,833        1,833        1,833  
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     144,442        38,112        37,551  

Expenses waived/paid by affiliates (Note 3c)

     (48,843      (32,039      (31,959
  

 

 

 

Net expenses

     95,599        6,073        5,592  
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     860,529        36,053        26,469  
  

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses):

        

Net realized gain (loss) from:

        

Investments unaffiliated issuers

     (181,410      15        (17,982

In-kind redemptions

     258,585                
  

 

 

 

Net realized gain (loss)

     77,175        15        (17,982
  

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

        

Investments

     4,238,579        47,156        59,732  
  

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     4,238,579        47,156        59,732  
  

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

     4,315,754        47,171        41,750  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

   $ 5,176,283      $ 83,224      $ 68,219  
  

 

 

 

aFor the period April 26, 2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     41  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

     Franklin
LibertyQ U.S.
Equity ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ U.S.
Mid Cap Equity
ETF
     Franklin
LibertyQ U.S.
Small Cap
Equity ETF
 
      Period Ended September 30, 2017a (unaudited)  

Increase (decrease) in net assets:

        

Operations:

        

Net investment income

   $ 860,529      $ 36,053      $ 26,469  

Net realized gain (loss)

     77,175        15        (17,982

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     4,238,579        47,156        59,732  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

     5,176,283        83,224        68,219  
  

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income

     (685,507      (28,154      (20,909
  

 

 

 

Capital share transactions: (Note 2)

     106,590,116        5,110,349        3,803,994  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets

     111,080,892        5,165,419        3,851,304  

Net assets:

        

Beginning of period

                    
  

 

 

 

End of period

   $ 111,080,892      $ 5,165,419      $ 3,851,304  
  

 

 

 

Undistributed net investment income included in net assets, end of period

   $ 175,022      $ 7,899      $ 5,560  
  

 

 

 

aFor the period April 26, 2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

 

42    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies

Franklin Templeton ETF Trust (Trust) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) as an open-end management investment company, consisting of twelve separate funds, three of which are included in this report (Funds) and the financial statements of the remaining funds are presented separately, and applies the specialized accounting and reporting guidance in U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP). Effective April 26, 2017, the Trust began offering shares of Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF, Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF and Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF. Each of the Funds are an exchange traded fund (ETF) and seek to provide the investment results that closely correspond, before fees and expenses, to the performance of each Fund’s corresponding underlying index.

The following summarizes the Funds’ significant accounting policies.

a. Financial Instrument Valuation

The Funds’ investments in financial instruments are carried at fair value daily. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The Funds calculate the net asset value (NAV) per share as of 4 p.m. Eastern time each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. Under compliance policies and procedures approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the Board), the Funds’ administrator has responsibility for oversight of valuation, including leading the cross-functional Valuation Committee (VC). The VC provides administration and oversight of the Funds’ valuation policies and procedures, which are approved annually by the Board. Among other things, these procedures allow the Funds to utilize independent pricing services, quotations from securities and financial instrument dealers, and other market sources to determine fair value.

Equity securities listed on an exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the last quoted sale price or the official closing price of the day, respectively. Over-the-counter (OTC) securities are valued within the range of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices. Securities that trade in multiple markets or on multiple exchanges are valued according to the broadest and most representative market. Certain equity securities are valued based upon fundamental characteristics or relationships to similar securities.

The Funds have procedures to determine the fair value of financial instruments for which market prices are not reliable or readily available. Under these procedures, the VC convenes on a regular basis to review such financial instruments and considers a number of factors, including significant unobservable valuation inputs, when arriving at fair value. The VC primarily employs a market-based approach which may use related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values, and other relevant information for the investment to determine the fair value of the investment. An income-based valuation approach may also be used in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted to calculate fair value. Discounts may also be applied due to the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. Due to the inherent uncertainty of valuations of such investments, the fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had an active market existed. The VC employs various methods for calibrating these valuation approaches including a regular review of key inputs and assumptions, transactional back-testing or disposition analysis, and reviews of any related market activity.

b. Securities Lending

Certain or all Funds participate in an agency based securities lending program to earn additional income. The Fund receives cash collateral against the loaned securities in an amount equal to at least 102% of the fair value of the loaned securities. Collateral is maintained over the life of the loan in an amount not less than 100% of the fair value of loaned securities, as determined at the close of Fund business each day; any additional collateral required due to changes in security values is delivered to the Fund on the next business day. The collateral is deposited into a joint cash account with other funds and is used to invest in a money market fund managed by Franklin Advisers, Inc. The Fund may receive income from the investment of cash collateral, in addition to lending fees and rebates paid by the borrower. Income from securities loaned, net of fees paid to the securities lending agent and/or third-party vendor, is reported separately in the Statements of Operations. The Fund bears the market risk with respect to the collateral investment, securities loaned, and the risk that the agent may default on its obligations to the Fund. If the borrower defaults on its obligation to return the securities loaned, the Fund has the right to repurchase the securities in the open market using the collateral received. At September 30, 2017, the Funds had no securities on loan.

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     43  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

c. Income Taxes

 

It is each Fund’s policy to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. Each Fund intends to distribute to shareholders substantially all of its taxable income and net realized gains to relieve it from federal income and excise taxes. As a result, no provision for U.S. federal income taxes is required.

Each Fund may recognize an income tax liability related to its uncertain tax positions under U.S. GAAP when the uncertain tax position has a less than 50% probability that it will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities based on its technical merits.

d. Security Transactions, Investment Income, Expenses and Distributions

Security transactions are accounted for on trade date. Realized gains and losses on security transactions are determined on a specific identification basis. Estimated expenses are accrued daily. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributable earnings are determined according to income tax regulations (tax basis) and may differ from earnings recorded in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts to reflect their tax character. These reclassifications have no impact on net assets or the results of operations. Temporary differences are not reclassified, as they may reverse in subsequent periods.

Common expenses incurred by the Trust are allocated among the Funds based on the ratio of net assets of each Fund to the combined net assets of the Trust. Fund specific expenses are charged directly to the fund that incurred the expense.

e. Accounting Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

f. Guarantees and Indemnifications

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and trustees are indemnified by the Trust against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred. Currently, the Trust expects the risk of loss to be remote.

2. Shares of Beneficial Interest

Shares of the Funds are issued and redeemed at their respective NAV in blocks of 50,000 shares or multiples thereof (Creation Units). Certain large institutional investors (Authorized Participants) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Funds. Once created, shares of the Funds generally trade in the secondary market in amounts less than one Creation Unit. The market price of the Funds’ shares will be based on the price in the secondary market which may be at, above or below the most recent NAV. Creation Units may be issued and redeemed in exchange for a designated portfolio of securities and/or cash (which may include cash in lieu of certain securities).

Authorized participants pay a transaction fee to the shareholder servicing agent when purchasing or redeeming Creation Units of the Funds regardless of the number of Creation Units that are being created or redeemed on the same day by the Authorized Participant. The standard transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance or redemption of Creation Units and is not charged to or paid by the Funds.

In addition, for cash Creation Unit transactions, a variable fee for creation and redemption transactions may be charged to the Authorized Participant to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades. Variable fees received by the Funds, if any, are included in capital share transactions in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets.

 

44    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

At September 30, 2017, there were an unlimited number of shares authorized (without par value). Transactions in the Funds’ shares were as follows:

 

     Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF            Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap
Equity ETF
 
      Shares      Amount             Shares      Amount  
Period ended September 30, 2017a              

Shares sold

     4,450,000      $ 114,417,232          200,000      $ 5,110,349  

Shares redeemed

     (300,000      (7,827,116                
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease)

     4,150,000      $ 106,590,116          200,000      $ 5,110,349  
  

 

 

   

 

 

    

 

 

 
     Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap
Equity ETF
                     
      Shares      Amount                      
Period ended September 30, 2017a              

Shares sold

     150,000      $ 3,803,994          

Shares redeemed

                     
  

 

 

   

 

 

       

Net increase (decrease)

     150,000      $ 3,803,994          
  

 

 

   

 

 

       

aFor the period April 26, 2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

3. Transactions with Affiliates

Franklin Resources, Inc. is the holding company for various subsidiaries that together are referred to as Franklin Templeton Investments. Certain officers and trustees of the Funds are also officers and/or directors of the following subsidiaries:

 

Subsidiary    Affiliation

Franklin Advisers, Inc. (Advisers)

  

Investment manager

Franklin Templeton Services, LLC (FT Services)

  

Administrative manager

Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. (Distributors)

  

Principal underwriter

a. Management Fees

The Funds pay an investment management fee to Advisers based on the average net assets of each of the Funds as follows:

 

      Annualized Fee Rate

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF

  

0.25%

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF

  

0.30%

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF

  

0.35%

b. Administrative Fees

Under an agreement with Advisers, FT Services provides administrative services to the Funds. The fee is paid by Advisers based on the Funds’ average daily net assets, and is not an additional expense of the Funds.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     45  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

3. Transactions with Affiliates (continued)

b. Administrative Fees (continued)

 

The Franklin LibertyQ Global Equity ETF invests in one or more affiliated management investment companies for purposes other than exercising a controlling influence over the management or policies. During the period ended September 30, 2017, the Fund held investments in affiliated management investment companies as follows:

 

     Number
of Shares
Held at
Beginning
of Period
    Gross
Additions
    Gross
Reductions
    Number of
Shares Held
at End
of Period
    Value Held
at End
of Period
    Dividend
Income
    Realized
Gain(Loss)
    Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
 
Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF                
Non-Controlled Affiliates                
Institutional Fiduciary Trust                

Money Market Portfolio, 0.67%

          201,614       (201,614         $     $     $     $  

c. Waiver and Expense Reimbursements

Effective September 1, 2017, Advisers has contractually agreed in advance to waive or limit its fees and to assume as its own expense certain expenses otherwise payable by Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF, Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF and Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF so that the expenses (including acquired fund fees and expenses) of the Funds do not exceed 0.25%, 0.30% and 0.35%, respectively, based on the average net assets (other than certain non-routine expenses or costs, including those relating to litigation, indemnification, reorganizations, and liquidations) until July 31, 2018. Total expenses waived or paid are not subject to recapture subsequent to the Funds’ fiscal year end.

Prior to September 1, 2017, Advisers had contractually agreed in advance to waive or limit its fees and to assume as its own expense certain expenses otherwise payable by Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF, Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF and Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF so that the expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses) of the Funds do not exceed 0.25%, 0.30%, and 0.35%, respectively, based on the average net assets (other than certain non-routine expenses or costs, including those relating to litigation, indemnification, reorganizations, and liquidations).

d. Other Affiliated Transactions

At September 30, 2017, the shares of the Funds were owned by the following investment entities:

 

Funds    Shares     Percentage of
Outstanding Sharesa
 
Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF     

Franklin Moderate Allocation Fund

     1,559,000       37.6%  

Franklin Growth Allocation Fund

     1,181,600       28.5%  

Franklin Conservative Allocation Fund

     666,700       16.1%  

Franklin LifeSmart 2020 – 2055 Retirement Target Funds

     653,900       15.8%  
  

 

 

 

Total

     4,061,200       98.0%  
  

 

 

 

aInvestment activities of significant shareholders could have a material impact on the Fund.

 

46    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

4. Income Taxes

 

At September 30, 2017, the cost of investments and net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) for income tax purposes were as follows:

 

      Franklin LibertyQ
U.S. Equity
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
U.S. Mid Cap Equity
ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
U.S. Small Cap Equity
ETF
 

Cost of investments

   $ 106,608,600     $ 5,105,806     $ 3,789,665  
  

 

 

 

Unrealized appreciation

   $ 6,678,891     $ 276,699     $ 277,828  

Unrealized depreciation

     (2,440,312     (229,543     (218,096
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

   $ 4,238,579     $ 47,156     $ 59,732  
  

 

 

 

Differences between income and/or capital gains as determined on a book basis and a tax basis are primarily due to differing treatment of redemptions in-kind.

5. Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investments (excluding short term securities and in-kind transactions) for the period ended September 30, 2017, were as follows:

 

     

Franklin LibertyQ

U.S. Equity

ETF

    Franklin LibertyQ
U.S. Mid Cap
Equity ETF
    Franklin LibertyQ
U.S. Small Cap
Equity ETF
 

Purchases

   $ 15,293,934     $ 1,018,567     $ 527,834  

Sales

   $ 14,632,263     $ 1,009,835     $ 502,298  

In-kind transactions associated with creation and redemptions for the period ended September 30, 2017, were as follows:

 

     

Franklin LibertyQ

U.S. Equity

ETF

   

Franklin LibertyQ

U.S. Mid Cap
Equity

ETF

   

Franklin LibertyQ

U.S. Small Cap
Equity

ETF

 

Cost of Securities Received

   $ 113,933,922     $ 5,097,150     $ 3,796,494  

Value of Securities Delivereda

   $ 7,782,931     $     $  

aRealized gains and losses from in-kind redemptions, as shown on the Statement of Operations, are not recognized by the Funds for tax purposes.

6. Fair Value Measurements

The Funds follow a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and the Funds’ own market assumptions (unobservable inputs). These inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ financial instruments and are summarized in the following fair value hierarchy:

 

    Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical financial instruments
    Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar financial instruments, interest rates, prepayment speed, credit risk, etc.)
    Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Funds’ own assumptions in determining the fair value of financial instruments)

The input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level.

For movements between the levels within the fair value hierarchy, the Funds have adopted a policy of recognizing the transfers as of the date of the underlying event which caused the movement.

At September 30, 2017, all of the Funds’ investments in financial instruments carried at fair value were valued using Level 1 inputs.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     47  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

7. Subsequent Events

 

The Funds have evaluated subsequent events through the issuance of the financial statements and determined that no events have occurred that require disclosure.

Abbreviations

 

Selected Portfolio
REIT   — Real Estate Investment Trust

 

48    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Shareholder Information

 

Board Approval of Investment Management Agreements

FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF

Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF

(each a “Fund”)

At a meeting held on February 16, 2017 (“Meeting”), the Board of Trustees (“Board”), including a majority of trustees who are not “interested persons” as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Independent Trustees”), approved with respect to each Fund, an investment management agreement (each an “Investment Management Agreement”) with Franklin Advisers, Inc. (“Investment Manager”).

In considering the approval of each Investment Management Agreement, the Board reviewed and considered information provided by the Manager at the Meeting, at a meeting of the Board held on December 8, 2016 and throughout the year at other meetings of the Board. The Board also considered that the terms of the Investment Management Agreements were explained at the Meeting, noting that the forms of such agreements are substantially the same as the standard form of investment management agreement that includes administration services used for other funds in the Franklin Templeton Investments family of funds (“FTI Complex”). In reaching its decision to approve each Investment Management Agreement, the Board took into account several factors including, but not limited to, the following: (1) the nature and quality of the services to be provided by the Investment Manager to the Funds under the proposed Investment Management Agreements; (2) the Investment Manager’s experience as manager of other funds and accounts, including those within the FTI Complex; (3) the Investment Manager’s strength and reputation within the industry; (4) the fairness of the compensation under the proposed Investment Management Agreements; (5) the comparative pricing structure (including fee waivers and the estimated expense ratio to be borne by shareholders) of the Funds; (6) the personnel, operations, financial condition, and investment management capabilities, methodologies and resources of the Investment Manager; and (7) the Investment Manager’s compliance capabilities, as demonstrated by, among other things, its policies and procedures designed to prevent violations of the Federal securities laws, which had previously been approved by the Board in connection with its oversight of other funds in the FTI Complex. In considering the information and factors noted above, the Independent Trustees received assistance

and advice from and met separately with their Independent Legal Counsel.

In approving each Investment Management Agreement, the Board, including a majority of Independent Trustees, determined that the investment management fee structure is fair and reasonable and that the approval of each Investment Management Agreement is in the interests of each Fund and its shareholders.

The following sets forth some of the primary information and factors relevant to the Board’s decision to approve the Investment Management Agreements. This discussion of the information and factors considered by the Board (including the information and factors discussed above) is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather summarizes certain factors considered by the Board. In view of the wide variety of factors considered, the Board did not, unless otherwise noted, find it practicable to quantify or otherwise assign relative weights to the foregoing factors. In addition, individual Trustees may have assigned different weights to various factors.

NATURE, EXTENT AND QUALITY OF SERVICES. The Trustees reviewed the nature, extent and quality of the services to be provided by the Investment Manager. In this regard, the Trustees reviewed the Funds’ proposed investment goals and the Investment Manager’s proposed investment strategies and ability to implement such investment strategies (including, but not limited to, the Investment Manager’s trading practices and investment decision processes). The Trustees also reviewed the Funds’ portfolio managers, including their background and skills as well as their expertise in managing other funds within the FTI Complex.

Based on their review, the Trustees were satisfied with the nature and quality of the overall services to be provided by the Investment Manager to the Funds and their shareholders and were confident in the Investment Manager’s ability to implement the Funds’ proposed investment strategies and to provide quality services to the Funds and their shareholders.

INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE. The Board noted that, as the Funds had not yet commenced investment operations, there was no investment performance for the Funds. The Board also considered the proposed performance benchmarks for the Funds and how such benchmarks would be utilized to measure performance of the Investment Manager.

COMPARATIVE EXPENSES. The Board considered the cost of the services to be provided by the Investment Manager (and its affiliates) from its respective relationships with the

 

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

Funds. The Board noted that the Investment Manager (and its affiliates) could not report any financial results from their relationships with the Funds because the Funds had not yet commenced investment operations, and thus, the Board could not evaluate the Investment Manager’s (or its affiliates’) profitability with respect to the Funds.

The Board was provided with information relating to proposed expenses for each Fund, including comparative data provided by Morningstar, Inc. (“Morningstar”), an independent organization, which compared the respective Fund’s expenses with those of its “peer group,” which consisted of other funds deemed comparable to the respective Fund as selected by Morningstar (“Comparable Funds”). The Board considered the information provided by Morningstar and noted that, for the Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Equity ETF and Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Small Cap Equity ETF, the Investment Manager’s contractual management fees and net expense ratios are at or below the median of the fees and expenses of Comparable Funds. While the contractual management fee for Franklin LibertyQ U.S. Mid Cap Equity ETF is above the Comparable Fund median, the net total expense ratio is at or below the median of its peers.

The Board noted that the Investment Manager will waive or assume certain expenses so that the total operating expenses for each Fund (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses and certain non-routine expenses) do not exceed (and could be less than) the amounts in the proposed fee table for a period of at least one year from the date of each Fund’s initial prospectus.

ECONOMIES OF SCALE. The Board considered economies of scale that may be realized by the Investment Manager and its affiliates as the Funds grow larger and the extent to which they are shared with shareholders of the Funds. The Board further considered the extent to which the Investment Manager may derive ancillary benefits from fund operations.

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

The Trust’s investment manager has established Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Policies) that the Trust uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. Shareholders may view the Trust’s complete Policies online at franklintempleton.com. Alternatively, shareholders may request copies of the Policies free of charge by calling the Proxy Group collect at (954) 527-7678 or by sending a written request to: Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC, 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, Attention: Proxy Group. Copies of the Trust’s proxy voting records are also

made available online at franklintempleton.com and posted on the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at sec.gov and reflect the most recent 12-month period ended June 30.

Quarterly Statement of Investments

The Trust files a complete statement of investments with the US Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters for each fiscal year on Form N-Q. Shareholders may view the filed Form N-Q by visiting the Commission’s website at sec.gov. The filed form may also be viewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information regarding the operations of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

Premium/Discount Information

Information about the differences between the daily market price on the secondary market for the shares of the Funds and the Funds’ net asset value may be found on the Funds’ website at libertyshares.com.

 

 

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Authorized for distribution only when accompanied or preceded by a summary prospectus and/or prospectus. Investors should carefully consider a fund’s investment goals, risks, charges and expenses before investing. A prospectus contains this and other information; please read it carefully before investing.

To help ensure we provide you with quality service, all calls to and from our service areas are monitored and/or recorded.

 

 

 

LOGO   Semiannual Report  
  Franklin Templeton ETF Trust
 

Investment Manager

Franklin Advisers, Inc.

 

Distributor

Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.

(800) DIAL BEN®/342-5236

libertyshares.com

 

Investor Services

Transfer Agent

State Street Bank and
Trust Company

1 Heritage Drive
Mail Stop OHD0100

North Quincy, MA 02171

 

© 2017 Franklin Templeton Investments. All rights reserved.    ETF3 S 11/17


LOGO

 

LOGO

 

LOGO

 

Franklin Templeton

ETF Trust

Semiannual Report

September 30, 2017

 

Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF

Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF

Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF


Franklin Templeton Investments

Gain From Our Perspective®

At Franklin Templeton Investments, we’re dedicated to one goal: delivering exceptional asset management for our clients. By bringing together multiple, world-class investment teams in a single firm, we’re able to offer specialized expertise across styles and asset classes, all supported by the strength and resources of one of the world’s largest asset managers. This has helped us to become a trusted partner to individual and institutional investors across the globe.

Contents        
Semiannual Report       
Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF      2  
Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF      8  
Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF      14  
Financial Highlights and Statements of Investments      20  
Financial Statements      35  
Notes to Financial Statements      39  
Shareholder Information      49  

 

 

Visit libertyshares.com for fund

updates and documents.

