As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on   
<R>     
August 29, 2016   
</R>     
  Registration No. 333-515 
  811-07513 

 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION   
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549   
 
---------------   
 
FORM N-1A   
    ---- 
  REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  / X / 
    ---- 
    ---- 
  Pre-Effective Amendment No.  /    / 
    ---- 
    ---- 
<R>     
  Post-Effective Amendment No. 241  / X / 
</R>     
  and  ---- 
 
    ---- 
  REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY  / X / 
  ACT OF 1940  ---- 
    ---- 
<R>     
  Amendment No. 242  / X / 
</R>     
  (Check appropriate box or boxes)  ---- 
 
---------------   
PUTNAM FUNDS TRUST   
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)   
 
One Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02109   
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)   
 
Registrant's Telephone Number, including Area Code   
(617) 292-1000   
-----------------   

 



  It is proposed that this filing will become effective 
  (check appropriate box) 
 
----   
/   /  immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) 
----   
----   
/ x /  on August 30, 2016 pursuant to paragraph (b) 
----   
----   
/   /  60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) 
----   
----   
/   /  on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) 
----   
----   
/   /  75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) 
----   
----   
/   /  on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485. 
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If appropriate, check the following box: 
----   
/   /  this post-effective amendment designates a new 
----  effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment. 
 
  -------------- 
  ROBERT T. BURNS, Vice President 
  PUTNAM FUNDS TRUST 
  One Post Office Square 
  Boston, Massachusetts 02109 
  (Name and address of agent for service) 
  --------------- 
  Copy to: 
 
  BRYAN CHEGWIDDEN, Esquire 
  ROPES & GRAY LLP 
  1211 Avenue of the Americas 
  New York, New York 10036 
  --------------------- 

 

<R>

This Post-Effective Amendment relates solely to the Registrant's Putnam Absolute Return Funds and Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund, each a series of Putnam Funds Trust. Information contained in the Registrant's Registration Statement relating to any other series of the Registrant is neither amended nor superseded hereby.

</R>



Prospectus Supplement   August 30, 2016 

 
Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund   
Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund   
Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund   
Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund   

 

Prospectus dated February 28, 2016

The funds will offer class P shares to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Investment Management, LLC or its affiliates beginning on August 30, 2016. The prospectus is supplemented as follows to add information about class P shares.

The front cover page is supplemented to add class P shares to the list of shares to which the prospectus relates, and to indicate that fund symbols for class P shares are pending.

The following information is added to similar disclosure for each fund under Fund summaries — Fees and expenses:

Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

  Maximum sales charge (load)  Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as 
  imposed on purchases (as a  a percentage of original purchase price or 
Share class  percentage of offering price)  redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) 

Class P  NONE  NONE 

 

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

    Distribution and    Total annual fund 
  Management  service (12b-1)  Other  operating 
Share class  fees†  fees  expenses  expenses 

Class P  0.41%  N/A  0.01%  0.42% 

 

† Management fees are subject to a performance adjustment.

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class  1 year  3 years  5 years  10 years 

Class P  $43  $135  $235  $530 

 

1 

 



Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

  Maximum sales charge (load)  Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as 
  imposed on purchases (as a  a percentage of original purchase price or 
Share class  percentage of offering price)  redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) 

Class P  NONE  NONE 

 

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

      Total annual fund oper- 
    Distribution and  ating 
Share class  Management fees†  service (12b-1) fees  expenses 

Class P  0.59%  N/A  0.59% 

 

† Management fees are subject to a performance adjustment.

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class  1 year  3 years  5 years  10 years 

Class P  $60  $189  $329  $738 

 

2 

 



Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

  Maximum sales charge (load)  Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as 
  imposed on purchases (as a  a percentage of original purchase price or 
Share class  percentage of offering price)  redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) 

Class P  NONE  NONE 

 

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

    Distri-           
    bution      Total    Total annual 
    and    Acquired  annual    fund operating 
  Manage-  service    fund  fund  Expense  expenses 
Share  ment  (12b-1)  Other  fees and  operating  reimburse-  after expense 
class  fees†  fees  expenses  expenses  expenses  ment#  reimbursement 

Class P  0.68%  N/A  0.08%<  0.02%  0.78%  (0.02)%  0.76% 

 

† Management fees are subject to a performance adjustment.

# Reflects Putnam Investment Management, LLC’s contractual obligation to limit certain fund expenses through 2/28/17. This obligation may be modified or discontinued only with approval of the Board of Trusteees.

< Other expenses are based on expenses of class A shares for the fund’s last fiscal year, adjusted to reflect the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class P shares.

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Only the first year of each period in the example takes into account the expense reimbursement described above. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class  1 year  3 years  5 years  10 years 

Class P  $78  $247  $431  $964 

 

3 

 



Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

  Maximum sales charge (load)  Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as 
  imposed on purchases (as a  a percentage of original purchase price or 
Share class  percentage of offering price)  redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) 

Class P  NONE  NONE 

 

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

    Distribution    Acquired   
  Management  and service  Other  fund fees and  Total annual fund 
Share class  fees†  (12b-1) fees  expenses  expenses  operating expenses 

Class P  0.81%  N/A  0.08%<  0.01%  0.90% 

 

† Management fees are subject to a performance adjustment.

< Other expenses are based on expenses of class A shares for the fund’s last fiscal year, adjusted to reflect the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class P shares.

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class  1 year  3 years  5 years  10 years 

Class P  $92  $287  $498  $1,108 

 

4 

 



The following information is added to Fund summaries—Important Additional Information About All Funds under the heading Purchase and sale of fund shares:

Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Investment Management, LLC or its affiliates.


 

The following information is added to How do I buy fund shares?—Opening an account:

Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates. Shares of the fund are sold at the NAV per share determined after confirmation of a purchase order by Putnam Investor Services.


The following information restates similar disclosure in How do I buy fund shares?—Which class of shares is best for me?:

This prospectus offers you four classes of fund shares: A, B, C and M. Employer-sponsored retirement plans may also choose class R or R6 shares, and certain investors described below may also choose class Y shares. Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates.

The following information is added to How do I buy fund shares?—Here is a summary of the differences among the classes of shares:

Class P shares

• Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates.

• No initial sales charge; your entire investment goes to work immediately

• No deferred sales charge

• Lower annual expenses, and higher dividends, than class A, B, C, M or R shares because of no 12b-1 fees and lower investor servicing fees.

The last sentence in the section Distribution plans and payments to dealers— Distribution and service (12b-1) plans is amended to read:

Class P, class R6 and class Y shares, for shareholders who are eligible to purchase them, will be less expensive than other classes of shares because they do not bear sales charges or 12b-1 fees.


The Financial highlights section for each fund is revised as set forth below:

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each fund’s recent financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been derived from the financial statements provided in each fund’s semi-annual report dated 4/30/16, which for this period have not been audited.

5 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:      RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments   operations  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c  (%)  (%) 

Class A­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.07­  .10­  (.13)  (.03)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  $9.88­  (.32)*   $103,793­  .31*  .98*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.25­  .13­  (.18)  (.05)  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.07­  (.49)  113,553­  .66­  1.28­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.26­  .13­  .01­  .14­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.25­  1.37­  136,276­  .64­  1.32­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.16­  .15­  .03­  .18­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  10.26­  1.73­  160,057­  .64f  1.49f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.15­  .16­  —­d  .16­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.16­  1.65­  158,622­  .65f  1.55f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.44­  .23­  (.30)  (.07)  (.13)  (.09)  (.22)  10.15­  (.79)  249,746­  .67f  2.27f  186­g 

Class B­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.03­  .09­  (.14)  (.05)  (.13)  —­  (.13)  $9.85­  (.50)*   $1,558­  .41*  .88*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.20­  .11­  (.17)  (.06)  (.11)  —­  (.11)  10.03­  (.64)  1,617­  .86­  1.09­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.21­  .11­  .01­  .12­  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.20­  1.19­  2,467­  .84­  1.12­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.12­  .13­  .02­  .15­  (.06)  —­  (.06)  10.21­  1.45­  3,080­  .84f  1.27f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.11­  .13­  .02­  .15­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  10.12­  1.48­  2,655­  .85f  1.33f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.39­  .22­  (.32)  (.10)  (.09)  (.09)  (.18)  10.11­  (1.03)  3,070­  .87f  2.10f  186­g 

Class C­                           
April 30, 2016**  $9.98­  .06­  (.14)  (.08)  (.08)  —­  (.08)  $9.82­  (.78)*   $22,708­  .68*  .60*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.15­  .05­  (.17)  (.12)  (.05)  —­  (.05)  9.98­  (1.20)  23,503­  1.41­  .53­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.15­  .06­  —­d  .06­  (.06)  —­  (.06)  10.15­  .58­  26,468­  1.39­  .56­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.05­  .08­  .02­  .10­  —­  —­  —­  10.15­  1.00­  30,621­  1.39f  .75f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.03­  .08­  .01­  .09­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  10.05­  .90­  40,649­  1.40f  .80f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.33­  .16­  (.31)  (.15)  (.06)  (.09)  (.15)  10.03­  (1.56)  62,600­  1.42f  1.58f  186­g 

Class M­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.05­  .09­  (.13)  (.04)  (.15)  —­  (.15)  $9.86­  (.38)*   $1,827­  .33*  .95*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.23­  .12­  (.17)  (.05)  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.05­  (.53)  1,942­  .71­  1.24­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.24­  .13­  —­d  .13­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  10.23­  1.31­  2,059­  .69­  1.27­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.14­  .15­  .02­  .17­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  10.24­  1.70­  2,609­  .69f  1.45f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.13­  .15­  .01­  .16­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.14­  1.61­  2,973­  .70f  1.48f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.42­  .23­  (.31)  (.08)  (.12)  (.09)  (.21)  10.13­  (.81)  3,576­  .72f  2.22f  186­g 

Class R­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.00­  .07­  (.12)  (.05)  —­  —­  —­  $9.95­  (.50)*   $34­  .43*  .76*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.18­  .11­  (.18)  (.07)  (.11)  —­  (.11)  10.00­  (.67)  37­  .91­  1.06­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.19­  .11­  —­d  .11­  (.12)  —­  (.12)  10.18­  1.12­  214­  .89­  1.06­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.10­  .13­  .02­  .15­  (.06)  —­  (.06)  10.19­  1.50­  311­  .89f  1.26f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.09­  .13­  —­d  .13­  (.12)  —­  (.12)  10.10­  1.33­  316­  .90f  1.27f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.39­  .21­  (.31)  (.10)  (.11)  (.09)  (.20)  10.09­  (1.00)  317­  .92f  2.06f  186­g 

Class R5­                           
April 30, 2016**#  $10.14­  .06­  (.16)  (.10)  (.18)  —­  (.18)  $9.86­  (.96)*   $10­  .09*  .56*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.32­  .16­  (.18)  (.02)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  10.14­  (.22)  10­  .41­  1.56­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.32­  .16­  .01­  .17­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  10.32­  1.71­  10­  .39­  1.58­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.21­  .18­  .02­  .20­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  10.32­  1.94­  10­  .39f  1.74f  81­g 
October 31, 2012†  10.12­  .05­  .04­  .09­  —­  —­  —­  10.21­  .89*  10­  .13*f  .48*f  238­g 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

42  Absolute Return 100 Fund  Absolute Return 100 Fund  43 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:      RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments   operations  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c  (%)  (%) 

Class R6­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.13­  .11­  (.14)  (.03)  (.18)  —­  (.18)  $9.92­  (.26)*   $562­  .18*  1.11*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.31­  .16­  (.18)  (.02)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  10.13­  (.22)  525­  .41­  1.54­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.32­  .16­  .01­  .17­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  10.31­  1.63­  583­  .39­  1.56­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.21­  .16­h  .04­  .20­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  10.32­  1.97­  509­  .39f  1.57f,h  81­g 
October 31, 2012†  10.12­  .05­  .04­  .09­  —­  —­  —­  10.21­  .89*  10­  .13*f  .48*f  238­g 

Class Y­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.11­  .11­  (.14)  (.03)  (.18)  —­  (.18)  $9.90­  (.26)*   $101,135­  .18*  1.11*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.29­  .16­  (.18)  (.02)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  10.11­  (.22)  100,119­  .41­  1.54­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.30­  .16­  —­d  .16­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  10.29­  1.61­  107,117­  .39­  1.54­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.21­  .18­  .02­  .20­  (.11)  —­  (.11)  10.30­  1.94­  78,562­  .39f  1.74f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.20­  .18­  .01­  .19­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  10.21­  1.90­  71,603­  .40f  1.78f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.48­  .26­  (.31)  (.05)  (.14)  (.09)  (.23)  10.20­  (.51)  80,840­  .42f  2.55f  186­g 

 

* Not annualized.

** Unaudited.

# Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees, if any.

d Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

e Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

f Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets:

  10/31/13  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  0.10%  0.33%  0.29% 

Class B  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class C  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class M  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class R  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class R5  0.09  0.10  N/A 

Class R6  0.07  0.08  N/A 

Class Y  0.10  0.33  0.29 

 

g Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been following:

 

  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  126% 

October 31, 2012  641 

October 31, 2011  424 

 

h The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending October 31, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.  The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. 

 

44  Absolute Return 100 Fund  Absolute Return 100 Fund  45 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:          LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:          RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain   distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a on investments­   operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b  (in thousands)  (%) c  (%)  (%) 

Class A­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.18­  .17­  (.39)  (.22)  (.45)  —­  (.45)  $9.51­  (2.21)*   $298,572­  .36*  1.78*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.71­  .28­  (.44)  (.16)  (.37)  —­  (.37)  10.18­  (1.53)  374,839­  .84­  2.71­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.81­  .31­  .03­  .34­  (.44)  —­  (.44)  10.71­  3.19­  470,872­  .81­  2.91­  203 ­d 
October 31, 2013­  10.58­  .34­  .05­  .39­  (.16)  —­  (.16)  10.81­  3.73­  497,067­  .78 ­e  3.13 ­e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.38­  .31­  (.01)  .30­  (.10)  —­  (.10)  10.58­  2.97­  518,088­  .82­ e  2.94­ e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.92­  .38­  (.56)  (.18)  (.32)  (.04)  (.36)  10.38­  (1.72)  830,296­  .87 ­e  3.55 ­e  188 f 

Class B­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.12­  .16­  (.39)  (.23)  (.43)  —­  (.43)  $9.46­  (2.36)*   $7,993­  .46*  1.69*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.65­  .26­  (.44)  (.18)  (.35)  —­  (.35)  10.12­  (1.74)  9,669­  1.04­  2.52­  486 ­d 
October 31, 2014­  10.75­  .29­  .02­  .31­  (.41)  —­  (.41)  10.65­  2.96­  11,822­  1.01­  2.73­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.53­  .31­  .05­  .36­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  10.75­  3.46­  12,854­  .98­ e  2.93­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.32­  .28­  .01­  .29­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  10.53­  2.86­  13,859­  1.02 ­e  2.71 ­e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.86­  .37­  (.58)  (.21)  (.29)  (.04)  (.33)  10.32­  (2.03)  16,066­  1.07 ­e  3.48­ e  188 f 

Class C­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.06­  .13­  (.39)  (.26)  (.37)  —­  (.37)  $9.43­  (2.69)*   $106,559­  .73*  1.41*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.58­  .20­  (.43)  (.23)  (.29)  —­  (.29)  10.06­  (2.22)  134,131­  1.59­  1.96­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.68­  .23­  .02­  .25­  (.35)  —­  (.35)  10.58­  2.37­  162,146­  1.56­  2.17­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.44­  .25­  .06­  .31­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  10.68­  2.94­  169,740­  1.53­ e  2.39 ­e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.24­  .22­  .01­  .23­  (.03)  —­  (.03)  10.44­  2.23­  201,889­  1.57­ e  2.19 ­e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.80­  .30­  (.57)  (.27)  (.25)  (.04)  (.29)  10.24­  (2.53)  291,442­  1.62­ e  2.86­ e  188 f 

Class M­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.15­  .17­  (.40)  (.23)  (.45)  —­  (.45)  $9.47­  (2.35)*   $8,308­  .39*  1.76*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.68­  .28­  (.44)  (.16)  (.37)  —­  (.37)  10.15­  (1.56)  9,913­  .89­  2.67­  486 ­d 
October 31, 2014­  10.78­  .31­  .02­  .33­  (.43)  —­  (.43)  10.68­  3.13­  11,043­  .86­  2.85­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.55­  .33­  .05­  .38­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.78­  3.68­  11,228­  .83 ­e  3.08 ­e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.35­  .30­  — ­g  .30­  (.10)  —­  (.10)  10.55­  2.90­  11,914­  .87­ e  2.89­ e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.90­  .38­  (.57)  (.19)  (.32)  (.04)  (.36)  10.35­  (1.85)  17,639­  .92­ e  3.56 ­e  188 f 

Class R­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.14­  .16­  (.39)  (.23)  (.38)  —­  (.38)  $9.53­  (2.33)*   $385­  .49*  1.64*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.68­  .26­  (.45)  (.19)  (.35)  —­  (.35)  10.14­  (1.81)  379­  1.09­  2.52­  486 ­d 
October 31, 2014­  10.77­  .28­  .03­  .31­  (.40)  —­  (.40)  10.68­  2.96­  914­  1.06­  2.64­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.54­  .31­  .05­  .36­  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.77­  3.47­  824­  1.03 ­e  2.86 ­e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.34­  .28­  — ­g  .28­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  10.54­  2.71­  734­  1.07 ­e  2.68 ­e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.89­  .36­  (.57)  (.21)  (.30)  (.04)  (.34)  10.34­  (1.98)  801­  1.12­ e  3.35 ­e  188 f 

Class R5­                           
April 30, 2016 #**  $10.25­  .10­  (.36)  (.26)  (.48)  —­  (.48)  $9.51­  (2.63)*   $11­  .12*  1.03*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.78­  .31­  (.44)  (.13)  (.40)  —­  (.40)  10.25­  (1.24)  11­  .59­  3.00­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.88­  .34­  .02­  .36­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  10.78­  3.42­  11­  .56­  3.19­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.63­  .37­  .05­  .42­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  10.88­  4.03­  11­  .53­ e  3.40­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012†  10.42­  .09­  .12­  .21­  —­  —­  —­  10.63­  2.02*  10­  .18* e  .84* e  238 f 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. 

 

58   Absolute Return 300 Fund  Absolute Return 300 Fund   59 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:          LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:          RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a  on investments­ operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b   (in thousands)  (%) c  (%)  (%) 

Class R6­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.24­  .19­  (.40)  (.21)  (.48)  —­  (.48)  $9.55­  (2.12)*   $1,325­  .24*  1.93*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.78­  .31­  (.45)  (.14)  (.40)  —­  (.40)  10.24­  (1.34)  1,446­  .59­  2.98­  486 ­d 
October 31, 2014­  10.88­  .37­  (.01)  .36­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  10.78­  3.43­  1,828­  .56­  3.38­  203 ­d 
October 31, 2013­  10.63­  .32­ h  .11­  .43­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  10.88­  4.06­  2,573­  .53 ­e  2.91 e,h  246  f 
October 31, 2012†  10.42­  .09­  .12­  .21­  —­  —­  —­  10.63­  2.02*  10­  .18* e  .84* e  238  f 

Class Y­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.22­  .19­  (.40)  (.21)  (.48)  —­  (.48)  $9.53­  (2.12)*   $228,121­  .24*  1.93*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.75­  .31­  (.44)  (.13)  (.40)  —­  (.40)  10.22­  (1.24)  381,738­  .59­  2.98­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.85­  .33­  .03­  .36­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  10.75­  3.42­  438,177­  .56­  3.06­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.63­  .36­  .05­  .41­  (.19)  —­  (.19)  10.85­  3.93­  253,607­  .53­ e  3.37­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.43­  .33­  — ­g  .33­  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.63­  3.21­  212,599­  .57 ­e  3.20 ­e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.96­  .41­  (.56)  (.15)  (.34)  (.04)  (.38)  10.43­  (1.47)  367,131­  .62­ e  3.82­ e  188 f 


* Not annualized.

** Unaudited.

# Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage/service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

e Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets:

  10/31/13  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  0.06%  0.19%  0.18% 

Class B  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class C  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class M  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class R  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class R5  0.05  0.05  N/A 

Class R6  0.03  0.03  N/A 

Class Y  0.06  0.19  0.18 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. 

 

 
f Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:
 
 
  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  656% 

October 31, 2012  722 

October 31, 2011  512 

 

g Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

h The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending October 31, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.

60   Absolute Return 300 Fund  Absolute Return 300 Fund   61 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:      RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments­   operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c,d  (%)d  (%) 

Class A­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.55­  .07­  (.43)  (.36)  (.52)  (.11)  (.63)  $10.56­  (3.21)*   $366,757­  .52*  .69*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.81­  .13­  .24­  .37­  (.11)  (.52)  (.63)  11.55­  3.25­  399,301­  1.11­  1.09­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.54­  .15­  .29­  .44­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  11.81­  3.88­  345,053­  1.10­  1.32­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.33­  .20­  .08­  .28­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  11.54­  2.49­  378,440­  1.11­  1.72­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.89­  .18­  .59­  .77­  (.33)  —­  (.33)  11.33­  7.25­  376,219­  1.14­  1.67­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.93­  .29­  (.05)  .24­  (.23)  (.05)  (.28)  10.89­  2.21­  411,424­  1.16­  2.68­  144f 

Class B­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.38­  .03­  (.42)  (.39)  (.43)  (.11)  (.54)  $10.45­  (3.55)*   $31,226­  .90*  .32*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.64­  .04­  .24­  .28­  (.02)  (.52)  (.54)  11.38­  2.49­  33,624­  1.86­  .33­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.38­  .07­  .28­  .35­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  11.64­  3.08­  35,171­  1.85­  .57­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.18­  .11­  .09­  .20­  —­  —­  —­  11.38­  1.79­  37,351­  1.86­  .97­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.75­  .10­  .58­  .68­  (.25)  —­  (.25)  11.18­  6.47­  37,009­  1.89­  .91­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.81­  .21­  (.05)  .16­  (.17)  (.05)  (.22)  10.75­  1.44­  33,914­  1.91­  1.94­  144f 

Class C­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.36­  .03­  (.42)  (.39)  (.44)  (.11)  (.55)  $10.42­  (3.51)*   $207,051­  .90*  .32*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.62­  .04­  .25­  .29­  (.03)  (.52)  (.55)  11.36­  2.53­  211,594­  1.86­  .33­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.36­  .07­  .28­  .35­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  11.62­  3.08­  183,688­  1.85­  .57­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.17­  .11­  .08­  .19­  —­  —­  —­  11.36­  1.70­  185,562­  1.86­  .97­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.74­  .10­  .58­  .68­  (.25)  —­  (.25)  11.17­  6.52­  185,116­  1.89­  .91­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.80­  .21­  (.05)  .16­  (.17)  (.05)  (.22)  10.74­  1.45­  184,129­  1.91­  1.91­  144f 

Class M­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.44­  .05­  (.43)  (.38)  (.48)  (.11)  (.59)  $10.47­  (3.46)*   $9,707­  .77*  .44*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.70­  .07­  .24­  .31­  (.05)  (.52)  (.57)  11.44­  2.78­  9,246­  1.61­  .58­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.43­  .09­  .29­  .38­  (.11)  —­  (.11)  11.70­  3.37­  7,096­  1.60­  .81­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.23­  .14­  .08­  .22­  (.02)  —­  (.02)  11.43­  1.95­  7,029­  1.61­  1.22­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.80­  .13­  .58­  .71­  (.28)  —­  (.28)  11.23­  6.72­  7,554­  1.64­  1.16­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.84­  .24­  (.05)  .19­  (.18)  (.05)  (.23)  10.80­  1.75­  7,650­  1.66­  2.18­  144f 

Class R­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.42­  .05­  (.42)  (.37)  (.14)  (.11)  (.25)  $10.80­  (3.32)*   $1,186­  .65*  .49*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.68­  .09­  .26­  .35­  (.09)  (.52)  (.61)  11.42­  3.07­  591­  1.36­  .82­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.47­  .12­  .28­  .40­  (.19)  —­  (.19)  11.68­  3.52­  6,271­  1.35­  1.06­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.26­  .16­  .10­  .26­  (.05)  —­  (.05)  11.47­  2.30­  4,058­  1.36­  1.44­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.83­  .15­  .58­  .73­  (.30)  —­  (.30)  11.26­  6.96­  1,812­  1.39­  1.40­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.88­  .26­  (.05)  .21­  (.21)  (.05)  (.26)  10.83­  1.95­  1,432­  1.41­  2.41­  144f 

Class R5­                           
April 30, 2016**#  $11.63­  .05­  (.40)  (.35)  (.55)  (.11)  (.66)  $10.62­  (3.14)*   $11­  .20*  .49*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.89­  .16­  .25­  .41­  (.15)  (.52)  (.67)  11.63­  3.54­  11­  .86­  1.33­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.62­  .19­  .28­  .47­  (.20)  —­  (.20)  11.89­  4.12­  11­  .84­  1.59­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.38­  .23­  .09­  .32­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  11.62­  2.84­  10­  .86­  1.97­  189f 
October 31, 2012†  11.16­  .07­  .15­  .22­  —­  —­  —­  11.38­  1.97*  10­  .29*  .60*  150f 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

72  Absolute Return 500 Fund  Absolute Return 500 Fund  73 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:      RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments­   operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c,d  (%)d  (%) 

Class R6­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.63­  .09­  (.43)  (.34)  (.56)  (.11)  (.67)  $10.62­  (3.05)*   $6,630­  .36*  .86*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.89­  .16­  .25­  .41­  (.15)  (.52)  (.67)  11.63­  3.59­  6,766­  .80­  1.41­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.62­  .19­  .29­  .48­  (.21)  —­  (.21)  11.89­  4.23­  4,288­  .79­  1.63­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.38­  .21­g  .12­  .33­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  11.62­  2.88­  4,411­  .80­  1.80­g  189f 
October 31, 2012†  11.16­  .07­  .15­  .22­  —­  —­  —­  11.38­  1.97*  10­  .28*  .62*  150f 

Class Y­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.60­  .09­  (.43)  (.34)  (.55)  (.11)  (.66)  $10.60­  (3.03)*   $541,701­  .40*  .81*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.86­  .16­  .24­  .40­  (.14)  (.52)  (.66)  11.60­  3.54­  469,028­  .86­  1.34­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.60­  .18­  .29­  .47­  (.21)  —­  (.21)  11.86­  4.07­  296,153­  .85­  1.55­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.38­  .23­  .09­  .32­  (.10)  —­  (.10)  11.60­  2.83­  217,880­  .86­  1.98­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.94­  .21­  .58­  .79­  (.35)  —­  (.35)  11.38­  7.48­  220,855­  .89­  1.91­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.97­  .32­  (.05)  .27­  (.25)  (.05)  (.30)  10.94­  2.49­  189,594­  .91­  2.93­  144f 

 

* Not annualized.

** Unaudited.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

# Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets:

  4/30/16  10/31/15  10/31/14  10/31/13  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  0.02%  0.02%  0.02%  0.02%  0.09%  0.12% 

Class B  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class C  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class M  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class R  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class R5  0.01  0.01  —  0.03  0.02  — 

Class R6  0.02  —  —  —  —  — 

Class Y  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

 

e Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

f Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:

  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  415% 

October 31, 2012  454 

October 31, 2011  341 

 

g The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending April 30, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.  The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. 

 

74  Absolute Return 500 Fund  Absolute Return 500 Fund  75 

 


 

Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: LESS DISTRIBUTIONS: RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset   end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a   on investments­  operations­   income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b   (in thousands)  (%) c  (%)  (%) 

Class A­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.45­  .12­  (.68)  (.56)  (.81)  (.12)  (.93)  $10.96­  (4.60)*   $376,829­  .59* d  1.05* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.71­  .20­  .30­  .50­  (.19)  (.57)  (.76)  12.45­  4.04­  424,484­  1.26­  1.60­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  12.17­  .20­  .48­  .68­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  12.71­  5.65­  328,250­  1.24­  1.63­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.78­  .24­  .16­  .40­  (.01)  —­  (.01)  12.17­  3.42­  346,385­  1.25­  2.04­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.35­  .21­  .66­  .87­  (.44)  —­  (.44)  11.78­  7.97­  331,370­  1.33 ­d  1.82­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.45­  .33­  (.04)  .29­  (.34)  (.05)  (.39)  11.35­  2.55­  364,714­  1.37 ­d  2.86 ­d  174 f 

Class B­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.16­  .07­  (.65)  (.58)  (.72)  (.12)  (.84)  $10.74­  (4.89)*   $29,855­  .96* d  .67* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.44­  .10­  .29­  .39­  (.10)  (.57)  (.67)  12.16­  3.18­  30,905­  2.01­  .85­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  11.91­  .11­  .47­  .58­  (.05)  —­  (.05)  12.44­  4.92­  28,072­  1.99­  .88­  313 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.60­  .15­  .16­  .31­  —­  —­  —­  11.91­  2.67­  28,175­  2.00­  1.29­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.19­  .12­  .65­  .77­  (.36)  —­  (.36)  11.60­  7.13­  26,015­  2.08­ d  1.06­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.31­  .24­  (.03)  .21­  (.28)  (.05)  (.33)  11.19­  1.84­  22,984­  2.12 ­d  2.14­ d  174 f 

Class C­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.16­  .07­  (.67)  (.60)  (.73)  (.12)  (.85)  $10.71­  (5.02)*   $205,503­  .96* d  .68* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.44­  .10­  .29­  .39­  (.10)  (.57)  (.67)  12.16­  3.24­  210,619­  2.01­  .85­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  11.91­  .11­  .47­  .58­  (.05)  —­  (.05)  12.44­  4.91­  160,682­  1.99­  .88­  313 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.60­  .15­  .16­  .31­  —­  —­  —­  11.91­  2.67­  148,531­  2.00­  1.29­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.19­  .12­  .65­  .77­  (.36)  —­  (.36)  11.60­  7.16­  138,619­  2.08 ­d  1.06 ­d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.31­  .24­  (.04)  .20­  (.27)  (.05)  (.32)  11.19­  1.79­  132,156­  2.12­ d  2.12­ d  174 f 

Class M­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.25­  .09­  (.67)  (.58)  (.76)  (.12)  (.88)  $10.79­  (4.85)*   $6,837­  .84* d  .80* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.52­  .14­  .29­  .43­  (.13)  (.57)  (.70)  12.25­  3.55­  7,146­  1.76­  1.10­  563 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.99­  .14­  .47­  .61­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  12.52­  5.12­  5,286­  1.74­  1.12­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.65­  .18­  .16­  .34­  —­  —­  —­  11.99­  2.92­  4,535­  1.75­  1.53­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.23­  .15­  .65­  .80­  (.38)  —­  (.38)  11.65­  7.40­  4,105­  1.83­ d  1.31 ­d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.32­  .27­  (.03)  .24­  (.28)  (.05)  (.33)  11.23­  2.12­  3,830­  1.87­ d  2.34­ d  174 f 

Class R­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.31­  .10­  (.68)  (.58)  (.77)  (.12)  (.89)  $10.84­  (4.77)*   $1,971­  .71* d  .92* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.57­  .17­  .30­  .47­  (.16)  (.57)  (.73)  12.31­  3.84­  1,564­  1.51­  1.34­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  12.04­  .17­  .48­  .65­  (.12)  —­  (.12)  12.57­  5.40­  1,848­  1.49­  1.39­  313 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.68­  .21­  .15­  .36­  —­ g  —­  — f  12.04­  3.11­  2,005­  1.50­  1.77­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.25­  .17­  .67­  .84­  (.41)  —­  (.41)  11.68­  7.77­  1,235­  1.58­ d  1.52 ­d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.37­  .30­  (.05)  .25­  (.32)  (.05)  (.37)  11.25­  2.26­  643­  1.62­ d  2.60­ d  174 f 

Class R5­                           
April 30, 2016**#  $12.51­  .08­  (.71)  (.63)  (.83)  (.12)  (.95)  10.93­  (5.13)*  $11­  .24* d  .69* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.78­  .24­  .28­  .52­  (.22)  (.57)  (.79)  12.51­  4.25­  12­  1.01­  1.86­  563 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  12.22­  .24­  .49­  .73­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  12.78­  6.03­  11­  .96­  1.90­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.81­  .28­  .15­  .43­  (.02)  —­  (.02)  12.22­  3.66­  11­  1.02­  2.29­  199 f 
October 31, 2012†  11.56­  .07­  .18­  .25­  —­  —­  —­  11.81­  2.16*  10­  .34* d  .54* d  164 f 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

68    Absolute Return 700 Fund  Absolute Return 700 Fund   69 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: LESS DISTRIBUTIONS: RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset   end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a   on investments­  operations­   income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b   (in thousands)  (%) c  (%)  (%) 

Class R6­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.51­  .14­  (.69)  (.55)  (.84)  (.12)  (.96)  $11.00­  (4.44)*   $7,730­  .42* d  1.22* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.77­  .24­  .30­  .54­  (.23)  (.57)  (.80)  12.51­  4.39­  8,237­  .93­  1.93­  563 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  12.23­  .24­  .48­  .72­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  12.77­  5.97­  6,678­  .91­  1.96­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.81­  .25­  .20­  .45­  (.03)  —­  (.03)  12.23­  3.79­  6,500­  .92­  2.09­  199 f 
October 31, 2012†  11.56­  .07­  .18­  .25­  —­  —­  —­  11.81­  2.16*  10­  .31* d  .58* d  164 f 

Class Y­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.47­  .13­  (.68)  (.55)  (.83)  (.12)  (.95)  $10.97­  (4.44)*   $698,839­  .47* d  1.18* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.74­  .23­  .29­  .52­  (.22)  (.57)  (.79)  12.47­  4.25­  755,830­  1.01­  1.85­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  12.20­  .23­  .49­  .72­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  12.74­  5.93­  565,281­  .99­  1.88­  313 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.81­  .27­  .16­  .43­  (.04)  —­  (.04)  12.20­  3.67­  464,035­  1.00­  2.27­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.37­  .23­  .67­  .90­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  11.81­  8.31­  283,356­  1.08­ d  2.04­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.47­  .36­  (.05)  .31­  (.36)  (.05)  (.41)  11.37­  2.75­  195,030­  1.12­ d  3.13­ d  174 f 

* Not annualized.

** Unaudited.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

# Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Reflects a voluntary waiver of certain fund expenses in effect during the period . As a result of such waivers, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets:

  4/30/16  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  <0.01%  0.05%  0.08% 

Class B  <0.01  0.05  0.08 

Class C  <0.01  0.05  0.08 

Class M  <0.01  0.05  0.08 

Class R  <0.01  0.05  0.08 

Class R5  <0.01  —  N/A 

Class R6  <0.01  —  N/A 

Class Y  <0.01  0.05  0.08 

e Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

f Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:

  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  463% 

October 31, 2012  487 

October 31, 2011  407 

g Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   
 
70    Absolute Return 700 Fund  Absolute Return 700 Fund    71 

 



Prospectus Supplement   April 5, 2016 


SUPPLEMENT TO THE PROSPECTUSES OF ALL OPEN-END PUTNAM FUNDS, (excluding Putnam Global Sector Fund, Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund, Putnam RetirementReady® Funds and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund)

The first paragraph of the section How does the fund price its shares? or How do the funds price their shares? is replaced by the following:

The price of [the/each] fund’s shares is based on its NAV. The NAV per share of each class equals the total value of its assets, less its liabilities, divided by the number of its outstanding shares. Shares are only valued as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE each day the exchange is open.


300479 4/16 

 



Prospectus Supplement August 1, 2016

Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund Prospectuses dated February 28, 2016 Effective September 1, 2016, the sub-section Annual fund operating expenses in the section Fees and expenses will be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Distribution Acquired Total annual
Management and service Other fund fees and fund operating
Share class fees† (12b-1) fees expenses expenses expenses

Class A 0.81% 0.25% 0.23%= 0.01% 1.30%

Class B 0.81% 1.00% 0.23%= 0.01% 2.05%

Class C 0.81% 1.00% 0.23%= 0.01% 2.05%

Class M 0.81% 0.75% 0.23%= 0.01% 1.80%

Class R 0.81% 0.50% 0.23%= 0.01% 1.55%

Class R6 0.81% N/A 0.12% 0.01% 0.94%

Class Y 0.81% N/A 0.23%= 0.01% 1.05%

 

* Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.

** This charge is phased out over six years.

*** This charge is eliminated after one year.

† Management fees are subject to a performance adjustment.

= Restated to reflect current fees resulting from a change to the fund’s investor servicing arrangements effective September 1, 2016.

Effective September 1, 2016, the sub-section Example in the section Fees and expenses will be deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years

Class A $700 $963 $1,247 $2,053

Class B $708 $943 $1,303 $2,187

Class B (no redemption) $208 $643 $1,103 $2,187

Class C $308 $643 $1,103 $2,379

Class C (no redemption) $208 $643 $1,103 $2,379

Class M $526 $897 $1,291 $2,392

Class R $158 $490 $845 $1,845

Class R6 $96 $300 $520 $1,155

Class Y $107 $334 $579 $1,283

 


302103 8/16

 


 

frontcover.jpg

 







 

Fund summaries

 

Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund

 

Goal

Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund seeks to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 100 basis points (or 1.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions.

Fees and expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $500,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 44 of the fund’s prospectus and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Share class Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower)
Class A 1.00% 1.00%*
Class B NONE 1.00%**
Class C NONE 1.00%***
Class M 0.75% NONE
Class R NONE NONE
Class R6 NONE NONE
Class Y NONE NONE

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Share class Management fees† Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Other expenses Total annual fund operating expenses
Class A 0.41% 0.25% 0.01% 0.67%
Class B 0.41% 0.45% 0.01% 0.87%
Class C 0.41% 1.00% 0.01% 1.42%
Class M 0.41% 0.30% 0.01% 0.72%
Class R 0.41% 0.50% 0.01% 0.92%
Class R6 0.41% N/A 0.01% 0.42%
Class Y 0.41% N/A 0.01% 0.42%

     *  Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.



2          Prospectus







 

    **  This charge is phased out over two years.

  ***  This charge is eliminated after one year.

     †  Management fees are subject to a performance adjustment.

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A $168 $312 $469 $926
Class B $189 $278 $482 $1,015
Class B (no redemption) $89 $278 $482 $1,015
Class C $245 $449 $776 $1,702
Class C (no redemption) $145 $449 $776 $1,702
Class M $148 $303 $473 $963
Class R $94 $293 $509 $1,131
Class R6 $43 $135 $235 $530
Class Y $43 $135 $235 $530

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 105%.

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return through a broadly diversified portfolio reflecting uncorrelated fixed-income strategies designed to exploit market inefficiencies across global markets and fixed-income sectors. These strategies include investments in the following asset categories: (a) sovereign debt: obligations of governments in developed and emerging markets; (b) corporate credit: investment-grade debt, below-



Prospectus          3







 

investment-grade debt (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”), bank loans, convertible bonds and structured credit; and (c) securitized assets: asset-backed securities, residential mortgage-backed securities (which may be backed by non-qualified or “sub-prime” mortgages), commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, short-term debt securities.

We may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments. We typically use derivatives, such as futures, options, certain foreign currency transactions, warrants and swap contracts, for both hedging and non-hedging purposes. Accordingly, we may use derivatives to a significant extent to obtain or enhance exposure to the fixed-income sectors and strategies mentioned above, and to hedge against risk.

Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund has a lower risk and return profile than Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund as a result of decreased exposure to the fixed-income sectors and strategies mentioned above. Another distinction between the funds is that Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund may maintain a higher cash position from time to time.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

Our allocation of assets among fixed-income strategies and sectors may hurt performance. The value of bonds in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general financial market conditions, changing market perceptions of the risk of default, changes in government intervention in the financial markets, and factors related to a specific issuer or industry. These factors may also lead to periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity in the bond markets.

Bond investments are subject to interest rate risk, which means the value of the fund’s bond investments is likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuer of the bond may default on payment of interest or principal. Default risk is generally higher for non-qualified mortgages. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which may be considered speculative. Mortgage-backed investments, unlike traditional debt investments, are



4          Prospectus







 

also subject to prepayment risk, which means that they may increase in value less than other bonds when interest rates decline and decline in value more than other bonds when interest rates rise. We may have to invest the proceeds from prepaid investments, including mortgage- and asset-backed investments, in other investments with less attractive terms and yields.

The value of international investments traded in foreign currencies may be adversely impacted by fluctuations in exchange rates. International investments, particularly investments in emerging markets, may carry risks associated with potentially less stable economies or governments (such as the risk of seizure by a foreign government, the imposition of currency or other restrictions, or high levels of inflation or deflation), and may be or become illiquid. Our use of derivatives may increase these risks by increasing investment exposure (which may be considered leverage) or, in the case of many over-the-counter instruments, because of the potential inability to terminate or sell derivatives positions and the potential failure of the other party to the instrument to meet its obligations.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. The fund’s efforts to produce lower volatility returns may not be successful and may make it more difficult at times for the fund to achieve its targeted return. In addition, under certain market conditions, the fund may accept greater volatility than would typically be the case, in order to seek its targeted return. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Investor profile

The fund is one of four Putnam Absolute Return Funds designed for investors seeking positive total return in excess of the return on U.S. Treasury bills by a targeted amount (100, 300, 500 or 700 basis points) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time regardless of market conditions. Because the fund seeks performance over a reasonable period of time, investors should be willing to wait out short-term market fluctuations and should generally have an investment horizon of at least three years or more. The fund may be suitable for you if you are seeking cash investments that earn a stable return and income over time, particularly if you are in or near retirement.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that



Prospectus          5







 

 

 

past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Monthly performance figures for the fund are available at putnam.com.

Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges

 

chartpage6.jpg


Average annual total returns after sales charges
(for periods ending 12/31/15)

Share class 1 year 5 years Since inception 12/23/08
Class A before taxes –1.51% 0.35% 0.98%
Class A after taxes on distributions –2.18% –0.19% 0.50%
Class A after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares –0.85% 0.04% 0.58%
Class B before taxes –1.77% 0.34% 0.85%
Class C before taxes –2.25% –0.20% 0.38%
Class M before taxes –1.32% 0.33% 0.95%
Class R before taxes –0.80% 0.30% 0.87%
Class R6 before taxes* –0.35% 0.80% 1.39%
Class Y before taxes –0.26% 0.79% 1.38%
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 0.09% 0.10% 0.14%
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 100 basis points (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 1.09% 1.10% 1.14%
S&P 500 Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 1.38% 12.57% 15.53%
Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 0.55% 3.25% 4.12%

     *  Performance for class R6 shares prior to their inception (7/2/12) is derived from the historical performance of class Y shares and has not been adjusted for the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class R6 shares; had it, returns would have been higher.

After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax



6          Prospectus







 

situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.

The Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the S&P 500 Index are broad measures of market performance. Securities in the fund do not match those in the indexes and the performance of the fund will differ.

Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio managers

D. William Kohli, Co-Head of Fixed Income, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

Michael Salm, Co-Head of Fixed Income, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

Paul Scanlon, Co-Head of Fixed Income, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

 

For important information about the purchase and sale of fund shares, tax information, and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Additional Information About All Funds beginning on page 25.

 

Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund

 

Goal

Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund seeks to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 300 basis points (or 3.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions.

Fees and expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $500,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 44 of the fund’s prospectus and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).



Prospectus          7







 

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Share class Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower)
Class A 1.00% 1.00%*
Class B NONE 1.00%**
Class C NONE 1.00%***
Class M 0.75% NONE
Class R NONE NONE
Class R6 NONE NONE
Class Y NONE NONE

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Share class Management fees† Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Total annual fund operating expenses
Class A 0.59% 0.25% 0.84%
Class B 0.59% 0.45% 1.04%
Class C 0.59% 1.00% 1.59%
Class M 0.59% 0.30% 0.89%
Class R 0.59% 0.50% 1.09%
Class R6 0.59% N/A 0.59%
Class Y 0.59% N/A 0.59%

     *  Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.

    **  This charge is phased out over two years.

  ***  This charge is eliminated after one year.

     †  Management fees are subject to a performance adjustment.

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.



8          Prospectus







 

Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A $185 $365 $561 $1,127
Class B $206 $331 $574 $1,215
Class B (no redemption) $106 $331 $574 $1,215
Class C $262 $502 $866 $1,889
Class C (no redemption) $162 $502 $866 $1,889
Class M $165 $357 $564 $1,163
Class R $111 $347 $601 $1,329
Class R6 $60 $189 $329 $738
Class Y $60 $189 $329 $738

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 486%.

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return through a broadly diversified portfolio reflecting uncorrelated fixed-income strategies designed to exploit market inefficiencies across global markets and fixed-income sectors. These strategies include investments in the following asset categories: (a) sovereign debt: obligations of governments in developed and emerging markets; (b) corporate credit: investment-grade debt, below-investment-grade debt (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”), bank loans, convertible bonds and structured credit; and (c) securitized assets: asset-backed securities, residential mortgage-backed securities (which may be backed by non-qualified or “sub-prime” mortgages), commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, bonds with moderate exposure to interest rate and credit risks.



Prospectus          9







 

We may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments. We typically use derivatives, such as futures, options, certain foreign currency transactions, warrants and swap contracts, for both hedging and non-hedging purposes. Accordingly, we may use derivatives to a significant extent to obtain or enhance exposure to the fixed-income sectors and strategies mentioned above, and to hedge against risk.

Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund has a higher risk and return profile than Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund as a result of increased exposure to the fixed-income sectors and strategies mentioned above. Another distinction between the funds is that Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund may maintain a higher cash position from time to time.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

Our allocation of assets among fixed-income strategies and sectors may hurt performance. The value of bonds in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general financial market conditions, changing market perceptions of the risk of default, changes in government intervention in the financial markets, and factors related to a specific issuer or industry. These factors may also lead to periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity in the bond markets.

Bond investments are subject to interest rate risk, which means the value of the fund’s bond investments is likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuer of the bond may default on payment of interest or principal. Default risk is generally higher for non-qualified mortgages. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which may be considered speculative. Mortgage-backed investments, unlike traditional debt investments, are also subject to prepayment risk, which means that they may increase in value less than other bonds when interest rates decline and decline in value more than other bonds when interest rates rise. We may have to invest the proceeds from prepaid investments, including mortgage- and asset-backed investments, in other investments with less attractive terms and yields.

The value of international investments traded in foreign currencies may be adversely impacted by fluctuations in exchange rates. International investments, particularly investments in emerging markets, may carry risks associated with potentially less stable economies or governments (such as the risk of seizure by a foreign government, the imposition of currency



10          Prospectus







 

or other restrictions, or high levels of inflation or deflation), and may be or become illiquid. Our use of derivatives may increase these risks by increasing investment exposure (which may be considered leverage) or, in the case of many over-the-counter instruments, because of the potential inability to terminate or sell derivatives positions and the potential failure of the other party to the instrument to meet its obligations.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. The fund’s efforts to produce lower volatility returns may not be successful and may make it more difficult at times for the fund to achieve its targeted return. In addition, under certain market conditions, the fund may accept greater volatility than would typically be the case, in order to seek its targeted return. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Investor profile

The fund is one of four Putnam Absolute Return Funds designed for investors seeking positive total return in excess of the return on U.S. Treasury bills by a targeted amount (100, 300, 500 or 700 basis points) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time regardless of market conditions. Because the fund seeks performance over a reasonable period of time, investors should be willing to wait out short-term market fluctuations and should generally have an investment horizon of at least three years or more. The fund may be suitable for you if you are considering a bond fund with moderate exposure to interest rate and credit risks.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Monthly performance figures for the fund are available at putnam.com.



Prospectus          11







 

 

 

Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges

 

chartpage12.jpg


Average annual total returns after sales charges
(for periods ending 12/31/15)

Share class 1 year 5 years Since inception 12/23/08
Class A before taxes –2.89% 0.78% 2.14%
Class A after taxes on distributions –4.77% –0.45% 1.04%
Class A after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares –1.64% 0.07% 1.20%
Class B before taxes –3.08% 0.77% 2.00%
Class C before taxes –3.59% 0.23% 1.52%
Class M before taxes –2.68% 0.78% 2.10%
Class R before taxes –2.12% 0.73% 2.02%
Class R6 before taxes* –1.62% 1.26% 2.55%
Class Y before taxes –1.72% 1.23% 2.53%
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 0.09% 0.10% 0.14%
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 300 basis points (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 3.09% 3.10% 3.14%
S&P 500 Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 1.38% 12.57% 15.53%
Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 0.55% 3.25% 4.12%

     *  Performance for class R6 shares prior to their inception (7/2/12) is derived from the historical performance of class Y shares and has not been adjusted for the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class R6 shares; had it, returns would have been higher.

After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.

The Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the S&P 500 Index are broad measures of market performance. Securities in the fund do not match those in the indexes and the performance of the fund will differ.



12          Prospectus







 

Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio managers

D. William Kohli, Co-Head of Fixed Income, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

Michael Salm, Co-Head of Fixed Income, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

Paul Scanlon, Co-Head of Fixed Income, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

 

For important information about the purchase and sale of fund shares, tax information, and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Additional Information About All Funds beginning on page 25.

 

Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund

 

Goal

Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund seeks to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 500 basis points (or 5.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions.

Fees and expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 44 of the fund’s prospectus and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).



Prospectus          13







 

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Share class Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower)
Class A 5.75% 1.00%*
Class B NONE 5.00%**
Class C NONE 1.00%***
Class M 3.50% NONE
Class R NONE NONE
Class R6 NONE NONE
Class Y NONE NONE

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Share Class Management fees† Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Other expenses Acquired fund fees and expenses Total annual fund operating expenses Expense reimbursement# Total annual fund operating expenses after expense reimbursement
Class A 0.68% 0.25% 0.20% 0.02% 1.15% (0.02)% 1.13%
Class B 0.68% 1.00% 0.20% 0.02% 1.90% (0.02)% 1.88%
Class C 0.68% 1.00% 0.20% 0.02% 1.90% (0.02)% 1.88%
Class M 0.68% 0.75% 0.20% 0.02% 1.65% (0.02)% 1.63%
Class R 0.68% 0.50% 0.20% 0.02% 1.40% (0.02)% 1.38%
Class R6 0.68% N/A 0.12% 0.02% 0.82% (0.02)% 0.80%
Class Y 0.68% N/A 0.20% 0.02% 0.90% (0.02)% 0.88%

     *  Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.

    **  This charge is phased out over six years.

  ***  This charge is eliminated after one year.

     †  Management fees are subject to a performance adjustment.

     #  Reflects Putnam Investment Management, LLC’s contractual obligation to limit certain fund expenses through 2/28/17. This obligation may be modified or discontinued only with approval of the Board of Trustees.

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Only the first year of each period in the



14          Prospectus







 

example takes into account the expense reimbursement described above. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A $684 $917 $1,170 $1,890
Class B $691 $895 $1,225 $2,025
Class B (no redemption) $191 $595 $1,025 $2,025
Class C $291 $595 $1,025 $2,220
Class C (no redemption) $191 $595 $1,025 $2,220
Class M $510 $850 $1,214 $2,234
Class R $140 $441 $764 $1,678
Class R6 $82 $260 $453 $1,012
Class Y $90 $285 $497 $1,106

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 510%.

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return by combining two independent investment strategies — a beta strategy, which provides broad exposure to investment markets, and an alpha strategy, which seeks returns from active trading. The beta strategy seeks to balance risk and to provide positive total return by investing, without limit, in many different asset classes, including U.S., international, and emerging markets equity securities (growth or value stocks or both) and fixed-income securities; mortgage- and asset-backed securities; below-investment-grade securities (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”); inflation-protected securities; commodities; and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The alpha strategy involves the potential use of active trading strategies designed to provide additional total return through active security selection, tactical asset allocation, currency transactions and options transactions. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long



Prospectus          15







 

historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, balanced portfolios with significant exposure to both stocks and bonds.

We may consider, among other factors, a company’s valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings, cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell equity investments, and, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks when deciding whether to buy or sell fixed-income investments. We may also take into account general market conditions when making investment decisions. We typically use derivatives, such as futures, options, certain foreign currency transactions, warrants and swap contracts, to a significant extent for hedging purposes and to increase the fund’s exposure to the asset classes and strategies mentioned above, which may create investment leverage.

Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund has a lower risk and return profile than Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund as a result of decreased exposure to the asset classes and strategies mentioned above.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

Our allocation of assets among asset classes may hurt performance. The value of stocks and bonds in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general financial market conditions, changing market perceptions of the risk of default, changes in government intervention in the financial markets, and factors related to a specific issuer or industry. These factors may also lead to periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity in the bond markets. Growth stocks may be more susceptible to earnings disappointments, and value stocks may fail to rebound.

Bond investments are subject to interest rate risk, which means the value of the fund’s bond investments is likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuer of the bond may default on payment of interest or principal. Default risk is generally higher for non-qualified mortgages. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which may be considered speculative. Mortgage-backed investments, unlike traditional debt investments, are also subject to prepayment risk, which means that they may increase in value less than other bonds when interest rates decline and decline in value more than other bonds when interest rates rise. We may have to invest the



16          Prospectus







 

proceeds from prepaid investments, including mortgage- and asset-backed investments, in other investments with less attractive terms and yields.

