Franklin Principal Maturity Trust Reports Portfolio Breakdown.

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 16, 1995--Franklin Principal Maturity Trust (NYSE:FPT), a closed-end investment company managed by Franklin Advisers, Inc., today reported that as of February 28, 1995, its portfolio composition, certain portfolio characteristics and NYSE closing price were as follows: -0-

     SECURITY                   MARKET VALUE          % OF FUND
    Treasury/Agency Zeros       $120,121,704            52.50%
    Corporate Bonds              $47,250,939            20.65%
    Common Stocks                $32,490,909            14.20%
    Private Placement Securities $17,585,765             7.69%
    Convertible Preferred Stocks    $389,224             0.17%
    Corporate Zeros               $1,825,706             0.80%
    Convertible Bonds                 $8,368             0.00%
    Mortgage-Backed Securities            $0             0.00%
    Preferred Stocks              $5,366,526             2.35%
    Foreign Government Bonds      $3,751,047             1.64%
    Zero-Coupon Convertible Bonds         $0             0.00%
    Cash Equivalents                      $0             0.00%
    Total Market Value          $228,790,188           100.00%

   TOP TEN HOLDINGS                      MARKET VALUE  % OF FUND
    US Treasury Strips, 0%, 5-15-01        $55,252,093  24.16%
    Refco Strips 0%                        $32,472,350  14.19%
    Gov't. Trust Strip, Israel 0%,         $17,475,498   7.64%
          2F, 05-15-01
    Carson Pirie Scott                     $10,477,100   4.58%
    Phar-Mor Bank Debt                      $6,033,147   2.64%
    Rexene Corp                             $6,027,000   2.63%
    Haynes International                    $5,737,500   2.51%
    Lone Star Industries                    $5,678,765   2.48%
    Gov't. Trust Strip, Israel 0%,          $5,199,131   2.27%
          1D 05-15-01
    Harvard Ind. 14.25%                     $4,949,326   2.16%
    Total                                 $149,301,910  65.26%

 PERCENT OF GROSS ASSETS IN DEFAULT:
    ISSUER                               MARKET VALUE     % OF FUND
    Phar-Mor Bank Debt                      $6,033,147    2.64%
    Maxwell Communications 10-01-94         $1,513,952    0.66%
    Almac Inc. 08-01-00                     $1,167,500    0.51%
    McCrory Corp                            $1,000,000    0.44%
    Ampex Group 11-15-96                       $40,000    0.01%
    Total                                   $9,754,599    4.26%

Note: The lower values of these defaulted securities are reflected
in the fund's net asset value.  All percentages are rounded to two
decimal places.

    Number of Positions                                        70
    NAV per share                                           $7.80
    NYSE closing price per share                            $6.75
    Number of shares outstanding                       20,462,600
    Assets net of leveraged amount,
     accounts payable and receivable                 $159,648,344(a)
    Asset coverage (Investment Company Act)               330.90%

(a) This number represents the net asset value carried out to eight
decimal places, multiplied by the number of shares outstanding.

    Franklin Advisers, Inc.  is a wholly owned subsidiary of Franklin
Resources, Inc.  (NYSE:BEN), whose primary business is the Franklin
Templeton Group with more than $114 billion in assets and three
million shareholder accounts.  Franklin's headquarters are located at
777 Mariners Island Blvd., San Mateo, CA 94404.

CONTACT: Franklin Advisers, Inc.

Kristen O'Leary, 415/312-3582