Edinburgh Partners Acquired by Franklin Resources

Edinburgh Partners Acquired by Franklin Resources

You may have seen the announcement this week that Edinburgh Partners has agreed to be acquired by Franklin Resources, Inc., the parent of Franklin Templeton Investments. Edinburgh Partners has been a strategic partner of Leith Wheeler since it began sub-advising the Leith Wheeler International Equity Plus Fund for our clients in March 2016.

We have had, and continue to enjoy, an excellent relationship with Edinburgh and this change in their ownership structure is not expected to impact our partnership. When we chose to partner with Edinburgh, it was because our due diligence revealed a deep team, with a disciplined approach, and a value philosophy that mirrored our own. These factors are not expected to change, and we are in fact heartened by the appointment of Edinburgh’s Dr. Sandy Nairn to the position of Chairman of Templeton Global Equity Group. Templeton is also an organization he knows well, as he spent 10 years working with Sir John Templeton in his previous role as EVP and Director of Global Research. As before, Sandy will remain investment partner and CEO of Edinburgh Partners.

With that said, our first commitment is to protecting and promoting the best interests of our clients. As an independent money manager, we understand the value of that independence in a partner and so we will monitor the integration closely to ensure the partnership continues to meet or exceed our expectations. We have already met with Sandy in person and feel confident that our goals remain aligned, and that the new ownership structure won’t impede Edinburgh’s ability to continue providing diligent, insightful management of our clients’ international equities.