The value of international investments traded in foreign currencies may be adversely impacted by fluctuations in exchange rates. International investments, particularly investments in emerging markets, may carry risks associated with potentially less stable economies or governments (such as the risk of seizure by a foreign government, the imposition of currency or other restrictions, or high levels of inflation or deflation), and may be or become illiquid. Our alpha strategy may lose money or not earn a return sufficient to cover associated trading and other costs. Our use of leverage obtained through derivatives increases these risks by increasing investment exposure. Derivatives also involve the risk, in the case of many over-the-counter instruments, of the potential inability to terminate or sell derivatives positions and the potential failure of the other party to the instrument to meet its obligations.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. The fund’s efforts to produce lower volatility returns may not be successful and may make it more difficult at times for the fund to achieve its targeted return. In addition, under certain market conditions, the fund may accept greater volatility than would typically be the case, in order to seek its targeted return. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Investor profile

The fund is one of four Putnam Absolute Return Funds designed for investors seeking positive total return in excess of the return on U.S. Treasury bills by a targeted amount (100, 300, 500 or 700 basis points) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time regardless of market conditions. Because the fund seeks performance over a reasonable period of time, investors should be willing to wait out short-term market fluctuations and should generally have an investment horizon of at least three years or more. The fund may be suitable for you if you are considering a balanced fund, or a fund that can manage allocations and risk across global asset classes.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Monthly performance figures for the fund are available at putnam.com.



Prospectus          17







 

 

 

Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges

 

chartpage18.jpg


Average annual total returns after sales charges
(for periods ending 12/31/15)

Share class 1 year 5 years Since inception 12/23/08
Class A before taxes –6.28% 1.83% 3.06%
Class A after taxes on distributions –8.27% 0.81% 2.12%
Class A after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares –3.29% 1.15% 2.12%
Class B before taxes –6.09% 1.91% 3.15%
Class C before taxes –2.28% 2.29% 3.16%
Class M before taxes –4.60% 1.80% 2.89%
Class R before taxes –0.86% 2.79% 3.67%
Class R6 before taxes* –0.25% 3.37% 4.24%
Class Y before taxes –0.40% 3.30% 4.19%
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 0.09% 0.10% 0.14%
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 500 basis points (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 5.09% 5.10% 5.14%
S&P 500 Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 1.38% 12.57% 15.53%
Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 0.55% 3.25% 4.12%

     *  Performance for class R6 shares prior to their inception (7/2/12) is derived from the historical performance of class Y shares and has not been adjusted for the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class R6 shares; had it, returns would have been higher.

After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.

The Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the S&P 500 Index are broad measures of market performance. Securities in the fund do not match those in the indexes and the performance of the fund will differ.



18          Prospectus







 

Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio managers

James Fetch, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

Robert Kea, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

Robert Schoen, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

Jason Vaillancourt, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

 

For important information about the purchase and sale of fund shares, tax information, and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to Important Additional Information About All Funds beginning on page 25.

 

Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund

 

Goal

Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund seeks to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 700 basis points (or 7.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions.

Fees and expenses

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 44 of the fund’s prospectus and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).



Prospectus          19







 

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Share class Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower)
Class A 5.75% 1.00%*
Class B NONE 5.00%**
Class C NONE 1.00%***
Class M 3.50% NONE
Class R NONE NONE
Class R6 NONE NONE
Class Y NONE NONE

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Share class Management fees† Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Other expenses Acquired fund fees and expenses Total annual fund operating expenses
Class A 0.81% 0.25% 0.20% 0.01% 1.27%
Class B 0.81% 1.00% 0.20% 0.01% 2.02%
Class C 0.81% 1.00% 0.20% 0.01% 2.02%
Class M 0.81% 0.75% 0.20% 0.01% 1.77%
Class R 0.81% 0.50% 0.20% 0.01% 1.52%
Class R6 0.81% N/A 0.12% 0.01% 0.94%
Class Y 0.81% N/A 0.20% 0.01% 1.02%

     *  Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.

    **  This charge is phased out over six years.

  ***  This charge is eliminated after one year.

     †  Management fees are subject to a performance adjustment.

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.



20          Prospectus







 

Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A $697 $955 $1,232 $2,021
Class B $705 $934 $1,288 $2,155
Class B (no redemption) $205 $634 $1,088 $2,155
Class C $305 $634 $1,088 $2,348
Class C (no redemption) $205 $634 $1,088 $2,348
Class M $524 $888 $1,276 $2,361
Class R $155 $480 $829 $1,813
Class R6 $96 $300 $520 $1,155
Class Y $104 $325 $563 $1,248

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 563%.

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return by combining two independent investment strategies — a beta strategy, which provides broad exposure to investment markets, and an alpha strategy, which seeks returns from active trading. The beta strategy seeks to balance risk and to provide positive total return by investing, without limit, in many different asset classes, including U.S., international, and emerging markets equity securities (growth or value stocks or both) and fixed-income securities; mortgage- and asset-backed securities; below-investment-grade securities (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”); inflation-protected securities; commodities; and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The alpha strategy involves the potential use of active trading strategies designed to provide additional total return through active security selection, tactical asset allocation, currency transactions and options transactions. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, equities or equity-like investments.



Prospectus          21







 

We may consider, among other factors, a company’s valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings, cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell equity investments, and, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks when deciding whether to buy or sell fixed-income investments. We may also take into account general market conditions when making investment decisions. We typically use derivatives, such as futures, options, certain foreign currency transactions, warrants and swap contracts, to a significant extent for hedging purposes and to increase the fund’s exposure to the asset classes and strategies mentioned above, which may create investment leverage.

Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund has a higher risk and return profile than Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund as a result of increased exposure to the asset classes and strategies mentioned above.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

Our allocation of assets among asset classes may hurt performance. The value of stocks and bonds in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general financial market conditions, changing market perceptions of the risk of default, changes in government intervention in the financial markets, and factors related to a specific issuer or industry. These factors may also lead to periods of high volatility and reduced liquidity in the bond markets. Growth stocks may be more susceptible to earnings disappointments, and value stocks may fail to rebound.

Bond investments are subject to interest rate risk, which means the value of the fund’s bond investments is likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments also are subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuer of the bond may default on payment of interest or principal. Default risk is generally higher for non-qualified mortgages. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which may be considered speculative. Mortgage-backed investments, unlike traditional debt investments, are also subject to prepayment risk, which means that they may increase in value less than other bonds when interest rates decline and decline in value more than other bonds when interest rates rise. We may have to invest the proceeds from prepaid investments, including mortgage- and asset-backed investments, in other investments with less attractive terms and yields.



22          Prospectus







 

The value of international investments traded in foreign currencies may be adversely impacted by fluctuations in exchange rates. International investments, particularly investments in emerging markets, may carry risks associated with potentially less stable economies or governments (such as the risk of seizure by a foreign government, the imposition of currency or other restrictions, or high levels of inflation or deflation), and may be or become illiquid. Our alpha strategy may lose money or not earn a return sufficient to cover associated trading and other costs. Our use of leverage obtained through derivatives increases these risks by increasing investment exposure. Derivatives also involve the risk, in the case of many over-the-counter instruments, of the potential inability to terminate or sell derivatives positions and the potential failure of the other party to the instrument to meet its obligations.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. The fund’s efforts to produce lower volatility returns may not be successful and may make it more difficult at times for the fund to achieve its targeted return. In addition, under certain market conditions, the fund may accept greater volatility than would typically be the case, in order to seek its targeted return. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Investor profile

The fund is one of four Putnam Absolute Return Funds designed for investors seeking positive total return in excess of the return on U.S. Treasury bills by a targeted amount (100, 300, 500 or 700 basis points) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time regardless of market conditions. Because the fund seeks performance over a reasonable period of time, investors should be willing to wait out short-term market fluctuations and should generally have an investment horizon of at least three years or more. The fund may be suitable for you if you are considering a stock fund, or a fund that can manage allocations and risk across global asset classes.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results. Monthly performance figures for the fund are available at putnam.com.



Prospectus          23







 

 

 

Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges

 

chartpage24.jpg


Average annual total returns after sales charges
(for periods ending 12/31/15)

Share class 1 year 5 years Since inception 12/23/08
Class A before taxes –7.30% 2.41% 4.20%
Class A after taxes on distributions –10.10% 1.14% 3.03%
Class A after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares –3.82% 1.48% 2.91%
Class B before taxes –6.89% 2.49% 4.27%
Class C before taxes –3.31% 2.85% 4.29%
Class M before taxes –5.60% 2.37% 3.97%
Class R before taxes –1.87% 3.35% 4.77%
Class R6 before taxes* –1.35% 3.94% 5.36%
Class Y before taxes –1.42% 3.88% 5.32%
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 0.09% 0.10% 0.14%
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 700 basis points (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 7.09% 7.10% 7.14%
S&P 500 Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 1.38% 12.57% 15.53%
Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 0.55% 3.25% 4.12%

     *  Performance for class R6 shares prior to their inception (7/2/12) is derived from the historical performance of class Y shares and has not been adjusted for the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class R6 shares; had it, returns would have been higher.

After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.

 


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The Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index and the S&P 500 Index are broad measures of market performance. Securities in the fund do not match those in the indexes and the performance of the fund will differ.

Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio managers

James Fetch, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

Robert Kea, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

Robert Schoen, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

Jason Vaillancourt, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2008

 

Important Additional Information About All Funds


Purchase and sale of fund shares

You can open an account, purchase and/or sell fund shares, or exchange them for shares of another Putnam fund by contacting your financial advisor or by calling Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581.

When opening an account, you must complete and mail a Putnam account application, along with a check made payable to the fund, to: Putnam Investor Services, P.O. Box 8383, Boston, MA 02266-8383. The minimum initial investment of $500 is currently waived, although Putnam reserves the right to reject initial investments under $500 at its discretion. There is no minimum for subsequent investments.

You can sell your shares back to the fund or exchange them for shares of another Putnam fund any day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. Shares may be sold or exchanged by mail, by phone, or online at putnam.com. Some restrictions may apply.

Tax information

The fund’s distributions will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains unless you hold the shares through a tax-advantaged arrangement, in which case you will generally be taxed only upon withdrawal of monies from the arrangement.



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Financial intermediary compensation

If you purchase the fund through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the fund and its related companies may pay that intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. Please bear in mind that these payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your advisor or visit your advisor’s website for more information.

 

What are each fund’s main investment strategies and related risks?

This section contains greater detail on each fund’s main investment strategies and the related risks you would face as a fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind that risk and reward generally go hand in hand; the higher the potential reward, the greater the risk.

The use of the term “absolute return” in each fund’s name is meant to distinguish each fund’s goal and investment strategies from those of most other mutual funds available in the marketplace. Most mutual funds are generally managed with a goal of outperforming an index of securities or an index of competitive funds. As a result, even if these funds are successful in achieving their goals, their investment returns may be positive or negative and will tend to reflect the general direction of the markets. In addition, these other funds can expose investors to significant market volatility and sustained periods of negative performance. Volatility refers to the tendency of investments and markets to fluctuate in value over time. The greater an investment’s or a market’s volatility, the more sharply its value may fluctuate. A fund’s volatility is often measured as the standard deviation of the fund’s monthly returns and expressed as a percentage.

In contrast, the funds’ “absolute return” strategy seeks to earn a positive total return (which is reflected in each fund’s indicated target) over a reasonable period of time, regardless of market conditions or general market direction. As a result, if this strategy is successful, investors should expect the funds to outperform the general securities markets during periods of flat or negative market performance, to underperform during periods of strong positive market performance, and typically to produce less volatile returns over a full market cycle (generally at least three years or more but potentially significantly longer) than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods.



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The funds seek to earn their targeted returns over a reasonable period of time — generally at least three years or more but potentially significantly longer — since investment returns will likely fluctuate more over shorter periods of time as market conditions vary, even under an “absolute return” strategy.

The funds pursue their goals through portfolios that are structured to offer varying degrees of risk, expected volatility and expected returns. The funds seek to earn a positive total return that exceeds, by a particular amount, the return on U.S. Treasury bills as measured by the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index. The index tracks the performance of U.S. dollar-denominated U.S. Treasury bills, which represent obligations of the U.S. Government having a maturity of one year or less. Returns on U.S. Treasury bills often track inflation levels (although the returns on U.S. Treasury bills and inflation rates can diverge significantly from time to time).

While the funds seek returns in excess of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index, an investment in the funds is not the same as an investment in the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index. An investment in U.S. Treasury bills, which are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, is generally considered an investment with minimal risk. Investing in the funds, however, does involve certain risks, including the risk of loss. Because risk and reward are related, you should expect the risk associated with an investment in a fund, and the volatility of that fund’s returns, to increase as the fund seeks higher returns.

The following sections describe the funds’ main investment strategies. As a general matter, each fund has significant flexibility in its choice of strategies. This flexibility enhances the funds’ ability to seek their targeted returns. This flexibility is also generally expected to result in diversification of a fund’s portfolio across multiple asset classes, although the funds may focus their investments on particular asset classes from time to time. Diversification generally limits market exposure to any asset class and helps to reduce the volatility of returns.



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Global bond strategies — Putnam Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds

Independent global fixed-income investment strategies

We seek to efficiently mix a number of independent global fixed-income investment strategies. These strategies may be based on security selection, allocation among sub-sectors of the fixed-income market (such as the investment-grade and below-investment-grade sub-sectors within the credit sector), macroeconomic developments (such as those relating to currencies and country-specific developments), and other techniques. By using a number of strategies, the funds may take advantage of today’s global fixed-income markets, which are complex, rapidly evolving, and characterized by newly defined instruments, sub-sectors, and derivatives that, we believe, offer substantial opportunities. We may invest without limit in all available global fixed-income instruments, including lower-rated debt, to diversify portfolio exposure regardless of market conditions.

Derivatives and investment exposures

When the funds use derivatives to increase their exposure to investments, the derivatives may create investment leverage. In general, to the extent that leverage is used in these funds, Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund is expected to make greater use of leverage than Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund.

Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund has a higher expected return, and higher expected risk and volatility, than Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund as a result of increased exposure, including through the use of derivatives, to fixed-income sectors and investment strategies. Another distinction between the funds is that Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund may maintain a higher cash position from time to time.

Beta and alpha strategies — Putnam Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds

The beta strategy of allocating assets among many asset classes generally depends upon the direction of the relevant markets for success, while the alpha strategy is generally designed not to depend upon market direction for success. The beta and alpha strategies are intended to be uncorrelated and to operate largely independently, thus improving a fund’s chances of earning a positive total return regardless of market conditions. Both the beta and alpha strategies are dynamic, permitting us to take advantage of opportunities that arise from different economic conditions.



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Beta strategy



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Within each asset class, we make specific investments on the basis of quantitative analysis, in addition to fundamental research and analysis. Even if our asset allocation decisions are successful, if the particular investments that we make within each asset class do not perform as we expect, the funds may fail to meet their goals or may lose money.

Alpha strategy

The funds’ alpha strategy involves potentially using diverse active trading strategies, including “overlay” strategies, active security selection, tactical asset allocation, currency transactions and options transactions, to seek enhanced returns. There is no restriction on the type or number of strategies that we may employ in the alpha strategy.

Because the alpha strategy is designed to generate a return regardless of market direction, we can use it to potentially generate a positive investment return even in broadly declining markets. Though the funds’ alpha strategy is intended to earn a positive total return even when the general market declines, the funds’ beta strategy is unlikely to earn a positive return in those circumstances. While we intend the strategies within the alpha strategy to be relatively uncorrelated with one another and with the performance of most asset classes to which the funds are exposed through the beta strategy, it is possible that the performance of various asset classes and strategies within the alpha strategy may be correlated under certain market conditions, which may negatively affect a fund’s performance. The alpha strategy may involve investment leverage. The alpha strategy may fail to make money in broadly declining markets, and may lose money even in broadly advancing markets.

Description of risks — All funds

The Putnam Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds may invest in a wide variety of fixed income investments. They may also, on occasion, acquire equity securities. Through both the beta and alpha strategies, the Putnam Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds may make a wide variety of investments. A description of the risks associated with the funds’ investments follows.



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Fixed-income investments — All funds

Some investments give the issuer the option to call or redeem an investment before its maturity date. If an issuer calls or redeems an investment during a time of declining interest rates, we might have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, and therefore a fund might not benefit from any increase in value as a result of declining interest rates.

A fund may invest in inflation-protected securities issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury, by non-U.S. governments, or by private issuers. Inflation-protected securities are debt instruments whose principal and/or interest are adjusted for inflation. Inflation-protected securities issued by the U.S. Treasury pay a fixed rate of interest that is applied to an inflation-adjusted principal amount. The principal amount is adjusted based on changes in the Consumer Price Index, a measure of inflation. The principal due at maturity is typically equal to the inflation-adjusted principal amount, or to the instrument’s original par value, whichever is greater. Because the principal amount would be adjusted downward during a period of deflation, each fund will be subject to deflation risk with respect to its investments in these securities. In addition, if a fund purchases inflation-adjusted debt instruments in the secondary market whose principal values have been adjusted upward due to inflation since issuance, the fund may experience a loss if there is a subsequent period of deflation.

We may invest without limit in higher-yield, higher-risk debt investments that are below- investment-grade, including investments in the lowest rating category of the rating agency, and in unrated investments that we believe are of comparable quality. However, we may invest no more than 15% of each fund’s total assets in debt investments rated below CCC or its equivalent,



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at the time of purchase, by each rating agency rating such investments, including investments in the lowest rating category of the rating agency, and in unrated investments that we believe are of comparable quality. We will not necessarily sell an investment if its rating is reduced (or increased) after we buy it.

Investments rated below BBB or its equivalent are below-investment-grade in quality and may be considered more speculative. This rating reflects a greater possibility that the issuers may be unable to make timely payments of interest and principal and thus default. If this happens, or is perceived as likely to happen, the values of those investments will usually be more volatile and are likely to fall. A default or expected default could also make it difficult for us to sell the investments at prices approximating the values we had previously placed on them. Lower-rated debt usually has a more limited market than higher-rated debt, which may at times make it difficult for us to buy or sell certain debt instruments or to establish their fair value. Credit risk is generally greater for zero-coupon bonds and other investments that are issued at less than their face value and that are required to make interest payments only at maturity rather than at intervals during the life of the investment.

Credit ratings are based largely on the issuer’s historical financial condition and the rating agencies’ investment analysis at the time of rating. The rating assigned to any particular investment does not necessarily reflect the issuer’s current financial condition, and does not reflect an assessment of the investment’s volatility or liquidity. Although we consider credit ratings in making investment decisions, we perform our own investment analysis and do not rely only on ratings assigned by the rating agencies. Our success in achieving a fund’s goal may depend more on our own credit analysis when we buy lower-rated debt than when we buy investment-grade-debt. We may have to participate in legal proceedings involving the issuer. This could increase a fund’s operating expenses and decrease its net asset value.

Although investment-grade investments generally have lower credit risk, they may share some of the risks of lower-rated investments.

Mortgage-backed securities may be subject to the risk that underlying borrowers will be unable to meet their obligations.



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payment of principal. Principal may also be prepaid voluntarily, or as a result of refinancing or foreclosure. We may have to invest the proceeds from prepaid investments in other investments with less attractive terms and yields.

Compared to debt that cannot be prepaid, mortgage-backed investments are less likely to increase in value during periods of declining interest rates and have a higher risk of decline in value during periods of rising interest rates. These investments may increase the volatility of a fund. Some mortgage-backed investments receive only the interest portion or the principal portion of payments on the underlying mortgages. The yields and values of these investments are extremely sensitive to changes in interest rates and in the rate of principal payments on the underlying mortgages. The market for these investments may be volatile and limited, which may make them difficult to buy or sell. Asset-backed securities are also structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property and receivables from credit card agreements. Asset-backed securities are subject to risks similar to those of mortgage-backed securities.

Equity investments — Putnam Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds



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Growth stocks — Stocks of companies we believe are fast-growing may trade at a higher multiple of current earnings than other stocks. The values of these stocks may be more sensitive to changes in current or expected earnings than the values of other stocks. If our assessment of the prospects for a company’s earnings growth is wrong, or if our judgment of how other investors will value the company’s earnings growth is wrong, then the price of the company’s stock may fall or may not approach the value that we have placed on it.

Value stocks — Companies whose stocks we believe are undervalued by the market may have experienced adverse business developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused their stocks to be out of favor. If our assessment of a company’s prospects is wrong, or if other investors do not similarly recognize the value of the company, then the price of the company’s stock may fall or may not approach the value that we have placed on it.

Foreign investments — All funds

Foreign investments involve certain special risks, including:

– Unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates: Foreign investments are typically issued and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, their values may be affected by changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.

– Political and economic developments: Foreign investments may be subject to the risks of seizure by a foreign government, direct or indirect impact of sovereign debt default, imposition of economic sanctions or restrictions on the exchange or export of foreign currency, and tax increases.



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– Unreliable or untimely information: There may be less information publicly available about a foreign company than about most publicly-traded U.S. companies, and foreign companies are usually not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as stringent as those in the United States.

– Limited legal recourse: Legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the United States.

 

– Limited markets: Certain foreign investments may be less liquid (harder to buy and sell) and more volatile than most U.S. investments, which means we may at times be unable to sell these foreign investments at desirable prices. In addition, there may be limited or no markets for bonds of issuers that became distressed. For the same reason, we may at times find it difficult to value the funds’ foreign investments.

– Trading practices: Brokerage commissions and other fees are generally higher for foreign investments than for U.S. investments. The procedures and rules governing foreign transactions and custody may also involve delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments.

– Sovereign issuers: The willingness and ability of sovereign issuers to pay principal and interest on government securities depends on various economic factors, including the issuer’s balance of payments, overall debt level, and cash flow from tax or other revenues. In addition, there may be no legal recourse for investors in the event of default by a sovereign government.

The risks of foreign investments are typically increased in countries with less developed markets, which are sometimes referred to as emerging markets. Emerging markets may have less developed economies and legal and regulatory systems, and may be susceptible to greater political and economic instability than developed foreign markets. Countries with emerging markets are also more likely to experience high levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, and investments in emerging markets may be more volatile and less liquid than investments in developed markets. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative.

Certain risks related to foreign investments may also apply to some extent to U.S.-traded investments that are denominated in foreign currencies, investments in U.S. companies that are traded in foreign markets or investments in U.S. companies that have significant foreign operations.



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Derivatives — All funds

We may engage in a variety of transactions involving derivatives, such as futures, options, warrants and swap contracts. As described above, investments in derivatives are an important component of the funds’ investment strategies. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of something else, such as one or more underlying investments, pools of investments, indexes or currencies. We may make use of “short” derivatives positions, the values of which typically move in the opposite direction from the price of the underlying investment, pool of investments, index or currency. We may use derivatives both for hedging and non-hedging purposes. For example, we may use derivatives to increase or decrease a fund’s exposure to long- or short-term interest rates (in the United States or abroad) or to a particular currency or group of currencies. We may also use derivatives as a substitute for a direct investment in the securities of one or more issuers. However, we may also choose not to use derivatives based on our evaluation of market conditions or the availability of suitable derivatives. Investments in derivatives may be applied toward meeting a requirement to invest in a particular kind of investment if the derivatives have economic characteristics similar to that investment. A fund’s investment in derivatives may be limited by its intention to qualify as a regulated investment company.

Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses. The successful use of derivatives depends on our ability to manage these sophisticated instruments. Some derivatives are “leveraged,” which means they provide a fund with investment exposure greater than the value of the fund’s investment in the derivatives. As a result, these derivatives may magnify or otherwise increase investment losses to a fund. The risk of loss from certain short derivatives positions is theoretically unlimited. The value of derivatives may move in unexpected ways due to the use of leverage or other factors, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility.

Derivatives may create investment leverage, which involves risks. If our judgments about the performance of various asset classes or investments prove incorrect, and a fund’s exposure to underperforming asset classes or investments is increased through the use of leverage, a relatively small market movement may result in significant losses to the fund. In addition, the Putnam Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds may be unable to obtain their desired exposures to particular fixed income strategies and sectors, and the



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Putnam Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds’ decision to pursue beta and alpha strategies separately may not be successful if we are unable to invest in appropriate derivatives or other instruments or if the derivatives and instruments do not perform as expected.

Other risks arise from the potential inability to terminate or sell derivatives positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the funds’ derivatives positions. In fact, many over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) will not be liquid. Over-the-counter instruments also involve the risk that the other party to the derivatives transaction will not meet its obligations. For further information about additional types and risks of derivatives and the funds’ asset segregation policies, see Miscellaneous Investments, Investment Practices and Risks in the SAI.

Other investments — Putnam Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds



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Additional risks — All funds



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portfolio turnover rate and the amount of brokerage commissions it pays and transaction costs it incurs will vary over time based on market conditions.

Who oversees and manages the funds?

The funds’ Trustees

As a shareholder of a mutual fund, you have certain rights and protections, including representation by a Board of Trustees. The Putnam Funds’ Board of Trustees oversees the general conduct of the funds’ business and represents the interests of the Putnam fund shareholders. At least 75% of the members of the Putnam Funds’ Board of Trustees are independent, which means they are not officers of the funds or affiliated with Putnam Investment Management, LLC (Putnam Management).

The Trustees periodically review each fund’s investment performance and the quality of other services such as administration, custody, and investor services. At least annually, the Trustees review the fees paid to Putnam Management and its affiliates for providing or overseeing these services, as well as the overall level of each fund’s operating expenses. In carrying out their responsibilities, the Trustees are assisted by an administrative staff, auditors and legal counsel that are selected by the Trustees and are independent of Putnam Management and its affiliates.

Contacting the funds’ Trustees
Address correspondence to:
The Putnam Funds Trustees
One Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109



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The funds’ investment manager

The Trustees have retained Putnam Management, which has managed mutual funds since 1937, to be each fund’s investment manager, responsible for making investment decisions for each fund and managing each fund’s other affairs and business.

The basis for the Trustees’ approval of each fund’s management contract and the sub-management and sub-advisory contracts described below is discussed in each fund’s annual report to shareholders dated October 31, 2015.

Each fund pays a monthly base management fee to Putnam Management. For Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds, the base fee is equal to 0.40% and 0.60%, respectively, of the fund’s average net assets for the month. For Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds, the base fee is calculated by applying a rate to each fund’s average net assets for the month. The rate is based on the monthly average of the aggregate net assets of all open-end funds sponsored by Putnam Management (excluding fund assets that are invested in other Putnam funds), and generally declines as the aggregate net assets increase.

Each fund’s monthly base fee described above is increased or reduced by a performance adjustment. The amount of the performance adjustment is calculated monthly based on a performance adjustment rate that is equal to 0.04 multiplied by the difference between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the fund’s class A shares) and the annualized performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 100, 300, 500 and 700 basis points, respectively, for Absolute Return 100, 300, 500 and 700 Funds, each measured over the performance period. The performance period is the thirty-six month period then ended. The performance adjustment rate is multiplied by the fund’s average net assets over the performance period, divided by twelve, and added to, or subtracted from, the base fee for that month. The maximum annualized performance adjustment rates for Absolute Return 100, Absolute Return 300, Absolute Return 500 and Absolute Return 700 Funds are 0.04%, 0.12%, 0.20% and 0.28%, respectively.

In return for the management fees, Putnam Management provides Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds investment management and investor servicing and bears each fund’s organizational and operating expenses, excluding performance fee adjustments, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses. This fee structure is



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sometimes referred to as an “all in” or “unitary” management fee. The management fee for Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds is not an all in fee. Putnam Management provides investment management services to those funds in return for the management fees.

The funds paid Putnam Management a management fee (after any applicable waivers or performance adjustments) for each fund’s last fiscal year at the following rates (reflected as a percentage of average net assets for each fund’s last fiscal year).

  Management fees
Absolute Return 100 Fund 0.41%
Absolute Return 300 Fund 0.59%
Absolute Return 500 Fund 0.68%
Absolute Return 700 Fund 0.81%

Putnam Management’s address is One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

Putnam Management has retained its affiliate Putnam Investments Limited (PIL) to make investment decisions for such fund assets as may be designated from time to time for its management by Putnam Management. Putnam Management (and not the funds) will pay a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net asset value (NAV) of any fund assets managed by PIL. PIL, which provides a full range of international investment advisory services to institutional clients, is located at Cassini House, 57–59 St James’s Street, London, England, SW1A 1LD.

Putnam Management and PIL have retained their affiliate The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC) to make investment decisions for such fund assets as may be designated from time to time for its management by Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable. Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable (and not the funds), will pay a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average NAV of any fund assets managed by PAC. PAC, which provides financial services to institutions and individuals through separately-managed accounts and pooled investment vehicles, has its headquarters at One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109, with additional investment management personnel located in Singapore.

Pursuant to these arrangements, Putnam investment professionals who are based in foreign jurisdictions may serve as portfolio managers of the funds or provide other investment services, consistent with local regulations.



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Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds

Portfolio managers Joined fund Employer Positions over past five years
D. William Kohli 2008 Putnam Management 1994 – Present Co-Head of Fixed Income Previously, Team Leader, Portfolio Construction
Michael Salm 2008 Putnam Management 1997 – Present Co-Head of Fixed Income Previously, Team Leader, Liquid Markets and Mortgage Specialist
Paul Scanlon 2008 Putnam Management 1999 – Present Co-Head of Fixed Income Previously, Team Leader, U.S. High Yield

Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds

Portfolio managers Joined fund Employer Positions over past five years
James Fetch 2008 Putnam Management 1994 – Present Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation Previously, Portfolio Manager
Robert Kea 2008 Putnam Management 1989 – Present Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation Previously, Portfolio Manager
Robert Schoen 2008 Putnam Management 1997 – Present Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation Previously, Portfolio Manager
Jason Vaillancourt 2008 Putnam Management 1999 – Present Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation Previously, Portfolio Manager

The SAI provides information about these individuals’ compensation, other accounts managed by these individuals and these individuals’ ownership of securities in the funds.

How do the funds price their shares?

The price of a fund’s shares is based on its NAV. The NAV per share of each class equals the total value of its assets, less its liabilities, divided by the number of its outstanding shares. Shares are only valued as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE each day the exchange is open.

Each fund values its investments for which market quotations are readily available at market value. It values all other investments and assets at their fair value, which may differ from recent market prices. For example, a fund may value a stock traded on a U.S. exchange at its fair value when the exchange



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closes early or trading in the stock is suspended. It may also value a stock at fair value if recent transactions in the stock have been very limited or if, in the case of a security traded on a market that closes before the NYSE closes, material information about the issuer becomes available after the close of the relevant market. Market quotations are not considered to be readily available for many debt securities. These securities are generally valued at fair value on the basis of valuations provided by an independent pricing service approved by each fund’s Trustees or dealers selected by Putnam Management. Pricing services and dealers determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using information with respect to transactions in the bond being valued, market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities. To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation which Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management.

Each fund translates prices for its investments quoted in foreign currencies into U.S. dollars at current exchange rates, which are generally determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time each day the NYSE is open. As a result, changes in the value of those currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar may affect a fund’s NAV. Because foreign markets may be open at different times than the NYSE, the value of a fund’s shares may change on days when shareholders are not able to buy or sell them. Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close before the close of the NYSE, and therefore, the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the close of the NYSE. As a result, each fund has adopted fair value pricing procedures, which, among other things, require a fund to fair value foreign equity securities if there has been a movement in the U.S. market that exceeds a specified threshold that may change from time to time. If events materially affecting the values of a fund’s foreign fixed-income investments occur between the close of foreign markets and the close of regular trading on the NYSE, these investments will also be valued at their fair value. As noted above, the value determined for an investment using a fund’s fair value pricing procedures may differ from recent market prices for the investment.

Each fund’s most recent NAV is available on Putnam Investments’ website at putnam.com/individual or by contacting Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581.



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How do I buy fund shares?

Opening an account

You can open a fund account and purchase class A, B, C, and M shares by contacting your financial representative or Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581 and obtaining a Putnam account application. The completed application, along with a check made payable to the fund, must then be returned to Putnam Investor Services at the following address:

Putnam Investor Services
P.O. Box 8383
Boston, MA 02266-8383

You can open a fund account with as little as $500. The minimum investment is waived if you make regular investments weekly, semi-monthly or monthly through automatic deductions from your bank checking or savings account. Although Putnam is currently waiving the minimum, it reserves the right to reject initial investments under the minimum at its discretion.

Each fund sells its shares at the offering price, which is the NAV plus any applicable sales charge (class A and class M shares only). Your financial representative or Putnam Investor Services generally must receive your completed buy order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE for your shares to be bought at that day’s offering price.

If you participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan that offers any of the funds, please consult your employer for information on how to purchase shares of these funds through the plan, including any restrictions or limitations that may apply.

Mutual funds must obtain and verify information that identifies investors opening new accounts. If a fund is unable to collect the required information, Putnam Investor Services may not be able to open your account. Investors must provide their full name, residential or business address, Social Security or tax identification number, and date of birth. Entities, such as trusts, estates, corporations and partnerships, must also provide additional identifying documentation. Putnam Investor Services may share identifying information with third parties for the purpose of verification. If Putnam Investor Services cannot verify identifying information after opening your account, the fund reserves the right to close your account at the then-current NAV, which may be more or less than your original investment, net of any applicable sales charges.

Also, each fund may periodically close to new purchases of shares or refuse any order to buy shares if the fund determines that doing so would be in the best interests of the fund and its shareholders.



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Purchasing additional shares

Once you have an existing account, you can make additional investments at any time in any amount in the following ways:

Which class of shares is best for me?

This prospectus offers you four classes of fund shares: A, B, C and M. Employer-sponsored retirement plans may also choose class R, or R6 shares, and certain investors described below may also choose class Y shares.

Each share class represents investments in the same portfolio of securities, but each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, as illustrated in the Fund summaries — Fees and expenses section, allowing you and your financial representative to choose the class that best suits your investment needs. When you purchase shares of a fund, you must choose a share class. Deciding which share class best suits your situation depends on a number of factors that you should discuss with your financial representative, including:



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Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds. Class B shares charge a CDSC on redemptions that is phased out over the first six years; class C shares charge a CDSC on redemptions in the first year.

Here is a summary of the differences among the classes of shares

Class A shares

Class B shares



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Class C shares

Class M shares



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Class R shares (available only to employer-sponsored retirement plans)

Class R6 shares (available only to employer-sponsored retirement plans)

Class Y shares (available only to investors listed below)

– employer-sponsored retirement plans that are clients of third-party administrators (including affiliates of Putnam) that have entered into agreements with Putnam and offer institutional share class pricing (no sales charge or 12b-1 fee);

– bank trust departments and trust companies that have entered into agreements with Putnam and offer institutional share class pricing to their clients;

– corporate IRAs administered by Putnam, if another retirement plan of the sponsor is eligible to purchase class Y shares;

– college savings plans that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code;

– other Putnam funds and Putnam investment products;

– investors purchasing shares through an asset-based fee program that regularly offers institutional share classes and that is sponsored by a registered broker-dealer or other financial institution;



48          Prospectus







 

– clients of a financial representative who are charged a fee for consulting or similar services;

– corporations, endowments and foundations that have entered into an arrangement with Putnam;

– fee-paying clients of a registered investment advisor (RIA) who initially invests for clients an aggregate of at least $100,000 in Putnam funds;

– investment companies (whether registered or private), both affiliated and unaffiliated with Putnam;

– current and retired Putnam employees and their immediate family members (including an employee’s spouse, domestic partner, fiancé(e), or other family members who are living in the same household) as well as, in each case, Putnam-offered health savings accounts, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and other similar tax-advantaged plans solely owned by the foregoing individuals; current and retired directors of Putnam Investments, LLC; current and retired Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company employees; and current and retired Trustees of the fund. Upon the departure of any member of this group of individuals from Putnam, Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, or the funds’ Board of Trustees, the member’s class Y shares convert automatically to class A shares, unless the member’s departure is a retirement, as determined by Putnam in its discretion for employees and directors of Putnam and employees of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company and by the Board of Trustees in its discretion for Trustees; provided that conversion will not take place with respect to class Y shares held by former Putnam employees and their immediate family members in health savings accounts where it is not operationally practicable due to platform or other limitations; and

– personal and family member IRAs of registered representatives and other employees of broker-dealers and other financial institutions having a sales agreement with Putnam Retail Management, if (1) the registered representative or other employee is the broker of record or financial representative for the account, (2) the broker-dealer or other financial institution’s policies prohibit the use of class A shares or other classes of fund shares that pay 12b-1 fees in such accounts to avoid potential prohibited transactions under Internal Revenue Service rules due to the account owners’ status as “disqualified persons” under those rules, and (3) the broker-dealer or other financial institution has an agreement with Putnam Retail Management related to the use of class Y shares in these accounts.



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Trust companies or bank trust departments that purchased class Y shares for trust accounts may transfer them to the beneficiaries of the trust accounts, who may continue to hold them or exchange them for class Y shares of other Putnam funds. Defined contribution plans (including corporate IRAs) that purchased class Y shares under prior eligibility criteria may continue to purchase class Y shares.

Initial sales charges for class A and M shares

Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds

  Class A sales charge as a percentage of*: Class M sales charge as a percentage of*:
Amount of purchase at offering price ($) Net amount invested Offering price** Net amount invested Offering price**
Under 500,000 1.01% 1.00% 0.76% 0.75%
500,000 and above NONE NONE N/A*** N/A***

Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds

  Class A sales charge as a percentage of*: Class M sales charge as a percentage of*:
Amount of purchase at offering price ($) Net amount invested Offering price** Net amount invested Offering price**
Under 50,000 6.10% 5.75% 3.63% 3.50%
50,000 but under 100,000 4.71 4.50 2.56 2.50
100,000 but under 250,000 3.63 3.50 1.52 1.50
250,000 but under 500,000 2.56 2.50 1.01 1.00
500,000 and above NONE NONE N/A*** N/A***

     *  Because of rounding in the calculation of offering price and the number of shares purchased, actual sales charges you pay may be more or less than these percentages.

    **  Offering price includes sales charge.

  ***  The funds will not accept purchase orders for class M shares (other than by employer-sponsored retirement plans) where the total of the current purchase, plus existing account balances that are eligible to be linked under a right of accumulation (as described below) is $500,000 or more.



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Reducing your class A or class M sales charge

Each fund offers two principal ways for you to qualify for discounts on initial sales charges on class A and class M shares, often referred to as “breakpoint discounts”:

To calculate the total value of your existing accounts and any linked accounts, a fund will use the higher of (a) the current maximum public offering price of those shares or (b) if you purchased the shares after December 31, 2007, the initial value of the total purchases, or, if you held the shares on December 31, 2007, the market value at maximum public offering price on that date, in either case, less the market value on the applicable redemption date of any of those shares that you have redeemed.

Account types that may be linked with each other to obtain breakpoint discounts using the methods described above include:



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In order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you should inform your financial representative at the time you purchase shares of the existence of other accounts or purchases that are eligible to be linked for the purpose of calculating the initial sales charge. A fund or your financial representative may ask you for records or other information about other shares held in your accounts and linked accounts, including accounts opened with a different financial representative. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and transactions. Further details about breakpoint discounts can be found on Putnam Investments’ website at putnam.com/individual by selecting Mutual Funds, then Pricing and performance, and then About fund costs, and in the SAI.

How do I sell or exchange fund shares?

You can sell your shares back to the appropriate fund or exchange them for shares of another Putnam fund any day the NYSE is open, either through your financial representative or directly to the fund.

If you redeem your shares shortly after purchasing them, your redemption payment for the shares may be delayed until the fund collects the purchase price of the shares, which may be up to 10 calendar days after the purchase date.

Regarding exchanges, not all Putnam funds offer all classes of shares or may be open to new investors. If you exchange shares otherwise subject to a deferred sales charge, the transaction will not be subject to the deferred sales charge. When you redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, however, the redemption may be subject to the deferred sales charge,



52          Prospectus







 

depending upon when and from which fund you originally purchased the shares. The deferred sales charge will be computed using the schedule of any fund into or from which you have exchanged your shares that would result in your paying the highest deferred sales charge applicable to your class of shares. Class B shares of most other Putnam funds have a higher deferred sales charge than Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds. For purposes of computing the deferred sales charge, the length of time you have owned your shares will be measured from the date of original purchase, unless you originally purchased the shares from another Putnam fund that does not directly charge a deferred sales charge, in which case the length of time you have owned your shares will be measured from the date you exchange those shares for shares of another Putnam fund that does charge a deferred sales charge, and will not be affected by any subsequent exchanges among funds.

Selling or exchanging shares through your financial representative. Your representative must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the NYSE for you to receive that day’s NAV, less any applicable deferred sales charge. Your representative will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to Putnam Investor Services on a timely basis and may charge you for his or her services.



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Each fund also reserves the right to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges or reject any exchange. The fund into which you would like to exchange may also reject your exchange. These actions may apply to all shareholders or only to those shareholders whose exchanges Putnam Management determines are likely to have a negative effect on the fund or other Putnam funds. Consult Putnam Investor Services before requesting an exchange. Ask your financial representative or Putnam Investor Services for prospectuses of other Putnam funds. Some Putnam funds are not available in all states.

Deferred sales charges for class B, class C and certain class A shares

Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds

If you sell (redeem) class B shares within two years of purchase, you will generally pay a deferred sales charge according to the following schedule:

Year after purchase 1 2 3+
Charge 1% 0.50% 0%

Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds

If you sell (redeem) class B shares within six years of purchase, you will generally pay a deferred sales charge according to the following schedule:

Year after purchase 1 2 3 4 5 6 7+
Charge 5% 4% 3% 3% 2% 1% 0%

A deferred sales charge of 1.00% will apply to class C shares if redeemed within one year of purchase. Class A shares that are part of a purchase of $500,000 or more (other than by an employer-sponsored retirement plan) will be subject to a 1.00% deferred sales charge if redeemed within nine months of purchase.



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Deferred sales charges will be based on the lower of the shares’ cost and current NAV. Shares not subject to any charge will be redeemed first, followed by shares held longest. You may sell shares acquired by reinvestment of distributions without a charge at any time.

Policy on excessive short-term trading

Because each fund invests in foreign securities, its performance may be adversely impacted and the interests of longer-term shareholders may be diluted as a result of time-zone arbitrage, a short-term trading practice that seeks to exploit changes in the value of the fund’s investments that result from events occurring after the close of the foreign markets on which the investments trade, but prior to the later close of trading on the NYSE, the time as of which the fund determines its NAV. If an arbitrageur is successful, he or she may dilute the interests of other shareholders by trading shares at prices that do not fully reflect their fair value.



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Because each fund invests in securities that may trade infrequently or may be more difficult to value, such as lower-rated bonds and securities of smaller companies, it may be susceptible to trading by short-term traders who seek to exploit perceived price inefficiencies in the fund’s investments. In addition, the market for these securities may at times show “market momentum,” in which positive or negative performance may continue from one day to the next for reasons unrelated to the fundamentals of the issuer. Short-term traders may seek to capture this momentum by trading frequently in a fund’s shares, which will reduce the fund’s performance and may dilute the interests of other shareholders. Because lower-rated debt and securities of smaller companies may be less liquid than higher-rated debt or securities of larger companies, respectively, each fund may also be unable to buy or sell these securities at desirable prices when the need arises (for example, in response to volatile cash flows caused by short-term trading). Similar risks may apply if a fund holds other types of less liquid securities.



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In particular, many purchase, redemption and exchange orders are received from financial intermediaries that hold omnibus accounts with a fund. Omnibus accounts, in which shares are held in the name of an intermediary on behalf of multiple beneficial owners, are a common form of holding shares among retirement plans and financial intermediaries such as brokers, advisers and third-party administrators. The funds are generally not able to identify trading by a particular beneficial owner within an omnibus account, which makes it difficult or impossible to determine if a particular shareholder is engaging in excessive short-term trading. Putnam Management monitors aggregate cash flows in omnibus accounts on an ongoing basis. If high cash flows or other information indicate that excessive short-term trading may be taking place, Putnam Management will contact the financial intermediary, plan sponsor or recordkeeper that maintains accounts for the beneficial owner and attempt to identify and remedy any excessive trading. However,



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a fund’s ability to monitor and deter excessive short-term traders in omnibus accounts ultimately depends on the capabilities and cooperation of these third-party financial firms. A financial intermediary or plan sponsor may impose different or additional limits on short-term trading.

Distribution plans and payments to dealers

Putnam funds are distributed primarily through dealers (including any broker, dealer, bank, bank trust department, registered investment advisor, financial planner, retirement plan administrator, and any other institution having a selling, services, or any similar agreement with Putnam Retail Management or one of its affiliates). In order to pay for the marketing of fund shares and services provided to shareholders, each fund has adopted distribution and service (12b-1) plans, which increase the annual operating expenses you pay each year in certain share classes, as shown in the tables of annual fund operating expenses in the section Fund summaries — Fees and expenses. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates also make additional payments to dealers that do not increase your fund expenses, as described below.



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Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates also pay additional compensation to selected dealers in recognition of their marketing support and/or program servicing (each of which is described in more detail below). These payments may create an incentive for a dealer firm or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the funds or other Putnam funds to its customers. These additional payments are made by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates and do not increase the amount paid by you or a fund as shown under Fund summaries — Fees and expenses.

The additional payments to dealers by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates are generally based on one or more of the following factors: average net assets of a fund attributable to that dealer, sales or net sales of a fund attributable to that dealer, or reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that a dealer firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in fund shares), or on the basis of a negotiated lump sum payment for services provided.

Marketing support payments are generally available to most dealers engaging in significant sales of Putnam fund shares. These payments are individually negotiated with each dealer firm, taking into account the marketing support services provided by the dealer, including business planning assistance, educating dealer personnel about the Putnam funds and shareholder financial planning needs, placement on the dealer’s preferred or recommended fund company list, and access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the dealer, as well as the size of the dealer’s relationship with Putnam Retail Management. Although the total amount of marketing support payments made to dealers in any year may vary, on average, the aggregate payments are not expected, on an annual basis, to exceed 0.085% of the average net assets of Putnam’s retail mutual funds attributable to the dealers.

Program servicing payments, which are paid in some instances to dealers in connection with investments in a fund through dealer platforms and other investment programs, are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.20% of the total assets in the program on an annual basis. These payments are made for program or platform services provided by the dealer, including shareholder recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, as well as services rendered in connection with dealer platform development and maintenance, fund/investment selection and monitoring, or other similar services.



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You can find a list of all dealers to which Putnam made marketing support and/or program servicing payments in 2015 in the SAI, which is on file with the SEC and is also available on Putnam’s website at putnam.com. You can also find other details in the SAI about the payments made by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates and the services provided by your dealer. Your dealer may charge you fees or commissions in addition to those disclosed in this prospectus. You can also ask your dealer about any payments it receives from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates and any services your dealer provides, as well as about fees and/or commissions it charges.

Fund distributions and taxes

Each fund normally distributes any net investment income and any net realized capital gains annually. You may choose to reinvest distributions from net investment income, capital gains or both in additional shares of your fund or other Putnam funds, or you may receive them in cash in the form of a check or an electronic deposit to your bank account. If you do not select an option when you open your account, all distributions will be reinvested. If you choose to receive distributions in cash, but correspondence from a fund or Putnam Investor Services is returned as “undeliverable,” the distribution option on your account may be converted to reinvest future distributions in the fund. You will not receive interest on uncashed distribution checks.

For shares purchased through your employer’s retirement plan, the terms of the plan will govern how the plan may receive distributions from a fund.

For federal income tax purposes, distributions of net investment income are generally taxable to you as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long a fund owned (or is deemed to have owned) the investments that generated them, rather than by how long you have owned (or are deemed to have owned) your shares. Distributions that a fund properly reports to you as gains from investments that the fund owned for more than one year are generally taxable to you as long-term capital



60          Prospectus







 

gains includible in net capital gain and taxed to individuals at reduced rates. Distributions of gains from investments that a fund owned for one year or less and gains on the sale of or payment on bonds characterized as market discount are generally taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions that a fund properly reports to you as “qualified dividend income” are taxable at the reduced rates applicable to your net capital gain provided that both you and the fund meet certain holding period and other requirements. Distributions are taxable in the manner described in this paragraph whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares of the relevant fund or other Putnam funds.

Distributions by a fund to retirement plans that qualify for tax-advantaged treatment under federal income tax laws will not be taxable. Special tax rules apply to investments through such plans. You should consult your tax advisor to determine the suitability of a fund as an investment through such a plan and the tax treatment of distributions (including distributions of amounts attributable to an investment in a fund) from such a plan.

Unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement account (such as an IRA), you should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before a fund makes a distribution because doing so may cost you money in taxes. Distributions are taxable to you even if they are paid from income or gains earned by a fund before your investment (and thus were included in the price you paid). Contact your financial representative or Putnam to find out the distribution schedule for your fund.

A fund’s investments in certain debt obligations may cause the fund to recognize taxable income in excess of the cash generated by such obligations. Thus, a fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements.

A fund’s investments in foreign securities, if any, may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, a fund’s return on those investments would be decreased. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to these foreign taxes. In addition, a fund’s investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the fund’s recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of a fund’s distributions.

A fund’s investments in derivative financial instruments, including investments by which the fund seeks exposure to assets other than securities, are subject to numerous special and complex tax rules. Moreover, a fund’s intention to qualify as a “regulated investment company” and receive



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favorable treatment under the federal income tax rules may limit its ability to invest in such instruments. The applicable tax rules could affect whether gains and losses recognized by a fund are treated as ordinary or capital, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the fund, defer or possibly prevent the recognition or use of certain losses by the fund and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities, thereby affecting whether capital gains and losses are treated as short-term or long term. The rules could, in turn, affect the amount, timing and character of the income distributed to shareholders by a fund and, therefore, may increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders. In addition, because the application of these rules may be uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future Internal Revenue Service guidance with respect to these rules (which determination or future guidance may be retroactive) may affect whether a fund has made sufficient distributions and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid a fund-level tax.

Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of your shares generally also will be subject to tax.

The above is a general summary of the tax implications of investing in a fund. Please refer to the SAI for further details. You should consult your tax advisor for more information on your own tax situation, including possible foreign, state and local taxes.



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Financial highlights

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each fund’s recent financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been derived from each fund’s financial statements, which have been audited by KPMG LLP for Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds and by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds. Their reports and each fund’s financial statements are included in each fund’s annual report to shareholders, which is available upon request.



