UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549

FORM N-Q

QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF

REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY

Investment Company Act file number 811-05569

Franklin Universal Trust

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA  94403-1906

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

Craig S. Tyle, One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA  94403-1906

(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (650) 312-2000

Date of fiscal year end: 8/31

Date of reporting period: 11/30/16

Item 1. Schedule of Investments.

FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST

Quarterly Statement of Investments | See Notes to Statement of Investments. | 1

FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

See Abbreviations on page 14.

^†Rounds to less than 0.1% of net assets.
*The principal amount is stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
^aNon-income producing.
^bSecurity has been deemed illiquid because it may not be able to be sold within seven days. At November 30, 2016, the aggregate value of these securities was $294,541,
representing 0.2% of net assets.
^cSee Note 4 regarding restricted securities.
^dSecurity was purchased pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 and may be sold in transactions exempt from registration only to qualified institutional buyers
or in a public offering registered under the Securities Act of 1933. These securities have been deemed liquid under guidelines approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees. At
November 30, 2016, the aggregate value of these securities was $82,472,362, representing 43.6% of net assets.
^ePerpetual security with no stated maturity date.
^fDefaulted security or security for which income has been deemed uncollectible.
^gAt November 30, 2016, pursuant to the Fund’s policies and the requirements of applicable securities law, the Fund is restricted from trading these securities at period end.
^hIncome may be received in additional securities and/or cash.
ⁱSecurity purchased on a when-issued basis.
^jSee Note 5 regarding investments in affiliated management investment companies.

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST

Notes to Statements of Investments (unaudited)

1. ORGANIZATION

Franklin Universal Trust (Fund) is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as a closed-end management investment company and applies the specialized accounting and reporting guidance in U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles.

2. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT VALUATION

The Fund’s investments in 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. The Fund calculates the net asset value (NAV) per share as of 4 p.m. Eastern time each day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for trading. Senior Fixed Rate Notes issued by the Fund are carried at cost. Under compliance policies and procedures approved by the Fund’s Board of Trustees (the Board), the Fund’s administrator has responsibility for oversight of valuation, including leading the cross-functional Valuation Committee (VC). The VC provides administration and oversight of the Fund’s valuation policies and procedures, which are approved annually by the Board. Among other things, these procedures allow the Fund to utilize independent pricing services, quotations from securities and financial instrument dealers, and other market sources to determine fair value.

Equity securities listed on an exchange or on the NASDAQ National Market System are valued at the last quoted sale price or the official closing price of the day, respectively. Foreign equity securities are valued as of the close of trading on the foreign stock exchange on which the security is primarily traded or as of 4 p.m. Eastern time. The value is then converted into its U.S. dollar equivalent at the foreign exchange rate in effect at 4 p.m. Eastern time on the day that the value of the security is determined. Over-the-counter (OTC) securities are valued within the range of the most recent quoted bid and ask prices. Securities that trade in multiple markets or on multiple exchanges are valued according to the broadest and most representative market. Certain equity securities are valued based upon fundamental characteristics or relationships to similar securities.

Debt securities generally trade in the OTC 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, credit spreads, estimated default rates, anticipated market interest rate volatility, 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.

Investments in open-end mutual funds are valued at the closing NAV.

The Fund has procedures to determine the fair value of financial instruments for which market prices are not reliable or readily available. Under these procedures, the VC convenes on a regular basis to review such financial instruments and considers a number of factors, including significant unobservable valuation inputs, when arriving at fair value. The VC primarily employs a market-based approach which may use related or comparable assets or liabilities, recent transactions, market multiples, book values, and other relevant information for the investment to determine the fair value of the investment. An income-based valuation approach may also be used 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. The VC employs various methods for calibrating these valuation approaches including a regular review of key inputs and assumptions, transactional back-testing or disposition analysis, and reviews of any related market activity.

