Annual Report
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Your Fund’s Goals and Main Investments: Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
seeks high, current income, with a secondary goal of capital appreciation, by investing, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its total net assets in income-producing securities of sovereign or sovereign-related entities and private sector companies in emerging market countries.
Dear Shareholder:
We are pleased to bring you Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund’s annual report for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011.
The dollar value, number of shares or principal amount, and names of all portfolio holdings are listed in the Fund’s Statement of Investments (SOI). The SOI begins on page 11.
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Performance Overview
For the 12 months under review, Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund delivered cumulative total returns of +14.60% based on market price and +10.07% based on net asset value. The Fund outperformed the +7.49% total return in U.S. dollar terms of the J.P. Morgan (JPM) Emerging Markets Bond Index (EMBI) Global, which measures performance of U.S. dollar-denominated emerging market bonds.1 You can find the Fund’s long-term performance data in the Performance Summary on page 7.
Economic and Market Overview
The global economic recovery strengthened during the beginning of the Fund’s fiscal year. Emerging markets continued to lead the recovery with many economies returning to or exceeding pre-crisis activity levels. Although some developed economies, such as those of Australia and Scandinavia, also enjoyed relatively strong recoveries, the G-3 (U.S., eurozone and Japan) experienced slower growth than during recoveries from previous recessions. The divergent conditions between economies led to increasing differences in economic policies around the world. In most countries where recoveries were strong, monetary policy was tightened during the period as output gaps closed and inflationary pressures showed early signs of picking up. In contrast, in much of the developed world, significant slack remained as economic growth was below trend. This prompted G-3 policymakers to maintain historically accommodative monetary policies. A consequence of these divergent conditions was a further increase of capital flows to emerging markets. This foreign investment supported their recoveries but also prompted fears of potential asset price bubbles, economic overheating and currency overvaluation. Strengthening economic recovery was relatively favorable overall for risk assets as equity markets performed well and bond yields generally rose for a large part of the period.
Toward the end of the review period, softer economic reports in most advanced and some emerging economies raised concerns that the global economic recovery may be faltering. This led markets to seemingly price in the end of the current recovery phase in the business cycle rather than a mid-cycle slowdown. Nevertheless, classic signs of overcapacity in the U.S. indicating the economy had peaked did not appear to be present. Little evidence existed of housing or other
1. Source: © 2011 Morningstar. All Rights Reserved. The information contained herein: (1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; (2) may not be copied or distributed; and (3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. The index is unmanaged and includes reinvested interest. One cannot invest directly in an index, and an index is not representative of the Fund’s portfolio.
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new asset bubbles, and corporations were restrained in hiring and capacity building despite strong fundamentals. This leaner corporate structure did not help the still-weak labor market, but it also implied U.S. firms were unlikely to have significant excess labor. Still, a soft patch in recovery was not surprising given the amount of leverage in the system during the years leading up to the global financial crisis. Some moderation in the trajectory of emerging economies’ recoveries allowed growth to approach more sustainable levels and reduced the potential for overheating.
Economic performance in Asia excluding Japan was stronger than in other regions, even as economic activity showed signs of moderating toward the Fund’s fiscal year-end. In the second quarter of 2011, real gross domestic product (GDP) growth registered annual rates of 9.5% in China, 4.0% in Malaysia and 3.4% in South Korea.2 Asian policymakers tightened their monetary policies as measures of economic slack narrowed. China tightened liquidity conditions to prevent the formation of asset bubbles and to encourage a more sustainable economic growth rate. Elsewhere in the region, policymakers hiked interest rates 225 basis points (bps; 100 bps equal one percentage point) in India, 100 bps in South Korea, 50 bps in the Philippines, 25 bps in Australia and 25 bps in Malaysia. By contrast, second quarter 2011 GDP growth was 1.3% in the U.S., 1.6% in the eurozone and -1.1% in Japan.3 This led policymakers to maintain historically low policy rates in the U.S. and Japan while the European Central Bank (ECB) raised its policy rate 50 bps during the period.
Against this economic backdrop, markets absorbed several shocks during the review period as there were various, distinct sources of market volatility. Tensions flared in the Middle East and North Africa as uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya led to the fall of long-time rulers in those countries and, in the process, helped inspire a wave of regional unrest in several countries with autocratic rulers. A massive earthquake off the east coast of Japan triggered a destructive tsunami that struck a serious blow to the country’s economy and led to global supply-chain disruptions. Global economic activity subsequently began to normalize as Japan started reconstruction and firms adjusted after the disaster. These events led to significant short-term market volatility. Oil prices in particular rose as Libya’s exports were impacted and fears about the potential effects of unrest spreading in the region worried the market.
Separately, concerns about the solvency of some eurozone governments resurfaced during the period as policymakers continued to struggle for a coordinated plan
2. Sources: National Bureau of Statistics (China); Department of Statistics (Malaysia); Bank of Korea (South Korea).
3. Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (U.S.); Eurostat (eurozone); Economic and Social Research Institute (Japan).
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to address the significant challenges faced by the more heavily indebted euro-zone countries, namely Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Spain. During the period, the Portuguese government became the third eurozone member to seek official aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Union (EU). Although Greece was able to enact some austerity measures and agreed to impose lower rates on private bondholders to secure additional funds from the IMF and EU, concerns persisted over the government’s large outstanding debt. The ongoing eurozone sovereign debt crisis led to periods of risk aversion, when bond yields declined, equity markets sold off and perceived safe haven assets rallied, to alternate with periods of heightened risk appetite, when yields increased and investors again favored risk assets. Adding to the climate of risk aversion toward period-end was an extended and confrontational debate in the U.S. Congress regarding an increase in the U.S. debt ceiling that ultimately contributed to Standard & Poor’s downgrade of the long-term U.S. sovereign credit rating.
Investment Strategy
We invest selectively in bonds around the world to generate income for the Fund, seeking opportunities while monitoring changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates and credit risk. We seek to manage the Fund’s exposure to various currencies and may utilize forward currency exchange contracts.
Manager’s Discussion
The Fund purchased hard currency-denominated sovereign debt that typically compensates for greater credit risk by offering higher yields relative to U.S. Treasury and European benchmark bonds. Although risk aversion toward the end of the period led spreads to widen between yields on high yielding sovereign credits and the underlying “risk-free assets,” such as U.S. Treasuries, declining yields on U.S. Treasuries and high returns from these positions helped sovereign credit exposures benefit performance overall relative to the JPM EMBI Global. As financial markets began reflecting the underlying strength of emerging economies, many traditional emerging markets could borrow more cheaply than some eurozone members and, in several cases, U.S. states. U.S. dollar-denominated emerging market debt posted a +7.49% total return during the period as measured by the JPM EMBI Global, and sovereign interest rate credit spreads rose 28 bps during the period.1, 4 Regionally, Latin American sovereign debt returned +9.48%, Asian debt +5.37%, and central and eastern European debt +6.33%.4
4. Source: J.P. Morgan Markets. Regional returns are from subindexes of the JPM EMBI Global.
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As part of its investment strategy, the Fund used forward currency exchange contracts to hedge or gain exposure to various currencies during the review period.
Latin America
The Fund’s Latin American currency exposures, interest rate strategies and sovereign credit positions benefited performance. The period under review was favorable for the region as economic recovery continued. Brazil grew quickly, fueled by high commodity prices and domestic demand. Robust economic activity supported the Brazilian real, and the country attracted substantial foreign investment. Strong activity also prompted an incremental tightening of policy in a variety of ways, including a 125 bps hike in the country’s policy rate and less government spending growth. Despite the rate tightening, the Fund’s local market Brazilian exposure benefited performance due to security selection and the real’s 10.44% appreciation against the U.S. dollar.5 Elsewhere in the region, sovereign credit exposures in Argentina and Venezuela were important drivers of performance. The countries benefited from an increase in commodity prices as markets seemed to determine that both governments should be able to meet their financing needs over the short term.
Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA)
Despite rising turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa during the period, the Fund’s credit exposures helped performance. Recovering global economic activity and rising commodity prices were central to the strong performance of credits in the region. Fund exposures in Kazakhstan, Iraq, Ukraine, Russia and the United Arab Emirates benefited performance. The Fund maintained relatively little local market duration exposure in the region, but owned local government bonds in Ghana. The Ghanaian cedi depreciated 6.18% against the U.S. dollar during the period, but this negative effect was more than offset by the positive impact of the Fund’s interest rate exposure in Ghana.5
Asia
Asian economies again led the global recovery during the Fund’s fiscal year. Fears of a hard landing in these economies dissipated as domestic demand remained strong and policy tightening continued. China in particular used a variety of tools to help moderate activity, including raising interest rates and reserve requirements, and allowing gradual currency appreciation. Inflation fears increased in many Asian countries early in the period as several regional economies risked overheating. Higher commodity prices globally also had a particularly large impact on local inflation due to the significant effect that
5. Source: IDC/Exshare.
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*Holding is a negative percentage because of the Fund’s holdings of forward currency exchange contracts.
rising food and other raw material costs have on consumer prices. These fears became less prevalent as growth trajectories moderated to more sustainable levels toward period-end. The Fund maintained little duration exposure in Asia, except in Indonesia where declining yields contributed to performance. Regional sovereign credit exposures moderately contributed to performance, led by Fiji.