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Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

Absolute Return 100 Fund

 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

 

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:   RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Period ended Net asset value, beginning of period Net investment income (loss) a Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments Total from investment operations From net investment income From net realized gain on investments Total distributions Net asset value, end of period Total return at net asset value (%) b Net assets, end of period (in thousands) Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) c Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%) Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A                          
October 31, 2015      $10.25      .13      (.18)     (.05)     (.13)     —      (.13)     $10.07      (.49)     $113,553      .66      1.28      105 f  
October 31, 2014      10.26      .13      .01      .14      (.15)     —      (.15)     10.25      1.37      136,276      .64      1.32      98 f  
October 31, 2013      10.16      .15      .03      .18      (.08)     —      (.08)     10.26      1.73      160,057      .64 e   1.49 e   81 g  
October 31, 2012      10.15      .16      — d   .16      (.15)     —      (.15)     10.16      1.65      158,622      .65 e   1.55 e   238 g  
October 31, 2011      10.44      .23      (.30)     (.07)     (.13)     (.09)     (.22)     10.15      (.79)     249,746      .67 e   2.27 e   186 g  
Class B                          
October 31, 2015      $10.20      .11      (.17)     (.06)     (.11)     —      (.11)     $10.03      (.64)     $1,617      .86      1.09      105 f  
October 31, 2014      10.21      .11      .01      .12      (.13)     —      (.13)     10.20      1.19      2,467      .84      1.12      98 f  
October 31, 2013      10.12      .13      .02      .15      (.06)     —      (.06)     10.21      1.45      3,080      .84 e   1.27 e   81 g  
October 31, 2012      10.11      .13      .02      .15      (.14)     —      (.14)     10.12      1.48      2,655      .85 e   1.33 e   238 g  
October 31, 2011      10.39      .22      (.32)     (.10)     (.09)     (.09)     (.18)     10.11      (1.03)     3,070      .87 e   2.10 e   186 g  
Class C                          
October 31, 2015      $10.15      .05      (.17)     (.12)     (.05)     —      (.05)     $9.98      (1.20)     $23,503      1.41      .53      105 f  
October 31, 2014      10.15      .06      — d   .06      (.06)     —      (.06)     10.15      .58      26,468      1.39      .56      98 f  
October 31, 2013      10.05      .08      .02      .10      —      —      —      10.15      1.00      30,621      1.39 e   .75 e   81 g  
October 31, 2012      10.03      .08      .01      .09      (.07)     —      (.07)     10.05      .90      40,649      1.40 e   .80 e   238 g  
October 31, 2011      10.33      .16      (.31)     (.15)     (.06)     (.09)     (.15)     10.03      (1.56)     62,600      1.42 e   1.58 e   186 g  
Class M                          
October 31, 2015      $10.23      .12      (.17)     (.05)     (.13)     —      (.13)     $10.05      (.53)     $1,942      .71      1.24      105 f  
October 31, 2014      10.24      .13      — d   .13      (.14)     —      (.14)     10.23      1.31      2,059      .69      1.27      98 f  
October 31, 2013      10.14      .15      .02      .17      (.07)     —      (.07)     10.24      1.70      2,609      .69 e   1.45 e   81 g  
October 31, 2012      10.13      .15      .01      .16      (.15)     —      (.15)     10.14      1.61      2,973      .70 e   1.48 e   238 g  
October 31, 2011      10.42      .23      (.31)     (.08)     (.12)     (.09)     (.21)     10.13      (.81)     3,576      .72 e   2.22 e   186 g  
Class R                          
October 31, 2015      $10.18      .11      (.18)     (.07)     (.11)     —      (.11)     $10.00      (.67)     $37      .91      1.06      105 f  
October 31, 2014      10.19      .11      — d   .11      (.12)     —      (.12)     10.18      1.12      214      .89      1.06      98 f  
October 31, 2013      10.10      .13      .02      .15      (.06)     —      (.06)     10.19      1.50      311      .89 e   1.26 e   81 g  
October 31, 2012      10.09      .13      — d   .13      (.12)     —      (.12)     10.10      1.33      316      .90 e   1.27 e   238 g  
October 31, 2011      10.39      .21      (.31)     (.10)     (.11)     (.09)     (.20)     10.09      (1.00)     317      .92 e   2.06 e   186 g  
Class R6                               
October 31, 2015      $10.31      .16      (.18)     (.02)     (.16)     —      (.16)     $10.13      (.22)     $525      .41      1.54      105 f  
October 31, 2014      10.32      .16      .01      .17      (.18)     —      (.18)     10.31      1.63      583      .39      1.56      98 f  
October 31, 2013      10.21      .16 h   .04      .20      (.09)     —      (.09)     10.32      1.97      509      .39 e   1.57 e,h 81 g  
October 31, 2012† 10.12      .05      .04      .09      —      —      —      10.21      .89*     10      .13*e   .48*e   238 g  
Class Y                          
October 31, 2015      $10.29      .16      (.18)     (.02)     (.16)     —      (.16)     $10.11      (.22)     $100,119      .41      1.54      105 f  
October 31, 2014      10.30      .16      — d   .16      (.17)     —      (.17)     10.29      1.61      107,117      .39      1.54      98 f  
October 31, 2013      10.21      .18      .02      .20      (.11)     —      (.11)     10.30      1.94      78,562      .39 e   1.74 e   81 g  
October 31, 2012      10.20      .18      .01      .19      (.18)     —      (.18)     10.21      1.90      71,603      .40 e   1.78 e   238 g  
October 31, 2011      10.48      .26      (.31)     (.05)     (.14)     (.09)     (.23)     10.20      (.51)     80,840      .42 e   2.55 e   186 g  

 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

 



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                              Prospectus      65

 

 

 







 

Financial highlights (Continued)

 

     *  Not annualized.

     †  For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

      a  Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

      b  Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

      c  Includes amounts paid through expense offset arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees, if any.

      d  Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

      e  Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets:

  10/31/13 10/31/12 10/31/11
Class A 0.10% 0.33% 0.29%
Class B 0.10 0.33 0.29
Class C 0.10 0.33 0.29
Class M 0.10 0.33 0.29
Class R 0.10 0.33 0.29
Class R6 0.07 0.08 N/A
Class Y 0.10 0.33 0.29

      f  Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

      g  Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been following:

  Portfolio turnover %
October 31, 2013                        126%
October 31, 2012                        641
October 31, 2011                        424

      h  The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending October 31, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.



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Prospectus          67







 

Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

Absolute Return 300 Fund

 

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:   RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Period ended Net asset value, beginning of period Net investment income (loss) a Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments Total from investment operations From net investment income From net realized gain on investments Total distributions Net asset value, end of period Total return at net asset value (%) b Net assets, end of period (in thousands) Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) c Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%) Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A                          
October 31, 2015      $10.71      .28      (.44)     (.16)     (.37)     —      (.37)     $10.18      (1.53)     $374,839      .84      2.71      486 d  
October 31, 2014      10.81      .31      .03      .34      (.44)     —      (.44)     10.71      3.19      470,872      .81      2.91      203 d  
October 31, 2013      10.58      .34      .05      .39      (.16)     —      (.16)     10.81      3.73      497,067      .78 e   3.13 e   246 f  
October 31, 2012      10.38      .31      (.01)     .30      (.10)     —      (.10)     10.58      2.97      518,088      .82 e   2.94 e   238 f  
October 31, 2011      10.92      .38      (.56)     (.18)     (.32)     (.04)     (.36)     10.38      (1.72)     830,296      .87 e   3.55 e   188 f  
Class B                          
October 31, 2015      $10.65      .26      (.44)     (.18)     (.35)     —      (.35)     $10.12      (1.74)     $9,669      1.04      2.52      486 d  
October 31, 2014      10.75      .29      .02      .31      (.41)     —      (.41)     10.65      2.96      11,822      1.01      2.73      203 d  
October 31, 2013      10.53      .31      .05      .36      (.14)     —      (.14)     10.75      3.46      12,854      .98 e   2.93 e   246 f  
October 31, 2012      10.32      .28      .01      .29      (.08)     —      (.08)     10.53      2.86      13,859      1.02 e   2.71 e   238 f  
October 31, 2011      10.86      .37      (.58)     (.21)     (.29)     (.04)     (.33)     10.32      (2.03)     16,066      1.07 e   3.48 e   188 f  
Class C                          
October 31, 2015      $10.58      .20      (.43)     (.23)     (.29)     —      (.29)     $10.06      (2.22)     $134,131      1.59      1.96      486 d  
October 31, 2014      10.68      .23      .02      .25      (.35)     —      (.35)     10.58      2.37      162,146      1.56      2.17      203 d  
October 31, 2013      10.44      .25      .06      .31      (.07)     —      (.07)     10.68      2.94      169,740      1.53 e   2.39 e   246 f  
October 31, 2012      10.24      .22      .01      .23      (.03)     —      (.03)     10.44      2.23      201,889      1.57 e   2.19 e   238 f  
October 31, 2011      10.80      .30      (.57)     (.27)     (.25)     (.04)     (.29)     10.24      (2.53)     291,442      1.62 e   2.86 e   188 f  
Class M                          
October 31, 2015      $10.68      .28      (.44)     (.16)     (.37)     —      (.37)     $10.15      (1.56)     $9,913      .89      2.67      486 d  
October 31, 2014      10.78      .31      .02      .33      (.43)     —      (.43)     10.68      3.13      11,043      .86      2.85      203 d  
October 31, 2013      10.55      .33      .05      .38      (.15)     —      (.15)     10.78      3.68      11,228      .83 e   3.08 e   246 f  
October 31, 2012      10.35      .30      — g   .30      (.10)     —      (.10)     10.55      2.90      11,914      .87 e   2.89 e   238 f  
October 31, 2011      10.90      .38      (.57)     (.19)     (.32)     (.04)     (.36)     10.35      (1.85)     17,639      .92 e   3.56 e   188 f  
Class R                          
October 31, 2015      $10.68      .26      (.45)     (.19)     (.35)     —      (.35)     $10.14      (1.81)     $379      1.09      2.52      486 d  
October 31, 2014      10.77      .28      .03      .31      (.40)     —      (.40)     10.68      2.96      914      1.06      2.64      203 d  
October 31, 2013      10.54      .31      .05      .36      (.13)     —      (.13)     10.77      3.47      824      1.03 e   2.86 e   246 f  
October 31, 2012      10.34      .28      — g   .28      (.08)     —      (.08)     10.54      2.71      734      1.07 e   2.68 e   238 f  
October 31, 2011      10.89      .36      (.57)     (.21)     (.30)     (.04)     (.34)     10.34      (1.98)     801      1.12 e   3.35 e   188 f  
Class R6                               
October 31, 2015      $10.78      .31      (.45)     (.14)     (.40)     —      (.40)     $10.24      (1.34)     $1,446      .59      2.98      486 d  
October 31, 2014      10.88      .37      (.01)     .36      (.46)     —      (.46)     10.78      3.43      1,828      .56      3.38      203 d  
October 31, 2013      10.63      .32 h   .11      .43      (.18)     —      (.18)     10.88      4.06      2,573      .53 e   2.91 e, h 246 f  
October 31, 2012† 10.42      .09      .12      .21      —      —      —      10.63      2.02*     10      .18*e   .84*e   238 f  
Class Y                          
October 31, 2015      $10.75      .31      (.44)     (.13)     (.40)     —      (.40)     $10.22      (1.24)     $381,738      .59      2.98      486 d  
October 31, 2014      10.85      .33      .03      .36      (.46)     —      (.46)     10.75      3.42      438,177      .56      3.06      203 d  
October 31, 2013      10.63      .36      .05      .41      (.19)     —      (.19)     10.85      3.93      253,607      .53 e   3.37 e   246 f  
October 31, 2012      10.43      .33      — g   .33      (.13)     —      (.13)     10.63      3.21      212,599      .57 e   3.20 e   238 f  
October 31, 2011      10.96      .41      (.56)     (.15)     (.34)     (.04)     (.38)     10.43      (1.47)     367,131      .62 e   3.82 e   188 f  

 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

 



68      Prospectus


                            Prospectus      69

 

 

 







 

Financial highlights (Continued)

 

     *  Not annualized.

     †  For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

      a  Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

      b  Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

      c  Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage/service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

      d  Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

      e  Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets:

  10/31/13 10/31/12 10/31/11
Class A 0.06% 0.19% 0.18%
Class B 0.06 0.19 0.18
Class C 0.06 0.19 0.18
Class M 0.06 0.19 0.18
Class R 0.06 0.19 0.18
Class R6 0.03 0.03 N/A
Class Y 0.06 0.19 0.18

      f  Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:

  Portfolio turnover %
October 31, 2013                          656%
October 31, 2012                        722
October 31, 2011                        512

      g  Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

      h  The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending October 31, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.



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Prospectus          71







 

Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

Absolute Return 500 Fund

 

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:   RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Period ended Net asset value, beginning of period Net investment income (loss) a Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments Total from investment operations From net investment income From net realized gain on investments Total distributions Net asset value, end of period Total return at net asset value (%) b Net assets, end of period (in thousands) Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) c,d Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%) d Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A                          
October 31, 2015      $11.81      .13      .24      .37      (.11)     (.52)     (.63)     $11.55      3.25      $399,301      1.11      1.09      510 e  
October 31, 2014      11.54      .15      .29      .44      (.17)     —      (.17)     11.81      3.88      345,053      1.10      1.32      309 e  
October 31, 2013      11.33      .20      .08      .28      (.07)     —      (.07)     11.54      2.49      378,440      1.11      1.72      189 f  
October 31, 2012      10.89      .18      .59      .77      (.33)     —      (.33)     11.33      7.25      376,219      1.14      1.67      150 f  
October 31, 2011      10.93      .29      (.05)     .24      (.23)     (.05)     (.28)     10.89      2.21      411,424      1.16      2.68      144 f  
Class B                          
October 31, 2015      $11.64      .04      .24      .28      (.02)     (.52)     (.54)     $11.38      2.49      $33,624      1.86      .33      510 e  
October 31, 2014      11.38      .07      .28      .35      (.09)     —      (.09)     11.64      3.08      35,171      1.85      .57      309 e  
October 31, 2013      11.18      .11      .09      .20      —      —      —      11.38      1.79      37,351      1.86      .97      189 f  
October 31, 2012      10.75      .10      .58      .68      (.25)     —      (.25)     11.18      6.47      37,009      1.89      .91      150 f  
October 31, 2011      10.81      .21      (.05)     .16      (.17)     (.05)     (.22)     10.75      1.44      33,914      1.91      1.94      144 f  
Class C                          
October 31, 2015      $11.62      .04      .25      .29      (.03)     (.52)     (.55)     $11.36      2.53      $211,594      1.86      .33      510 e  
October 31, 2014      11.36      .07      .28      .35      (.09)     —      (.09)     11.62      3.08      183,688      1.85      .57      309 e  
October 31, 2013      11.17      .11      .08      .19      —      —      —      11.36      1.70      185,562      1.86      .97      189 f  
October 31, 2012      10.74      .10      .58      .68      (.25)     —      (.25)     11.17      6.52      185,116      1.89      .91      150 f  
October 31, 2011      10.80      .21      (.05)     .16      (.17)     (.05)     (.22)     10.74      1.45      184,129      1.91      1.91      144 f  
Class M                          
October 31, 2015      $11.70      .07      .24      .31      (.05)     (.52)     (.57)     $11.44      2.78      $9,246      1.61      .58      510 e  
October 31, 2014      11.43      .09      .29      .38      (.11)     —      (.11)     11.70      3.37      7,096      1.60      .81      309 e  
October 31, 2013      11.23      .14      .08      .22      (.02)     —      (.02)     11.43      1.95      7,029      1.61      1.22      189 f  
October 31, 2012      10.80      .13      .58      .71      (.28)     —      (.28)     11.23      6.72      7,554      1.64      1.16      150 f  
October 31, 2011      10.84      .24      (.05)     .19      (.18)     (.05)     (.23)     10.80      1.75      7,650      1.66      2.18      144 f  
Class R                          
October 31, 2015      $11.68      .09      .26      .35      (.09)     (.52)     (.61)     $11.42      3.07      $591      1.36      .82      510 e  
October 31, 2014      11.47      .12      .28      .40      (.19)     —      (.19)     11.68      3.52      6,271      1.35      1.06      309 e  
October 31, 2013      11.26      .16      .10      .26      (.05)     —      (.05)     11.47      2.30      4,058      1.36      1.44      189 f  
October 31, 2012      10.83      .15      .58      .73      (.30)     —      (.30)     11.26      6.96      1,812      1.39      1.40      150 f  
October 31, 2011      10.88      .26      (.05)     .21      (.21)     (.05)     (.26)     10.83      1.95      1,432      1.41      2.41      144 f  
Class R6                               
October 31, 2015      $11.89      .16      .25      .41      (.15)     (.52)     (.67)     $11.63      3.59      $6,766      .80      1.41      510 e  
October 31, 2014      11.62      .19      .29      .48      (.21)     —      (.21)     11.89      4.23      4,288      .79      1.63      309 e  
October 31, 2013      11.38      .21 g   .12      .33      (.09)     —      (.09)     11.62      2.88      4,411      .80      1.80 g   189 f  
October 31, 2012† 11.16      .07      .15      .22      —      —      —      11.38      1.97*    10      .28*     .62*    150 f  
Class Y                          
October 31, 2015      $11.86      .16      .24      .40      (.14)     (.52)     (.66)     $11.60      3.54      $469,028      .86      1.34      510 e  
October 31, 2014      11.60      .18      .29      .47      (.21)     —      (.21)     11.86      4.07      296,153      .85      1.55      309 e  
October 31, 2013      11.38      .23      .09      .32      (.10)     —      (.10)     11.60      2.83      217,880      .86      1.98      189 f  
October 31, 2012      10.94      .21      .58      .79      (.35)     —      (.35)     11.38      7.48      220,855      .89      1.91      150 f  
October 31, 2011      10.97      .32      (.05)     .27      (.25)     (.05)     (.30)     10.94      2.49      189,594      .91      2.93      144 f  

 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

 



72      Prospectus


                              Prospectus      73

 

 

 







 

Financial highlights (Continued)

 

     *  Not annualized.

     †  For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

      a  Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

      b  Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

      c  Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

      d  Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets:

  10/31/15 10/31/14 10/31/13 10/31/12 10/31/11
Class A 0.02% 0.02% 0.02% 0.09% 0.12%
Class B 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.09 0.12
Class C 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.09 0.12
Class M 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.09 0.12
Class R 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.09 0.12
Class R6 — — — — —
Class Y 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.09 0.12

      e  Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

      f  Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:

  Portfolio turnover %
October 31, 2013                         415%
October 31, 2012                      454
October 31, 2011                      341

      g  The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending April 30, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.



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Prospectus          75







 

Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

Absolute Return 700 Fund

 

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:   RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Period ended Net asset value, beginning of period Net investment income (loss) a Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments Total from investment operations From net investment income From net realized gain on investments Total distributions Redemption fees Net asset value, end of period Total return at net asset value (%) b Net assets, end of period (in thousands) Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) c Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%) Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A                            
October 31, 2015      $12.71      .20      .30      .50      (.19)     (.57)     (.76)     —      $12.45      4.04      $424,484      1.26      1.60      563 e  
October 31, 2014      12.17      .20      .48      .68      (.14)     —      (.14)     —      12.71      5.65      328,250      1.24      1.63      313 e  
October 31, 2013      11.78      .24      .16      .40      (.01)     —      (.01)     —      12.17      3.42      346,385      1.25      2.04      199 f  
October 31, 2012      11.35      .21      .66      .87      (.44)     —      (.44)     —      11.78      7.97      331,370      1.33 d   1.82 d   164 f  
October 31, 2011      11.45      .33      (.04)     .29      (.34)     (.05)     (.39)     —      11.35      2.55      364,714      1.37 d   2.86 d   174 f  
Class B                            
October 31, 2015      $12.44      .10      .29      .39      (.10)     (.57)     (.67)     —      $12.16      3.18      $30,905      2.01      .85      563 e  
October 31, 2014      11.91      .11      .47      .58      (.05)     —      (.05)     —      12.44      4.92      28,072      1.99      .88      313 e  
October 31, 2013      11.60      .15      .16      .31      —      —      —      —      11.91      2.67      28,175      2.00      1.29      199 f  
October 31, 2012      11.19      .12      .65      .77      (.36)     —      (.36)     —      11.60      7.13      26,015      2.08 d   1.06 d   164 f  
October 31, 2011      11.31      .24      (.03)     .21      (.28)     (.05)     (.33)     —      11.19      1.84      22,984      2.12 d   2.14 d   174 f  
Class C                            
October 31, 2015      $12.44      .10      .29      .39      (.10)     (.57)     (.67)     —      $12.16      3.24      $210,619      2.01      .85      563 e  
October 31, 2014      11.91      .11      .47      .58      (.05)     —      (.05)     —      12.44      4.91      160,682      1.99      .88      313 e  
October 31, 2013      11.60      .15      .16      .31      —      —      —      —      11.91      2.67      148,531      2.00      1.29      199 f  
October 31, 2012      11.19      .12      .65      .77      (.36)     —      (.36)     —      11.60      7.16      138,619      2.08 d   1.06 d   164 f  
October 31, 2011      11.31      .24      (.04)     .20      (.27)     (.05)     (.32)     —      11.19      1.79      132,156      2.12 d   2.12 d   174 f  
Class M                            
October 31, 2015      $12.52      .14      .29      .43      (.13)     (.57)     (.70)     —      $12.25      3.55      $7,146      1.76      1.10      563 e  
October 31, 2014      11.99      .14      .47      .61      (.08)     —      (.08)     —      12.52      5.12      5,286      1.74      1.12      313 e  
October 31, 2013      11.65      .18      .16      .34      —      —      —      —      11.99      2.92      4,535      1.75      1.53      199 f  
October 31, 2012      11.23      .15      .65      .80      (.38)     —      (.38)     —      11.65      7.40      4,105      1.83 d   1.31 d   164 f  
October 31, 2011      11.32      .27      (.03)     .24      (.28)     (.05)     (.33)     —      11.23      2.12      3,830      1.87 d   2.34 d   174 f  
Class R                            
October 31, 2015      $12.57      .17      .30      .47      (.16)     (.57)     (.73)     —      $12.31      3.84      $1,564      1.51      1.34      563 e  
October 31, 2014      12.04      .17      .48      .65      (.12)     —      (.12)     —      12.57      5.40      1,848      1.49      1.39      313 e  
October 31, 2013      11.68      .21      .15      .36      — g   —      — f     —      12.04      3.11      2,005      1.50      1.77      199 f  
October 31, 2012      11.25      .17      .67      .84      (.41)     —      (.41)     —      11.68      7.77      1,235      1.58 d   1.52 d   164 f  
October 31, 2011      11.37      .30      (.05)     .25      (.32)     (.05)     (.37)     —      11.25      2.26      643      1.62 d   2.60 d   174 f  
Class R6                                 
October 31, 2015      $12.77      .24      .30      .54      (.23)     (.57)     (.80)     —      $12.51      4.39      $8,237      .93      1.93      563 e  
October 31, 2014      12.23      .24      .48      .72      (.18)     —      (.18)     —      12.77      5.97      6,678      .91      1.96      313 e  
October 31, 2013      11.81      .25      .20      .45      (.03)     —      (.03)     —      12.23      3.79      6,500      .92      2.09      199 f  
October 31, 2012† 11.56      .07      .18      .25      —      —      —      —      11.81      2.16*     10      .31*d   .58*d   164 f  
Class Y                            
October 31, 2015      $12.74      .23      .29      .52      (.22)     (.57)     (.79)     —      $12.47      4.25      $755,830      1.01      1.85      563 e  
October 31, 2014      12.20      .23      .49      .72      (.18)     —      (.18)     —      12.74      5.93      565,281      .99      1.88      313 e  
October 31, 2013      11.81      .27      .16      .43      (.04)     —      (.04)     —      12.20      3.67      464,035      1.00      2.27      199 f  
October 31, 2012      11.37      .23      .67      .90      (.46)     —      (.46)     —      11.81      8.31      283,356      1.08 d   2.04 d   164 f  
October 31, 2011      11.47      .36      (.05)     .31      (.36)     (.05)     (.41)     —      11.37      2.75      195,030      1.12 d   3.13 d   174 f  

 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

 



76      Prospectus


                              Prospectus      77

 

 

 







 

Financial highlights (Continued)

 

     *  Not annualized.

     †  For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

      a  Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

      b  Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

      c  Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

      d  Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets:

  10/31/12 10/31/11
Class A 0.05% 0.08%
Class B 0.05 0.08
Class C 0.05 0.08
Class M 0.05 0.08
Class R 0.05 0.08
Class R6 — N/A
Class Y 0.05 0.08

      e  Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

      f  Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:

  Portfolio turnover %
October 31, 2013                         463%
October 31, 2012                      487
October 31, 2011                      407

      g  Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.



78          Prospectus







 

Make the most of your Putnam privileges

The following services are available to you as a Putnam mutual fund shareholder.

Systematic investment plan

Invest as much as you wish. The amount you choose will be automatically transferred weekly, semi-monthly or monthly from your checking or savings account.

Systematic withdrawal

Make regular withdrawals monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually from your Putnam mutual fund account.

Systematic exchange

Transfer assets automatically from one Putnam account to another on a regular, prearranged basis.

Exchange privilege

Exchange money between Putnam funds. The exchange privilege allows you to adjust your investments as your objectives change. A signature guarantee is required for exchanges of more than $500,000 and shares of all Putnam funds may not be available to all investors.

Investors may not maintain, within the same fund, simultaneous plans for systematic investment or exchange (into the fund) and systematic withdrawal or exchange (out of the fund). These privileges are subject to change or termination.

Many of these services can be accessed online at putnam.com.

For more information about any of these services and privileges, call your financial representative or a Putnam customer service representative toll-free at 1-800-225-1581.



Prospectus          79







 

For more information about
Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam
Absolute Return 300 Fund, Putnam Absolute
Return 500 Fund and Putnam Absolute Return
700 Fund

The funds’ SAI and annual and semiannual reports to shareholders include additional information about the funds. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, which means it is part of this prospectus for legal purposes. Each fund’s annual report discusses the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. You may get free copies of these materials, request other information about any Putnam fund, or make shareholder inquiries, by contacting your financial representative, by visiting Putnam’s website at putnam.com/individual, or by calling Putnam toll-free at 1-800-225-1581.

You may review and copy information about a fund, including its SAI, at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You may call the Commission at 1-202-551-8090 for information about the operation of the Public Reference Room. You may also access reports and other information about each fund on the EDGAR Database on the Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may get copies of this information, with payment of a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Commission’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You may need to refer to the fund’s file number.

 

Putnam Investments
One Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109
1-800-225-1581

Address correspondence to:

Putnam Investor Services
P.O. Box 8383
Boston, MA 02266-8383

putnam.com

File No. 811-07513                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       SP104 299316 2/16










Statement of Additional Information Supplement  August 30, 2016 

 
Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund   
Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund   
Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund   
Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund   

 

Statement of Additional Information dated February 28, 2016

Appendix B is revised to include the following financial information derived from financial statements provided in the fund’s semiannual report dated 4/30/16, which for this period have not been audited.


8/16 

 



The fund’s portfolio 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (32.0%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Banking (9.3%)     
Abbey National Treasury Services PLC/United Kingdom     
company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 3/8s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  $462,000  $462,593 

Bank of America Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2s, 2018  1,159,000  1,164,368 

Bank of Montreal sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. MTN, 2 1/2s,     
2017 (Canada)  423,000  427,450 

Bank of Nova Scotia (The) sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 3/8s,     
2017 (Canada)  430,000  430,715 

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (The) 144A sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 1.2s, 2017 (Japan)  430,000  429,478 

BNP Paribas SA company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. bonds     
Ser. MTN, 1 3/8s, 2017 (France)  490,000  491,060 

BNP Paribas SA company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
Ser. BKNT, 5s, 2021 (France)  600,000  667,445 

Commonwealth Bank of Australia/New York, NY sr. unsec.     
unsub. bonds 1 1/8s, 2017  588,000  589,008 

Cooperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank BA/     
Netherlands (Rabobank Nederland) company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 3 3/8s, 2017 (Netherlands)  385,000  391,216 

Deutsche Bank AG/London sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  449,000  471,603 

Dexia Credit Local SA/New York 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 1 1/4s, 2016 (France)  2,000,000  1,998,398 

Fifth Third Bancorp unsec. sub. FRB 1.043s, 2016  1,230,000  1,226,721 

HBOS PLC unsec. sub. FRN Ser. EMTN, 1.336s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  1,000,000  993,190 

HSBC Finance Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. FRN 1.065s, 2016  1,000,000  1,000,177 

HSBC USA, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2s, 2018  1,000,000  1,006,215 

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds 2 3/8s,     
2017 (Italy)  1,500,000  1,506,765 

JPMorgan Chase & Co. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2s, 2017  428,000  432,129 

JPMorgan Chase & Co. unsec. sub. notes 3 7/8s, 2024  135,000  139,493 

KeyCorp sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. MTN, 2.3s, 2018  447,000  451,035 

National Australia Bank, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. FRN 1.326s,     
2019 (Australia)  1,000,000  993,814 

Nordea Bank AB 144A sr. unsec. FRN 1.078s, 2016 (Sweden)  1,525,000  1,525,122 

PNC Bank NA sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. BKNT, 1 1/8s, 2017  430,000  430,782 

Royal Bank of Canada sr. unsec. unsub. FRN Ser. GMTN, 1.096s,     
2016 (Canada)  1,000,000  1,001,328 

Royal Bank of Canada sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. GMTN, 2.2s,     
2018 (Canada)  435,000  441,872 

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC jr. unsec. sub. FRB 7 1/2s,     
perpetual maturity (United Kingdom)  500,000  466,250 

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC unsec. sub. notes 4.7s, 2018     
(United Kingdom)  1,535,000  1,574,557 

Santander Issuances SAU company guaranty unsec. sub. notes     
5.179s, 2025 (Spain)  200,000  198,509 

 

18  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (32.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Banking cont.     
Svenska Handelsbanken AB company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
2 7/8s, 2017 (Sweden)  $250,000  $254,313 

Wells Fargo & Co. sr. unsec. notes 2.1s, 2017  423,000  427,452 

  21,593,058 
Basic materials (0.4%)   
Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. sr. unsec. notes 5.45s, 2018  338,000  365,408 

Rio Tinto Finance USA, Ltd. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 9s, 2019 (Australia)  245,000  293,876 

Southern Copper Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 7/8s,     
2045 (Peru)  200,000  180,500 

  839,784 
Capital goods (0.7%)   
Boeing Co. (The) sr. unsec. bonds 8 3/4s, 2021  865,000  1,159,552 

Covidien International Finance SA company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6s, 2017 (Luxembourg)  430,000  460,560 

  1,620,112 
Communication services (1.9%)   
AT&T, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3s, 2022  1,000,000  1,020,005 

AT&T, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.7s, 2017  430,000  432,082 

Comcast Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. bonds     
6 1/2s, 2017  430,000  446,642 

Verizon Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 2 5/8s, 2020  815,000  839,752 

Verizon Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. FRN     
2.164s, 2016  1,000,000  1,004,635 

Vodafone Group PLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 1/4s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  744,000  742,444 

  4,485,560 
Consumer cyclicals (4.3%)   
Amazon.com, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 1.2s, 2017  423,000  423,992 

Autonation, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
6 3/4s, 2018  365,000  391,973 

Autonation, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 1/2s, 2020  100,000  109,048 

Dollar General Corp. sr. unsec. sub. notes 1 7/8s, 2018  300,000  302,658 

Ford Motor Credit Co., LLC sr. unsec. unsub. FRN 1.87s, 2016  1,000,000  1,000,145 

Ford Motor Credit Co., LLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 7/8s, 2021  594,000  685,702 

Ford Motor Credit Co., LLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 4.134s, 2025  881,000  933,447 

Ford Motor Credit Co., LLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3.157s, 2020  2,000,000  2,058,362 

General Motors Financial Co., Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 3.1s, 2019  2,000,000  2,049,458 

S&P Global, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 3.3s, 2020  1,010,000  1,048,010 

Volkswagen International Finance NV 144A company guaranty     
sr. unsec. FRN 1.058s, 2016 (Germany)  1,000,000  997,420 

  10,000,215 
Consumer finance (1.0%)   
Air Lease Corp. sr. unsec. notes 2 5/8s, 2018  1,385,000  1,375,732 

American Express Co. jr. unsec. sub. FRN Ser. C, 4.9s,     
perpetual maturity  370,000  333,629 

American Express Co. sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2018  286,000  313,856 

American Express Co. sr. unsec. notes 6.15s, 2017  174,000  184,679 

    2,207,896 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  19 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (32.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Consumer staples (2.6%)     
Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. bonds 4.9s, 2046  $577,000  $654,351 

Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. bonds 3.65s, 2026  578,000  609,267 

Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. FRN 0.824s, 2017  700,000  699,581 

Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 1.9s, 2019  1,255,000  1,272,987 

Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 1 1/4s, 2018  156,000  156,519 

ConAgra Foods, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2019  192,000  216,184 

Constellation Brands, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 7 1/4s, 2016  283,000  287,599 

CVS Health Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2 1/4s, 2018  430,000  439,849 

CVS Health Corp. 144A sr. unsec. sub. notes 4 3/4s, 2022  1,030,000  1,158,299 

Diageo Capital PLC company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1 1/2s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  202,000  203,144 

PepsiCo, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 1/4s, 2017  427,000  429,119 

  6,126,899 
Energy (2.5%)   
BP Capital Markets PLC company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 1.846s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  430,000  433,062 

Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5.7s,     
2017 (Canada)  430,000  443,133 

Chevron Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.104s, 2017  423,000  423,246 

ConocoPhillips Co. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1.05s, 2017  430,000  426,515 

Hess Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 7.3s, 2031  25,000  27,403 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6 1/4s, 2024 (Brazil)  1,047,000  913,508 

Petroleos Mexicanos company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 1/2s, 2021 (Mexico)  1,500,000  1,576,545 

Petroleos Mexicanos company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
4 1/2s, 2026 (Mexico)  185,000  176,009 

Phillips 66 company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
2.95s, 2017  430,000  438,032 

Shell International Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 5.2s, 2017 (Netherlands)  462,000  479,594 

Total Capital International SA company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 1.55s, 2017 (France)  423,000  425,048 

  5,762,095 
Financial (1.9%)   
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
Ser. GLOB, 2 3/8s, 2018  229,000  231,897 

KKR Group Finance Co., LLC 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6 3/8s, 2020  1,977,000  2,306,167 

Morgan Stanley sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 4 3/4s, 2017  1,204,000  1,241,134 

UBS Group Funding Jersey, Ltd. 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 3s, 2021 (Jersey)  565,000  566,770 

    4,345,968 

 

20  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (32.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Health care (2.4%)     
AbbVie, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 1 3/4s, 2017  $385,000  $386,989 

Actavis Funding SCS company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 1.85s,     
2017 (Luxembourg)  2,000,000  2,006,966 

Amgen, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2 1/8s, 2017  430,000  434,464 

AstraZeneca PLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5.9s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  430,000  457,741 

Biogen, Inc. sr. unsec. sub. notes 3 5/8s, 2022  730,000  778,926 

Johnson & Johnson sr. unsec. notes 5.15s, 2018  269,000  293,417 

Mylan NV company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes 1.8s, 2016  1,000,000  1,000,291 

UnitedHealth Group, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2018  192,000  208,406 

  5,567,200 
Insurance (1.2%)   
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (The) jr. unsec. sub. FRB     
8 1/8s, 2038  235,000  252,919 

MetLife, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 3/4s, 2016  430,000  431,926 

MetLife, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 4 3/4s, 2021  1,180,000  1,315,134 

Metropolitan Life Global Funding I 144A sr. notes 3s, 2023  790,000  796,228 

  2,796,207 
Investment banking/Brokerage (0.2%)   
Deutsche Bank AG unsec. sub. notes 4 1/2s, 2025 (Germany)  200,000  184,207 

Macquarie Bank, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 4s, 2025 (Australia)  310,000  315,639 

  499,846 
Real estate (0.5%)   
Liberty Property LP sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3 3/8s, 2023 R   550,000  546,799 

Select Income REIT sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3.6s, 2020 R   130,000  131,406 

Select Income REIT sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2.85s, 2018 R   130,000  130,062 

Simon Property Group LP 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1 1/2s, 2018 R   389,000  390,600 

  1,198,867 
Technology (0.4%)   
eBay, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.35s, 2017  430,000  429,764 

Intel Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.35s, 2017  430,000  432,884 

  862,648 
Transportation (0.5%)   
Continental Airlines, Inc. pass-through certificates     
Ser. 97-4A, 6.9s, 2018  296,742  301,193 

Continental Airlines, Inc. pass-through certificates Ser. 98-1A,     
6.648s, 2017  23,342  23,838 

Federal Express Corp. 2012 Pass Through Trust 144A notes     
2 5/8s, 2018  142,283  143,067 

FedEx Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 3.2s, 2025  625,000  645,346 

  1,113,444 
Utilities and power (2.2%)   
Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc. sr. unsec. notes     
7 1/8s, 2018  289,000  329,559 

Dayton Power & Light Co. (The) sr. bonds 1 7/8s, 2016  1,500,000  1,503,830 

Electricite de France (EDF) 144A jr. unsec. sub. FRN 5 1/4s,     
perpetual maturity (France)  260,000  251,875 

IPALCO Enterprises, Inc. sr. notes 5s, 2018  277,000  287,388 

PPL WEM, Ltd./Western Power Distribution, Ltd. 144A sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 3.9s, 2016 (United Kingdom)  980,000  980,000 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  21 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (32.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Utilities and power cont.     
Texas-New Mexico Power Co. 144A 1st sr. bonds Ser. A,     
9 1/2s, 2019  $654,000  $768,451 

TransCanada PipeLines, Ltd. sr. unsec. notes 1 5/8s,     
2017 (Canada)  1,000,000  1,000,313 

    5,121,416 
 
Total corporate bonds and notes (cost $73,550,046)    $74,141,215 

 

MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (29.7%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations (2.9%)     
Bellemeade Re Ltd. 144A FRB Ser. 15-1A, Class M1, 2.939s,     
2025 (Bermuda)  $344,164  $340,710 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
IFB Ser. 2976, Class LC, 22.833s, 2035  25,622  40,532 
Ser. 2430, Class UD, 6s, 2017  7,948  8,081 
Ser. 3724, Class CM, 5 1/2s, 2037  61,459  69,297 
Ser. 2533, Class HB, 5 1/2s, 2017  22,865  23,423 
Ser. 3331, Class NV, 5s, 2029  114,734  115,897 
Ser. 2513, Class DB, 5s, 2017  13,828  14,078 
Ser. 3539, Class PM, 4 1/2s, 2037  45,815  48,460 
Ser. 3805, Class AK, 3 1/2s, 2024  54,298  55,216 
Ser. 3876, Class CA, 2 3/4s, 2026  55,005  55,772 
Ser. 3683, Class JH, 2 1/2s, 2023  3,838  3,841 
Ser. 3609, Class LK, 2s, 2024  315,360  317,801 
FRB Ser. 8, Class A9, IO, 0.451s, 2028  120,009  1,650 
FRB Ser. 59, Class 1AX, IO, 0.273s, 2043  305,815  3,082 
Ser. 48, Class A2, IO, 0.212s, 2033  453,753  3,403 
Ser. 3835, Class FO, PO, zero %, 2041  1,815,151  1,570,372 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 04-10, Class QC, 26.845s, 2031  51,208  56,460 
IFB Ser. 05-75, Class GS, 18.933s, 2035  178,405  248,603 
IFB Ser. 11-4, Class CS, 12.022s, 2040  254,667  313,531 
Ser. 06-124, Class A, 5 5/8s, 2036  18,214  18,518 
Ser. 05-68, Class PC, 5 1/2s, 2035  39,177  41,604 
Ser. 02-65, Class HC, 5s, 2017  5,261  5,304 
Ser. 09-100, Class PA, 4 1/2s, 2039  12,595  12,780 
Ser. 11-60, Class PA, 4s, 2039  38,679  40,675 
Ser. 03-43, Class YA, 4s, 2033  277,982  283,243 
Ser. 04-2, Class QL, 4s, 2019  105,762  108,576 
Ser. 10-155, Class A, 3 1/2s, 2025  35,024  35,774 
Ser. 10-81, Class AP, 2 1/2s, 2040  112,967  114,551 
FRB Ser. 03-W10, Class 1, IO, 0.711s, 2043  56,887  891 
Ser. 98-W2, Class X, IO, 0.697s, 2028  755,336  36,823 
Ser. 98-W5, Class X, IO, 0.538s, 2028  231,015  11,262 

Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 14-163, Class NI, IO, 5s, 2044  1,013,730  184,533 
Ser. 13-20, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2042  5,578,549  975,948 
Ser. 09-32, Class AB, 4s, 2039  36,435  39,100 
Ser. 13-23, Class IK, IO, 3s, 2037  12,624,622  1,325,244 
Ser. 10-151, Class KO, PO, zero %, 2037  199,045  171,949 

 

22  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (29.7%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
GSMPS Mortgage Loan Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 98-4, IO, 1.147s, 2026  $42,589  $— 
FRB Ser. 98-2, IO, 1.043s, 2027  25,699  — 
FRB Ser. 99-2, IO, 0.84s, 2027  60,913  533 
FRB Ser. 98-3, IO, zero %, 2027  29,020  — 

  6,697,517 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (21.9%)   
Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-4, Class AJ, 5.695s, 2046  300,000  297,786 
FRB Ser. 07-1, Class XW, IO, 0.508s, 2049  775,514  3,027 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc. 144A     
FRB Ser. 04-4, Class XC, IO, 0.095s, 2042  47,020  36 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-PW16, Class AJ, 5.911s, 2040  1,000,000  960,000 
FRB Ser. 07-T26, Class AJ, 5.566s, 2045  534,000  485,940 
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class AJ, 5.557s, 2039  575,000  566,375 
Ser. 05-PWR9, Class AJ, 4.985s, 2042  29,918  29,941 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 06-PW11, Class B, 5.557s, 2039  976,000  926,029 

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust Ser. 14-GC21, Class AS,     
4.026s, 2047  486,000  519,699 

COBALT CMBS Commercial Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 07-C3,     
Class AJ, 5.956s, 2046  256,000  251,369 

COMM Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates FRB Ser. 14-CR14,     
Class XA, IO, 1.006s, 2047  11,112,364  424,937 

COMM Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 07-C9, Class AJ, 5.65s, 2049  602,000  588,997 
Ser. 06-C8, Class AJ, 5.377s, 2046  444,000  427,572 
FRB Ser. 14-CR18, Class C, 4.896s, 2047  1,407,000  1,453,136 
FRB Ser. 13-LC13, Class XA, IO, 1.556s, 2046  6,239,347  352,149 
FRB Ser. 14-LC15, Class XA, IO, 1.549s, 2047  10,091,106  667,668 
FRB Ser. 14-CR17, Class XA, IO, 1.343s, 2047  5,733,062  353,781 

COMM Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 07-C9, Class AJFL,     
1.126s, 2049  1,500,000  1,412,250 

Credit Suisse Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 08-C1,     
Class AJ, 6.268s, 2041  500,000  487,150 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A     
Ser. 98-C1, Class F, 6s, 2040  117,989  126,249 
FRB Ser. 03-C3, Class AX, IO, 2.191s, 2038  413,135  53 

DBRR Trust 144A FRB Ser. 13-EZ3, Class A, 1.636s, 2049  170,544  170,544 

DBUBS Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-LC2A, Class D, 5.673s, 2044  198,000  213,155 
FRB Ser. 11-LC3A, Class D, 5.628s, 2044  1,073,000  1,089,632 

GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp. FRB Ser. 05-C1, Class D,     
4.682s, 2048  972,000  972,972 

GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp. 144A FRB Ser. 05-C3,     
Class XC, IO, 0.119s, 2045  1,056,905  — 

GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp. Trust FRB Ser. 06-C1,     
Class AJ, 5.552s, 2044  948,073  929,112 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  23 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (29.7%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
GE Commercial Mortgage Corp. Trust Ser. 07-C1, Class A3,     
5.481s, 2049  $183,366  $184,380 

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class XA, IO,     
1.756s, 2046  3,549,294  282,737 

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II 144A FRB Ser. 13-GC10,     
Class D, 4.557s, 2046  1,219,000  1,090,030 

GS Mortgage Securities Trust     
Ser. 06-GG8, Class AJ, 5.622s, 2039  283,000  254,700 
FRB Ser. 13-GC12, Class XA, IO, 1.857s, 2046  8,267,406  610,024 
FRB Ser. 14-GC22, Class XA, IO, 1.218s, 2047 F   6,960,876  403,879 
FRB Ser. 14-GC24, Class XA, IO, 1.009s, 2047  8,663,822  430,557 

GS Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-GC6, Class D, 5.818s, 2045  389,000  378,606 
FRB Ser. 14-GC18, Class D, 5.112s, 2047  520,000  439,866 
FRB Ser. 14-GC26, Class D, 4.661s, 2047  389,000  296,854 
FRB Ser. 13-GC12, Class D, 4.615s, 2046  1,190,000  1,017,212 

JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
Ser. 13-C17, Class AS, 4.458s, 2047  241,000  265,727 
FRB Ser. 14-C19, Class XA, IO, 1.408s, 2047  6,460,567  277,804 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-LC9, Class D, 4.564s, 2047  326,000  299,040 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class AJ, 6.284s, 2051  572,500  565,573 
Ser. 08-C2, Class ASB, 6 1/8s, 2051  148,262  151,509 
FRB Ser. 06-LDP6, Class B, 5.846s, 2043  358,332  358,332 
FRB Ser. 05-LDP5, Class F, 5.737s, 2044  620,000  620,000 
FRB Ser. 05-CB11, Class C, 5.668s, 2037  500,000  519,500 
Ser. 06-LDP8, Class AJ, 5.48s, 2045  2,051,000  2,050,590 
Ser. 04-LN2, Class A2, 5.115s, 2041  24,086  24,112 
FRB Ser. 13-C10, Class C, 4.294s, 2047  300,000  298,260 
FRB Ser. 13-LC11, Class C, 3.958s, 2046  335,000  329,875 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class XA, IO, 2.011s, 2045  4,511,629  311,706 
FRB Ser. 13-C10, Class XA, IO, 1.394s, 2047  9,342,877  518,689 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-C3, Class E, 5.788s, 2046  1,293,000  1,322,998 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class E, 5.365s, 2045  1,071,000  977,609 

LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-C3, Class C, 5.916s, 2039  447,000  438,060 
FRB Ser. 06-C6, Class B, 5.472s, 2039  527,000  527,512 
FRB Ser. 06-C6, Class AJ, 5.452s, 2039  350,000  347,834 
FRB Ser. 07-C2, Class XW, IO, 0.739s, 2040  889,082  3,759 

LSTAR Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 15-3, Class B, 3.438s, 2048  1,713,000  1,541,237 
FRB Ser. 15-3, Class C, 3.438s, 2048  338,000  291,765 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-C1, Class A3, 6.026s, 2050  100,009  99,954 
Ser. 06-C2, Class AJ, 5.802s, 2043  1,142,000  1,136,290 
Ser. 04-KEY2, Class D, 5.046s, 2039  405,306  401,560 

 

24  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (29.7%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 05-MCP1, Class XC,     
IO, 0.026s, 2043  $2,554,519  $12 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-2, Class AM, 6.103s, 2046  431,000  430,966 
Ser. 06-3, Class AJ, 5.485s, 2046  887,000  864,470 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 06-4,     
Class XC, IO, 0.797s, 2049  42,933,170  167,439 

Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust     
FRB Ser. 13-C11, Class C, 4.56s, 2046  400,000  425,129 
FRB Ser. 13-C7, Class XA, IO, 1.789s, 2046  14,435,326  1,001,812 
FRB Ser. 14-C17, Class XA, IO, 1.423s, 2047  8,721,771  557,496 

Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class XA, IO, 2.223s, 2045  10,293,661  721,586 
FRB Ser. 13-C7, Class XB, IO, 0.458s, 2046  24,165,000  520,877 

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-T27, Class AJ, 5.82s, 2042  1,002,000  960,918 
Ser. 07-IQ14, Class A2, 5.61s, 2049  101,642  101,876 
Ser. 07-HQ11, Class AJ, 5.508s, 2044  279,000  275,038 

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust 144A FRB Ser. 11-C3, Class E,     
5.351s, 2049  301,000  295,498 

Morgan Stanley Re-REMIC Trust 144A FRB Ser. 10-C30A,     
Class A3B, 5.246s, 2043  419,098  419,496 

UBS-Barclays Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-C3, Class C, 5.123s, 2049  300,000  313,170 
FRB Ser. 13-C6, Class D, 4.493s, 2046  665,000  579,282 
FRB Ser. 12-C4, Class XA, IO, 1.953s, 2045  6,604,513  548,150 
FRB Ser. 12-C2, Class XA, IO, 1.814s, 2063  14,196,357  835,707 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-C25, Class AJ, 6.044s, 2043  253,548  253,548 
FRB Ser. 06-C29, IO, 0.527s, 2048  33,647,893  43,742 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 07-C31, IO, 0.346s, 2047  74,707,410  105,057 

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 13-LC12, Class C, 4.433s, 2046  500,000  509,700 
Ser. 12-LC5, Class AS, 3.539s, 2045  424,000  449,942 

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 13-LC12, Class D, 4.433s, 2046  1,250,000  1,052,581 

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 14-C19, Class C, 4.646s, 2047  212,000  206,764 
Ser. 13-C18, Class AS, 4.387s, 2046  491,000  543,213 
Ser. 13-UBS1, Class AS, 4.306s, 2046  305,000  335,540 
Ser. 13-C12, Class AS, 3.56s, 2048  395,000  415,805 
FRB Ser. 13-C17, Class XA, IO, 1.717s, 2046  4,823,854  314,515 
FRB Ser. 13-C14, Class XA, IO, 1.017s, 2046  9,225,870  395,513 

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-C5, Class E, 5.821s, 2044  514,000  518,832 
FRB Ser. 11-C2, Class D, 5.787s, 2044  812,000  813,543 
Ser. 11-C4, Class D, 5.265s, 2044  1,045,000  1,104,847 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  25 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (29.7%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 11-C4, Class E, 5.265s, 2044  $285,000  $281,438 
FRB Ser. 12-C7, Class E, 4.992s, 2045  334,000  317,665 
FRB Ser. 13-C15, Class D, 4.629s, 2046  905,000  788,908 
FRB Ser. 12-C10, Class XA, IO, 1.881s, 2045  4,925,488  387,291 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class XA, IO, 1.544s, 2048  1,799,485  113,036 

  50,748,101 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) (4.9%)   
BCAP, LLC Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 14-RR1, Class 2A2, 2.506s, 2036  500,000  375,167 
FRB Ser. 15-RR5, Class 2A3, 1.42s, 2046  410,000  261,663 

Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-OA7, Class 1A2, 1.317s, 2046  2,589,702  1,968,174 
FRB Ser. 05-38, Class A3, 0.789s, 2035  245,194  198,970 
FRB Ser. 05-59, Class 1A1, 0.769s, 2035  870,282  697,765 
FRB Ser. 06-OC2, Class 2A3, 0.729s, 2036  130,596  117,536 
FRB Ser. 06-OA10, Class 4A1, 0.629s, 2046  2,914,849  2,040,395 
FRB Ser. 06-OC8, Class 2A2A, 0.559s, 2036  259,697  251,906 

CSMC Trust 144A FRB Ser. 09-13R, Class 3A2, 2.588s, 2036  368,361  204,440 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C03, Class 2M2,     
6.339s, 2028  1,068,470  1,110,888 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C04, Class 1M2,     
6.139s, 2028  1,020,000  1,067,018 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C04, Class 2M2,     
5.989s, 2028  60,000  62,419 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C03, Class 1M2,     
5.439s, 2025  140,000  143,850 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C03, Class 2M2,     
5.439s, 2025  10,000  10,277 

GSAA Home Equity Trust FRB Ser. 06-8, Class 2A2, 0.619s, 2036  767,019  379,713 

Morgan Stanley Resecuritization Trust 144A Ser. 15-R4,     
Class CB1, 0.598s, 2047 F   1,265,000  885,500 

Nomura Resecuritization Trust 144A FRB Ser. 15-4R,     
Class 1A14, 0.602s, 2047  1,000,000  480,000 

WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Trust FRB     
Ser. 05-AR17, Class A1B2, 0.849s, 2045  1,261,503  1,040,740 

    11,296,421 
 
Total mortgage-backed securities (cost $71,105,184)    $68,742,039 

 

ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (6.4%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Station Place Securitization Trust     
FRB Ser. 16-1, Class A, 1.433s, 2017  $1,852,000  $1,852,000 
FRB Ser. 15-4, Class A, 1.402s, 2016  3,166,000  3,166,000 

Station Place Securitization Trust 144A FRB Ser. 14-2, Class A,     
1.055s, 2016  9,902,000  9,902,000 

Total asset-backed securities (cost $14,920,000)    $14,920,000 

 

26  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
BONDS AND NOTES (2.9%)*  Principal amount/units  Value 

 
Argentina (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 7 5/8s,     
2046 (Argentina)  $209,000  $205,168 

Argentina (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 7 1/2s,     
2026 (Argentina)  558,000  565,617 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
10 7/8s, 2021 (Argentina)  600,000  667,500 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 1/4s,     
2017 (Croatia)  200,000  207,500 

Indonesia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 4 3/4s,     
2026 (Indonesia)  600,000  637,500 

Indonesia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5.95s,     
2046 (Indonesia)  300,000  333,750 

Russia (Federation of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 5 5/8s,     
2042 (Russia)  3,200,000  3,348,000 

South Africa (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. notes 4.665s, 2024     
(South Africa)  675,000  677,531 

Total foreign government and agency bonds and notes (cost $6,411,512)  $6,642,566 

 

U.S. GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS (2.8%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage Obligations (2.8%)     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation 4 1/2s, October 1, 2018  $14,457  $14,820 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Pass-Through Certificates     
6s, September 1, 2017  76,793  78,925 
4 1/2s, August 1, 2018  12,057  12,434 

Federal National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
6s, with due dates from September 1, 2018 to September 1, 2019  34,873  36,152 
4 1/2s, November 1, 2044  970,233  1,069,985 
4s, TBA, May 1, 2046  1,000,000  1,068,438 
3s, TBA, May 1, 2046  4,000,000  4,101,562 

    6,382,316 
 
Total U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations (cost $6,376,566)  $6,382,316 

 

U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS (—%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
U.S. Treasury Notes 2s, September 30, 2020 ∆  $58,000  $59,937 

Total U.S. treasury obligations (cost $57,976)    $59,937 

 

PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING (0.1%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

 
Bank of America N.A.       
(1.88)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.88  $6,195,800  $26,890 

1.55/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.55  6,195,800  24,907 

Barclays Bank PLC       
(1.809)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.809  6,195,800  40,333 

1.481/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.481  6,195,800  16,605 

Citibank, N.A.       
(2.087)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.087  5,087,700  5 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  27 

 



PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING (0.1%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date cont.  date/strike  amount  Value 

 
Credit Suisse International       
(2.915)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.915  $574,800  $11,317 

(3.315)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/3.315  574,800  4,422 

Goldman Sachs International       
(1.835)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.835  6,195,800  40,273 

1.4825/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.4825  6,195,800  19,889 

(1.82)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.82  3,164,600  2,152 

(1.306)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.306  3,164,600  2,025 

(2.18625)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.18625  5,087,700  5 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(1.15)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.15  3,164,600  3,734 

0.8725/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/0.8725  3,164,600  3,260 

Total purchased swap options outstanding (cost $308,927)    $195,817 

 

PURCHASED OPTIONS  Expiration date/  Contract   
OUTSTANDING (—%)*  strike price  amount  Value 

 
Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Aug-16/$101.52  $2,000,000  $11,540 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Aug-16/101.39  2,000,000  10,640 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.98  2,000,000  11,540 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jul-16/102.03  1,000,000  5,980 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.16  2,000,000  2,460 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.91  2,000,000  1,780 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.30  1,000,000  1,470 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.22  1,000,000  1,330 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.11  1,000,000  1,160 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.84  1,000,000  820 

Total purchased options outstanding (cost $127,813)      $48,720 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (30.3%)*  Principal amount/shares  Value 

 
Agrium, Inc. commercial paper 0.80%, May 2, 2016  $1,500,000  $1,499,942 

AutoNation, Inc. commercial paper 0.95%, May 2, 2016  1,500,000  1,499,917 

AXA Financial, Inc. commercial paper 0.80%, May 3, 2016  1,000,000  999,951 

Bacardi Corp. commercial paper 0.68%, May 4, 2016  1,500,000  1,499,903 

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya/NY FRN certificate of deposit 1.47%,     
May 16, 2016  1,000,000  $999,725 

BASF SE commercial paper 0.70%, June 21, 2016  1,500,000  1,499,026 

Cabot Corp. commercial paper 0.68%, May 2, 2016  1,500,000  1,499,942 

 

28  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (30.3%)* cont.  Principal amount/shares  Value 

 
Church & Dwight Co., Inc. commercial paper 0.72%,       
May 11, 2016    $1,500,000  $1,499,762 

Jupiter Securitization Co., LLC 144A FRN commercial paper       
0.69%, July 25, 2016    1,500,000  1,500,387 

Kansas City Southern de Mexico SA de CV commercial paper       
0.85%, May 2, 2016    1,500,000  1,499,917 

KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Co. commercial paper       
0.60%, May 2, 2016    1,500,000  1,499,942 

Kroger Co. (The) commercial paper 0.55%, May 2, 2016    1,500,000  1,499,942 

Marriott International, Inc./MD commercial paper 0.75%,       
May 6, 2016    1,500,000  1,499,863 

Monsanto Co. commercial paper 0.82%, May 26, 2016    1,600,000  1,599,392 

NBCUniversal Enterprise, Inc. commercial paper 0.66%,       
May 5, 2016    1,500,000  1,499,883 

NiSource Finance Corp. commercial paper 0.95%, May 13, 2016    1,500,000  1,499,720 

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.44% L   Shares   32,626,890  32,626,890 

Sheffield Receivables Co., LLC asset backed commercial paper       
1.01%, September 9, 2016    $1,500,000  1,495,882 

Syngenta Wilmington Inc. commercial paper 1.00%,       
May 4, 2016    1,500,000  1,499,892 

Thomson Reuters Corp. 144A commercial paper 1.01%,       
July 12, 2016    1,000,000  998,884 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.16%, June 16, 2016 §    5,000  4,999 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.19%, May 19, 2016 # ∆ §    497,000  496,964 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.23%, May 5, 2016 ∆ §    1,738,000  1,737,983 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.30%, May 26, 2016 ∆ §    1,722,000  1,721,811 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.31%, May 12, 2016 ∆ §    403,000  402,984 

Union Electric Co. commercial paper 0.77%, May 9, 2016    1,500,000  1,499,802 

UnitedHealth Group, Inc. commercial paper 0.68%,       
May 24, 2016    1,500,000  1,499,506 

WPP CP, LLC 144A commercial paper 1.05%, July 29, 2016    1,500,000  1,497,714 

Wyndham Worldwide Corp. commercial paper 0.90%,       
May 2, 2016    1,500,000  1,499,917 

Total short-term investments (cost $70,075,151)      $70,080,442 
 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS       

Total investments (cost $242,933,175)      $241,213,052 

 

Key to holding’s abbreviations

BKNT  Bank Note 
bp  Basis Points 
EMTN  Euro Medium Term Notes 
FRB  Floating Rate Bonds: the rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period 
FRN  Floating Rate Notes: the rate shown is the current interest rate or yield at the close of the reporting period 
GMTN  Global Medium Term Notes 
IFB  Inverse Floating Rate Bonds, which are securities that pay interest rates that vary inversely to changes in the market interest rates. As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce less current income. The rate 
  shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period. 
IO  Interest Only 
MTN  Medium Term Notes 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  29 

 



PO  Principal Only 
TBA  To Be Announced Commitments 

 

Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $231,617,552.