 

 

 

Not FDIC Insured   |   May Lose Value   |   No Bank Guarantee

 

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SEMIANNUAL REPORT

Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF

 

We are pleased to bring you Franklin Liberty International Opportunity ETF’s semiannual report for the period ended September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests predominantly in equity securities in developed, developing and frontier markets outside of the US across the entire market capitalization spectrum, including small- and mid-capitalization companies.

Performance Overview

During the six-month period, the Fund delivered cumulative total returns of +13.02% based on market price and +13.32% based on net asset value (NAV). In comparison, the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI) ex USA Index, which measures stock performance in global developed and emerging markets excluding the US, generated a +12.62% total return for the same period.1 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 5.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

Economic and Market Overview

The global economy generally expanded during the six-month period under review. In this environment, global developed and emerging market stocks rose, as measured by the MSCI ACWI. Global markets were aided by generally upbeat economic data across regions, Emmanuel Macron’s election as France’s president, encouraging corporate earnings reports, and the tax reform plan under the Trump administration toward period-end.

However, investors expressed concerns about political uncertainty in the US and the European Union, geopolitical tensions in the Korean peninsula and other regions, global oil

oversupply despite a pact by major oil-producing countries to

 

Geographic Composition
Based on Total Net Assets as of 9/30/17
LOGO

 

1. Source: Morningstar.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions. It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index, and an index is not representative of the Fund’s portfolio.

2. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 21.

 

extend production cuts, and hawkish comments from key central bankers around the world.

The US economy strengthened in 2017’s second and third quarters, largely due to growth in consumer spending, business investment, exports and federal government spending. The unemployment rate decreased from 4.5% in March 2017 to 4.2% at period-end.2 Annual inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, decreased from 2.4% in March 2017 to 2.2% at period-end.2 At its June meeting, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) raised its target range for the federal funds rate by 0.25% to 1.00%–1.25%, amid signs of a growing US economy, strengthening labor market and improving business spending. At its July and September 2017 meetings, the Fed kept its target range unchanged. However, in September the Fed mentioned that it would begin implementing its balance sheet reduction in October, and most committee members indicated a likelihood of one more rate hike during 2017.

In Europe, the UK’s economy grew faster in 2017’s third quarter over the previous quarter. The Bank of England kept its key policy rate unchanged during the period but indicated in September that it expected a rate hike to be soon so that

 

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FRANKLIN LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ETF

 

Top 10 Countries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 

Japan

     14.4%  

UK

     12.1%  

China

     9.4%  

France

     8.0%  

Italy

     7.9%  

Canada

     6.0%  

Spain

     5.0%  

Switzerland

     3.8%  

Australia

     3.5%  

Netherlands

     3.1%  

 

inflation could return to target levels. The eurozone’s growth increased in 2017’s second quarter over the previous quarter. The bloc’s annual inflation rate fluctuated during the reporting period and ended the period where it began. The European Central Bank (ECB) kept its key policy rates unchanged during the period. However, at its September meeting, ECB President Mario Draghi signaled that the bank would reassess its policy stance on quantitative easing in October 2017.

In Asia, Japan’s quarterly gross domestic product (GDP) grew for the sixth consecutive quarter, in 2017’s second quarter, driven by household spending, capital expenditure and government spending. In July 2017, the Bank of Japan marginally raised its GDP forecasts for fiscal years 2017 and 2018, but lowered its inflation forecasts for the same period.

In emerging markets, Brazil’s quarterly GDP grew compared to the previous quarter. The country’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate four times during the period to spur economic growth. Russia’s GDP grew in 2017’s second quarter compared to the prior-year period amid the Bank of Russia’s continued policy support. China’s economic growth accelerated in 2017’s second and third quarters compared to the prior-year periods, largely driven by higher government spending. The People’s Bank of China left its benchmark interest rate unchanged during the period. Overall, emerging market stocks, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index, rose during the period.

 

Top 10 Sectors/Industries       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Net Assets

 

Banks

     9.2%  

Internet Software & Services

     6.9%  

Pharmaceuticals

     6.8%  

Insurance

     5.5%  

Capital Markets

     5.0%  

Electrical Equipment

     4.5%  

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels

     4.4%  

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment

     4.0%  

Diversified Financial Services

     3.6%  

Media

     2.7%  

 

Investment Strategy

The Fund’s individual country and sector weightings may vary significantly from its benchmark index, and investments will not necessarily be in the securities that comprise its benchmark index. The Fund’s exposure to various regions and markets will vary from time to time according to the investment manager’s opinions as to the prevailing conditions and prospects for these markets. In seeking to outperform the relevant market of each region, the investment manager consults with various local asset managers based in certain regions around the world (Sub-Advisors). Although the Sub-Advisors assist the investment manager in the selection of local securities, the investment manager retains the sole discretion with respect to portfolio security selection. The Fund may enter into certain derivative transactions to seek to enhance Fund returns, increase liquidity, gain exposure to certain instruments or markets in a more efficient or less expensive way and/or hedge risks associated with its other portfolio investments.

When choosing equity investments for the Fund, we apply a research-driven, bottom-up, fundamental long-term approach, focusing on the market price of a company’s securities relative to our evaluation of the company’s long-term earnings, asset value and cash flow potential. We seek to invest in companies that we consider to be financially strong with favorable growth potential and sustainable competitive advantages. We may also consider, among other factors, a company’s price/earnings ratio, profit margins and liquidation value.

 

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FRANKLIN LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ETF

 

Top 10 Holdings       
9/30/17       
Company
Sector/Industry
  

% of Total

Net Assets

 

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., ADR

Internet Software & Services, China

     3.8%  

Roche Holding AG

Pharmaceuticals, Switzerland

     1.9%  

Novartis AG

Pharmaceuticals, Switzerland

     1.9%  

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment, Taiwan

     1.7%  

Sanofi

Pharmaceuticals, France

     1.7%  

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Internet Software & Services, China

     1.7%  

Italgas Reti SpA

Gas Utilities, Italy

     1.7%  

TGS NOPEC Geophysical Co. ASA

Energy Equipment & Services, Norway

     1.6%  

ASR Nederland NV

Insurance, Netherlands

     1.6%  

Ctrip.com International Ltd., ADR

Internet & Direct Marketing Retail, China

     1.6%  

 

Manager’s Discussion

During the period, the Fund’s outperformance relative to the MSCI ACWI ex USA came mainly from our stock selection in Asia, excluding Japanese securities. The primary contributors within Asia were stock selection and an overweighted allocation in China that included positions in China Overseas Land & Investment,3 Alibaba Group Holding, Tencent Holdings, Silergy and China Merchants Bank. Stock selection and an underweighted allocation in Australia also boosted relative performance. The Fund’s underweighted allocation in Commonwealth Bank of Australia and overweighted position in Rio Tinto were major contributors.

Elsewhere, the Fund’s positioning in Canada, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East and Africa had a modestly positive effect on relative performance.

During the period, the portfolio used currency derivatives to hedge a portion of its exposure to the Japanese yen back to the US dollar. Although the currency pair remained range bound during the period, the timing of the Fund’s hedging activity boosted Fund results.

From a sector perspective, the bulk of the Fund’s outperformance during the period came from holdings in the information

technology (IT) and financials sectors. Holdings in the consumer discretionary, materials and energy sectors slightly hampered relative performance.

In contrast, our stock selection in Japan was a major detractor, due mainly to the underperformance of some IT positions such as OMRON3 and FUJIFILM Holdings. An overweighted position in JXTG Holdings also hurt relative performance. South Korea slightly hurt relative results. Our overweighted positions in NAVER and Lotte Chemical detracted from relative performance.

Thank you for your participation in Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Stephen H. Dover, CFA

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Purav A. Jhaveri, CFA, FRM

   Portfolio Management Team

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. The way we implement our main investment strategies and the resulting portfolio holdings may change depending on factors such as market and economic conditions. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

CFA® is a trademark owned by CFA Institute.

3. No longer held by period-end.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

 

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FRANKLIN LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance table does not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (1/27/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
      Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
     Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
 

6-Month

     +13.32%        +13.02%        +13.32%        +13.02%  

Since Inception (1/25/17)

     +18.32%        +18.97%        +18.32%        +18.97%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

See page 6 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

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FRANKLIN LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ETF

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

 

Distributions (4/1/17–9/30/17)

Net Investment

Income

$0.306257

Total Annual Operating Expenses5

With Waiver   Without Waiver  
0.60%     3.60%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. The market values of stocks owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. Special risks are associated with foreign investing, including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments; investments in emerging markets involve heightened risks related to the same factors. To the extent the Fund focuses on particular countries, regions, industries, sectors or types of investment from time to time, it may be subject to greater risks or adverse developments in such areas of focus than a fund that invests in a wider variety of countries, regions, industries or sectors, or investments. Smaller and midsize-company stocks have historically experienced more price volatility than larger company stocks, especially over the short term. Investments in derivatives involve costs and create economic leverage, which may result in significant volatility and cause the Fund to participate in losses (as well as gains) that significantly exceed the Fund’s initial investment. The Fund is actively managed but there is no guarantee that the manager’s investment decisions will produce the desired results. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 7/31/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the periods indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

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FRANKLIN LIBERTY INTERNATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 × $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different ETFs. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

     

Actual

(actual return after expenses)

   

Hypothetical

(5% annual return before expenses)

       
Beginning
Account
Value 4/1/17
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
   

Expenses

Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2

   

Ending
Account

Value 9/30/17

   

Expenses

Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2

    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio2
 
  $1,000.00     $ 1,133.20     $ 3.21     $ 1,022.06     $ 3.04       0.60

1. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period.

2. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     7  


Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF covers the period ended September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks a high level of current income as is consistent with prudent investing, while seeking preservation of capital. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in investment-grade corporate debt securities and investments.

Performance Overview

During the six-month period, the Fund posted cumulative total returns of +3.89% based on market price and +3.77% based on net asset value (NAV). In comparison, the Bloomberg Barclays US Corporate Investment Grade Index produced a +3.91% total return for the same period.1 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 11.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

Economic and Market Overview

The US economy strengthened during the six months under review. Key growth drivers in 2017’s second and third quarters included consumer spending, business investment, exports and federal government spending. The manufacturing and services sectors expanded during the period. The unemployment rate decreased from 4.5% in March 2017 to 4.2% at period-end.2 Monthly retail sales were volatile during the period. Annual inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, decreased from 2.4% in March 2017 to 2.2% at period-end.2

At its June meeting, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) raised its target range for the federal funds rate by 0.25% to 1.00%–1.25%, amid signs of a growing US economy, strengthening

 

Top 10 Sectors/Industries       
9/30/17       
      % of Total
Net Assets
 

Banks

     17.6%  

Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels

     8.4%  

Insurance

     4.9%  

Food & Staples Retailing

     4.6%  

Capital Markets

     4.4%  

Diversified Telecommunication Services

     4.3%  

Food Products

     4.0%  

Media

     3.9%  

Diversified Financial Services

     3.0%  

Electric Utilities

     2.8%  
 

labor market and improving business spending. At its July and September 2017 meetings, the Fed kept its target range unchanged. Furthermore in September, the Fed mentioned that it would begin implementing its balance sheet reduction in October.

The 10-year Treasury yield, which moves inversely to its price, shifted throughout the period.

In June, the yield rose due to renewed optimism for improvement in economic growth, while in July, the yield rose further amid hawkish comments from key central bankers around the world. Easing concerns about Hurricane Irma’s impact, the Fed’s proposed balance sheet normalization in October and the Republican tax reform plan, pushed up yields further toward the period-end. However, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula, US political turmoil, and uncertainty on whether the Fed would raise rates again in 2017 resulted in a decline in the yield. Overall, the 10-year Treasury yield fell from 2.40% at the beginning of the period to 2.33% at the period-end.

Investment Strategy

The Fund invests primarily in US dollar-denominated corporate debt securities issued by US and foreign companies. The Fund may invest in debt securities of any maturity or duration.

 

1. Source: Morningstar.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions. It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index, and an index is not representative of the Fund’s portfolio.

2. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 27.

 

8    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTY INVESTMENT GRADE CORPORATE ETF

 

Top 10 Holdings       
9/30/17       
Company
Sector/Industry
   % of Total
Net Assets
 
The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
Capital Markets
     2.4%  
Bank of America Corp.
Bank
     2.2%  
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Bank
     2.2%  
BNP Paribas SA
Bank
     2.1%  
Morgan Stanley
Capital Markets
     2.0%  
Credit Suisse New York
Bank
     1.9%  
Verizon Communications Inc.
Diversified Telecommunication Services
     1.9%  
GE Capital International Funding Co.
Diversified Financial Services
     1.9%  
Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance Inc.
Beverages
     1.8%  
Mondelez International Holdings Netherlands BV
Food Products
     1.8%  

 

The Fund’s focus on the credit quality of its portfolio is intended to reduce credit risk and help to preserve the Fund’s capital. The Fund may also invest a portion of its assets in convertible securities, preferred securities and US Treasury securities, and generally expects to invest a portion of its assets in cash, cash equivalents and high quality money market securities, including commercial paper, repurchase agreements and affiliated or unaffiliated money market funds. The Fund may invest up to 40% of its net assets in foreign securities, including those in developing markets, and up to 15% of its net assets in non-US dollar-denominated securities. The Fund may enter into certain derivative transactions to seek to enhance Fund returns, increase liquidity, gain exposure to certain instruments or markets in a more efficient or less expensive way and/or hedge risks associated with its other portfolio investments.

In choosing investments, we select securities in various market sectors based on our assessment of changing economic, market, industry and issuer conditions. We use a top-down analysis of macroeconomic trends, combined with a bottom-up fundamental analysis of market sectors, industries and issuers, to try to take advantage of varying sector reactions to economic events. The Fund’s portfolio is constructed by taking into account our desired duration and yield curve

exposure, total return potential, as well as the appropriate diversification and risk profile at the issue, company and industry level.

Manager’s Discussion

Investment-grade corporate bonds performed well during the period, driven by improved corporate earnings and strong investor demand. Economic conditions around the world also remained supportive, while political risk in Europe seemed to abate following elections in France. In addition, investors grew more optimistic about the prospects for corporate tax reform in the US. The new issue market remained busy but bonds were easily absorbed by strong investor demand. Intermediate- and long-term US Treasury yields fell during the period and corporate bond spreads moved tighter.

The Fund modestly underperformed its benchmark during the review period. Security selection was the largest performance detractor, with the biggest negatives in banks. Our exposure within that industry covered many of the major US banks as well as selected banks from the UK, France, Switzerland and Australia.

The Fund’s holdings in the utility, communications, retail and pharmaceutical sectors were strong individual performers. Our holding in Georgia Power recovered as investors became comfortable that the situation surrounding the unfinished Vogtle 3 and 4 nuclear power plants would not have a material negative financial impact on the company.

Our quality allocation also helped returns. The Fund was overweighted in BBB-rated securities relative to the benchmark. We believed that BBB securities were attractively valued based upon our view of economic conditions and the additional yield these securities offered. Duration was not a material performance driver during the period.

 

What is duration?

Duration is a measure of a bond’s price sensitivity to interest-rate changes. In general, a portfolio of securities with a lower duration can be expected to be less sensitive to interest-rate changes than a portfolio with a higher duration.

Trading activity during the period was driven by share creations and redemptions, as well as relative value decisions. We purchased a number of new issues and sold other securities based on our view of fundamentals or valuations. The Fund held only cash bonds during the period and had no exposure to derivatives.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     9  


FRANKLIN LIBERTY INVESTMENT GRADE CORPORATE ETF

 

Thank you for your participation in Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Marc Kremer, CFA

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Shawn Lyons, CFA

   Portfolio Management Team

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. The way we implement our main investment strategies and the resulting portfolio holdings may change depending on factors such as market and economic conditions. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

10    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTY INVESTMENT GRADE CORPORATE ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance tables do not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (10/5/16), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
      Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
     Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
 

6-Month

     +3.77%        +3.89%        +3.77%        +3.89%  

Since Inception (10/3/16)

     +1.88%        +2.12%        +1.88%        +2.12%  

 

     30-Day Standardized Yield6  
Distribution Rate5    (with waiver)      (without waiver)  

3.10%

     2.90%        2.13%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

See page 12 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     11  


FRANKLIN LIBERTY INVESTMENT GRADE CORPORATE ETF

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

 

Distributions (4/1/17–9/30/17)

Net Investment

Income

$0.409351

Total Annual Operating Expenses7

With Waiver   Without Waiver  
0.35%     1.04%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Bond prices generally move in the opposite direction of interest rates. Thus, as the prices of bonds in the Fund adjust to a rise in interest rates, the Fund’s share price may decline. Distributions to shareholders may decline when prevailing interest rates fall or when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds. Changes in the financial strength of a bond issuer or in a bond’s credit rating may affect its value. The Fund’s investments in foreign securities involve certain risks including currency fluctuations, and economic and political uncertainties. Investments in developing markets involve heightened risks related to the same factors, in addition to those associated with their relatively small size and lesser liquidity. Investing in derivative securities and the use of foreign currency techniques involve special risks as such may not achieve the anticipated benefits and/or may result in losses to the Fund. The Fund is actively managed but there is no guarantee that the manager’s investment decisions will produce the desired results. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 9/19/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the periods indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Distribution rate is based on an annualization of the September dividend and the NAV per share on 9/30/17.

6. The Fund’s 30-day standardized yield is calculated over a trailing 30-day period using the yield to maturity on bonds and/or the dividends accrued on stocks. It may not equal the Fund’s actual income distribution rate, which reflects the Fund’s past dividends paid to shareholders.

7. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

12    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTY INVESTMENT GRADE CORPORATE ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 x $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

     

Actual

(actual return after expenses)

   

Hypothetical

(5% annual return before expenses)

       
Beginning
Account
Value 4/1/17
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
   

Expenses

Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2

    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio2
 
  $1,000.00     $ 1,037.70     $ 1.99     $ 1,023.11     $ 1.98       0.39

1. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period.

2. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

Effective September 1, 2017, the expense waiver changed and the new annualized net expense ratio (including expenses of the acquired fund fees and expenses) was 0.35%. Had such expense waiver been in effect for the full period, the expenses paid would have been $1.79 based upon the Fund’ actual performance and $1.78 based upon a hypothetical 5% return.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     13  


Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF covers the period ended September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks capital appreciation with an emphasis on lower volatility. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests as least 80% of its net assets in US investments.

Performance Overview

During the six-month period, the Fund posted cumulative total returns of +5.88% based on market price and +6.29% based on net asset value (NAV). In comparison, the Russell 1000® Index produced a +7.68% total return for the same period.1 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 17.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

Economic and Market Overview

The US economy strengthened during the six months under review. Key growth drivers in 2017’s second and third quarters included consumer spending, business investment, exports and federal government spending. The manufacturing and services sectors expanded during the period. The unemployment rate decreased from 4.5% in March 2017 to 4.2% at period-end.2 Monthly retail sales were volatile during the period. Annual inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, decreased from 2.4% in March 2017 to 2.2% at period-end.2

At its June meeting, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) raised its target range for the federal funds rate by 0.25% to 1.00%–1.25%, amid signs of a growing US economy, strengthening labor market and improving business spending. At its July

 

Top 10 Sectors/Industries       
9/30/17       
      % of Total
Net Assets
 

Information Technology

     22.9%  

Financials

     14.7%  

Health Care

     13.8%  

Consumer Discretionary

     12.3%  

Industrials

     10.5%  

Consumer Staples

     7.8%  

Energy

     6.0%  

Real Estate

     3.7%  

Materials

     3.3%  

Utilities

     3.1%  

 

and September 2017 meetings, the Fed kept its target range unchanged. Furthermore in September, the Fed mentioned that it would begin implementing its balance sheet reduction in October.

US equity markets rose during the period, benefiting from mostly upbeat economic data and better US corporate earnings. The markets were also supported by investor optimism arising from pro-growth and pro-business policy plans in the US; Emmanuel Macron’s victory in France’s presidential election, comments from the US Fed chair indicating optimism about the US economy and the likelihood of gradual rate hikes; and the Republican tax reform plan. However, uncertainty about President Trump’s ability to implement reforms and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula curbed market sentiment. The broad US stock market, as measured by the Standard & Poor’s® 500 Index, generated +7.71% total return for the period.1

Investment Strategy

The Fund invests primarily in equity securities (principally common stocks) of US companies.3 The Fund seeks capital appreciation, while providing a lower level of volatility than

 

1. Source: Morningstar. Russell Investment Group is the source and owner of the trademarks, service marks and copyrights related to the Russell Indexes. Russell® is a trademark of Russell Investment Group.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions. It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index, and an index is not representative of the Fund’s portfolio.

2. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.

3. “US companies” are those that (i) are organized under the laws of, or have a principal office in, or for whose securities the principal trading market is, the US; (ii) derive 50% or more of their total revenue or profit from either goods or services produced, or sales made, in the US; or (iii) have 50% or more of their assets in the US.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 32.

 

14    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTY U.S. LOW VOLATILITY ETF

 

Top 10 Holdings       
9/30/17       

Company

Sector/Industry

   % of Total
Net Assets
 

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

Consumer Staples

     1.6%  

The Coca-Cola Co.

Consumer Staples

     1.6%  

PepsiCo Inc.

Consumer Staples

     1.6%  

The Procter & Gamble Co.

Consumer Staples

     1.5%  

Church & Dwight Co. Inc.

Consumer Staples

     1.5%  

Alphabet Inc.