In the U.S. and Japan, with interest rates at historically low levels, significant central bank balance sheet expansion and unprecedented fiscal expenditures that drove record funding needs, we remained cautious regarding U.S. Treasuries over the medium term. Also, as a result of the potential negative impact of a steep yield curve on hard currency-denominated emerging market assets, we held net-negative Japanese yen exposure, through the use of forward currency exchange contracts, given the high correlation between the yen’s value and the U.S.-Japan yield differential. However, this strategy hindered relative Fund performance during the reporting period as the yen benefited from lower U.S. Treasury yields and heightened risk aversion surrounding the European debt crisis and concerns over slowing global growth. However, strong economic performance supported other regional currencies and mitigated this effect. The Fund benefited in particular from the appreciation of the Indonesian rupiah and South Korean won as the currencies appreciated 5.88% and 12.38% against the U.S. dollar during the period.5
Thank you for your continued participation in Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund. We look forward to serving your future investment needs.
The foregoing information reflects our analysis, opinions and portfolio holdings as of August 31, 2011, the end of the reporting period. The way we implement our main investment strategies and the resulting portfolio holdings may change depending on factors such as market and economic conditions. These opinions may not be relied upon as investment advice or an offer for a particular security. The information is not a complete analysis of every aspect of any market, country, industry, security or the Fund. Statements of fact are from sources considered reliable, but the investment manager makes no representation or warranty as to their completeness or accuracy. Although historical performance is no guarantee of future results, these insights may help you understand our investment management philosophy.
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Performance Summary as of 8/31/11
Your dividend income will vary depending on dividends or interest paid by securities in the Fund’s portfolio, adjusted for operating expenses. Capital gain distributions are net profits realized from the sale of portfolio securities. Total return reflects reinvestment of the Fund’s dividends and capital gain distributions, if any, and any unrealized gains or losses. Total returns do not reflect any sales charges paid at inception or brokerage commissions paid on secondary market purchases. The performance table does not reflect any taxes that a shareholder would pay on Fund dividends, capital gain distributions, if any, or any realized gains on the sale of Fund shares.
Performance data represent past performance, which does not guarantee future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or loss when you sell your shares. Current performance may differ from figures shown.
Endnotes
Changes in interest rates will affect the value of the Fund’s portfolio and its share price and yield. Bond prices generally move in the opposite
direction of interest rates. Thus, as prices of bonds in the Fund adjust to a rise in interest rates, the Fund’s share price may decline. Special
risks are associated with foreign investing, including currency fluctuations, economic instability and political developments. Investments in
developing markets involve heightened risks related to the same factors, in addition to those associated with their relatively small size and
lesser liquidity. The Fund’s use of foreign currency techniques involves special risks as such techniques may not achieve the anticipated bene-
fits and/or may result in losses to the Fund. Also, as a nondiversified investment company, the Fund may invest in a relatively small number of
issuers and, as a result, be subject to a greater risk of loss with respect to its portfolio securities. The Fund is actively managed but there is no
guarantee that the manager’s investment decisions will produce the desired results.
1. Total return calculations represent the cumulative and average annual changes in value of an investment over the periods indicated.
2. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on net asset value.
3. Assumes reinvestment of distributions based on the dividend reinvestment and cash purchase plan.
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Important Notice to Shareholders
Share Repurchase Program
The Fund’s Board previously authorized management to implement an open-market share repurchase program pursuant to which the Fund may purchase Fund shares, from time to time, in open-market transactions, at the discretion of management. This authorization remains in effect.
Swap Agreements
Generally, swap agreements are contracts between the Fund and, typically, a brokerage firm, bank or other institutional buyer (the swap counterparty) for periods ranging from a few days to multiple years. In a basic swap transaction, the Fund agrees with the swap counterparty to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on a particular “notional amount” or value of predetermined underlying instruments. The notional amount is the set dollar or other value selected by the parties to use as the basis on which to calculate the obligations that the parties to a swap agreement have agreed to exchange. The parties typically do not actually exchange the notional amount. Instead they agree to exchange the returns that would be earned or realized if the notional amount were invested in given investments or at given interest rates. Examples of returns that may be exchanged in a swap agreement are those of a particular security, a particular fixed or variable interest rate, a particular non-U.S. currency, or a “basket” of securities representing a particular index.
The Fund will generally enter into swap agreements on a net basis, which means that the two payment streams that are to be made by the Fund and its counterparty are netted out, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net difference in the two payments. The Fund’s obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement that is entered into on a net basis will generally be the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the obligations of each party upon termination of the agreement or at set valuation dates. The Fund will accrue its obligations under a swap agreement daily (offset by any amounts the counterparty owes the Fund). If the swap agreement does not provide for that type of netting, the full amount of the Fund’s obligations will be accrued on a daily basis.
During the term of a swap agreement, the Fund is usually required to pledge to the swap counterparty, from time to time, an amount of cash and/or other assets equal to the total net amount (if any) that would be payable by the Fund to the counterparty if the swap were terminated on the date in question, including any early termination payments. Periodically, changes in the amount pledged are made to recognize changes in value of the contract
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Important Notice to Shareholders (continued)
resulting from, among other things, interest on the notional value of the contract, market value changes in the underlying investment, and/or dividends paid by the issuer of the underlying instrument. Likewise, the counterparty may be required to pledge cash or other assets to cover its obligations to the Fund. However, the amount pledged may not always be equal to or more than the amount due to the other party. Therefore, if a counterparty defaults in its obligations to the Fund, the amount pledged by the counterparty and available to the Fund may not be sufficient to cover all the amounts due to the Fund and the Fund may sustain a loss.
Credit Default Swaps
The Fund may invest in credit default swaps for hedging purposes, and also for efficient portfolio management and to broaden investment opportunities. The “buyer” of protection in a credit default swap agreement is obligated to pay the “seller” a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement in return for a payment by the “seller” that is contingent upon the occurrence of a credit event with respect to a specific underlying reference debt obligation. Generally, a credit event means bankruptcy, failure to timely pay interest or principal, obligation acceleration, or modified restructuring of the reference debt obligation. The contingent payment by the seller generally is the face amount of the debt obligation, in return for the buyer’s obligation to make periodic cash payments and deliver in physical form the reference debt obligation or a cash payment equal to the then-current market value of that debt obligation at the time of the credit event. If no credit event occurs, the seller would receive a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the contract, while the buyer would lose the amount of its payments and recover nothing. The buyer is also subject to the risk that the seller will not satisfy its contingent payment obligation, if and when due.
Purchasing protection through a credit default swap may be used to attempt to hedge against a decline in the value of a debt security or securities due to a credit event. The seller of protection under a credit default swap receives periodic payments from the buyer but is exposed to the risk that the value of the reference debt obligation declines due to a credit event and that it will have to pay the face amount of the reference obligation to the buyer. Selling protection under credit default swaps may also permit the seller to gain exposure that is similar to owning the reference debt obligation directly. As the seller of protection, the Fund would effectively add leverage to its portfolio because, in addition to its total assets, the Fund would be subject to the risk that there would be a credit event and the Fund would have to make a substantial payment in the future.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Financial Highlights
10 | The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. | Annual Report
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Statement of Investments, August 31, 2011
Annual Report | 11
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Statement of Investments, August 31, 2011 (continued)
12 | Annual Report
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Statement of Investments, August 31, 2011 (continued)
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Statement of Investments, August 31, 2011 (continued)
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Statement of Investments, August 31, 2011 (continued)
*The principal amount is stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
aNon-income producing.
bSecurity is linked to the Argentine GDP and does not pay principal over the life of the security or at expiration. The holder is entitled to receive only variable payments, subject to
certain conditions, which are based on growth of the Argentine GDP and the principal or “notional” value of this GDP linked security.
cThe coupon rate shown represents the rate at period end.
dThe principal amount is stated in original face, and scheduled paydowns are reflected in the market price on ex-date.
ePrincipal amount is stated in 1,000 Brazilian Real Units.
fRedemption price at maturity is adjusted for inflation. See Note 1(g).
gSecurity 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 August 31,
2011, the aggregate value of these securities was $316,966,576, representing 40.12% of net assets.
hSecurity was purchased pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act of 1933, which exempts from registration securities offered and sold outside of the United States. Such a
security cannot be sold in the United States without either an effective registration statement filed pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, or pursuant to an exemption from regis-
tration. These securities have been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. At August 31, 2011, the aggregate value of these securities was
$24,842,137, representing 3.14% of net assets.
iPrincipal amount is stated in 100 Mexican Peso Units.
jA supranational organization is an entity formed by two or more central governments through international treaties.
kA portion or all of the security purchased on a delayed delivery. See Note 1(c).
lThe security is traded on a discount basis with no stated coupon rate.
mSee Note 7 regarding investments in the Institutional Fiduciary Trust Money Market Portfolio.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Statement of Investments, August 31, 2011 (continued)
At August 31, 2011, the Fund had the following forward exchange contracts outstanding. See Note 1(d).
16 | The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. | Annual Report
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Statement of Investments, August 31, 2011 (continued)
At August 31, 2011, the Fund had the following interest rate swap contracts outstanding. See Note 1(d).
Annual Report | The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. | 17
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Financial Statements
Statement of Assets and Liabilities
August 31, 2011
18 | The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. | Annual Report
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Financial Statements (continued)
Statement of Operations
for the year ended August 31, 2011
Annual Report | The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. | 19
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Financial Statements (continued)
20 | The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. | Annual Report
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Notes to Financial Statements
1. ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund (Fund) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (1940 Act) as a closed-end investment company.
