Franklin Templeton Inc. is buying a majority stake in Stoneshield Capital, a European investment firm specializing in real estate and infrastructure, in the latest move by the US money manager to expand further into alternative assets. Franklin will acquire a majority stake while the target's founders will retain the balance and continue to run the firm. Stoneshield, headquartered in Madrid, manages about $9 billion and will be incorporated into Franklin Templeton's real estate arm Clarion Partners, roughly tripling Clarion's European assets under management.