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Form 497K Franklin High Income

February 1, 2023 7:39 AM EST
        
  

SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

   
    
  

FRANKLIN HIGH INCOME FUND

 
    
  

Franklin High Income Trust

 
  

February 1, 2023

 
    
  

 
    
     
      
      

Class A 

Class A1 

Class C 

Class R 

Class R6 

Advisor Class 

FHQRX 

FHAIX

FCHIX

FHIRX

FHRRX

FVHIX

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund’s prospectus, statement of additional information, reports to shareholders and other information about the Fund online at www.franklintempleton.com/prospectus. You can also get this information at no cost by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236 or by sending an e-mail request to [email protected]. The Fund’s prospectus and statement of additional information, both dated February 1, 2023, as may be supplemented, are all incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.


FRANKLIN HIGH INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Franklin High Income Fund

Investment Goals

To earn a high level of current income. Its secondary goal is to seek capital appreciation to the extent it is possible and consistent with the Fund's principal goal.

Fees and Expenses of the Fund

These tables describe the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts in Class A if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Franklin Templeton funds and certain other funds distributed through Franklin Distributors, LLC, the Fund’s distributor. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and under “Your Account” on page 40 in the Fund’s Prospectus and under “Buying and Selling Shares” on page 64 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information. In addition, more information about sales charge discounts and waivers for purchases of shares through specific financial intermediaries is set forth in Appendix A – “Intermediary Sales Charge Discounts and Waivers” to the Fund’s prospectus.

Please note that the tables and examples below do not reflect any transaction fees that may be charged by financial intermediaries, or commissions that a shareholder may be required to pay directly to its financial intermediary when buying or selling Class R6 or Advisor Class shares.

Shareholder Fees

(fees paid directly from your investment)

             

 

Class A

 

Class A1

 

Class C

 

Class R

 

Class R6

 

Advisor
Class

Maximum Sales Charge (Load)
Imposed on Purchases (as percentage of offering price)

3.75%

 

3.75%

 

None

 

None

 

None

 

None

Maximum Deferred Sales Charge
(Load) (as percentage of the lower of original purchase price or sale proceeds)

None

1 

None

1 

1.00%

 

None

 

None

 

None

             

1.

There is a 1% contingent deferred sales charge that applies to investments of $500,000 or more (see "Investment of $500,000 or More" under "Choosing a Share Class") and purchases by certain retirement plans without an initial sales charge on shares sold within 18 months of purchase.

   
 

2

Summary Prospectus

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FRANKLIN HIGH INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Annual Fund Operating Expenses

(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

            

 

Class A

 

Class A1

 

Class C

 

Class R

 

Class R6

 

Advisor
Class

Management fees

0.46%

 

0.46%

 

0.46%

 

0.46%

 

0.46%

 

0.46%

Distribution and service (12b-1) fees

0.25%

 

0.15%

 

0.65%

 

0.50%

 

None

 

None

Other expenses

0.17%

 

0.17%

 

0.17%

 

0.17%

 

0.09%

 

0.17%

Acquired fund fees and expenses1

0.01%

 

0.01%

 

0.01%

 

0.01%

 

0.01%

 

0.01%

Total annual Fund operating expenses

0.89%

 

0.79%

 

1.29%

 

1.14%

 

0.56%

 

0.64%

Fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement1,2

-0.01%

 

-0.01%

 

-0.01%

 

-0.01%

 

-0.05%

 

-0.01%

Total annual Fund operating expenses after fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement1,2

0.88%

 

0.78%

 

1.28%

 

1.13%

 

0.51%

 

0.63%

1. Total annual Fund operating expenses differ from the ratio of expenses to average net assets shown in the Financial Highlights, which reflect the operating expenses of the Fund and do not include acquired fund fees and expenses.

2. The transfer agent has contractually agreed to cap transfer agency fees for Class R6 shares for the Fund so that transfer agency fees for that class do not exceed 0.03% until January 31, 2024. The investment manager also has contractually agreed in advance to reduce its fee as a result of the Fund's investment in Franklin Templeton affiliated funds (acquired fund) for at least one year following the date of this prospectus. During this term, this fee waiver and expense reimbursement agreement may not be terminated or amended without approval of the board of trustees except to add series and classes, to reflect the extension of termination dates or to lower the cap on the Fund’s fees and expenses (which would result in lower fees for shareholders).