Information Technology

     1.5%  

Cisco Systems Inc.

Information Technology

     1.5%  

Texas Instruments Inc.

Information Technology

     1.5%  

Fiserv Inc.

Information Technology

     1.5%  

Intel Corp.

Information Technology

     1.5%  

 

the broader equity market as measured by the Russell 1000® Index, meaning the Fund seeks returns that fluctuate less than the returns of the Russell 1000® Index. We apply a fundamentally driven “bottom-up” research process to create a starting universe of eligible securities across a large number of sectors derived from the holdings of a number of Franklin Templeton equity funds. The investment manager screens that universe on a quarterly basis in order to identify those securities with the lowest realized volatility relative to their corresponding sectors. The Fund’s sector weightings generally are based on the current sector weightings within the Russell 1000® Index. Individual securities in the Fund’s portfolio are generally weighted equally within each sector. The investment manager may, from time to time, make adjustments to the Fund’s portfolio as a result of corporate actions, changes to the volatility profile of the Fund’s holdings, or for risk management related purposes.

Manager’s Discussion

Performance for US equities was strong during the period, driven by strong corporate earnings, a supportive and synchronized global growth environment and renewed investor optimism about tax reform.

The Fund’s relative performance was hampered by industry allocation within the health care and information technology (IT) sectors, particularly our underweighting of the historically volatile biotechnology and internet software and services industries. Our industry allocation within the energy sector contributed to performance as our holdings in integrated oil companies generally outperformed the more volatile exploration and production companies.

In the health care sector, Dentsply Sirona detracted from returns as sales growth for its dental equipment tools disappointed investors.4 Although health care was a major sector detractor, several individual Fund holdings in the sector contributed to relative returns. These include contact lens manufacturer The Cooper Companies,4 whose performance benefited from a series of new product launches and manufacturing improvements, and Baxter International, whose share price rose amid stable sales growth combined with gross profit margin improvements.

Stock selection hampered relative performance in the consumer discretionary sector. A slowdown in comparable-store sales and competitive pressures weighed on our position in automotive parts retailer O’Reilly Automotive.4 Furnished goods manufacturer Leggett & Platt was also a detractor in the sector.4

Overall, the IT sector has been buoyed by accelerated earnings growth and expectations for continued economic expansion. However, the lack of exposure to various companies in the internet software and services industry that ended the period with strong gains undermined results. In addition, our position in International Business Machines further dampened returns.4 The Fund, however, did benefit from its holdings in tax software provider Intuit and IT services companies Fidelity National Information Services and Mastercard.

Elsewhere, household products companies Church & Dwight and Kimberly-Clark4 hurt performance in the consumer staples sector.

Relative Fund performance primarily benefited from stock selection in the energy and financials sectors. The energy sector gradually improved over the period as stronger global demand led to a steady recovery in oil prices. The contribution from energy sector holdings was offset somewhat by a position in Schlumberger, which declined and detracted from returns.4

In the financials sector, our capital markets industry holdings CBOE Holdings, S&P Global and BlackRock performed strongly and aided Fund returns. Another top contributor was insurer Progressive, which climbed amid strong growth in premiums and policies in force during the first half of the

 

4. No longer held by period-end.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     15  


FRANKLIN LIBERTY U.S. LOW VOLATILITY ETF

 

year. In contrast, a powerful hurricane season led to underperformance from commercial, personal and reinsurance companies, including our position in W.R. Berkley.

Thank you for your participation in Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

LOGO   

LOGO

Todd Brighton, CFA

   Portfolio Manager

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. The way we implement our main investment strategies and the resulting portfolio holdings may change depending on factors such as market and economic conditions. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

16    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTY U.S. LOW VOLATILITY ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance table does not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale or redemption of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (9/22/16), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
      Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
     Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
 

6-Month

     +6.29%        +5.88%        +6.29%        +5.88%  

Since Inception (9/20/16)

     +15.22%        +14.85%        +15.22%        +14.85%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

See page 18 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     17  


FRANKLIN LIBERTY U.S. LOW VOLATILITY ETF

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

 

Distributions (4/1/17–9/30/17)

Net Investment

Income

$0.236023

Total Annual Operating Expenses5

With Waiver   Without Waiver  
0.50%     2.33%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. The market values of stocks owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. There can be no guarantee that the Fund’s volatility strategy will be successful, and achieving the Fund’s volatility strategy does not mean the Fund will achieve a positive or competitive return. The volatility strategy can also be expected to limit the Fund’s participation in market price appreciation when compared to similar funds that do not attempt this strategy. Smaller and midsize-company stocks have historically experienced more price volatility than larger company stocks, especially over the short term. The Fund is actively managed but there is no guarantee that the manager’s investment decisions will produce the desired results. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 9/19/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the periods indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

18    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTY U.S. LOW VOLATILITY ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $ 7.50, then 8.6 x $ 7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

     

Actual

(actual return after expenses)

   

Hypothetical

(5% annual return before expenses)

       
Beginning
Account
Value 4/1/17
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/171,2
   

Net Annualized

Expense Ratio2

 
  $1,000.00     $ 1,062.90     $ 2.59     $ 1,022.59     $ 2.54       0.50

1. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period.

2. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     19  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF

 

     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
    

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 25.58      $ 24.50  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operationsb:     

Net investment incomec

    0.30        0.09  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    3.09        0.99  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    3.39        1.08  
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income

    (0.31       
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 28.66      $ 25.58  
 

 

 

 

Total returnd

    13.32%        4.41%  
Ratios to average net assetse  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    3.89%        8.50%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.60%        0.60%  

Net investment income

    2.21%        1.98%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $5,732        $5,116  

Portfolio turnover ratef

    26.11%        2.32%  

aFor the period January 25, 2017 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

eRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

fPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

20    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks 96.3%  
    Australia 3.5%  
 

Amcor Ltd.

     Containers & Packaging          2,965        $ 35,386  
    BHP Billiton Ltd.    Metals & Mining        1,629        32,952  
 

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

     Banks          222          13,108  
 

CSL Ltd.

     Biotechnology          633          66,536  
 

Ramsay Health Care Ltd.

     Health Care Providers & Services          396          19,352  
 

Rio Tinto Ltd.

     Metals & Mining          594          31,008  
              

 

 

 
                 198,342  
              

 

 

 
    Brazil 0.9%  
 

Ambev SA

     Beverages          2,200          14,634  
 

B3 SA - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

     Capital Markets          900          6,814  
 

Energisa SA

     Electric Utilities          1,200          9,719  
 

Lojas Americanas SA

     Multiline Retail          1,500          7,450  
 

Vale SA

     Metals & Mining          1,300          13,098  
              

 

 

 
                 51,715  
              

 

 

 
    Canada 6.0%  
 

Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., B

     Food & Staples Retailing          500          22,748  
 

Brookfield Asset Management Inc., A

     Capital Markets          1,300          53,553  
 

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce

     Banks          400          34,916  
 

Canadian National Railway Co.

     Road & Rail          700          57,863  
 

Enbridge Inc.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          1,100          45,842  
 

Peyto Exploration & Development Corp.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          900          14,680  
 

Restaurant Brands International Inc.

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure          400          25,497  
 

Royal Bank of Canada

     Banks          600          46,315  
 

The Toronto-Dominion Bank

     Banks          800          44,937  
              

 

 

 
                 346,351  
              

 

 

 
    China 9.4%  
a  

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., ADR

     Internet Software & Services          1,260          217,615  
 

China Merchants Bank Co. Ltd., H

     Banks          8,000          28,115  
a  

Ctrip.com International Ltd., ADR

     Internet & Direct Marketing Retail          1,740          91,768  
 

Ping An Insurance (Group) Co. of China Ltd.

     Insurance          7,500          57,565  
 

Silergy Corp.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          2,000          45,838  
 

Tencent Holdings Ltd.

     Internet Software & Services          2,300          99,000  
              

 

 

 
                 539,901  
              

 

 

 
    Egypt 0.4%  
a  

Six of October Development & Investment Co.

     Real Estate Management & Development          29,699          24,483  
              

 

 

 
    Finland 0.8%  
 

Tieto OYJ

     IT Services          1,545          47,105  
              

 

 

 
    France 8.0%  
 

Capgemini SE

     IT Services          485          56,855  
 

Maisons du Monde SA

     Specialty Retail          1,085          47,710  
 

Sanofi

     Pharmaceuticals          1,006          99,912  
a  

Schneider Electric SE

     Electrical Equipment          695          60,496  
 

SEB SA

     Household Durables          303          55,594  
 

SPIE SA

     Commercial Services & Supplies          2,617          72,024  
 

Vinci SA

     Construction & Engineering          719          68,340  
              

 

 

 
                 460,931  
              

 

 

 
    Hong Kong 2.7%  
 

AIA Group Ltd.

     Insurance          11,600          85,544  
a  

IMAX China Holding Inc.

     Media          4,600          13,899  
 

Samsonite International SA

     Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods          13,200          56,615  
              

 

 

 
                 156,058  
              

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     21  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF (continued)

 

           Industry        Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)  
    Indonesia 1.2%  
 

Bank Central Asia Tbk PT

     Banks          19,900        $ 29,992  
 

Surya Citra Media Tbk PT

     Media          247,200          40,194  
              

 

 

 
                 70,186  
              

 

 

 
    Italy 7.9%  
 

Banca Generali SpA

     Capital Markets          2,332          80,915  
 

Cerved Information Solutions SpA

     Diversified Financial Services          6,890          81,454  
 

FinecoBank Banca Fineco SpA

     Banks          9,212          81,678  
 

Italgas Reti SpA

     Gas Utilities          16,959          95,232  
 

Prysmian SpA

     Electrical Equipment          2,254          76,156  
 

Snam SpA

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          7,523          36,251  
              

 

 

 
                 451,686  
              

 

 

 
    Japan 14.4%  
 

Astellas Pharma Inc.

     Pharmaceuticals          1,300          16,532  
 

Bridgestone Corp.

     Auto Components          500          22,680  
 

The Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc.

     Insurance          2,800          50,222  
 

Daikin Industries Ltd.

     Building Products          500          50,615  
 

Denso Corp.

     Auto Components          1,300          65,748  
 

FUJIFILM Holdings Corp.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals          500          19,398  
 

Honda Motor Co. Ltd.

     Automobiles          2,200          65,121  
 

JXTG Holdings Inc.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels          11,500          59,142  
 

Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

     Electrical Equipment          4,000          62,471  
 

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc.

     Banks          8,000          51,931  
 

Murata Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

     Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components          200          29,387  
 

Nidec Corp.

     Electrical Equipment          500          61,387  
 

Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd.

     Pharmaceuticals          500          19,860  
 

Panasonic Corp.

     Household Durables          800          11,588  
 

Pigeon Corp.

     Household Products          600          20,495  
 

SCSK Corp.

     IT Services          500          21,210  
 

SoftBank Group Corp.

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          700          56,490  
 

Sony Corp.

     Household Durables          600          22,312  
 

Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.

     Chemicals          9,000          56,208  
 

Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd.

     Auto Components          1,800          29,391  
 

Suntory Beverage & Food Ltd.

     Beverages          300          13,352  
 

Toyota Motor Corp.

     Automobiles          300          17,883  
              

 

 

 
                 823,423  
              

 

 

 
    Mexico 1.3%  
 

America Movil SAB de CV, L

     Wireless Telecommunication Services          40,000          35,596  
 

Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV

     Beverages          3,800          36,420  
              

 

 

 
                 72,016  
              

 

 

 
    Netherlands 3.1%  
 

ASML Holding NV

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment          506          86,169  
 

ASR Nederland NV

     Insurance          2,314          92,587  
              

 

 

 
                 178,756  
              

 

 

 
    Norway 3.1%  
b  

SKANDIABANKEN ASA, 144A

     Banks          7,440          82,248  
 

TGS NOPEC Geophysical Co. ASA

     Energy Equipment & Services          3,917          93,247  
              

 

 

 
                 175,495  
              

 

 

 
    Philippines 0.8%  
 

Security Bank Corp.

     Banks          4,960          23,746  
 

Universal Robina Corp.

     Food Products          6,490          19,521  
              

 

 

 
                 43,267  
              

 

 

 

 

22    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF (continued)

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)  
    Russia 1.0%  
 

Gazprom PJSC

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        11,840        $ 25,070  
a,c  

Mail.Ru Group Ltd., GDR, Reg S

     Internet Software & Services        1,050          34,608  
            

 

 

 
               59,678  
            

 

 

 
    Singapore 0.8%  
 

DBS Group Holdings Ltd.

     Banks        2,800          42,929  
            

 

 

 
    South Africa 1.4%  
 

Naspers Ltd., N

     Media        320          69,202  
 

Novus Holdings Ltd.

     Commercial Services & Supplies        110          53  
 

Redefine Properties Ltd.

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      12,176          9,640  
            

 

 

 
               78,895  
            

 

 

 
    South Korea 3.0%  
 

Lotte Chemical Corp.

     Chemicals        170          56,105  
 

Naver Corp.

     Internet Software & Services        66          42,930  
 

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals        32          71,636  
            

 

 

 
               170,671  
            

 

 

 
    Spain 5.0%  
 

Applus Services SA

     Professional Services        5,528          69,273  
 

Cia de Distribucion Integral Logista Holdings SA

     Air Freight & Logistics        2,835          68,187  
 

Mediaset Espana Comunicacion SA

     Media        2,910          32,865  
 

Merlin Properties Socimi SA

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      5,303          73,475  
 

Tecnicas Reunidas SA

     Energy Equipment & Services        1,413          44,676  
            

 

 

 
               288,476  
            

 

 

 
    Sweden 1.3%  
 

Byggmax Group AB

     Specialty Retail        8,679          72,836  
            

 

 

 
    Switzerland 3.8%  
 

Novartis AG

     Pharmaceuticals        1,258          107,780  
 

Roche Holding AG

     Pharmaceuticals        431          110,111  
            

 

 

 
               217,891  
            

 

 

 
    Taiwan 2.2%  
 

Ennoconn Corp.

     Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals        2,000          28,690  
 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.

     Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment        14,000          99,954  
            

 

 

 
               128,644  
            

 

 

 
    Thailand 1.5%  
 

Kasikornbank PCL, fgn

     Banks        4,700          30,159  
 

Minor International PCL, fgn

     Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure        22,000          26,881  
 

The Siam Cement PCL, fgn

     Construction Materials        1,900          28,600  
            

 

 

 
               85,640  
            

 

 

 
    United Arab Emirates 0.7%  
 

Amanat Holdings PJSC

     Capital Markets        129,403          40,167  
            

 

 

 
    United Kingdom 12.1%  
 

AstraZeneca PLC

     Pharmaceuticals        520          34,569  
 

Bodycote PLC

     Machinery        3,272          40,233  
 

BP PLC

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        7,718          49,424  
 

British American Tobacco PLC

     Tobacco        678          42,498  
 

Bunzl PLC

     Trading Companies & Distributors        1,130          34,369  
 

Close Brothers Group PLC

     Capital Markets        1,720          34,038  
 

DS Smith PLC

     Containers & Packaging        3,488          23,066  
 

Ferguson PLC

     Trading Companies & Distributors        480          31,530  
 

Ibstock PLC

     Construction Materials        10,484          32,028  
 

IG Group Holdings PLC

     Capital Markets        4,511          38,794  

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     23  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF (continued)

 

           Industry      Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)  
    United Kingdom (continued)  
 

Imperial Brands PLC

     Tobacco        1,017        $ 43,444  
 

National Grid PLC

     Multi-Utilities        2,341          29,040  
 

Prudential PLC

     Insurance        1,340          32,118  
 

Rathbone Brothers PLC

     Capital Markets        993          34,559  
 

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC

     Household Products        320          29,250  
 

RELX PLC

     Professional Services        1,530          33,603  
 

Restore PLC

     Commercial Services & Supplies        6,400          44,951  
 

Shire PLC

     Biotechnology        410          20,837  
 

Smith & Nephew PLC

     Health Care Equipment & Supplies        1,720          31,107  
 

Unite Group PLC

     Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs      3,700          34,128  
            

 

 

 
               693,586  
            

 

 

 
 

Total Common Stocks
(Cost $4,832,809)

             5,519,128  
            

 

 

 
    Management Investment Companies 2.2%  
    India 2.2%  
 

iShares MSCI India ETF

     Diversified Financial Services        1,900          62,415  
 

WisdomTree India Earnings ETF

     Diversified Financial Services        2,500          62,925  
            

 

 

 
 

Total Management Investment Companies
(Cost $109,206)

             125,340  
            

 

 

 
    Preferred Stocks 0.8%  
    Brazil 0.8%  
d  

Banco Bradesco SA, 3.518%, pfd.

     Banks        1,500          16,621  
a  

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, pfd.

     Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels        4,200          20,315  
a  

Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA, A, pfd.

     Metals & Mining        3,900          9,592  
            

 

 

 
 

Total Preferred Stocks (Cost $40,080)

             46,528  
            

 

 

 
 

Total Investments
(Cost $4,982,095) 99.3%

             5,690,996  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 0.7%

             40,706  
            

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

           $ 5,731,702  
            

 

 

 

aNon-income producing.

bSecurity was purchased pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 and may be sold in transactions exempt from registration only to qualified institutional buyers or in a public offering registered under the Securities Act of 1933. This security has been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. At September 30, 2017, the value of this security was $82,248, representing 1.4% of net assets.

cSecurity was purchased pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, which exempts from registration securities offered and sold outside of the United States. Such a security cannot be sold in the United States without either an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption registration. This security has been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. At September 30, 2017, the value of this security was $34,608, representing 0.6% of net assets.

dVariable rate security. The rate shown represents the yield at period end.

 

24    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF (continued)

 

At September 30, 2017 the Fund had the following forward exchange contracts outstanding. See Note 1(c).

 

Forward Exchange Contracts  
Currency    Counterpartya      Type      Quantity      Contract
Amount
     Settlement
Date
     Unrealized
Appreciation
     Unrealized
Depreciation
 
OTC Forward Exchange Contracts  

Japanese Yen

     BOFA        Buy        5,525,000      $ 50,443        2/20/18      $      $ (1,000

Japanese Yen

     BOFA        Sell        60,110,077        551,000        2/20/18        13,076         
                 

 

 

 

Total Forward Exchange Contracts

 

   $ 13,076      $ (1,000
                 

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

 

      $ 12,076  
                 

 

 

 

aMay be comprised of multiple contracts with the same counterparty, currency and settlement date.

See Note 7 regarding other derivative information.