The following summarizes the Fund’s significant accounting policies.
a. 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. 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.
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. Securities denominated in a foreign currency are converted into their U.S. dollar equivalent at the foreign exchange rate in effect at the close of the NYSE on the date that the values of the foreign debt securities are determined. Derivative financial instruments (derivatives) listed on an exchange are valued at the official closing price of the day. Investments in open-end mutual funds are valued at the closing net asset value.
Certain derivatives trade in the over-the-counter market. The Fund’s pricing services use various techniques including industry standard option pricing models and proprietary discounted cash flow models to determine the fair value of those instruments. The Fund’s net benefit or obligation under the derivative contract, as measured by the fair market value of the contract, is included in net assets.
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
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
| 1. | ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued) |
| a. | Financial Instrument Valuation (continued) |
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.
Trading in securities on foreign securities stock exchanges and over-the-counter markets may be completed before the daily close of business on the NYSE. Occasionally, events occur between the time at which trading in a foreign security is completed and the close of the NYSE 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 the close of the NYSE. In order to minimize the potential for these differences, the investment manager 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 spe-cific 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.
b. Foreign Currency Translation
Portfolio securities and other assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars based on the exchange rate of such currencies against U.S. dollars on the date of valuation. The Fund may enter into foreign currency exchange contracts to facilitate transactions denominated in a foreign currency. Purchases and sales of securities, income and expense items denominated in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate in effect on the transaction date. Portfolio securities and assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies contain risks that those currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Occasionally, events may impact the availability or reliability of foreign exchange rates used to convert the U.S. dollar equivalent value. If such an event occurs, the foreign exchange rate will be valued at fair value using procedures established and approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees.
The Fund does not separately report the effect of changes in foreign exchange rates from changes in market prices on securities held. Such changes are included in net realized and unrealized gain or loss from investments on the Statement of Operations.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
| 1. | ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued) |
| b. | Foreign Currency Translation (continued) |
Realized foreign exchange gains or losses arise from sales of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the recorded amounts of dividends, interest, and foreign withholding taxes and the U.S. dollar equivalent of the amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized foreign exchange gains and losses arise from changes in foreign exchange rates on foreign denominated assets and liabilities other than investments in securities held at the end of the reporting period.
c. Securities Purchased on a Delayed Delivery Basis
The Fund purchases securities on a delayed delivery basis, with payment and delivery scheduled for a future date. These transactions are subject to market fluctuations and are subject to the risk that the value at delivery may be more or less than the trade date purchase price. Although the Fund will generally purchase these securities with the intention of holding the securities, it may sell the securities before the settlement date. Sufficient assets have been segregated for these securities.
d. Derivative Financial Instruments
The Fund invested in derivatives in order to manage risk or gain exposure to various other investments or markets. Derivatives are financial contracts based on an underlying or notional amount, require no initial investment or an initial net investment that is smaller than would normally be required to have a similar response to changes in market factors, and require or permit net settlement. Derivatives contain various risks including the potential inability of the counterparty to fulfill their obligations under the terms of the contract, the potential for an illiquid secondary market, and/or the potential for market movements which expose the Fund to gains or losses in excess of the amounts shown on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Realized gain and loss and unrealized appreciation and depreciation on these contracts for the period are included in the Statements of Operations.
The Fund entered into financial futures contracts primarily to manage interest rate risk. A futures contract is an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty to buy or sell an underlying finan-cial instrument for a specified price on a future date. Required initial margin deposits of cash or securities are pledged by the Fund. Subsequent payments, known as variation margin, are made or received by the Fund, depending on fluctuations in the value of the underlying security. Such variation margin is accounted for as unrealized appreciation or depreciation until the contract is closed, at which time the gains or losses are realized.
The Fund entered into forward exchange contracts primarily to manage and/or gain exposure to certain foreign currencies. A forward exchange contract is an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty to buy or sell a foreign currency for a specific exchange rate on a future date. Pursuant to the terms of the forward exchange contracts, cash or securities may be required to be deposited as collateral. Unrestricted cash may be invested according to the Fund’s investment objectives.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
| 1. | ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued) |
| d. | Derivative Financial Instruments (continued) |
The Fund entered into interest rate swap contracts primarily to manage interest rate risk. An interest rate swap is an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty to exchange cash flows based on the difference between two interest rates, applied to a notional principal amount. Over the term of the contract, contractually required payments to be paid and to be received are accrued daily and recorded as unrealized depreciation and appreciation until the payments are made, at which time they are realized. Pursuant to the terms of the interest rate swap contract, cash or securities may be required to be deposited as collateral. Unrestricted cash may be invested according to the Fund’s investment objectives.
At August 31, 2011, the Fund holds $410,000 in cash as collateral for derivatives.
See Note 10 regarding other derivative information.
e. Credit-Linked Notes
The Fund purchases credit-linked notes. Credit-linked notes are intended to replicate the economic effects that would apply had the Fund directly purchased the underlying reference asset. The risks of credit-linked notes include the potential default of the underlying reference asset relative to the credit-linked note, the potential inability of the Fund to dispose of the credit-linked note in the normal course of business, and the possible inability of the counterparties to fulfill their obligations under the contracts.
f. Income Taxes
It is the Fund’s policy to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund intends to distribute to shareholders substantially all of its taxable income and net realized gains to relieve it from federal income and excise taxes. As a result, no provision for U.S. federal income taxes is required. The Fund files U.S. income tax returns as well as tax returns in certain other jurisdictions. The Fund records a provision for taxes in its financial statements including penalties and interest, if any, for a tax position taken on a tax return (or expected to be taken) when it fails to meet the more likely than not (a greater than 50% probability) threshold and based on the technical merits, the tax position may not be sustained upon examination by the tax authorities. As of August 31, 2011, and for all open tax years the Fund has determined that no provision for income tax is required in the Fund’s financial statements. Open tax years are those that remain subject to examination and are based on each tax jurisdiction statute of limitation.
The Fund may be subject to foreign taxation related to income received, capital gains on the sale of securities and certain foreign currency transactions in the foreign jurisdictions in which it invests. Foreign taxes, if any, are recorded based on the tax regulations and rates that exist in the foreign markets in which the Fund invests. When a capital gain tax is determined to apply the Fund records an estimated deferred tax liability for unrealized gains on these securities in an amount that would be payable if the securities were disposed of on the valuation date.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
| 1. | ORGANIZATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (continued) |
| g. | Security Transactions, Investment Income, Expenses and Distributions |
Security transactions are accounted for on trade date. Realized gains and losses on security transactions are determined on a specific identification basis. Interest income and estimated expenses are accrued daily. Amortization of premium and accretion of discount on debt securities are included in interest income. Distributions to shareholders are recorded on the ex-dividend date and are determined according to income tax regulations (tax basis). Distributable earnings determined on a tax basis may differ from earnings recorded in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These differences may be permanent or temporary. Permanent differences are reclassified among capital accounts to reflect their tax character. These reclassifications have no impact on net assets or the results of operations. Temporary differences are not reclassified, as they may reverse in subsequent periods.
Inflation-indexed bonds are adjusted for inflation through periodic increases or decreases in the security’s interest accruals, face amount, or principal redemption value, by amounts corresponding to the rate of inflation as measured by an index. Any increase or decrease in the face amount or principal redemption value will be included as interest income on the Statement of Operations.
h. Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
i. Guarantees and Indemnifications
Under the Fund’s organizational documents, its officers and trustees are indemnified by the Fund against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the Fund enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The Fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be made against the Fund that have not yet occurred. Currently, the Fund expects the risk of loss to be remote.
2. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
At August 31, 2011, there were an unlimited number of shares authorized (without par value).
Transactions in the Fund’s shares were as follows:
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
2. SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST (continued)
The Fund’s Board of Trustees previously authorized an open-market share repurchase program pursuant to which the Fund may purchase, from time to time, Fund shares in open-market transactions, at the discretion of management. This authorization remains in effect. Through August 31, 2011, the Fund had repurchased a total of 610,500 shares. During the years ended August 31, 2011 and August 31, 2010, there were no shares repurchased.
3. TRANSACTIONS WITH AFFILIATES
Franklin Resources, Inc. is the holding company for various subsidiaries that together are referred to as Franklin Templeton Investments. Certain officers and trustees of the Fund are also officers and/or directors of the following subsidiaries:
a. Management Fees
The Fund pays an investment management fee to Advisers based on the average daily net assets of the Fund as follows:
b. Administrative Fees
The Fund pays an administrative fee to FT Services of 0.15% per year of the average daily net assets of the Fund.
4. EXPENSE OFFSET ARRANGEMENT
The Fund has entered into an arrangement with its custodian whereby credits realized as a result of uninvested cash balances are used to reduce a portion of the Fund’s custodian expenses. During the year ended August 31, 2011, the custodian fees were reduced as noted in the Statement of Operations.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
5. INCOME TAXES
For tax purposes, realized currency losses occurring subsequent to October 31 may be deferred and treated as occurring on the first day of the following fiscal year. At August 31, 2011, the Fund deferred realized currency losses of $3,818,982.