† This security is non-income-producing.

# This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

∆ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on certain derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

§ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on the initial margin on certain centrally cleared derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

F This security is valued by Putnam Management at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities’ valuation inputs (Note 1).

L Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

R Real Estate Investment Trust.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $26,510,586 to cover certain derivative contracts and delayed delivery securities.

Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.

Debt obligations are considered secured unless otherwise indicated.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding TBA commitments.

The dates shown on debt obligations are the original maturity dates.

FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

  Number of    Expiration  Unrealized 
  contracts  Value  date  depreciation 

U.S. Treasury Bond 30 yr (Short)  6  $979,875  Jun-16  $(3,762) 

Total         

 

WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $3,246,942) (Unaudited)

 

Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Bank of America N.A.       
(1.715)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.715  $3,097,900  $29,523 

1.715/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.715  3,097,900  32,497 

Barclays Bank PLC       
(1.645)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.645  3,097,900  20,880 

1.645/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.645  3,097,900  44,331 

 

30  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $3,246,942) (Unaudited) cont.

Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Citibank, N.A.       
2.587/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.587  $5,087,700  $5 

2.387/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.387  5,087,700  5 

Credit Suisse International       
2.515/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.515  574,800  25,331 

Goldman Sachs International       
2.58625/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.58625  10,175,400  10 

(1.215)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.215  3,164,600  1,867 

(0.901)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/0.901  3,164,600  1,962 

(1.65875)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.65875  3,097,900  24,442 

1.65875/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.65875  3,097,900  44,889 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
1.41/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.41  3,164,600  1,297 

1.28/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.28  3,164,600  2,279 

(1.0025)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.0025  3,164,600  3,070 

(6.00 Floor)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Mar-18  Mar-18/6.00  16,499,000  1,709,511 

Total      $1,941,899 

 

WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $127,813) (Unaudited)

 

  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/$100.80  $2,000,000  $7,100 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/100.68  2,000,000  6,480 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/100.09  2,000,000  4,220 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/99.97  2,000,000  3,840 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.36  2,000,000  7,000 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/100.73  2,000,000  4,080 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.39  1,000,000  3,590 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/100.73  1,000,000  2,040 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.45  2,000,000  960 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.20  2,000,000  680 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.63  1,000,000  610 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.56  1,000,000  560 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  31 

 



WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $127,813) (Unaudited) cont.

  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/$100.44  $1,000,000  $470 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.75  2,000,000  360 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.19  1,000,000  330 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.50  2,000,000  260 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.95  1,000,000  240 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.91  1,000,000  230 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.77  1,000,000  180 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.53  1,000,000  130 

Total      $43,360 

 

FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

 

Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable)  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
2.117/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.117  $653,200  $(16,005)  $11,398 

2.035/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.035  653,200  (16,597)  7,727 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  1,265,300  (8,366)  (696) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  2,530,500  (17,777)  (2,353) 

(3.035)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.035  653,200  (17,380)  (15,997) 

(3.117)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.117  653,200  (18,290)  (17,179) 

2.655/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.655  2,861,000  18,954  18,740 

2.56/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.56  2,861,000  18,290  17,996 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  2,530,500  7,748  (2,176) 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  5,061,000  16,195  (3,745) 

(1.56)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.56  2,861,000  16,472  (13,361) 

(1.655)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.655  2,861,000  16,308  (17,796) 

Total      $(448)  $(17,442) 

 

32  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$8,334,500  $(10,533)  4/7/18  3 month USD-  1.149%  $31,559 
      LIBOR-BBA     

2,915,700  37,866  3/30/26  1.91%  3 month USD-  (24,635) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

849,600  (11)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.79701%  9,650 
      LIBOR-BBA     

1,028,700 E  2,312  6/15/18  1.20%  3 month USD-  (2,864) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

14,437,000 E  101,690  6/15/26  1.90%  3 month USD-  (139,971) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

35,720,600 E  9,761  6/15/21  1.45%  3 month USD-  (287,362) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

801,800  (11)  3/17/26  1.787%  3 month USD-  (8,325) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

849,600  (11)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.79882%  9,796 
      LIBOR-BBA     

849,600  (11)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.8005%  9,931 
      LIBOR-BBA     

849,600  (11)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.80312%  10,142 
      LIBOR-BBA     

849,600  (11)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.80242%  10,085 
      LIBOR-BBA     

1,100,500 E  7,372  6/15/46  2.25%  3 month USD-  (3,545) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

52,500  (2)  4/5/46  2.2375%  3 month USD-  (545) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

437,400  9,774  4/5/46  2.27%  3 month USD-  1,902 
        LIBOR-BBA   

437,400  (5,733)  4/5/46  3 month USD-  2.19%  (6,093) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

2,000,000  (26)  3/18/26  1.78722%  3 month USD-  (20,728) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

2,000,000  (26)  3/18/26  1.79757%  3 month USD-  (22,689) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,349,000  (18)  3/21/26  1.7325%  3 month USD-  (6,817) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,349,000  (18)  3/21/26  1.73%  3 month USD-  (6,497) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

174,900  (2)  3/30/26  1.73%  3 month USD-  (773) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

416,700  (4)  4/14/21  1.152%  3 month USD-  1,782 
        LIBOR-BBA   

2,901,100  (21)  4/21/26  3 month USD-  1.595%  (27,336) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

475,000  (4)  4/26/21  1.3125%  3 month USD-  (1,520) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  33 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$1,030,000  $(14)  4/26/26  1.7475%  3 month USD-  $(4,903) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

337,000  (11)  4/26/46  2.232%  3 month USD-  (2,730) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

Total  $152,297        $(482,486) 

 

E Extended effective date.

OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $2,939  $43,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $467 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  5,604  93,000  5/11/63  300 bp  257 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  11,483  186,000  5/11/63  300 bp  788 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  10,944  192,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (96) 
Index             

Credit Suisse International           
CMBX NA BB Index  —  (26,087)  1,478,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  108,506 

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  4,777  330,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (13,952) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  12,109  922,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (40,797) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  926  27,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (1,282) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  196,102  2,625,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (18,806) 
Index             

Goldman Sachs International           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (249)  36,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (2,319) 
Index             

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (1,711)  200,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  16,503 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (1,251)  118,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  9,495 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (586)  61,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  4,969 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  52  43,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  3,968 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  431  42,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  4,255 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  927  41,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  4,661 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  640  38,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  4,100 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (54)  27,000  1/17/47  (500 bp)  3,790 

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (27)  10,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (602) 
Index             

 

34  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $(291)  $29,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $(1,958) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (128)  32,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (1,968) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (550)  33,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (2,447) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (289)  36,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (2,359) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (644)  59,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (4,036) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,405  123,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (5,667) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  255  8,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (399) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,798  88,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (3,401) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,542  88,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (3,656) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,542  88,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (3,656) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,741  90,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (3,621) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,563  119,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (6,171) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,878  128,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (6,592) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  24,551  177,000  1/17/47  300 bp  10,073 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  77,800  391,000  1/17/47  300 bp  45,816 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  57,434  401,000  1/17/47  300 bp  24,632 
Index             

JPMorgan Securities LLC           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  4,703  85,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (2,250) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  8,966  170,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (4,940) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  4,523  173,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (9,629) 
Index             

Total    $416,768        $101,676 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  35 

 



*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at April 30, 2016. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.”

ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:

    Valuation inputs   

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Asset-backed securities  $—­  $—­  $14,920,000 

Corporate bonds and notes  —­  74,141,215  —­ 

Foreign government and agency bonds and notes  —­  6,642,566  —­ 

Mortgage-backed securities  —­  67,376,539  1,365,500 

Purchased options outstanding  —­  48,720  —­ 

Purchased swap options outstanding  —­  195,817  —­ 

U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations  —­  6,382,316  —­ 

U.S. treasury obligations  —­  59,937  —­ 

Short-term investments  32,626,890  37,453,552  —­ 

Totals by level  $32,626,890  $192,300,662  $16,285,500 
 
    Valuation inputs   

Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Futures contracts  $(3,762)  $—­  $—­ 

Written options outstanding  —­  (43,360)  —­ 

Written swap options outstanding  —­  (1,941,899)  —­ 

Forward premium swap option contracts  —­  (17,442)  —­ 

Interest rate swap contracts  —­  (634,783)  —­ 

Credit default contracts  —­  (315,092)  —­ 

Totals by level  $(3,762)  $(2,952,576)  $—­ 

 

During the reporting period, transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, if any, did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using the end of period pricing valuation method.

 

36  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets as of the close of the reporting period:

        Change in net           
        unrealized      Total  Total   
  Balance  Accrued  Realized  appreciation/    transfers  transfers  Balance 
Investments  as of  discounts/  gain/  (deprecia-  Cost of  Proceeds   into  out of  as of 
in securities:  10/31/15  premiums  (loss)  tion) #  purchases  from sales   Level 3†   Level 3†  4/30/16 

Asset-backed                   
securities  $15,410,000  $—­  $—­  $—­  $1,852,000  $(2,342,000)  $—­  $—­  $14,920,000 

Mortgage-                   
backed                   
securities  $2,011,040  —­  —­  (270,373)  —­  —­  —­  (375,167)  $1,365,500 

Totals  $17,421,040  $—­  $—­  $(270,373)  $1,852,000  $(2,342,000)  $—­  $(375,167)  $16,285,500 

 

† Transfers during the reporting period are accounted for using the end of period market value and did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period.

# Includes $(224,000) related to Level 3 securities still held at period end. Total change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) for securities (including Level 1 and Level 2) can be found in the Statement of operations.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 100 Fund  37 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

ASSETS   

Investment in securities, at value (Note 1):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $210,306,285)  $208,586,162 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $32,626,890) (Notes 1 and 5)  32,626,890 

Cash  512,029 

Interest and other receivables  1,189,321 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold  413,287 

Receivable for investments sold  717,800 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)  47,106 

Unrealized appreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  55,861 

Unrealized appreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  242,280 

Premium paid on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  31,867 

Total assets  244,422,603 
 
LIABILITIES   

Payable for investments purchased  2,643,360 

Payable for purchases of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  5,170,826 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  2,095,174 

Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)  63,233 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  38,548 

Payable for distribution fees (Note 2)  41,214 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)  104,202 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  140,604 

Premium received on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  448,635 

Unrealized depreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  73,303 

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums $3,374,755) (Notes 1 and 3)  1,985,259 

Other accrued expenses  693 

Total liabilities  12,805,051 
 
Net assets  $231,617,552 

 
REPRESENTED BY   

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $246,648,321 

Undistributed net investment income (Note 1)  265,219 

Accumulated net realized loss on investments (Note 1)  (14,563,347) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments  (732,641) 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $231,617,552 

 

(Continued on next page)

 

38  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities (Continued)

COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share   
($103,793,013 divided by 10,509,515 shares)  $9.88 

Offering price per class A share (100/99.00 of $9.88)*  $9.98 

Net asset value and offering price per class B share ($1,558,014 divided by 158,171 shares)**  $9.85 

Net asset value and offering price per class C share ($22,707,989 divided by 2,312,055 shares)**  $9.82 

Net asset value and redemption price per class M share ($1,826,892 divided by 185,356 shares)  $9.86 

Offering price per class M share (100/99.25 of $9.86)*  $9.93 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R share   
($34,185 divided by 3,436 shares)  $9.95 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R6 share   
($562,111 divided by 56,637 shares)  $9.92 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($101,135,348 divided by 10,211,479 shares)  $9.90 

 

* On single retail sales of less than $500,000.

** Redemption price per share is equal to net asset value less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 100 Fund  39 

 



Statement of operations Six months ended 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

INVESTMENT INCOME   

Interest (including interest income of $65,471 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  $3,094,595 

Total investment income  3,094,595 
 
EXPENSES   

Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  439,750 

Distribution fees (Note 2)  259,702 

Other  1,152 

Total expenses  700,604 
 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (412) 

Net expenses  700,192 
 
Net investment income  2,394,403 

 
Net realized loss on investments (Notes 1 and 3)  (824,794) 

Net increase from payments by affiliates (Note 2)  2,652 

Net realized loss on swap contracts (Note 1)  (1,824,170) 

Net realized loss on futures contracts (Note 1)  (96,316) 

Net realized gain on written options (Notes 1 and 3)  154,261 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts, written options,   
and TBA sale commitments during the period  (757,372) 

Net loss on investments  (3,345,739) 
 
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations  $(951,336) 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

40  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



Statement of changes in net assets

DECREASE IN NET ASSETS  Six months ended 4/30/16*  Year ended 10/31/15 

Operations:     
Net investment income  $2,394,403  $3,323,171 

Net realized loss on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  (2,588,367)  (703,199) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets     
and liabilities in foreign currencies  (757,372)  (3,701,694) 

Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations  (951,336)  (1,081,722) 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     

Class A  (1,760,481)  (1,683,366) 

Class B  (20,226)  (23,734) 

Class C  (189,140)  (121,397) 

Class M  (28,057)  (25,522) 

Class R  —  (2,368) 

Class R5  (189)  (160) 

Class R6  (9,662)  (9,369) 

Class Y  (1,839,348)  (1,615,330) 

Decrease from capital share transactions (Note 4)  (4,890,081)  (29,325,881) 

Total decrease in net assets  (9,688,520)  (33,888,849) 
 
NET ASSETS     

Beginning of period  241,306,072  275,194,921 

End of period (including undistributed net investment     
income of $265,219 and $1,717,919, respectively)  $231,617,552  $241,306,072 

 

* Unaudited.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 100 Fund  41 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:      RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments   operations  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c  (%)  (%) 

Class A­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.07­  .10­  (.13)  (.03)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  $9.88­  (.32)*   $103,793­  .31*  .98*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.25­  .13­  (.18)  (.05)  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.07­  (.49)  113,553­  .66­  1.28­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.26­  .13­  .01­  .14­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.25­  1.37­  136,276­  .64­  1.32­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.16­  .15­  .03­  .18­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  10.26­  1.73­  160,057­  .64f  1.49f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.15­  .16­  —­d  .16­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.16­  1.65­  158,622­  .65f  1.55f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.44­  .23­  (.30)  (.07)  (.13)  (.09)  (.22)  10.15­  (.79)  249,746­  .67f  2.27f  186­g 

Class B­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.03­  .09­  (.14)  (.05)  (.13)  —­  (.13)  $9.85­  (.50)*   $1,558­  .41*  .88*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.20­  .11­  (.17)  (.06)  (.11)  —­  (.11)  10.03­  (.64)  1,617­  .86­  1.09­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.21­  .11­  .01­  .12­  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.20­  1.19­  2,467­  .84­  1.12­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.12­  .13­  .02­  .15­  (.06)  —­  (.06)  10.21­  1.45­  3,080­  .84f  1.27f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.11­  .13­  .02­  .15­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  10.12­  1.48­  2,655­  .85f  1.33f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.39­  .22­  (.32)  (.10)  (.09)  (.09)  (.18)  10.11­  (1.03)  3,070­  .87f  2.10f  186­g 

Class C­                           
April 30, 2016**  $9.98­  .06­  (.14)  (.08)  (.08)  —­  (.08)  $9.82­  (.78)*   $22,708­  .68*  .60*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.15­  .05­  (.17)  (.12)  (.05)  —­  (.05)  9.98­  (1.20)  23,503­  1.41­  .53­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.15­  .06­  —­d  .06­  (.06)  —­  (.06)  10.15­  .58­  26,468­  1.39­  .56­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.05­  .08­  .02­  .10­  —­  —­  —­  10.15­  1.00­  30,621­  1.39f  .75f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.03­  .08­  .01­  .09­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  10.05­  .90­  40,649­  1.40f  .80f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.33­  .16­  (.31)  (.15)  (.06)  (.09)  (.15)  10.03­  (1.56)  62,600­  1.42f  1.58f  186­g 

Class M­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.05­  .09­  (.13)  (.04)  (.15)  —­  (.15)  $9.86­  (.38)*   $1,827­  .33*  .95*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.23­  .12­  (.17)  (.05)  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.05­  (.53)  1,942­  .71­  1.24­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.24­  .13­  —­d  .13­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  10.23­  1.31­  2,059­  .69­  1.27­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.14­  .15­  .02­  .17­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  10.24­  1.70­  2,609­  .69f  1.45f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.13­  .15­  .01­  .16­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.14­  1.61­  2,973­  .70f  1.48f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.42­  .23­  (.31)  (.08)  (.12)  (.09)  (.21)  10.13­  (.81)  3,576­  .72f  2.22f  186­g 

Class R­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.00­  .07­  (.12)  (.05)  —­  —­  —­  $9.95­  (.50)*   $34­  .43*  .76*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.18­  .11­  (.18)  (.07)  (.11)  —­  (.11)  10.00­  (.67)  37­  .91­  1.06­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.19­  .11­  —­d  .11­  (.12)  —­  (.12)  10.18­  1.12­  214­  .89­  1.06­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.10­  .13­  .02­  .15­  (.06)  —­  (.06)  10.19­  1.50­  311­  .89f  1.26f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.09­  .13­  —­d  .13­  (.12)  —­  (.12)  10.10­  1.33­  316­  .90f  1.27f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.39­  .21­  (.31)  (.10)  (.11)  (.09)  (.20)  10.09­  (1.00)  317­  .92f  2.06f  186­g 

Class R5­                           
April 30, 2016**#  $10.14­  .06­  (.16)  (.10)  (.18)  —­  (.18)  $9.86­  (.96)*   $10­  .09*  .56*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.32­  .16­  (.18)  (.02)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  10.14­  (.22)  10­  .41­  1.56­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.32­  .16­  .01­  .17­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  10.32­  1.71­  10­  .39­  1.58­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.21­  .18­  .02­  .20­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  10.32­  1.94­  10­  .39f  1.74f  81­g 
October 31, 2012†  10.12­  .05­  .04­  .09­  —­  —­  —­  10.21­  .89*  10­  .13*f  .48*f  238­g 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

42  Absolute Return 100 Fund  Absolute Return 100 Fund  43 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:      RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments   operations  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c  (%)  (%) 

Class R6­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.13­  .11­  (.14)  (.03)  (.18)  —­  (.18)  $9.92­  (.26)*   $562­  .18*  1.11*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.31­  .16­  (.18)  (.02)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  10.13­  (.22)  525­  .41­  1.54­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.32­  .16­  .01­  .17­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  10.31­  1.63­  583­  .39­  1.56­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.21­  .16­h  .04­  .20­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  10.32­  1.97­  509­  .39f  1.57f,h  81­g 
October 31, 2012†  10.12­  .05­  .04­  .09­  —­  —­  —­  10.21­  .89*  10­  .13*f  .48*f  238­g 

Class Y­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.11­  .11­  (.14)  (.03)  (.18)  —­  (.18)  $9.90­  (.26)*   $101,135­  .18*  1.11*  57*e 
October 31, 2015­  10.29­  .16­  (.18)  (.02)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  10.11­  (.22)  100,119­  .41­  1.54­  105­e 
October 31, 2014­  10.30­  .16­  —­d  .16­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  10.29­  1.61­  107,117­  .39­  1.54­  98­e 
October 31, 2013­  10.21­  .18­  .02­  .20­  (.11)  —­  (.11)  10.30­  1.94­  78,562­  .39f  1.74f  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.20­  .18­  .01­  .19­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  10.21­  1.90­  71,603­  .40f  1.78f  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.48­  .26­  (.31)  (.05)  (.14)  (.09)  (.23)  10.20­  (.51)  80,840­  .42f  2.55f  186­g 

 

* Not annualized.

** Unaudited.

# Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees, if any.

d Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

e Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

f Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets (Note 2):

  10/31/13  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  0.10%  0.33%  0.29% 

Class B  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class C  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class M  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class R  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class R5  0.09  0.10  N/A 

Class R6  0.07  0.08  N/A 

Class Y  0.10  0.33  0.29 

 

g Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been following:

 

  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  126% 

October 31, 2012  641 

October 31, 2011  424 

 

h The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending October 31, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.  The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. 

 

44  Absolute Return 100 Fund  Absolute Return 100 Fund  45 

 



Notes to financial statements 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016.

Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 100 basis points (or 1.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions. The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return through a broadly diversified portfolio reflecting uncorrelated fixed-income strategies designed to exploit market inefficiencies across global markets and fixed-income sectors. These strategies include investments in the following asset categories: (a) sovereign debt: obligations of governments in developed and emerging markets; (b) corporate credit: investment-grade debt, below-investment-grade debt (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”), bank loans, convertible bonds and structured credit; and (c) securitized assets: asset-backed securities, residential mortgage-backed securities (which may be backed by non-qualified or “sub-prime” mortgages), commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, short-term debt securities. Putnam Management may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments.

The fund offers class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class R6 and class Y shares. Class A and class M shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 1.00% and 0.75%, respectively. Class A shares generally are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. Class B shares, which convert to class A shares after approximately eight years, do not pay a front-end sales charge and are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge if those shares are redeemed within two years of purchase. Class C shares have a one-year 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge and do not convert to class A shares. Class R shares, which are not available to all investors, are sold at net asset value. The expenses for class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares may differ based on the distribution fee of each class, which is identified in Note 2. Class R6 and class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, but do not bear a distribution fee and in the case of class R6 shares, bear a lower investor servicing fee, which is identified in Note 2. Class R6 and class Y shares are not available to all investors. Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees.

46  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

Market quotations are not considered to be readily available for certain debt obligations (including short-term investments with remaining maturities of 60 days or less) and other investments; such investments are valued on the basis of valuations furnished by an independent pricing service approved by the Trustees or dealers selected by Putnam Management. Such services or dealers determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities (which consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings). These securities will generally be categorized as Level 2. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. Certain securities may be valued on the basis of a price provided by a single source. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis. All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

Securities purchased or sold on a delayed delivery basis may be settled at a future date beyond customary settlement time; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Losses may arise due to changes in the fair value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Stripped securities The fund may invest in stripped securities which represent a participation in securities that may be structured in classes with rights to receive different portions of the interest and principal. Interest-only securities receive all of the interest and principal-only securities receive all of the principal. If the interest-only securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, principal-only securities increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are slower than anticipated. The fair value of these securities is highly sensitive to changes in interest rates.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts for hedging duration and convexity, to isolate prepayment risk, and to manage downside risks.

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The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts for hedging treasury term structure risk and for yield curve positioning.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.”

Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Interest rate swap contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, which are arrangements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on a notional principal amount, for hedging term structure risk, for yield curve positioning, and for gaining exposure to rates in various countries.

An OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap can be purchased or sold with an upfront premium. For OTC interest rate swap contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss on OTC interest rate swaps. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared interest rate swaps are settled through a central clearing agent and are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Payments, including upfront premiums, received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or the closing of the contract. Certain OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract.

The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or if the counterparty defaults, in the case of OTC interest rate contracts, or the central clearing agency or a clearing member defaults, in the case of centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, on its respective obligation to perform under the contract. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk or central clearing risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC interest rate swap contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. There is minimal counterparty risk with respect to centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

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OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Credit default contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared credit default contracts for hedging credit risk, for gaining liquid exposure to individual names, for hedging market risk, and for gaining exposure to specific sectors.

In OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts, the protection buyer typically makes a periodic stream of payments to a counterparty, the protection seller, in exchange for the right to receive a contingent payment upon the occurrence of a credit event on the reference obligation or all other equally ranked obligations of the reference entity. Credit events are contract specific but may include bankruptcy, failure to pay, restructuring and obligation acceleration. For OTC credit default contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. Centrally cleared credit default contracts provide the same rights to the protection buyer and seller except the payments between parties, including upfront premiums, are settled through a central clearing agent through variation margin payments. Upfront and periodic payments received or paid by the fund for OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or close of the contract. The OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change in value of OTC credit default contracts is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Upon the occurrence of a credit event, the difference between the par value and fair value of the reference obligation, net of any proportional amount of the upfront payment, is recorded as a realized gain or loss.

In addition to bearing the risk that the credit event will occur, the fund could be exposed to market risk due to unfavorable changes in interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index or the possibility that the fund may be unable to close out its position at the same time or at the same price as if it had purchased the underlying reference obligations. In certain circumstances, the fund may enter into offsetting OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts which would mitigate its risk of loss. Risks of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk, either as the protection seller or as the protection buyer, is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC credit default contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared credit default contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. Counterparty risk is further mitigated with respect to centrally cleared credit default swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Where the fund is a seller of protection, the maximum potential amount of future payments the fund may be required to make is equal to the notional amount.

OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

TBA commitments The fund may enter into TBA (to be announced) commitments to purchase securities for a fixed unit price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Although the unit price and par amount have been established, the actual securities have not been specified. However, it is anticipated that the amount of the commitments will not significantly differ from the principal amount. The fund holds, and maintains until settlement date, cash or high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price, or the fund may enter into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. Income on the securities will not be earned until settlement date.

The fund may also enter into TBA sale commitments to hedge its portfolio positions, to sell mortgage-backed securities it owns under delayed delivery arrangements or to take a short position in mortgage-backed securities. Proceeds of TBA sale commitments are not received until the contractual settlement date. During the time a TBA sale commitment is outstanding, either equivalent deliverable securities or an offsetting TBA purchase commitment deliverable on or before the sale commitment date are held as “cover” for the transaction, or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value of the TBA sale commitment are segregated. If the TBA sale commitment is closed through the acquisition of an offsetting TBA purchase commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss. If the fund delivers securities under the commitment, the fund realizes a gain or a loss from the sale of the securities based upon the unit price established at the date the commitment was entered into.

TBA commitments, which are accounted for as purchase and sale transactions, may be considered securities themselves, and involve a risk of loss due to changes in the value of the security prior to the settlement date as well

Absolute Return 100 Fund  49 

 



as the risk that the counterparty to the transaction will not perform its obligations. Counterparty risk is mitigated by having a master agreement between the fund and the counterparty.

Unsettled TBA commitments are valued at their fair value according to the procedures described under “Security valuation” above. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded by the fund as an unrealized gain or loss. Based on market circumstances, Putnam Management will determine whether to take delivery of the underlying securities or to dispose of the TBA commitments prior to settlement.

TBA purchase commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed within the fund’s portfolio and TBA sale commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts and Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements that govern transactions involving mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities that may result in delayed delivery (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, are presented in the fund’s portfolio.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

With respect to ISDA Master Agreements, termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term or short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $2,073,256 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $2,095,824 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million syndicated unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street ($292.5 million) and Northern Trust Company ($100 million) and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the overnight LIBOR plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.16% per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected

50  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

At October 31, 2015, the fund had a capital loss carryover of $11,613,980 available to the extent allowed by the Code to offset future net capital gain, if any. The amounts of the carryovers and the expiration dates are:

Loss carryover 

Short-term  Long-term  Total  Expiration 

$10,120,909  $—  $10,120,909  * 

1,493,071  N/A  1,493,071  October 31, 2009 

 

* Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, the fund will be permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an unlimited period. However, any losses incurred will be required to be utilized prior to the losses incurred in pre-enactment tax years. As a result of this ordering rule, pre-enactment capital loss carryforwards may be more likely to expire unused. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

The aggregate identified cost on a tax basis is $243,283,573, resulting in gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of $1,819,261 and $3,889,782, respectively, or net unrealized depreciation of $2,070,521.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. Actual results may vary. Any non-taxable return of capital cannot be determined until final tax calculations are completed after the end of the fund’s fiscal year. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations.

Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a monthly base fee equal to 0.40% of the monthly average of the fund’s net asset value. In return for this fee, Putnam Management provides investment management and investor servicing and bears the fund’s organizational and operating expenses, excluding performance fee adjustments, payments under the fund’s distribution plan, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment related expenses, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses.

The applicable base fee is increased or decreased for each month by an amount based on the performance of the fund. The amount of the increase or decrease is calculated monthly based on a performance adjustment rate that is equal to 0.04 multiplied by the difference between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the fund’s class A shares) and the annualized performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 1.00% over the thirty-six month period then ended (the “performance period”). The maximum annualized performance adjustment rate is +/– 0.04%. Each month, the performance adjustment rate is multiplied by the fund’s average net assets over the performance period and the result is divided by twelve. The resulting dollar amount is added to, or subtracted from, the base fee for that month. The monthly base fee is determined based on the fund’s average net assets for the month, while the performance adjustment is determined based on the fund’s average net assets over the performance period of up to thirty-six months. This means it is possible that, if the fund underperforms significantly over the performance period, and the fund’s assets have declined significantly over that period, the negative performance adjustment may exceed the base fee. In this event, Putnam Management would make a payment to the fund.

Because the performance adjustment is based on the fund’s performance relative to its applicable benchmark index, and not its absolute performance, the performance adjustment could increase Putnam Management’s fee

Absolute Return 100 Fund  51 

 



even if the fund’s shares lose value during the performance period provided that the fund outperformed its benchmark index, and could decrease Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares increase in value during the performance period provided that the fund underperformed its benchmark index.

For the reporting period, the base fee represented an effective rate (excluding the impact from any expense waivers in effect) of 0.199% of the fund’s average net assets before a decrease of $37,946 (0.016% of the fund’s average net assets) based on performance.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed, through February 28, 2017, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were not reduced as a result of this limit.

Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. PIL did not manage any portion of the assets of the fund during the reporting period. If Putnam Management were to engage the services of PIL, Putnam Management would pay a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL. PAC did not manage any portion of the assets of the fund during the reporting period. If Putnam Management or PIL were to engage the services of PAC, Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, would pay a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

Putnam Management has agreed to reimburse the fund $2,652 for a compliance exception which occurred during the reporting period. The effect of the loss incurred and the reimbursement by Putnam Management of such amounts had no material impact on total return.

The aggregate amount of all reimbursements for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund is determined annually by the Trustees. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing (except for class R5 and R6 shares) that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. Class R5 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R5 shares at an annual rate of 0.12%. Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares. Class R6 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R6 shares at an annual rate of 0.05%. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $412 under the expense offset arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $175, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

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The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has adopted distribution plans (the Plans) with respect to its class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plans is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plans provide for payments by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 1.00% and 1.00% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. The Trustees have approved payment by the fund at an annual rate of 0.25%, 0.45%, 1.00%, 0.30% and 0.50% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. During the reporting period, the class specific expenses related to distribution fees were as follows:

Class A  $137,315  Class M  2,760 

 
Class B  3,537  Class R  91 

 
Class C  115,999  Total  $259,702 

 

 

For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received net commissions of $120 and no monies from the sale of class A and class M shares, respectively, and received $62 and $1,257 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of class B and class C shares, respectively.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of class A shares. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received $104 and no monies on class A redemptions.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:

  Cost of purchases  Proceeds from sales 

Investments in securities, including TBA commitments     
(Long-term)  $99,064,220  $114,167,823 

U.S. government securities (Long-term)  —  — 

Total  $99,064,220  $114,167,823 

 

The fund may purchase or sell investments from or to other Putnam funds in the ordinary course of business, which can reduce the fund’s transaction costs, at prices determined in accordance with SEC requirements and policies approved by the Trustees. During the reporting period, purchases or sales from or to other Putnam funds, if any, did not represent more than 5% of the fund’s total cost of purchases and/or total proceeds from sales.

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  53 

 



Written option transactions during the reporting period are summarized as follows:

  Written swap       
  option contract  Written swap  Written option  Written option 
  amounts  option premiums  contract amounts  premiums 

Written options outstanding         
at the beginning of the         
reporting period  $140,319,625  $3,256,565  $8,000,000  $50,313 

Options opened  169,785,200  1,141,174  61,000,000  272,109 
Options exercised  (10,661,300)  (85,073)  —  — 
Options expired  (105,303,725)  (179,025)  —  — 
Options closed  (103,269,300)  (886,699)  (39,000,000)  (194,609) 

Written options outstanding at         
the end of the reporting period  $90,870,500  $3,246,942  $30,000,000  $127,813 

 

Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  2,566,551  $25,397,175  4,825,727  $48,841,162 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  153,994  1,523,000  130,105  1,315,364 

  2,720,545  26,920,175  4,955,832  50,156,526 

Shares repurchased  (3,485,996)  (34,426,066)  (6,977,627)  (70,669,586) 

Net decrease  (765,451)  $(7,505,891)  (2,021,795)  $(20,513,060) 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class B  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  26,370  $258,076  17,481  $176,527 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,655  16,336  1,918  19,336 

  28,025  274,412  19,399  195,863 

Shares repurchased  (31,135)  (307,273)  (99,962)  (1,010,060) 

Net decrease  (3,110)  $(32,861)  (80,563)  $(814,197) 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class C  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  574,315  $5,641,603  507,037  $5,083,420 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  15,482  152,655  9,809  98,879 

  589,797  5,794,258  516,846  5,182,299 

Shares repurchased  (633,497)  (6,227,031)  (769,204)  (7,740,723) 

Net decrease  (43,700)  $(432,773)  (252,358)  $(2,558,424) 

 

54  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class M  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  16,136  $159,803  44,790  $451,570 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  2,798  27,616  2,275  22,950 

  18,934  187,419  47,065  474,520 

Shares repurchased  (26,885)  (266,680)  (55,066)  (555,450) 

Net decrease  (7,951)  $(79,261)  (8,001)  $(80,930) 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  225  $2,239  5,880  $59,039 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  —  —  143  1,433 

  225  2,239  6,023  60,472 

Shares repurchased  (510)  (5,022)  (23,339)  (234,354) 

Net decrease  (285)  $(2,783)  (17,316)  $(173,882) 

 
  Period ended 4/30/16*  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R5  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  —  $—  —  $— 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  19  189  15  160 

  19  189  15  160 

Shares repurchased  (1,048)  (10,338)  —  — 

Net increase (decrease)  (1,029)  $(10,149)  15  $160 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R6  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  12,740  $125,593  35,901  $365,506 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  973  9,662  923  9,369 

  13,713  135,255  36,824  374,875 

Shares repurchased  (8,898)  (87,359)  (41,507)  (421,598) 

Net increase (decrease)  4,815  $47,896  (4,683)  $(46,723) 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  5,309,198  $52,675,210  9,360,103  $95,109,189 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  171,150  1,696,096  144,456  1,463,342 

  5,480,348  54,371,306  9,504,559  96,572,531 

Shares repurchased  (5,168,932)  (51,245,565)  (10,010,581)  (101,711,356) 

Net increase (decrease)  311,416  $3,125,741  (506,022)  $(5,138,825) 

 

* Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  55 

 



At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned the following shares of the fund:

  Shares owned  Percentage of ownership  Value 

Class R  501  14.6%  $4,985 

Class R6  1,049  1.9  10,406 

 

Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which is under common ownership and control, were as follows:

  Fair value at the        Fair value at 
  beginning of        the end of 
  the reporting      Investment  the reporting 
Name of affiliate  period  Purchase cost  Sale proceeds  income  period 

Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund*  $21,277,630  $177,819,087  $166,469,827  $65,471  $32,626,890 

Totals  $21,277,630  $177,819,087  $166,469,827  $65,471  $32,626,890 

 

* Management fees charged to Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

Note 6: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks, including those related to economic instability, unfavorable political developments, and currency fluctuations. The fund may invest in higher-yielding, lower-rated bonds that may have a higher rate of default. The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securitized debt instruments, including mortgage-backed and asset-backed investments. The yields and values of these investments are sensitive to changes in interest rates, the rate of principal payments on the underlying assets and the market’s perception of the issuers. The market for these investments may be volatile and limited, which may make them difficult to buy or sell.

Note 7: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Purchased TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount)  $11,300,000 

Purchased swap option contracts (contract amount)  $82,700,000 

Written TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $22,600,000 

Written swap option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $100,300,000 

Futures contracts (number of contracts)  30 

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts (notional)  $135,600,000 

OTC credit default contracts (notional)  $10,500,000 

 

56  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



The following is a summary of the fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period:

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period

  Asset derivatives  Liability derivatives 

Derivatives not         
accounted for as  Statement of    Statement of   
hedging instruments  assets and    assets and   
under ASC 815  liabilities location  Fair value  liabilities location  Fair value 

Credit contracts  Receivables  $187,886  Payables  $502,978 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Interest rate contracts  appreciation  393,935*  depreciation  2,790,644* 

Total    $581,821    $3,293,622 

 

* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts and/or centrally cleared swaps as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.

The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments in the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not accounted for         
as hedging instruments under         
ASC 815  Options  Futures  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $(40,203)  $(40,203) 

Interest rate contracts  (637,733)  (96,316)  (1,783,967)  $(2,518,016) 

Total  $(637,733)  $(96,316)  $(1,824,170)  $(2,558,219) 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

 

Derivatives not accounted for         
as hedging instruments under         
ASC 815  Options  Futures  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $67,906  $67,906 

Interest rate contracts  391,482  4,776  85,289  $481,547 

Total  $391,482  $4,776  $153,195  $549,453 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  57 

 



Note 8: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.

  Bank of America N.A. Barclays Bank PLC Barclays Capital Inc. (clearing broker) Citibank, N.A. Credit Suisse International Goldman Sachs International JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. JPMorgan Securities LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Total

Assets:                     

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts§  $—  $—  $47,106  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $47,106 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  —  —  —  —  134,593  53,293  —  —  —  187,886 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  —  —  —  —  —  —  55,861  —  —  55,861 

Purchased swap options**#  51,797  56,938  —  5  15,739  64,344  6,994  —  —  195,817 

Purchased options**#  —  —  —  —  —  —  48,720  —  —  48,720 

Total Assets  $51,797  $56,938  $47,106  $5  $150,332  $117,637  $111,575  $—  $—  $535,390 

Liabilities:                     

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts§  —  —  96,385  —  —  —  —  —  —  96,385 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  29,554  —  —  —  288,751  149,662  —  35,011  —  502,978 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  7,817  7,817 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  —  —  —  —  —  —  73,303  —  —  73,303 

Written swap options#  62,020  65,211  —  10  25,331  73,170  1,716,157  —  —  1,941,899 

Written options#  —  —  —  —  —  —  43,360  —  —  43,360 

Total Liabilities  $91,574  $65,211  $96,385  $10  $314,082  $222,832  $1,832,820  $35,011  $7,817  $2,665,742 

Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets  $(39,777)  $(8,273)  $(49,279)  $(5)  $(163,750)  $(105,195)  $(1,721,245)  $(35,011)  $(7,817)  $(2,130,352) 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##  $—  $—  $—  $—  $(163,750)  $(105,195)  $(1,704,836)  $—  $—   

Net amount  $(39,777)  $(8,273)  $(49,279)  $(5)  $—  $—  $(16,409)  $(35,011)  $(7,817)   

 

* Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

** Included with Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

† Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

# Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§ Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.

58  Absolute Return 100 Fund  Absolute Return 100 Fund  59 

 



The fund’s portfolio 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (41.1%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations (15.1%)     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
IFB Ser. 2976, Class LC, 22.833s, 2035  $117,619  $186,062 
IFB Ser. 3072, Class SM, 22.21s, 2035  268,266  412,775 
IFB Ser. 3249, Class PS, 20.847s, 2036  167,092  253,064 
IFB Ser. 2990, Class LB, 15.84s, 2034  607,428  786,470 
IFB Ser. 3852, Class NT, 5.567s, 2041  6,745,855  6,981,872 
Ser. 4462, Class KI, IO, 4s, 2045  2,110,225  347,280 
Ser. 4193, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  6,568,940  981,130 
Ser. 4213, Class GI, IO, 4s, 2041  6,239,565  726,285 
Ser. 4369, Class IA, IO, 3 1/2s, 2044  5,602,258  870,757 
Ser. 4136, Class IW, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  10,816,295  1,418,913 
Ser. 4166, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  5,743,007  755,045 
Ser. 4150, Class DI, IO, 3s, 2043  10,100,731  1,186,836 
Ser. 4158, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  6,929,091  744,323 
Ser. 4165, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  9,726,596  1,018,375 
Ser. 4206, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2041  5,911,858  620,888 
FRB Ser. 8, Class A9, IO, 0.451s, 2028  343,283  4,720 
FRB Ser. 59, Class 1AX, IO, 0.273s, 2043  874,650  8,815 
Ser. 48, Class A2, IO, 0.212s, 2033  1,298,010  9,735 
Ser. 3835, Class FO, PO, zero %, 2041  13,616,353  11,780,147 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 04-10, Class QC, 26.845s, 2031  250,297  275,972 
IFB Ser. 05-74, Class NK, 25.306s, 2035  93,400  145,784 
IFB Ser. 07-53, Class SP, 22.591s, 2037  231,890  359,063 
IFB Ser. 05-75, Class GS, 18.933s, 2035  187,379  261,109 
IFB Ser. 11-4, Class CS, 12.022s, 2040  1,806,041  2,223,491 
IFB Ser. 13-103, Class SK, IO, 5.481s, 2043  4,579,165  1,110,056 
IFB Ser. 13-101, Class SE, IO, 5.461s, 2043  15,946,970  3,873,572 
Ser. 397, Class 2, IO, 5s, 2039  743,071  133,064 
Ser. 15-4, IO, 4 1/2s, 2045  4,145,131  772,180 
Ser. 12-124, Class UI, IO, 4s, 2042  3,809,347  655,589 
Ser. 13-11, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2042  11,865,378  1,939,455 
Ser. 12-40, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2041  16,005,239  2,348,241 
Ser. 12-22, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2041  11,281,890  1,510,452 
Ser. 12-62, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2041  7,064,189  872,427 
Ser. 417, Class C24, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  9,261,938  1,582,707 
Ser. 12-136, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  7,280,405  724,796 
Ser. 14-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  8,443,549  898,546 
Ser. 13-21, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2033  8,610,222  1,269,100 
Ser. 12-151, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2043  7,652,240  908,321 
Ser. 6, Class BI, IO, 3s, 2042  16,065,651  1,299,711 
Ser. 13-35, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2042  4,177,119  390,463 
Ser. 13-31, Class NI, IO, 3s, 2041  11,462,328  944,055 
FRB Ser. 03-W10, Class 1, IO, 0.711s, 2043  288,575  4,520 
Ser. 98-W2, Class X, IO, 0.697s, 2028  2,160,710  105,335 
Ser. 98-W5, Class X, IO, 0.538s, 2028  660,851  32,216 
Ser. 07-44, Class CO, PO, zero %, 2037  46,932  40,195 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   19 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (41.1%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Government National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 13-99, Class VS, IO, 5.664s, 2043  $2,703,641  $479,464 
Ser. 14-133, Class IP, IO, 5s, 2044  5,568,798  1,005,836 
Ser. 14-25, Class QI, IO, 5s, 2044  7,425,448  1,285,494 
Ser. 14-2, Class IC, IO, 5s, 2044  6,620,178  1,374,245 
Ser. 13-3, Class IT, IO, 5s, 2043  6,750,907  1,188,436 
Ser. 11-116, Class IB, IO, 5s, 2040  1,428,082  52,877 
Ser. 10-35, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  1,430,115  259,244 
Ser. 10-20, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  8,594,245  1,432,403 
Ser. 10-9, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  18,023,049  3,246,780 
Ser. 09-121, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2039  19,192,662  3,451,608 
Ser. 14-3, Class IP, IO, 4 1/2s, 2043  2,407,748  385,240 
Ser. 12-129, IO, 4 1/2s, 2042  5,442,372  1,087,604 
Ser. 11-18, Class PI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  382,255  43,914 
Ser. 10-9, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  5,437,367  910,264 
Ser. 09-121, Class BI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2039  3,371,070  720,296 
Ser. 10-103, Class DI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2038  3,236,109  164,999 
Ser. 15-94, IO, 4s, 2045  200,582  45,081 
Ser. 15-99, Class LI, IO, 4s, 2045  4,930,022  498,710 
Ser. 12-106, Class QI, IO, 4s, 2042  5,783,550  900,025 
Ser. 12-47, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,768,411  273,446 
Ser. 13-53, Class IA, IO, 4s, 2026  7,974,022  903,651 
Ser. 15-20, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  10,221,068  1,472,723 
Ser. 13-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  5,383,081  564,793 
Ser. 13-79, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  6,067,882  621,472 
Ser. 13-100, Class MI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  8,114,087  709,333 
Ser. 13-37, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,114,692  297,484 
Ser. 12-92, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  4,254,877  453,343 
Ser. 12-71, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  13,409,846  967,641 
Ser. 12-48, Class KI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  2,766,734  244,247 
Ser. 183, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  8,341,548  903,523 
Ser. 15-138, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  890,702  99,467 
Ser. 15-82, Class GI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2038  10,239,752  979,740 
Ser. 14-145, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2029  5,399,696  604,928 
Ser. 14-46, Class KI, IO, 3s, 2036  5,252,932  457,073 
Ser. 14-115, Class QI, IO, 3s, 2029  10,514,825  972,621 
Ser. 15-H15, Class JI, IO, 1.94s, 2065  13,426,743  1,623,293 
Ser. 16-H02, Class BI, IO, 1.918s, 2065  13,946,371  1,519,889 
Ser. 15-H19, Class NI, IO, 1.909s, 2065  20,755,614  2,432,558 
Ser. 15-H25, Class EI, IO, 1.844s, 2065  16,051,109  1,760,807 
Ser. 15-H18, Class IA, IO, 1.827s, 2065  13,306,261  1,261,434 
Ser. 15-H09, Class BI, IO, 1.697s, 2065  17,535,977  1,704,497 
Ser. 15-H10, Class EI, IO, 1.631s, 2065  19,047,613  1,459,047 
Ser. 15-H25, Class AI, IO, 1.612s, 2065  17,441,770  1,648,247 
Ser. 15-H28, Class DI, IO, 1.546s, 2065  13,961,816  1,093,210 
Ser. 10-151, Class KO, PO, zero %, 2037  1,194,273  1,031,695 

 

20   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (41.1%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
GSMPS Mortgage Loan Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 98-4, IO, 1.147s, 2026  $121,854  $1 
FRB Ser. 98-2, IO, 1.043s, 2027  73,538  1 
FRB Ser. 99-2, IO, 0.84s, 2027  174,174  1,524 
FRB Ser. 98-3, IO, zero %, 2027  82,986  1 

98,368,121 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (19.7%)   
Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-4, Class AJ, 5.695s, 2046  2,575,000  2,555,992 
FRB Ser. 07-1, Class XW, IO, 0.508s, 2049  4,223,815  16,484 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc.     
FRB Ser. 05-1, Class B, 5.516s, 2042  2,632,000  2,596,257 
FRB Ser. 05-6, Class F, 5.416s, 2047  80,782  79,974 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc. 144A     
FRB Ser. 04-4, Class XC, IO, 0.095s, 2042  223,231  171 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-PW17, Class AJ, 6.08s, 2050  985,000  970,102 
FRB Ser. 07-PW16, Class AJ, 5.911s, 2040  5,834,000  5,600,640 
FRB Ser. 07-T26, Class AJ, 5.566s, 2045  2,150,000  1,956,500 
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class AJ, 5.557s, 2039  5,606,000  5,521,910 
Ser. 05-T18, Class D, 5.134s, 2042  939,092  929,589 
Ser. 05-PWR9, Class C, 5.055s, 2042  959,000  957,849 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 06-PW11, Class B, 5.557s, 2039  5,275,000  5,004,920 

CFCRE Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 11-C1,     
Class E, 6.299s, 2044  2,448,000  2,341,267 

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 13-GC17,     
Class XA, IO, 1.643s, 2046  14,996,498  881,659 

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-GC17, Class D, 5.26s, 2046  5,194,000  4,798,420 
FRB Ser. 13-GC11, Class D, 4.603s, 2046  2,873,000  2,546,340 

COBALT CMBS Commercial Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 07-C3,     
Class AJ, 5.956s, 2046  298,000  292,609 

COMM Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-C8, Class AJ, 5.377s, 2046  703,000  676,989 
FRB Ser. 14-UBS6, Class XA, IO, 1.215s, 2047  25,646,247  1,552,802 

COMM Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-LC4, Class D, 5.819s, 2044  133,000  129,023 
Ser. 12-LC4, Class E, 4 1/4s, 2044  1,361,000  1,112,870 
Ser. 13-LC13, Class E, 3.719s, 2046  1,503,000  1,139,611 
FRB Ser. 07-C9, Class AJFL, 1.126s, 2049  1,318,000  1,240,897 

Credit Suisse Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 08-C1,     
Class AJ, 6.268s, 2041  4,668,000  4,548,032 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. Ser. 05-C3,     
Class B, 4.882s, 2037  760,000  760,228 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A     
Ser. 98-C1, Class F, 6s, 2040  391,447  418,849 
FRB Ser. 03-C3, Class AX, IO, 2.191s, 2038  1,472,532  189 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   21 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (41.1%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
CSAIL Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 15-C1,     
Class D, 3.944s, 2050  $261,000  $202,474 