See Abbreviations on page 48.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     25  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF

 

     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
    

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 24.21      $ 25.00  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operationsb:     

Net investment incomec

    0.37        0.32  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    0.54        (0.78
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    0.91        (0.46
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income

    (0.41      (0.33
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 24.71      $ 24.21  
 

 

 

 

Total returnd

    3.77%        (1.83)%  
Ratios to average net assetse  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.99%        1.06%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.39%        0.40%  

Net investment income

    3.01%        2.76%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $39,542        $53,268  

Portfolio turnover ratef

    27.40%        17.85%  

aFor the period October 3, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

eRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

fPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

26    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF

 

           Country        Principal Amount*        Value  
    Corporate Bonds 94.1%  
    Air Freight & Logistics 1.2%  
 

FedEx Corp., senior bond, 4.75%, 11/15/45

     United States          415,000        $ 453,755  
              

 

 

 
    Automobiles 1.7%  
 

Ford Motor Credit Co. LLC, senior note, 2.875%, 10/01/18

     United States          645,000          651,650  
              

 

 

 
    Banks 17.6%  
a  

ANZ New Zealand International Ltd. of London, senior note, 144A, 2.87%, 1/25/22

     New Zealand          600,000          606,344  
 

Bank of America Corp., senior sub. bond, 4.25%, 10/22/26

     United States          840,000          879,786  
 

BNP Paribas SA, senior note, 2.375%, 5/21/20

     France          810,000          818,280  
a  

BPCE SA, sub. note, 144A, 5.15%, 7/21/24

     France          200,000          215,913  
 

Citigroup Inc., sub. note, 4.05%, 7/30/22

     United States          620,000          649,733  
a  

Commonwealth Bank of Australia, sub. note, 144A, 4.50%, 12/09/25

     Australia          590,000          618,343  
 

Credit Suisse New York, senior note, 2.30%, 5/28/19

     Switzerland          760,000          765,143  
 

HSBC USA Inc., sub. note, 5.00%, 9/27/20

     United States          519,000          558,475  
 

JPMorgan Chase & Co., sub. note, 3.375%, 5/01/23

     United States          855,000          873,919  
 

Santander UK Group Holdings PLC, senior note, 2.875%, 8/05/21

     United Kingdom          430,000          432,457  
 

U.S. Bancorp, senior note, 3.15%, 4/27/27

     United States          540,000          543,816  
              

 

 

 
                 6,962,209  
              

 

 

 
    Beverages 1.8%  
 

Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance Inc., senior bond, 4.70%, 2/01/36

     Belgium          660,000          729,918  
              

 

 

 
    Biotechnology 2.2%  
 

Baxalta Inc., senior bond, 5.25%, 6/23/45

     United States          365,000          421,625  
 

Biogen Inc., senior bond, 5.20%, 9/15/45

     United States          400,000          464,048  
              

 

 

 
                 885,673  
              

 

 

 
    Capital Markets 4.4%  
 

The Goldman Sachs Group Inc., sub. note, 4.25%, 10/21/25

     United States          930,000          971,218  
 

Morgan Stanley, sub. bond, 3.95%, 4/23/27

     United States          765,000          779,762  
              

 

 

 
                 1,750,980  
              

 

 

 
    Communications Equipment 1.5%  
 

Cisco Systems Inc., senior note, 2.20%, 2/28/21

     United States          585,000          588,680  
              

 

 

 
    Construction Materials 0.9%  
a  

LafargeHolcim Finance U.S. LLC, senior note, 144A, 3.50%, 9/22/26

     Switzerland          365,000          362,194  
              

 

 

 
    Consumer Finance 1.4%  
 

Capital One Bank USA NA, senior note, 2.25%, 2/13/19

     United States          550,000          551,757  
              

 

 

 
    Diversified Financial Services 3.0%  
 

AerCap Ireland Capital Ltd./AerCap Global Aviation Trust, senior note, 5.00%, 10/01/21

     Ireland          415,000          448,209  
 

GE Capital International Funding Co., senior bond, 4.418%, 11/15/35

     United States          675,000          735,390  
              

 

 

 
                 1,183,599  
              

 

 

 
    Diversified Telecommunication Services 4.3%  
 

AT&T Inc., senior note, 5.35%, 9/01/40

     United States          500,000          527,216  
 

Telefonica Emisiones S.A.U., senior bond, 7.045%, 6/20/36

     Spain          325,000          431,737  
 

Verizon Communications Inc., senior bond, 5.50%, 3/16/47

     United States          675,000          752,225  
              

 

 

 
                 1,711,178  
              

 

 

 
    Electric Utilities 2.8%  
 

Duke Energy Corp., senior bond, 4.80%, 12/15/45

     United States          365,000          408,024  
 

Georgia Power Co., senior bond, 4.30%, 3/15/42

     United States          680,000          712,126  
              

 

 

 
                 1,120,150  
              

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     27  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF (continued)

 

           Country        Principal Amount*        Value  
    Corporate Bonds (continued)  
    Energy Equipment & Services 2.4%  
 

Nabors Industries Inc., senior note, 5.50%, 1/15/23

     United States          325,000        $ 320,125  
a  

Sinopec Capital 2013 Ltd., senior note, 144A, 1.87%, 4/24/18

     China          620,000          619,577  
              

 

 

 
                 939,702  
              

 

 

 
    Equity Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) 2.4%  
 

American Tower Corp., senior note, 3.40%, 2/15/19

     United States          363,000          369,745  
 

Realty Income Corp., senior bond, 3.00%, 1/15/27

     United States          590,000          563,050  
              

 

 

 
                 932,795  
              

 

 

 
    Food & Staples Retailing 4.6%  
a  

CK Hutchison International 16 Ltd., senior note, 144A, 1.875%, 10/03/21

     Hong Kong          400,000          389,288  
 

The Kroger Co., senior note, 4.00%, 2/01/24

     United States          455,000          472,448  
 

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., senior bond, 6.20%, 4/15/38

     United States          420,000          571,804  
 

Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., senior bond, 4.80%, 11/18/44

     United States          350,000          373,284  
              

 

 

 
                 1,806,824  
              

 

 

 
    Food Products 4.0%  
a  

Danone SA, senior note, 144A, 2.947%, 11/02/26

     France          475,000          461,890  
 

Kraft Heinz Foods Co., senior bond, 5.20%, 7/15/45

     United States          345,000          379,345  
a  

Mondelez International Holdings Netherlands BV, senior note, 144A, 2.00%, 10/28/21

     United States          735,000          722,404  
              

 

 

 
                 1,563,639  
              

 

 

 
    Health Care Equipment & Supplies 1.4%  
 

Medtronic Inc., senior note, 2.50%, 3/15/20

     United States          550,000          558,286  
              

 

 

 
    Health Care Providers & Services 2.3%  
 

Anthem Inc., senior bond, 3.30%, 1/15/23

     United States          500,000          515,619  
 

HCA Inc., senior secured note, 6.50%, 2/15/20

     United States          365,000          398,306  
              

 

 

 
                 913,925  
              

 

 

 
    Industrial Conglomerates 1.4%  
a  

Siemens Financieringsmaatschappij NV, senior note, 144A, 2.70%, 3/16/22

     Netherlands          550,000          557,564  
              

 

 

 
    Insurance 4.9%  
a  

AIA Group Ltd., senior note, 144A, 2.25%, 3/11/19

     Hong Kong          400,000          399,617  
a  

Liberty Mutual Group Inc., senior note, 144A, 6.50%, 5/01/42

     United States          349,000          456,555  
 

MetLife Inc., junior sub. bond, 6.40%, 12/15/36, FRN thereafter, 12/15/66

     United States          475,000          548,625  
 

Prudential Financial Inc., junior sub. bond, 5.20%, 3/15/24, FRN thereafter, 3/15/44

     United States          515,000          548,153  
              

 

 

 
                 1,952,950  
              

 

 

 
    Internet Software & Services 1.6%  
 

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., senior note, 2.50%, 11/28/19

     China          615,000          620,402  
              

 

 

 
    Media 3.9%  
 

21st Century Fox America Inc., senior bond, 6.40%, 12/15/35

     United States          450,000          572,896  
 

Charter Communications Operating LLC/Charter Communications Operating Capital Corp., senior secured note, first lien, 4.464%, 7/23/22

     United States          405,000          428,950  
 

NBCUniversal Media LLC, senior note, 4.375%, 4/01/21

     United States          505,000          543,728  
              

 

 

 
                 1,545,574  
              

 

 

 
    Metals & Mining 2.0%  
 

Freeport-McMoRan Inc., senior note, 2.30%, 11/14/17

     United States          420,000          420,137  
a  

Glencore Funding LLC, senior note, 144A, 4.125%, 5/30/23

     Switzerland          350,000          364,826  
              

 

 

 
                 784,963  
              

 

 

 
    Multiline Retail 0.8%  
 

Dollar General Corp., senior bond, 3.25%, 4/15/23

     United States          300,000          306,971  
              

 

 

 

 

28    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF (continued)

 

           Country        Principal Amount*        Value  
    Corporate Bonds (continued)  
    Oil, Gas & Consumable Fuels 8.4%  
 

Anadarko Petroleum Corp., senior note, 6.20%, 3/15/40

     United States          315,000        $ 367,172  
 

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., senior bond, 4.95%, 6/01/47

     Canada          340,000          357,895  
 

Chevron Corp., senior note, 2.954%, 5/16/26

     United States          545,000          544,738  
 

Ecopetrol SA, senior bond, 5.875%, 5/28/45

     Colombia          205,000          201,156  
 

Enterprise Products Operating LLC, senior bond, 5.10%, 2/15/45

     United States          470,000          525,700  
 

MPLX LP, senior bond, 4.125%, 3/01/27

     United States          350,000          357,039  
 

Sabine Pass Liquefaction LLC, senior secured bond, 4.20%, 3/15/28

     United States          325,000          328,282  
 

Shell International Finance BV, 4.30%, 9/22/19

     Netherlands          600,000          629,566  
              

 

 

 
                 3,311,548  
              

 

 

 
    Road & Rail 2.3%  
 

Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC, senior bond, 3.25%, 6/15/27

     United States          535,000          549,332  
 

CSX Corp., senior bond, 3.25%, 6/01/27

     United States          360,000          361,716  
              

 

 

 
                 911,048  
              

 

 

 
    Semiconductors & Semiconductor Equipment 1.0%  
a  

Broadcom Corp./Broadcom Cayman Finance Ltd., senior note, 144A, 3.875%, 1/15/27

     United States          400,000          412,772  
              

 

 

 
    Software 1.4%  
 

Microsoft Corp., senior bond, 4.45%, 11/03/45

     United States          500,000          564,505  
              

 

 

 
    Specialty Retail 1.5%  
 

The Home Depot Inc., senior bond, 3.00%, 4/01/26

     United States          585,000          587,680  
              

 

 

 
    Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals 1.4%  
a  

Dell International LLC/EMC Corp., senior secured note, first lien, 144A, 4.42%, 6/15/21

     United States          345,000          362,523  
a  

Western Digital Corp., senior secured note, 144A, 7.375%, 4/01/23

     United States          165,000          181,170  
              

 

 

 
                 543,693  
              

 

 

 
    Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods 0.9%  
 

Coach Inc., senior note, 3.00%, 7/15/22

     United States          365,000          364,975  
              

 

 

 
    Tobacco 0.9%  
 

Reynolds American Inc., senior bond, 5.85%, 8/15/45

     United States          300,000          368,451  
              

 

 

 
    Transportation Infrastructure 1.8%  
a  

DP World Ltd., senior bond, 144A, 6.85%, 7/02/37

     United Arab Emirates          300,000          371,513  
a  

Mexico City Airport Trust, senior bond, 144A, 5.50%, 7/31/47

     Mexico          335,000          340,829  
              

 

 

 
                 712,342  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Corporate Bonds (Cost $36,180,354)

               37,212,352  
              

 

 

 
    U.S. Government & Agency Securities 2.5%  
 

U.S. Treasury Bond, 3.00%, 5/15/47

     United States          400,000          411,680  
 

U.S. Treasury Note, 1.625%, 8/15/22

     United States          600,000          592,441  
              

 

 

 
 

Total U.S. Government & Agency Securities
(Cost $1,004,140)

               1,004,121  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Investments before Short Term Investments
(Cost $37,184,494)

               38,216,473  
              

 

 

 
    Short-Term Investments 1.7%  
 

U.S. Government & Agency Securities (Cost $664,987) 1.7%

 

         
b  

FHLB, 10/02/17

     United States          665,000          664,987  
              

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (Cost $37,849,481) 98.3%

               38,881,460  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 1.7%

               660,808  
              

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

             $ 39,542,268  
              

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     29  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF (continued)

 

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 48.

*The principal amount is stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

aSecurity was purchased pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 and may be sold in transactions exempt from registration only to qualified institutional buyers or in a public offering registered under the Securities Act of 1933. These securities have been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees. At September 30, 2017, the aggregate value of these securities was $7,443,322, representing 18.8% of net assets.

bThe security was issued on a discount basis with no stated coupon rate.

 

30    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF

 

     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
    

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 26.97      $ 25.05  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operationsb:     

Net investment incomec

    0.22        0.23  

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    1.48        1.87  
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    1.70        2.10  
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income

    (0.24      (0.18
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 28.43      $ 26.97  
 

 

 

 

Total returnd

    6.29%        8.40%  
Ratios to average net assetse  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    1.88%        2.96%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.50%        0.50%  

Net investment income

    1.58%        1.69%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $5,686        $5,393  

Portfolio turnover ratef

    36.22%        12.55%  

aFor the period September 20, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

eRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

fPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     31  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks 100.1%                
    Consumer Discretionary 12.3%                
 

Comcast Corp., A

     1,864        $ 71,727  
 

The Home Depot Inc.

     441          72,130  
 

Lowe’s Cos. Inc.

     897          71,706  
 

Marriott International Inc., A

     647          71,338  
 

McDonald’s Corp.

     441          69,096  
 

Newell Brands Inc.

     1,629          69,510  
 

Starbucks Corp.

     1,273          68,373  
 

The TJX Cos. Inc.

     954          70,338  
 

The Walt Disney Co.

     706          69,590  
 

Yum! Brands Inc.

     917          67,500  
         

 

 

 
            701,308  
         

 

 

 
    Consumer Staples 7.8%                
 

Church & Dwight Co. Inc.

     1,792          86,822  
 

The Coca-Cola Co.

     1,971          88,715  
 

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

     1,244          90,625  
 

PepsiCo Inc.

     791          88,141  
 

The Procter & Gamble Co.

     962          87,523  
         

 

 

 
            441,826  
         

 

 

 
    Energy 6.0%                
 

Chevron Corp.

     563          66,152  
 

EOG Resources Inc.

     703          68,008  
 

Exxon Mobil Corp.

     817          66,978  
 

Halliburton Co.

     1,531          70,472  
 

Royal Dutch Shell PLC, A, ADR

     1,127          68,274  
         

 

 

 
            339,884  
         

 

 

 
    Financials 14.7%                
 

The Allstate Corp.

     819          75,274  
 

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

     1,236          76,076  
 

BlackRock Inc.

     173          77,347  
 

CBOE Holdings Inc.

     708          76,202  
 

Chubb Ltd.

     520          74,126  
 

Intercontinental Exchange Inc.

     1,123          77,150  
 

The Progressive Corp.

     1,567          75,874  
 

S&P Global Inc.

     479          74,873  
 

U.S. Bancorp

     1,404          75,240  
 

W.R. Berkley Corp.

     1,149          76,684  
 

Wells Fargo & Co.

     1,399          77,155  
         

 

 

 
            836,001  
         

 

 

 
    Health Care 13.8%                
 

Abbott Laboratories

     1,408          75,131  
 

Baxter International Inc.

     1,130          70,908  
 

Becton Dickinson and Co.

     375          73,481  
 

Danaher Corp.

     833          71,455  
 

Johnson & Johnson

     535          69,555  
a  

Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings

     473          71,409  
 

Merck & Co. Inc.

     1,097          70,241  
 

Pfizer Inc.

     2,042          72,900  
 

Quest Diagnostics Inc.

     710          66,484  
 

Stryker Corp.

     506          71,862  
 

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

     371          72,660  
         

 

 

 
            786,086  
         

 

 

 

 

32    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Industrials 10.5%                
 

3M Co.

     229        $ 48,067  
 

General Dynamics Corp.

     242          49,750  
 

General Electric Co.

     2,025          48,964  
 

Honeywell International Inc.

     355          50,318  
 

Illinois Tool Works Inc.

     331          48,975  
 

Northrop Grumman Corp.

     176          50,639  
 

Raytheon Co.

     267          49,817  
 

Republic Services Inc.

     733          48,422  
 

Roper Technologies Inc.

     207          50,384  
 

United Parcel Service Inc., B

     419          50,318  
 

United Technologies Corp.

     431          50,030  
a  

Verisk Analytics Inc.

     599          49,831  
         

 

 

 
            595,515  
         

 

 

 
    Information Technology 22.9%  
 

Accenture PLC, A

     592          79,961  
a  

Alphabet Inc., A

     86          83,740  
a  

ANSYS Inc.

     655          80,388  
 

Apple Inc.

     509          78,447  
 

Automatic Data Processing Inc.

     753          82,318  
 

Cisco Systems Inc.

     2,490          83,739  
 

Fidelity National Information Services Inc.

     872          81,436  
a  

Fiserv Inc.

     646          83,308  
 

Intel Corp.

     2,174          82,786  
 

Intuit Inc.

     556          79,030  
 

Mastercard Inc., A

     568          80,202  
 

Microsoft Corp.

     1,075          80,077  
 

Motorola Solutions Inc.

     942          79,948  
 

Oracle Corp.

     1,684          81,421  
 

Texas Instruments Inc.

     932          83,544  
 

Visa Inc., A

     767          80,719  
         

 

 

 
            1,301,064  
         

 

 

 
    Materials 3.3%  
 

Air Products and Chemicals Inc.

     314          47,483  
 

DowDuPont Inc.

     675          46,731  
 

Ecolab Inc.

     361          46,428  
 

Praxair Inc.

     346          48,350  
         

 

 

 
            188,992  
         

 

 

 
    Real Estate 3.7%  
 

Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc.

     451          53,656  
 

American Tower Corp.

     384          52,485  
 

Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc.

     502          53,654  
 

UDR Inc.

     1,407          53,508  
         

 

 

 
            213,303  
         

 

 

 
    Telecommunication Services 2.0%  
a  

T-Mobile U.S. Inc.

     888          54,754  
 

Verizon Communications Inc.

     1,178          58,299  
         

 

 

 
            113,053  
         

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     33  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF (continued)

 

           Shares        Value  
    Common Stocks (continued)                
    Utilities 3.1%  
 

DTE Energy Co.

     414        $ 44,447  
 

Duke Energy Corp.

     521          43,722  
 

Eversource Energy

     728          44,000  
 

Xcel Energy Inc.

     942          44,576  
         

 

 

 
            176,745  
         

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (Cost $5,043,386) 100.1%

          5,693,777  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities (0.1)%

          (8,195
         

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

        $ 5,685,582  
         

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 48.

aNon-income producing.

 

34    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

      Franklin
Liberty
International
Opportunities ETF
     Franklin
Liberty
Investment
Grade
Corporate ETF
     Franklin
Liberty
U.S. Low
Volatility ETF
 

Assets:

 

Investments in securities:

 

Cost – Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 4,982,095      $ 37,849,481      $ 5,043,386  
  

 

 

 

Value – Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 5,690,996      $ 38,881,460      $ 5,693,777  

Cash

     31,339        543,994        9,566  

Foreign currency, at value (cost $2,421, $– and $–, respectively)

     2,421                

Receivables:

 

Investment securities sold

            1,291,077         

Dividends and interest

     10,208        376,826        9,317  

Affiliates

     29,357        21,524        5,440  

Unrealized appreciation on OTC forward exchange contracts

     13,076                
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     5,777,397        41,114,881        5,718,100  
  

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

Payables:

 

Investment securities purchased

            1,420,310         

Transfer agent fees

     5,854        6,480        6,665  

Distributions to shareholders

            102,090         

Custody fees

     14,349        14,128        518  

Professional fees

     11,944        14,518        15,336  

Reports to shareholders

     3,130        9,261        3,332  

Registration and filing fees

     517        659        3,808  

Pricing fee

     7,343        4,000        1,664  

Unrealized depreciation on OTC forward exchange contracts

     1,000                

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     1,558        1,167        1,195  
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     45,695        1,572,613        32,518  
  

 

 

 

Net assets, at value

   $ 5,731,702      $ 39,542,268      $ 5,685,582  
  

 

 

 

Net assets consist of:

 

Paid-in capital

   $ 4,902,706      $ 38,618,043      $ 5,010,550  

Undistributed net investment income

     17,728               7,223  

Distributions in excess of net investment income

            (70,201       

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     721,058        1,031,979        650,391  

Accumulated net realized gain (loss)

     90,210        (37,553      17,418  
  

 

 

 

Net assets, at value

   $ 5,731,702      $ 39,542,268      $ 5,685,582  
  

 

 

 

Shares outstanding

     200,000        1,600,000        200,000  
  

 

 

 

Net asset value per share

   $ 28.66      $ 24.71      $ 28.43  
  

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     35  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Operations

for the period ended September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

      Franklin
Liberty
International
Opportunities ETF
     Franklin
Liberty
Investment
Grade
Corporate ETF
     Franklin
Liberty
U.S. Low
Volatility ETF
 

Investment income:

 

Dividends:a (net of foreign taxes)

        

Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 76,755      $      $ 58,057  

Interest:

        

Unaffiliated issuers

            854,961         
  

 

 

 

Total investment income

     76,755        854,961        58,057  
  

 

 

 

Expenses:

 

Management fees (Note 3a)

     16,380        157,149        13,930  

Transfer agent fees

     7,154        7,780        7,749  

Custodian fees

     17,732        17,195        620  

Reports to shareholders

     2,639        5,134        2,635  

Registration and filing fees

     4,717        6,961        4,389  

Professional fees

     43,823        37,735        18,321  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     632        8,024        709  

Pricing Fee

     11,231        6,000        2,496  

Other

     1,901        1,752        1,638  
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     106,209        247,730        52,487  

Expenses waived/paid by affiliates (Note 3c)

     (89,924      (148,688      (38,557
  

 

 

 

Net expenses

     16,285        99,042        13,930  
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     60,470        755,919        44,127  
  

 

 

 

Realized and unrealized gains (losses):

 

Net realized gain (loss) from:

 

Investments:

        

    Unaffiliated Issuers

     90,667        144,927        20,587  

Foreign currency transactions

     (457              
  

 

 

 

Net realized gain (loss)

     90,210        144,927        20,587  
  

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Investments:

        

    Unaffiliated issuers

     514,298        1,111,362        274,775  

Translation of other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies

     119                

Forward exchange contracts

     12,076                
  

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     526,493        1,111,362        274,775  
  

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

     616,703        1,256,289        295,362  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

   $ 677,173      $ 2,012,208      $ 339,489  
  

 

 

 

aForeign taxes withheld on dividends

   $ 8,750                

 

36    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

 

     Franklin Liberty International
Opportunities ETF
     Franklin Liberty Investment
Grade Corporate ETF
 
      Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
    

Year Ended

March 31, 2017a

     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
    

Year Ended

March 31, 2017b

 

Increase (decrease) in net assets:

           

Operations:

           

Net investment income

   $ 60,470      $ 17,681      $ 755,919      $ 538,300  

Net realized gain (loss)

     90,210        828        144,927        (91,008

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     526,493        194,565        1,111,362        (79,383
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

     677,173        213,074        2,012,208        367,909  
  

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income

     (61,251             (831,814      (624,659
  

 

 

 

Capital share transactions: (Note 2)

            4,902,706        (14,906,365      53,524,989  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets

     615,922        5,115,780        (13,725,971      53,268,239  

Net assets:

           

Beginning of period

     5,115,780               53,268,239         
  

 

 

 

End of period

   $ 5,731,702      $ 5,115,780      $ 39,542,268      $ 53,268,239  
  

 

 

 

Undistributed net investment income included in net assets, end of period

   $ 17,728      $ 18,509      $      $ 5,694  

Distributions in excess of net investment income included in net assets, end of period

                   (70,201       
  

 

 

 

aFor the period January 25, 2017 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

bFor the period October 3, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     37  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

 

     Franklin Liberty U.S. Low
Volatility ETF
 
      Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
(unaudited)
     Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 

Increase (decrease) in net assets:

     

Operations:

     

Net investment income

   $ 44,127      $ 45,921  

Net realized gain (loss)

     20,587        (3,169

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     274,775        375,616  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

     339,489        418,368  
  

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income

     (47,205      (35,620
  

 

 

 

Capital share transactions: (Note 2)

            5,010,550  
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets

     292,284        5,393,298  

Net assets:

     

Beginning of period

     5,393,298         
  

 

 

 

End of period

   $ 5,685,582      $ 5,393,298  
  

 

 

 

Undistributed net investment income included in net assets, end of period

   $ 7,223      $ 10,301  
  

 

 

 

aFor the period September 20, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

 

38    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies

Franklin Templeton ETF Trust (Trust) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) as an open-end management investment company, consisting of twelve separate funds, three of which are included in this report (Funds) and applies the specialized accounting and reporting guidance in U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP). Each of the Funds are an exchange traded fund (ETF) and are actively managed, thus they are not designed to track an index.