The tax character of distributions paid during the years ended August 31, 2011 and 2010, was as follows:
At August 31, 2011, the cost of investments, net unrealized appreciation (depreciation), undistributed ordinary income and undistributed long term capital gains for income tax purposes were as follows:
Differences between income and/or capital gains as determined on a book basis and a tax basis are primarily due to differing treatments of foreign currency transactions, tax straddles, and inflation related adjustments on foreign securities.
6. INVESTMENT TRANSACTIONS
Purchases and sales of investments (excluding short term securities) for the year ended August 31, 2011, aggregated $186,097,811 and $243,418,570, respectively.
7. INVESTMENTS IN INSTITUTIONAL FIDUCIARY TRUST MONEY MARKET PORTFOLIO
The Fund invests in the Institutional Fiduciary Trust Money Market Portfolio (Sweep Money Fund), an open-end investment company managed by Advisers. Management fees paid by the Fund are reduced on assets invested in the Sweep Money Fund, in an amount not to exceed the management and administrative fees paid by the Sweep Money Fund.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
8. CREDIT RISK
At August 31, 2011, the Fund had 62.13% of its portfolio invested in high yield or other securities rated below investment grade. These securities may be more sensitive to economic conditions causing greater price volatility and are potentially subject to a greater risk of loss due to default than higher rated securities.
9. CONCENTRATION OF RISK
Investing in foreign securities may include certain risks and considerations not typically associated with investing in U.S. securities, such as fluctuating currency values and changing local and regional economic, political and social conditions, which may result in greater market volatility. In addition, certain foreign securities may not be as liquid as U.S. securities.
10. OTHER DERIVATIVE INFORMATION
At August 31, 2011, the Fund has invested in derivative contracts which are reflected on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities as follows:
For the year ended August 31, 2011, the effect of derivative contracts on the Fund’s Statement of Operations was as follows:
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
10. OTHER DERIVATIVE INFORMATION (continued)
For the year ended August 31, 2011, the average month end market value of derivatives represented 1.27% of average month end net assets. The average month end number of open derivative contracts for the year was 39.
See Note 1(d) regarding derivative financial instruments.
11. 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:
- Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical securities
- Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speed, credit risk, etc.)
- Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in deter- mining the fair value of investments)
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 August 31, 2011, in valuing the Fund’s assets and liabilities carried at fair value:
Annual Report | 29
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Notes to Financial Statements (continued)
12. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
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 evaluating the impact, if any, of applying this provision.
13. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS
The Fund has evaluated subsequent events through the issuance of the financial statements and determined that no events have occurred that require disclosure.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Board of Trustees and Shareholders of Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the statement of investments, and the related statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund (the “Fund”) at August 31, 2011, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the two years in the period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the five years in the period then ended, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements and financial highlights (hereafter referred to as “financial statements”) are the responsibility of the Fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits, which included confirmation of securities at August 31, 2011 by correspondence with the custodian and brokers, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
San Francisco, California
October 19, 2011
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Tax Designation (unaudited)
Under Section 852(b)(3)(C) of the Internal Revenue Code (Code), the Fund designates the maximum amount allowable but no less than $1,231,957 as a long term capital gain dividend for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011.
Under Section 871(k)(2)(C) of the Code, the Fund designates the maximum amount allowable but no less than $1,250,910 as a short term capital gain dividend for purposes of the tax imposed under Section 871(a)(1)(A) of the Code for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011.
At August 31, 2010, more than 50% of the Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund’s total assets were invested in securities of foreign issuers. In most instances, foreign taxes were withheld from income paid to the Fund on these investments. As shown in the table below, the Fund designates to shareholders the foreign source income and foreign taxes paid, pursuant to Section 853 of the Code. This designation will allow shareholders of record on September 30, 2010, to treat their proportionate share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund as having been paid directly by them. The shareholder shall consider these amounts as foreign taxes paid in the tax year in which they receive the Fund distribution.
The following table provides a detailed analysis of foreign tax paid, and foreign source income as designated by the Fund to shareholders of record.
Foreign Tax Paid Per Share (Column 1) is the amount per share available to you, as a tax credit (assuming you held your shares in the Fund for a minimum of 16 days during the 31-day period beginning 15 days before the ex-dividend date of the Fund’s distribution to which the foreign taxes relate), or, as a tax deduction.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Tax Designation (unaudited) (continued)
Foreign Source Income Per Share (Column 2) is the amount per share of income dividends attributable to foreign securities held by the Fund, plus any foreign taxes withheld on these dividends. The amounts reported include foreign source qualified dividends that have not been adjusted for the rate differential applicable to such dividend income.1
Foreign Qualified Dividends Per Share (Column 3) is the amount per share of foreign source qual-ified dividends, plus any foreign taxes withheld on these dividends. These amounts represent the portion of the Foreign Source Income reported to you in column 2 that were derived from quali-fied foreign securities held by the Fund.1
In January 2011, shareholders received Form 1099-DIV which included their share of taxes paid and foreign source income distributed during the calendar year 2010. The Foreign Source Income reported on Form 1099-DIV has not been adjusted for the rate differential on foreign source qualified dividend income. Shareholders are advised to check with their tax advisors for information on the treatment of these amounts on their 2010 individual income tax returns.
1Qualified dividends are taxed at reduced long term capital gains tax rates. In determining the amount of foreign tax credit that may be applied against the U.S. tax liability of individuals receiving foreign source qualified dividends, adjustments may be required to the foreign tax credit limitation calculation to reflect the rate differential applicable to such dividend income. The rules however permit certain individuals to elect not to apply the rate differential adjustments for capital gains and/or dividends for any taxable year. Please consult your tax advisor and the instructions to Form 1116 for more information.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Annual Meeting of Shareholders, February 25, 2011 (unaudited)
The Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund was held at the Fund’s offices, 500 East Broward Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on February 25, 2011. The purpose of the meeting was to elect four Trustees of the Fund and to ratify the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2011. At the meeting, the following persons were elected by the shareholders to serve as Trustees of the Fund: Harris J. Ashton, Edith E. Holiday, J. Michael Luttig and Constantine D. Tseretopoulos.* Shareholders also ratified the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2011. No other business was transacted at the meeting.
2. The ratification of the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Fund for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2011:
*Ann Torre Bates, Frank J. Crothers, Charles B. Johnson, Gregory E. Johnson, David W. Niemiec, Frank A. Olson, Larry D. Thompson and Robert E. Wade are Trustees of the Fund who are currently serving and whose terms of office continued after the Annual Meeting of Shareholders.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Plan
The Fund offers a Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Plan (the “Plan”) with the following features:
If shares of the Fund are held in the shareholder’s name, the shareholder will automatically be a participant in the Plan unless he elects to withdraw. If the shares are registered in the name of a broker-dealer or other nominee (i.e., in “street name”), the broker-dealer or nominee will elect to participate in the Plan on the shareholder’s behalf unless the shareholder instructs them otherwise, or unless the reinvestment service is not provided by the broker-dealer or nominee.
Participants should contact BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, P.O. Box 358015, Pittsburgh, PA, 15252-8015, to receive the Plan brochure.
To receive dividends or distributions in cash, the shareholder must notify The Bank of New York Mellon (the “Plan Administrator”) at the address above or the institution in whose name the shares are held. The Plan Administrator must receive written notice ten business days before the record date for the distribution.
Whenever the Fund declares dividends in either cash or shares of the Fund, if the market price is equal to or exceeds net asset value at the valuation date, the participant will receive the dividends entirely in new shares at a price equal to the net asset value, but not less than 95% of the then current market price of the Fund’s shares. If the market price is lower than net asset value or if dividends and/or capital gains distributions are payable only in cash, the participant will receive shares purchased on the New York Stock Exchange or otherwise on the open market.
A participant has the option of submitting additional cash payments to the Plan Administrator, in any amounts of at least $100, up to a maximum of $5,000 per month, for the purchase of Fund shares for his or her account. These payments can be made by check or money order payable to The Bank of New York Mellon and sent to BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, P.O. Box 382009, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-8009, Attention: Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund. The Plan Administrator will apply such payments (less a $5.00 service charge and less a pro rata share of trading fees) to purchases of the Fund’s shares on the open market.
The automatic reinvestment of dividends and/or capital gains does not relieve the participant of any income tax that may be payable on dividends or distributions.
Whenever shares are purchased on the New York Stock Exchange or otherwise on the open market, each participant will pay a pro rata portion of trading fees. Trading fees will be deducted from amounts to be invested. The Plan Administrator’s fee for a sale of shares through the Plan is $15.00 per transaction plus a $0.12 per share trading fee.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Plan (continued)
A participant may withdraw from the Plan without penalty at any time by written notice to the Plan Administrator sent to BNY Mellon Shareowner Services, P. O. Box 358015, Pittsburgh, PA, 15252-8015. Upon withdrawal, the participant will receive, without charge, share certificates issued in the participant’s name for all full shares held by the Plan Administrator; or, if the participant wishes, the Plan Administrator will sell the shares and send the proceeds to the participant, less a service charge of $15.00 and less trading fees of $0.12 per share. The Plan Administrator will convert any fractional shares held at the time of withdrawal to cash at current market price and send a check to the participant for the net proceeds.