Trading in securities on foreign securities stock exchanges and OTC markets may be completed before 4 p.m. Eastern time. In addition, trading in certain foreign markets may not take place on every Fund’s business day. Occasionally, events occur between the time at which trading in a foreign security is completed and 4 p.m. Eastern time that might call into question the reliability of the

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST

NOTES TO STATEMENTS OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

2. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT VALUATION (continued)

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 4 p.m. Eastern time. In order to minimize the potential for these differences, the VC 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 specific 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.

When the last day of the reporting period is a non-business day, certain foreign markets may be open on those days that the Fund’s NAV is not calculated, which could result in differences between the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities on the last business day and the last calendar day of the reporting period. Any significant security valuation changes due to an open foreign market are adjusted and reflected by the Fund for financial reporting purposes.

3. INCOME TAXES

At November 30, 2016, the cost of investments and net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) for income tax purposes were as follows:

4. RESTRICTED SECURITIES

At November 30, 2016, the Fund held investments in restricted securities, excluding certain securities exempt from registration under the 1933 Act deemed to be liquid, as follows:

^aThe Fund also invests in unrestricted securities or other investments in the issuer, valued at $11,623 as of November 30, 2016.

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST

NOTES TO STATEMENTS OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

5. INVESTMENTS IN AFFILIATED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

The Fund invests in one or more affiliated management investment companies for purposes other than exercising a controlling influence over the management or policies. During the period ended November 30, 2016, the Fund held investments in affiliated management investment companies as follows:

^aRounds to less than 0.1%.

6. 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 financial instruments and are summarized in the following fair value hierarchy:

• Level 1 – quoted prices in active markets for identical financial instruments
• Level 2 – other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar financial instruments, interest rates, prepayment speed, credit risk, etc.)
• Level 3 – significant unobservable inputs (including the Fund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of financial instruments)

The input levels are not necessarily an indication of the risk or liquidity associated with financial instruments at that level.

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.

A summary of inputs used as of November 30, 2016, in valuing the Fund’s assets carried at fair value, is as follows:

^aIncludes common and convertible preferred stocks as well as other equity investments.
^bIncludes securities determined to have no value at November 30, 2016.
^cFor detailed categories, see the accompanying Statement of Investments.

A reconciliation of assets in which Level 3 inputs are used in determining fair value is presented when there are significant Level 3
financial instruments at the end of the period.

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FRANKLIN UNIVERSAL TRUST

NOTES TO STATEMENTS OF INVESTMENTS (UNAUDITED)

7. SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

The Fund has evaluated subsequent events through the issuance of the Statement of Investments and determined that no events have occurred that require disclosure.

For additional information on the Fund’s significant accounting policies, please refer to the Fund’s most recent semiannual or annual shareholder report.

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Item 2. Controls and Procedures.

(a) Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures.  The Registrant maintains disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the Registrant’s filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Such information is accumulated and communicated to the Registrant’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.  The Registrant’s management, including the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer, recognizes that any set of controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives.

Within 90 days prior to the filing date of this Quarterly Schedule of Portfolio Holdings on Form N-Q, the Registrant had carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Registrant’s management, including the Registrant’s principal executive officer and the Registrant’s principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures.  Based on such evaluation, the Registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer concluded that the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective.

(b) Changes in Internal Controls.  There have been no changes in the Registrant’s internal controls or in other factors that could materially affect the internal controls over financial reporting subsequent to the date of their evaluation in connection with the preparation of this Quarterly Schedule of Portfolio Holdings on Form N-Q.

Item 3. Exhibits.

(a) Certification pursuant to Section 30a-2 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 of Laura F. Fergerson, Chief Executive Officer - Finance and Administration, and Gaston Gardey, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Franklin Universal Trust

By /s/Laura F. Fergerson

      Laura F. Fergerson

      Chief Executive Officer –

      Finance and Administration

Date  January 26, 2017

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

By /s/Laura F. Fergerson

      Laura F. Fergerson

      Chief Executive Officer –

      Finance and Administration

Date  January 26, 2017

By /s/Gaston Gardey

      Gaston Gardey

      Chief Financial Officer and

Chief Accounting Officer

Date January 26, 2017