fut-nq_1111.htm - Generated by SEC Publisher for SEC Filing

 


 


 


 


 


 


tRounds to less than 0.1% of net assets.
'The principal amount is stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
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 Fund's Board of Trustees. At
November 30,2011, the aggregate value of these securities was $56,984,289, representing 32.77% of net assets.
C Defaulted security or security for which income has been deemed uncollectible.
d The coupon rate shown represents the rate at period end.
e Income may be received in additional securities and/or cash.
fSecurity purchased on a when-issued basis.
9The Institutional Fiduciary Trust Money Market Portfolio is managed by the Fund's investment manager.

ABBREVIATIONS
Selected Portfolio

FRN Floating Rate Note
PIK Payment-In-Kind

 

Franklin Universal Trust

Notes to Statement of Investments (unaudited)

1. ORGANIZATION

Franklin Universal Trust (Fund) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a closed-end investment company.

2. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT VALUATION

The Fund's investments in securities and other 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. Senior Fixed Rate Notes are carried at cost. Under procedures approved by the Fund's Board of Trustees, the Fund may 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 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. Investments in open-end mutual funds are valued at the closing net asset value.

Debt securities generally trade in the over-the-counter 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, option-adjusted spreads, credit spreads, estimated default rates, 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 Fund has procedures to determine the fair value of securities and other financial instruments for which market prices are not readily available or which may not be reliably priced. Under these procedures, the Fund 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. The Fund may also use an income-based valuation approach 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.


 

4. 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 investments and are summarized in the following fair value hierarchy:

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

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.

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of November 30, 2011, in valuing the Fund's assets and liabilities carried at fair value:


In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs. The amendments in the ASU will improve the comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and include new guidance for certain fair value measurement principles and disclosure requirements. The ASU is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Fund is currently reviewing the requirements and believes the adoption of this ASU will not have a material impact on the financial statements.

6. 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.


Item 2. 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 Quarterly Schedule of Portfolio Holdings on Form N-Q, 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 significant changes in the Registrant’s internal controls or in other factors that could significantly affect the internal controls subsequent to the date of their evaluation in connection with the preparation of this Quarterly Schedule of Portfolio Holdings on Form N-Q.

Item 3. Exhibits.

(a) Certification pursuant to Section 30a-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 of Laura F. Fergerson, 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 Universal Trust

By /s/ LAURA F. FERGERSON________
       Laura F. Fergerson
       Chief Executive Officer –
       Finance and Administration
Date January 25, 2012

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/ LAURA F. FERGERSON________
       Laura F. Fergerson
       Chief Executive Officer –
       Finance and Administration
Date January 25, 2012

By /s/ GASTON GARDEY_____________
       Gaston Gardey
       Chief Financial Officer and
       Chief Accounting Officer
Date January 25, 2012