Direct Deposit Service for Registered Shareholders
Cash distributions can now be electronically credited to a checking or savings account at any financial institution that participates in the Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) system. The Direct Deposit service is provided for registered shareholders at no charge. To enroll in the service, access your account online by going to www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/equityaccess or dial 800-416-5585 (toll free) and follow the instructions. Direct Deposit will begin with the next scheduled distribution payment date following enrollment in the service.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Transfer Agent
BNY Mellon Shareowner Services
P.O. Box 358015
Pittsburgh, PA 15252-8015
800-416-5585
www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/equityaccess
Direct Registration
If you are a registered shareholder of the Fund, purchases of shares of the Fund can be electronically credited to your Fund account at BNY Mellon Shareowner Services through Direct Registration. This service provides shareholders with a convenient way to keep track of shares through book entry transactions, electronically move book-entry shares between broker-dealers, transfer agents and DRS eligible issuers, and eliminate the possibility of lost certificates. For additional information, please contact BNY Mellon Shareowner Services at 800-416-5585.
Shareholder Information
Shares of Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TEI.” Information about the net asset value and the market price is published each Monday in the Wall Street Journal, weekly in Barron’s and each Saturday in The New York Times and other newspapers. Daily market prices for the Fund’s shares are published in the “New York Stock Exchange Composite Transactions” section of newspapers.
For current information about dividends and shareholder accounts, call 800-416-5585. Registered shareholders can access their Fund account on-line with Investor ServiceDirect®. For information go to BNY Mellon Shareowner Services’ web site at www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/equityaccess and follow the instructions.
The daily closing net asset value as of the previous business day may be obtained when available by calling Franklin Templeton Fund Information after 7 a.m. Pacific time any business day at 800 DIAL BEN/342-5236. The Fund’s net asset value and dividends are also listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc.’s Mutual Fund Quotation Service (“NASDAQ MFQS”).
Shareholders not receiving copies of reports to shareholders because their shares are registered in the name of a broker or a custodian can request that they be added to the Fund’s mailing list, by writing Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund, 100 Fountain Parkway, P.O. Box 33030, St. Petersburg, FL 33733-8030.
Annual Report | 37
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Board Members and Officers
The name, year of birth and address of the officers and board members, as well as their affiliations, positions held with the Fund, principal occupations during the past five years and number of U.S. registered portfolios overseen in the Franklin Templeton Investments fund complex are shown below. Generally, each board member serves a three-year term that continues until that person’s successor is elected and qualified.
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Annual Report | 39
40 | Annual Report
Annual Report | 41
*We base the number of portfolios on each separate series of the U.S. registered investment companies within the Franklin Templeton Investments fund complex. These portfolios have a common investment manager or affiliated investment managers.
**Charles B. Johnson is considered to be an interested person of the Fund under the federal securities laws due to his position as officer and director and major shareholder of Franklin Resources, Inc. (Resources), which is the parent company of the Fund’s investment manager. Gregory E. Johnson is considered to be an interested person of the Fund under the federal securities laws due to his position as officer and director of Resources.
Note 1: Charles B. Johnson and Rupert H. Johnson, Jr. are brothers and the father and uncle, respectively, of Gregory E. Johnson.
Note 2: Officer information is current as of the date of this report. It is possible that after this date, information about officers may change.
The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Rules adopted by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission require the Fund to disclose whether the Fund’s Audit Committee includes at least one member who is an audit committee financial expert within the meaning of such Act and Rules. The Fund’s Board has determined that there is at least one such financial expert on the Audit Committee and has designated each of Ann Torre Bates and David W. Niemiec as an audit committee financial expert. The Board believes that Ms. Bates and Mr. Niemiec qualify as such an expert in view of their extensive business background and experience. Ms. Bates has served as a member of the Fund Audit Committee since 2008. She currently serves as a director of SLM Corporation and Ares Capital Corporation and was formerly a director of Allied Capital Corporation from 2003 to 2010, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NHP Incorporated and Vice President and Treasurer of US Airways, Inc. Mr. Niemiec has served as a member of the Fund Audit Committee since 2005, currently serves as an Advisor to Saratoga Partners and was formerly its Managing Director from 1998 to 2001. Mr. Niemiec was formerly a director of Emeritus Corporation from 1999 to 2010 and OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. from 2006 to 2010, Managing Director of SBC Warburg Dillon Read from 1997 to 1998, and was Vice Chairman from 1991 to 1997 and Chief Financial Officer from 1982 to 1997 of Dillon, Read & Co. Inc. As a result of such background and experience, the Board believes that Ms. Bates and Mr. Niemiec have each acquired an understanding of generally accepted accounting principles and financial statements, the general application of such principles in connection with the accounting estimates, accruals and reserves, and analyzing and evaluating financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues generally comparable to those of the Fund, as well as an understanding of internal controls and procedures for financial reporting and an understanding of audit committee functions. Ms. Bates and Mr. Niemiec are independent Board members as that term is defined under the applicable U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Rules and Releases or the listing standards applicable to the Fund.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Shareholder Information
Board Review of Investment Management Agreement
At a meeting held May 17, 2011, the Board of Trustees (Board), including a majority of non-interested or independent Trustees, approved renewal of the investment management agreement for the Fund. In reaching this decision, the Board took into account information furnished throughout the year at regular Board meetings, as well as information prepared specifically in connection with the annual renewal review process. Information furnished and discussed throughout the year included investment performance reports on the Fund, information on its share price discount to net asset value, and other related financial information, as well as periodic reports on expenses, legal, compliance, pricing, brokerage commissions and execution and other services provided by the Investment Manager (Manager) and its affiliates. Information furnished specifically in connection with the renewal process included a report prepared by Lipper, Inc. (Lipper), an independent organization, as well as additional material, including a Fund profitability analysis prepared by management. The Lipper reports compared the Fund’s investment performance and expenses with those of other funds deemed comparable to the Fund as selected by Lipper. The Fund profitability analysis discussed the profitability to Franklin Templeton Investments from its overall U.S. fund operations, as well as on an individual fund-by-fund basis. Additional material accompanying such profitability analysis included information on a fund-by-fund basis listing portfolio managers and other accounts they manage, as well as information on management fees charged by the Manager and its affiliates to U.S. funds and other accounts, including management’s explanation of differences where relevant. Such material also included a memorandum prepared by management describing project initiatives and capital investments relating to the services provided to the Fund by the Franklin Templeton Investments organization, as well as a memorandum relating to economies of scale.
In considering such materials, the independent Trustees received assistance and advice from and met separately with independent counsel. In approving continuance of the investment management agreement for the Fund, the Board, including a majority of independent Trustees, determined that the existing management fee structure was fair and reasonable and that continuance of the investment management agreement was in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. While attention was given to all information furnished, the following discusses some primary factors relevant to the Board’s decision.
NATURE, EXTENT AND QUALITY OF SERVICE. The Board was satisfied with the nature and quality of the overall services provided by the Manager and its affiliates to the Fund and its shareholders. In addition to investment performance and expenses discussed later, the Board’s opinion was based, in part, upon periodic reports furnished it showing that the investment policies and restrictions for the Fund were consistently complied with as well as other reports periodically furnished the Board covering matters such as the compliance of portfolio managers and other management personnel with the code of ethics adopted throughout the Franklin Templeton fund complex, the adherence to fair value pricing procedures established by the Board, and the accuracy of net asset value calculations. Favorable consideration was given to management’s continuous efforts and expenditures in establishing back-up systems and recovery procedures to function in the
Annual Report | 43
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Shareholder Information (continued)
Board Review of Investment Management Agreement (continued)
event of a natural disaster, it being noted that such systems and procedures had functioned smoothly during the Florida hurricanes and blackouts experienced in previous years. Consideration was also given to the experience of the Fund’s portfolio management team, the number of accounts managed and general method of compensation. In this latter respect, the Board noted that a primary factor in management’s determination of the level of a portfolio manager’s bonus compensation was the relative investment performance of the funds he or she managed and that a portion of such bonus was required to be invested in a predesignated list of funds within such person’s fund management area so as to be aligned with the interests of shareholders. Particular attention was given to management’s conservative approach and diligent risk management procedures, including continuous monitoring of counterparty credit risk and attention given to derivatives and other complex instruments. The Board also took into account, among other things, the strong financial position of the Manager’s parent company and its commitment to the fund business as evidenced by its subsidization of money market funds.
INVESTMENT PERFORMANCE. The Board placed significant emphasis on the investment performance of the Fund in view of its importance to shareholders. While consideration was given to performance reports and discussions with portfolio managers at Board meetings during the year, particular attention in assessing performance was given to the Lipper reports furnished for the agreement renewal. The Lipper report for the Fund showed its investment performance for the one-year period ended February 28, 2011, as well as the previous 10 years ended that date in respect to a performance universe consisting of the Fund and all other closed-end, nonleveraged, emerging market debt funds as selected by Lipper. Such report considered the Fund’s income return and total return on a net asset value basis without regard to market discounts or premiums to accurately reflect investment performance. The Lipper report showed the Fund’s income return to be in the second-lowest quintile of such performance universe for the one-year period, but on an annualized basis to be in the second-highest quintile of such universe for the previous three-year period, the highest quintile of such universe for the previous five-year period, and the middle quintile of such universe for the previous 10-year period. The Lipper report showed the Fund’s total return to be in the highest or best performing quintile of such performance universe for the one-year period, and on an annualized basis to also be in the highest or best performing quintile of such universe for each of the previous three-, five- and 10-year periods. The Board found such comparative investment performance to be satisfactory, noting that the Fund’s actual income return for the one-year period as shown in the Lipper report exceeded 6%.
