Key Takeaways
- • Franklin Templeton is liquidating seven exchange-traded funds, adding to a wave of ESG fund closures across the U.S. market, according to Pensions & Investments.
- • The impacted funds include the Putnam ESG Core Bond ETF (PCRB), Putnam ESG High Yield ETF (PHYD), and Putnam ESG Ultra Short ETF (PULT), among others.
- • Liquidation timelines for the affected Putnam funds run from late 2025 into 2026, with one planned liquidation anticipated on or about June 16, 2026, approved by the board of trustees on March 26, 2026.
- • A separate Franklin Templeton liquidation is anticipated on or about November 3, 2026, approved by the Board of Trustees of Franklin ETFs.
- • U.S. ESG-focused funds continue to shrink: 91 funds shut down last year versus the launch of just nine new ones, per a trade-press report cited in the publisher's coverage.
Summary
Franklin Templeton is shutting seven exchange-traded funds, extending a wave of environmental, social and governance (ESG) fund closures, according to a April 2, 2026 report by Remy Samuels in Pensions & Investments. The liquidations follow a sequence of plan announcements from the firm, which has been winding down ESG-labeled products acquired through its Putnam platform.
The named funds include the Putnam ESG Core Bond ETF (PCRB), the Putnam ESG High Yield ETF (PHYD) and the Putnam ESG Ultra Short ETF (PULT). Publisher coverage indicates that a liquidation for one Putnam fund is anticipated on or about June 16, 2026, and that the Fund's board of trustees approved the plan on March 26, 2026. Other Putnam liquidations were scheduled earlier, with anticipated dates around November 21, 2025 and January 16, 2026, and a separate Franklin Templeton liquidation was anticipated on or about November 3, 2026.
The closures reflect a broader contraction in ESG-focused investment products in the United States. Publisher context cites a report stating that 91 US-based ESG funds shut down last year, compared with the launch of just nine new funds. Investors should expect further consolidation in the category as sponsors rationalize sub-scale sustainable product lines.
The primary article does not provide detailed AUM figures for the seven funds, and this summary does not supply them.
The named funds include the Putnam ESG Core Bond ETF (PCRB), the Putnam ESG High Yield ETF (PHYD) and the Putnam ESG Ultra Short ETF (PULT). Publisher coverage indicates that a liquidation for one Putnam fund is anticipated on or about June 16, 2026, and that the Fund's board of trustees approved the plan on March 26, 2026. Other Putnam liquidations were scheduled earlier, with anticipated dates around November 21, 2025 and January 16, 2026, and a separate Franklin Templeton liquidation was anticipated on or about November 3, 2026.
The closures reflect a broader contraction in ESG-focused investment products in the United States. Publisher context cites a report stating that 91 US-based ESG funds shut down last year, compared with the launch of just nine new funds. Investors should expect further consolidation in the category as sponsors rationalize sub-scale sustainable product lines.
The primary article does not provide detailed AUM figures for the seven funds, and this summary does not supply them.
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