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of the period. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. The Example reflects adjustments made to the Fund's operating expenses due to the fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements by management for the 1 Year numbers only. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

          

 

 

 

1 Year

 

3 Years

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

Class A

 

$461

 

$647

 

$849

 

$1,430

Class A1

 

$452

 

$617

 

$797

 

$1,316

Class C

 

$230

 

$407

 

$706

 

$1,447

Class R

 

$115

 

$361

 

$626

 

$1,383

Class R6

 

$52

 

$174

 

$307

 

$696

Advisor Class

 

$64

 

$203

 

$355

 

$796

If you do not sell your shares:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class C

 

$130

 

$407

 

$706

 

$1,447

   
 

franklintempleton.com

Summary Prospectus

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FRANKLIN HIGH INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Effective September 30, 2022, the Fund’s fiscal year was changed to September 30. As a result, the Fund experienced a shortened fiscal year covering the transitional period between the Fund’s previous fiscal year end, May 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022. During the most recent fiscal period, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 4.96% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests predominantly in high yield, lower-rated debt securities. Lower-rated securities generally pay higher yields than more highly rated securities to compensate investors for the higher risk. These securities include bonds, notes, debentures, convertible securities and senior and subordinated debt securities. The Fund may also invest in preferred stock.

The Fund may invest up to 100% of its total assets in debt securities that are rated below investment grade, also known as “junk bonds.” Investment grade debt securities are rated in one of the top four ratings categories by at least one independent rating agency such as S&P ® Global Ratings (S&P ®) and Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s). The Fund may buy both rated and unrated debt securities, including securities rated below B by Moody's or S&P ® (or deemed comparable by the Fund's investment manager). The Fund may also invest in defaulted debt securities and in securities issued by issuers in any foreign country, developed or developing. Foreign securities held by the Fund generally will be denominated in U.S. dollars and traded on U.S. markets.

The Fund's investment manager is a research driven, fundamental investor that relies on a team of analysts to provide in-depth industry expertise and uses both qualitative and quantitative analysis to evaluate issuers. As a "bottom-up" investor, the investment manager focuses primarily on individual securities. The investment manager also considers sectors when choosing investments and, from time to time, may have significant investments in certain sectors.

In selecting securities for the Fund’s investment portfolio, the investment manager does not rely principally on the ratings assigned by rating agencies, but performs its own independent investment analysis to evaluate the creditworthiness of the

   
 

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FRANKLIN HIGH INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

issuer. The investment manager considers a variety of factors, including the issuer’s experience and managerial strength, its sensitivity to economic conditions, and its current and prospective financial condition.

Principal Risks

You could lose money by investing in the Fund. Mutual fund shares are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank, and are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency of the U.S. government.

Credit An issuer of debt securities may fail to make interest payments or repay principal when due, in whole or in part. Changes in an issuer's financial strength or in a security's or government's credit rating may affect a security's value.

High-Yield Debt Securities Issuers of lower-rated or “high-yield” debt securities (also known as “junk bonds”) are not as strong financially as those issuing higher credit quality debt securities. High-yield debt securities are generally considered predominantly speculative by the applicable rating agencies as their issuers are more likely to encounter financial difficulties because they may be more highly leveraged, or because of other considerations. In addition, high yield debt securities generally are more vulnerable to changes in the relevant economy, such as a recession or a sustained period of rising interest rates, that could affect their ability to make interest and principal payments when due. The prices of high-yield debt securities generally fluctuate more than those of higher credit quality. High-yield debt securities are generally more illiquid (harder to sell) and harder to value.

Interest Rate When interest rates rise, debt security prices generally fall. The opposite is also generally true: debt security prices rise when interest rates fall. Interest rate changes are influenced by a number of factors, including government policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, perceptions of risk, and supply of and demand for bonds. In general, securities with longer maturities or durations are more sensitive to interest rate changes.

Income The Fund's distributions to shareholders may decline when prevailing interest rates fall, when the Fund experiences defaults on debt securities it holds or when the Fund realizes a loss upon the sale of a debt security.