COMPARATIVE EXPENSES. Consideration was given to a comparative analysis of the management fee and total expense ratio of the Fund within a group of six funds, including the Fund, selected by Lipper as constituting its appropriate Lipper expense group. Lipper expense data is based upon information taken from each fund’s most recent annual report, which reflects historical asset levels that may be quite different from those currently existing, particularly in a period of market volatility. While recognizing such inherent limitation and the fact that expense ratios generally increase as
44 | Annual Report
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Shareholder Information (continued)
Board Review of Investment Management Agreement (continued)
assets decline and decrease as assets grow, the Board believed the independent analysis conducted by Lipper to be an appropriate measure of comparative expenses. In reviewing comparative costs, Lipper provides information on the Fund’s contractual investment management fee in comparison with the effective management fee that would have been charged by the other five funds within the Lipper expense group assuming they were similar in size to the Fund, as well as the actual total expenses of the Fund in comparison with those of the other five funds. The Lipper contractual investment management fee analysis considers administrative fees to be part of management fees and the results of such expense comparison showed both the Fund’s contractual investment management fee rate and the Fund’s actual total expense ratio to be at the medians of its Lipper expense group. The Board found the Fund’s expenses in comparison to those of its Lipper expense group to be acceptable.
MANAGEMENT PROFITABILITY. The Board also considered the level of profits realized by the Manager and its affiliates in connection with the operation of the Fund. In this respect, the Board reviewed the Fund profitability analysis that addresses the overall profitability of Franklin Templeton’s U.S. fund business, as well as its profits in providing management and other services to each of the individual funds during the 12-month period ended September 30, 2010, being the most recent fiscal year-end for Franklin Resources, Inc., the Manager’s parent. In reviewing the analysis, attention was given to the methodology followed in allocating costs to the Fund, it being recognized that allocation methodologies are inherently subjective and various allocation methodologies may each be reasonable while producing different results. In this respect, the Board noted that, while being continuously refined and reflecting changes in the Manager’s own cost accounting, the allocation methodology was consistent with that followed in profitability report presentations made in prior years and that the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm had been engaged by the Manager to review the reasonableness of the allocation methodologies solely for use by the Fund’s Board in reference to the profitability analysis. In reviewing and discussing such analysis, management discussed with the Board its belief that costs incurred in establishing the infrastructure necessary for the type of fund operations conducted by the Manager and its affiliates may not be fully reflected in the expenses allocated to the Fund in determining its profitability, as well as the fact that the level of profits, to a certain extent, reflected operational cost savings and efficiencies initiated by management. In addition, the Board considered a third-party study comparing the profitability of the Manager’s parent on an overall basis to other publicly held managers broken down to show profitability from management operations exclusive of distribution expenses, as well as profitability including distribution expenses. The Board also considered the extent to which the Manager and its affiliates might derive ancillary benefits from fund operations. Based upon its consideration of all these factors, the Board determined that the level of profits realized by the Manager and its affiliates from providing services to the Fund was not excessive in view of the nature, quality and extent of services provided.
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Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Shareholder Information (continued)
Board Review of Investment Management Agreement (continued)
ECONOMIES OF SCALE. The Board also considered whether the Manager realizes economies of scale as the Fund grows larger and the extent to which any such benefit is shared with the Fund and its shareholders. The Board believed that a manager’s ability to realize economies of scale and the sharing of such benefit is a more relevant consideration in the case of an open-end fund whose size increases as a result of the continuous sale of its shares. A closed-end investment company such as the Fund does not continuously offer shares, and growth following its initial public offering will primarily result from market appreciation, which benefits its shareholders. The Fund’s investment advisory fee provides a rate of 0.85% on the first $1 billion of net assets, with breakpoints thereafter, and the Fund also pays a flat 0.15% fee at all asset levels for administrative services. At the end of 2010, the Fund’s net assets amounted to approximately $766 million, and while believing economies of scale to be less of a factor in the context of a closed-end fund, the Board believes at some point an increase in size may lead to economies of scale that should be shared with the Fund and its shareholders and intends to monitor future growth of the Fund accordingly.
Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures
The Fund’s investment manager has established Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Policies) that the Fund uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities. Shareholders may view the Fund’s complete Policies online at franklintempleton.com. Alternatively, shareholders may request copies of the Policies free of charge by calling the Proxy Group collect at (954) 527-7678 or by sending a written request to: Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC, 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301, Attention: Proxy Group. Copies of the Fund’s proxy voting records are also made available online at franklintempleton.com and posted on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at sec.gov and reflect the most recent 12-month period ended June 30.
Quarterly Statement of Investments
The Fund files a complete statement of investments with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters for each fiscal year on Form N-Q. Shareholders may view the filed Form N-Q by visiting the Commission’s website at sec.gov. The filed form may also be viewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Information regarding the operations of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling (800) SEC-0330.
Certifications
The Fund’s Chief Executive Officer – Finance and Administration is required by the New York Stock Exchange’s Listing Standards to file annually with the Exchange a certification that she is not aware of any violation by the Fund of the Exchange’s Corporate Governance Standards applicable to the Fund. The Fund has filed such certification.
46 | Annual Report
Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund
Shareholder Information (continued)
Certifications (continued)
In addition, the Fund’s Chief Executive Officer – Finance and Administration and Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer are required by the rules of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to provide certain certifications with respect to the Fund’s Form N-CSR and Form N-CSRS (which include the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports to shareholders) that are filed annually with the Commission. The Fund has filed such certifications with its Form N-CSRS for the six months ended February 28, 2011. Additionally, the Fund expects to file, on or about October 31, 2011, such certifications with its Form N-CSR for the year ended August 31, 2011.
Annual Report | 47
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Item 2. Code of Ethics.
| (a) | The Registrant has adopted a code of ethics that applies to its principal executive officers and principal financial and accounting officer. |
| (c) | N/A |
| (d) | N/A |
| (f) | Pursuant to Item 12(a)(1), the Registrant is attaching as an exhibit a copy of its code of ethics that applies to its principal executive officers and principal financial and accounting officer. |
Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert.
(a)(1) The Registrant has an audit committee financial expert serving on its audit committee.
(2) The audit committee financial expert is David W. Niemiec and he is "independent" as defined under the relevant Securities and Exchange Commission Rules and Releases.
Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
(a) Audit Fees
The aggregate fees paid to the principal accountant for professional services rendered by the principal accountant for the audit of the registrant’s annual financial statements or for services that are normally provided by the principal accountant in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements were $50,422 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 and $46,344 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010.
(b) Audit-Related Fees
There were no fees paid to the principal accountant for assurance and related services rendered by the principal accountant to the registrant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of the registrant's financial statements and are not reported under paragraph (a) of Item 4.
There were no fees paid to the principal accountant for assurance and related services rendered by the principal accountant to the registrant's investment adviser and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit of their financial statements.
(c) Tax Fees
There were no fees paid to the principal accountant for professional services rendered by the principal accountant to the registrant for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning.
The aggregate fees paid to the principal accountant for professional services rendered by the principal accountant to the registrant’s investment adviser and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant for tax compliance, tax advice and tax planning were $85,000 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 and $0 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010. The services for which these fees were paid included technical tax consultation for capital
gain tax reporting to foreign governments and the application of the local country tax laws to investments made by various Franklin Templeton funds.
(d) All Other Fees
The aggregate fees paid to the principal accountant for products and services rendered by the principal accountant to the registrant, other than the services reported in paragraphs (a)-(c) of Item 4 were $290 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 and $0 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010. The services for which these fees were paid included review of materials provided to the fund Board in connection with the investment management contract renewal process.
The aggregate fees paid to the principal accountant for products and services rendered by the principal accountant to the registrant’s investment adviser and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant, other than the services reported in paragraphs (a)-(c) of Item 4 were $144,510 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 and $0 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010. The services for which these fees were paid included review of materials provided to the fund Board in connection with the investment management contract renewal process.
(e) (1) The registrant’s audit committee is directly responsible for approving the services to be provided by the auditors, including:
| (i) | pre-approval of all audit and audit related services; |
| (ii) | pre-approval of all non-audit related services to be provided to |
the Fund by the auditors;
(iii) pre-approval of all non-audit related services to be provided to the registrant by the auditors to the registrant’s investment adviser or to any entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with the registrant’s investment adviser and that provides ongoing services to the registrant where the non-audit services relate directly to the operations or financial reporting of the registrant; and
(iv) establishment by the audit committee, if deemed necessary or appropriate, as an alternative to committee pre-approval of services to be provided by the auditors, as required by paragraphs (ii) and (iii) above, of policies and procedures to permit such services to be pre-approved by other means, such as through establishment of guidelines or by action of a designated member or members of the committee; provided the policies and procedures are detailed as to the particular service and the committee is informed of each service and such policies and procedures do not include delegation of audit committee responsibilities, as contemplated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, to management; subject, in the case of (ii) through (iv), to any waivers, exceptions or exemptions that may be available under applicable law or rules.
| (e) | (2) None of the services provided to the registrant described in paragraphs |
| (b) | -(d) of Item 4 were approved by the audit committee pursuant to paragraph |
(c)(7)(i)(C) of Rule 2-01 of regulation S-X.
| (f) | No disclosures are required by this Item 4(f). |
| (g) | The aggregate non-audit fees paid to the principal accountant for services |
rendered by the principal accountant to the registrant and the registrant’s investment adviser and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant were $229,800 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011 and $0 for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2010.
