Franklin Templeton Partners to Expand Private Infrastructure Access

Franklin Templeton, Inc. BEN entered into a strategic partnership with Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (“CIP”), DigitalBridge and Actis to extend its infrastructure investment offerings for private clients.

BEN’s Partnership Details

The collaboration aims to provide private wealth clients with differentiated access to high-growth infrastructure opportunities, focusing on themes such as energy security, electrification and digitalization, as well as sectors including data centers and hyperscaler development, renewable energy, fiber and towers, and digital power.

The strategic partnership with all three institutional infrastructure investment firms combines deep sector expertise to capture the rising demand for sustainable energy and digital infrastructure in the private market worldwide.

DigitalBridge focuses on global digital infrastructure, including data centers, cell towers, fiber networks, small cells and edge facilities, capitalizing on trends in artificial intelligence and next-generation connectivity. On the other hand, CIP is the dedicated greenfield energy fund manager, using its expertise to support projects that advance the global energy transition. Actis, now part of the Sustainable Infrastructure business at General Atlantic, concentrates on critical infrastructure investments, such as power, transmission, transport and digital sectors, especially in rapidly growing emerging markets.

Strategic Rationale Behind BEN’s Partnership

Global infrastructure requirements are expected to surpass $94 trillion by 2040, opening an estimated $15 trillion investment opportunity for private capital. To capture this growth, Franklin Templeton has joined forces with DigitalBridge, CIP and Actis, pooling their complementary strengths to meet rising demand and provide private wealth investors with compelling infrastructure opportunities.

Jenny Johnson, president and CEO, Franklin Templeton, stated, “We are excited to partner with three leading firms: DigitalBridge, CIP, and Actis, in response to a compelling market demand for allocations to infrastructure.”  “The trends shaping the private markets present an opportunity to broaden access to capital and advance the availability of investments in energy security, electrification, and digitalization, and this is a unique opportunity for investors to unlock that potential,” she added.

Upon launch, the expanded private wealth offerings will provide institutional-quality access to private infrastructure, targeting stable, inflation-linked cash flows and long-term resilience across economic and market cycles. The portfolio will focus on high-growth sectors driving the future of energy, transportation and digital connectivity.

Final Thought on Franklin Templeton Partnership

In summary, this strategic alliance with leading institutional infrastructure investment firms positions Franklin Templeton to broaden its footprint in private infrastructure, gaining immediate access to attractive deal flow and specialist expertise. Further, by tapping into long-term, inflation-linked cash flows and diversifying beyond traditional equity and bond markets, the company can capture higher-margin revenues, broaden the investor base and secure more resilient fee income, strengthening its competitive edge in the rapidly expanding global alternatives market.

BEN’s Price Performance & Zacks Rank

This year, shares of BEN have gained 26.3% compared with the industry rise of 15.6%.

Price Performance

Franklin Templeton currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Steps by Other Firms to Make Private Markets More Accessible

Of late, private markets are turning out to be a lucrative business option for many financial firms. Earlier this month, Goldman Sachs GS partnered with T. Rowe Price TROW to offer a diversified suite of public and private market solutions tailored for retirement and wealth investors. As part of the collaboration, Goldman will invest roughly $1 billion in T. Rowe Price, acquiring a stake of about 3.5%.

The alliance will focus on expanding private market access for individuals, advisors and plan sponsors, offering Target-Date Strategies (mid-2026), model portfolios, multi-asset offerings, personalized advice and advisor-managed accounts. It will also give GS access to TROW’s retirement-focused clients, combining stable income with growth potential.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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