The following summarizes the Fund’s significant accounting policies.

a. Financial Instrument Valuation

The Funds’ investments in financial instruments are carried at fair value daily. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The Funds calculate the net asset value (NAV) per share as of 4 p.m. Eastern time each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. Under compliance policies and procedures approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the Board), the Funds’ administrator has responsibility for oversight of valuation, including leading the cross-functional Valuation Committee (VC). The VC provides administration and oversight of the Funds’ valuation policies and procedures, which are approved annually by the Board. Among other things, these procedures allow the Funds to utilize independent pricing services, quotations from securities and financial instrument dealers, and other market sources to determine fair value.

Equity securities and exchange traded funds listed on an exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the last quoted sale price or the official closing price of the day, respectively. Foreign equity securities are valued as of the close of trading on the foreign stock exchange on which the security is primarily traded or as of 4 p.m. Eastern time. The value is then converted into its U.S. dollar equivalent at the foreign exchange rate in effect at 4 p.m. London time on the day that the value of the security is determined, for all funds except Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF which uses the foreign exchange rate in effect at 4 p.m. Eastern time. Over-the-counter (OTC) securities are valued within the range of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices. Securities that trade in multiple markets or on multiple exchanges are valued according to the broadest and most

representative market. Certain equity securities are valued based upon fundamental characteristics or relationships to similar securities.

Debt securities generally trade in the OTC market rather than on a securities exchange. The Funds’ pricing services use multiple valuation techniques to determine fair value. In instances where sufficient market activity exists, the pricing services may utilize a market-based approach through which quotes from market makers are used to determine fair value. In instances where sufficient market activity may not exist or is limited, the pricing services also utilize proprietary valuation models which may consider market characteristics such as benchmark yield curves, credit spreads, estimated default rates, anticipated market interest rate volatility, coupon rates, anticipated timing of principal repayments, underlying collateral, and other unique security features in order to estimate the relevant cash flows, which are then discounted to calculate the fair value.

Certain derivative financial instruments (derivatives) trade in the OTC market. The Funds’ pricing services use various techniques including industry standard option pricing models and proprietary discounted cash flow models to determine the fair value of those instruments. The Funds’ net benefit or obligation under the derivative contract, as measured by the fair value of the contract, is included in net assets.

The Funds have procedures to determine the fair value of financial instruments for which market prices are not reliable or readily available. Under these procedures, the VC convenes on a regular basis to review such financial instruments and considers a number of factors, including significant unobservable valuation inputs, when arriving at fair value. The VC primarily employs a market-based approach which may use related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values, and other relevant information for the investment to determine the fair value of the investment. An income-based valuation approach may also be used in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted to calculate fair value. Discounts may also be applied due to the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. Due to the inherent uncertainty of valuations of such investments, the fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had an active market existed. The VC employs various methods for calibrating these valuation approaches including a regular review of key inputs and assumptions, transactional back-testing or disposition analysis, and reviews of any related market activity.

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     39  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

a. Financial Instrument Valuation (continued)

 

Trading in securities on foreign securities stock exchanges and OTC markets may be completed before 4 p.m. Eastern time. In addition, trading in certain foreign markets may not take place on every Funds’ business day. Occasionally, events occur between the time at which trading in a foreign security is completed and 4 p.m. Eastern time that might call into question the reliability of the value of a portfolio security held by the Funds. As a result, differences may arise between the value of the Funds’ portfolio securities as determined at the foreign market close and the latest indications of value at 4 p.m. Eastern time. The VC monitors price movements for significant events following the close of trading in foreign stock markets through a series of country specific market proxies (such as baskets of American Depositary Receipts, futures contracts and exchange traded funds). These price movements are measured against established trigger thresholds for each specific market proxy to assist in determining if an event has occurred that may call into question the reliability of the values of the foreign securities held by the Funds. If such an event occurs, the securities may be valued using fair value procedures, which may include the use of independent pricing services.

When the last day of the reporting period is a non-business day, certain foreign markets may be open on those days that the Funds’ NAV is not calculated, which could result in differences between the value of the Funds’ portfolio securities on the last business day and the last calendar day of the reporting period. Any significant security valuation changes due to an open foreign market are adjusted and reflected by the Funds for financial reporting purposes.

b. Foreign Currency Translation

Portfolio securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars based on the exchange rate of such currencies against U.S. dollars on the date of valuation. The Funds may enter into foreign currency exchange contracts to facilitate transactions denominated in a foreign currency. Purchases and sales of securities, income and expense items denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate in effect on the transaction date. Portfolio securities and assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies contain risks that those currencies will decline in value relative to

the U.S. dollar. Occasionally, events may impact the availability or reliability of foreign exchange rates used to convert the U.S. dollar equivalent value. If such an event occurs, the foreign exchange rate will be valued at fair value using procedures established and approved by the Board.

The Funds do not separately report the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates from changes in market prices on securities held. Such changes are included in net realized and unrealized gain or loss from investments in the Statements of Operations.

Realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the recorded amounts of dividends, interest, and foreign withholding taxes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in foreign exchange rates on foreign denominated assets and liabilities other than investments in securities held at the end of the reporting period.

c. Derivative Financial Instruments

Certain or all Funds invested in derivatives in order to manage risk or gain exposure to various other investments or markets. Derivatives are financial contracts based on an underlying or notional amount, require no initial investment or an initial net investment that is smaller than would normally be required to have a similar response to changes in market factors, and require or permit net settlement. Derivatives contain various risks including the potential inability of the counterparty to fulfill their obligations under the terms of the contract, the potential for an illiquid secondary market, and/or the potential for market movements which expose the Fund to gains or losses in excess of the amounts shown in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Realized gain and loss and unrealized appreciation and depreciation on these contracts for the period are included in the Statements of Operations.

Derivative counterparty credit risk is managed through a formal evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties. Certain or all Funds attempt to reduce their exposure to counterparty credit risk on OTC derivatives, whenever possible, by entering into International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) master agreements with certain counterparties. These agreements contain various provisions, including but not limited to collateral requirements, events of default, or early termination. Termination

 

40    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

events applicable to the counterparty include certain deteriorations in the credit quality of the counterparty. Termination events applicable to the Funds include failure of the Funds to maintain certain net asset levels and/or limit the decline in net assets over various periods of time. In the event of default or early termination, the ISDA master agreement gives the non-defaulting party the right to net and close-out all transactions traded, whether or not arising under the ISDA agreement, to one net amount payable by one counterparty to the other. However, absent an event of default or early termination, OTC derivative assets and liabilities are presented gross and not offset in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities. Early termination by the counterparty may result in an immediate payment by the Funds of any net liability owed to that counterparty under the ISDA agreement.

Collateral requirements differ by type of derivative. Collateral terms are contract specific for OTC derivatives. For OTC derivatives traded under an ISDA master agreement, posting of collateral is required by either the Fund or the applicable counterparty if the total net exposure of all OTC derivatives with the applicable counterparty exceeds the minimum transfer amount, which typically ranges from $100,000 to $250,000, and can vary depending on the counterparty and the type of the agreement. Generally, collateral is determined at the close of Fund business each day and any additional collateral required due to changes in derivative values may be delivered by the Fund or the counterparty within a few business days. Collateral pledged and/or received by the Fund, if any, is held in segregated accounts with the Fund’s custodian/ counterparty broker and can be in the form of cash and/or securities. Unrestricted cash may be invested according to the Funds’ investment objectives. To the extent that the amounts due to the Fund from its counterparties are not subject to collateralization or are not fully collateralized, the Fund bears the risk of loss from counterparty non-performance.

Certain or all Funds entered into OTC forward exchange contracts primarily to manage and/or gain exposure to certain foreign currencies. A forward exchange contract is an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty to buy or sell a foreign currency at a specific exchange rate on a future date.

See Note 7 regarding other derivative information.

d. Income and Deferred Taxes

It is each Funds’ policy to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. Each Fund intends to distribute to shareholders substantially all of its

taxable income and net realized gains to relieve it from federal income and excise taxes. As a result, no provision for U.S. federal income taxes is required.

The Funds may be subject to foreign taxation related to income received, capital gains on the sale of securities and certain foreign currency transactions in the foreign jurisdictions in which the Funds invest. Foreign taxes, if any, are recorded based on the tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign markets in which the Funds invest. When a capital gain tax is determined to apply, certain or all Funds record an estimated deferred tax liability in an amount that would be payable if the securities were disposed of on the valuation date.

Each Fund may recognize an income tax liability related to its uncertain tax positions under U.S. GAAP when the uncertain tax position has a less than 50% probability that it will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities based on its technical merits. As of September 30, 2017, each Fund has determined that no tax liability is required in its financial statements related to uncertain tax positions for any open tax years (or expected to be taken in future tax years). Open tax years are those that remain subject to examination and are based on the statute of limitations in each jurisdiction in which the Funds invest.

e. Security Transactions, Investment Income, Expenses and Distributions

Security transactions are accounted for on trade date. Realized gains and losses on security transactions are determined on a specific identification basis. Interest income and estimated expenses are accrued daily. Amortization of premium and accretion of discount on debt securities are included in interest income. Dividend income and realized gain distributions are recorded on the ex-dividend date except for certain dividends from securities where the dividend rate is not available. In such cases, the dividend is recorded as soon as the information is received by the Funds. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributable earnings are determined according to income tax regulations (tax basis) and may differ from earnings recorded in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts to reflect their tax character. These reclassifications have no impact on net assets or the results of operations. Temporary differences are not reclassified, as they may reverse in subsequent periods.

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     41  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies (continued)

e. Security Transactions, Investment Income, Expenses and Distributions (continued)

 

Common expenses incurred by the Trust are allocated among the Funds based on the ratio of net assets of each Fund to the combined net assets of the Trust. Fund specific expenses are charged directly to the fund that incurred the expense.

f. Accounting Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and

liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

g. Guarantees and Indemnifications

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and trustees are indemnified by the Trust against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred. Currently, the Trust expects the risk of loss to be remote.

2. Shares of Beneficial Interest

Shares of the Funds are issued and redeemed at their respective NAV in blocks of 100,000 shares or multiples thereof (Creation Units). Certain large institutional investors (Authorized Participants) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Funds. Once created, shares of the Funds generally trade in the secondary market in amounts less than one Creation Unit. The market price of the Funds’ shares will be based on the price in the secondary market which may be at, above or below the most recent NAV. Creation Units may be issued and redeemed in exchange for a designated portfolio of securities and/or cash (which may include cash in lieu of certain securities). For the period ended September 30, 2017, all Creation Unit transactions were made in cash.

Authorized Participants pay a transaction fee to the shareholder servicing agent when purchasing or redeeming Creation Units of the Funds regardless of the number of Creation Units that are being created or redeemed on the same day by the Authorized Participant. The standard transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance or redemption of Creation Units and is not charged to or paid by the Funds.

In addition, for cash Creation Unit transactions, a variable fee for creation and redemption transactions may be charged to the Authorized Participant to cover certain brokerage, tax, foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades. Variable fees received by the Funds, if any, are included in capital share transactions in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets.

At September 30, 2017, there were an unlimited number of shares authorized (without par value). Transactions in the Funds’ shares were as follows:

 

     Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF  
     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
    Year Ended
March 31, 2017a
 
      Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount  

Shares sold

         $  —       200,000     $ 4,902,706  
  

 

 

 

 

     Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF  
     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
    Year Ended
March 31, 2017b
 
      Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount  

Shares sold

     200,000     $ 4,927,176       2,200,000     $ 53,524,989  

Shares redeemed

     (800,000     (19,833,541            
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease)

     (600,000   $ (14,906,365     2,200,000     $ 53,524,989  
  

 

 

 

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

 

     Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF  
     Six Months Ended
September 30, 2017
    Year Ended
March 31, 2017c
 
      Shares     Amount     Shares     Amount  

Shares sold

         $  —       200,000     $ 5,010,550  
  

 

 

 

aFor the period January 25, 2017 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

bFor the period October 3, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

cFor the period September 20, 2016 (commencement of operations) to March 31, 2017.

 

3. Transactions with Affiliates

Franklin Resources, Inc. is the holding company for various subsidiaries that together are referred to as Franklin Templeton Investments. Certain officers and trustees of the Funds are also officers and/or directors of the following subsidiaries:

 

Subsidiary    Affiliation

Franklin Advisers, Inc. (Advisers)

  

Investment manager

Franklin Templeton Institutional, LLC (FT Institutional)

  

Investment manager

Franklin Templeton Investimentos (Brasil) Ltda. (FTI Brasil)

  

Investment manager

Franklin Templeton Investment Management Limited (FTIML)

  

Investment manager

Franklin Templeton Investment Trust Management Co., Ltd. (FT Korea)

  

Investment manager

Franklin Templeton Investments (ME) Limited (FTIME)

  

Investment manager

Franklin Templeton Investments Corp. (FTIC)

  

Investment manager

Templeton Asset Management Ltd. (TAML)

  

Investment manager

Franklin Templeton Services, LLC (FT Services)

  

Administrative manager

Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. (Distributors)

  

Principal underwriter

a. Management Fees

Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF and Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF pay an investment management fee to Advisers of 0.600% and 0.500%, respectively, per year of the average daily net assets of each of the Funds.

Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF pays an investment management fee to Advisers based on the average daily net assets of the fund as follows:

 

Annualized Fee Rate    Net Assets

0.625%

  

Up to and including $100 million

0.500%

  

Over $100 million, up to and including $250 million

0.450%

  

Over $250 million, up to and including $7.5 billion

0.440%

  

Over $7.5 billion, up to and including $10 billion

0.430%

  

Over $10 billion, up to and including $12.5 billion

0.420%

  

Over $12.5 billion, up to and including $15 billion

0.400%

  

Over $15 billion, up to and including $17.5 billion

0.380%

  

Over $17.5 billion, up to and including $20 billion

0.360%

  

Over $20 billion, up to and including $35 billion

0.355%

  

Over $35 billion, up to and including $50 billion

0.350%

  

In excess of $50 billion

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

3. Transactions with Affiliates (continued)

a. Management Fees (continued)

 

For the period ended March 31, 2017, the annualized effective investment management fee rate was 0.625% of the Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF’s average daily net assets.

Under a subadvisory agreement, FTI Brasil, FTIML, FT Korea, FTIME, FTIC and TAML, affiliates of Advisers, provide subadvisory services to Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF and FT Institutional, an affiliate of Advisers, provides subadvisory services to Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF. The subadvisory fee is paid by Advisers based on each Fund’s average daily net assets, and is not an additional expense of the Funds.

b. Administrative Fees

Under an agreement with Advisers, FT Services provides administrative services to the Funds. The fee is paid by Advisers based on the Funds’ average daily net assets, and is not an additional expense of the Funds.

c. Waiver and Expense Reimbursements

Effective September 1, 2017, Advisers has contractually agreed in advance to waive or limit its fees and to assume as its own expense certain expenses otherwise payable by Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF, Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF, and Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF so that the expenses (including acquired fund fees and expenses) of the Funds do not exceed 0.60%, 0.35%, and 0.50%, respectively, based on the average net assets (other than certain non-routine expenses or costs, including those relating to litigation, indemnification, reorganizations, and liquidations) until July 31, 2018, September 19, 2018, and September 19, 2018, respectively. Total expenses waived or paid are not subject to recapture subsequent to the Funds’ fiscal year end.

Prior to September 1, 2017, Advisers has contractually agreed in advance to waive or limit its fees and to assume as its own expense certain expenses otherwise payable by Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF, Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF, and Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF so that the expenses (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses) of the Funds do not exceed 0.60%, 0.40%, and 0.50%, respectively, based on the average net assets (other than certain non-routine expenses or costs, including those relating to litigation, indemnification, reorganizations, and liquidations).

d. Other Affiliated Transactions

At September 30, 2017, the shares of Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF were owned by the following investment companies:

 

      Shares     Percentage of
Outstanding Sharesa
 

Franklin Balanced Fund

     750,000       25.0%  

Franklin Total Return Fund

     400,000       46.9%  
  

 

 

 

Total

     1,150,000       71.9%  
  

 

 

 

aInvestment activities of significant shareholders could have a material impact on the Funds.

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

4. Income Taxes

For tax purposes, capital losses may be carried over to offset future capital gains, if any. At March 31, 2017, the capital loss carryforwards were as follows:

 

      Franklin Liberty
Investment Grade
Corporate ETF
    Franklin Liberty
U.S. Low
Volatility ETF
 
Capital loss carryforwards:     

Short term

   $ 110,191     $ 3,169  

Long term

            
  

 

 

 

Total capital loss carryforwards

   $ 110,191     $ 3,169  
  

 

 

 

At September 30, 2017, the cost of investments and net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) for income tax purposes were as follows:

 

      Franklin Liberty
International
Opportunities
ETF
    Franklin Liberty
Investment Grade
Corporate ETF
    Franklin Liberty
U.S. Low
Volatility ETF
 

Cost of investments

   $ 4,988,936     $ 37,922,665     $ 5,043,386  
  

 

 

 

Unrealized appreciation

   $ 791,085     $ 974,714     $ 677,889  

Unrealized depreciation

     (76,949     (15,919     (27,498
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

   $ 714,136     $ 958,795     $ 650,391  
  

 

 

 

Differences between income and/or capital gains as determined on a book basis and a tax basis are primarily due to differing treatment of foreign currency transactions, passive foreign investment company shares and bond discounts and premiums.

5. Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investments (excluding short term securities) for the period ended September 30, 2017, were as follows:

 

      Franklin Liberty
International
Opportunities
ETF
    Franklin Liberty
Investment Grade
Corporate ETF
    Franklin Liberty
U.S. Low
Volatility ETF
 

Purchases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   $ 1,429,626     $ 13,525,603     $ 2,022,674  

Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   $ 1,409,334     $ 28,296,553     $ 2,014,212  

6. Concentration of Risk

Investing in foreign securities may include certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities, such as fluctuating currency values and changing local and regional economic, political and social conditions, which may result in greater market volatility. In addition, certain foreign securities may not be as liquid as U.S. securities.

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

7. Other Derivative Information

At September 30, 2017, the Funds’ investments in derivative contracts are reflected in the Statements of Assets and Liabilities as follows:

 

    

Asset Derivatives

   

Liability Derivatives

 

Derivative Contracts

Not Accounted for as

Hedging Instruments

   Statements of Assets and
Liabilities Location
  Fair Value     Statements of Assets and
Liabilities Location
  Fair Value  
Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF         

Foreign exchange contracts

  

Unrealized appreciation on OTC forward exchange contracts

  $ 13,076    

Unrealized depreciation on OTC forward exchange contracts

  $ 1,000  

For the period ended September 30, 2017, the effect of derivative contracts in the Funds’ Statements of Operations was as follows:

 

    

Asset Derivatives

   

Liability Derivatives

 
Derivative Contracts
Not Accounted for as
Hedging Instruments
   Statements of
Operations Locations
  Net Realized
Gain (Loss)
for the Period
    Statements of
Operations Locations
  Net Change in
Unrealized
Appreciation
(Depreciation)
for the Period
 
Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF         
  

Net realized gain (loss) from:

   

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Foreign exchange contracts

  

Forward exchange contracts

  $  —    

Forward exchange contracts

  $ 12,076  

For the period ended September 30, 2017, the average month end contract value of forward exchange contracts was $199,342.

See note 1(c) regarding derivative financial instruments.

8. Fair Value Measurements

The Funds follow a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and the Funds’ own market assumptions (unobservable inputs). These inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ financial instruments and are summarized in the following fair value hierarchy:

 

    Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical financial instruments
    Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar financial instruments, interest rates, prepayment speed, credit risk, etc.)
    Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Funds’ own assumptions in determining the fair value of financial instruments)

The input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level.

For movements between the levels within the fair value hierarchy, the Funds have adopted a policy of recognizing the transfers as of the date of the underlying event which caused the movement.