Liquidity From time to time, the trading market for a particular security or type of security or other investments in which the Fund invests may become less liquid or even illiquid. Reduced liquidity will have an adverse impact on the Fund’s ability to sell such securities or other investments when necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs, which may arise or increase in response to a specific economic event or because the investment manager wishes to purchase particular investments or believes that a higher level of liquidity would be advantageous.

   
 

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Summary Prospectus

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FRANKLIN HIGH INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Reduced liquidity will also generally lower the value of such securities or other investments. Market prices for such securities or other investments may be relatively volatile.

Foreign Securities (non-U.S.) Investing in foreign securities typically involves more risks than investing in U.S. securities, and includes risks associated with: (i) internal and external political and economic developments – e.g., the political, economic and social policies and structures of some foreign countries may be less stable and more volatile than those in the U.S. or some foreign countries may be subject to trading restrictions or economic sanctions; (ii) trading practices – e.g., government supervision and regulation of foreign securities and currency markets, trading systems and brokers may be less than in the U.S.; (iii) availability of information – e.g., foreign issuers may not be subject to the same disclosure, accounting and financial reporting standards and practices as U.S. issuers; (iv) limited markets – e.g., the securities of certain foreign issuers may be less liquid (harder to sell) and more volatile; and (v) currency exchange rate fluctuations and policies – e.g., fluctuations may negatively affect investments denominated in foreign currencies and any income received or expenses paid by the Fund in that foreign currency. The risks of foreign investments may be greater in developing or emerging market countries.

Focus To the extent that the Fund focuses on particular countries, regions, industries, sectors or types of investment from time to time, the Fund 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.

Prepayment Prepayment risk occurs when a debt security can be repaid in whole or in part prior to the security's maturity and the Fund must reinvest the proceeds it receives, during periods of declining interest rates, in securities that pay a lower rate of interest. Also, if a security has been purchased at a premium, the value of the premium would be lost in the event of prepayment. Prepayments generally increase when interest rates fall.

Market The market values of securities or other investments owned by the Fund will go up or down, sometimes rapidly or unpredictably. The market value of a security or other investment may be reduced by market activity or other results of supply and demand unrelated to the issuer. This is a basic risk associated with all investments. When there are more sellers than buyers, prices tend to fall. Likewise, when there are more buyers than sellers, prices tend to rise.

The global outbreak of the novel strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, has resulted in market closures and dislocations, extreme volatility, liquidity constraints and increased trading costs. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 have resulted in

   
 

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Summary Prospectus

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FRANKLIN HIGH INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

global travel restrictions and disruptions of healthcare systems, business operations and supply chains, layoffs, volatility in consumer demand for certain products, defaults and credit ratings downgrades, and other significant economic impacts. The effects of COVID-19 have impacted global economic activity across many industries and may heighten other pre-existing political, social and economic risks, locally or globally. The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is unpredictable and may adversely affect the Fund’s performance.

Management The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively managed investment portfolio. The Fund's investment manager applies investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Fund, but there can be no guarantee that these decisions will produce the desired results.

Cybersecurity Cybersecurity incidents, both intentional and unintentional, may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, Fund or customer data (including private shareholder information), or proprietary information, cause the Fund, the investment manager and/or their service providers (including, but not limited to, Fund accountants, custodians, sub-custodians, transfer agents and financial intermediaries) to suffer data breaches, data corruption or loss of operational functionality or prevent Fund investors from purchasing, redeeming or exchanging shares or receiving distributions. The investment manager has limited ability to prevent or mitigate cybersecurity incidents affecting third party service providers, and such third party service providers may have limited indemnification obligations to the Fund or investment manager. Cybersecurity incidents may result in financial losses to the Fund and its shareholders, and substantial costs may be incurred in an effort to prevent or mitigate future cybersecurity incidents. Issuers of securities in which the Fund invests are also subject to cybersecurity risks, and the value of these securities could decline if the issuers experience cybersecurity incidents.

Because technology is frequently changing, new ways to carry out cyber attacks are always developing. Therefore, there is a chance that some risks have not been identified or prepared for, or that an attack may not be detected, which puts limitations on the Fund's ability to plan for or respond to a cyber attack. Like other funds and business enterprises, the Fund, the investment manager and their service providers are subject to the risk of cyber incidents occurring from time to time.