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class D, 4.557s, 2046  1,767,000  1,580,051 
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class E, 4.557s, 2046  1,864,000  1,370,786 

GS Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-GC6, Class D, 5.818s, 2045  1,547,376  1,506,030 
FRB Ser. 11-GC3, Class D, 5.815s, 2044  270,177  277,300 
Ser. 11-GC3, Class E, 5s, 2044  1,219,000  1,158,884 
FRB Ser. 14-GC26, Class D, 4.661s, 2047  4,010,000  3,060,111 
FRB Ser. 13-GC12, Class D, 4.615s, 2046  3,719,000  3,179,001 
FRB Ser. 13-GC13, Class D, 4.203s, 2046  1,652,000  1,443,534 

JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust FRB Ser. 14-C19,     
Class XA, IO, 1.408s, 2047  27,568,417  1,185,442 

JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-C17, Class D, 5.05s, 2047  1,306,000  1,107,145 
FRB Ser. 14-C25, Class D, 4.097s, 2047  1,272,000  948,530 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-LC9, Class D, 4.564s, 2047  1,809,000  1,659,396 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class AJ, 6.284s, 2051  3,520,000  3,477,408 
FRB Ser. 06-LDP6, Class B, 5.846s, 2043  1,468,028  1,468,028 
FRB Ser. 04-CBX, Class B, 5.021s, 2037  807,000  811,923 
FRB Ser. 05-LDP2, Class D, 4.941s, 2042  3,805,000  3,660,981 
FRB Ser. 13-C10, Class XA, IO, 1.394s, 2047  20,834,127  1,156,648 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class B, 6.384s, 2051  2,194,000  2,202,557 
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class C, 6.384s, 2051  1,220,000  1,116,190 
FRB Ser. 11-C3, Class E, 5.788s, 2046  4,278,000  4,377,250 
FRB Ser. 12-C8, Class D, 4.813s, 2045  5,497,000  5,090,222 
Ser. 11-C4, Class F, 3.873s, 2046  3,030,000  2,559,744 
Ser. 13-C10, Class E, 3 1/2s, 2047  1,963,000  1,453,405 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
Pass-Through Certificates 144A Ser. 01-C1, Class H,     
5.626s, 2035  602,291  603,044 

LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 07-C2, Class XW,     
IO, 0.739s, 2040  4,429,154  18,726 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 05-MCP1, Class XC,     
IO, 0.026s, 2043  7,559,530  34 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-1, Class AJ, 5.836s, 2039  473,924  472,146 
Ser. 06-3, Class AJ, 5.485s, 2046  4,350,000  4,239,510 

Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust 144A     
Ser. 14-C17, Class D, 4.855s, 2047  2,634,000  2,185,635 
FRB Ser. 13-C10, Class E, 4.219s, 2046  4,055,000  3,177,904 
Ser. 15-C24, Class D, 3.257s, 2048  1,613,000  1,096,450 

 

22   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (41.1%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust     
Ser. 06-HQ9, Class C, 5.842s, 2044  $1,857,000  $1,848,333 
FRB Ser. 07-T27, Class AJ, 5.82s, 2042  1,350,000  1,294,650 
Ser. 06-HQ10, Class B, 5.448s, 2041  1,036,000  1,007,910 

Morgan Stanley Re-REMIC Trust 144A FRB Ser. 10-C30A,     
Class A3B, 5.246s, 2043  749,347  750,059 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-C26, Class AJ, 6.241s, 2045  2,215,000  2,199,495 
FRB Ser. 06-C25, Class AJ, 6.044s, 2043  244,879  244,879 
FRB Ser. 06-C29, IO, 0.527s, 2048  139,794,109  181,732 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 04-C11, Class G, 5.345s, 2041  1,500,000  1,448,040 

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A Ser. 14-LC18,     
Class D, 3.957s, 2047  2,837,000  2,044,175 

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 11-C4, Class E, 5.265s, 2044  1,006,000  993,425 
FRB Ser. 13-C16, Class D, 5.147s, 2046  2,071,000  1,929,344 
FRB Ser. 12-C7, Class D, 4.992s, 2045  3,221,000  3,335,635 
FRB Ser. 13-C15, Class D, 4.629s, 2046  1,058,000  922,281 
FRB Ser. 12-C10, Class E, 4.602s, 2045  1,658,000  1,301,530 
Ser. 13-C14, Class E, 3 1/4s, 2046  1,065,000  696,617 
FRB Ser. 12-C9, Class XB, IO, 0.866s, 2045  46,094,000  1,889,992 

128,564,759 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) (6.3%)   
BCAP, LLC Trust 144A FRB Ser. 12-RR5, Class 4A8, 0.603s, 2035  3,593,172  3,281,987 

Bellemeade Re Ltd. 144A FRB Ser. 15-1A, Class M2, 4.739s,     
2025 (Bermuda)  950,000  931,000 

Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust 144A FRB Ser. 15-6, Class 1A2,     
0.642s, 2047  6,860,000  4,116,000 

Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-OA7, Class 1A1, 2.076s, 2046  588,478  478,138 
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 1A1, 1.329s, 2035  1,866,206  1,567,613 
FRB Ser. 06-OA7, Class 1A2, 1.317s, 2046  5,040,305  3,830,632 
FRB Ser. 05-38, Class A3, 0.789s, 2035  1,634,625  1,326,464 
FRB Ser. 05-59, Class 1A1, 0.769s, 2035  7,231,148  5,797,705 
FRB Ser. 06-OA10, Class 4A1, 0.629s, 2046  474,582  332,207 
FRB Ser. 06-OC8, Class 2A2A, 0.559s, 2036  1,023,510  992,804 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 16-HQA1,     
Class B, 13.189s, 2028  340,000  358,608 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DN1,     
Class B, 11.939s, 2025  1,157,522  1,243,642 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-HQA2,     
Class B, 10.939s, 2028  985,000  949,241 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 16-DNA1,     
Class B, 10.439s, 2028  657,000  629,537 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DNA3,     
Class B, 9.789s, 2028  1,780,000  1,688,269 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DNA2,     
Class B, 7.989s, 2027  1,069,000  1,025,624 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   23 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (41.1%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) cont.     
Federal National Mortgage Association     
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C03, Class 2B,     
13.189s, 2028  $320,000  $340,496 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C02, Class 1B,     
12.689s, 2028  1,590,000  1,713,702 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C03, Class 1B,     
12.189s, 2028  840,000  896,053 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C03, Class 2M2,     
6.339s, 2028  1,700,000  1,767,490 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C04, Class 1M2,     
6.139s, 2028  2,750,000  2,876,765 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C01, Class 2M2,     
4.989s, 2025  427,100  438,375 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 1M2,     
4.439s, 2025  56,000  56,049 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 2M2,     
4.439s, 2025  170,000  169,967 

Nationstar HECM Loan Trust 144A Ser. 15-1A, Class A,     
3.844s, 2018  694,758  694,620 

Nomura Resecuritization Trust 144A FRB Ser. 15-4R,     
Class 1A14, 0.602s, 2047  1,750,000  840,000 

WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Trust FRB     
Ser. 05-AR13, Class A1C3, 0.929s, 2045  2,865,337  2,367,819 

    40,710,807 
 
Total mortgage-backed securities (cost $288,797,606)    $267,643,687 
 
CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (27.9%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Basic materials (1.8%)     
Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. sr. unsec. notes 5.45s, 2018  $1,308,000  $1,414,063 

Boise Cascade Co. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
6 3/8s, 2020  2,187,000  2,184,266 

Celanese US Holdings, LLC company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
5 7/8s, 2021 (Germany)  950,000  1,023,625 

Louisiana-Pacific Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
7 1/2s, 2020  1,415,000  1,471,600 

Novelis, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 8 3/4s, 2020  1,263,000  1,304,048 

Rio Tinto Finance USA, Ltd. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 9s, 2019 (Australia)  1,785,000  2,141,095 

Southern Copper Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 7/8s,     
2045 (Peru)  800,000  722,000 

USG Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
5 1/2s, 2025  734,000  777,123 

WR Grace & Co.- Conn. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
5 5/8s, 2024  1,000,000  1,057,500 

12,095,320 
Capital goods (2.2%)   
Amstead Industries, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. sub.     
notes 5 3/8s, 2024  500,000  491,250 

Amstead Industries, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. sub.     
notes 5s, 2022  1,337,000  1,333,658 

 

24   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (27.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Capital goods cont.     
Ardagh Packaging Finance PLC/Ardagh Holdings USA, Inc.     
144A company guaranty sr. FRN 3.885s, 2021 (Ireland) ##  $1,015,000  $1,009,925 

Belden, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes     
5 1/2s, 2022  1,020,000  1,030,200 

Belden, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes     
5 1/4s, 2024  500,000  487,500 

Boeing Co. (The) sr. unsec. bonds 8 3/4s, 2021  3,580,000  4,799,069 

Briggs & Stratton Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
6 7/8s, 2020  1,000,000  1,087,500 

Covidien International Finance SA company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6s, 2017 (Luxembourg)  1,692,000  1,812,249 

KLX, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 5 7/8s, 2022  750,000  754,688 

Moog, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
5 1/4s, 2022  1,025,000  1,035,250 

ZF North America Capital, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 4s, 2020  500,000  522,500 

14,363,789 
Communication services (1.8%)   
AT&T, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3s, 2022  1,800,000  1,836,009 

AT&T, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.7s, 2017  1,695,000  1,703,207 

Crown Castle International Corp. sr. unsec. notes 5 1/4s, 2023 R   640,000  710,400 

DISH DBS Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
4 1/4s, 2018  1,694,000  1,727,880 

Sprint Communications, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 9s, 2018  500,000  528,750 

T-Mobile USA, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
6.464s, 2019  1,200,000  1,224,000 

Verizon Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 2 5/8s, 2020  1,522,000  1,568,223 

Vodafone Group PLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 1/4s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  2,346,000  2,341,092 

11,639,561 
Consumer cyclicals (2.5%)   
Autonation, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
6 3/4s, 2018  2,008,000  2,156,387 

Autonation, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 1/2s, 2020  552,000  601,946 

Clear Channel Worldwide Holdings, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 6 1/2s, 2022  1,000,000  1,005,000 

Expedia, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 5s, 2026  3,710,000  3,781,425 

Host Hotels & Resorts LP sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6s, 2021 R   596,000  671,806 

Host Hotels & Resorts LP sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/4s, 2022 R   279,000  303,004 

JC Penney Corp, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds     
8 1/8s, 2019  490,000  504,700 

Lennar Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
4 3/4s, 2022  565,000  573,475 

Lennar Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
4 3/4s, 2021  500,000  520,750 

Nielsen Co. Luxembourg Sarl (The) 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. sub. notes 5 1/2s, 2021 (Luxembourg)  1,200,000  1,251,000 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   25 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (27.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Consumer cyclicals cont.     
Rivers Pittsburgh Borrower LP/Rivers Pittsburgh Finance Corp.     
144A sr. notes 9 1/2s, 2019  $712,000  $729,800 

S&P Global, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 3.3s, 2020  3,790,000  3,932,633 

16,031,926 
Consumer staples (3.3%)   
1011778 BC ULC/New Red Finance, Inc. 144A company     
guaranty sr. notes 4 5/8s, 2022 (Canada)  1,000,000  1,025,000 

Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. bonds 3.65s, 2026  4,851,000  5,113,415 

Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 1.9s, 2019  5,745,000  5,827,337 

Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 1 1/4s, 2018  615,000  617,048 

BlueLine Rental Finance Corp. 144A notes 7s, 2019  1,500,000  1,316,250 

Corrections Corp. of America company guaranty sr. unsec. sub.     
notes 4 1/8s, 2020 R   1,420,000  1,460,825 

CVS Health Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2 1/4s, 2018  1,690,000  1,728,708 

CVS Health Corp. 144A sr. unsec. sub. notes 4 3/4s, 2022  2,975,000  3,345,572 

Diageo Capital PLC company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1 1/2s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  798,000  802,521 

21,236,676 
Energy (2.3%)   
BP Capital Markets PLC company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 1.846s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  1,695,000  1,707,068 

Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5.7s,     
2017 (Canada)  1,695,000  1,746,769 

Chesapeake Energy Corp. 144A company guaranty     
notes 8s, 2022  900,000  612,000 

ConocoPhillips Co. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1.05s, 2017  1,695,000  1,681,264 

Hess Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 7.3s, 2031  180,000  197,302 

Pertamina Persero PT 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 4.3s,     
2023 (Indonesia)  400,000  397,137 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6 1/4s, 2024 (Brazil)  1,201,000  1,047,873 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 3 1/4s, 2017 (Brazil)  1,000,000  990,000 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA sr. unsec. notes 5 1/8s,     
2016 (Venezuela)  1,693,000  1,494,073 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 8 1/2s, 2017 (Venezuela)  833,333  485,416 

Petroleos Mexicanos company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 1/2s, 2021 (Mexico)  1,300,000  1,366,339 

Petroleos Mexicanos company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
4 1/2s, 2026 (Mexico)  1,500,000  1,427,100 

Phillips 66 company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
2.95s, 2017  1,690,000  1,721,569 

    14,873,910 

 

26   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (27.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Financials (9.0%)     
Air Lease Corp. sr. unsec. notes 2 5/8s, 2018  $5,465,000  $5,428,428 

Ally Financial, Inc. sub. unsec. notes 5 3/4s, 2025  400,000  405,000 

American Express Co. jr. unsec. sub. FRN Ser. C, 4.9s,     
perpetual maturity  1,600,000  1,442,718 

American Express Co. sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2018  1,523,000  1,671,337 

American Express Co. sr. unsec. notes 6.15s, 2017  923,000  979,648 

Bank of America Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2s, 2018  2,358,000  2,368,922 

Bank of America Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
Ser. MTN, 1.7s, 2017  1,000,000  1,002,972 

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (The) 144A sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 1.2s, 2017 (Japan)  1,710,000  1,707,922 

BNP Paribas SA company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. bonds     
Ser. MTN, 1 3/8s, 2017 (France)  2,605,000  2,610,637 

CNO Financial Group, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/4s, 2025  1,055,000  1,085,996 

Deutsche Bank AG unsec. sub. notes 4 1/2s, 2025 (Germany)  743,000  684,329 

Deutsche Bank AG/London sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  2,358,000  2,476,704 

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
Ser. GLOB, 2 3/8s, 2018  1,212,000  1,227,331 

JPMorgan Chase & Co. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2s, 2017  1,679,000  1,695,199 

JPMorgan Chase & Co. unsec. sub. notes 3 7/8s, 2024  365,000  377,146 

KeyCorp sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. MTN, 2.3s, 2018  2,375,000  2,396,437 

KKR Group Finance Co., LLC 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6 3/8s, 2020  2,170,000  2,531,301 

Lloyds Banking Group PLC 144A unsec. sub. notes 5.3s, 2045     
(United Kingdom)  2,300,000  2,382,952 

Macquarie Bank, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 4s, 2025 (Australia)  1,210,000  1,232,009 

MetLife, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 4 3/4s, 2021  2,125,000  2,368,355 

National Australia Bank, Ltd./New York sr. unsec. notes 2.3s,     
2018 (Australia)  1,175,000  1,193,491 

OneMain Financial Holdings, LLC 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. sub. notes 6 3/4s, 2019  1,000,000  1,022,500 

Royal Bank of Canada sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. GMTN, 2.2s,     
2018 (Canada)  1,700,000  1,726,857 

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC jr. unsec. sub. FRB 7 1/2s,     
perpetual maturity (United Kingdom)  5,085,000  4,741,763 

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC unsec. sub. notes 4.7s, 2018     
(United Kingdom)  2,952,000  3,028,073 

Santander Issuances SAU company guaranty unsec. sub. notes     
5.179s, 2025 (Spain)  2,400,000  2,382,106 

Sberbank of Russia Via SB Capital SA 144A unsec. sub. notes     
5 1/8s, 2022 (Russia)  950,000  947,625 

Select Income REIT sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3.6s, 2020 R   1,000,000  1,010,819 

Select Income REIT sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2.85s, 2018 R   1,000,000  1,000,480 

Simon Property Group LP 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1 1/2s, 2018 R   1,535,000  1,541,312 

Societe Generale SA company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 2 3/4s,     
2017 (France)  675,000  686,721 

TRI Pointe Group, Inc./TRI Pointe Homes, Inc. company     
guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 7/8s, 2024  1,000,000  1,005,000 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   27 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (27.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Financials cont.     
UBS Group Funding Jersey, Ltd. 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 3s, 2021 (Jersey)  $1,020,000  $1,023,196 

VTB Bank OJSC Via VTB Capital SA 144A sr. unsec. notes     
6 7/8s, 2018 (Russia)  1,000,000  1,063,950 

58,449,236 
Health care (2.2%)   
AbbVie, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 1 3/4s, 2017  1,519,000  1,526,846 

Amgen, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2 1/8s, 2017  1,695,000  1,712,596 

AstraZeneca PLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5.9s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  1,695,000  1,804,353 

HCA, Inc. company guaranty sr. notes 6 1/2s, 2020  612,000  677,025 

Mallinckrodt International Finance SA/Mallinckrodt CB, LLC     
144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/2s,     
2025 (Luxembourg)  206,000  187,460 

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec.     
bonds 5 1/4s, 2026 R   3,805,000  3,871,588 

Service Corp. International/US sr. unsec. notes 5 3/8s, 2022  1,674,000  1,753,515 

Tenet Healthcare Corp. company guaranty sr. notes 6 1/4s, 2018  665,000  711,550 

Tenet Healthcare Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. FRN     
4.134s, 2020  1,175,000  1,176,469 

UnitedHealth Group, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2018  756,000  820,597 

14,241,999 
Technology (0.6%)   
eBay, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.35s, 2017  1,695,000  1,694,068 

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 3 5/8s, 2020  800,000  836,996 

Infor US, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. notes 5 3/4s, 2020  895,000  943,106 

SoftBank Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
4 1/2s, 2020 (Japan)  500,000  507,500 

3,981,670 
Transportation (0.2%)   
Continental Airlines, Inc. pass-through certificates     
Ser. 97-4A, 6.9s, 2018  214,597  217,816 

Continental Airlines, Inc. pass-through certificates Ser. 98-1A,     
6.648s, 2017  189,584  193,612 

Federal Express Corp. 2012 Pass Through Trust 144A notes     
2 5/8s, 2018  1,043,412  1,049,157 

1,460,585 
Utilities and power (2.0%)   
Electricite de France (EDF) 144A jr. unsec. sub. FRN 5 1/4s,     
perpetual maturity (France)  905,000  876,719 

PPL WEM, Ltd./Western Power Distribution, Ltd. 144A sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 3.9s, 2016 (United Kingdom)  7,725,000  7,725,000 

Texas-New Mexico Power Co. 144A 1st sr. bonds Ser. A,     
9 1/2s, 2019  3,816,000  4,483,804 

    13,085,523 
 
Total corporate bonds and notes (cost $180,985,221)    $181,460,195 

 

28   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



U.S. GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS (12.5%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
U.S. Government Guaranteed Mortgage Obligations (1.6%)     
Government National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
4.687s, June 20, 2045  $117,987  $133,155 
4.654s, June 20, 2045  509,040  574,582 
4.554s, May 20, 2045  252,457  284,136 
4.524s, June 20, 2065  247,662  277,897 
4.516s, June 20, 2045  249,150  279,118 
4.484s, November 20, 2065  1,519,981  1,710,879 
4.468s, May 20, 2065  501,805  559,567 
4.413s, June 20, 2065  124,031  138,402 
4s, TBA, May 1, 2046  2,000,000  2,134,688 
3 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  4,000,000  4,225,625 

10,318,049 
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage Obligations (10.9%)   
Federal National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
4 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  2,000,000  2,177,812 
3 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  3,000,000  3,144,609 
3s, TBA, May 1, 2046  64,000,000  65,624,998 

    70,947,419 
 
Total U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations (cost $81,100,595)  $81,265,468 
 
U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS (0.1%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 

U.S. Treasury Notes 2s, September 30, 2020 ∆ 

$382,000  $394,755 

Total U.S. treasury obligations (cost $381,845)    $394,755 
 
SENIOR LOANS (8.8%)* c  Principal amount  Value 

 
Basic materials (0.3%)     
AIlnex Luxembourg & CY SCA bank term loan FRN Ser. B1,     
4 1/2s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  $455,174  $453,182 

AIlnex Luxembourg & CY SCA bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
4 1/2s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  236,168  235,134 

TMS International Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2020  1,457,870  1,319,372 

2,007,688 
Capital goods (1.0%)   
ADS Waste Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 3/4s, 2019  1,445,540  1,439,517 

Berry Plastics Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. F, 4s, 2022  902,262  904,066 

Gates Global, LLC/Gates Global Co. bank term loan FRN     
4 1/4s, 2021  1,446,460  1,383,178 

Generac Power Systems, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 1/2s, 2020  396,250  393,897 

Terex Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2022  1,000,000  982,500 

TransDigm, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. C, 3 3/4s, 2020  433,454  432,642 

TransDigm, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. D, 3 3/4s, 2021  786,000  781,251 

6,317,051 
Communication services (0.6%)   
Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B4, 5s, 2022  871,725  864,969 

Charter Communications Operating, LLC bank term loan FRN     
Ser. E, 3s, 2020  1,059,776  1,056,629 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   29 

 



SENIOR LOANS (8.8%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Communication services cont.     
Intelsat Jackson Holdings SA bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
3 3/4s, 2019 (Bermuda)  $1,019,814  $954,546 

Level 3 Financing, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B1, 4s, 2020  1,000,000  1,001,042 

3,877,186 
Consumer cyclicals (2.7%)   
Academy, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5s, 2022  937,705  920,905 

Amaya Holdings BV bank term loan FRN 5s, 2021 (Netherlands)  985,056  940,729 

American Casino & Entertainment Properties, LLC bank term     
loan FRN 4 3/4s, 2022  655,392  658,669 

Bass Pro Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2020  821,700  807,834 

Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B6, 11 1/4s, 2017  564,361  530,500 

Caesars Growth Properties Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN     
6 1/4s, 2021  412,650  366,227 

Chrysler Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2017  189,813  189,677 

CityCenter Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/4s, 2020  474,787  475,578 

CPG International, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2020  469,126  466,194 

Dollar Tree Stores, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2022  191,213  191,588 

Eldorado Resorts, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/4s, 2022  992,500  993,327 

Hilton Worldwide Finance, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 1/2s, 2020  833,882  835,862 

Jeld-Wen, Inc. bank term loan FRN 5 1/4s, 2021  994,962  994,030 

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  1,123,252  1,112,019 

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. bank term loan FRN 5s, 2022  1,000,000  975,000 

Neiman Marcus Group, Ltd., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
4 1/4s, 2020  1,481,521  1,409,032 

Nortek, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2020  987,470  970,189 

PET Acquisition Merger Sub, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B1,     
5 3/4s, 2023  997,500  1,002,666 

Scientific Games International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B2, 6s, 2021  987,500  971,762 

Tribune Media Co. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2020  1,001,343  995,398 

Univision Communications, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4s, 2020  750,210  749,808 

Yonkers Racing Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 1/4s, 2019  1,306,130  1,276,197 

17,833,191 
Consumer staples (1.2%)   
CEC Entertainment, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2021  421,400  410,602 

Ceridian HCM Holding, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
4 1/2s, 2020  655,363  625,872 

Del Monte Foods, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/4s, 2021  940,800  910,224 

Landry’s, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  1,177,307  1,176,940 

Libbey Glass, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2021  971,136  968,709 

Restaurant Brands International, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 3/4s, 2021 (Canada)  1,483,776  1,485,322 

Rite Aid Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 7/8s, 2021  1,000,000  1,001,250 

US Foods, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/2s, 2019  972,500  970,220 

    7,549,139 

 

30   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



SENIOR LOANS (8.8%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Energy (0.1%)     
American Energy-Marcellus, LLC bank term loan FRN     
5 1/4s, 2020  $690,000  $181,125 

EP Energy, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B3, 3 1/2s, 2018  513,667  404,513 

585,638 
Financials (0.3%)   
USI, Inc./NY bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/4s, 2019  1,451,531  1,431,573 

Walter Investment Management Corp. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2020  401,567  351,120 

1,782,693 
Health care (1.6%)   
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 3/4s, 2021  546,000  541,905 

CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. H, 4s, 2021  1,871,270  1,840,861 

Envision Healthcare Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/4s, 2018  469,922  470,157 

Grifols Worldwide Operations USA, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
3.439s, 2021  1,631,700  1,632,312 

HCA, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B4, 3.357s, 2018  975,000  976,440 

IASIS Healthcare, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2018  955,746  950,968 

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/2s, 2018  873,598  872,506 

Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 3/4s, 2021  584,588  554,018 

Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC bank term loan FRN     
4 1/4s, 2022  1,057,013  1,054,898 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. BD, 3 1/2s, 2019  632,566  615,434 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. C2, 3 3/4s, 2019  632,566  615,698 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. E, 3 3/4s, 2020  457,633  444,667 

10,569,864 
Technology (0.6%)   
Avago Technologies Cayman Finance, Ltd. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B, 4 1/4s, 2022 (Cayman Islands)  1,100,000  1,100,612 

Dell International, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B2, 4s, 2020  1,440,079  1,438,639 

First Data Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3.962s, 2022  1,000,000  998,571 

Syniverse Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2019  928,575  747,503 

4,285,325 
Utilities and power (0.4%)   
Calpine Construction Finance Co. LP bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B, 3s, 2020  583,500  572,073 

Calpine Construction Finance Co. LP bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B2, 3 1/4s, 2022  1,172,944  1,150,462 

Energy Transfer Equity LP bank term loan FRN 3 1/4s, 2019  715,000  671,802 

    2,394,337 
 
Total senior loans (cost $58,692,160)    $57,202,112 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   31 

 



ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (7.0%)*    Principal amount  Value 

 
Station Place Securitization Trust FRB Ser. 16-1, Class A,       
1.433s, 2017    $3,859,000  $3,859,000 

Station Place Securitization Trust 144A FRB Ser. 14-2, Class A,       
1.055s, 2016    41,911,000  41,911,000 

Total asset-backed securities (cost $45,770,000)      $45,770,000 
 
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY       
BONDS AND NOTES (5.6%)*    Principal amount  Value 

 
Brazil (Federal Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 4 7/8s,       
2021 (Brazil)    $1,710,000  $1,742,063 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 9.95s,       
2021 (Argentina)    2,846,483  3,102,666 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 3/8s,       
2021 (Croatia)    960,000  1,050,749 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 1/4s,       
2017 (Croatia)    150,000  155,625 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. notes 3 3/8s, 2017 (Greece)  EUR  4,069,000  4,322,815 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 4 3/4s,       
2019 (Greece)  EUR  5,055,000  5,133,002 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2037 (Greece) ††  EUR  112,696  71,726 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2036 (Greece) ††  EUR  142,451  91,348 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2035 (Greece) ††  EUR  503,141  325,474 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2034 (Greece) ††  EUR  424,604  277,154 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2033 (Greece) ††  EUR  359,023  237,652 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2032 (Greece) ††  EUR  194,848  134,201 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2031 (Greece) ††  EUR  199,323  136,165 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2030 (Greece) ††  EUR  1,784,228  1,234,869 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2029 (Greece) ††  EUR  316,973  224,067 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2028 (Greece) ††  EUR  2,362,206  1,709,732 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2027 (Greece) ††  EUR  1,434,622  1,048,578 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2026 (Greece) ††  EUR  2,036,272  1,527,617 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2025 (Greece) ††  EUR  2,684,952  2,083,463 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2024 (Greece) ††  EUR  1,528,752  1,212,728 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2023 (Greece) ††  EUR  2,186,576  1,773,774 

Indonesia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 4 3/4s,       
2026 (Indonesia)    $300,000  318,750 

 

32   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
BONDS AND NOTES (5.6%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Indonesia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5.95s,     
2046 (Indonesia)  $300,000  $333,750 

Indonesia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3 3/8s,     
2023 (Indonesia)  1,290,000  1,282,002 

Russia (Federation of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 4 1/2s,     
2022 (Russia)  450,000  469,125 

Russia (Federation of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 5 5/8s,     
2042 (Russia)  6,400,000  6,696,000 

Total foreign government and agency bonds and notes (cost $38,209,645)  $36,695,095 

 

PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING (0.4%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

 
Bank of America N.A.       
(1.88)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.88  $71,250,200  $309,226 

1.55/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.55  71,250,200  286,426 

Barclays Bank PLC       
(1.809)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.809  71,250,200  463,839 

1.481/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.481  71,250,200  190,950 

Citibank, N.A.       
(2.087)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.087  77,674,100  78 

Credit Suisse International       
(2.915)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.915  11,563,400  227,660 

(3.315)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/3.315  11,563,400  88,957 

Goldman Sachs International       
(1.835)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.835  71,250,200  463,126 

1.4825/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.4825  71,250,200  228,713 

(1.82)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.82  36,392,400  24,747 

(1.306)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.306  36,392,400  23,291 

(2.18625)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.18625  77,674,100  78 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(1.15)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.15  36,392,400  42,943 

0.8725/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/0.8725  36,392,400  37,484 

Total purchased swap options outstanding (cost $4,141,996)    $2,387,518 
 
PURCHASED OPTIONS  Expiration date/  Contract   
OUTSTANDING (—%)*  strike price  amount  Value 

 
Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Aug-16/$101.52  $18,000,000  $103,860 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Aug-16/101.39  18,000,000  95,760 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.98  18,000,000  103,860 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.30  7,000,000  10,290 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.11  7,000,000  8,120 

Total purchased options outstanding (cost $579,375)    $321,890 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   33 

 



COMMON STOCKS (—%)*    Shares  Value 

 
Vantage Drilling International (Units) (Cayman Islands) †    1,521  $144,491 

Total common stocks (cost $145,699)      $144,491 
 
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (9.5%)*  Principal amount/shares  Value 

 
Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.44% L   Shares   38,486,827  $38,486,827 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.28%, May 19, 2016 # ∆ § 

  $3,343,000  3,342,756 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.28%, May 12, 2016 # ∆ § 

  8,623,000  8,622,655 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.23%, May 5, 2016 # ∆ § 

  11,721,000  11,720,883 

Total short-term investments (cost $62,172,347)      $62,173,121 
 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS       

Total investments (cost $760,976,489)      $735,458,332 

 

Key to holding’s currency abbreviations 
AUD  Australian Dollar 
CAD  Canadian Dollar 
CHF  Swiss Franc 
EUR  Euro 
GBP  British Pound 
JPY  Japanese Yen 
MXN  Mexican Peso 
NOK  Norwegian Krone 
NZD  New Zealand Dollar 
SEK  Swedish Krona 
USD /$  United States Dollar 
 
Key to holding’s abbreviations 
bp  Basis Points 
FRB  Floating Rate Bonds: the rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period 
FRN  Floating Rate Notes: the rate shown is the current interest rate or yield at the close of the reporting period 
GMTN Global Medium Term Notes 
IFB  Inverse Floating Rate Bonds, which are securities that pay interest rates that vary inversely to changes in the market interest rates. As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce less current income. The rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period.
IO  Interest Only 
MTN  Medium Term Notes 
OJSC  Open Joint Stock Company 
OTC  Over-the-counter 
PO  Principal Only 
TBA  To Be Announced Commitments 


Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $651,263,450.

† This security is non-income-producing.

34   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



The interest rate and date shown parenthetically represent the new interest rate to be paid and the date the fund will begin accruing interest at this rate.

# This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

∆ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on certain derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

§ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on the initial margin on certain centrally cleared derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

## Forward commitment, in part or in entirety (Note 1).

c Senior loans are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, but contain certain restrictions on resale and cannot be sold publicly. These loans pay interest at rates which adjust periodically. The interest rates shown for senior loans are the current interest rates at the close of the reporting period. Senior loans are also subject to mandatory and/or optional prepayment which cannot be predicted. As a result, the remaining maturity may be substantially less than the stated maturity shown (Notes 1 and 6).

L Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

R Real Estate Investment Trust.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $213,315,698 to cover certain derivative contracts and delayed delivery securities.

Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.

Debt obligations are considered secured unless otherwise indicated.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding TBA commitments.

The dates shown on debt obligations are the original maturity dates.

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 4/30/16 (aggregate face value $257,913,834) (Unaudited)   
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  $2,250,929  $2,237,279  $13,650 

  British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  185,441  159,398  26,043 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  3,950,059  3,820,419  (129,640) 

  Czech Koruna  Sell  6/15/16  162,918  73,510  (89,408) 

  Euro  Sell  6/15/16  390,850  280,615  (110,235) 

  Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,725,657  2,708,829  (16,828) 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  2,459,306  2,298,575  (160,731) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  4,822,342  4,742,614  79,728 

  Norwegian Krone  Buy  6/15/16  2,253,741  2,236,353  17,388 

  South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  2,570,313  2,427,300  143,013 

  South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  2,570,315  2,363,727  (206,588) 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  1,139,980  1,096,522  43,458 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   35 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 4/30/16 (aggregate face value $257,913,834) (Unaudited) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  $2,148,311  $2,205,276  $(56,965) 

Australian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  2,164,151  2,172,093  7,942 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  2,980,099  2,887,234  (92,865) 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  659,825  772,730  (112,905) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  3,868,339  3,685,077  (183,262) 

New Zealand Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,115,095  1,095,816  (19,279) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  7,397,079  6,952,208  (444,871) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  4,826,714  4,594,896  231,818 

Swiss Franc  Sell  6/15/16  410,009  400,156  (9,853) 

Citibank, N.A.           
British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  7,617,243  7,416,518  200,725 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  2,136,145  1,984,219  (151,926) 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  136,092  81,098  (54,994) 

Mexican Peso  Buy  7/21/16  18,372  17,888  484 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  5,552,041  5,448,322  103,719 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  5,853,326  5,625,155  228,171 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  5,853,326  5,610,714  (242,612) 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  2,743,431  2,592,963  150,468 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  2,743,431  2,614,933  (128,498) 

Credit Suisse International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,319,291  2,353,159  (33,868) 

British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  2,264,013  2,211,936  (52,077) 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,067,036  1,021,433  (45,603) 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  2,481,192  2,355,839  (125,353) 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  1,949,014  1,925,756  (23,258) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  2,533,637  2,378,196  155,441 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  2,533,637  2,483,048  (50,589) 

New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  2,487,306  2,452,970  34,336 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,487,306  2,404,418  (82,888) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  3,600,781  3,535,962  64,819 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  5,341,937  5,112,452  (229,485) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  6/15/16  140,193  131,468  (8,725) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  261,383  42,800  (218,583) 

Goldman Sachs International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  6,057,046  6,066,630  (9,584) 

British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  2,369,812  2,350,345  (19,467) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,438,371  2,247,356  191,015 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  2,458,147  2,369,849  (88,298) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  239,512  34,164  (205,348) 

New Zealand Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  699,029  743,079  44,050 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  6/15/16  2,137,852  2,101,902  35,950 

 

36   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 4/30/16 (aggregate face value $257,913,834) (Unaudited) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 


Goldman Sachs International cont.           
Singapore Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  $92,616  $92,206  $410 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  92,616  87,269  (5,347) 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  3,144,293  2,993,513  150,780 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  3,144,293  2,991,556  (152,737) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  266,169  374,262  (108,093) 

HSBC Bank USA, National Association         
Euro  Buy  6/15/16  1,143,199  1,105,599  37,600 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,722,137  2,705,608  (16,529) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,218,567  2,247,900  (29,333) 

British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  3,154,100  3,085,329  (68,771) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  3,341,304  3,222,212  119,092 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  5,046,539  4,818,575  (227,964) 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  1,513,380  1,507,584  (5,796) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  2,561,792  2,359,224  (202,568) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  5,521,582  5,456,298  65,284 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  281,011  41,760  (239,251) 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  3,052,839  2,925,178  127,661 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  3,052,839  2,876,523  (176,316) 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  2,985,004  2,828,630  156,374 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  2,985,004  2,821,379  (163,625) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  6/15/16  9,261,047  9,142,639  (118,408) 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  4,482,759  4,508,142  (25,383) 

British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  166,005  136,089  29,916 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  6,270,154  6,071,633  (198,521) 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  1,663,377  1,411,215  (252,162) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  2,999,621  2,644,417  355,204 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  2,999,621  2,862,592  (137,029) 

New Zealand Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  5,103,708  5,025,179  (78,529) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  6,722,160  6,211,724  (510,436) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  5,585,276  5,482,542  102,734 

State Street Bank and Trust Co.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,133,911  2,189,870  (55,959) 

Brazilian Real  Buy  7/1/16  10,446  9,854  592 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  3,353,896  3,303,513  50,383 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  3,810,128  3,653,912  (156,216) 

New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  2,547,648  2,514,855  32,793 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,547,648  2,462,392  (85,256) 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  5,632,232  5,322,460  309,772 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  5,632,232  5,280,906  (351,326) 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   37 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 4/30/16 (aggregate face value $257,913,834) (Unaudited) cont.   
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

UBS AG             
  Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  $648,677  $649,868  $(1,191) 

  British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  368,105  312,502  (55,603) 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  2,448,334  2,370,654  (77,680) 

  Euro  Buy  6/15/16  4,501,253  4,459,160  42,093 

  Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  2,415,002  2,367,118  47,884 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  2,415,002  2,309,998  (105,004) 

  New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  2,430,697  2,398,333  32,364 

  New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,430,697  2,361,485  (69,212) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  1,346,807  1,322,243  24,564 

WestPac Banking Corp.           
  Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  1,701,934  1,629,852  72,082 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  34,006  32,883  1,123 

Total            $(3,547,908) 

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)     
        Unrealized 
  Number of    Expiration  appreciation/ 
  contracts  Value  date  (depreciation) 

U.S. Treasury Bond 30 yr (Long)  213  $34,785,563  Jun-16  $(713,299) 

U.S. Treasury Bond Ultra         
30 yr (Long)  21  3,598,219  Jun-16  (88,964) 

U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr (Short)  40  8,745,000  Jun-16  6,795 

U.S. Treasury Note 5 yr (Short)  260  31,437,656  Jun-16  34,014 

U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr (Short)  53  6,893,313  Jun-16  64,793 

U.S. Treasury Note Ultra         
10 yr (Long)  5  702,813  Jun-16  5,381 

Total        $(691,280) 

 

WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $6,054,059) (Unaudited)   
Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Bank of America N.A.       
(1.715)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.715  $35,625,100  $339,507 

1.715/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.715  35,625,100  373,707 

Barclays Bank PLC       
(1.645)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.645  35,625,100  240,113 

1.645/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.645  35,625,100  509,795 

Citibank, N.A.       
2.587/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.587  77,674,100  78 

2.387/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.387  77,674,100  78 

Credit Suisse International       
2.515/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.515  11,563,400  509,599 

 

38   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $6,054,059) (Unaudited) cont.   
Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Goldman Sachs International       
2.58625/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.58625  $155,348,200  $155 

(1.215)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.215  36,392,400  21,472 

(0.901)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/0.901  36,392,400  22,563 

(1.65875)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.65875  35,625,100  281,082 

1.65875/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.65875  35,625,100  516,207 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
1.41/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.41  36,392,400  14,921 

1.28/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.28  36,392,400  26,203 

(1.0025)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.0025  36,392,400  35,301 

(6.00 Floor)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Mar-18  Mar-18/6.00  10,748,000  1,113,633 

Total      $4,004,414 

 

WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $579,375) (Unaudited)   
  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/$100.80  $18,000,000  $63,900 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/100.68  18,000,000  58,320 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/100.09  18,000,000  37,980 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/99.97  18,000,000  34,560 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.36  18,000,000  63,000 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/100.73  18,000,000  36,720 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.63  7,000,000  4,270 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.44  7,000,000  3,290 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.95  7,000,000  1,680 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.77  7,000,000  1,260 

Total      $304,980 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   39 

 



FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)   
Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable) (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
2.117/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.117  $7,937,425  $(194,491)  $138,508 

2.035/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.035  7,937,425  (201,682)  93,900 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  20,643,600  (136,495)  (11,354) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  41,287,200  (290,043)  (38,397) 

(3.035)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.035  7,937,425  (211,199)  (194,388) 

(3.117)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.117  7,937,425  (222,248)  (208,754) 

2.655/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.655  34,765,900  230,324  227,717 

2.56/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.56  34,765,900  222,248  218,677 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  41,287,200  126,421  (35,507) 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  82,574,300  264,238  (61,105) 

(1.56)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.56  34,765,900  200,158  (162,357) 

(1.655)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.655  34,765,900  198,166  (216,244) 

Total      $(14,603)  $(249,304) 

 

TBA SALE COMMITMENTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (proceeds receivable $5,334,375) (Unaudited)   
  Principal  Settlement   
Agency  amount  date  Value 

 
Federal National Mortgage Association, 4s, May 1, 2046  $5,000,000  5/12/16  $5,342,188 

Total       

 

OTC INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)     
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
MXN  77,451,000  $—  1/1/26  1 month MXN-TIIE-  6.16%  $40,703 
        BANXICO     

MXN  46,820,000  —  1/2/26  1 month MXN-TIIE-  6.14%  20,091 
        BANXICO     

Total    $—        $60,794 

 

40   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)   
  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

 $109,907,900 $(138,896)  4/7/18  3 month USD-  1.149%  $416,165 
      LIBOR-BBA     

43,551,800  565,603  3/30/26  1.91%  3 month USD-  (367,976) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

12,717,000 E  (93,193)  6/15/26  1.60%  3 month USD-  53,713 
        LIBOR-BBA   

188,853,039 E  635,569  6/15/18  3 month USD-  0.85%  274,293 
      LIBOR-BBA     

10,062,000 E  (9,278)  6/15/21  3 month USD-  1.15%  (73,131) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

15,803,600  (209)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.79701%  179,511 
      LIBOR-BBA     

141,972,000 E  319,138  6/15/18  1.20%  3 month USD-  (395,266) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

58,325,477 E  418,171  6/15/26  1.85%  3 month USD-  (283,135) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

97,252,500 E  685,020  6/15/26  1.90%  3 month USD-  (942,890) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

10,284,000 E  7,865  6/15/21  3 month USD-  1.45%  93,408 
      LIBOR-BBA     

42,350,900 E  11,573  6/15/21  1.45%  3 month USD-  (340,702) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

11,976,700  (158)  3/17/26  1.787%  3 month USD-  (124,353) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

15,803,600  (209)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.79882%  182,217 
      LIBOR-BBA     

15,803,600  (209)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.8005%  184,732 
      LIBOR-BBA     

15,803,600  (209)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.80312%  188,655 
      LIBOR-BBA     

15,803,600  (209)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.80242%  187,599 
      LIBOR-BBA     

65,392,484 E  (100,311)  6/15/21  3 month USD-  1.40%  283,805 
      LIBOR-BBA     

8,640,300 E  41,632  6/15/46  3 month USD-  2.20%  26,088 
      LIBOR-BBA     

17,086,000 E  114,453  6/15/46  2.25%  3 month USD-  (55,040) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

783,900  (27)  4/5/46  2.2375%  3 month USD-  (8,141) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

6,532,800  145,982  4/5/46  2.27%  3 month USD-  28,411 
        LIBOR-BBA   

6,532,800  (85,628)  4/5/46  3 month USD-  2.19%  (90,995) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

14,500,000  (191)  3/18/26  1.78722%  3 month USD-  (150,277) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   41 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont. 
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

  $14,500,000  $(191)  3/18/26  1.79757%  3 month USD-  $(164,492) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  13,990,100  (185)  3/21/26  1.7325%  3 month USD-  (70,695) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  13,990,100  (185)  3/21/26  1.73%  3 month USD-  (67,382) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  5,698,000 E  (83,664)  6/15/26  1.605%  3 month USD-  (20,530) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  26,467,000 E  38,904  6/15/21  1.4003%  3 month USD-  (116,960) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  2,613,100  (34)  3/30/26  1.73%  3 month USD-  (11,550) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  7,679,300  (72)  4/14/21  1.152%  3 month USD-  32,836 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  4,445,000 E  77,684  6/15/26  3 month USD-  1.6005%  26,548 
        LIBOR-BBA     

  43,334,000  (312)  4/21/26  3 month USD-  1.595%  (408,314) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

AUD  107,642,000 E  (85,907)  6/15/18  3 month AUD-BBR-  1.93%  (186,413) 
        BBSW     

AUD  56,000 E  (214)  6/15/26  3 month AUD-BBR-  2.55%  (584) 
        BBSW     

AUD  37,630,000 E  90,602  6/15/21  2.25%  3 month AUD-  218,240 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  21,294,000 E  (18,253)  6/15/21  3 month AUD-BBR-  2.50%  101,770 
        BBSW     

AUD  13,626,000 E  (1,547)  6/15/18  2.20%  3 month AUD-  (43,600) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  4,257,000 E  5,645  6/15/26  2.80%  3 month AUD-  (38,739) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  48,349,000 E  38,325  6/15/18  2.2001%  3 month AUD-  (110,930) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  7,484,000 E  42,532  6/15/26  2.8005%  3 month AUD-  (35,752) 
          BBR-BBSW   

CAD  83,039,000  (124,560)  6/17/17  3 month CAD-BA-  0.92%  (177,628) 
        CDOR     

CAD  41,520,000  (118)  8/27/17  3 month CAD-BA-  0.6825%  (154,231) 
        CDOR     

CAD  34,005,000  (97)  10/23/17  3 month CAD-BA-  0.81%  (85,504) 
        CDOR     

CAD  35,207,000  (100)  10/23/17  3 month CAD-BA-  0.805%  (90,597) 
        CDOR     

CAD  35,110,000  288,381  11/2/25  1.965%  3 month CAD-  (667,762) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  37,085,000  (99)  2/2/18  0.68%  3 month CAD-  190,886 
          BA-CDOR   

 

42   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont. 
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

CAD  9,763,000  $(92)  2/2/26  3 month CAD-BA-  1.5125%  $(96,891) 
        CDOR     

CAD  7,812,000  (73)  2/2/26  3 month CAD-BA-  1.505%  (81,982) 
        CDOR     

CAD  46,337,000  (124)  2/2/18  0.675%  3 month CAD-  242,184 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  171,710,000 E  25,378  6/15/18  3 month CAD-BA-  0.75%  (781,782) 
        CDOR     

CAD  30,396,000 E  14,342  6/15/21  0.90%  3 month CAD-  367,917 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  13,077,000 E  (179,077)  6/15/26  1.40%  3 month CAD-  127,009 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  23,033,535 E  (2,780)  6/15/18  0.90%  3 month CAD-  50,843 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  25,283,000  (72)  3/11/18  0.89%  3 month CAD-  51,207 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  21,334,000 E  107,151  6/15/21  3 month CAD-BA-  0.9003%  (140,774) 
        CDOR     

CAD  17,466,000 E  (4,242)  6/15/18  0.8501%  3 month CAD-  50,214 
          BA-CDOR   

CHF  8,905,000 E  (27,822)  6/15/26  6 month CHF-  0.15%  49,532 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  32,347,000 E  (27,617)  6/15/18  0.90%  6 month CHF-  (170,655) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

CHF  29,373,000 E  (89,889)  6/15/21  6 month CHF-  0.65%  107,636 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  6,755,000 E  (26)  6/15/18  6 month CHF-  0.7425%  7,403 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  31,451,000 E  52,392  6/15/18  6 month CHF-  0.6503%  25,836 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  6,710,000 E  (16)  6/15/18  6 month CHF-  0.748%  8,147 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  2,029,000 E  (4,954)  6/15/26  6 month CHF-  0.1505%  12,781 
        LIBOR-BBA     

EUR  43,529,000 E  (132,415)  6/15/21  0.00%  6 month EUR-  103,790 
          EURIBOR-   
          REUTERS   

EUR  21,332,000 E  311,580  6/15/26  6 month EUR-  0.50%  (136,079) 
        EURIBOR-REUTERS     

EUR  22,858,000 E  (58,292)  6/15/21  6 month EUR-  0.10%  (50,257) 
        EURIBOR-REUTERS     

EUR  12,129,000 E  (42,988)  6/15/26  0.60%  6 month EUR-  73,257 
          EURIBOR-   
          REUTERS   

EUR  14,921,000 E  (207,934)  6/15/26  0.5005%  6 month EUR-  104,333 
          EURIBOR-   
          REUTERS   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   43 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont. 
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

GBP  59,963,000 E  $(119,157)  6/15/18  0.75%  6 month GBP-  $127,654 
          LIBOR-BBA   

GBP  18,725,000 E  (142,521)  6/15/21  0.975%  6 month GBP-  101,202 
          LIBOR-BBA   

GBP  2,136,000 E  61,036  6/15/26  6 month GBP-  1.40%  8,672 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  36,000 E  (122)  6/15/18  0.70%  6 month GBP-  78 
          LIBOR-BBA   

GBP  26,716,000 E  (13,268)  6/15/18  6 month GBP-  0.90%  (6,906) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  16,405,000 E  29,126  6/15/18  6 month GBP-  0.7501%  (38,350) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  56,000 E  461  6/15/26  6 month GBP-  1.4005%  (908) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  275,679,000  (40)  11/13/45  6 month JPY-  1.32125%  542,714 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  353,080,000  (85)  11/26/35  6 month JPY-  1.09%  410,738 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  275,679,000  (41)  1/5/46  1.22015%  6 month JPY-  (464,710) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  353,080,000  (94)  1/5/36  1.00875%  6 month JPY-  (354,700) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  1,487,105,000 E  (124)  6/15/21  0.065%  6 month JPY-  (7,350) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  263,489,000 E  (80)  6/15/46  0.6725%  6 month JPY-  (47,141) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

NOK  394,876,000 E  (16,971)  6/15/18  6 month NOK-  0.80%  (188,715) 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  77,676,000 E  55,716  6/15/26  6 month NOK-  1.55%  (92,557) 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  37,728,000 E  (10,377)  6/15/21  1.05%  6 month NOK-  31,171 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  19,289,000  (30)  3/10/26  1.56%  6 month NOK-  27,143 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  23,074,000  (36)  3/17/26  1.60%  6 month NOK-  21,994 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  111,115,000 E  (78,893)  6/15/18  0.70%  6 month NOK-  (3,393) 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  18,325,000 E  18,102  6/15/26  1.5505%  6 month NOK-  52,977 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NZD  11,829,000 E  9,942  6/15/26  3.10%  3 month NZD-  (54,937) 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  18,166,000 E  4,065  6/15/18  3 month NZD-  2.40%  35,472 
        BBR-FRA     

NZD  56,254,000 E  (45,380)  6/15/21  2.70%  3 month NZD-  (327,209) 
          BBR-FRA   

 

44   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont. 
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

NZD  7,187,000 E  $(30,564)  6/15/21  3 month NZD-  2.7003%  $5,513 
        BBR-FRA     

NZD  18,008,000 E  27,764  6/15/18  2.4001%  3 month NZD-  (3,395) 
          BBR-FRA   

SEK  114,421,000 E  8,107  6/15/21  0.35%  3 month SEK-  61,638 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  70,169,000 E  15,277  6/15/26  3 month SEK-  1.20%  (51,602) 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  46,545,000 E  (3,041)  6/15/21  3 month SEK-  0.3503%  (24,729) 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  23,361,000 E  (2,898)  6/15/26  1.2005%  3 month SEK-  19,228 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

Total    $2,281,118        $(2,911,431) 


E
Extended effective date.

