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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST

 

Quarterly Statement of Investments | See Notes to Statements of Investments. | 1

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

 

 

^†Rounds to less than 0.1% of net assets.

*The principal amount is stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

^aNon-income producing.

^bFair valued using significant unobservable inputs. See Note 6 regarding fair value measurements.

^cSee Note 4 regarding restricted securities.

^dPerpetual security with no stated maturity date.

^eSecurity 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 March 31, 2018, the aggregate value of these securities was $81,896,249, representing 30.5% of net assets.

^fIncome may be received in additional securities and/or cash.

^gSecurity purchased on a when-issued basis.

^hDefaulted security or security for which income has been deemed uncollectible.

 ⁱThe coupon rate shown represents the rate at period end.

 ^jA portion or all of the security purchased on a delayed delivery basis.

 ^kA portion or all of the security represents an unsettled loan commitment. The coupon rate is to-be determined (TBD) at the time of settlement and will be based upon a reference index/floor plus a spread.

^lAdjustable rate security with an interest rate that is not based on a published reference index and spread. The rate is based on the structure of the agreement and current market conditions. The coupon rate shown represents the rate at period end.

^mThe coupon rate shown represents the rate inclusive of any caps or floors, if applicable, in effect at period end.

ⁿAdjustable Rate Mortgage-Backed Security (ARM); the rate shown is the effective rate at period end. ARM rates are not based on a published reference rate and spread, but instead pass-through weighted average interest income inclusive of any caps or floors, if applicable, from the underlying mortgage loans in which the majority of mortgages pay interest based on the index shown at their designated reset dates plus a spread, less the applicable servicing and guaranty fee (MBS margin).

^oSecurity purchased on a to-be-announced (TBA) basis.

^pSee Note 5 regarding investments in affiliated management investment companies.

^qThe rate shown is the annualized seven-day effective yield at period end.

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST

Notes to Statement of Investments (unaudited)

1. ORGANIZATION

Franklin Limited Duration Income Trust (Fund) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) as a closed-end management investment company and applies the specialized accounting and reporting guidance in U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (U.S. GAAP).

2. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT VALUATION

The Fund’s 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 Fund calculates 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 Fund’s Board of Trustees (the Board), the Fund’s administrator has responsibility for oversight of valuation, including leading the cross-functional Valuation Committee (VC). The VC provides administration and oversight of the Fund’s valuation policies and procedures, which are approved annually by the Board. Among other things, these procedures allow the Fund 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. 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. Eastern 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.

Debt securities generally trade in the OTC market rather than on a securities exchange. The Fund’s 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. Securities denominated in a foreign currency are converted into their U.S. dollar equivalent at the foreign exchange rate in effect at 4 p.m. Eastern time on the date that the values of the foreign debt securities are determined.

Investments in open-end mutual funds are valued at the closing NAV.

The Fund has 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.

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

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 Fund’s 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 Fund. As a result, differences may arise between the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities as determined at the foreign market close and the latest indications of value at 4 p.m. Eastern time. In order to minimize the potential for these differences, the VC monitors price movements 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 Fund. 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 Fund’s NAV is not calculated, which could result in differences between the value of the Fund’s 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 Fund for financial reporting purposes.

3. MORTGAGE DOLLAR ROLLS

The Fund enters into mortgage dollar rolls, typically on a TBA basis. Mortgage dollar rolls are agreements between the Fund and a financial institution where the Fund sells (or buys) mortgage-backed securities for delivery on a specified date and simultaneously contracts to repurchase (or sell) substantially similar (same type, coupon, and maturity) securities at a future date and at a predetermined price. Gains or losses are realized on the initial sale, and the difference between the repurchase price and the sale price is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss to the Fund upon entering into the mortgage dollar roll. In addition, the Fund may invest the cash proceeds that are received from the initial sale. During the period between the sale and repurchase, the Fund is not entitled to principal and interest paid on the mortgage backed securities. Transactions in mortgage dollar rolls are accounted for as purchases and sales and may result in an increase to the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate. The risks of mortgage dollar roll transactions include the potential inability of the counterparty to fulfill its obligations.

The Fund is investing in mortgage dollar rolls as an alternate form of leverage. As a result, the mortgage dollar rolls are considered indebtedness or a “senior security” for purposes of the asset coverage requirements under the 1940 Act.

4. RESTRICTED SECURITIES

At March 31, 2018, investments in restricted securities, excluding securities exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933 deemed to be liquid, were as follows:

 

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

5. INVESTMENTS IN AFFILIATED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

The Fund 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 March 31, 2018, the Fund held investments in affiliated management investment companies as follows:

 

6. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Fund follows a fair value hierarchy that distinguishes between market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and the Fund’s own market assumptions (unobservable inputs). These inputs are used in determining the value of the Fund’s 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 Fund’s 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 Fund has adopted a policy of recognizing the transfers as of the date of the underlying event which caused the movement.

A summary of inputs used as of March 31, 2018, in valuing the Fund’s assets carried at fair value, is as follows:

 

^aFor detailed categories, see the accompanying Statement of Investments.

^bIncludes common and convertible preferred stocks as well as other equity investments.

^cIncludes securities determined to have no value at March 31, 2018.

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FRANKLIN LIMITED DURATION INCOME TRUST

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

A reconciliation of assets in which Level 3 inputs are used in determining fair value is presented when there are significant Level 3 financial instruments at the beginning and/or end of the period.

7. 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 acquired at a premium, to be amortized to the earliest call date. The ASU does not require an accounting change for securities acquired 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 has reviewed the requirements and believes the adoption of this ASU will not have a material impact on the financial statements.

8. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

The Fund has evaluated subsequent events through the issuance of the Statement of Investments and determined that no events have occurred that require disclosure.

 

For additional information on the Fund’s significant accounting policies, please refer to the Fund’s most recent semiannual or annual shareholder report.

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