Performance

The following bar chart and table provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. The bar chart shows changes in the Fund's performance from year to year for Class A shares. The table shows how the Fund's average annual returns for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years or since inception, as applicable, compared with those

   
 

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Summary Prospectus

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FRANKLIN HIGH INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

of a broad measure of market performance. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You can obtain updated performance information at franklintempleton.com or by calling (800) DIAL BEN/342-5236.

Sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart, and if those charges were included, returns would be less than those shown.

Class A Annual Total Returns

PerformanceBarChartData(2013:7.63,2014:-0.4,2015:-10.74,2016:19.31,2017:6.72,2018:-3.75,2019:14.26,2020:6.15,2021:5.52,2022:-9.98)

   

Best Quarter:

2020, Q2

8.83%

Worst Quarter:

2020, Q1

-11.73%

   
 

8

Summary Prospectus

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FRANKLIN HIGH INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Average Annual Total Returns

(figures reflect sales charges)

For periods ended December 31, 2022

           

 

 

1 Year

 

5 Years

 

10 Years

 

Since Inception

 

Franklin High Income Fund - Class A

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return before taxes

 

-13.35%

 

1.31%

 

2.66%

 

 

 

Return after taxes on distributions

 

-15.35%

 

-0.90%

 

0.21%

 

 

 

Return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares

 

-7.89%

 

0.09%

 

0.92%

 

 

Franklin High Income Fund - Class A1

 

-12.55%

 

1.63%

 

2.82%

 

 

Franklin High Income Fund - Class C

 

-10.48%

 

1.83%

 

2.70%

 

 

Franklin High Income Fund - Class R

 

-9.90%

 

1.97%

 

2.84%

 

 

Franklin High Income Fund - Class R6

 

-9.59%

 

2.54%

 

 

3.00%

1

Franklin High Income Fund - Advisor Class 

 

-9.15%

 

2.42%

 

3.35%

 

 

ICE BofA U.S. High Yield Constrained Index (index reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes)

 

-11.21%

 

2.10%

 

3.94%

 

 

           

1.

Since inception May 1, 2013.

  

No one index is representative of the Fund's portfolio.

The figures in the average annual total returns table above reflect the Class A and Class A1 shares maximum front-end sales charge of 3.75%. Prior to March 1, 2019, Class A and Class A1 shares were subject to a maximum front-end sales charge of 4.25%. If the prior maximum front-end sales charge of 4.25% was reflected, performance for Class A and Class A1 shares in the average annual total returns table would be lower.

Historical performance for Class A shares in the bar chart and table above prior to their inception is based on the performance of Class A1 shares and has been adjusted to reflect differences in Rule 12b-1 fees between classes.

The after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown only for Class A and after-tax returns for other classes will vary.

Investment Manager

Franklin Advisers, Inc. (Advisers)

   
 

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Summary Prospectus

9


FRANKLIN HIGH INCOME FUND
SUMMARY PROSPECTUS

Portfolio Managers

Glenn I. Voyles, CFA
Senior Vice President of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2015.

Bryant Dieffenbacher, CFA 
Portfolio manager of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2020.

S. James McGiveran III, CFA, CPA, FRM 
Portfolio manager of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2020.

Patricia O’Connor, CFA
Vice President of Advisers and portfolio manager of the Fund since 2020.

Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any business day online through our website at franklintempleton.com, by mail (Franklin Templeton Investor Services, P.O. Box 997151, Sacramento, CA 95899-7151), or by telephone at (800) 632-2301. For Class A, C and R, the minimum initial purchase for most accounts is $1,000 (or $25 under an automatic investment plan). Class R6 and Advisor Class are only available to certain qualified investors and the minimum initial investment will vary depending on the type of qualified investor, as described under "Your Account — Choosing a Share Class — Qualified Investors — Class R6" and "— Advisor Class" in the Fund's prospectus. There is no minimum investment for subsequent purchases.

Taxes

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, in which case your distributions would generally be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-advantaged account.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your financial advisor or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

   
 

10

Summary Prospectus

franklintempleton.com


  

 
 

Franklin Distributors, LLC

One Franklin Parkway

San Mateo, CA 94403-1906

franklintempleton.com

Franklin High Income Fund

  
  

Investment Company Act file #811-01608

© 2023 Franklin Templeton. All rights reserved.

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