 

OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)   
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
$725,931  $—  1/12/41  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $4,301 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

Barclays Bank PLC           
121,364  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  384 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

2,060,065  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  4,694 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,174,008  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,088 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,014,036  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  5,217 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,520,733  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  3,263 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

411,506  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,459 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

203,082  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  938 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   45 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

 
Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
  $6,244,726  $—  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $5,788 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  899,620  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,050 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  4,169,777  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  9,500 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  3,405,064  —  1/12/39  (6.00%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (6,688) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  721,089  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,335 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
          Mae II pools   

  457,346  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,115 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
          Mae II pools   

  707,122  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,265 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  11,015,051  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (3,311) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  7,962,173  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  17,722 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  45,898,393  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  16,101 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  48,180,380  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (152,282) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

EUR  6,402,000  —  9/15/17  (0.4975%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (47,019) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  3,201,000  —  9/15/17  (0.46%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (20,731) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  4,554,000  —  9/15/17  (0.435%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (26,860) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

Citibank, N.A.           
  $971,719  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  341 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  806,524  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  283 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

 

46   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.   
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Credit Suisse International         
$1,161,301  $—  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $407 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,306,628  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (10,451) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,168,324  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  14,653 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

3,155,836  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (16,072) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,358,192  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (17,103) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

7,050,119  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  32,605 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

659,133  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,558 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,894,313  —  1/12/45  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  11,716 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

Deutsche Bank AG           
3,306,628  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (10,451) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

Goldman Sachs International         
2,579,721  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  11,913 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,990,039  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  9,190 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

6,327,456  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  32,552 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,499,590  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  11,543 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

5,674,988  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,991 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,090,705  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (9,769) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   47 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
  $1,161,122  $—  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $(3,670) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,465,727  —  1/12/41  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  8,685 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  383,082  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,290 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  84,530  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  435 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,518,314  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  12,956 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  4,234,027  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (13,382) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  187,541  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (593) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  500,127  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,581) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  853,826  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,943 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,827,112  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  13,055 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  4,541,646  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  23,365 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  4,301,459  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (21,906) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

EUR  23,048,000  —  8/10/17  (0.63%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (245,648) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  7,610,000  —  8/11/17  (0.63%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (81,108) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  6,402,000  —  8/31/17  (0.27%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (14,954) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  6,402,000  —  9/1/17  (0.37%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (29,740) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

 

48   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
EUR  6,402,000  $—  9/10/20  (0.7975%)  Eurostat Eurozone  $(77,536) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  3,598,000  —  1/26/21  (0.75%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (14,914) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
  $4,301,750  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (21,908) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

EUR  3,201,000  —  9/4/20  (0.8675%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (52,183) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  3,201,000  —  9/7/20  (0.85%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (48,826) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  3,850,000  —  1/27/21  (0.755%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (17,109) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  3,166,000  —  1/26/21  (0.75%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (13,123) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

Total    $—        $(701,217) 

 

OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)     
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $11,962  $175,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $1,899 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  22,719  377,000  5/11/63  300 bp  1,042 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  46,609  755,000  5/11/63  300 bp  3,197 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  44,403  779,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (390) 
Index             

Credit Suisse International           
CMBX NA BB Index  —  (166,815)  9,451,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  693,856 

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  67,468  5,137,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (226,437) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  107,566  9,819,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (457,027) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  147,047  4,287,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (203,630) 
Index             

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   49 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.     
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional nation  (paid) by fund appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount date  per annum  (depreciation) 

 
Credit Suisse International cont.           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $487,900  $6,531,000  1/17/47  300 bp  $(47,581) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  360,581  10,131,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (468,135) 
Index             

Goldman Sachs International           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (975)  141,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (9,083) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  610  234,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (12,845) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (1,337)  293,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (18,185) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  517  145,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (11,344) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  517  145,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (11,344) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,924  450,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (34,886) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,604  450,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (35,206) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,604  450,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (35,206) 
Index             

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (8,545)  999,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  82,431 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (5,599)  528,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  42,484 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  7,574  450,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  48,554 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  4,520  441,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  44,681 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  495  408,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  37,651 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (3,246)  338,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  27,534 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  6,218  275,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  31,261 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (829)  416,000  1/17/47  (500 bp)  58,397 

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (217)  13,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (964) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (491)  49,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (3,036) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (249)  93,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (5,596) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (1,516)  139,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (9,509) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (4,498)  560,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (36,698) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,568  598,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (30,817) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  9,255  224,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (9,069) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  25,357  610,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (24,541) 
Index             

 

50   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.     
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

 
Goldman Sachs International cont.         
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $27,101  $628,000  1/17/47  300 bp  $(24,269) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  25,280  628,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (26,090) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  25,280  628,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (26,090) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  13,828  656,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (39,833) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  20,269  677,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (35,109) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  29,270  966,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (49,748) 
Index             

JPMorgan Securities LLC           
CMBX NA BBB–  —  (20,076)  315,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (1,963) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  35,632  644,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (17,048) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  46,782  887,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (25,774) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  23,711  907,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (50,482) 
Index             

Total    $1,392,778        $(914,948) 


*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at April 30, 2016. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.”

Absolute Return 300 Fund   51 

 



ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:

    Valuation inputs 

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Common stocks*:       

Energy  $144,491  $—­  $—­ 

Total common stocks  144,491  —­  —­ 
Asset-backed securities  —­  —­  45,770,000 

Corporate bonds and notes  —­  181,460,195  —­ 

Foreign government and agency bonds and notes  —­  36,695,095  —­ 

Mortgage-backed securities  —­  251,369,705  16,273,982 

Purchased options outstanding  —­  321,890  —­ 

Purchased swap options outstanding  —­  2,387,518  —­ 

Senior loans  —­  57,202,112  —­ 

U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations  —­  81,265,468  —­ 

U.S. treasury obligations  —­  394,755  —­ 

Short-term investments  38,486,827  23,686,294  —­ 

Totals by level  $38,631,318  $634,783,032  $62,043,982 
 
    Valuation inputs 

Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Forward currency contracts  $—­  $(3,547,908)  $—­ 

Futures contracts  (691,280)  —­  —­ 

Written options outstanding  —­  (304,980)  —­ 

Written swap options outstanding  —­  (4,004,414)  —­ 

Forward premium swap option contracts  —­  (249,304)  —­ 

TBA sale commitments  —­  (5,342,188)  —­ 

Interest rate swap contracts  —­  (5,131,755)  —­ 

Total return swap contracts  —­  (701,217)  —­ 

Credit default contracts  —­  (2,307,726)  —­ 

Totals by level  $(691,280)  $(21,589,492)  $—­ 


* Common stock classifications are presented at the sector level, which may differ from the fund’s portfolio presentation.

During the reporting period, transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, if any (other than certain transfers involving non-U.S. equity securities as described in Note 1), did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using the end of period pricing valuation method.

52   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets as of the close of the reporting period:

        Change in net           
        unrealized      Total  Total   
  Balance  Accrued  Realized  appreciation/      transfers  transfers  Balance 
Investments  as of  discounts/  gain/  (deprecia-  Cost of  Proceeds   into  out of  as of 
in securities:  10/31/15  premiums  (loss)  tion) #  purchases  from sales   Level 3†   Level 3†  4/30/16 

Asset-backed                   
securities  $51,437,000  $—­  $—­  $—­  $3,859,000  $(9,526,000)  $—­  $—­  $45,770,000 

Mortgage-                   
backed                   
securities  $12,889,281  (752,245)  (102,184)  (1,304)  2,542,370  (1,710,990)  3,409,054  —­  $16,273,982 

Totals  $64,326,281  $(752,245)  $(102,184)  $(1,304)  $6,401,370   $(11,236,990)  $3,409,054  $—­  $62,043,982 


† Transfers during the reporting period are accounted for using the end of period market value and did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period.

# Includes $(7,939) related to Level 3 securities still held at period end. Total change in unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) for securities (including Level 1 and Level 2) can be found in the Statement of operations.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 300 Fund   53 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

ASSETS   

Investment in securities, at value (Note 1):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $722,489,662)  $696,971,505 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $38,486,827) (Note 5)  38,486,827 

Cash  1,852,472 

Foreign currency (cost $391) (Note 1)  396 

Interest and other receivables  5,503,887 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold  942,778 

Receivable for investments sold  3,010,592 

Receivable for sales of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  5,340,486 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)  1,480,328 

Unrealized appreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  678,802 

Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  3,530,923 

Unrealized appreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  1,411,482 

Premium paid on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  214,393 

Total assets  759,424,871 
 
LIABILITIES   

Payable for investments purchased  1,806,288 

Payable for purchases of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  78,815,995 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  3,532,346 

Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)  213,973 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  133,827 

Payable for distribution fees (Note 2)  155,642 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)  1,268,863 

Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  7,078,831 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  2,966,853 

Premium received on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  1,607,171 

Unrealized depreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  928,106 

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums $6,633,434) (Notes 1 and 3)  4,309,394 

TBA sale commitments, at value (proceeds receivable $5,334,375) (Note 1)  5,342,188 

Other accrued expenses  1,944 

Total liabilities  108,161,421 
 
Net assets  $651,263,450 

 
REPRESENTED BY   

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $793,847,343 

Undistributed net investment income (Note 1)  5,231,555 

Accumulated net realized loss on investments and foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  (115,654,944) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  (32,160,504) 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $651,263,450 

 

(Continued on next page)

54   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities (Continued)

COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share   
($298,571,725 divided by 31,410,048 shares)  $9.51 

Offering price per class A share (100/99.00 of $9.51)*  $9.61 

Net asset value and offering price per class B share ($7,993,013 divided by 844,651 shares)**  $9.46 

Net asset value and offering price per class C share ($106,559,425 divided by 11,295,437 shares)**  $9.43 

Net asset value and redemption price per class M share ($8,308,089 divided by 876,853 shares)  $9.47 

Offering price per class M share (100/99.25 of $9.47)*  $9.54 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R share   
($385,350 divided by 40,455 shares)  $9.53 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R6 share   
($1,325,038 divided by 138,716 shares)  $9.55 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($228,120,810 divided by 23,944,396 shares)  $9.53 


*
On single retail sales of less than $500,000.

** Redemption price per share is equal to net asset value less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 300 Fund   55 

 



Statement of operations Six months ended 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

INVESTMENT INCOME   

Interest (including interest income of $61,939 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  $16,752,856 
 
EXPENSES   

Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  1,836,955 

Distribution fees (Note 2)  1,048,576 

Other  3,667 

Total expenses  2,889,198 
 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (655) 

Net expenses  2,888,543 
 
Net investment income  13,864,313 

 
Net realized loss on investments (Notes 1 and 3)  (20,464,154) 

Net increase from payments by affiliates (Note 2)  11,058 

Net realized loss on swap contracts (Note 1)  (15,030,589) 

Net realized gain on futures contracts (Note 1)  3,083,856 

Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  (883,209) 

Net realized gain on written options (Notes 1 and 3)  11,008,163 

Net unrealized depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies during the period  (5,613,769) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts, written options   
and TBA sale commitments during the period  (7,360,986) 

Net loss on investments  (35,249,630) 
 
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations  $(21,385,317) 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

56   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



Statement of changes in net assets

DECREASE IN NET ASSETS  Six months ended 4/30/16*  Year ended 10/31/15 

Operations:     
Net investment income  $13,864,313  $27,578,110 

Net realized loss on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  (22,274,875)  (7,181,120) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets     
and liabilities in foreign currencies  (12,974,755)  (35,186,294) 

Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations  (21,385,317)  (14,789,304) 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     

Class A  (16,009,615)  (15,901,153) 

Class B  (393,310)  (385,159) 

Class C  (4,623,230)  (4,377,677) 

Class M  (436,905)  (388,196) 

Class R  (14,355)  (30,512) 

Class R5  (509)  (408) 

Class R6  (68,404)  (59,446) 

Class Y  (17,041,321)  (16,543,336) 

Decrease from capital share transactions (Note 4)  (200,888,775)  (132,214,116) 

Total decrease in net assets  (260,861,741)  (184,689,307) 
 
NET ASSETS     

Beginning of period  912,125,191  1,096,814,498 

End of period (including undistributed net investment     
income of $5,231,555 and $29,954,891, respectively)  $651,263,450  $912,125,191 


*
Unaudited.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 300 Fund   57 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:          LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:          RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain   distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a on investments­   operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b  (in thousands)  (%) c  (%)  (%) 

Class A­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.18­  .17­  (.39)  (.22)  (.45)  —­  (.45)  $9.51­  (2.21)*   $298,572­  .36*  1.78*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.71­  .28­  (.44)  (.16)  (.37)  —­  (.37)  10.18­  (1.53)  374,839­  .84­  2.71­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.81­  .31­  .03­  .34­  (.44)  —­  (.44)  10.71­  3.19­  470,872­  .81­  2.91­  203 ­d 
October 31, 2013­  10.58­  .34­  .05­  .39­  (.16)  —­  (.16)  10.81­  3.73­  497,067­  .78 ­e  3.13 ­e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.38­  .31­  (.01)  .30­  (.10)  —­  (.10)  10.58­  2.97­  518,088­  .82­ e  2.94­ e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.92­  .38­  (.56)  (.18)  (.32)  (.04)  (.36)  10.38­  (1.72)  830,296­  .87 ­e  3.55 ­e  188 f 

Class B­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.12­  .16­  (.39)  (.23)  (.43)  —­  (.43)  $9.46­  (2.36)*   $7,993­  .46*  1.69*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.65­  .26­  (.44)  (.18)  (.35)  —­  (.35)  10.12­  (1.74)  9,669­  1.04­  2.52­  486 ­d 
October 31, 2014­  10.75­  .29­  .02­  .31­  (.41)  —­  (.41)  10.65­  2.96­  11,822­  1.01­  2.73­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.53­  .31­  .05­  .36­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  10.75­  3.46­  12,854­  .98­ e  2.93­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.32­  .28­  .01­  .29­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  10.53­  2.86­  13,859­  1.02 ­e  2.71 ­e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.86­  .37­  (.58)  (.21)  (.29)  (.04)  (.33)  10.32­  (2.03)  16,066­  1.07 ­e  3.48­ e  188 f 

Class C­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.06­  .13­  (.39)  (.26)  (.37)  —­  (.37)  $9.43­  (2.69)*   $106,559­  .73*  1.41*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.58­  .20­  (.43)  (.23)  (.29)  —­  (.29)  10.06­  (2.22)  134,131­  1.59­  1.96­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.68­  .23­  .02­  .25­  (.35)  —­  (.35)  10.58­  2.37­  162,146­  1.56­  2.17­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.44­  .25­  .06­  .31­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  10.68­  2.94­  169,740­  1.53­ e  2.39 ­e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.24­  .22­  .01­  .23­  (.03)  —­  (.03)  10.44­  2.23­  201,889­  1.57­ e  2.19 ­e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.80­  .30­  (.57)  (.27)  (.25)  (.04)  (.29)  10.24­  (2.53)  291,442­  1.62­ e  2.86­ e  188 f 

Class M­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.15­  .17­  (.40)  (.23)  (.45)  —­  (.45)  $9.47­  (2.35)*   $8,308­  .39*  1.76*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.68­  .28­  (.44)  (.16)  (.37)  —­  (.37)  10.15­  (1.56)  9,913­  .89­  2.67­  486 ­d 
October 31, 2014­  10.78­  .31­  .02­  .33­  (.43)  —­  (.43)  10.68­  3.13­  11,043­  .86­  2.85­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.55­  .33­  .05­  .38­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.78­  3.68­  11,228­  .83 ­e  3.08 ­e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.35­  .30­  — ­g  .30­  (.10)  —­  (.10)  10.55­  2.90­  11,914­  .87­ e  2.89­ e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.90­  .38­  (.57)  (.19)  (.32)  (.04)  (.36)  10.35­  (1.85)  17,639­  .92­ e  3.56 ­e  188 f 

Class R­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.14­  .16­  (.39)  (.23)  (.38)  —­  (.38)  $9.53­  (2.33)*   $385­  .49*  1.64*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.68­  .26­  (.45)  (.19)  (.35)  —­  (.35)  10.14­  (1.81)  379­  1.09­  2.52­  486 ­d 
October 31, 2014­  10.77­  .28­  .03­  .31­  (.40)  —­  (.40)  10.68­  2.96­  914­  1.06­  2.64­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.54­  .31­  .05­  .36­  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.77­  3.47­  824­  1.03 ­e  2.86 ­e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.34­  .28­  — ­g  .28­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  10.54­  2.71­  734­  1.07 ­e  2.68 ­e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.89­  .36­  (.57)  (.21)  (.30)  (.04)  (.34)  10.34­  (1.98)  801­  1.12­ e  3.35 ­e  188 f 

Class R5­                           
April 30, 2016 #**  $10.25­  .10­  (.36)  (.26)  (.48)  —­  (.48)  $9.51­  (2.63)*   $11­  .12*  1.03*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.78­  .31­  (.44)  (.13)  (.40)  —­  (.40)  10.25­  (1.24)  11­  .59­  3.00­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.88­  .34­  .02­  .36­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  10.78­  3.42­  11­  .56­  3.19­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.63­  .37­  .05­  .42­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  10.88­  4.03­  11­  .53­ e  3.40­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012†  10.42­  .09­  .12­  .21­  —­  —­  —­  10.63­  2.02*  10­  .18* e  .84* e  238 f 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. 

 

58   Absolute Return 300 Fund  Absolute Return 300 Fund   59 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:          LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:          RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a  on investments­ operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b   (in thousands)  (%) c  (%)  (%) 

Class R6­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.24­  .19­  (.40)  (.21)  (.48)  —­  (.48)  $9.55­  (2.12)*   $1,325­  .24*  1.93*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.78­  .31­  (.45)  (.14)  (.40)  —­  (.40)  10.24­  (1.34)  1,446­  .59­  2.98­  486 ­d 
October 31, 2014­  10.88­  .37­  (.01)  .36­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  10.78­  3.43­  1,828­  .56­  3.38­  203 ­d 
October 31, 2013­  10.63­  .32­ h  .11­  .43­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  10.88­  4.06­  2,573­  .53 ­e  2.91 e,h  246  f 
October 31, 2012†  10.42­  .09­  .12­  .21­  —­  —­  —­  10.63­  2.02*  10­  .18* e  .84* e  238  f 

Class Y­                           
April 30, 2016**  $10.22­  .19­  (.40)  (.21)  (.48)  —­  (.48)  $9.53­  (2.12)*   $228,121­  .24*  1.93*  168* d 
October 31, 2015­  10.75­  .31­  (.44)  (.13)  (.40)  —­  (.40)  10.22­  (1.24)  381,738­  .59­  2.98­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.85­  .33­  .03­  .36­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  10.75­  3.42­  438,177­  .56­  3.06­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.63­  .36­  .05­  .41­  (.19)  —­  (.19)  10.85­  3.93­  253,607­  .53­ e  3.37­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.43­  .33­  — ­g  .33­  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.63­  3.21­  212,599­  .57 ­e  3.20 ­e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.96­  .41­  (.56)  (.15)  (.34)  (.04)  (.38)  10.43­  (1.47)  367,131­  .62­ e  3.82­ e  188 f 


* Not annualized.

** Unaudited.

# Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage/service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

e Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets (Note 2):

  10/31/13  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  0.06%  0.19%  0.18% 

Class B  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class C  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class M  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class R  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class R5  0.05  0.05  N/A 

Class R6  0.03  0.03  N/A 

Class Y  0.06  0.19  0.18 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. 

 

 
f Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:
 
 
  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  656% 

October 31, 2012  722 

October 31, 2011  512 

 

g Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

h The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending October 31, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.

60   Absolute Return 300 Fund  Absolute Return 300 Fund   61 

 



Notes to financial statements 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016.

Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 300 basis points (or 3.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions. The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return through a broadly diversified portfolio reflecting uncorrelated fixed-income strategies designed to exploit market inefficiencies across global markets and fixed-income sectors. These strategies include investments in the following asset categories: (a) sovereign debt: obligations of governments in developed and emerging markets; (b) corporate credit: investment-grade debt, below-investment-grade debt (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”), bank loans, convertible bonds and structured credit; and (c) securitized assets: asset-backed securities, residential mortgage-backed securities (which may be backed by non-qualified or “sub-prime” mortgages), commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, bonds with moderate exposure to interest rate and credit risks. Putnam Management may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments.

The fund offers class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class R6 and class Y shares. Class A and class M shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 1.00% and 0.75%, respectively. Class A shares generally are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. Class B shares, which convert to class A shares after approximately eight years, do not pay a front-end sales charge and are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge if those shares are redeemed within two years of purchase. Class C shares have a one-year 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge and do not convert to class A shares. Class R shares, which are not available to all investors, are sold at net asset value. The expenses for class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares may differ based on the distribution fee of each class, which is identified in Note 2. Class R6 and class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, but do not bear a distribution fee and in the case of class R6 shares, bear a lower investor servicing fee, which is identified in Note 2. Class R6 and class Y shares are not available to all investors. Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees. If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

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Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last reported sales price on their principal exchange, or official closing price for certain markets, and are classified as Level 1 securities under Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820). If no sales are reported, as in the case of some securities that are traded OTC, a security is valued at its last reported bid price and is generally categorized as a Level 2 security.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

Market quotations are not considered to be readily available for certain debt obligations (including short-term investments with remaining maturities of 60 days or less) and other investments; such investments are valued on the basis of valuations furnished by an independent pricing service approved by the Trustees or dealers selected by Putnam Management. Such services or dealers determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities (which consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings). These securities will generally be categorized as Level 2.

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, on certain days, the fund will fair value foreign equity securities taking into account multiple factors including movements in the U.S. securities markets, currency valuations and comparisons to the valuation of American Depository Receipts, exchange-traded funds and futures contracts. These securities, which would generally be classified as Level 1 securities, will be transferred to Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy when they are valued at fair value. The number of days on which fair value prices will be used will depend on market activity and it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. Certain securities may be valued on the basis of a price provided by a single source. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis.

All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

The fund earned certain fees in connection with its senior loan purchasing activities. These fees are treated as market discount and are amortized into income in the Statement of operations.

Securities purchased or sold on a forward commitment or delayed delivery basis may be settled at a future date beyond customary settlement time; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Losses may arise due to changes in the fair value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Stripped securities The fund may invest in stripped securities which represent a participation in securities that may be structured in classes with rights to receive different portions of the interest and principal. Interest-only securities receive all of the interest and principal-only securities receive all of the principal. If the interest-only securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, principal-only securities increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are slower than anticipated. The fair value of these securities is highly sensitive to changes in interest rates.

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Foreign currency translation The accounting records of the fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The fair value of foreign securities, currency holdings, and other assets and liabilities is recorded in the books and records of the fund after translation to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates on that day. The cost of each security is determined using historical exchange rates. Income and withholding taxes are translated at prevailing exchange rates when earned or incurred. The fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. Such gains and losses are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net realized exchange gains or losses on closed forward currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains and losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized appreciation and depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts to hedge duration and convexity, to isolate prepayment risk and to manage downside risks.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts for hedging treasury term structure risk and for yield curve positioning.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.”

Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Forward currency contracts The fund buys and sells forward currency contracts, which are agreements between two parties to buy and sell currencies at a set price on a future date. These contracts are used for hedging currency exposures and to gain exposure to currencies.

The U.S. dollar value of forward currency contracts is determined using current forward currency exchange rates supplied by a quotation service. The fair value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. The fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed when the contract matures or by delivery of the currency. The fund could be exposed to risk if the value of the currency changes unfavorably, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the fund is unable to enter into a closing position. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Forward currency contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

64   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



Interest rate swap contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, which are arrangements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on a notional principal amount, for hedging term structure risk, for yield curve positioning and for gaining exposure to rates in various countries.

An OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap can be purchased or sold with an upfront premium. For OTC interest rate swap contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss on OTC interest rate swaps. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared interest rate swaps are settled through a central clearing agent and are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Payments, including upfront premiums, received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or the closing of the contract. Certain OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract.

The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or if the counterparty defaults, in the case of OTC interest rate contracts, or the central clearing agency or a clearing member defaults, in the case of centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, on its respective obligation to perform under the contract. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk or central clearing risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC interest rate swap contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. There is minimal counterparty risk with respect to centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Total return swap contracts The fund entered into OTC total return swap contracts, which are arrangements to exchange a market-linked return for a periodic payment, both based on a notional principal amount, to hedge sector exposure, for gaining exposure to specific sectors, for hedging inflation and for gaining exposure to inflation.

To the extent that the total return of the security, index or other financial measure underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the fund will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty. OTC total return swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers and the change, if any, is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Payments received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses. Certain OTC total return swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract. The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index, the possibility that there is no liquid market for these agreements or that the counterparty may default on its obligation to perform. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC total return swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Credit default contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared credit default contracts to hedge credit risk, for gaining liquid exposure to individual names, to hedge market risk and for gaining exposure to specific sectors.

In OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts, the protection buyer typically makes a periodic stream of payments to a counterparty, the protection seller, in exchange for the right to receive a contingent payment upon the occurrence of a credit event on the reference obligation or all other equally ranked obligations of the reference entity. Credit events are contract specific but may include bankruptcy, failure to pay, restructuring and obligation acceleration. For OTC credit default contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. Centrally cleared credit default contracts provide the same rights to the protection buyer and seller except the payments between parties, including upfront premiums, are settled through a central clearing agent through variation margin payments. Upfront and periodic payments received or paid by the fund for OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or close of the contract. The OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change in value of OTC credit default contracts is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Upon the occurrence of a credit event, the difference between the par value and fair value of the reference obligation, net of any proportional amount of the upfront payment, is recorded as a realized gain or loss.

Absolute Return 300 Fund   65 

 



In addition to bearing the risk that the credit event will occur, the fund could be exposed to market risk due to unfavorable changes in interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index or the possibility that the fund may be unable to close out its position at the same time or at the same price as if it had purchased the underlying reference obligations. In certain circumstances, the fund may enter into offsetting OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts which would mitigate its risk of loss. Risks of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk, either as the protection seller or as the protection buyer, is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC credit default contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared credit default contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. Counterparty risk is further mitigated with respect to centrally cleared credit default swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Where the fund is a seller of protection, the maximum potential amount of future payments the fund may be required to make is equal to the notional amount.

OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

TBA commitments The fund may enter into TBA (to be announced) commitments to purchase securities for a fixed unit price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Although the unit price and par amount have been established, the actual securities have not been specified. However, it is anticipated that the amount of the commitments will not significantly differ from the principal amount. The fund holds, and maintains until settlement date, cash or high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price, or the fund may enter into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. Income on the securities will not be earned until settlement date.

The fund may also enter into TBA sale commitments to hedge its portfolio positions, to sell mortgage-backed securities it owns under delayed delivery arrangements or to take a short position in mortgage-backed securities. Proceeds of TBA sale commitments are not received until the contractual settlement date. During the time a TBA sale commitment is outstanding, either equivalent deliverable securities or an offsetting TBA purchase commitment deliverable on or before the sale commitment date are held as “cover” for the transaction, or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value of the TBA sale commitment are segregated. If the TBA sale commitment is closed through the acquisition of an offsetting TBA purchase commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss. If the fund delivers securities under the commitment, the fund realizes a gain or a loss from the sale of the securities based upon the unit price established at the date the commitment was entered into.

TBA commitments, which are accounted for as purchase and sale transactions, may be considered securities themselves, and involve a risk of loss due to changes in the value of the security prior to the settlement date as well as the risk that the counterparty to the transaction will not perform its obligations. Counterparty risk is mitigated by having a master agreement between the fund and the counterparty.

Unsettled TBA commitments are valued at their fair value according to the procedures described under “Security valuation” above. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded by the fund as an unrealized gain or loss. Based on market circumstances, Putnam Management will determine whether to take delivery of the underlying securities or to dispose of the TBA commitments prior to settlement.

TBA purchase commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed within the fund’s portfolio and TBA sale commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts and Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements that govern transactions involving mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities that may result in delayed delivery (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, are presented in the fund’s portfolio.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

With respect to ISDA Master Agreements, termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term or short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

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At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $8,545,706 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $7,417,212 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million syndicated unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street ($292.5 million) and Northern Trust Company ($100 million) and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the overnight LIBOR plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.16% per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund may also be subject to taxes imposed by governments of countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The fund accrues and applies such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. In some cases, the fund may be entitled to reclaim all or a portion of such taxes, and such reclaim amounts, if any, are reflected as an asset on the fund’s books. In many cases, however, the fund may not receive such amounts for an extended period of time, depending on the country of investment.

At October 31, 2015, the fund had a capital loss carryover of $90,096,841 available to the extent allowed by the Code to offset future net capital gain, if any. The amounts of the carryovers and the expiration dates are:

  Loss carryover  

Short-term  Long-term  Total  Expiration 

$63,477,183  $21,397,771  $84,874,954  * 

5,221,887  N/A  5,221,887  October 31, 2009 


* Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, the fund will be permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an unlimited period. However, any losses incurred will be required to be utilized prior to the losses incurred in pre-enactment tax years. As a result of this ordering rule, pre-enactment capital loss carryforwards may be more likely to expire unused. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

The aggregate identified cost on a tax basis is $763,712,816, resulting in gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of $8,135,237 and $36,389,721, respectively, or net unrealized depreciation of $28,254,484.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. Actual results may vary. Any non-taxable return of capital cannot be determined until final tax calculations are completed after the end of the fund’s fiscal year. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations.

Absolute Return 300 Fund   67 

 



Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a monthly base fee equal to 0.60% of the monthly average of the fund’s net asset value. In return for this fee, Putnam Management provides investment management and investor servicing and bears the fund’s organizational and operating expenses, excluding performance fee adjustments, payments under the fund’s distribution plan, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment related expenses, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses.

The applicable base fee is increased or decreased for each month by an amount based on the performance of the fund. The amount of the increase or decrease is calculated monthly based on a performance adjustment rate that is equal to 0.04 multiplied by the difference between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the fund’s class A shares) and the annualized performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 3.00% over the thirty-six month period then ended (the “performance period”). The maximum annualized performance adjustment rate is +/– 0.12%. Each month, the performance adjustment rate is multiplied by the fund’s average net assets over the performance period and the result is divided by twelve. The resulting dollar amount is added to, or subtracted from, the base fee for that month. The monthly base fee is determined based on the fund’s average net assets for the month, while the performance adjustment is determined based on the fund’s average net assets over the performance period of up to thirty-six months. This means it is possible that, if the fund underperforms significantly over the performance period, and the fund’s assets have declined significantly over that period, the negative performance adjustment may exceed the base fee. In this event, Putnam Management would make a payment to the fund.

Because the performance adjustment is based on the fund’s performance relative to its applicable benchmark index, and not its absolute performance, the performance adjustment could increase Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares lose value during the performance period provided that the fund outperformed its benchmark index, and could decrease Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares increase in value during the performance period provided that the fund underperformed its benchmark index.

For the reporting period, the base fee represented an effective rate (excluding the impact from any expense waivers in effect) of 0.299% of the fund’s average net assets before a decrease of $490,674 (0.063% of the fund’s average net assets) based on performance.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed, through February 28, 2017, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were not reduced as a result of this limit.

Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. PIL did not manage any portion of the assets of the fund during the reporting period. If Putnam Management were to engage the services of PIL, Putnam Management would pay a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL. PAC did not manage any portion of the assets of the fund during the reporting period. If Putnam Management or PIL were to engage the services of PAC, Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, would pay a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

Putnam Management has agreed to reimburse the fund $11,058 for a compliance exception which occurred during the reporting period. The effect of the loss incurred and the reimbursement by Putnam Management of such amounts had no material impact on total return.

The aggregate amount of all reimbursements for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund is determined annually by the Trustees. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

68   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing (except for class R5 and R6 shares) that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. Class R5 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R5 shares at an annual rate of 0.12%. Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares. Class R6 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R6 shares at an annual rate of 0.05%. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $655 under the expense offset arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $496, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has adopted distribution plans (the Plans) with respect to its class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plans is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plans provide for payments by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 1.00% and 1.00% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. The Trustees have approved payment by the fund at an annual rate of 0.25%, 0.45%, 1.00%, 0.30% and 0.50% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. During the reporting period, the class specific expenses related to distribution fees were as follows:

Class A  $417,160  Class M  13,664 


Class B  19,513  Class R  929 


Class C  597,310  Total  $1,048,576 



For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received net commissions of $57 and $31 from the sale of class A and class M shares, respectively, and received $1,375 and $1,961 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of class B and class C shares, respectively.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of class A shares. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received $2 on class A redemptions.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:

  Cost of purchases  Proceeds from sales 

Investments in securities, including TBA commitments     
(Long-term)  $1,333,528,110  $1,590,530,894 

U.S. government securities (Long-term)  —  — 

Total  $1,333,528,110  $1,590,530,894 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   69 

 



The fund may purchase or sell investments from or to other Putnam funds in the ordinary course of business, which can reduce the fund’s transaction costs, at prices determined in accordance with SEC requirements and policies approved by the Trustees. During the reporting period, purchases or sales from or to other Putnam funds, if any, did not represent more than 5% of the fund’s total cost of purchases and/or total proceeds from sales.

Written option transactions during the reporting period are summarized as follows:

    Written swap  Written  Written option   
    option contract  swap option  contract  Written option 
    amounts  premiums  amounts  premiums 

Written options outstanding  USD  2,005,385,225  $7,625,699  168,000,000  $1,056,563 
at the beginning of the
reporting period

EUR  —  $—  —  $— 

Options opened  USD  2,497,894,600  16,365,060  761,000,000  3,486,953 
 
  EUR  19,821,700  760,161  —  — 

Options exercised  USD  (164,611,000)  (1,275,579)  —  — 
 
  EUR  —  —  —  — 

Options expired  USD  (1,706,523,125)  (3,096,787)  —  — 
 
  EUR  (19,821,700)  (760,161)  —  — 

Options closed  USD  (1,640,500,200)  (13,564,334)  (793,000,000)  (3,964,141) 
 
  EUR  —  —  —  — 

Written options outstanding  USD  991,645,500  $6,054,059  136,000,000  $579,375 
at the end of the
reporting period

EUR  —  $—  —  $— 

 

Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  2,735,795  $26,381,312  9,480,342  $98,178,353 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,419,198  13,723,641  1,331,562  13,755,031 

  4,154,993  40,104,953  10,811,904  111,933,384 

Shares repurchased  (9,568,002)  (91,812,527)  (17,957,387)  (185,903,754) 

Net decrease  (5,413,009)  $(51,707,574)  (7,145,483)  $(73,970,370) 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class B  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  20,804  $196,679  73,344  $759,228 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  35,954  346,599  32,999  339,564 

  56,758  543,278  106,343  1,098,792 

Shares repurchased  (167,328)  (1,603,997)  (261,029)  (2,687,475) 

Net decrease  (110,570)  $(1,060,719)  (154,686)  $(1,588,683) 

 

70   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class C  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  733,445  $7,047,497  2,127,406  $21,844,799 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  399,828  3,846,341  348,096  3,574,945 

  1,133,273  10,893,838  2,475,502  25,419,744 

Shares repurchased  (3,174,788)  (30,353,752)  (4,461,123)  (45,765,800) 

Net decrease  (2,041,515)  $(19,459,914)  (1,985,621)  $(20,346,056) 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class M  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  54,561  $530,592  246,240  $2,543,205 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  43,861  422,822  36,342  374,327 

  98,422  953,414  282,582  2,917,532 

Shares repurchased  (198,548)  (1,888,572)  (339,634)  (3,492,493) 

Net decrease  (100,126)  $(935,158)  (57,052)  $(574,961) 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  4,023  $38,122  28,618  $295,438 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,470  14,260  2,632  27,137 

  5,493  52,382  31,250  322,575 

Shares repurchased  (2,395)  (22,644)  (79,510)  (815,460) 

Net increase (decrease)  3,098  $29,738  (48,260)  $(492,885) 

 
  Period ended 4/30/16*  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R5  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  —  $—  —  $— 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  53  509  39  408 

  53  509  39  408 

Shares repurchased  (1,110)  (10,555)  —  — 

Net increase (decrease)  (1,057)  $(10,046)  39  $408 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R6  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  9,036  $86,725  27,870  $289,940 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  7,045  68,404  5,733  59,446 

  16,081  155,129  33,603  349,386 

Shares repurchased  (18,560)  (177,200)  (62,049)  (654,008) 

Net decrease  (2,479)  $(22,071)  (28,446)  $(304,622) 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   71 

 



  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  8,963,508  $87,386,365  21,787,643  $226,046,313 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,260,966  12,218,762  1,154,296  11,935,425 

  10,224,474  99,605,127  22,941,939  237,981,738 

Shares repurchased  (23,638,314)  (227,328,158)  (26,331,856)  (272,918,685) 

Net decrease  (13,413,840)  $(127,723,031)  (3,389,917)  $(34,936,947) 


* Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned 1,110 class R6 shares of the fund (0.80% of class R6 shares outstanding), valued at $10,601.

Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which is under common ownership and control, were as follows:

  Fair value at the        Fair value at 
  beginning of        the end of 
  the reporting      Investment  the reporting 
Name of affiliate  period  Purchase cost  Sale proceeds  income  period 

Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund*  $14,980,484  $305,444,349  $281,938,006  $61,939  $38,486,827 


* Management fees charged to Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

Note 6: Senior loan commitments

Senior loans are purchased or sold on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis and may be settled a month or more after the trade date, which from time to time can delay the actual investment of available cash balances; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Senior loans can be acquired through an agent, by assignment from another holder of the loan, or as a participation interest in another holder’s portion of the loan. When the fund invests in a loan or participation, the fund is subject to the risk that an intermediate participant between the fund and the borrower will fail to meet its obligations to the fund, in addition to the risk that the borrower under the loan may default on its obligations.

Note 7: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks, including those related to economic instability, unfavorable political developments, and currency fluctuations. The fund may invest in higher-yielding, lower-rated bonds that may have a higher rate of default. The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securitized debt instruments, including mortgage-backed and asset-backed investments. The yields and values of these investments are sensitive to changes in interest rates, the rate of principal payments on the underlying assets and the market’s perception of the issuers. The market for these investments may be volatile and limited, which may make them difficult to buy or sell.

Note 8: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Purchased TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount)  $123,900,000 

Purchased swap option contracts (contract amount)  $1,222,200,000 

Written TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $247,700,000 

Written swap option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $1,238,300,000 

Futures contracts (number of contracts)  600 

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)  $482,500,000 

OTC interest rate swap contracts (notional)  $41,300,000 

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts (notional)  $3,084,200,000 

OTC total return swap contracts (notional)  $328,200,000 

OTC credit default contracts (notional)  $75,000,000 

 

72   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



The following is a summary of the fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period:

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period

  Asset derivatives  Liability derivatives 

Derivatives not         
accounted for as  Statement of    Statement of   
hedging instruments  assets and    assets and   
under ASC 815  liabilities location  Fair value  liabilities location  Fair value 

Credit contracts  Receivables  $1,251,189  Payables  $3,558,915 

Foreign         
exchange contracts  Receivables  3,530,923  Payables  7,078,831 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Interest rate contracts  appreciation  10,304,986*  depreciation  18,678,528* 

Total    $15,087,098    $29,316,274 


* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts and/or centrally cleared swaps as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.

The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments in the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not accounted      Forward     
for as hedging instruments      currency     
under ASC 815  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $(580,740)  $(580,740) 

Foreign exchange           
contracts  —  —  (853,209)  —  $(853,209) 

Interest rate contracts  (2,701,196)  3,083,856  —  (14,449,849)  $(14,067,189) 

Total  $(2,701,196)  $3,083,856  $(853,209)  $(15,030,589)  $(15,501,138) 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not accounted      Forward     
for as hedging instruments      currency     
under ASC 815  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $(986,193)  $(986,193) 

Foreign exchange           
contracts  —  —  (5,613,573)  —  $(5,613,573) 

Interest rate contracts  (82,415)  (979,827)  —  5,220,452  $4,158,210 

Total  $(82,415)  $(979,827)  $(5,613,573)  $4,234,259  $(2,441,556) 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund  73 

 



Note 9: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.

  Bank of America N.A. Barclays Bank PLC Barclays Capital Inc. (clearing broker) Citibank, N.A. Credit Suisse International Deutsche Bank AG Goldman Sachs International HSBC Bank USA, National Association JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. JPMorgan Securities LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) State Street Bank and Trust Co. UBS AG WestPac Banking Corp. Total

Assets:                                 

OTC Interest rate swap contracts*#  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $60,794  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $60,794 

Centrally cleared interest rate                                 
swap contracts§  —  —  1,396,847  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  1,396,847 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  4,301  77,919  —  624  62,939  —  131,918  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  277,701 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  —  —  —  —  860,671  —  372,405  —  —  18,113  —  —  —  —  —  1,251,189 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  83,481  —  —  —  —  83,481 

Forward currency contracts#  323,280  239,760  —  683,567  254,596  —  422,205  37,600  468,411  —  —  487,854  393,540  146,905  73,205  3,530,923 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  678,802  —  —  —  —  —  —  678,802 

Purchased swap options**#  595,652  654,789  —  78  316,617  —  739,955  —  80,427  —  —  —  —  —  —  2,387,518 

Purchased options**#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  321,890  —  —  —  —  —  —  321,890 

Total Assets  $923,233  $972,468  $1,396,847  $684,269  $1,494,823  $—  $1,666,483  $37,600  $1,610,324  $18,113  $83,481  $487,854  $393,540  $146,905  $73,205  $9,989,145 

Liabilities:                                 

OTC Interest rate swap contracts*#  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $— 

Centrally cleared interest rate                                 
swap contracts§  —  —  1,268,817  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  1,268,817 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  —  256,891  —  —  43,626  10,451  514,801  —  153,149  —  —  —  —  —  —  978,918 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  119,945  —  —  —  2,573,372  —  666,169  —  —  199,429  —  —  —  —  —  3,558,915 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  46  —  —  —  —  46 

Forward currency contracts#  713,430  920,000  —  578,030  651,846  218,583  588,874  16,529  1,232,032  —  —  1,202,060  648,757  308,690  —  7,078,831 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  928,106  —  —  —  —  —  —  928,106 

Written swap options#  713,214  749,908  —  156  509,599  —  841,479  —  1,190,058  —  —  —  —  —  —  4,004,414 

Written options#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  304,980  —  —  —  —  —  —  304,980 

Total Liabilities  $1,546,589  $1,926,799  $1,268,817  $578,186  $3,778,443  $229,034  $2,611,323  $16,529  $3,808,325  $199,429  $46  $1,202,060  $648,757  $308,690  $—  $18,123,027 

Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets  $(623,356)  $(954,331)  $128,030  $106,083  $(2,283,620)  $(229,034)  $(944,840)  $21,071  $(2,198,001)  $(181,316)  $83,435  $(714,206)  $(255,217)  $(161,785)  $73,205  $(8,133,882) 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##  $(570,804)  $(677,932)  $—  $—  $(2,283,620)  $(213,912)  $(828,000)  $—  $(1,883,836)  $—  $—  $(457,982)  $(223,988)  $(139,986)  $—   

Net amount  $(52,552)  $(276,399)  $128,030  $106,083  $—  $(15,122)  $(116,840)  $21,071  $(314,165)  $(181,316)  $83,435  $(256,224)  $(31,229)  $(21,799)  $73,205   


*
Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

** Included with Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

† Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

# Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§ Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.

74   Absolute Return 300 Fund  Absolute Return 300 Fund   75 

 



The fund’s portfolio 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCKS (24.5%)*  Shares  Value 

 
Basic materials (0.9%)     
Bemis Co., Inc.  8,300  $416,494 

Braskem SA Class A (Preference) (Brazil)  214,700  1,532,568 

China Lesso Group Holdings, Ltd. (China)  1,224,000  672,325 

China Railway Construction Corp., Ltd. (China)  1,202,500  1,513,293 

Graphic Packaging Holding Co.  43,600  579,008 

Hyosung Corp. (South Korea)  13,629  1,459,635 

IRPC PCL (Thailand)  4,433,800  647,363 

Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing, Ltd. (China)  259,000  169,077 

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (Malaysia)  272,400  467,921 

PTT Global Chemical PCL (Thailand)  965,200  1,727,025 

Sappi, Ltd. (South Africa) †  81,087  351,653 

Sherwin-Williams Co. (The)  2,500  718,275 

Siam Cement PCL (The) (Thailand)  34,850  488,274 

Sonoco Products Co.  7,400  346,986 

  11,089,897 
Capital goods (1.5%)   
Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.  34,700  999,707 

AptarGroup, Inc.  3,600  273,600 

Avery Dennison Corp.  16,700  1,212,587 

Boeing Co. (The)  14,700  1,981,560 

BWX Technologies, Inc.  9,800  327,222 

China Railway Group, Ltd. (China)  205,000  160,304 

Crown Holdings, Inc. †  8,900  471,344 

General Dynamics Corp.  22,000  3,091,440 

Honeywell International, Inc.  1,100  125,697 

Lockheed Martin Corp.  1,000  232,380 

Northrop Grumman Corp.  15,200  3,135,152 

Raytheon Co.  23,600  2,981,860 

Waste Management, Inc.  38,600  2,269,294 

  17,262,147 
Communication services (2.2%)   
AT&T, Inc.  39,900  1,548,918 

China Mobile, Ltd. (China)  318,500  3,622,741 

DISH Network Corp. Class A †  241,000  11,878,890 

Globe Telecom, Inc. (Philippines)  9,905  463,268 

Juniper Networks, Inc.  82,100  1,921,140 

MTN Group, Ltd. (South Africa)  120,360  1,269,727 

Telkom SA SOC, Ltd. (South Africa)  244,372  977,644 

Verizon Communications, Inc.  76,896  3,917,082 

  25,599,410 
Consumer cyclicals (3.2%)   
Alfa SAB de CV (Mexico)  248,571  467,534 

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.  36,400  3,219,216 

AutoZone, Inc. †  3,400  2,601,782 

Belle International Holdings, Ltd. (China)  686,000  417,545 

China Dongxiang Group Co., Ltd. (China)  1,528,000  314,690 

Clorox Co. (The)  1,900  237,937 

Copart, Inc. †  8,300  355,572 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  23 

 



COMMON STOCKS (24.5%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Consumer cyclicals cont.     
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. Class A  4,500  $214,245 

Dollar General Corp.  38,300  3,137,153 

Ecolab, Inc.  3,900  448,422 

Gartner, Inc. †  6,000  523,020 

Hankook Tire Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  3,914  182,325 

Home Depot, Inc. (The)  3,400  455,226 

Hyatt Hotels Corp. Class A †  6,700  320,796 

Imperial Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  16,097  169,654 

John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Class A  3,800  188,442 

Kia Motors Corp. (South Korea)  40,903  1,715,253 

Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV Class A (Mexico)  664,907  1,580,660 

KOC Holding AS (Turkey)  53,985  281,876 

Liberty Braves Group Class A †  1,310  20,488 

Liberty Media Group Class A †  3,275  59,933 

Liberty SiriusXM Group Class A †  13,100  429,287 

MSG Networks, Inc. Class A †  10,000  170,900 

News Corp. Class B  11,000  142,560 

NIKE, Inc. Class B  56,000  3,300,640 

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. †  6,400  1,681,152 

Omnicom Group, Inc.  1,252  103,878 

Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (The) Class A  3,800  268,964 

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. †  16,800  643,776 

Sirius XM Holdings, Inc. †  412,300  1,628,585 

Smiles SA (Brazil)  78,163  906,798 

Target Corp.  41,600  3,307,200 

Teco Electric and Machinery Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  514,000  405,248 

Thomson Reuters Corp. (Canada)  16,500  678,645 

Top Glove Corp. Bhd (Malaysia)  372,400  472,751 

Truworths International, Ltd. (South Africa)  177,971  1,330,644 

Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc.  66,500  2,002,980 

Vantiv, Inc. Class A †  30,400  1,658,016 

Visteon Corp.  8,500  677,195 

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.  2,000  133,740 

World Fuel Services Corp.  6,100  285,053 

  37,139,781 
Consumer staples (2.6%)   
Altria Group, Inc.  61,500  3,856,665 

Arca Continental SAB de CV (Mexico)  148,597  1,025,042 

Colgate-Palmolive Co.  34,500  2,446,740 

Constellation Brands, Inc. Class A  19,000  2,965,140 

Grape King Bio, Ltd. (Taiwan)  51,000  306,630 

Gruma SAB de CV Class B (Mexico)  108,516  1,581,761 

Hormel Foods Corp.  28,800  1,110,240 

JBS SA (Brazil)  468,771  1,232,155 

Kroger Co. (The)  74,200  2,625,938 

KT&G Corp. (South Korea)  19,245  2,076,597 

LG Household & Health Care, Ltd. (South Korea)  1,979  1,743,533 

Match Group, Inc. †  15,000  171,000 

 

24  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (24.5%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Consumer staples cont.     
McDonald’s Corp.  30,300  $3,832,647 

PepsiCo, Inc.  27,100  2,790,216 

Sao Martinho SA (Brazil)  24,742  321,788 

Sysco Corp.  41,100  1,893,477 

  29,979,569 
Energy (1.4%)   
Bangchak Petroleum PCL (The) (Thailand)  1,027,600  911,984 

California Resources Corp.  2,303  5,067 

Ecopetrol SA ADR (Colombia)  34,244  340,385 

Exxon Mobil Corp.  67,402  5,958,337 

Formosa Petrochemical Corp. (Taiwan)  550,000  1,560,592 

Frank’s International NV (Netherlands)  7,800  129,870 

Occidental Petroleum Corp.  24,100  1,847,265 

Schlumberger, Ltd.  32,600  2,619,084 

SK Innovation Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  3,763  507,331 

Thai Oil PCL (Thailand)  569,900  1,076,822 

Tupras Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS (Turkey)  31,110  820,328 

Vantage Drilling International (Units) (Cayman Islands) †  1,527  145,065 

  15,922,130 
Financials (5.1%)   
Agricultural Bank of China, Ltd. (China)  4,523,000  1,631,554 

Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings AG  17,100  608,418 

American Capital Agency Corp. R   92,600  1,701,062 

American Financial Group, Inc.  6,100  421,571 

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. R   37,300  388,666 

Aspen Insurance Holdings, Ltd.  7,400  342,990 

Assurant, Inc.  2,900  245,253 

AvalonBay Communities, Inc. R   11,700  2,068,443 

Banco Bradesco SA ADR (Brazil)  155,026  1,158,046 

Bank Negara Indonesia Persero Tbk PT (Indonesia)  2,771,900  961,599 

Bank of Communications Co., Ltd. (China)  2,355,000  1,482,447 

Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk PT (Indonesia)  2,188,900  1,713,564 

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.  9,800  586,432 

BS Financial Group, Inc. (South Korea)  61,292  496,174 

Capital One Financial Corp.  44,800  3,243,072 

Care Capital Properties, Inc. R   8,800  234,696 

Cathay Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  664,000  741,239 

Chimera Investment Corp. R   36,700  521,140 

China Cinda Asset Management Co., Ltd. (China)  3,618,000  1,180,194 

China Construction Bank Corp. (China)  2,349,000  1,496,551 

China Galaxy Securities Co., Ltd. (China)  1,096,500  950,752 

Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Co., Ltd. (China)  2,456,000  1,287,593 

CoreLogic, Inc. †  8,000  283,840 

DAMAC Properties Dubai Co. PJSC (United Arab Emirates)†  690,025  481,853 

Discover Financial Services  5,400  303,858 

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC (United Arab Emirates)  301,365  478,993 

Endurance Specialty Holdings, Ltd.  4,900  313,502 

Equity Commonwealth †R   10,000  279,100 

Everest Re Group, Ltd.  3,136  579,846 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  25 

 



COMMON STOCKS (24.5%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Financials cont.     
Four Corners Property Trust, Inc. R   13,200  $234,300 

Guangzhou R&F Properties Co., Ltd. (China)  1,002,400  1,396,937 

Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (The)  1,200  102,912 

Highwealth Construction Corp. (Taiwan)  471,000  706,601 

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  35,461  986,620 

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, Ltd. (China)  1,961,000  1,053,648 

Industrial Bank of Korea (South Korea)  147,191  1,559,722 

Liberty Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  130,967  1,286,059 

Macquarie Mexico Real Estate Management SA de CV (Mexico) R   276,774  384,483 

MFA Financial, Inc. R   48,300  333,753 

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS OAO (Russia)  1,083,658  1,711,370 

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China, Ltd. (China)  3,886,000  1,553,294 

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (The)  28,700  2,519,286 

Popular, Inc. (Puerto Rico)  11,700  347,724 

ProAssurance Corp.  4,800  229,104 

Public Storage R   3,200  783,392 

Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.  3,900  371,358 

RenaissanceRe Holdings, Ltd.  4,762  528,153 

Sberbank of Russia PJSC ADR (Russia)  307,240  2,466,614 

Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  14,973  546,845 

SLM Corp. †  74,700  505,719 

Starwood Property Trust, Inc. R   40,600  786,016 

Synchrony Financial †  98,100  2,998,917 

TCF Financial Corp.  19,900  271,436 

Two Harbors Investment Corp. R   48,500  379,755 

U.S. Bancorp  27,900  1,191,051 

Validus Holdings, Ltd.  10,500  483,945 

Voya Financial, Inc.  32,000  1,039,040 

Wells Fargo & Co.  92,000  4,598,160 

XL Group PLC  52,500  1,718,325 

  59,256,987 
Health care (2.3%)   
AmerisourceBergen Corp.  28,800  2,450,880 

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A †  2,000  283,700 

Cardinal Health, Inc.  27,474  2,155,610 

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. †  3,000  237,810 

DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc. †  18,800  1,389,320 

Johnson & Johnson  50,300  5,637,624 

McKesson Corp.  15,900  2,668,338 

MEDNAX, Inc. †  6,900  491,901 

Merck & Co., Inc.  27,500  1,508,100 

PerkinElmer, Inc.  12,000  605,040 

Pfizer, Inc.  129,100  4,222,861 

Richter Gedeon Nyrt (Hungary)  80,612  1,602,098 

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.  22,400  3,231,200 

Waters Corp. †  5,800  754,928 

    27,239,410 

 

26  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (24.5%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Technology (3.6%)     
Accenture PLC Class A  26,100  $2,947,212 