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

A summary of inputs used as of September 30, 2017, in valuing the Funds’ assets and liabilities carried at fair value, is as follows:

 

      Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Total  
Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF  
Assets:  

Investments in Securities:

 

Equity Investments:a,b

   $ 5,690,996     $     $  —     $ 5,690,996  
  

 

 

 

Other Financial Instruments:

        

Forward Exchange Contracts

   $     $ 13,076     $     $ 13,076  
  

 

 

 
Liabilities:         

Other Financial Instruments:

        

Forward Exchange Contracts

   $     $ 1,000     $     $ 1,000  
  

 

 

 
Franklin Liberty Investment Grade Corporate ETF         
Assets:  

Investments in Securities:

 

Corporate Bonds

   $     $ 37,212,352     $     $ 37,212,352  

U.S. Government & Agency Securities

           1,004,121             1,004,121  

Short Term Investments

           664,987             664,987  
  

 

 

 

Total Investments in Securities

   $     $ 38,881,460     $     $ 38,881,460  
  

 

 

 
Franklin Liberty U.S. Low Volatility ETF         
Assets:         

Investments in Securities:

        

Equity Investmentsb

   $ 5,693,777     $     $     $ 5,693,777  
  

 

 

 

aIncludes common and preferred stocks as well as other equity investments.

bFor detailed categories, see the accompanying Statement of Investments.

9. New Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2017-08, Receivables — Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. The amendments in the ASU shorten the amortization period for certain callable debt securities, held at a premium, to be amortized to the earliest call date. The ASU does not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount; which continues to be amortized to maturity. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Management is currently evaluating the impact, if any, of applying this provision.

10. Subsequent Events

The Funds have evaluated subsequent events through the issuance of the financial statements and determined that no events have occurred that require disclosure.

Abbreviations

 

Counterparty   Selected Portfolio
BOFA   Bank of America   ADR   American Depository Receipt
   

ETF

 

Exchange Traded Fund

   

FHLB

 

Federal Home Loan Bank

   

GDR

 

Global Depositary Receipt

   

REIT

 

Real Estate Investment Trust

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Tax Information (unaudited)

 

At March 31, 2017, more than 50% of Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF total assets were invested in securities of foreign issuers. In most instances, foreign taxes were withheld from income paid to the Fund on these investments. As shown in the table below, the Fund hereby reports to shareholders the foreign source income and foreign taxes paid, pursuant to Section 853 of the Internal Revenue Code (Code). This written statement will allow shareholders of record on June 22, 2017, to treat their proportionate share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund as having been paid directly by them. The shareholder shall consider these amounts as foreign taxes paid in the tax year in which they receive the Fund distribution.

The following table provides a detailed analysis of foreign tax paid, foreign source income, and foreign source qualified dividends as reported by the Fund to shareholders of record.

 

Fund   Foreign Tax Paid
Per Share
    Foreign Source Income
Per Share
    Foreign Source Qualified
Dividends Per Share
 

Franklin Liberty International Opportunities ETF

    $0.0109       $0.1044       $0.0942  

Foreign Tax Paid Per Share (Column 1) is the amount per share available to you, as a tax credit (assuming you held your shares in the Fund for a minimum of 16 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days before the ex-dividend date of the Fund’s distribution to which the foreign taxes relate), or, as a tax deduction.

Foreign Source Income Per Share (Column 2) is the amount per share of income dividends attributable to foreign securities held by the Fund, plus any foreign taxes withheld on these dividends. The amounts reported include foreign source qualified dividends that have not been adjusted for the rate differential applicable to such dividend income.1

Foreign Source Qualified Dividends Per Share (Column 3) is the amount per share of foreign source qualified dividends, plus any foreign taxes withheld on these dividends. These amounts represent the portion of the Foreign Source Income reported to you in column 2 that were derived from qualified foreign securities held by the Fund.1

By mid-February 2018, shareholders will receive Form 1099-DIV which will include their share of taxes paid and foreign source income distributed during the calendar year 2017. The Foreign Source Income reported on Form 1099-DIV has not been adjusted for the rate differential on foreign source qualified dividend income. Shareholders are advised to check with their tax advisors for information on the treatment of these amounts on their 2017 individual income tax returns.

1. Qualified dividends are taxed at reduced long term capital gains tax rates. In determining the amount of foreign tax credit that may be applied against the U.S. tax liability of individuals receiving foreign source qualified dividends, adjustments may be required to the foreign tax credit limitation calculation to reflect the rate differential applicable to such dividend income. The rules however permit certain individuals to elect not to apply the rate differential adjustments for capital gains and/or dividends for any taxable year. Please consult your tax advisor and the instructions to Form 1116 for more information.

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Shareholder Information

 

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

The Trust’s investment manager has established Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Policies) that the Trust uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. Shareholders may view the Trust’s complete Policies online at libertyshares.com. Alternatively, shareholders may request copies of the Policies free of charge by calling the Proxy Group collect at (954) 527-7678 or by sending a written request to: Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC, 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, Attention: Proxy Group. Copies of the Trust’s proxy voting records are also made available online at franklintempleton.com and posted on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at sec.gov and reflect the most recent 12-month period ended June 30.

Quarterly Statement of Investments

The Trust files a complete statement of investments with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters for each fiscal year on Form N-Q. Shareholders may view the filed Form N-Q by visiting the Commission’s website at sec.gov. The filed form may also be viewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information regarding the operations of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

Premium/Discount Information

Information about the differences between the daily market price on the secondary market for the shares of the Fund and the Fund’s net asset value may be found on the Fund’s website at libertyshares.com.

 

 

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Authorized for distribution only when accompanied or preceded by a summary prospectus and/or prospectus. Investors should carefully consider a fund’s investment goals, risks, charges and expenses before investing. A prospectus contains this and other information; please read it carefully before investing.

To help ensure we provide you with quality service, all calls to and from our service areas are monitored and/or recorded.

 

 

 

LOGO   Semiannual Report  
  Franklin Templeton ETF Trust
 

Investment Manager

Franklin Advisers, Inc.

 

Distributor

Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.

(800) DIAL BEN®/342-5236

libertyshares.com

 

Investor Services

Transfer Agent

State Street Bank and
Trust Company

1 Heritage Drive
Mail Stop OHD0100

North Quincy, MA 02171

 

© 2017 Franklin Templeton Investments. All rights reserved.    ETF2 S 11/17


LOGO

 

LOGO

 

LOGO

 

Franklin Templeton

ETF Trust

Semiannual Report

September 30, 2017

 

Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF

Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENTS

Gain From Our Perspective®

At Franklin Templeton Investments, we’re dedicated to one goal: delivering exceptional asset management for our clients. By bringing together multiple, world-class investment teams in a single firm, we’re able to offer specialized expertise across styles and asset classes, all supported by the strength and resources of one of the world’s largest asset managers. This has helped us to become a trusted partner to individual and institutional investors across the globe.

Contents        
Semiannual Report       
Municipal Bond Market Overview      2  
Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF      3  
Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF      8  
Financial Highlights and Statements of Investments      13  
Financial Statements      19  
Notes to Financial Statements      22  
Shareholder Information      27  

 

Visit libertyshares.com for fund updates and documents.

 

 

Not FDIC Insured   |   May Lose Value   |   No Bank Guarantee

 

libertyshares.com   Not part of the semiannual report      1  


SEMIANNUAL REPORT

Municipal Bond Market Overview

 

The municipal bond market performed better than the US Treasury market, but underperformed US stock markets during the one-month period ending September 30, 2017. Investment-grade municipal bonds, as measured by the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index, had a -0.51% total return for the period, while US Treasuries, as measured by the Bloomberg Barclays US Treasury Index, had a -0.86% total return.1 US equities, as represented by the Standard & Poor’s® 500 Index, outperformed both municipals and US Treasuries with a +2.06% total return for the reporting period.1

In its most recent Federal Open Market Committee statement released on September 20, 2017, the Federal Reserve indicated that the labor market has continued to strengthen and that economic activity has been rising moderately so far during the year. The Committee also stated that on a 12-month basis, overall inflation excluding food and energy prices has declined. The Committee mentioned that it would begin

implementing its balance sheet normalization program in October.

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. The way we implement our main investment strategies and the resulting portfolio holdings may change depending on factors such as market and economic conditions. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, state, industry, security or fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

 

1. Source: Morningstar. Treasuries, if held to maturity, offer a fixed rate of return and a fixed principal value; their interest payments and principal are guaranteed.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

 

2    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF covers the period since the Fund’s inception on August 31, 2017, through September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income that is exempt from federal income taxes by investing at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest free from such taxes.1 The Fund seeks to maintain a dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity (the time in which the debt must be repaid) of three to 10 years.

Performance Overview

For the period since inception on August 31, 2017, through September 30, 2017, the Fund had cumulative total returns of -0.08% based on market price and -0.44% based on net asset value (NAV).2 In comparison, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal 1-15 Year Index had a -0.46% total return for the same period.3 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 5.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

Investment Strategy

We select securities that we believe will provide the best balance between risk and return within the Fund’s range of allowable investments and we typically use a buy-and-hold strategy. The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (ETF) that does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.

Credit Quality Composition*       
9/30/17       
Ratings    % of Total
Investments
 

AAA

     16.19%  

AA

     60.66%  

A

     6.48%  

BBB

     7.81%  

Not Rated

     8.86%  

*Securities, except for those labeled Not Rated, are assigned ratings by one or more Nationally Recognized Statistical Credit Rating Organizations (NRSROs), such as Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch, that can be considered by the investment manager as part of its independent securities analysis. When ratings from multiple agencies are available, the highest is used, consistent with the portfolio investment process. Ratings reflect an NRSRO’s opinion of an issuer’s creditworthiness and typically range from AAA (highest) to D (lowest). The Below Investment Grade category consists of bonds rated below BBB-. The Refunded category generally consists of refunded bonds secured by US government or other high-quality securities and not rerated by an NRSRO. The Not Rated category consists of ratable securities that have not been rated by an NRSRO. Cash and equivalents are excluded from this composition.

Manager’s Discussion

During the short reporting period, we began investing in municipal securities. The low supply environment, especially evident in the high yield segment of the market, resulted in a slow deployment of capital. The Fund ended the period with a significant amount in cash. Due to the positive sloping municipal yield curve, we found value in higher quality securities in the eight- to 15-year maturity range, which we believe may ultimately allow us to achieve our objective of maximizing income for our investors. Under current market conditions, the Fund seeks to be fully invested in municipal securities as supply in the market becomes available. The Fund also anticipates transitioning from higher investment grade positions in favor of higher yielding ones if and when opportunities arise. We believe our consistent, disciplined strategy can help our investors achieve high, tax-free income over the long term.

 

 

1. Dividends are generally subject to state and local taxes, if any. For investors subject to alternative minimum tax, a small portion of Fund dividends may be taxable. Distributions of capital gains are generally taxable. To avoid imposition of 28% backup withholding on all Fund distributions and redemption proceeds, US investors must be properly certified on Form W-9 and non-US investors on Form W-8BEN.

2. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (9/5/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the market price to calculate market returns.

3. Source: Morningstar.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions. It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index, and an index is not representative of the Fund’s portfolio.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information.

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 14.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report      3  


FRANKLIN LIBERTY INTERMEDIATE MUNICIPAL OPPORTUNITIES ETF

 

 

 

Portfolio Composition       
9/30/17       
      % of Total
Investments*
 

General Obligation

     38.1%  

Utilities

     22.1%  

Higher Education

     19.4%  

Hospital & Health Care

     8.0%  

Tax-Supported

     6.1%  

Transportation

     3.5%  

Subject to Government Appropriations

     2.8%  

* Does not include cash and cash equivalents.

Thank you for your participation in Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. The way we implement our main investment strategies and the resulting portfolio holdings may change depending on factors such as market and economic conditions. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, state, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

 

 

4    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTY INTERMEDIATE MUNICIPAL OPPORTUNITIES ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance tables do not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (9/5/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
      Based on
NAV3
    

Based on

market price4

     Based on
NAV3
    

Based on

market price4

 

Since Inception (8/31/17)

     -0.44%        -0.08%        -0.44%        -0.08%  

 

30-Day Standardized Yield5  
(with waiver)      (without waiver)  
  0.03%        -1.55%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

 

See page 6 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     5  


FRANKLIN LIBERTY INTERMEDIATE MUNICIPAL OPPORTUNITIES ETF

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

 

Total Annual Operating Expenses6

With Waiver    Without Waiver  

0.30%

     0.82%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Because municipal bonds are sensitive to interest rate movements, the Fund’s yield and share price will fluctuate with market conditions. Bond prices generally move in the opposite direction of interest rates. Thus, as prices of bonds in the Fund adjust to a rise in interest rates, the Fund’s share price may decline. 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. The Fund’s investments in lower rated bonds include higher risk of default and loss of principal. The Fund may invest a significant part of its assets in municipal securities that finance similar types of projects, such as utilities, hospitals, higher education and transportation. A change that affects one project would likely affect all similar projects, thereby increasing market risk. The Fund is actively managed but there is no guarantee that the manager’s investment decisions will produce the desired results. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through 8/29/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the period indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. The Fund’s 30-day standardized yield is calculated over a trailing 30-day period using the yield to maturity on bonds and/or the dividends accrued on stocks. It may not equal the Fund’s actual income distribution rate, which reflects the Fund’s past dividends paid to shareholders.

6. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

6    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com|


FRANKLIN LIBERTY INTERMEDIATE MUNICIPAL OPPORTUNITIES ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 × $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different ETFs. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

      Actual
(actual return after expenses)
    Hypothetical
(5% annual return before expenses)
       
Beginning
Account
Value1
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
8/31/17–9/30/172,3
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/172,3
    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio3
 
  $1,000.00     $ 995.60     $ 0.25     $ 1,023.56     $ 1.52       0.30

1. 8/31/17 for Actual; 4/1/17 for Hypothetical.

2. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period for Hypothetical expenses. For Actual expenses, the multiplier is 30/365 to reflect the number of days since commencement of operations.

3. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     7  


Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF

 

This semiannual report for Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF covers the period since the Fund’s inception on August 31, 2017, through September 30, 2017.

Your Fund’s Goal and Main Investments

The Fund seeks to provide a high level of current income that is exempt from federal income taxes by investing at least 80% of its net assets in municipal securities that pay interest free from such taxes.1 The Fund seeks to maintain a dollar-weighted average portfolio maturity (the time in which the debt must be repaid) of five to 15 years, and only buys securities rated, at the time of purchase, in one of the top four ratings categories by one or more US nationally recognized rating services (or comparable unrated or short-term rated securities).

Performance Overview

For the period since inception on August 31, 2017, through September 30, 2017, the Fund had cumulative total returns of -0.32% based on market price and -0.52% based on net asset value (NAV).2 In comparison, the Bloomberg Barclays Municipal Bond Index had a -0.51% total return for the same period.3 You can find more of the Fund’s performance data in the Performance Summary beginning on page 10.

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

Investment Strategy

We select securities that we believe will provide the best balance between risk and return within the Fund’s range of allowable investments and we typically use a buy-and-hold strategy. The Fund is an actively managed exchange-traded fund (ETF) that does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index.

 

Credit Quality Composition*       
9/30/17       

Ratings

  

% of Total

Investments

 

AAA

     15.99%  

AA

     74.69%  

A

     7.09%  

Not Rated

     2.23%  

*Securities, except for those labeled Not Rated, are assigned ratings by one or more Nationally Recognized Statistical Credit Rating Organizations (NRSROs), such as Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch, that can be considered by the investment manager as part of its independent securities analysis. When ratings from multiple agencies are available, the highest is used, consistent with the portfolio investment process. Ratings reflect an NRSRO’s opinion of an issuer’s creditworthiness and typically range from AAA (highest) to D (lowest). The Below Investment Grade category consists of bonds rated below BBB-. The Refunded category generally consists of refunded bonds secured by US government or other high-quality securities and not rerated by an NRSRO. The Not Rated category consists of ratable securities that have not been rated by an NRSRO. Cash and equivalents are excluded from this composition.

 

Manager’s Discussion

During the short reporting period, we began investing in municipal securities. The low supply environment resulted in a slow deployment of capital. The Fund ended the period with a significant amount in cash. Due to the positive sloping municipal yield curve, we found value in higher quality securities in the 10- to 20-year maturity range, which we believe may ultimately allow us to achieve our objective of maximizing income for our investors. The Fund seeks to be fully invested as supply in the market becomes available. We believe our consistent, disciplined strategy can help our investors achieve high, tax-free income over the long term.

 

1. Dividends are generally subject to state and local taxes, if any. For investors subject to alternative minimum tax, a small portion of Fund dividends may be taxable. Distributions of capital gains are generally taxable. To avoid imposition of 28% backup withholding on all Fund distributions and redemption proceeds, US investors must be properly certified on Form W-9 and non-US investors on Form W-8BEN.

2. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (9/5/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the market price to calculate market returns.

3. Source: Morningstar.

The index is unmanaged and includes reinvestment of any income or distributions. It does not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges. One cannot invest directly in an index, and an index is not representative of the Fund’s portfolio.

See www.franklintempletondatasources.com for additional data provider information

The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 17.

 

8    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTY MUNICIPAL BOND ETF

 

Portfolio Composition       
9/30/17       
     

% of Total

Investments*

 

General Obligation

     40.7%  

Utilities

     24.8%  

Higher Education

     13.8%  

Transportation

     9.7%  

Tax-Supported

     4.6%  

Other Revenue

     2.4%  

Subject to Government Appropriations

     2.0%  

Housing

     2.0%  

*Does not include cash and cash equivalents.

 

Thank you for your participation in Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.

 

 

The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of September 30, 2017, the end of the reporting period. The way we implement our main investment strategies and the resulting portfolio holdings may change depending on factors such as market and economic conditions. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, state, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     9  


FRANKLIN LIBERTY MUNICIPAL BOND ETF

 

Performance Summary as of September 30, 2017

Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not include brokerage commissions that may be payable on secondary market transactions. The performance tables do not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.

Net asset value or “NAV” is the value of one share of a fund as calculated in accordance with the standard formula for valuing mutual fund shares. The price used to calculate market return (Market Price) is determined by using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the primary stock exchange on which shares of a fund are listed for trading, as of the time that such fund’s NAV is calculated. Since shares of the Fund did not trade in the secondary market until after the Fund’s inception, for the period from inception to the first day of secondary trading (9/5/17), the NAV of the Fund is used as a proxy for the Market Price to calculate market returns. Market and NAV returns assume that dividends and capital gain distributions have been reinvested at Market Price and NAV.

Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities.

Performance as of 9/30/171

 

     Cumulative Total Return2      Average Annual Total Return2  
      Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
     Based on
NAV3
     Based on
market price4
 

Since Inception (8/31/17)

     -0.52%        -0.32%        -0.52%        -0.32%  

 

     30-Day Standardized Yield6  
Distribution Rate5    (with waiver)      (without waiver)  

0.06%

     0.15%        -1.44%  

Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown. For most recent month-end performance, go to libertyshares.com or call (800) 342-5236.

See page 11 for Performance Summary footnotes.

 

10    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN LIBERTY MUNICIPAL BOND ETF

PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

 

Distributions (8/31/17-9/30/17)

Net Investment

Income

$0.001262

Total Annual Operating Expenses7

With Waiver    Without Waiver  
0.30%      0.82%  

All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. Because municipal bonds are sensitive to interest rate movements, the Fund’s yield and share price will fluctuate with market conditions. Bond prices generally move in the opposite direction of interest rates. Thus, as prices of bonds in the Fund adjust to a rise in interest rates, the Fund’s share price may decline. 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. The Fund may invest a significant part of its assets in municipal securities that finance similar types of projects, such as utilities, hospitals, higher education and transportation. A change that affects one project would likely affect all similar projects, thereby increasing market risk. The Fund is actively managed but there is no guarantee that the manager’s investment decisions will produce the desired results. The Fund’s prospectus also includes a description of the main investment risks.

ETFs trade like stocks, fluctuate in market value and may trade at prices above or below their net asset value. Brokerage commissions and ETF expenses will reduce returns.

1. The Fund has an expense reduction contractually guaranteed through at least 8/29/18. Fund investment results reflect the expense reduction; without this reduction, the results would have been lower.

2. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the period indicated. Return for less than one year, if any, has not been annualized.

3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.

4. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on market price.

5. Distribution rate is based on an annualization of the September dividend and the NAV per share on 9/30/17.

6. The Fund’s 30-day standardized yield is calculated over a trailing 30-day period using the yield to maturity on bonds and/or the dividends accrued on stocks. It may not equal the Fund’s actual income distribution rate, which reflects the Fund’s past dividends paid to shareholders.

7. Figures are as stated in the Fund’s current prospectus and may differ from the expense ratios disclosed in the Your Fund’s Expenses and Financial Highlights sections in this report. In periods of market volatility, assets may decline significantly, causing total annual Fund operating expenses to become higher than the figures shown.

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     11  


FRANKLIN LIBERTY MUNICIPAL BOND ETF

 

Your Fund’s Expenses

 

As a Fund shareholder, you can incur two types of costs: (1) transaction costs, including brokerage commissions on purchases and sales of Fund shares; and (2) ongoing Fund costs, including management fees and other Fund expenses. All funds have ongoing costs, sometimes referred to as operating expenses. The table below shows ongoing costs of investing in the Fund and can help you understand these costs and compare them with those of other funds. The table assumes a $1,000 investment held for the six months indicated.

