Franklin Templeton (NYSE:BEN | BEN Price Prediction) has partnered with a mainland Chinese asset manager for the first time to bring mainland China themes to market. David Mann, global head of ETFs and market structure at Franklin Templeton, described the debut to Bloomberg. David Mann said: “We launched the two funds… Both seeded with almost a combined $100 million.”
U.S. Investors Cannot Buy These Funds
Both funds are listed in Hong Kong. They are not available on any U.S. exchange.
One fund focuses on cash flow; the other targets innovative pharmaceuticals. The partner, China AMC, is not listed in the United States.
A Small Launch for a $1.8 Trillion Manager
Franklin Templeton manages approximately $1.8 trillion in assets and has a market capitalization of about $16.83 billion. David Mann put the seed money for the new funds at almost $100 million combined. A launch this size is a strategic positioning move, and it is too small to affect the parent’s financial results.
The firm was founded in 1947. It changed its corporate name from Franklin Resources to Franklin Templeton, Inc. effective August 17, 2026, and the ticker is still BEN.
The core business has momentum. The firm’s fiscal third-quarter earnings release reported $18.4 billion in long-term net inflows, compared with $9.3 billion in net outflows a year earlier. Adjusted diluted EPS was $0.72. On the earnings call, Chief Executive Jenny Johnson said active ETFs made up “61% of ETF net flows” at the firm.
How Mann Describes the Two Strategies
David Mann explained the cash-flow fund this way: “That is very simply quality companies where we think the cash is a good indicator of the financial strength of the company, maybe even compared to more like dividend payers.”
On the second fund, David Mann said: “Certainly from the innovative drugs, that’s biotech and health care. We think China is really pushing the envelope from an innovation perspective.”
Mann also said the firm has established ETF operations in North America and is exploring where to expand next.
A Heavily Hedged Timeline for Mainland Access
David Mann described how the funds could join the Connect program, which links Hong Kong and mainland markets: “I believe it’s typically an AUM threshold, which then has, like, a six month window. So getting it launched before the end of the month hopefully puts us on track for, call it, roughly the end of Q1 next year.”
He hedged three times: “I believe,” “hopefully,” and “call it, about.” Inclusion would open the funds to a wider investor pool, but no date has been set.
Market Figures Mann Cited
David Mann of Franklin Templeton put Hong Kong ETF inflows at roughly $9 billion this calendar year. David Mann also said active ETFs account for 37% of U.S. net inflows, a trend he expects to reach Asia. Neither figure was independently verified for this article.
How BEN Shares Have Moved
As of 1:27 PM ET on October 2, 2026, a delayed intraday quote had Franklin Templeton shares at $33.13, up 1.92% on the day. The stock is up 43.47% year to date and up 54.17% over the past year. Over five years it is up 41.01%, and over ten years it is up 50.64%.
Nearly all gains are recent, and nothing here establishes a cause.
What Investors Should Watch Next
The launch shows where asset managers see growth. For U.S. readers, it is something to follow from a distance, since the funds trade only in Hong Kong. Three things to track:
- Whether the funds reach the asset threshold Mann described.
- Whether Franklin Templeton follows through on expanding elsewhere in Asia.
- Whether demand for active ETFs actually goes into the region, as he forecasts.