Amdocs, Ltd.  13,300  751,982 

Apple, Inc.  25,613  2,400,963 

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.  56,000  538,160 

Cisco Systems, Inc.  153,500  4,219,715 

Computer Sciences Corp.  10,900  361,117 

CSRA, Inc.  12,400  321,904 

DST Systems, Inc.  11,600  1,399,888 

eBay, Inc. †  110,100  2,689,743 

Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  296,000  414,133 

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.  11,100  730,380 

Fiserv, Inc. †  17,900  1,749,188 

Genpact, Ltd. †  12,700  354,203 

Gentex Corp.  7,900  126,716 

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  1,035,000  2,450,437 

Ingram Micro, Inc. Class A  15,000  524,250 

Inventec Corp. (Taiwan)  995,000  654,857 

Leidos Holdings, Inc.  7,400  367,114 

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.  77,000  2,750,440 

Microsoft Corp.  23,419  1,167,906 

NetEase, Inc. ADR (China)  12,587  1,770,991 

Paychex, Inc.  46,700  2,434,004 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  5,053  5,494,613 

Synopsys, Inc. †  12,900  613,008 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR (Taiwan)  70,037  1,652,173 

Tencent Holdings, Ltd. (China)  69,800  1,416,404 

WNS Holdings, Ltd. ADR (India) †  20,676  655,222 

Xilinx, Inc.  12,700  547,116 

  41,503,839 
Transportation (0.7%)   
China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd. (China)  2,034,000  1,263,867 

MISC Bhd (Malaysia)  503,400  1,087,852 

OHL Mexico SAB de CV (Mexico) †  253,767  416,980 

Southwest Airlines Co.  2,200  98,142 

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS (Turkey)  35,028  204,175 

Turk Hava Yollari AO (Turkey) †  482,889  1,190,732 

United Parcel Service, Inc. Class B  33,486  3,518,374 

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, Ltd. (China)  969,600  710,646 

  8,490,768 
Utilities and power (1.0%)   
AK Transneft OAO (Preference) (Russia) †  366  1,132,813 

American Electric Power Co., Inc.  19,800  1,257,300 

American Water Works Co., Inc.  8,100  589,356 

Korea Electric Power Corp. (South Korea)  42,192  2,283,992 

PG&E Corp.  30,900  1,798,380 

Southern Co. (The)  60,900  3,051,090 

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (Malaysia)  541,200  1,986,820 

    12,099,751 
 
Total common stocks (cost $266,514,470)    $285,583,689 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  27 

 



U.S. GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS (13.1%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
U.S. Government Guaranteed Mortgage Obligations (0.7%)     
Government National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
4.687s, June 20, 2045  $172,840  $195,060 
4.654s, June 20, 2045  747,006  843,187 
4.554s, May 20, 2045  370,067  416,504 
4.524s, June 20, 2065  363,814  408,229 
4.516s, June 20, 2045  365,622  409,599 
4.468s, May 20, 2065  737,346  822,221 
4.413s, June 20, 2065  182,946  204,143 
3 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  4,000,000  4,225,625 

  7,524,568 
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage Obligations (12.4%)   
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Pass-Through Certificates     
4s, March 1, 2046 ##  299,595  320,895 
4s, March 1, 2046  496,450  532,714 
3 1/2s, August 1, 2043  820,411  866,591 
3s, March 1, 2043  765,680  786,945 

Federal National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
5 1/2s, January 1, 2038  817,093  922,621 
5 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  2,000,000  2,239,531 
4 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  2,000,000  2,177,812 
4s, with due dates from May 1, 2044 to March 1, 2046  2,204,920  2,363,387 
3 1/2s, with due dates from July 1, 2043 to November 1, 2045  1,762,082  1,857,251 
3 1/2s, TBA, June 1, 2046  3,000,000  3,139,336 
3 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  6,000,000  6,289,219 
3s, TBA, May 1, 2046  120,000,000  123,046,872 

    144,543,174 
 
Total U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations (cost $151,787,981)  $152,067,742 

 

MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.8%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations (5.7%)     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
IFB Ser. 2990, Class LB, 15.84s, 2034  $100,969  $130,730 
IFB Ser. 3232, Class KS, IO, 5.867s, 2036  554,854  94,325 
IFB Ser. 4104, Class S, IO, 5.667s, 2042  502,272  107,868 
IFB Ser. 3116, Class AS, IO, 5.667s, 2034  156,084  2,341 
IFB Ser. 3852, Class NT, 5.567s, 2041  1,937,062  2,004,834 
Ser. 4322, Class ID, IO, 4 1/2s, 2043  5,280,272  749,298 
Ser. 4122, Class TI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2042  1,129,709  172,168 
Ser. 4568, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2046  3,844,000  499,720 
Ser. 4462, IO, 4s, 2045  1,450,501  250,951 
Ser. 4425, IO, 4s, 2045  6,676,252  841,809 
Ser. 4452, Class QI, IO, 4s, 2044  3,483,241  532,011 
Ser. 4355, Class DI, IO, 4s, 2044  3,927,334  338,929 
Ser. 4193, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  2,263,181  338,026 
Ser. 4121, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,451,464  270,335 
Ser. 4116, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2042  2,809,658  498,852 
Ser. 4213, Class GI, IO, 4s, 2041  869,826  101,248 

 

28  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.8%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
Ser. 4013, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2039  $2,539,658  $239,730 
Ser. 4501, Class BI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,950,998  414,657 
Ser. 303, Class C18, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,043,642  354,333 
Ser. 4121, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  3,766,331  684,756 
Ser. 4136, Class IW, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  2,370,009  310,905 
Ser. 4166, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  1,885,278  247,861 
Ser. 4097, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  2,907,610  304,907 
Ser. 304, Class C37, IO, 3 1/2s, 2027  838,064  88,982 
Ser. 4150, Class DI, IO, 3s, 2043  1,784,292  209,654 
Ser. 4158, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  4,321,633  464,230 
Ser. 4165, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  3,755,480  393,199 
Ser. 4183, Class MI, IO, 3s, 2042  1,699,195  173,148 
Ser. 4206, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2041  2,766,836  290,585 
Ser. 4433, Class DI, IO, 3s, 2032  3,565,860  298,070 
Ser. 3939, Class EI, IO, 3s, 2026  2,960,756  203,183 
FRB Ser. 8, Class A9, IO, 0.451s, 2028  189,788  2,610 
FRB Ser. 59, Class 1AX, IO, 0.273s, 2043  483,622  4,874 
Ser. 48, Class A2, IO, 0.212s, 2033  717,675  5,383 
Ser. 315, PO, zero %, 2043  2,779,492  2,235,131 
Ser. 3206, Class EO, PO, zero %, 2036  30,985  28,051 
Ser. 3175, Class MO, PO, zero %, 2036  28,035  24,556 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 05-74, Class NK, 25.306s, 2035  63,935  99,793 
IFB Ser. 11-4, Class CS, 12.022s, 2040  679,470  836,524 
IFB Ser. 11-147, Class SP, IO, 5.611s, 2042  3,384,731  456,939 
IFB Ser. 13-103, Class SK, IO, 5.481s, 2043  934,050  226,427 
IFB Ser. 13-101, Class SE, IO, 5.461s, 2043  1,234,723  299,918 
Ser. 397, Class 2, IO, 5s, 2039  25,980  4,652 
Ser. 15-4, IO, 4 1/2s, 2045  1,775,422  330,736 
Ser. 421, Class C6, IO, 4s, 2045  3,116,121  497,087 
Ser. 14-47, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2044  2,521,453  304,975 
Ser. 12-124, Class UI, IO, 4s, 2042  3,199,318  550,603 
Ser. 12-118, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2042  2,599,867  445,475 
Ser. 13-11, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2042  2,483,309  405,909 
Ser. 12-96, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2041  1,406,840  192,269 
Ser. 12-22, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2041  2,554,895  342,057 
Ser. 12-62, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2041  2,071,178  255,791 
Ser. 409, Class C16, IO, 4s, 2040  453,835  68,361 
Ser. 12-104, Class HI, IO, 4s, 2027  2,617,494  311,025 
Ser. 417, Class C24, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,847,375  315,685 
Ser. 12-118, Class IC, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  4,358,114  786,223 
Ser. 12-136, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,614,601  160,741 
Ser. 14-10, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,385,492  160,034 
Ser. 12-101, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  1,910,485  183,857 
Ser. 14-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  4,071,821  433,315 
Ser. 12-110, Class BI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  2,260,928  217,706 
Ser. 13-21, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2033  2,457,408  362,209 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  29 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.8%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Federal National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 12-151, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2043  $1,736,887  $206,169 
Ser. 13-1, Class MI, IO, 3s, 2043  3,549,204  329,473 
Ser. 13-8, Class NI, IO, 3s, 2042  3,510,184  373,346 
Ser. 6, Class BI, IO, 3s, 2042  2,944,485  238,209 
Ser. 13-35, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2042  2,748,893  256,957 
Ser. 13-23, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2041  4,813,524  363,132 
Ser. 13-66, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2041  7,332,764  632,818 
Ser. 13-31, Class NI, IO, 3s, 2041  3,872,525  318,947 
Ser. 13-7, Class EI, IO, 3s, 2040  2,039,993  242,352 
Ser. 12-100, Class WI, IO, 3s, 2027  5,855,410  579,976 
FRB Ser. 03-W10, Class 1, IO, 0.711s, 2043  154,756  2,424 
Ser. 98-W2, Class X, IO, 0.697s, 2028  1,194,657  58,240 
Ser. 98-W5, Class X, IO, 0.538s, 2028  365,375  17,812 

Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 09-79, Class IC, IO, 6s, 2039  3,124,174  604,809 
IFB Ser. 13-129, Class SN, IO, 5.711s, 2043  590,815  96,007 
IFB Ser. 13-99, Class VS, IO, 5.664s, 2043  735,782  130,484 
Ser. 14-182, Class KI, IO, 5s, 2044  2,772,029  481,973 
Ser. 14-133, Class IP, IO, 5s, 2044  2,844,226  513,724 
Ser. 14-122, Class IC, IO, 5s, 2044  1,397,194  266,459 
Ser. 14-76, IO, 5s, 2044  2,956,348  515,716 
Ser. 14-163, Class NI, IO, 5s, 2044  1,634,818  297,591 
Ser. 14-25, Class QI, IO, 5s, 2044  2,558,006  442,842 
Ser. 14-2, Class IC, IO, 5s, 2044  3,724,168  773,079 
Ser. 13-3, Class IT, IO, 5s, 2043  1,074,145  189,094 
Ser. 11-116, Class IB, IO, 5s, 2040  409,247  15,153 
Ser. 10-35, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  610,781  110,719 
Ser. 10-20, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  746,646  124,443 
Ser. 10-9, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  3,190,419  574,741 
Ser. 09-121, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2039  1,971,687  354,588 
Ser. 14-3, Class IP, IO, 4 1/2s, 2043  2,055,166  328,827 
Ser. 11-18, Class PI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  65,219  7,492 
Ser. 10-35, Class AI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  1,390,151  222,410 
Ser. 10-35, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  715,153  122,165 
Ser. 13-151, Class IB, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  888,459  143,734 
Ser. 10-9, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  645,252  108,021 
Ser. 09-121, Class CI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2039  2,179,114  441,795 
Ser. 10-103, Class DI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2038  1,672,323  85,267 
Ser. 15-186, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2045  6,682,130  991,895 
Ser. 15-99, Class LI, IO, 4s, 2045  2,513,414  254,251 
Ser. 15-64, Class IG, IO, 4s, 2045  5,703,445  1,074,301 
Ser. 15-53, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2045  2,566,271  565,144 
Ser. 15-40, IO, 4s, 2045  919,715  192,024 
Ser. 15-40, Class KI, IO, 4s, 2044  2,359,207  439,851 
Ser. 14-149, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2044  1,777,747  263,481 
Ser. 13-24, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,189,590  170,967 
Ser. 12-138, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,703,629  321,165 

 

30  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.8%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 12-38, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2042 F   $5,235,009  $907,884 
Ser. 12-47, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,790,724  276,896 
Ser. 14-104, IO, 4s, 2042  2,795,182  463,916 
Ser. 12-50, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2041  1,252,091  167,780 
Ser. 12-8, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2041  6,682,597  875,503 
Ser. 14-133, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2036  3,447,737  342,090 
Ser. 15-64, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  4,669,184  448,662 
Ser. 15-20, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  4,043,986  582,686 
Ser. 15-24, Class CI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  1,206,283  240,035 
Ser. 15-24, Class IA, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  1,453,709  231,537 
Ser. 13-102, Class IP, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  1,614,242  120,889 
Ser. 13-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  1,273,255  133,590 
Ser. 13-79, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,858,037  292,720 
Ser. 13-100, Class MI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,288,292  200,042 
Ser. 13-37, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  1,418,041  135,437 
Ser. 12-145, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,454,037  231,247 
Ser. 13-14, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  4,071,948  432,156 
Ser. 13-27, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  671,082  63,907 
Ser. 12-136, Class BI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  4,205,890  750,331 
Ser. 12-92, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  807,417  86,028 
Ser. 13-37, Class LI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,194,703  123,744 
Ser. 12-141, Class WI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  3,054,893  244,147 
Ser. 15-36, Class GI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  1,728,775  211,412 
Ser. 12-71, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  1,038,480  74,936 
Ser. 13-90, Class HI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  3,641,206  166,003 
Ser. 13-79, Class XI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  3,021,410  352,294 
Ser. 183, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  2,827,018  306,211 
Ser. 15-118, Class EI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  4,007,240  420,604 
Ser. 15-124, Class NI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  3,615,362  407,571 
Ser. 15-138, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  1,542,504  172,256 
Ser. 15-96, Class NI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  4,216,434  442,726 
Ser. 15-82, Class GI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2038  6,994,346  669,219 
Ser. 15-124, Class DI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2038  4,491,043  610,575 
Ser. 15-24, Class IC, IO, 3 1/2s, 2037  1,889,600  250,506 
Ser. 14-115, Class QI, IO, 3s, 2029  2,131,033  197,121 
Ser. 13-H08, IO, 2.926s, 2063  4,462,331  351,632 
Ser. 15-H22, Class GI, IO, 2.568s, 2065  5,062,873  734,117 
Ser. 16-H04, Class HI, IO, 2.362s, 2065  2,738,766  334,951 
Ser. 15-H09, Class AI, IO, 2.085s, 2065  6,131,229  668,917 
Ser. 16-H03, Class AI, IO, 2.058s, 2066  7,170,693  815,874 
FRB Ser. 15-H16, Class XI, IO, 2.035s, 2065  4,497,670  577,051 
Ser. 15-H20, Class CI, IO, 2.028s, 2065  9,029,301  1,120,599 
Ser. 15-H24, Class HI, IO, 2.024s, 2065  10,324,089  884,774 
Ser. 15-H25, Class BI, IO, 1.991s, 2065  8,293,889  1,002,731 
Ser. 15-H15, Class JI, IO, 1.94s, 2065  5,826,793  704,459 
Ser. 16-H02, Class BI, IO, 1.918s, 2065  10,538,812  1,148,530 
Ser. 15-H19, Class NI, IO, 1.909s, 2065  7,011,834  821,787 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  31 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.8%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 16-H04, Class KI, IO, 1.891s, 2066  $6,528,746  $629,972 
Ser. 15-H25, Class EI, IO, 1.844s, 2065  6,248,056  685,412 
Ser. 15-H18, Class IA, IO, 1.827s, 2065  3,563,959  337,863 
Ser. 15-H10, Class CI, IO, 1.806s, 2065  6,562,637  697,786 
Ser. 15-H26, Class GI, IO, 1.792s, 2065  5,242,606  586,648 
Ser. 15-H26, Class EI, IO, 1.718s, 2065  4,890,946  522,842 
Ser. 14-H21, Class AI, IO, 1.7s, 2064  7,295,660  765,315 
Ser. 15-H09, Class BI, IO, 1.697s, 2065  9,076,008  882,188 
Ser. 15-H10, Class EI, IO, 1.631s, 2065  6,199,993  474,919 
Ser. 15-H25, Class AI, IO, 1.612s, 2065  8,915,426  842,508 
Ser. 15-H24, Class BI, IO, 1.612s, 2065  9,344,685  653,194 
Ser. 15-H14, Class BI, IO, 1.589s, 2065  6,506,131  498,370 
Ser. 16-H08, Class GI, IO, 1.418s, 2066  9,210,000  664,041 
Ser. 15-H26, Class CI, IO, 0.575s, 2065  14,249,182  391,853 

GSMPS Mortgage Loan Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 98-4, IO, 1.147s, 2026  67,372  — 
FRB Ser. 98-2, IO, 1.043s, 2027  40,655  — 
FRB Ser. 99-2, IO, 0.84s, 2027  96,326  843 
FRB Ser. 98-3, IO, zero %, 2027  45,893  — 

  66,436,465 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (2.8%)   
Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 07-1,     
Class XW, IO, 0.508s, 2049  2,538,818  9,908 

Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 08-1, Class C, 6.476s, 2051  1,000,000  918,750 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc.     
FRB Ser. 05-5, Class D, 5.56s, 2045  321,003  321,058 
FRB Ser. 05-1, Class C, 5.516s, 2042  292,000  274,013 
Ser. 05-3, Class AJ, 4.767s, 2043  225,000  204,965 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc. 144A     
FRB Ser. 04-4, Class XC, IO, 0.095s, 2042  153,931  118 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class AJ, 5.557s, 2039  596,000  587,060 
Ser. 05-PWR7, Class D, 5.304s, 2041  375,000  322,643 
Ser. 05-PWR9, Class C, 5.055s, 2042  215,000  214,742 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class B, 5.557s, 2039  3,084,000  2,926,099 
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class C, 5.557s, 2039  320,000  287,850 

CD Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 07-CD5, Class E, 6.326s, 2044  250,000  242,634 

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 06-C4, Class B,     
6.266s, 2049  703,000  645,916 

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 14-GC19, Class D, 5.063s, 2047  383,000  323,166 
FRB Ser. 13-GC11, Class E, 4.603s, 2046  1,041,000  810,520 

COMM Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates 144A Ser. 12-CR3,     
Class F, 4 3/4s, 2045  725,000  574,096 

COMM Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 07-C9, Class D, 6.006s, 2049  300,000  277,875 

 

32  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.8%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
COMM Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 12-LC4, Class E, 4 1/4s, 2044  $452,000  $369,594 
FRB Ser. 14-UBS6, Class D, 4.115s, 2047  387,000  298,485 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. Ser. 05-C3,     
Class B, 4.882s, 2037  135,000  135,041 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A FRB     
Ser. 03-C3, Class AX, IO, 2.191s, 2038  175,913  23 

GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp. Trust FRB Ser. 06-C1,     
Class AJ, 5.552s, 2044  1,141,394  1,118,566 

GE Commercial Mortgage Corp. Trust Ser. 07-C1, Class A3,     
5.481s, 2049  172,247  173,200 

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class D, 4.557s, 2046  291,000  260,212 
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class E, 4.557s, 2046  850,000  625,090 

GS Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-GC16, Class D, 5.493s, 2046  488,000  449,422 
FRB Ser. 06-GG8, Class X, IO, 0.756s, 2039  26,644,716  29,309 

JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-C14, Class E, 4.715s, 2046  675,000  585,833 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class E, 4.222s, 2045  800,000  607,840 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class AJ, 6.284s, 2051  168,000  165,967 
FRB Ser. 06-LDP7, Class B, 6.147s, 2045  556,000  275,276 
FRB Ser. 05-LDP2, Class D, 4.941s, 2042  850,000  817,828 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class C, 6.384s, 2051  501,000  458,370 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class F, 5.365s, 2045  334,000  297,093 
Ser. 13-C13, Class E, 3.986s, 2046  494,000  387,592 
Ser. 13-C10, Class E, 3 1/2s, 2047  354,000  262,102 
Ser. 12-C6, Class G, 2.972s, 2045  366,000  275,269 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
Pass-Through Certificates 144A Ser. 01-C1, Class H,     
5.626s, 2035  168,361  168,571 

Key Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 07-SL1, Class A2, 5.837s, 2040  12,676  12,650 

LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-C6, Class D, 5.502s, 2039  640,000  543,699 
FRB Ser. 06-C6, Class C, 5.482s, 2039  1,016,000  956,361 
FRB Ser. 07-C2, Class XW, IO, 0.739s, 2040  2,051,728  8,675 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-CIP1, Class C, 5.706s, 2038  351,000  321,765 
Ser. 04-KEY2, Class D, 5.046s, 2039  243,574  241,322 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 05-MCP1, Class XC,     
IO, 0.026s, 2043  823,507  4 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust Ser. 06-3, Class AJ,     
5.485s, 2046  276,000  268,990 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  33 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.8%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-C11, Class E, 4.56s, 2046  $600,000  $512,940 
FRB Ser. 13-C11, Class F, 4.56s, 2046  696,000  531,086 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class G, 4 1/2s, 2045  1,814,000  1,392,971 
Ser. 13-C13, Class F, 3.707s, 2046  1,285,000  946,281 

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-HQ8, Class C, 5.59s, 2044  950,000  950,000 
Ser. 07-HQ11, Class D, 5.587s, 2044  238,000  202,248 
Ser. 07-HQ11, Class C, 5.558s, 2044  861,000  817,950 
Ser. 06-HQ10, Class B, 5.448s, 2041  1,213,000  1,180,110 

Morgan Stanley Re-REMIC Trust 144A FRB Ser. 10-C30A,     
Class A3B, 5.246s, 2043  255,889  256,132 

UBS-Barclays Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 13-C6,     
Class D, 4.493s, 2046  58,000  50,524 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-C26, Class AJ, 6.241s, 2045  638,000  633,534 
FRB Ser. 06-C23, Class F, 5.784s, 2045  578,000  576,509 
FRB Ser. 06-C29, IO, 0.527s, 2048  35,789,983  46,527 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 05-C21, Class E, 5.465s, 2044  1,487,000  1,369,676 
FRB Ser. 07-C31, IO, 0.346s, 2047  53,435,528  75,144 

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 13-LC12, Class D, 4.433s, 2046  314,000  264,408 

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 11-C4, Class E, 5.265s, 2044  321,000  316,988 
Ser. 12-C6, Class E, 5s, 2045  412,000  334,256 
Ser. 11-C4, Class F, 5s, 2044  504,000  447,955 
Ser. 11-C3, Class E, 5s, 2044  367,000  345,874 
FRB Ser. 13-C15, Class D, 4.629s, 2046  1,155,004  1,006,841 
FRB Ser. 12-C10, Class E, 4.602s, 2045  316,000  248,060 
Ser. 13-C12, Class E, 3 1/2s, 2048  561,000  427,370 
Ser. 13-C14, Class E, 3 1/4s, 2046  574,000  375,453 

  32,364,399 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) (2.3%)   
BCAP, LLC Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 14-RR1, Class 2A2, 2.506s, 2036  350,000  262,617 
FRB Ser. 15-RR5, Class 2A3, 1.42s, 2046  440,000  280,809 
FRB Ser. 15-RR6, Class 3A2, 1.29s, 2046  239,000  191,272 
FRB Ser. 12-RR5, Class 4A8, 0.603s, 2035  1,916,358  1,750,393 

Bear Stearns Alt-A Trust FRB Ser. 04-3, Class B, 3.364s, 2034  210,223  205,907 

Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-OA7, Class 1A2, 1.317s, 2046  1,841,020  1,399,176 
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 1A6, 1.259s, 2035  562,468  424,664 
FRB Ser. 05-38, Class A3, 0.789s, 2035  1,904,339  1,545,331 
FRB Ser. 05-59, Class 1A1, 0.769s, 2035  650,543  521,585 
FRB Ser. 06-OC2, Class 2A3, 0.729s, 2036  198,506  178,655 
FRB Ser. 06-OA10, Class 4A1, 0.629s, 2046  4,736,630  3,315,641 
FRB Ser. 06-OC10, Class 2A2A, 0.619s, 2036  493,855  476,570 

 

34  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.8%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) cont.     
Countrywide Home Loan Mortgage Pass-Through Trust FRB     
Ser. 06-OA5, Class 2A1, 0.639s, 2046  $1,008,056  $764,015 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DN1,     
Class B, 11.939s, 2025  959,800  1,031,209 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-HQA2,     
Class B, 10.939s, 2028  277,000  266,944 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 16-DNA1,     
Class B, 10.439s, 2028  843,000  807,763 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DNA3,     
Class B, 9.789s, 2028  568,000  538,728 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DNA2,     
Class B, 7.989s, 2027  479,000  459,564 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C03, Class 2B,     
13.189s, 2028  270,000  287,294 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C02, Class 1B,     
12.689s, 2028  920,000  991,576 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C03, Class 1B,     
12.189s, 2028  530,000  565,367 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C01, Class 1B,     
12.189s, 2028  710,000  754,567 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C03, Class 2M2,     
6.339s, 2028  2,180,940  2,267,523 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C04, Class 1M2,     
6.139s, 2028  2,482,000  2,596,411 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C04, Class 2M2,     
5.989s, 2028  30,000  31,209 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C03, Class 1M2,     
5.439s, 2025  880,000  904,199 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C03, Class 2M2,     
5.439s, 2025  380,000  390,522 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C01, Class 2M2,     
4.989s, 2025  170,000  174,488 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 1M2,     
4.439s, 2025  82,000  82,072 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 2M2,     
4.439s, 2025  134,000  133,974 

MortgageIT Trust FRB Ser. 04-1, Class M2, 1.444s, 2034  264,336  228,650 

Nationstar HECM Loan Trust 144A Ser. 15-1A, Class A,     
3.844s, 2018  233,145  233,098 

Nomura Resecuritization Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 15-1R, Class 6A9, 0.621s, 2047  1,503,232  853,084 
FRB Ser. 15-4R, Class 1A14, 0.602s, 2047  950,000  456,000 

Residential Accredit Loans, Inc. FRB Ser. 06-QO10, Class A1,     
0.599s, 2037  459,137  359,903 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  35 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.8%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) cont.     
WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Trust FRB     
Ser. 05-AR13, Class A1C3, 0.929s, 2045  $1,036,918  $856,874 

Wells Fargo Mortgage Backed Securities Trust FRB Ser. 06-AR6,     
Class 7A2, 2.759s, 2036  447,218  432,933 

    27,020,587 
 
Total mortgage-backed securities (cost $132,780,122)    $125,821,451 

 

SENIOR LOANS (5.8%)* c  Principal amount  Value 

 
Basic materials (0.3%)     
AIlnex Luxembourg & CY SCA bank term loan FRN Ser. B1,     
4 1/2s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  $455,174  $453,182 

AIlnex Luxembourg & CY SCA bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
4 1/2s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  236,168  235,134 

Builders FirstSource, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 6s, 2022  1,527,965  1,523,668 

Ineos US Finance, LLC bank term loan FRN 3 3/4s, 2018  413,735  413,070 

KP Germany Erste GmbH bank term loan FRN 5s,     
2020 (Germany)  219,151  219,151 

KP Germany Erste GmbH bank term loan FRN 5s,     
2020 (Germany)  93,654  93,654 

  2,937,859 
Capital goods (0.4%)   
Generac Power Systems, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 1/2s, 2020  396,250  393,897 

Manitowac Foodservice, Inc. bank term loan FRN 5 3/4s, 2023  984,615  991,589 

Reynolds Group Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/2s, 2018  573,165  574,598 

Terex Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2022  1,000,000  982,500 

TransDigm, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. C, 3 3/4s, 2020  433,454  432,642 

TransDigm, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. D, 3 3/4s, 2021  786,000  781,251 

  4,156,477 
Communication services (0.5%)   
Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN 8 1/2s, 2021  480,000  460,800 

Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B1, 5s, 2019  723,056  720,525 

Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B2, 4 1/4s, 2020  965,000  943,046 

Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B4, 5s, 2022  871,725  864,969 

Intelsat Jackson Holdings SA bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
3 3/4s, 2019 (Bermuda)  1,419,814  1,328,946 

Level 3 Financing, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B1, 4s, 2020  1,000,000  1,001,042 

Virgin Media Investment Holdings, Ltd. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. F, 3 1/2s, 2023 (United Kingdom)  1,009,982  1,007,457 

  6,326,785 
Consumer cyclicals (2.4%)   
Academy, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5s, 2022  1,875,411  1,841,809 

Amaya Holdings BV bank term loan FRN 5s, 2021 (Netherlands)  985,056  940,729 

American Casino & Entertainment Properties, LLC bank term     
loan FRN 4 3/4s, 2022  1,092,320  1,097,782 

Bass Pro Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2020  410,850  403,917 

Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B6, 11 1/4s, 2017  849,835  798,845 

Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B7, 11 3/4s, 2017  562,175  521,769 

 

36  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



SENIOR LOANS (5.8%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Consumer cyclicals cont.     
Caesars Growth Properties Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN     
6 1/4s, 2021  $623,888  $553,700 

Chrysler Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2017  189,812  189,677 

CityCenter Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/4s, 2020  712,180  713,367 

CPG International, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2020  414,723  412,131 

DBP Holding Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 1/4s, 2019  1,574,650  1,403,406 

Dollar Tree Stores, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2022  191,213  191,588 

FCA US, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/4s, 2018  460,514  460,169 

Golden Nugget, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 1/2s, 2019  568,094  568,449 

Golden Nugget, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. DD, 5 1/2s, 2019  243,469  243,621 

Jeld-Wen, Inc. bank term loan FRN 5 1/4s, 2021  945,214  944,328 

Jeld-Wen, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2022  746,250  745,551 

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  606,556  600,490 

Navistar, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 6 1/2s, 2020  997,500  940,975 

Neiman Marcus Group, Ltd., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
4 1/4s, 2020  1,251,264  1,190,041 

PET Acquisition Merger Sub, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B1,     
5 3/4s, 2023  1,995,000  2,005,332 

Realogy Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2020  1,455,253  1,454,344 

Sabre GLBL, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2019  1,209,375  1,211,391 

Scientific Games International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B2, 6s, 2021  1,481,250  1,457,643 

Station Casinos, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/4s, 2020  1,092,670  1,094,378 

Talbots, Inc. (The) bank term loan FRN 9 1/2s, 2021  499,677  463,450 

Talbots, Inc. (The) bank term loan FRN 5 1/2s, 2020  737,503  713,534 

Travelport Finance Sarl bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 3/4s,     
2021 (Luxembourg)  733,582  734,499 

Tribune Media Co. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2020  1,001,343  995,398 

Univision Communications, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4s, 2020  1,121,398  1,120,797 

Yonkers Racing Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 1/4s, 2019  1,306,130  1,276,197 

  27,289,307 
Consumer staples (0.6%)   
CEC Entertainment, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2021  421,400  410,602 

Del Monte Foods, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/4s, 2021  940,800  910,224 

Hostess Brands, LLC bank term loan FRN 8 1/2s, 2023  885,000  864,350 

Landry’s, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  1,177,307  1,176,940 

Libbey Glass, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2021  971,136  968,709 

Maple Holdings Acquistion Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
5 1/4s, 2023  1,136,000  1,140,260 

Rite Aid Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 7/8s, 2021  1,000,000  1,001,250 

US Foods, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/2s, 2019  972,500  970,220 

  7,442,555 
Energy (—%)   
American Energy-Marcellus, LLC bank term loan FRN     
5 1/4s, 2020  460,000  120,750 

Tervita Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 6 1/4s, 2018 (Canada)  207,663  187,588 

    308,338 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  37 

 



SENIOR LOANS (5.8%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Financials (0.4%)     
HUB International, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2020  $980,000  $970,200 

iStar, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. A2, 7s, 2017 R   656,076  654,436 

USI, Inc./NY bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/4s, 2019  1,451,531  1,431,573 

Walter Investment Management Corp. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2020  1,395,445  1,220,142 

  4,276,351 
Health care (0.7%)   
Acadia Healthcare Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
4 1/2s, 2023  1,496,250  1,506,537 

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 3/4s, 2021  819,000  812,858 

Envision Healthcare Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/4s, 2018  469,922  470,157 

IASIS Healthcare, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2018  955,746  950,968 

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/2s, 2018  1,307,984  1,306,349 

MPH Acquisition Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 3/4s, 2021  830,455  825,679 

Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 3/4s, 2021  584,588  554,018 

Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC bank term loan FRN     
4 1/4s, 2022  1,588,000  1,584,824 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. E, 3 3/4s, 2020  457,633  444,667 

  8,456,057 
Technology (0.4%)   
Avaya, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B6, 6 1/2s, 2018  977,137  647,353 

First Data Corp. bank term loan FRN 4.432s, 2021  1,210,925  1,213,044 

Infor US, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B5, 3 3/4s, 2020  860,833  840,388 

ON Semiconductor Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
5 1/4s, 2023  1,500,000  1,506,750 

Syniverse Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2019  928,575  747,503 

  4,955,038 
Transportation (—%)   
Air Medical Group Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/4s, 2022  411,888  406,636 

  406,636 
Utilities and power (0.1%)   
Energy Transfer Equity LP bank term loan FRN 3 1/4s, 2019  715,000  671,802 

Texas Competitive Electric Holdings Co., LLC bank term loan     
FRN 4.918s, 2017  710,555  242,477 

Texas Competitive Electric Holdings Co., LLC bank term loan     
FRN 4.918s, 2017  7,293  2,489 

     916,768 
 
Total senior loans (cost $69,525,597)    $67,472,171 

 

CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (5.3%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Basic materials (1.0%)     
ArcelorMittal SA sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 10.85s, 2019 (France)  $345,000  $396,750 

ArcelorMittal SA sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 5 1/8s, 2020 (France)  1,000,000  985,000 

Cemex SAB de CV 144A company guaranty sr. sub. FRN 5.378s,     
2018 (Mexico)  1,500,000  1,541,250 

 

38  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (5.3%)* cont.    Principal amount  Value 

 
Basic materials cont.       
GCP Applied Technologies, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.       
unsec. notes 9 1/2s, 2023    $690,000  $755,550 

HD Supply, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes       
7 1/2s, 2020    876,000  929,655 

HudBay Minerals, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
9 1/2s, 2020 (Canada)    765,000  648,338 

Mercer International, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
7 3/4s, 2022 (Canada)    1,500,000  1,515,000 

Novelis, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 8 3/4s, 2020    1,280,000  1,321,600 

Perstorp Holding AB 144A company guaranty sr. notes 8 3/4s,       
2017 (Sweden)    1,125,000  1,122,188 

Steel Dynamics, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 3/8s, 2022    1,000,000  1,052,500 

Univar USA, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
6 3/4s, 2023    710,000  706,450 

Vale Overseas, Ltd. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 1/4s, 2017 (Brazil)    395,000  403,496 

  11,377,777 
Capital goods (1.1%)     
Advanced Disposal Services, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec.       
notes 8 1/4s, 2020    1,595,000  1,660,794 

American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. company guaranty sr.       
unsec. notes 6 1/4s, 2021    1,000,000  1,040,000 

Ardagh Packaging Finance PLC/Ardagh Holdings USA, Inc.       
144A company guaranty sr. FRN 3.885s, 2021 (Ireland) ##    1,805,000  1,795,975 

ATS Automation Tooling Systems, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes       
6 1/2s, 2023 (Canada)    1,500,000  1,543,125 

Gates Global, LLC/Gates Global Co. 144A company guaranty sr.       
unsec. notes 6s, 2022    1,210,000  1,052,700 

KLX, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 5 7/8s, 2022    1,850,000  1,861,563 

Moog, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
5 1/4s, 2022    1,127,000  1,138,270 

Oshkosh Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes       
5 3/8s, 2022    1,000,000  1,031,250 

ZF North America Capital, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.       
unsec. unsub. notes 4s, 2020    1,500,000  1,567,500 

  12,691,177 
Communication services (0.7%)     
Cequel Communications Holdings I, LLC/Cequel Capital Corp.       
144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/8s, 2021    1,215,000  1,145,138 

Crown Castle International Corp. sr. unsec. notes 5 1/4s, 2023 R     840,000  932,400 

Digicel, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2020 (Jamaica)    1,600,000  1,488,000 

DISH DBS Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
4 1/4s, 2018    1,500,000  1,530,000 

Sprint Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
8 3/8s, 2017    770,000  785,400 

Sprint Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6s, 2016    265,000  266,325 

T-Mobile USA, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
6 1/4s, 2021    500,000  523,750 

Telenet Finance V Luxembourg SCA 144A sr. notes 6 3/4s,       
2024 (Luxembourg)  EUR  130,000  166,106 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  39 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (5.3%)* cont.    Principal amount  Value 

 
Communication services cont.       
Virgin Media Secured Finance PLC 144A sr. notes 6s, 2021       
(United Kingdom)  GBP  477,000  $724,430 

WideOpenWest Finance, LLC/WideOpenWest Capital Corp.       
company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes 10 1/4s, 2019    $1,110,000  1,112,775 

  8,674,324 
Consumer cyclicals (0.4%)     
Howard Hughes Corp. (The) 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 7/8s, 2021    1,500,000  1,518,750 

JC Penney Corp, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds       
8 1/8s, 2019    1,050,000  1,081,500 

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 1/8s, 2019    700,000  654,500 

Navistar International Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
8 1/4s, 2021    880,000  638,000 

Scientific Games Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes       
8 1/8s, 2018    575,000  553,438 

Standard Industries, Inc./NJ 144A sr. unsec. notes 5 1/8s, 2021    120,000  124,800 

  4,570,988 
Consumer staples (0.2%)     
1011778 BC ULC/New Red Finance, Inc. 144A company       
guaranty sr. notes 4 5/8s, 2022 (Canada)    1,080,000  1,107,000 

BlueLine Rental Finance Corp. 144A notes 7s, 2019    650,000  570,375 

Rite Aid Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 1/8s, 2023    670,000  713,972 

  2,391,347 
Energy (0.4%)     
Chesapeake Energy Corp. 144A company guaranty       
notes 8s, 2022    900,000  612,000 

Oasis Petroleum, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 7/8s, 2022    580,000  517,650 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.       
unsub. notes 6 1/4s, 2024 (Brazil)    637,000  555,783 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.       
unsub. notes 3 1/4s, 2017 (Brazil)    940,000  930,600 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA sr. unsec. notes 5 1/8s,       
2016 (Venezuela)    2,352,000  2,075,640 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.       
notes 8 1/2s, 2017 (Venezuela)    666,666  388,333 

  5,080,006 
Financials (0.7%)     
Ally Financial, Inc. sub. unsec. notes 5 3/4s, 2025    600,000  607,500 

CIT Group, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/4s, 2018    900,000  928,125 

Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (The) jr. unsec. sub. FRB       
8 1/8s, 2038    530,000  570,413 

Icahn Enterprises LP/Icahn Enterprises Finance Corp. company       
guaranty sr. unsec. notes 4 7/8s, 2019    1,070,000  1,061,975 

Russian Agricultural Bank OJSC Via RSHB Capital SA 144A sr.       
unsec. unsub. notes 5.298s, 2017 (Russia)    300,000  307,125 

Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. unsub.       
notes 6.902s, 2020 (Russia)    500,000  523,750 

Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. unsub.       
notes 6.8s, 2025 (Russia)    250,000  261,599 

Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. unsub.       
notes 5.942s, 2023 (Russia)    400,000  398,523 

 

40  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (5.3%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Financials cont.     
VTB Bank OJSC Via VTB Capital SA 144A sr. unsec. notes     
6 7/8s, 2018 (Russia)  $1,600,000  $1,702,320 

VTB Bank OJSC Via VTB Capital SA 144A unsec. sub. bonds     
6.95s, 2022 (Russia)  1,800,000  1,782,000 

  8,143,330 
Health care (0.3%)   
CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
sub. notes 5 1/8s, 2018  555,000  561,938 

Endo Limited/Endo Finance LLC/Endo Finco, Inc. 144A     
company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6s, 2023 (Ireland)  400,000  392,500 

HCA, Inc. company guaranty sr. notes 6 1/2s, 2020  610,000  674,813 

Kinetic Concepts, Inc./KCI USA, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.     
notes 7 7/8s, 2021  245,000  264,906 

Tenet Healthcare Corp. company guaranty sr. notes 6 1/4s, 2018  665,000  711,550 

Tenet Healthcare Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. FRN     
4.134s, 2020  720,000  720,900 

  3,326,607 
Technology (0.4%)   
CommScope, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. notes     
4 3/8s, 2020  1,000,000  1,032,500 

Infor US, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 1/2s, 2022  1,310,000  1,209,143 

Iron Mountain, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 6s, 2020 R   1,645,000  1,739,588 

SoftBank Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
4 1/2s, 2020 (Japan)  585,000  593,775 

  4,575,006 
Utilities and power (0.1%)   
AES Corp./Virginia (The) sr. unsec. notes 5 1/2s, 2025  195,000  195,975 

NRG Energy, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes     
6 1/4s, 2022  1,000,000  980,320 

Texas-New Mexico Power Co. 144A 1st sr. bonds Ser. A,     
9 1/2s, 2019  175,000  205,625 

    1,381,920 
 
Total corporate bonds and notes (cost $62,784,266)    $62,212,482 

 

COMMODITY LINKED NOTES (5.3%)* †††  Principal amount  Value 

 
Bank of America Corp. 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1-month LIBOR     
less 0.10%, 2017 (Indexed to the BofA Merrill Lynch Commodity     
MLCXP2KS Excess Return Strategy multiplied by 3)  $10,800,000  $10,800,000 

Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc. sr. notes Ser. N, 3-month USD     
LIBOR less 0.20%, 2017 (Indexed to the Citi Commodity Spread Index —     
Bloomberg Commodity IndexSM 3 Month Forward Sub-Indices versus     
Bloomberg Commodity IndexSM Sub-Indices multiplied by 3)  21,640,000  21,282,724 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2017     
(Indexed to the S&P GSCI Commodity Index multiplied by 3)     
(United Kingdom)  6,606,000  6,731,294 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2017     
(Indexed to the UBSIF3AT Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  15,571,000  15,992,307 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2016     
(Indexed to the UBSIF3AT Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  6,821,364  7,252,348 

Total commodity Linked Notes (cost $61,438,364)    $62,058,673 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  41 

 



INVESTMENT COMPANIES (4.9%)*  Shares  Value 

 
Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund  185,100  $9,680,730 

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund  392,300  9,144,513 

Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund  138,000  9,631,020 

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund  179,900  10,103,184 

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund  215,900  9,095,867 

Utility Select Sector SPDR Fund  197,500  9,562,950 

Total investment companies (cost $55,864,391)    $57,218,264 

 

FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY       
BONDS AND NOTES (1.1%)*    Principal amount  Value 

 
Brazil (Federal Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. notes 10s, 2017       
(Brazil) (units)  BRL  2,750  $807,522 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 9 1/8s,       
2024 (Argentina)    $1,400,000  1,486,828 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
10 7/8s, 2021 (Argentina)    3,070,000  3,415,375 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 9.95s,       
2021 (Argentina)    2,773,529  3,023,147 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 9 3/8s,       
2018 (Argentina)    1,261,000  1,352,423 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 3/8s,       
2021 (Croatia)    240,000  262,687 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 1/4s,       
2017 (Croatia)    350,000  363,125 

Indonesia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 4 3/4s,       
2026 (Indonesia)    300,000  318,750 

Indonesia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5.95s,       
2046 (Indonesia)    300,000  333,750 

Russia (Federation of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 5 5/8s,       
2042 (Russia)    1,700,000  1,778,617 

Total foreign government and agency bonds and notes (cost $12,172,024)  $13,142,224 

 

WARRANTS (1.0%)* †  Expiration  Strike     
  date  price  Warrants  Value 

 
Bharat Petroleum Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/9/18  $0.00  125,606  $1,851,993 

Ceat, Ltd. 144A (India)  8/15/16  0.00  18,252  302,301 

China State Construction Engineering Corp.,         
Ltd. 144A (China)  12/10/17  0.00  1,520,944  1,292,373 

Indian Oil Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  8/25/17  0.00  235,953  1,541,182 

Infosys, Ltd. 144A (India)  10/10/16  0.00  149,062  2,714,937 

Mindtree, Ltd. 144A (India)  3/3/17  0.00  54,744  560,233 

Power Finance Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/9/18  0.00  367,882  994,718 

Rural Electrification Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/6/17  0.00  316,440  851,091 

Shanghai Automotive Co. (China)  3/2/17  0.00  333,600  1,045,892 

Wipro, Ltd. 144A (India)  10/6/17  0.00  14,073  117,614 

Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co., Ltd. 144A (China)  6/30/16  0.00  103,700  327,995 

Total warrants (cost $12,500,719)        $11,600,329 

 

42  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (0.4%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Station Place Securitization Trust     
FRB Ser. 16-1, Class A, 1.433s, 2017  $1,873,000  $1,873,000 
FRB Ser. 15-4, Class A, 1.402s, 2016  2,898,000  2,898,000 

Total asset-backed securities (cost $4,771,000)    $4,771,000 

 

PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING (—%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

 
Bank of America N.A.       
(1.88)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.88  $9,293,400  $40,333 

1.55/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.55  9,293,400  37,359 

Barclays Bank PLC       
(1.809)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.809  9,293,400  60,500 

1.481/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.481  9,293,400  24,906 

Citibank, N.A.       
(2.087)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.087  9,189,700  9 

Credit Suisse International       
(2.915)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.915  174,000  3,426 

(3.315)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/3.315  174,000  1,339 

Goldman Sachs International       
(1.835)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.835  9,293,400  60,407 

1.4825/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.4825  9,293,400  29,832 

(1.82)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.82  4,746,800  3,228 

(1.306)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.306  4,746,800  3,038 

(2.18625)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.18625  9,189,700  9 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(1.15)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.15  4,746,800  5,601 

0.8725/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/0.8725  4,746,800  4,889 

Total purchased swap options outstanding (cost $404,388)    $274,876 

 

PURCHASED OPTIONS  Expiration date/  Contract   
OUTSTANDING (0.3%)*  strike price  amount  Value 

 
Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Aug-16/$101.52  $2,000,000  $11,540 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Aug-16/101.39  2,000,000  10,640 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.98  2,000,000  11,540 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jul-16/102.03  1,000,000  5,980 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.16  2,000,000  2,460 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.91  2,000,000  1,780 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.30  1,000,000  1,470 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.22  1,000,000  1,330 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  43 

 



PURCHASED OPTIONS  Expiration date/  Contract   
OUTSTANDING (0.3%)* cont.  strike price  amount  Value 

 
Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/$101.11  $1,000,000  $1,160 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.84  1,000,000  820 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Apr-17/180.00  137,392  985,753 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Mar-17/175.00  134,823  721,318 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Feb-17/156.00  148,074  385,331 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Jan-17/145.00  150,450  234,864 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Dec-16/164.00  157,869  400,670 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Nov-16/170.00  153,283  380,661 

Total purchased options outstanding (cost $6,063,206)      $3,157,317 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (42.1%)*  Principal amount/shares  Value 

 
Interest in $353,599,000 joint tri-party repurchase agreement       
dated 4/29/16 with Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. due       
5/2/16 — maturity value of $38,888,972 for an effective       
yield of 0.300% (collateralized by various mortgage backed       
securities with coupon rates ranging from 2.000% to 8.500%       
and due dates ranging from 12/1/16 to 3/15/51, valued       
at $360,670,980)    $38,888,000  $38,888,000 

Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund 0.30% L   Shares   163,525,836  163,525,836 

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.44% L   Shares   232,230,954  232,230,954 

SSgA Prime Money Market Fund Class N 0.41% P   Shares   130,000  130,000 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.21%, July 21, 2016 ∆ §    $709,000  708,704 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.17%, June 16, 2016 ∆    1,360,000  1,359,759 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.29%, June 9, 2016 # ∆ §    12,025,000  12,023,232 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.18%, June 2, 2016 §    409,000  408,948 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.29%, May 26, 2016 # ∆ §    7,519,000  7,518,173 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.30%, May 19, 2016 # ∆ §    1,436,000  1,435,895 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.22%, May 12, 2016 # ∆ §    18,461,000  18,460,262 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.26%, May 5, 2016 ∆ §    12,882,000  12,881,871 

Total short-term investments (cost $489,568,049)      $489,571,634 
 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS       

Total investments (cost $1,326,174,577)      $1,334,951,852 

 

Key to holding’s currency abbreviations

 

AUD  Australian Dollar 
BRL  Brazilian Real 
CAD  Canadian Dollar 
CHF  Swiss Franc 
EUR  Euro 
GBP  British Pound 
NOK  Norwegian Krone 
NZD  New Zealand Dollar 
SEK  Swedish Krona 

 

44  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



Key to holding’s abbreviations

ADR  American Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank 
bp  Basis points 
ETF  Exchange Traded Fund 
FRB  Floating Rate Bonds: the rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period 
FRN  Floating Rate Notes: the rate shown is the current interest rate or yield at the close of the reporting period 
IFB  Inverse Floating Rate Bonds, which are securities that pay interest rates that vary inversely to changes in the market interest rates. As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce less current income. The rate 
  shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period. 
IO  Interest Only 
OAO  Open Joint Stock Company 
OJSC  Open Joint Stock Company 
PJSC  Public Joint Stock Company 
PO  Principal Only 
SPDR  S&P Depository Receipts 
TBA  To Be Announced Commitments 

 

Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $1,164,258,356.

††† The value of the commodity linked notes, which are marked to market daily, may be based on a multiple of the performance of the index. The multiple (or leverage) will increase the volatility of the note’s value relative to the change in the underlying index.

† This security is non-income-producing.

# This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

∆ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on certain derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

§ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on the initial margin on certain centrally cleared derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

## Forward commitment, in part or in entirety (Note 1).

c Senior loans are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, but contain certain restrictions on resale and cannot be sold publicly. These loans pay interest at rates which adjust periodically. The interest rates shown for senior loans are the current interest rates at the close of the reporting period. Senior loans are also subject to mandatory and/or optional prepayment which cannot be predicted. As a result, the remaining maturity may be substantially less than the stated maturity shown (Notes 1 and 6).

F This security is valued by Putnam Management at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities’ valuation inputs. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was also used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio (Note 1).

L Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

P This security was pledged, or purchased with cash that was pledged, to the fund for collateral on certain derivative contracts. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period (Note 1).

R Real Estate Investment Trust.

Absolute Return 500 Fund  45 

 



At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $471,132,381 to cover certain derivative contracts, delayed delivery securities and the settlement of certain securities.

Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.

Debt obligations are considered secured unless otherwise indicated.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding TBA commitments.

The dates shown on debt obligations are the original maturity dates.

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 4/30/16 (aggregate face value $220,871,660) (Unaudited)

            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  $1,203,451  $1,201,819  $1,632 

  British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  38,287  22,309  15,978 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  986,857  977,376  (9,481) 

  Czech Koruna  Buy  6/15/16  1,800,614  1,773,811  26,803 

  Czech Koruna  Sell  6/15/16  1,828,105  1,737,377  (90,728) 

  Euro  Sell  6/15/16  111,901  30,580  (81,321) 

  Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  1,748,081  1,737,289  (10,792) 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  1,911,781  1,787,661  (124,120) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  3,775,538  3,713,248  62,290 

  Norwegian Krone  Buy  6/15/16  596,779  665,996  (69,217) 

  South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  1,965,238  1,858,083  107,155 

  South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  1,965,238  1,816,259  (148,979) 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  1,230,275  1,173,776  56,499 

Barclays Bank PLC           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  1,713,586  1,759,024  (45,438) 

  Australian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,737,156  1,743,532  6,376 

  British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  3,128,088  3,010,604  117,484 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,095,091  1,077,588  (17,503) 

  Euro  Buy  6/15/16  6,041,607  5,853,635  187,972 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  3,526,610  3,371,884  (154,726) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  887,139  871,801  (15,338) 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  3,727,167  3,520,620  (206,547) 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  3,740,524  3,557,883  182,641 

Citibank, N.A.             
  Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  1,774,293  1,777,234  (2,941) 

  British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  284,518  277,036  7,482 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,162,120  1,067,760  (94,360) 

  Euro  Sell  6/15/16  44,714  3,556  (41,158) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  7,443,913  7,305,895  138,018 

  Singapore Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  4,972,432  4,837,492  134,940 

  Singapore Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  4,972,432  4,741,354  (231,078) 

 

46  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 4/30/16 (aggregate face value $220,871,660) (Unaudited) cont.

          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Citibank, N.A. cont.           
South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  $1,880,317  $1,776,790  $103,527 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  1,880,317  1,793,123  (87,194) 

Credit Suisse International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  1,237,253  1,262,924  (25,671) 

British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  1,807,937  1,766,350  (41,587) 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  684,950  655,677  (29,273) 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  1,896,809  1,833,588  63,221 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  1,720,695  1,703,475  (17,220) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  1,888,189  1,772,347  115,842 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  1,888,189  1,850,487  (37,702) 

New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  1,812,453  1,787,061  25,392 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  1,812,453  1,752,905  (59,548) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,121,011  2,082,830  38,181 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  5,000,628  4,822,845  (177,783) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  1,872,903  1,782,511  90,392 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  1,934,281  1,704,963  (229,318) 

Goldman Sachs International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  3,641,655  3,646,956  (5,301) 

British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  1,821,089  1,805,961  (15,128) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  1,839,976  1,692,246  147,730 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  978,214  955,369  (22,845) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  3,761,417  3,554,335  207,082 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  3,803,762  3,469,240  (334,522) 

New Zealand Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  426,149  463,667  37,518 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  6/15/16  1,480,764  1,473,159  7,605 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  1,908,991  1,821,063  87,928 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  1,908,991  1,800,006  (108,985) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  1,261,629  1,275,933  (14,304) 

HSBC Bank USA, National Association         
Euro  Buy  6/15/16  927,423  898,189  29,234 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  1,745,825  1,735,224  (10,601) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,479,130  2,503,711  (24,581) 

British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  1,759,860  1,714,817  (45,043) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,725,056  2,631,650  93,406 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  1,306,694  1,247,141  (59,553) 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  1,742,898  1,737,883  (5,015) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  1,938,164  1,785,650  (152,514) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,730,262  2,708,934  21,328 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  47 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 4/30/16 (aggregate face value $220,871,660) (Unaudited) cont.