Actual Fund Expenses

The table below provides information about actual account values and actual expenses in the columns under the heading “Actual.” In these columns the Fund’s actual return, which includes the effect of Fund expenses, is used to calculate the “Ending Account Value.” You can estimate the expenses you paid during the period by following these steps (of course, your account value and expenses will differ from those in this illustration): Divide your account value by $1,000 (if your account had an $8,600 value, then $8,600 ÷ $1,000 = 8.6). Then multiply the result by the number in the row under the headings “Actual” and “Expenses Paid During Period” (if Actual Expenses Paid During Period were $7.50, then 8.6 x $7.50 = $64.50). In this illustration, the actual expenses paid this period are $64.50.

Hypothetical Example for Comparison with Other Funds

Under the heading “Hypothetical” in the table, information is provided about hypothetical account values and hypothetical expenses based on the Fund’s actual expense ratio and an assumed rate of return of 5% per year before expenses, which is not the Fund’s actual return. This information may not be used to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for the period, but it can help you compare ongoing costs of investing in the Fund with those of other funds. To do so, compare this 5% hypothetical example with the 5% hypothetical examples that appear in the shareholder reports of other funds.

Please note that expenses shown in the table are meant to highlight ongoing costs and do not reflect any transactional costs. Therefore, information under the heading “Hypothetical” is useful in comparing ongoing costs only, and will not help you compare total costs of owning different funds. In addition, if transactional costs were included, your total costs would have been higher.

 

      Actual
(actual return after expenses)
    Hypothetical
(5% annual return before expenses)
       
Beginning
Account
Value1
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
8/31/17–9/30/172,3
    Ending
Account
Value 9/30/17
    Expenses
Paid During
Period
4/1/17–9/30/172,3
    Net Annualized
Expense Ratio3
 
  $1,000.00     $ 994.80     $ 0.25     $ 1,023.56     $ 1.52       0.30

1. 8/31/17 for Actual; 4/1/17 for Hypothetical.

2. Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio for the six-month period as indicated above—in the far right column—multiplied by the simple average account value over the period indicated, and then multiplied by 183/365 to reflect the one-half year period for Hypothetical expenses. For Actual expenses, the multiplier is 30/365 to reflect the number of days since commencement of operations.

3. Reflects expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements.

 

12    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF

 

    

Period Ended
September 30, 2017a

(unaudited)

 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 25.00  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operations:b  

Net investment incomec

    d 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    (0.11
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    (0.11
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 24.89  
 

 

 

 

Total returne

    (0.44)%  
Ratios to average net assetsf  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    1.65%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.30%  

Net investment income

    0.02%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $7,468  

Portfolio turnover rateg

    —%  

 

aFor the period August 31, 2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dAmount rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

eTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

fRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

gPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     13  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF

 

           Principal Amount        Value  
    Municipal Bonds 48.5%                
    Arkansas 1.4%                
 

Little Rock School District GO, Pulaski County, Construction, 3.00%, 2/01/25

   $ 100,000        $ 103,876  
         

 

 

 
    California 2.9%                
 

California Statewide CDA Revenue, Baptist University, Refunding, Series A, 3.00%, 11/01/22

     100,000          100,391  
 

Perris Joint Powers Authority Local Agency Revenue, Refunding, Series B, 5.00%, 9/01/25

     100,000          116,360  
         

 

 

 
            216,751  
         

 

 

 
    Colorado 3.2%                
 

Colorado Springs Utilities Revenue, Refunding, Series A-2, 5.00%, 11/15/20

     100,000          111,752  
a  

Colorado State Board of Governors University Enterprise System Revenue, Refunding, Series A, 5.00%, 3/01/28

     100,000          124,709  
         

 

 

 
            236,461  
         

 

 

 
    Florida 3.9%                
a  

Jacksonville Health Care Facilities Revenue, Brooks Rehabilitation, Genesis Health Inc Obligated Group, Refunding, 5.00%, 11/01/27

     100,000          119,394  
 

Miami Health Facilities Authority Revenue, Miami Jewish Health Systems Inc. Project, Refunding, 5.00%, 7/01/28

     150,000          168,830  
         

 

 

 
            288,224  
         

 

 

 
    Kansas 1.4%                
 

Douglas County USD No. 497 GO, Series A, 3.50%, 9/01/32

     100,000          105,134  
         

 

 

 
    Maryland 1.7%                
 

Maryland State GO, State and Local Facilities Loan of 2017, Refunding, Second Series B, 5.00%, 8/01/25

     100,000          123,182  
         

 

 

 
    Michigan 1.7%                
 

Michigan State GO, Environmental Program, Refunding, Series A, 5.00%, 5/01/27

     100,000          125,534  
         

 

 

 
    Minnesota 4.7%                
 

Farmington ISD No. 192 GO, School Building, Refunding, Series C, 5.00%, 2/01/21

     100,000          112,115  
a  

Northern Muni Power Agency Electric Systems Revenue, Refunding, 5.00%, 1/01/36

     100,000          115,253  
 

University of Minnesota Revenue, Refunding, Series B, 5.00%, 12/01/29

     100,000          124,646  
         

 

 

 
            352,014  
         

 

 

 
    Nevada 4.5%                
 

Clark County School District GO, Building, Refunding, Series A, 5.00%, 6/15/26

     100,000          121,704  
 

Las Vegas Special ID No. 812 Special Assessment, Local Improvement, Summerlin Village 24, 4.00%, 12/01/22

     100,000          104,307  
 

Lyon County School District GO, Refunding, Series A, PSF Guarantee, 4.00%, 6/01/28

     100,000          113,168  
         

 

 

 
            339,179  
         

 

 

 
    New Jersey 1.4%                
 

Pinelands Regional School District GO, Refunding, AGMC Insured, 3.00%, 8/01/27

     100,000          105,313  
         

 

 

 
    New Mexico 1.6%                
 

New Mexico State GO, Capital Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 3/01/25

     100,000          121,952  
         

 

 

 
    New York 3.3%                
 

MTA Revenue, Transportation Green Bonds Climate Bond Certified, Refunding, Series B, 5.00%, 11/15/28

     100,000          125,568  
a  

New York City GO, Fiscal 2018, Series 1, 5.00%, 8/01/26

     100,000          123,344  
         

 

 

 
            248,912  
         

 

 

 
    North Carolina 1.7%                
a  

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Revenue, Board of Governors, Refunding, 5.00%, 10/01/26

     100,000          123,503  
         

 

 

 

 

14    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF (continued)

 

           Principal Amount        Value  
    Municipal Bonds (continued)                
    Ohio 3.2%                
a  

Cleveland Water Revenue, Second Lien, Refunding, Series B, 5.00%, 1/01/27

   $ 100,000        $ 123,919  
 

Ohio State Water Development Authority Revenue, Community Assistance, Refunding, 4.00%, 12/01/25

     100,000          115,314  
         

 

 

 
            239,233  
         

 

 

 
    Pennsylvania 1.5%                
 

Allegheny County Higher Education Building Authority University Revenue, Robert Morris University UPMC Events Centers Project, 5.00%, 10/15/26

     100,000          114,192  
         

 

 

 
    Texas 4.5%                
 

Round Rock Utility Revenue, Refunding, 2.75%, 8/01/29

     100,000          100,154  
a  

Texas State Water Development Board Revenue, Series A, 5.00%, 4/15/23

     100,000          117,916  
 

University of Texas Revenue, Financing System, Refunding, Series A, 5.00%, 8/15/22

     100,000          116,621  
         

 

 

 
            334,691  
         

 

 

 
    Utah 1.3%                
 

Utah State Building Ownership Authority Lease Revenue, State Facilities Master Lease Program, 2.50%, 5/15/27

     100,000          100,761  
         

 

 

 
    Washington 3.2%                
 

Seattle Municipal Light and Power Revenue, Refunding and Improvement, Series C, 5.00%, 9/01/22

     100,000          116,975  
a  

Washington State GO, Various Purpose, Series A, 5.00%, 8/01/26

     100,000          123,835  
         

 

 

 
            240,810  
         

 

 

 
    Wisconsin 1.4%                
 

Fond Du Lac GO, Refunding, Series B, 2.00%, 4/01/22

     100,000          101,946  
         

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (Cost $3,654,192) 48.5%

          3,621,668  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 51.5%

          3,845,900  
         

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

        $ 7,467,568  
         

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 26.

aSecurity purchased on a when-issued basis. See Note 1(b).

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     15  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Financial Highlights

 

Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF

 

    

Period Ended
September 30, 2017a

(unaudited)

 
Per share operating performance
(for a share outstanding throughout the period)
 

Net asset value, beginning of period

  $ 25.00  
 

 

 

 
Income from investment operations:b  

Net investment incomec

    d 

Net realized and unrealized gains (losses)

    (0.13
 

 

 

 

Total from investment operations

    (0.13
 

 

 

 

Less distributions from net investment income

    (— )d 
 

 

 

 

Net asset value, end of period

  $ 24.87  
 

 

 

 

Total returne

    (0.52)%  
Ratios to average net assetsf  

Expenses before waiver and payments by affiliates

    1.65%  

Expenses net of waiver and payments by affiliates

    0.30%  

Net investment income

    0.17%  
Supplemental data  

Net assets, end of period (000’s)

    $7,461  

Portfolio turnover rateg

    —%  

 

aFor the period August 31, 2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

bThe amount shown for a share outstanding throughout the period may not correlate with the Statement of Operations for the period due to the timing of sales and repurchases of Creation Unit Fund shares in relation to income earned and/or fluctuating fair value of the investments of the Fund.

cBased on average daily shares outstanding.

dAmount rounds to less than $0.01 per share.

eTotal return is not annualized for periods of less than one year. Total return is calculated assuming an initial investment made at the net asset value at the beginning of the period, reinvestment of all dividends and distributions at net asset value during the period, and redemption at net asset value on the last day of the period.

fRatios are annualized for periods less than one year.

gPortfolio turnover rate excludes the value of portfolio securities received or delivered as a result of processing capital share transactions in Creation Units, if any.

 

16    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Statement of Investments, September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF

 

           Principal Amount        Value  
    Municipal Bonds 69.7%                
    Arkansas 1.4%                
 

Little Rock School District GO, Pulaski County, Construction, 3.00%, 2/01/25

   $ 100,000        $ 103,876  
         

 

 

 
    California 6.0%                
a  

Burbank Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency Tax Allocation Revenue, Refunding, 3.00%, 12/01/32

     100,000          98,327  
 

Perris Joint Powers Authority Local Agency Revenue, Refunding, Series B, 5.00%, 9/01/37

     100,000          111,757  
 

South Tahoe Joint Powers Financing Authority Lease Revenue, Redevelopment Project Area No. 1, Series A, BAM Insured, 5.00%, 10/01/30

     100,000          118,680  
 

University of California Revenue, Limited Project, Series M, 5.00%, 5/15/34

     100,000          119,737  
         

 

 

 
            448,501  
         

 

 

 
    Colorado 6.1%                
 

Adams and Weld Counties School District No. 27J Brighton GO, 5.00%, 12/01/42

     100,000          117,401  
a  

Cherry Creek Co. School District No. 5 GO, Refunding, Series C, 5.00%, 12/15/35

     100,000          120,775  
 

Colorado Springs Utilities Revenue, Refunding, Series A, 4.00%, 11/15/33

     100,000          109,124  
a  

Colorado State Board of Governors University Enterprise System Revenue, Refunding, Series A, 4.00%, 3/01/35

     100,000          107,716  
         

 

 

 
            455,016  
         

 

 

 
    Connecticut 1.5%                
 

Connecticut State Special Tax Obligation Revenue, Series A, 5.00%, 8/01/31

     100,000          114,910  
         

 

 

 
    Hawaii 1.5%                
 

Hawaii State GO, Refunding, Series FH, 4.00%, 10/01/30

     100,000          111,334  
         

 

 

 
    Kansas 3.1%                
 

Douglas County USD No. 497 GO, Series A, 3.50%, 9/01/32

     100,000          105,134  
a  

Kansas State Department of Transportation Highway Revenue, Series A, 5.00%, 9/01/31

     100,000          122,869  
         

 

 

 
            228,003  
         

 

 

 
    Louisiana 1.4%                
 

Louisiana GO, Series B, 4.00%, 10/01/34

     100,000          106,532  
         

 

 

 
    Maryland 3.0%                
 

Maryland State GO, State and Local Facilities Loan of 2017, Refunding, Second Series B, 5.00%, 8/01/25

     100,000          123,182  
 

Prince George’s County GO, Consolidated Public Improvement, Series A, 3.00%, 9/15/32

     100,000          99,640  
         

 

 

 
            222,822  
         

 

 

 
    Massachusetts 1.6%                
a  

Massachusetts State Bay Transportation Authority Sales Tax Revenue, Green Bond, Subordinate, Series A-1, 5.00%, 7/01/33

     100,000          119,921  
         

 

 

 
    Michigan 1.7%                
 

Michigan State GO, Environmental Program, Refunding, Series A, 5.00%, 5/01/27

     100,000          125,534  
         

 

 

 
    Minnesota 6.3%                
 

Farmington ISD No. 192 GO, School Building, Refunding, Series C, 5.00%, 2/01/21

     100,000          112,115  
a  

Northern Muni Power Agency Electric Systems Revenue, Refunding, 5.00%, 1/01/36

     100,000          115,253  
a  

Southern State Municipal Power Agency Power Supply System Revenue, Series A, 5.00%, 1/01/31

     100,000          121,019  
 

University of Minnesota Revenue, Series A, 5.00%, 9/01/42

     100,000          118,448  
         

 

 

 
            466,835  
         

 

 

 
    Missouri 1.3%                
a  

Platte County School District Park Hill GO, Direct Deposit program, 3.00%, 3/01/33

     100,000          98,300  
         

 

 

 
    Nevada 3.1%                
 

Clark County School District GO, Building, Refunding, Series A, 5.00%, 6/15/26

     100,000          121,704  
 

Lyon County School District GO, Refunding, Series A, PSF Guarantee, 4.00%, 6/01/28

     100,000          113,168  
         

 

 

 
            234,872  
         

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   Semiannual Report     17  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF (continued)

 

           Principal Amount        Value  
    Municipal Bonds (continued)                
    New Jersey 1.4%                
 

Pinelands Regional School District GO, Refunding, AGMC Insured, 3.00%, 8/01/27

   $ 100,000        $ 105,313  
         

 

 

 
    New Mexico 1.6%                
 

New Mexico State GO, Capital Projects, Series A, 5.00%, 3/01/25

     100,000          121,952  
         

 

 

 
    New York 4.8%                
 

MTA Revenue, Transportation Green Bonds Climate Bond Certified, Refunding, Series B, 5.00%, 11/15/28

     100,000          125,568  
a  

New York City Municipal Water Finance Authority Water and Sewer System Revenue, Second General Resolution, Fiscal 2018, Refunding, Series BB, Subseries BB-2, 5.00%, 6/15/32

     100,000          121,076  
a  

New York City GO, Refunding, Series B, 4.00%, 10/01/36

     100,000          107,863  
         

 

 

 
            354,507  
         

 

 

 
    North Carolina 1.4%                
a  

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Revenue, Board of Governors, Refunding, 4.00%, 10/01/34

     100,000          107,667  
         

 

 

 
    Ohio 6.3%                
a  

Cleveland Water Revenue, Second Lien, Refunding, Series B, 5.00%, 1/01/27

     100,000          123,919  
 

Licking Heights Local School District GO, School Facilities Construction and Improvement, Series B, 5.00%, 10/01/30

     100,000          118,489  
a  

Northeast Regional Sewer District Revenue, Refunding, 4.00%, 11/15/34

     100,000          109,475  
 

Ohio State Water Development Authority Revenue, Community Assistance, Refunding, 4.00%, 12/01/30

     100,000          114,795  
         

 

 

 
            466,678  
         

 

 

 
    Oregon 2.9%                
 

Metro Dedicated Tax Revenue, Oregon Convention Center Hotel Project, 5.00%, 6/15/29

     100,000          121,124  
a  

Oregon Housing and Community Services Department Mortgage Revenue, Series D, 3.15%, 7/01/32

     100,000          98,887  
         

 

 

 
            220,011  
         

 

 

 
    Tennessee 1.6%                
 

Tennessee State School Bond Authority Revenue, Higher Educational Program, Series A, 5.00%, 11/01/37

     100,000          119,199  
         

 

 

 
    Texas 5.8%                
a  

El Paso Water and Sewer Revenue, Refunding and Improvement, 4.00%, 3/01/33

     100,000          108,230  
 

Round Rock Utility Revenue, Refunding, 2.75%, 8/01/29

     100,000          100,154  
a  

Texas State Water Development Board Revenue, Series A, 4.00%, 10/15/33

     100,000          109,496  
 

University of Texas Revenue, Financing System, Refunding, Series A, 5.00%, 8/15/22

     100,000          116,621  
         

 

 

 
            434,501  
         

 

 

 
    Utah 1.4%                
 

Utah State Building Ownership Authority Lease Revenue, State Facilities Master Lease Program, 2.50%, 5/15/27

     100,000          100,761  
         

 

 

 
    Washington 3.1%                
 

Seattle Municipal Light and Power Revenue, Refunding and Improvement, Series C, 4.00%, 9/01/35

     100,000          108,427  
a  

Washington State GO, Various Purpose, Series A, 5.00%, 8/01/30

     100,000          122,202  
         

 

 

 
            230,629  
         

 

 

 
    Wisconsin 1.4%                
 

Fond Du Lac GO, Refunding, Series B, 2.00%, 4/01/22

     100,000          101,946  
         

 

 

 
 

Total Investments (Cost $5,238,786) 69.7%

          5,199,620  
 

Other Assets, less Liabilities 30.3%

          2,261,855  
         

 

 

 
 

Net Assets 100.0%

        $ 7,461,475  
         

 

 

 

See Abbreviations on page 26.

aSecurity purchased on a when-issued basis. See Note 1(b).

 

18    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Assets and Liabilities

September 30, 2017 (unaudited)

 

      Franklin Liberty
Intermediate
Municipal
Opportunities ETF
     Franklin
Liberty
Municipal
Bond ETF
 

Assets:

 

Investments in securities:

 

Cost – Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 3,654,192      $ 5,238,786  
  

 

 

 

Value – Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 3,621,668      $ 5,199,620  

Cash

     4,916,016        4,172,478  

Receivables:

 

Interest

     10,322        11,447  

Affiliates

     4,446        4,447  
  

 

 

 

Total assets

     8,552,452        9,387,992  
  

 

 

 

Liabilities:

 

Payables:

 

Investment securities purchased

     1,078,590        1,919,844  

Transfer agent fees

     1,288        1,288  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     57        57  

Distributions to shareholders

            379  

Accrued expenses and other liabilities

     4,949        4,949  
  

 

 

 

Total liabilities

     1,084,884        1,926,517  
  

 

 

 

Net assets, at value

   $ 7,467,568      $ 7,461,475  
  

 

 

 

Net assets consist of:

 

Paid-in capital

   $ 7,500,000      $ 7,500,000  

Undistributed net investment income

     92        641  

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     (32,524      (39,166
  

 

 

 

Net assets, at value

   $ 7,467,568      $ 7,461,475  
  

 

 

 

Shares outstanding

     300,000        300,000  
  

 

 

 

Net asset value per share

   $ 24.89      $ 24.87  
  

 

 

 

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     19  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Operations

for the period ended September 30, 2017a (unaudited)

 

      Franklin Liberty
Intermediate
Municipal
Opportunities ETF
     Franklin
Liberty
Municipal
Bond ETF
 

Investment income:

 

Interest:

     

Unaffiliated issuers

   $ 1,939      $ 2,866  
  

 

 

 

Expenses:

 

Management fees (Note 3a)

     3,848        3,848  

Transfer agent fees

     1,288        1,288  

Custodian fees

     104        104  

Reports to shareholders

     467        467  

Registration and filing fees

     80        80  

Professional fees

     3,464        3,464  

Trustees’ fees and expenses

     57        57  

Other

     833        833  
  

 

 

 

Total expenses

     10,141        10,141  

Expenses waived/paid by affiliates (Note 3c)

     (8,294      (8,295
  

 

 

 

Net expenses

     1,847        1,846  
  

 

 

 

Net investment income

     92        1,020  
  

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:

 

Investments:

     

Unaffiliated issuers

     (32,524      (39,166
  

 

 

 

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

     (32,524      (39,166
  

 

 

 

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss)

     (32,524      (39,166
  

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

   $ (32,432    $ (38,146
  

 

 

 

aFor the period August 31, 2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

 

20    Semiannual Report   |    The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 

Statements of Changes in Net Assets

 

 

    Franklin Liberty
Intermediate
Municipal
Opportunities ETF
     Franklin
Liberty
Municipal
Bond ETF
 
    

Six Months Ended

September 30, 2017a

(unaudited)

 

Increase (decrease) in net assets:

 

Operations:

 

Net investment income

  $ 92      $ 1,020  

Net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

    (32,524      (39,166
 

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting from operations

    (32,432      (38,146
 

 

 

 

Distributions to shareholders from net investment income

           (379
 

 

 

 

Capital share transactions: (Note 2)

    7,500,000        7,500,000  
 

 

 

 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets

    7,467,568        7,461,475  

Net assets:

 

Beginning of period

            
 

 

 

 

End of period

  $ 7,467,568      $ 7,461,475  
 

 

 

 

Undistributed net investment income included in net assets, end of period

  $ 92      $ 641  
 

 

 

 

aFor the period August 31, 2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

 

libertyshares.com   The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.    |   Semiannual Report     21  


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Notes to Financial Statements (unaudited)

 

1. Organization and Significant Accounting Policies

Franklin Templeton ETF Trust (Trust) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) as an open-end management investment company, consisting of twelve separate funds, two of which are included in this report (Funds) and the financial statements of the remaining funds are presented separately, and applies the specialized accounting and reporting guidance in U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP). Effective August 31, 2017, the Trust began offering shares of Franklin Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF and Franklin Municipal Bond ETF. Each of the Funds are an exchange traded fund (ETF) and are actively managed, thus they are not designed to track an index.