(h) The registrant’s audit committee of the board has considered whether the provision of non-audit services that were rendered to the registrant’s investment adviser (not including any sub-adviser whose role is primarily portfolio management and is subcontracted with or overseen by another investment adviser), and any entity controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the investment adviser that provides ongoing services to the registrant that were not pre-approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X is compatible with maintaining the principal accountant’s independence.
Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants.
Members of the Audit Committee are: David W. Niemiec, Frank J. Crothers, Ann Torre Bates and Constantine D. Tseretopoulos.
Item 6. Schedule of Investments. N/A
Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures for Closed-End Management Investment Companies.
The board of trustees of the Fund has delegated the authority to vote proxies related to the portfolio securities held by the Fund to the Fund's investment manager Franklin Advisers, Inc. in accordance with the Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Policies) adopted by the investment manager.
The investment manager has delegated its administrative duties with respect to the voting of proxies to the Proxy Group within Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC (Proxy Group), an affiliate and wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin Resources, Inc. All proxies received by the Proxy Group will be voted based upon the investment manager’s instructions and/or policies. The investment manager votes proxies solely in the interests of the Fund and its shareholders.
To assist it in analyzing proxies, the investment manager subscribes to Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (ISS), an unaffiliated third-party corporate governance research service that provides in-depth analyses of shareholder meeting agendas, vote recommendations, recordkeeping and vote disclosure services. In addition, the investment manager subscribes to Glass, Lewis & Co., LLC (Glass Lewis), an unaffiliated third-party analytical research firm, to receive analyses and vote recommendations on the shareholder meetings of publicly held U.S. companies. Although ISS’ and/or Glass Lewis’ analyses are thoroughly reviewed and considered in making a final voting decision, the investment manager does not consider recommendations from ISS, Glass Lewis or any other third party to be determinative of the investment manager’s ultimate decision. As a matter of policy, the officers, directors/trustees and employees of the investment manager and the Proxy Group will not be influenced by outside sources whose interests conflict with the interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Efforts are made to resolve all conflicts in the interests of the investment manager’s clients. Material conflicts of interest are identified by
the Proxy Group based upon analyses of client, distributor, broker-dealer and vendor lists, information periodically gathered from directors and officers, and information derived from other sources, including public filings. In situations where a material conflict of interest is identified, the Proxy Group may defer to the voting recommendation of ISS, Glass Lewis or those of another independent third-party provider of proxy services; or send the proxy directly to the Fund's board or a committee of the board with the investment manager's recommendation regarding the vote for approval. If the conflict is not resolved by the Fund's board or a committee of the board, the Proxy Group may refer the matter, along with the recommended course of action by the investment manager, if any, to an interdepartmental Proxy Review Committee (which may include portfolio managers and/or research analysts employed by the investment manager), for evaluation and voting instructions. The Proxy Review Committee may defer to the voting recommendation of ISS, Glass Lewis or those of another independent third-party provider of proxy services; or send the proxy directly to the Fund's board or a committee of the board.
Where a material conflict of interest has been identified, but the items on which the investment manager’s vote recommendations differ from Glass Lewis, ISS, or another independent third-party provider of proxy services relate specifically to (1) shareholder proposals regarding social or environmental issues, (2) “Other Business” without describing the matters that might be considered, or (3) items the investment manager wishes to vote in opposition to the recommendations of an issuer’s management, the Proxy Group may defer to the vote recommendations of the investment manager rather than sending the proxy directly to the Fund's board or a board committee for approval.
To avoid certain potential conflicts of interest, the investment manager will employ echo voting, if possible, in the following instances: (1) when the Fund invests in an underlying fund in reliance on any one of Sections 12(d) (1) (E), (F), or (G) of the 1940 Act, the rules thereunder, or pursuant to any SEC exemptive orders thereunder; (2) when the Fund invests uninvested cash in affiliated money market funds pursuant to the rules under the 1940 Act or any exemptive orders thereunder (“cash sweep arrangement”); or (3) when required pursuant to the Fund’s governing documents or applicable law. Echo voting means that the investment manager will vote the shares in the same proportion as the vote of all of the other holders of the Fund’s shares.
The recommendation of management on any issue is a factor that the investment manager considers in determining how proxies should be voted. However, the investment manager does not consider recommendations from management to be determinative of the investment manager’s ultimate decision. As a matter of practice, the votes with respect to most issues are cast in accordance with the position of the company's management. Each issue, however, is considered on its own merits, and the investment manager will not support the position of the company's management in any situation where it deems that the ratification of management’s position would adversely affect the investment merits of owning that company’s shares.
Investment manager’s proxy voting policies and principles The investment manager has adopted general proxy voting guidelines, which are summarized below. These guidelines are not an exhaustive list of all the issues that may arise and the investment manager cannot anticipate all future situations. In all cases, each proxy will be considered based on the relevant facts and circumstances.
Board of directors. The investment manager supports an independent board of directors, and prefers that key committees such as audit, nominating, and compensation committees be comprised of independent directors. The investment manager will generally vote against management efforts to classify a board and will generally support proposals to declassify the board of directors. The investment manager will consider withholding votes from directors who have attended less than 75% of meetings without a valid reason. While generally in favor of separating Chairman and CEO positions, the investment manager will review this issue as well as proposals to restore or provide for cumulative voting on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration factors such as the company’s corporate governance guidelines or provisions and performance. The investment manager generally will support non-binding shareholder proposals to require a majority vote standard for the election of directors; however, if these proposals are binding, the investment manager will give careful review on a case-by-case basis of the potential ramifications of such implementation.
Ratification of auditors of portfolio companies. The investment manager will closely scrutinize the independence, role and performance of auditors. On a case-by-case basis, the investment manager will examine proposals relating to non-audit relationships and non-audit fees. The investment manager will also consider, on a case-by-case basis, proposals to rotate auditors, and will vote against the ratification of auditors when there is clear and compelling evidence of a lack of independence, accounting irregularities or negligence.
Management and director compensation. A company’s equity-based compensation plan should be in alignment with the shareholders’ long-term interests. The investment manager believes that executive compensation should be directly linked to the performance of the company. The investment manager evaluates plans on a case-by-case basis by considering several factors to determine whether the plan is fair and reasonable, including the ISS quantitative model utilized to assess such plans and/or the Glass Lewis evaluation of the plans. The investment manager will generally oppose plans that have the potential to be excessively dilutive, and will almost always oppose plans that are structured to allow the repricing of underwater options, or plans that have an automatic share replenishment “evergreen” feature. The investment manager will generally support employee stock option plans in which the purchase price is at least 85% of fair market value, and when potential dilution is 10% or less.
Severance compensation arrangements will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, although the investment manager will generally oppose “golden parachutes” that are considered to be excessive. The investment manager will normally support proposals that require a percentage of directors’ compensation to be in the form of common stock, as it aligns their interests with those of shareholders.
The investment manager will review non-binding say-on-pay proposals on a case-by-case basis, and will generally vote in favor of such proposals unless compensation is misaligned with performance and/or shareholders’ interests, the company has not provided reasonably clear disclosure regarding its compensation practices, or there are concerns with the company’s remuneration practices.
Anti-takeover mechanisms and related issues. The investment manager generally opposes anti-takeover measures since they tend to reduce shareholder rights. However, as with all proxy issues, the investment manager conducts an independent review of each anti-takeover proposal. On occasion, the investment manager may vote with management when the research analyst has concluded that the proposal is not onerous and would not harm the Fund or its shareholders’ interests. The investment manager generally supports proposals that require shareholder rights’ plans (“poison pills”) to be subject to a shareholder vote
and will closely evaluate such plans on a case-by-case basis to determine whether or not they warrant support. In addition, the investment manager will generally vote against any proposal to issue stock that has unequal or subordinate voting rights. The investment manager generally opposes any supermajority voting requirements as well as the payment of “greenmail.” The investment manager generally supports “fair price” provisions and confidential voting.
Changes to capital structure. The investment manager realizes that a company's financing decisions have a significant impact on its shareholders, particularly when they involve the issuance of additional shares of common or preferred stock or the assumption of additional debt. The investment manager will review, on a case-by-case basis, proposals by companies to increase authorized shares and the purpose for the increase. The investment manager will generally not vote in favor of dual-class capital structures to increase the number of authorized shares where that class of stock would have superior voting rights. The investment manager will generally vote in favor of the issuance of preferred stock in cases where the company specifies the voting, dividend, conversion and other rights of such stock and the terms of the preferred stock issuance are deemed reasonable. The investment manager will review proposals seeking preemptive rights on a case-by-case basis.
Mergers and corporate restructuring. Mergers and acquisitions will be subject to careful review by the research analyst to determine whether they would be beneficial to shareholders. The investment manager will analyze various economic and strategic factors in making the final decision on a merger or acquisition. Corporate restructuring proposals are also subject to a thorough examination on a case-by-case basis.