The following summarizes the Fund’s significant accounting policies.

a. Financial Instrument Valuation

The Funds’ investments in financial instruments are carried at fair value daily. Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. The Funds calculate the net asset value (NAV) per share as of 4 p.m. Eastern time each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. Under compliance policies and procedures approved by the Trust’s Board of Trustees (the Board), the Funds’ administrator has responsibility for oversight of valuation, including leading the cross-functional Valuation Committee (VC). The VC provides administration and oversight of the Funds’ valuation policies and procedures, which are approved annually by the Board. Among other things, these procedures allow the Funds to utilize independent pricing services, quotations from securities and financial instrument dealers, and other market sources to determine fair value.

Debt securities generally trade in the over-the-counter (OTC) market rather than on a securities exchange. The Funds’ pricing services use multiple valuation techniques to determine fair value. In instances where sufficient market activity exists, the pricing services may utilize a market-based approach through which quotes from market makers are used to determine fair value. In instances where sufficient market activity may not exist or is limited, the pricing services also utilize proprietary valuation models which may consider market characteristics such as benchmark yield curves, credit spreads, estimated default rates, anticipated market

interest rate volatility, coupon rates, anticipated timing of principal repayments, underlying collateral, and other unique security features in order to estimate the relevant cash flows, which are then discounted to calculate the fair value.

The Funds have procedures to determine the fair value of financial instruments for which market prices are not reliable or readily available. Under these procedures, the VC convenes on a regular basis to review such financial instruments and considers a number of factors, including significant unobservable valuation inputs, when arriving at fair value. The VC primarily employs a market-based approach which may use related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values, and other relevant information for the investment to determine the fair value of the investment. An income-based valuation approach may also be used in which the anticipated future cash flows of the investment are discounted to calculate fair value. Discounts may also be applied due to the nature or duration of any restrictions on the disposition of the investments. Due to the inherent uncertainty of valuations of such investments, the fair values may differ significantly from the values that would have been used had an active market existed. The VC employs various methods for calibrating these valuation approaches including a regular review of key inputs and assumptions, transactional back-testing or disposition analysis, and reviews of any related market activity.

b. Securities Purchased on a When-Issued Basis

Certain or all Funds purchase securities on a when-issued basis, with payment and delivery scheduled for a future date. These transactions are subject to market fluctuations and are subject to the risk that the value at delivery may be more or less than the trade date purchase price. Although the Funds will generally purchase these securities with the intention of holding the securities, they may sell the securities before the settlement date. Sufficient assets have been segregated for these securities.

c. Income

It is each Funds’ policy to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. Each Fund intends to distribute to shareholders substantially all of its taxable income and net realized gains to relieve it from federal income and excise taxes. As a result, no provision for U.S. federal income taxes is required.

Each Fund may recognize an income tax liability related to its uncertain tax positions under U.S. GAAP when the uncertain

 

 

22    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

tax position has a less than 50% probability that it will be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities based on its technical merits. As of September 30, 2017, each Fund has determined that no tax liability is required in its financial statements related to uncertain tax positions for any open tax years (or expected to be taken in future tax years).

d. Security Transactions, Investment Income, Expenses and Distributions

Security transactions are accounted for on trade date. Realized gains and losses on security transactions are determined on a specific identification basis. Interest income and estimated expenses are accrued daily. Amortization of premium and accretion of discount on debt securities are included in interest income. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Distributable earnings are determined according to income tax regulations (tax basis) and may differ from earnings recorded in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts to reflect their tax character. These reclassifications have no impact on net assets or the results of operations. Temporary differences are not reclassified, as they may reverse in subsequent periods.

Common expenses incurred by the Trust are allocated among the Funds based on the ratio of net assets of each Fund to the combined net assets of the Trust. Fund specific expenses are charged directly to the fund that incurred the expense.

e. Insurance

The scheduled payments of interest and principal for each insured municipal security in the Trust are insured by either a new issue insurance policy or a secondary insurance policy. Some municipal securities in the Funds are secured by collateral guaranteed by an agency of the U.S. government. Depending on the type of coverage, premiums for insurance are either added the cost basis of the security or paid by a third party.

Insurance companies typically insure municipal bonds that tend to be of very high quality, with the majority of underlying municipal bonds rated A or better. However, an event involving an insurer could have an adverse effect on the value of the securities insured by that insurance company. There can be no assurance the insurer will be able to fulfill its obligations under the terms of the policy.

f. Accounting Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

g. Guarantees and Indemnifications

Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its officers and trustees are indemnified by the Trust against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Trust, on behalf of the Funds, enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The Trust’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Trust that have not yet occurred. Currently, the Trust expects the risk of loss to be remote.

2. Shares of Beneficial Interest

Shares of the Funds are issued and redeemed at their respective NAV in blocks of 100,000 shares or multiples thereof (Creation Units). Certain large institutional investors (Authorized Participants) may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Funds. Once created, shares of the Funds generally trade in the secondary market in amounts less than one Creation Unit. The market price of the Funds’ shares will be based on the price in the secondary market which may be at, above or below the most recent NAV. Creation Units may be issued and redeemed in exchange for a designated portfolio of securities and/or cash (which may include cash in lieu of certain securities). For the period ended September 30, 2017, all Creations Unit transactions were made in cash.

Authorized Participants pay a transaction fee to the shareholder servicing agent when purchasing or redeeming Creation Units of the Funds regardless of the number of Creation Units that are being created or redeemed on the same day by the Authorized Participant. The standard transaction fee is imposed to offset transfer and other transaction costs associated with the issuance or redemption of Creation Units and is not charged to or paid by the Funds.

In addition, for cash Creation Unit transactions, a variable fee for creation and redemption transactions may be charged to the Authorized Participant to cover certain brokerage, tax,

 

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

2. Shares of Beneficial Interest (continued)

 

foreign exchange, execution, market impact and other costs and expenses related to the execution of trades. Variable fees received by the Funds, if any, are included in capital

share transactions in the Statements of Changes in Net Assets.

 

 

At September 30, 2017, there were an unlimited number of shares authorized (without par value). Transactions in the Funds’ shares were as follows:

 

     Franklin Liberty
Intermediate Municipal
Opportunities ETF
           Franklin Liberty
Municipal Bond ETF
 
      Shares      Amount             Shares      Amount  
Six Months ended September 30, 2017a              

Shares sold

     300,000      $ 7,500,000          300,000      $ 7,500,000  
  

 

 

 

aFor the period August 31,2017 (commencement of operations) to September 30, 2017.

3. Transactions with Affiliates

Franklin Resources, Inc. is the holding company for various subsidiaries that together are referred to as Franklin Templeton Investments. Certain officers and trustees of the Funds are also officers and/or directors of the following subsidiaries:

 

Subsidiary    Affiliation

Franklin Advisers, Inc. (Advisers)

  

Investment manager

Franklin Templeton Services, LLC (FT Services)

  

Administrative manager

Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc. (Distributors)

  

Principal underwriter

a. Management Fees

The Funds pay an investment management fee to Advisers based on the average daily net assets of each of the Funds as follows:

 

Annualized Fee Rate    Net Assets

0.625%

  

Up to and including $100 million

0.500%

  

Over $100 million, up to and including $250 million

0.450%

  

Over $250 million, up to and including $7.5 billion

0.440%

  

Over $7.5 billion, up to and including $10 billion

0.430%

  

Over $10 billion, up to and including $12.5 billion

0.420%

  

Over $12.5 billion, up to and including $15 billion

0.400%

  

Over $15 billion, up to and including $17.5 billion

0.380%

  

Over $17.5 billion, up to and including $20 billion

0.360%

  

In excess of $20 billion

For the period ended September 31, 2017, each Fund’s annualized effective investment management fee rate based on average daily net assets was as follows:

 

      Annualized Fee Rate

Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF

  

0.625%

Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF

  

0.625%

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

3. Transactions with Affiliates (continued)

 

b. Administrative Fees

Under an agreement with Advisers, FT Services provides administrative services to the Funds. The fee is paid by Advisers based on the Funds’ average daily net assets, and is not an additional expense of the Funds.

c. Waiver and Expense Reimbursements

Advisers has contractually agreed in advance to waive or limit its fees and to assume as its own expense certain expenses otherwise payable by the Funds so that the expenses (including acquired fund fees and expenses) for each of the Funds does not exceed 0.30%, based on the average net assets (other than certain non-routine expenses or costs, including those relating to litigation, indemnification, reorganizations, and liquidations) until August 29, 2018. Total expenses waived or paid are not subject to recapture subsequent to the Funds’ fiscal year end.

4. Income Taxes

At September 30, 2017, the cost of investments and net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) for income tax purposes were as follows:

 

      Franklin Liberty
Intermediate
Municipal
Opportunities ETF
    Franklin
Liberty
Municipal
Bond ETF
 

Cost of investments

   $ 3,654,192     $ 5,238,786  
  

 

 

 

Unrealized appreciation

   $ 493     $ 519  

Unrealized depreciation

     (33,017     (39,685
  

 

 

 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

   $ (32,524   $ (39,166
  

 

 

 

5. Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investments (excluding short term securities) for the period ended September 30, 2017, were as follows:

 

      Franklin Liberty
Intermediate
Municipal
Opportunities ETF
    Franklin
Liberty
Municipal
Bond ETF
 

Purchases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   $ 3,655,727     $ 5,240,358  

Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

   $     $  

6. Credit Risk

At September 30, 2017, Franklin Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF had 5.7% of its portfolio invested in high yield securities, or other securities rated below investment grade and unrated securities, if any. These securities may be more sensitive to economic conditions causing greater price volatility and are potentially subject to a greater risk of loss due to default than higher rated securities.

7. Fair Value Measurements

The Funds follow a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and the Funds’ own market assumptions (unobservable inputs). These inputs are used in determining the value of the Funds’ financial instruments and are summarized in the following fair value hierarchy:

 

    Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical financial instruments
    Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar financial instruments, interest rates, prepayment speed, credit risk, etc.)

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

7. Fair Value Measurements (continued)

 

    Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Funds’ own assumptions in determining the fair value of financial instruments)

The input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level.

For movements between the levels within the fair value hierarchy, the Funds have adopted a policy of recognizing the transfers as of the date of the underlying event which caused the movement.

At September 30, 2017, all of the Fund’s investments in financial instruments carried at fair value were valued using Level 2 inputs.

8. New Accounting Pronouncements

In March 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2017-08, Receivables — Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20): Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. The amendments in the ASU shorten the amortization period for certain callable debt securities, held at a premium, to be amortized to the earliest call date. The ASU does not require an accounting change for securities held at a discount; which continues to be amortized to maturity. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods within those fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Management is currently evaluating the impact, if any, of applying this provision.

9. Subsequent Events

The Funds have evaluated subsequent events through the issuance of the financial statements and determined that no events have occurred that require disclosure.

Abbreviations

 

Selected Portfolio
AGMC   Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp.
BAM   Build America Mutual Assurance Co.
CDA   Community Development Authority/Agency
GO   General Obligation
ID   Improvement District
ISD   Independent School District
PSF   Permanent School Fund
MTA   Metropolitan Transit Authority
USD   Unified/Union School District

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

Shareholder Information

 

Board Approval of Investment Management Agreements

FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond ETF

Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF

(each a “Fund”)

At a meeting held on February 16, 2017 (“Meeting”), the Board of Trustees (“Board”), including a majority of trustees who are not “interested persons” as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Independent Trustees”), approved with respect to each Fund, an investment management agreement (each an “Investment Management Agreement”) with Franklin Advisers, Inc. (“Investment Manager”).

In considering the approval of each Investment Management Agreement, the Board reviewed and considered information provided by the Manager at the Meeting, at a meeting of the Board held on December 8, 2016 and throughout the year at other meetings of the Board. The Board also considered that the terms of the Investment Management Agreements were explained at the Meeting, noting that the forms of such agreements are substantially the same as the standard form of investment management agreement that includes administration services used for other funds in the Franklin Templeton Investments family of funds (“FTI Complex”). In reaching its decision to approve each Investment Management Agreement, the Board took into account several factors including, but not limited to, the following: (1) the nature and quality of the services to be provided by the Investment Manager to the Funds under the proposed Investment Management Agreements; (2) the Investment Manager’s experience as manager of other funds and accounts, including those within the FTI Complex; (3) the Investment Manager’s strength and reputation within the industry; (4) the fairness of the compensation under the proposed Investment Management Agreements; (5) the comparative pricing structure (including fee waivers and the estimated expense ratio to be borne by shareholders) of the Funds; (6) the personnel, operations, financial condition, and investment management capabilities, methodologies and resources of the Investment Manager; and (7) the Investment Manager’s compliance capabilities, as demonstrated by, among other things, its policies and procedures designed to prevent violations of the Federal securities laws, which had previously been approved by the Board in connection with its oversight of other funds in the FTI Complex. In considering the information and factors

noted above, the Independent Trustees received assistance and advice from and met separately with their Independent Legal Counsel.

In approving each Investment Management Agreement, the Board, including a majority of Independent Trustees, determined that the investment management fee structure is fair and reasonable and that the approval of each Investment Management Agreement is in the interests of each Fund and its shareholders.

The following sets forth some of the primary information and factors relevant to the Board’s decision to approve the Investment Management Agreements. This discussion of the information and factors considered by the Board (including the information and factors discussed above) is not intended to be exhaustive, but rather summarizes certain factors considered by the Board. In view of the wide variety of factors considered, the Board did not, unless otherwise noted, find it practicable to quantify or otherwise assign relative weights to the foregoing factors. In addition, individual Trustees may have assigned different weights to various factors.

NATURE, EXTENT AND QUALITY OF SERVICES. The Trustees reviewed the nature, extent and quality of the services to be provided by the Investment Manager. In this regard, the Trustees reviewed the Funds’ proposed investment goals and the Investment Manager’s proposed investment strategies and ability to implement such investment strategies (including, but not limited to, the Investment Manager’s trading practices and investment decision processes). The Trustees also reviewed the Funds’ portfolio managers, including their background and skills as well as their expertise in managing other funds within the FTI Complex.

Based on their review, the Trustees were satisfied with the nature and quality of the overall services to be provided by the Investment Manager to the Funds and their shareholders and were confident in the Investment Manager’s ability to implement the Funds’ proposed investment strategies and to provide quality services to the Funds and their shareholders.

INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE. The Board noted that, as the Funds had not yet commenced investment operations, there was no investment performance for the Funds. The Board also considered the proposed performance benchmarks for the Funds and how such benchmarks would be utilized to measure performance of the Investment Manager.

COMPARATIVE EXPENSES. The Board considered the cost of the services to be provided by the Investment

 

 

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FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

SHAREHOLDER INFORMATION

 

Manager (and its affiliates) from its respective relationships with the Funds. The Board noted that the Investment Manager (and its affiliates) could not report any financial results from their relationships with the Funds because the Funds had not yet commenced investment operations, and thus, the Board could not evaluate the Investment Manager’s (or its affiliates’) profitability with respect to the Funds.

The Board was provided with information relating to proposed expenses for each Fund, including comparative data provided by Morningstar, Inc. (“Morningstar”), an independent organization, which compared the respective Fund’s expenses with those of its “peer group,” which consisted of other funds deemed comparable to the respective Fund as selected by Morningstar (“Comparable Funds”). The Board considered the information provided by Morningstar and noted that the contractual management fee for each of the Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond Fund ETF and Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF is above the Comparable Fund median, the net total expense ratio for each Fund is at or below the median of its peers.

The Board noted that the Investment Manager will waive or assume certain expenses so that the total operating expenses for each Fund (excluding acquired fund fees and expenses and certain non-routine expenses) do not exceed (and could be less than) the amounts in the proposed fee table for a period of at least one year from the date of each Fund’s initial prospectus.

ECONOMIES OF SCALE. The Board considered economies of scale that may be realized by the Investment Manager and its affiliates as the Funds grow larger and the extent to which they are shared with shareholders of the Funds. The Board noted that the contractual management fee schedule for each of the Franklin Liberty Municipal Bond Fund ETF and Franklin Liberty Intermediate Municipal Opportunities ETF includes breakpoints that provide for such sharing, though it is not anticipated that any of the Funds will generate significant, if any, profit for the Investment Manager and/or its affiliates for some time. The Board further considered the extent to which the Investment Manager may derive ancillary benefits from fund operations.

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

The Trust’s investment manager has established Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Policies) that the Trust uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. Shareholders may view the Trust’s complete Policies online at libertyshares.com. Alternatively, shareholders may request

copies of the Policies free of charge by calling the Proxy Group collect at (954) 527-7678 or by sending a written request to: Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC, 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, Attention: Proxy Group. Copies of the Trust’s proxy voting records are also made available online at franklintempleton.com and posted on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at sec.gov and reflect the most recent 12-month period ended June 30.

Quarterly Statement of Investments

The Trust files a complete statement of investments with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters for each fiscal year on Form N-Q. Shareholders may view the filed Form N-Q by visiting the Commission’s website at sec.gov. The filed form may also be viewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information regarding the operations of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.

Premium/Discount Information

Information about the differences between the daily market price on the secondary market for the shares of the Fund and the Fund’s net asset value may be found on the Fund’s website at libertyshares.com.

 

 

28    Semiannual Report   libertyshares.com


Authorized for distribution only when accompanied or preceded by a summary prospectus and/or prospectus. Investors should carefully consider a fund’s investment goals, risks, charges and expenses before investing. A prospectus contains this and other information; please read it carefully before investing.

To help ensure we provide you with quality service, all calls to and from our service areas are monitored and/or recorded.

 

 

 

LOGO   Semiannual Report  
  Franklin Templeton ETF Trust
 

Investment Manager

Franklin Advisers, Inc.

 

Distributor

Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc.

(800) DIAL BEN®/342-5236

libertyshares.com

 

Investor Services

Transfer Agent

State Street Bank and
Trust Company

1 Heritage Drive
Mail Stop OHD0100

North Quincy, MA 02171

 

© 2017 Franklin Templeton Investments. All rights reserved.    ETF4 S 11/17


Item 2. Code of Ethics.

(a) The Registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to its principal executive officers and principal financial and accounting officer.

(c) N/A

(d) N/A

(f) Pursuant to Item 12(a)(1), the Registrant is attaching as an exhibit a copy of its code of ethics that applies to its principal executive officers and principal financial and accounting officer.

 

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.

(a)(1) The Registrant has an audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee.

(2) The audit committee financial expert is John B. Wilson and he is “independent” as defined under the relevant Securities and Exchange Commission Rules and Releases.

 

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.                     N/A

 

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.                       N/A

 

Item 6. Schedule of Investments.                     N/A

 

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.                    N/A

 

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Companies.                    N/A

 

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.                    N/A

 

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.

There have been no changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant’s Board of Trustees that would require disclosure herein.

 

Item 11. Controls and Procedures.

 


(a)    Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Registrant maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Registrant’s filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such information is accumulated and communicated to the Registrant’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. The Registrant’s management, including the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer, recognizes that any set of controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.

Within 90 days prior to the filing date of this Shareholder Report on Form N-CSR, the Registrant had carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Registrant’s management, including the Registrant’s principal executive officer and the Registrant’s principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures. Based on such evaluation, the Registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

(b)    Changes in Internal Controls. There have been no changes in the Registrant’s internal controls or in other factors that could materially affect the internal controls over financial reporting subsequent to the date of their evaluation in connection with the preparation of this Shareholder Report on Form N-CSR.

 

Item 12. Exhibits.

(a) (1) Code of Ethics

(a)(2) Certifications pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 of Matthew T. Hinkle , Chief Executive Officer - Finance and Administration, and Gaston Gardey, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer

(b) Certifications pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 of Matthew T. Hinkle , Chief Executive Officer - Finance and Administration, and Gaston Gardey, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer

 


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

FRANKLIN TEMPLETON ETF TRUST

 

By  

/s/ Matthew T. Hinkle

  Matthew T. Hinkle
  Chief Executive Officer – Finance and Administration

Date November 27, 2017

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

By  

/s/ Matthew T. Hinkle

  Matthew T. Hinkle
  Chief Executive Officer – Finance and Administration

Date November 27, 2017

 

By  

/s/ Gaston Gardey

  Gaston Gardey
  Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer

Date November 27, 2017


Dates Referenced Herein   and   Documents Incorporated by Reference

This ‘N-CSRS’ Filing    Date    Other Filings
12/15/18
9/19/18
8/29/18
7/31/18
Filed on / Effective on:12/1/17497
11/27/17
For Period End:9/30/17NSAR-A
9/20/17497
9/1/17497,  497J,  497K
8/31/17497K
6/22/17
4/26/17
3/31/1724F-2NT,  N-CSR,  NSAR-B
2/16/17
1/25/17
12/8/16
10/3/16
9/20/16
6/1/16485APOS,  497
 List all Filings 
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