Environment, social and governance issues. The investment manager will generally give management discretion with regard to social, environmental and ethical issues, although the investment manager may vote in favor of those that are believed to have significant economic benefits or implications for the Fund and its shareholders. The investment manager generally supports the right of shareholders to call special meetings and act by written consent. However, the investment manager will review such shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis in an effort to ensure that such proposals do not disrupt the course of business or waste company resources for the benefit of a small minority of shareholders.
Global corporate governance. Many of the tenets discussed above are applied to the investment manager's proxy voting decisions for international investments. However, the investment manager must be flexible in these worldwide markets. Principles of good corporate governance may vary by country, given the constraints of a country’s laws and acceptable practices in the markets. As a result, it is on occasion difficult to apply a consistent set of governance practices to all issuers. As experienced money managers, The investment manager's analysts are skilled in understanding the complexities of the regions in which they specialize and are trained to analyze proxy issues germane to their regions.
The investment manager will generally attempt to process every proxy it receives for all domestic and foreign securities. However, there may be situations in which the investment manager may be unable to vote a proxy, or may chose not to vote a proxy, such as where: (i) proxy ballot was not received from the custodian; (ii) a meeting notice was received too late; (iii) there are fees imposed upon the exercise of a vote and it is determined that such
fees outweigh the benefit of voting; (iv) there are legal encumbrances to voting, including blocking restrictions in certain markets that preclude the ability to dispose of a security if the investment manager votes a proxy or where the investment manager is prohibited from voting by applicable law or other regulatory or market requirements, including but not limited to, effective Powers of Attorney; (v) the investment manager held shares on the record date but has sold them prior to the meeting date; (vi) proxy voting service is not offered by the custodian in the market; (vii) the investment manager believes it is not in the best interest of the Fund or its shareholders to vote the proxy for any other reason not enumerated herein; or (viii) a security is subject to a securities lending or similar program that has transferred legal title to the security to another person. The investment manager or its affiliates may, on behalf of one or more of the proprietary registered investment companies advised by the investment manager or its affiliates, determine to use its best efforts to recall any security on loan where the investment manager or its affiliates (a) learn of a vote on a material event that may affect a security on loan and (b) determine that it is in the best interests of such proprietary registered investment companies to recall the security for voting purposes.
Shareholders may view the complete Policies online at franklintempleton.com. Alternatively, shareholders may request copies of the Policies free of charge by calling the Proxy Group collect at (954) 527-7678 or by sending a written request to: Franklin Templeton Companies, LLC, 300 S.E. 2nd Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-1923, Attention: Proxy Group. Copies of the Fund’s proxy voting records are available online at franklintempleton.com and posted on the SEC website at www.sec.gov. The proxy voting records are updated each year by August 31 to reflect the most recent 12-month period ended June 30.
Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers.
(a)(1) As of October 31, 2011, the portfolio manager of the Fund is as follows:
MICHAEL HASENSTAB Ph.D, Senior Vice President of Franklin Advisers, Inc.
Dr. Hasenstab has been a portfolio manager of the Fund since 2002. He has final authority over all aspects of the Fund's investment portfolio, including but not limited to, purchases and sales of individual securities, portfolio risk assessment, and the management of daily cash balances in accordance with anticipated management requirements. The degree to which he may perform these functions, and the nature of these functions, may change from time to time. He first joined Franklin Templeton Investments in 1995, rejoining again in 2001 after a three-year leave to obtain his PH.D.
(a)(2) This section reflects information about the portfolio managers as of the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011.
The following table shows the number of other accounts managed by each portfolio manager and the total assets in the accounts managed within each category:
Portfolio managers that provide investment services to the Fund may also provide services to a variety of other investment products, including other funds, institutional accounts and private accounts. The advisory fees for some of such other products and accounts may be different than that charged to the Fund and may include performance-based compensation. This may result in fees that are higher (or lower) than the advisory fees paid by the Fund. As a matter of policy, each fund or account is managed solely for the benefit of the beneficial owners thereof. As discussed below, the separation of the trading execution function from the portfolio management function and the application of objectively based trade allocation procedures help to mitigate potential conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of the portfolio managers managing accounts with different advisory fees.
Conflicts. The management of multiple funds, including the Fund, and accounts may also give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the funds and other accounts have different objectives, benchmarks, time horizons, and fees as the portfolio manager must allocate his or her time and investment ideas across multiple funds and accounts. The manager seeks to manage such competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by having portfolio managers focus on a particular investment discipline. Most other accounts managed by a portfolio manager are managed using the same investment strategies that are used in connection with the management of the Fund. Accordingly, portfolio holdings, position sizes, and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios, which may minimize the potential for conflicts of interest. As noted above, the separate management of the trade execution and valuation functions from the portfolio management process also helps to reduce potential conflicts of interest. However, securities selected for funds or accounts other than the Fund may outperform the securities selected for the Fund. Moreover, if a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one fund or other account, the Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of that opportunity across all eligible funds and other accounts. The manager seeks to manage such potential conflicts by using procedures intended to provide a fair allocation of buy and sell opportunities among funds and other accounts.
The structure of a portfolio manager’s compensation may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. A portfolio manager’s base pay and bonus tend to increase with additional and more complex responsibilities that include increased assets under management. As such, there may be an indirect relationship between a portfolio manager’s marketing or sales efforts and his or her bonus.
Finally, the management of personal accounts by a portfolio manager may give rise to potential conflicts of interest. While the funds and the manager have adopted a code of ethics, which they believe contains provisions reasonably necessary to prevent a wide range of prohibited activities by portfolio managers and others with respect to their personal trading activities, there can be no assurance that the code of ethics addresses all individual conduct that could result in conflicts of interest.
The manager and the Fund have adopted certain compliance procedures that are designed to address these, and other, types of conflicts. However, there is no guarantee that such procedures will detect each and every situation where a conflict arises.
Compensation. The manager seeks to maintain a compensation program that is competitively positioned to attract, retain and motivate top-quality investment professionals. Portfolio managers receive a base salary, a cash incentive bonus opportunity, an equity compensation opportunity, and a benefits package. Portfolio manager compensation is reviewed annually and the level of compensation is based on individual performance, the salary range for a portfolio manager’s level of responsibility and Franklin Templeton guidelines. Portfolio managers are provided no financial incentive to favor one fund or account over another. Each portfolio manager’s compensation consists of the following three elements:
Base salary Each portfolio manager is paid a base salary.
Annual bonus Annual bonuses are structured to align the interests of the portfolio manager with those of the Fund’s shareholders. Each portfolio manager is eligible to receive an annual bonus. Bonuses generally are split between cash (50% to 65%) and restricted shares of Franklin Resources stock (17.5% to 25%) and mutual fund shares (17.5% to 25%). The deferred equity-based compensation is intended to build a vested interest of the portfolio manager in the financial performance of both Franklin Resources and mutual funds advised by the manager. The bonus plan is intended to provide a competitive level of annual bonus compensation that is tied to the portfolio manager achieving consistently strong investment performance, which aligns the financial incentives of the portfolio manager and Fund shareholders. The Chief Investment Officer of the manager and/or other officers of the manager, with responsibility for the Fund, have discretion in the granting of annual bonuses to portfolio managers in accordance with Franklin Templeton guidelines. The following factors are generally used in determining bonuses under the plan:
§ Investment performance. Primary consideration is given to the historic investment performance over the 1, 3 and 5 preceding years of all accounts managed by the portfolio manager. The pre-tax performance of each fund managed is measured relative to a relevant peer group and/or applicable benchmark as appropriate.
§ Non-investment performance. The more qualitative contributions of a portfolio manager to the manager’s business and the investment management team, including professional knowledge, productivity, responsiveness to client needs and communication, are evaluated in determining the amount of any bonus award.
§ Responsibilities.
The characteristics and complexity of funds managed
by the portfolio manager are factored in the manager’s appraisal.
Additional long-term equity-based compensation Portfolio managers may also be awarded restricted shares or units of Franklin Resources stock or restricted shares or units of one or more mutual funds, and options to purchase common shares of Franklin Resources stock. Awards of such deferred equity-based compensation typically vest over time, so as to create incentives to retain key talent.
Portfolio managers also participate in benefit plans and programs available generally to all employees of the manager.
Ownership of Fund shares. The manager has a policy of encouraging portfolio managers to invest in the funds they manage. Exceptions arise when, for example, a fund is closed to new investors or when tax considerations or jurisdictional constraints cause such an investment to be inappropriate for the portfolio manager. The following is the dollar range of Fund shares beneficially owned by each portfolio manager (such amounts may change from time to time):
Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Company and Affiliated Purchasers. N/A
Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders.
There have been no changes to the procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the Registrant's Board of Trustees that would require disclosure herein.
Item 11. 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 Shareholder Report on Form N-CSR, 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 Shareholder Report on Form N-CSR.
Item 12. Exhibits.
(a)(1) Code of Ethics
(a)(2) Certifications pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 of Laura F. Fergerson, Chief Executive Officer - Finance and Administration, and Mark H. Otani, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer
(b) Certifications pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 of Laura F. Fergerson, Chief Executive Officer - Finance and Administration, and Mark H. Otani, 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.
TEMPLETON EMERGING MARKETS INCOME FUND
By /s/LAURA F. FERGERSON
Laura F. Fergerson
Chief Executive Officer - Finance and
Administration
Date: October 27, 2011
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: October 27, 2011
By /s/MARK H. OTANI
Mark H. Otani
Chief Financial Officer and
Chief Accounting Officer
Date: October 27, 2011