          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. cont.           
Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  $484,901  $285,752  $(199,149) 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  1,852,174  1,766,858  85,316 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  1,852,174  1,815,831  (36,343) 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  2,557,012  2,409,577  147,435 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  2,557,012  2,449,482  (107,530) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  6/15/16  8,429,041  8,268,693  (160,348) 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  4,596,215  4,621,916  (25,701) 

British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  47,054  28,326  18,728 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  2,822,928  2,760,214  (62,714) 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  1,696,741  1,738,464  (41,723) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  1,936,286  1,706,998  229,288 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  1,936,286  1,837,654  (98,632) 

New Zealand Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  6,638,763  6,530,002  (108,761) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  4,235,772  3,911,333  (324,439) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  4,373,571  4,287,051  86,520 

State Street Bank and Trust Co.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  1,707,826  1,752,611  (44,785) 

Brazilian Real  Sell  7/1/16  791,331  765,411  (25,920) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  1,934,980  1,926,976  8,004 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  2,790,754  2,675,425  (115,329) 

New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  1,845,232  1,820,808  24,424 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  1,845,232  1,784,205  (61,027) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  1,314,735  1,223,215  (91,520) 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  4,419,279  4,195,184  224,095 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  4,419,279  4,143,608  (275,671) 

UBS AG           
Australian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,156,311  1,158,434  2,123 

British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  1,784,702  1,749,985  34,717 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  8,674,334  8,324,644  (349,690) 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  3,566,606  3,533,118  33,488 

Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  1,836,028  1,799,623  36,405 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  1,836,028  1,756,198  (79,830) 

New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  1,812,450  1,788,310  24,140 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  1,812,450  1,760,894  (51,556) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  1,828,450  1,795,102  33,348 

WestPac Banking Corp.           
Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  1,319,529  1,263,286  56,243 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  232,640  205,010  (27,630) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  499,168  489,970  9,198 

Total          $(1,968,585) 

 

48  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

        Unrealized 
  Number of    Expiration  appreciation/ 
  contracts  Value  date  (depreciation) 

DAX Index (Short)  5  $1,443,551  Jun-16  $(15,544) 

Euro-CAC 40 Index (Long)  12  601,220  May-16  18,996 

FTSE 100 Index (Long)  18  1,633,801  Jun-16  34,934 

S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Long)  15  1,544,325  Jun-16  1,358 

S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Short)  188  19,355,540  Jun-16  153,936 

S&P Mid Cap 400 Index         
E-Mini (Long)  282  41,124,060  Jun-16  2,172,058 

SPI 200 Index (Long)  10  994,348  Jun-16  57,366 

Tokyo Price Index (Short)  21  2,618,092  Jun-16  69,582 

U.S. Treasury Bond 30 yr (Long)  58  9,472,125  Jun-16  (100,772) 

U.S. Treasury Bond Ultra         
30 yr (Short)  59  10,109,281  Jun-16  243,367 

U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr (Long)  114  24,923,250  Jun-16  (20,414) 

U.S. Treasury Note 5 yr (Short)  223  26,963,836  Jun-16  29,173 

U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr (Long)  311  40,449,438  Jun-16  (379,837) 

U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr (Short)  14  1,820,875  Jun-16  17,128 

U.S. Treasury Note Ultra         
10 yr (Short)  15  2,108,438  Jun-16  (9,921) 

Total        $2,271,410 

 

WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $1,435,599) (Unaudited)

Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Bank of America N.A.       
(1.715)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.715  $4,646,700  $44,283 

1.715/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.715  4,646,700  48,744 

Barclays Bank PLC       
(1.645)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.645  4,646,700  31,319 

1.645/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.645  4,646,700  66,494 

Citibank, N.A.       
2.587/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.587  9,189,700  9 

2.387/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.387  9,189,700  9 

Credit Suisse International       
2.515/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.515  174,000  7,668 

Goldman Sachs International       
2.58625/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.58625  18,379,400  18 

(1.215)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.215  4,746,800  2,801 

(0.901)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/0.901  4,746,800  2,943 

(1.65875)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.65875  4,646,700  36,662 

1.65875/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.65875  4,646,700  67,331 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  49 

 



WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $1,435,599) (Unaudited) cont.

Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
1.41/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.41  $4,746,800  $1,946 

1.28/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.28  4,746,800  3,418 

(1.0025)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.0025  4,746,800  4,604 

(6.00 Floor)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Mar-18  Mar-18/6.00  5,792,000  600,128 

Total      $918,377 

 

WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $279,088) (Unaudited)

  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/$100.80  $2,000,000  $7,100 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/100.68  2,000,000  6,480 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/100.09  2,000,000  4,220 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/99.97  2,000,000  3,840 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.36  2,000,000  7,000 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/100.73  2,000,000  4,080 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.39  1,000,000  3,590 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/100.73  1,000,000  2,040 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.45  2,000,000  960 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.20  2,000,000  680 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.63  1,000,000  610 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.56  1,000,000  560 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.44  1,000,000  470 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.75  2,000,000  360 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.19  1,000,000  330 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.50  2,000,000  260 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.95  1,000,000  240 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.91  1,000,000  230 

 

50  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $279,088) (Unaudited) cont.

  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/$99.77  $1,000,000  $180 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.53  1,000,000  130 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  May-16/213.50  177,978  73,547 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  May-16/215.00  132,806  13,471 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  May-16/211.00  134,186  13,023 

Total      $143,401 

 

FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable)  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
2.117/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.117  $729,475  $(17,874)  $12,729 

2.035/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.035  729,475  (18,535)  8,630 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  1,543,800  (10,208)  (849) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  3,087,500  (21,690)  (2,871) 

(3.035)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.035  729,475  (19,410)  (17,865) 

(3.117)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.117  729,475  (20,425)  (19,185) 

2.655/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.655  3,195,100  21,168  20,928 

2.56/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.56  3,195,100  20,425  20,097 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  3,087,500  9,454  (2,655) 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  6,175,100  19,760  (4,570) 

(1.56)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.56  3,195,100  18,395  (14,921) 

(1.655)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.655  3,195,100  18,212  (19,873) 

Total      $(728)  $(20,405) 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  51 

 



TBA SALE COMMITMENTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (proceeds receivable $8,501,563) (Unaudited)

  Principal  Settlement   
Agency  amount  date  Value 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, 4 1/2s,       
May 1, 2046  $2,000,000  5/12/16  $2,175,156 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 4s, May 1, 2046  3,000,000  5/12/16  3,205,313 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3 1/2s,       
May 1, 2046  3,000,000  5/12/16  3,144,609 

Total      $8,525,078 

 

CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$17,664,700  $(22,324)  4/7/18  3 month USD-  1.149%  $66,888 
      LIBOR-BBA     

4,767,700  61,917  3/30/26  1.91%  3 month USD-  (40,283) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

11,286,000 E  (83,110)  6/15/26  1.60%  3 month USD-  47,265 
        LIBOR-BBA   

174,275,800 E  653,768  6/15/18  3 month USD-  0.85%  320,378 
      LIBOR-BBA     

11,407,000 E  (10,518)  6/15/21  3 month USD-  1.15%  (82,907) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

502,600  (7)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.79701%  5,709 
      LIBOR-BBA     

149,399,600 E  335,834  6/15/18  1.20%  3 month USD-  (415,945) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

11,336,700 E  26,824  6/15/26  1.85%  3 month USD-  (109,488) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

241,237,500 E  (1,705,743)  6/15/26  3 month USD-  1.90%  2,332,332 
      LIBOR-BBA     

10,747,900 E  75,705  6/15/26  1.90%  3 month USD-  (104,204) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

9,516,000 E  7,278  6/15/21  3 month USD-  1.45%  86,432 
      LIBOR-BBA     

33,820,400 E  9,242  6/15/21  1.45%  3 month USD-  (272,077) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,311,100  (17)  3/17/26  1.787%  3 month USD-  (13,613) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

502,600  (7)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.79882%  5,795 
      LIBOR-BBA     

502,600  (7)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.8005%  5,875 
      LIBOR-BBA     

502,600  (7)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.80312%  6,000 
      LIBOR-BBA     

502,600  (7)  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.80242%  5,966 
      LIBOR-BBA     

23,297,800 E  49,217  6/15/21  3 month USD-  1.40%  186,068 
      LIBOR-BBA     

 

52  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

  $15,353,000 E  $(104,673)  6/15/46  3 month USD-  2.25%  $47,628 
        LIBOR-BBA     

  85,800  (3)  4/5/46  2.2375%  3 month USD-  (891) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  715,200  15,982  4/5/46  2.27%  3 month USD-  3,110 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  715,200  (9,374)  4/5/46  3 month USD-  2.19%  (9,962) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

  4,000,000  (53)  3/18/26  1.78722%  3 month USD-  (41,456) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  4,000,000  (53)  3/18/26  1.79757%  3 month USD-  (45,377) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  1,231,300  (16)  3/21/26  1.7325%  3 month USD-  (6,222) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  1,231,300  (16)  3/21/26  1.73%  3 month USD-  (5,930) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  5,450,000 E  (80,022)  6/15/26  1.605%  3 month USD-  (19,636) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  21,790,000 E  32,136  6/15/21  1.4003%  3 month USD-  (96,185) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  286,100  (4)  3/30/26  1.73%  3 month USD-  (1,265) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  1,284,800  (12)  4/14/21  1.152%  3 month USD-  5,494 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  2,752,000 E  47,811  6/15/26  3 month USD-  1.6005%  16,152 
        LIBOR-BBA     

  11,856,000  (44)  4/18/18  0.879%  3 month USD-  5,731 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  8,291,000  (109)  4/18/26  1.634%  3 month USD-  46,482 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  4,743,900  (34)  4/21/26  3 month USD-  1.595%  (44,699) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

  30,363,000  (114)  4/27/18  0.9625%  3 month USD-  (31,798) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  4,968,000  (66)  4/27/26  3 month USD-  1.7655%  31,838 
        LIBOR-BBA     

  1,798,000  (61)  4/27/46  2.257%  3 month USD-  (25,054) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  2,530,000 E  (33)  5/3/26  3 month USD-  1.695%  (1,574) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

AUD  93,027,000 E  (74,243)  6/15/18  3 month AUD-BBR-  1.93%  (161,103) 
        BBSW     

AUD  49,000 E  (187)  6/15/26  3 month AUD-BBR-  2.55%  (511) 
        BBSW     

AUD  32,521,000 E  78,301  6/15/21  2.25%  3 month AUD-  188,610 
          BBR-BBSW   

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  53 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

AUD  17,458,000 E  $(13,715)  6/15/21  3 month AUD-BBR-  2.50%  $84,686 
        BBSW     

AUD  11,210,000 E  (1,273)  6/15/18  2.20%  3 month AUD-  (35,870) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  3,721,000 E  4,934  6/15/26  2.80%  3 month AUD-  (33,861) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  39,716,000 E  31,346  6/15/18  2.2001%  3 month AUD-  (91,258) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  7,159,000 E  40,561  6/15/26  2.8005%  3 month AUD-  (34,324) 
          BBR-BBSW   

CAD  148,189,000 E  22,168  6/15/18  3 month CAD-BA-  0.75%  (674,428) 
        CDOR     

CAD  26,327,000 E  12,422  6/15/21  0.90%  3 month CAD-  318,665 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  12,103,000 E  (162,712)  6/15/26  1.40%  3 month CAD-  120,575 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  19,346,724 E  (2,335)  6/15/18  0.90%  3 month CAD-  42,705 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  21,236,000  (60)  3/11/18  0.89%  3 month CAD-  43,011 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  18,235,000 E  91,468  6/15/21  3 month CAD-BA-  0.9003%  (120,443) 
        CDOR     

CAD  9,623,000 E  (2,337)  6/15/18  0.8501%  3 month CAD-  27,666 
          BA-CDOR   

CHF  8,190,000 E  (24,685)  6/15/26  6 month CHF-  0.15%  46,458 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  26,836,000 E  (22,912)  6/15/18  0.90%  6 month CHF-  (141,580) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

CHF  27,230,000 E  (85,870)  6/15/21  6 month CHF-  0.65%  97,243 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  5,594,000 E  (22)  6/15/18  6 month CHF-  0.7425%  6,130 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  27,307,000 E  44,988  6/15/18  6 month CHF-  0.6503%  21,932 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  5,558,000 E  (13)  6/15/18  6 month CHF-  0.748%  6,748 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  1,950,000 E  (4,761)  6/15/26  6 month CHF-  0.1505%  12,283 
        LIBOR-BBA     

EUR  40,176,000 E  (121,975)  6/15/21  0.00%  6 month EUR-  96,036 
          EURIBOR-   
          REUTERS   

EUR  18,814,000 E  274,952  6/15/26  6 month EUR-  0.50%  (119,866) 
        EURIBOR-REUTERS     

EUR  12,891,000 E  (181,602)  6/15/26  0.5005%  6 month EUR-  88,182 
          EURIBOR-   
          REUTERS   

GBP  51,342,000 E  (102,026)  6/15/18  0.75%  6 month GBP-  109,301 
          LIBOR-BBA   

 

54  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

GBP  16,404,000 E  $(124,856)  6/15/21  0.975%  6 month GBP-  $88,658 
          LIBOR-BBA   

GBP  1,976,000 E  56,464  6/15/26  6 month GBP-  1.40%  8,022 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  22,410,000 E  (11,130)  6/15/18  6 month GBP-  0.90%  (5,793) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  13,255,000 E  23,634  6/15/18  6 month GBP-  0.7501%  (30,886) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  49,000 E  403  6/15/26  6 month GBP-  1.4005%  (795) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

NOK  341,691,000 E  (14,686)  6/15/18  6 month NOK-  0.80%  (163,298) 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  68,292,000 E  50,020  6/15/26  6 month NOK-  1.55%  (80,341) 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  32,994,000 E  (9,075)  6/15/21  1.05%  6 month NOK-  27,260 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  16,406,000  (25)  3/10/26  1.56%  6 month NOK-  23,086 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  19,861,000  (31)  3/17/26  1.60%  6 month NOK-  18,932 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  81,420,000 E  (57,934)  6/15/18  0.70%  6 month NOK-  (2,612) 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  16,127,000 E  15,817  6/15/26  1.5505%  6 month NOK-  46,509 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NZD  10,962,000 E  13,236  6/15/26  3.10%  3 month NZD-  (46,887) 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  15,703,000 E  3,514  6/15/18  3 month NZD-  2.40%  30,662 
        BBR-FRA     

NZD  48,625,000 E  (39,225)  6/15/21  2.70%  3 month NZD-  (282,834) 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  3,154,000 E  (13,389)  6/15/21  3 month NZD-  2.7003%  2,443 
        BBR-FRA     

NZD  15,567,000 E  24,000  6/15/18  2.4001%  3 month NZD-  (2,935) 
          BBR-FRA   

SEK  99,011,000 E  7,015  6/15/21  0.35%  3 month SEK-  53,337 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  60,719,000 E  13,220  6/15/26  3 month SEK-  1.20%  (44,653) 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  38,369,000 E  (2,506)  6/15/21  3 month SEK-  0.3503%  (20,385) 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  18,870,000 E  (2,343)  6/15/26  1.2005%  3 month SEK-  15,530 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

Total    $(968,185)        $1,386,584 

 

E Extended effective date.

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  55 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
baskets  1,668,748  $—  4/18/17  (3 month USD-  A basket  $(3,494,938) 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (MLTRFCF8) of   
        0.10%)  common stocks   

units  41,383  —  4/18/17  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  1,455,000 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Return Index   
        0.07%     

Barclays Bank PLC           
  $277,863  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,790 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,181,675  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  14,740 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  368,008  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  341 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  216,118  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,112 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  907,639  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  841 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  106,160  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  635 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  27,721  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  128 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,153,354  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,996 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,466,093  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,619 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,154,090  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  4,908 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  460,097  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,048 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  918,231  —  1/12/39  (6.00%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,804) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  600,513  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,777 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
          Mae II pools   

 

56  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
  $380,903  $—  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $1,762 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
          Mae II pools   

  459,291  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,121 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  563,231  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (2,868) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  340,238  —  1/12/43  (3.50%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (1,837) 
        USD-LIBOR  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  3,289,530  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (989) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,556,059  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,690 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  13,694,643  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  4,804 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  14,562,610  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (46,027) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

Citibank, N.A.           
  706,652  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  248 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  345,487  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  121 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

baskets  393,706  —  11/10/16  3 month USD-  A basket  (289,809) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  (CGPUTS46) of   
        0.55%  common stocks   

baskets  861  —  12/16/16  (3 month USD-  A basket  1,482,491 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (CGPUTQL2) of   
        0.42%)  common stocks   

units  31,135  —  10/17/16  3 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  43,393 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.30%     

units  19,173  —  11/23/16  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  (9,056,787) 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  Return Index   
        0.02%     

units  43,989  —  3/17/17  3 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  (967,102) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.14%     

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  57 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Credit Suisse International         
$580,651  $—  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $204 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

934,920  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,324 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

983,622  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (5,009) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

789,394  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (4,020) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,951,799  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  9,027 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

189,529  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,280 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,725,426  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  10,123 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

573,139  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,363 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

283,940  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,666 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,210,921  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,537 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,180,789  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,375 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

5,650  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  31 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,816,108  —  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  19,033 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,497,977  —  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  10,124 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,478,216  —  1/12/45  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  9,142 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,864,399  —  1/12/41  (4.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (12,596) 
      USD-LIBOR  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

58  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
  $659,947  $—  1/12/34  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $(3,256) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

units  326,249  —  8/8/16  (3 month USD-  DB Custom PT Long  2,150,857 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  12 PR Index   
        0.31%)     

units  326,407  —  8/8/16  3 month USD-  DB Custom PT Short  (4,337,741) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  12 PR Index   
        0.45%     

Goldman Sachs International         
  $704,091  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,251 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  543,224  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,509 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,734,830  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  8,925 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  956,442  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,417 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  767,039  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  269 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  689,182  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,440 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  689,182  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,440 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  796,787  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,518) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  299,305  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (946) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  659,947  —  1/12/34  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,256 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,723  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  10 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  672,810  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,461 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  59 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

 
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
$1,091,463  $—  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $(3,450) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

51,198  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (162) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

136,509  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (431) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

28,602  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  132 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

771,657  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,563 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,653,793  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  10,655 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,068,455  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,884 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,257,060  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,467 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

719,405  —  1/12/41  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,263 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

48,589  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  328 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,287,883  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (6,559) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,158,296  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,796 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,486,875  —  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  10,049 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,542,371  —  1/12/43  (3.50%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (8,327) 
      USD-LIBOR  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

baskets  1,523,335  —  12/15/20  (1 month USD-  A basket  231,920 
      LIBOR-BBA plus  (GSCBPUR1) of   
      0.30%)  common stocks   

 

60  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
units  638,395  $—  12/15/20  (0.45%)  Goldman Sachs  $269,291 
          Volatility Carry US   
          Scaled 3x Excess   
          Return Strategy   

units  10,339  —  12/12/16  1 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  27,159 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.17%     

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
  $631,013  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,263 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,272,739  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  15,355 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,379,797  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  9,322 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,288,173  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (6,560) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

baskets  1,461,175  —  3/24/17  3 month USD-  A basket  (3,956,779) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  (JPCMPTSH) of   
        0.44%  common stocks   

UBS AG             
units  202,766  —  8/19/16  1 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  1,073,968 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.25%     

Total    $—        $(15,231,471) 

 

OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $4,580  $67,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $727 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  8,798  146,000  5/11/63  300 bp  403 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  18,088  293,000  5/11/63  300 bp  1,241 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  17,271  303,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (152) 
Index             

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  61 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC             
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $26,163  $236,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $12,593 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  7,830  1,393,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (106,117) 
Index             

Credit Suisse International           
CMBX NA BB Index  —  (57,682)  3,268,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  239,924 

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  190,403  5,551,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (263,669) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  794,907  22,334,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (1,032,014) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,833,487  24,543,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (174,054) 
Index             

Goldman Sachs International           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,445  338,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (26,204) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,205  338,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (26,443) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,205  338,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (26,443) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,570  440,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (34,422) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,577  442,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (34,579) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,573  459,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (33,973) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  4,720  474,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (34,053) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,040  775,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (60,355) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  31,577  1,171,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (64,211) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,985  1,838,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (148,363) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  24,994  2,949,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (216,235) 
Index             

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (10,683)  1,249,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  103,059 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (2,004)  189,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  15,207 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (1,239)  129,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  10,509 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  2,216  98,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  11,140 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  687  67,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  6,788 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  1,060  63,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  6,798 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  70  58,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  5,352 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (325)  163,000  1/17/47  (500 bp)  22,881 

 

62  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.

    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
CMBX NA BBB–  —  $(768)  $9,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  $(250) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  6,998  332,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (20,159) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  14,543  337,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (13,024) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  13,566  337,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (14,001) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  13,566  337,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (14,001) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  14,258  343,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (13,799) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  14,817  489,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (25,183) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  94,737  683,000  1/17/47  300 bp  38,868 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  147,657  1,112,000  1/17/47  300 bp  56,695 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  67,881  1,643,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (66,516) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  13,066  1,697,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (125,749) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  17,722  2,301,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (170,500) 
Index             

JPMorgan Securities LLC           
CMBX NA BBB–  —  (3,562)  662,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  34,503 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  —  (21,223)  333,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (2,076) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  —  (1,054)  41,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  1,304 
Index             

Total    $3,302,722        $(2,178,553) 

 

*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at April 30, 2016. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.” Securities rated by Fitch are indicated by “/F.”

Absolute Return 500 Fund  63 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

NA HY Series 26  —  $3,180,127  $128,944,000  6/20/21  (500 bp)  $(912,609) 
Index             

Total    $3,180,127        $(912,609) 

 

*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at April 30, 2016. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.” Securities rated by Fitch are indicated by “/F.”

ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:

    Valuation inputs   

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Common stocks*:       

Basic materials  $5,967,719  $5,122,178  $—­ 

Capital goods  17,101,843  160,304  —­ 

Communication services  19,266,030  6,333,380  —­ 

Consumer cyclicals  31,849,795  5,289,986  —­ 

Consumer staples  25,852,809  4,126,760  —­ 

Energy  13,033,879  2,888,251  —­ 

Financials  34,798,134  24,458,853  —­ 

Health care  25,637,312  1,602,098  —­ 

Technology  31,073,395  10,430,444  —­ 

Transportation  4,033,496  4,457,272  —­ 

Utilities and power  7,828,939  4,270,812  —­ 

Total common stocks  216,443,351  69,140,338  —­ 

 

64  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



    Valuation inputs   

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Asset-backed securities  $—­  $—­  $4,771,000 

Commodity linked notes  —­  62,058,673  —­ 

Corporate bonds and notes  —­  62,212,482  —­ 

Foreign government and agency bonds and notes  —­  13,142,224  —­ 

Investment companies  57,218,264  —­  —­ 

Mortgage-backed securities  —­  108,418,022  17,403,429 

Purchased options outstanding  —­  3,157,317  —­ 

Purchased swap options outstanding  —­  274,876  —­ 

Senior loans  —­  67,472,171  —­ 

U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations  —­  152,067,742  —­ 

Warrants  —­  11,600,329  —­ 

Short-term investments  395,886,790  93,684,844  —­ 

Totals by level  $669,548,405  $643,229,018  $22,174,429 
 
    Valuation inputs   

Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Forward currency contracts  $—­  $(1,968,585)  $—­ 

Futures contracts  2,271,410  —­  —­ 

Written options outstanding  —­  (143,401)  —­ 

Written swap options outstanding  —­  (918,377)  —­ 

Forward premium swap option contracts  —­  (20,405)  —­ 

TBA sale commitments  —­  (8,525,078)  —­ 

Interest rate swap contracts  —­  2,354,769  —­ 

Total return swap contracts  —­  (15,231,471)  —­ 

Credit default contracts  —­  (9,574,011)  —­ 

Totals by level  $2,271,410  $(34,026,559)  $—­ 

 

* Common stock classifications are presented at the sector level, which may differ from the fund’s portfolio presentation.

During the reporting period, transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, if any (other than certain transfers involving non-U.S. equity securities as described in Note 1), did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using the end of period pricing valuation method.

Absolute Return 500 Fund  65 

 



The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets as of the close of the reporting period:

        Change in net           
        unrealized      Total   Total   
  Balance  Accrued  Realized  appreciation/      transfers   transfers  Balance 
Investments  as of  discounts/  gain/  (deprecia-  Cost of  Proceeds   into   out of  as of 
in securities:  10/31/15  premiums  (loss)  tion) #  purchases  from sales   Level 3†   Level 3†  4/30/16 

Asset-                   
backed                   
securities  $4,811,000  $—­  $—­  $—­  $1,873,000  $(1,913,000)  $—­  $—­  $4,771,000 

Mortgage-                   
backed                   
securities  $9,382,700  (835,453)  2,880  252,884  5,676,671  (229,061)  3,415,425  (262,617)  $17,403,429 

Totals  $14,193,700  $(835,453)  $2,880  $252,884  $7,549,671  $(2,142,061)  $3,415,425  $(262,617)  $22,174,429 

 

† Transfers during the reporting period are accounted for using the end of period market value and did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period.

# Includes $283,261 related to Level 3 securities still held at period end. Total change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) for securities (including Level 1 and Level 2) can be found in the Statement of operations.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

66  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

ASSETS   

Investment in securities, at value (Note 1):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $930,417,787)  $939,195,062 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $395,756,790) (Notes 1 and 5)  395,756,790 

Cash  916,687 

Foreign currency (cost $27,879) (Note 1)  27,879 

Dividends, interest and other receivables  3,983,166 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold  6,517,157 

Receivable for investments sold  31,787,975 

Receivable for sales of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  8,511,187 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)  1,143,586 

Unrealized appreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  62,384 

Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  3,167,128 

Unrealized appreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  7,547,036 

Premium paid on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  98,540 

Prepaid assets  69,494 

Total assets  1,398,784,071 
 
LIABILITIES   

Payable for investments purchased  33,785,739 

Payable for purchases of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  151,967,585 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  3,117,590 

Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)  477,987 

Payable for custodian fees (Note 2)  100,352 

Payable for investor servicing fees (Note 2)  244,259 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  104,359 

Payable for administrative services (Note 2)  4,257 

Payable for distribution fees (Note 2)  278,713 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)  954,000 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  24,957,060 

Premium received on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  3,401,262 

Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  5,135,713 

Unrealized depreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  82,789 

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums $1,714,687) (Notes 1 and 3)  1,061,778 

TBA sale commitments, at value (proceeds receivable $8,501,563 ) (Note 1)  8,525,078 

Collateral on certain derivative contracts, at value (Note 1)  130,000 

Other accrued expenses  197,194 

Total liabilities  234,525,715 
 
Net assets  $1,164,258,356 

 

(Continued on next page)

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  67 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities (Continued)

REPRESENTED BY   

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $1,205,008,890 

Distributions in excess of net investment income (Note 1)  (7,503,938) 

Accumulated net investment loss on investments and foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  (25,989,408) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  (7,257,188) 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $1,164,258,356 
 
COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share   
($366,757,195 divided by 34,725,859 shares)  $10.56 

Offering price per class A share (100/94.25 of $10.56)*  $11.20 

Net asset value and offering price per class B share ($31,225,533 divided by 2,988,263 shares)**  $10.45 

Net asset value and offering price per class C share ($207,051,177 divided by 19,880,047 shares)**  $10.42 

Net asset value and redemption price per class M share ($9,706,919 divided by 927,288 shares)  $10.47 

Offering price per class M share (100/96.50 of $10.47)*  $10.85 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R share   
($1,186,467 divided by 109,842 shares)  $10.80 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R6 share   
($6,629,889 divided by 624,251 shares)  $10.62 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($541,701,176 divided by 51,124,239 shares)  $10.60 

 

* On single retail sales of less than $50,000. On sales of $50,000 or more the offering price is reduced.

** Redemption price per share is equal to net asset value less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

68  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



Statement of operations Six months ended 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

INVESTMENT INCOME   

Interest (including interest income of $642,906 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  $8,814,194 

Dividends (net of foreign tax of $136,564)  5,226,265 

Total investment income  14,040,459 
 
EXPENSES   

Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  3,582,490 

Investor servicing fees (Note 2)  765,724 

Custodian fees (Note 2)  120,584 

Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  39,732 

Distribution fees (Note 2)  1,716,761 

Administrative services (Note 2)  19,490 

Other  316,699 

Fees waived and reimbursed by Manager (Note 2)  (226,289) 

Total expenses  6,335,191 
 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (15,528) 

Net expenses  6,319,663 
 
Net investment income  7,720,796 

 
Net realized loss on investments (Notes 1 and 3)  (32,724,995) 

Net increase from payments by affiliates (Note 2)  1,878 

Net realized gain on swap contracts (Note 1)  10,057,492 

Net realized loss on futures contracts (Note 1)  (5,760,112) 

Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  (1,832,070) 

Net realized gain on written options (Notes 1 and 3)  416,373 

Net unrealized depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies during the period  (2,296,819) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts, written options,   
and TBA sale commitments during the period  (13,478,681) 

Net loss on investments  (45,616,934) 
 
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations  $(37,896,138) 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 500 Fund  69 

 



Statement of changes in net assets

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS  Six months ended 4/30/16*  Year ended 10/31/15 

Operations:     
Net investment income  $7,720,796  $9,651,942 

Net realized gain (loss) on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  (29,841,434)  60,864,771 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets     
and liabilities in foreign currencies  (15,775,500)  (42,087,411) 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting     
from operations  (37,896,138)  28,429,302 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     

Class A  (18,215,339)  (3,087,169) 

Class B  (1,259,284)  (63,253) 

Class C  (8,372,759)  (396,314) 

Class M  (406,887)  (32,520) 

Class R  (10,789)  (46,438) 

Class R5  (532)  (133) 

Class R6  (315,509)  (56,130) 

Class Y  (23,137,629)  (3,514,058) 

From net realized long-term gain on investments     
Class A  (3,678,309)  (14,830,350) 

Class B  (308,937)  (1,566,157) 

Class C  (1,985,501)  (8,201,897) 

Class M  (89,754)  (314,962) 

Class R  (8,209)  (282,407) 

Class R5  (102)  (480) 

Class R6  (59,584)  (195,708) 

Class Y  (4,425,229)  (12,839,905) 

Increase from capital share transactions (Note 4)  134,266,353  269,429,535 

Total increase in net assets  34,095,862  252,430,956 
 
NET ASSETS     

Beginning of period  1,130,162,494  877,731,538 

End of period (including distributions in excess of net     
investment income of $7,503,938 and undistributed net     
investment income of $36,493,994, respectively)  $1,164,258,356  $1,130,162,494 

 

* Unaudited.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

70  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



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Absolute Return 500 Fund  71 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:      RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments­   operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c,d  (%)d  (%) 

Class A­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.55­  .07­  (.43)  (.36)  (.52)  (.11)  (.63)  $10.56­  (3.21)*   $366,757­  .52*  .69*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.81­  .13­  .24­  .37­  (.11)  (.52)  (.63)  11.55­  3.25­  399,301­  1.11­  1.09­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.54­  .15­  .29­  .44­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  11.81­  3.88­  345,053­  1.10­  1.32­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.33­  .20­  .08­  .28­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  11.54­  2.49­  378,440­  1.11­  1.72­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.89­  .18­  .59­  .77­  (.33)  —­  (.33)  11.33­  7.25­  376,219­  1.14­  1.67­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.93­  .29­  (.05)  .24­  (.23)  (.05)  (.28)  10.89­  2.21­  411,424­  1.16­  2.68­  144f 

Class B­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.38­  .03­  (.42)  (.39)  (.43)  (.11)  (.54)  $10.45­  (3.55)*   $31,226­  .90*  .32*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.64­  .04­  .24­  .28­  (.02)  (.52)  (.54)  11.38­  2.49­  33,624­  1.86­  .33­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.38­  .07­  .28­  .35­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  11.64­  3.08­  35,171­  1.85­  .57­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.18­  .11­  .09­  .20­  —­  —­  —­  11.38­  1.79­  37,351­  1.86­  .97­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.75­  .10­  .58­  .68­  (.25)  —­  (.25)  11.18­  6.47­  37,009­  1.89­  .91­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.81­  .21­  (.05)  .16­  (.17)  (.05)  (.22)  10.75­  1.44­  33,914­  1.91­  1.94­  144f 

Class C­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.36­  .03­  (.42)  (.39)  (.44)  (.11)  (.55)  $10.42­  (3.51)*   $207,051­  .90*  .32*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.62­  .04­  .25­  .29­  (.03)  (.52)  (.55)  11.36­  2.53­  211,594­  1.86­  .33­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.36­  .07­  .28­  .35­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  11.62­  3.08­  183,688­  1.85­  .57­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.17­  .11­  .08­  .19­  —­  —­  —­  11.36­  1.70­  185,562­  1.86­  .97­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.74­  .10­  .58­  .68­  (.25)  —­  (.25)  11.17­  6.52­  185,116­  1.89­  .91­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.80­  .21­  (.05)  .16­  (.17)  (.05)  (.22)  10.74­  1.45­  184,129­  1.91­  1.91­  144f 

Class M­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.44­  .05­  (.43)  (.38)  (.48)  (.11)  (.59)  $10.47­  (3.46)*   $9,707­  .77*  .44*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.70­  .07­  .24­  .31­  (.05)  (.52)  (.57)  11.44­  2.78­  9,246­  1.61­  .58­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.43­  .09­  .29­  .38­  (.11)  —­  (.11)  11.70­  3.37­  7,096­  1.60­  .81­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.23­  .14­  .08­  .22­  (.02)  —­  (.02)  11.43­  1.95­  7,029­  1.61­  1.22­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.80­  .13­  .58­  .71­  (.28)  —­  (.28)  11.23­  6.72­  7,554­  1.64­  1.16­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.84­  .24­  (.05)  .19­  (.18)  (.05)  (.23)  10.80­  1.75­  7,650­  1.66­  2.18­  144f 

Class R­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.42­  .05­  (.42)  (.37)  (.14)  (.11)  (.25)  $10.80­  (3.32)*   $1,186­  .65*  .49*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.68­  .09­  .26­  .35­  (.09)  (.52)  (.61)  11.42­  3.07­  591­  1.36­  .82­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.47­  .12­  .28­  .40­  (.19)  —­  (.19)  11.68­  3.52­  6,271­  1.35­  1.06­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.26­  .16­  .10­  .26­  (.05)  —­  (.05)  11.47­  2.30­  4,058­  1.36­  1.44­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.83­  .15­  .58­  .73­  (.30)  —­  (.30)  11.26­  6.96­  1,812­  1.39­  1.40­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.88­  .26­  (.05)  .21­  (.21)  (.05)  (.26)  10.83­  1.95­  1,432­  1.41­  2.41­  144f 

Class R5­                           
April 30, 2016**#  $11.63­  .05­  (.40)  (.35)  (.55)  (.11)  (.66)  $10.62­  (3.14)*   $11­  .20*  .49*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.89­  .16­  .25­  .41­  (.15)  (.52)  (.67)  11.63­  3.54­  11­  .86­  1.33­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.62­  .19­  .28­  .47­  (.20)  —­  (.20)  11.89­  4.12­  11­  .84­  1.59­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.38­  .23­  .09­  .32­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  11.62­  2.84­  10­  .86­  1.97­  189f 
October 31, 2012†  11.16­  .07­  .15­  .22­  —­  —­  —­  11.38­  1.97*  10­  .29*  .60*  150f 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

72  Absolute Return 500 Fund  Absolute Return 500 Fund  73 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:      RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments­   operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c,d  (%)d  (%) 

Class R6­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.63­  .09­  (.43)  (.34)  (.56)  (.11)  (.67)  $10.62­  (3.05)*   $6,630­  .36*  .86*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.89­  .16­  .25­  .41­  (.15)  (.52)  (.67)  11.63­  3.59­  6,766­  .80­  1.41­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.62­  .19­  .29­  .48­  (.21)  —­  (.21)  11.89­  4.23­  4,288­  .79­  1.63­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.38­  .21­g  .12­  .33­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  11.62­  2.88­  4,411­  .80­  1.80­g  189f 
October 31, 2012†  11.16­  .07­  .15­  .22­  —­  —­  —­  11.38­  1.97*  10­  .28*  .62*  150f 

Class Y­                           
April 30, 2016**  $11.60­  .09­  (.43)  (.34)  (.55)  (.11)  (.66)  $10.60­  (3.03)*   $541,701­  .40*  .81*  227*e 
October 31, 2015­  11.86­  .16­  .24­  .40­  (.14)  (.52)  (.66)  11.60­  3.54­  469,028­  .86­  1.34­  510­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.60­  .18­  .29­  .47­  (.21)  —­  (.21)  11.86­  4.07­  296,153­  .85­  1.55­  309­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.38­  .23­  .09­  .32­  (.10)  —­  (.10)  11.60­  2.83­  217,880­  .86­  1.98­  189f 
October 31, 2012­  10.94­  .21­  .58­  .79­  (.35)  —­  (.35)  11.38­  7.48­  220,855­  .89­  1.91­  150f 
October 31, 2011­  10.97­  .32­  (.05)  .27­  (.25)  (.05)  (.30)  10.94­  2.49­  189,594­  .91­  2.93­  144f 

 

* Not annualized.

** Unaudited.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

# Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets (Note 2):

  4/30/16  10/31/15  10/31/14  10/31/13  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  0.02%  0.02%  0.02%  0.02%  0.09%  0.12% 

Class B  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class C  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class M  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class R  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class R5  0.01  0.01  —  0.03  0.02  — 

Class R6  0.02  —  —  —  —  — 

Class Y  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

 

e Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

f Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:

  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  415% 

October 31, 2012  454 

October 31, 2011  341 

 

g The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending April 30, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.  The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements. 

 

74  Absolute Return 500 Fund  Absolute Return 500 Fund  75 

 



Notes to financial statements 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016.

Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 500 basis points (or 5.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions. The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return by combining two independent investment strategies — a beta strategy, which provides broad exposure to investment markets, and an alpha strategy, which seeks returns from active trading. The beta strategy seeks to balance risk and to provide positive total return by investing, without limit, in many different asset classes, including U.S., international, and emerging markets equity securities (growth or value stocks or both) and fixed-income securities; mortgage- and asset-backed securities; below-investment-grade securities (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”); inflation-protected securities; commodities; and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The alpha strategy involves the potential use of active trading strategies designed to provide additional total return through active security selection, tactical asset allocation, currency transactions and options transactions. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, balanced portfolios with significant exposure to both stocks and bonds. Putnam Management may consider, among other factors, a company’s valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings, cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell equity investments, and, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks when deciding whether to buy or sell fixed-income investments. Putnam Management may also take into account general market conditions when making investment decisions.

The fund offers class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class R6 and class Y shares. Class A and class M shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75% and 3.50%, respectively. Class A shares generally are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. Class B shares, which convert to class A shares after approximately eight years, do not pay a front-end sales charge and are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge if those shares are redeemed within six years of purchase. Class C shares have a one-year 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge and do not convert to class A shares. Class R shares, which are not available to all investors, are sold at net asset value. The expenses for class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares may differ based on the distribution fee of each class, which is identified in Note 2. Class R6 and class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, but do not bear a distribution fee and in the case of class R6 shares, bear a lower investor servicing fee, which is identified in Note 2. Class R6 and class Y shares are not available to all investors. Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

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Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees. If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last reported sales price on their principal exchange, or official closing price for certain markets, and are classified as Level 1 securities under Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820). If no sales are reported, as in the case of some securities that are traded OTC, a security is valued at its last reported bid price and is generally categorized as a Level 2 security.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

Market quotations are not considered to be readily available for certain debt obligations (including short-term investments with remaining maturities of 60 days or less) and other investments; such investments are valued on the basis of valuations furnished by an independent pricing service approved by the Trustees or dealers selected by Putnam Management. Such services or dealers determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities (which consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings). These securities will generally be categorized as Level 2.

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, on certain days, the fund will fair value foreign equity securities taking into account multiple factors including movements in the U.S. securities markets, currency valuations and comparisons to the valuation of American Depository Receipts, exchange-traded funds and futures contracts. These securities, which would generally be classified as Level 1 securities, will be transferred to Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy when they are valued at fair value. The number of days on which fair value prices will be used will depend on market activity and it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. Certain securities may be valued on the basis of a price provided by a single source. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

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Joint trading account Pursuant to an exemptive order from the SEC, the fund may transfer uninvested cash balances into a joint trading account along with the cash of other registered investment companies and certain other accounts managed by Putnam Management. These balances may be invested in issues of short-term investments having maturities of up to 90 days.

Repurchase agreements The fund, or any joint trading account, through its custodian, receives delivery of the underlying securities, the fair value of which at the time of purchase is required to be in an amount at least equal to the resale price, including accrued interest. Collateral for certain tri-party repurchase agreements is held at the counterparty’s custodian in a segregated account for the benefit of the fund and the counterparty. Putnam Management is responsible for determining that the value of these underlying securities is at all times at least equal to the resale price, including accrued interest. In the event of default or bankruptcy by the other party to the agreement, retention of the collateral may be subject to legal proceedings.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividend income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recognized on the ex-dividend date except that certain dividends from foreign securities, if any, are recognized as soon as the fund is informed of the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded at the fair value of the securities received. Dividends representing a return of capital or capital gains, if any, are reflected as a reduction of cost and/or as a realized gain.

All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

The fund earned certain fees in connection with its senior loan purchasing activities. These fees are treated as market discount and are amortized into income in the Statement of operations.

Securities purchased or sold on a forward commitment or delayed delivery basis may be settled at a future date beyond customary settlement time; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Losses may arise due to changes in the fair value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Stripped securities The fund may invest in stripped securities which represent a participation in securities that may be structured in classes with rights to receive different portions of the interest and principal. Interest-only securities receive all of the interest and principal-only securities receive all of the principal. If the interest-only securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, principal-only securities increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are slower than anticipated. The fair value of these securities is highly sensitive to changes in interest rates.

Foreign currency translation The accounting records of the fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The fair value of foreign securities, currency holdings, and other assets and liabilities is recorded in the books and records of the fund after translation to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates on that day. The cost of each security is determined using historical exchange rates. Income and withholding taxes are translated at prevailing exchange rates when earned or incurred. The fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. Such gains and losses are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net realized exchange gains or losses on closed forward currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains and losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized appreciation and depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts to hedge duration and convexity, to isolate prepayment risk, to gain exposure to interest rates, to hedge against changes in values of securities it owns, owned or expects to own, to hedge prepayment risk, to generate additional income for the portfolio, to enhance returns on securities owned, to gain exposure to securities and to manage downside risks.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move

78  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts to manage exposure to market risk, to hedge prepayment risk, to hedge interest rate risk, to gain exposure to interest rates and to equitize cash.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.”

Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Forward currency contracts The fund buys and sells forward currency contracts, which are agreements between two parties to buy and sell currencies at a set price on a future date. These contracts are used to hedge foreign exchange risk and to gain exposure to currencies.

The U.S. dollar value of forward currency contracts is determined using current forward currency exchange rates supplied by a quotation service. The fair value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. The fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed when the contract matures or by delivery of the currency. The fund could be exposed to risk if the value of the currency changes unfavorably, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the fund is unable to enter into a closing position. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Forward currency contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Interest rate swap contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, which are arrangements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on a notional principal amount, to hedge interest rate risk, to gain exposure on interest rates and to hedge prepayment risk.

An OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap can be purchased or sold with an upfront premium. For OTC interest rate swap contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss on OTC interest rate swaps. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared interest rate swaps are settled through a central clearing agent and are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Payments, including upfront premiums, received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or the closing of the contract. Certain OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract.

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The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or if the counterparty defaults, in the case of OTC interest rate contracts, or the central clearing agency or a clearing member defaults, in the case of centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, on its respective obligation to perform under the contract. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk or central clearing risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC interest rate swap contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. There is minimal counterparty risk with respect to centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Total return swap contracts The fund entered into OTC total return swap contracts, which are arrangements to exchange a market-linked return for a periodic payment, both based on a notional principal amount, to hedge sector exposure, to manage exposure to specific sectors or industries, to manage exposure to specific securities, to gain exposure to a basket of securities, to gain exposure to specific markets or countries and to gain exposure to specific sectors or industries.

To the extent that the total return of the security, index or other financial measure underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the fund will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty. OTC total return swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers and the change, if any, is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Payments received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses. Certain OTC total return swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract. The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index, the possibility that there is no liquid market for these agreements or that the counterparty may default on its obligation to perform. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC total return swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Credit default contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared credit default contracts to hedge credit risk, to hedge market risk, and to gain exposure on individual names and/or baskets of securities.

In OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts, the protection buyer typically makes a periodic stream of payments to a counterparty, the protection seller, in exchange for the right to receive a contingent payment upon the occurrence of a credit event on the reference obligation or all other equally ranked obligations of the reference entity. Credit events are contract specific but may include bankruptcy, failure to pay, restructuring and obligation acceleration. For OTC credit default contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. Centrally cleared credit default contracts provide the same rights to the protection buyer and seller except the payments between parties, including upfront premiums, are settled through a central clearing agent through variation margin payments. Upfront and periodic payments received or paid by the fund for OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or close of the contract. The OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change in value of OTC credit default contracts is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Upon the occurrence of a credit event, the difference between the par value and fair value of the reference obligation, net of any proportional amount of the upfront payment, is recorded as a realized gain or loss.

In addition to bearing the risk that the credit event will occur, the fund could be exposed to market risk due to unfavorable changes in interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index or the possibility that the fund may be unable to close out its position at the same time or at the same price as if it had purchased the underlying reference obligations. In certain circumstances, the fund may enter into offsetting OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts which would mitigate its risk of loss. Risks of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk, either as the protection

80  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



seller or as the protection buyer, is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC credit default contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared credit default contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. Counterparty risk is further mitigated with respect to centrally cleared credit default swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Where the fund is a seller of protection, the maximum potential amount of future payments the fund may be required to make is equal to the notional amount.

OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

TBA commitments The fund may enter into TBA (to be announced) commitments to purchase securities for a fixed unit price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Although the unit price and par amount have been established, the actual securities have not been specified. However, it is anticipated that the amount of the commitments will not significantly differ from the principal amount. The fund holds, and maintains until settlement date, cash or high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price, or the fund may enter into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. Income on the securities will not be earned until settlement date.

The fund may also enter into TBA sale commitments to hedge its portfolio positions, to sell mortgage-backed securities it owns under delayed delivery arrangements or to take a short position in mortgage-backed securities. Proceeds of TBA sale commitments are not received until the contractual settlement date. During the time a TBA sale commitment is outstanding, either equivalent deliverable securities or an offsetting TBA purchase commitment deliverable on or before the sale commitment date are held as “cover” for the transaction, or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value of the TBA sale commitment are segregated. If the TBA sale commitment is closed through the acquisition of an offsetting TBA purchase commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss. If the fund delivers securities under the commitment, the fund realizes a gain or a loss from the sale of the securities based upon the unit price established at the date the commitment was entered into.

TBA commitments, which are accounted for as purchase and sale transactions, may be considered securities themselves, and involve a risk of loss due to changes in the value of the security prior to the settlement date as well as the risk that the counterparty to the transaction will not perform its obligations. Counterparty risk is mitigated by having a master agreement between the fund and the counterparty.

Unsettled TBA commitments are valued at their fair value according to the procedures described under “Security valuation” above. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded by the fund as an unrealized gain or loss. Based on market circumstances, Putnam Management will determine whether to take delivery of the underlying securities or to dispose of the TBA commitments prior to settlement.

TBA purchase commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed within the fund’s portfolio and TBA sale commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts and Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements that govern transactions involving mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities that may result in delayed delivery (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, are presented in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral posted to the fund which cannot be sold or repledged totaled $2,266,547 at the close of the reporting period.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

With respect to ISDA Master Agreements, termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term or short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting

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from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $21,204,448 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $21,048,888 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million syndicated unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street ($292.5 million) and Northern Trust Company ($100 million) and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the overnight LIBOR plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.16% per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund may also be subject to taxes imposed by governments of countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The fund accrues and applies such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. In some cases, the fund may be entitled to reclaim all or a portion of such taxes, and such reclaim amounts, if any, are reflected as an asset on the fund’s books. In many cases, however, the fund may not receive such amounts for an extended period of time, depending on the country of investment.

The aggregate identified cost on a tax basis is $1,327,419,260, resulting in gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of $38,424,174 and $30,891,582, respectively, or net unrealized appreciation of $7,532,592.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. Actual results may vary. Any non-taxable return of capital cannot be determined until final tax calculations are completed after the end of the fund’s fiscal year. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations.

Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

82  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a management fee (base fee) (based on the fund’s average net assets and computed and paid monthly) at annual rates that may vary based on the average of the aggregate net assets of all open-end funds, sponsored by Putnam Management (excluding net assets of funds that are invested in or invested in by other Putnam Funds to avoid double counting of those assets). Such annual rates may vary as follows:

0.880%  of the first $5 billion,  0.680%  of the next $50 billion, 

 
0.830%  of the next $5 billion,  0.660%  of the next $50 billion, 

 
0.780%  of the next $10 billion,  0.650%  of the next $100 billion and 

 
0.730%  of the next $10 billion,  0.645%  of any excess thereafter. 

 

 

The applicable base fee is increased or decreased for each month by an amount based on the performance of the fund. The amount of the increase or decrease is calculated monthly based on a performance adjustment rate that is equal to 0.04 multiplied by the difference between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the fund’s class A shares) and the annualized performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 5.00% over the thirty-six month period then ended (the “performance period”). The maximum annualized performance adjustment rate is +/– 0.20%. Each month, the performance adjustment rate is multiplied by the fund’s average net assets over the performance period and the result is divided by twelve. The resulting dollar amount is added to, or subtracted from, the base fee for that month. The monthly base fee is determined based on the fund’s average net assets for the month, while the performance adjustment is determined based on the fund’s average net assets over the performance period of up to thirty-six months. This means it is possible that, if the fund underperforms significantly over the performance period, and the fund’s assets have declined significantly over that period, the negative performance adjustment may exceed the base fee. In this event, Putnam Management would make a payment to the fund.

Because the performance adjustment is based on the fund’s performance relative to its applicable benchmark index, and not its absolute performance, the performance adjustment could increase Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares lose value during the performance period provided that the fund outperformed its benchmark index, and could decrease Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares increase in value during the performance period provided that the fund underperformed its benchmark index.

For the reporting period, the base fee represented an effective rate (excluding the impact from any expense waivers in effect) of 0.360% of the fund’s average net assets before a decrease of $584,401 (0.050% of the fund’s average net assets) based on performance.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed to waive fees (and, to the extent necessary, bear other expenses) of the fund through February 28, 2017, to the extent that the total expenses of the fund (before any applicable performance-based upward or downward adjustments to the fund’s management fee and excluding payments under the fund’s distribution plans, brokerage, interest, taxes, investor servicing fees, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses) would exceed an annual rate of 0.77% of the fund’s average net assets. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $226,289 as a result of this limit.

Putnam Management has also contractually agreed, through February 28, 2017, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were not reduced as a result of this limit.

Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. PIL did not manage any portion of the assets of the fund during the reporting period. If Putnam Management were to engage the services of PIL, Putnam Management would pay a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL. PAC did not manage any portion of the assets of the fund during the reporting period. If Putnam Management or PIL were to engage the services of PAC, Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, would pay a quarterly

Absolute Return 500 Fund  83 

 



sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

Putnam Management has agreed to reimburse the fund $1,878 for a compliance exception which occurred during the reporting period. The effect of the loss incurred and the reimbursement by Putnam Management of such amounts had no material impact on total return.

The fund reimburses Putnam Management an allocated amount for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund. The aggregate amount of all such reimbursements is determined annually by the Trustees.

Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes.

Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing (except for class R5 and R6 shares) that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. Class R5 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R5 shares at an annual rate of 0.12%. Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares. Class R6 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R6 shares at an annual rate of 0.05%. During the reporting period, the expenses for each class of shares related to investor servicing fees were as follows:

Class A  $256,179  Class R5  3 

 
Class B  21,385  Class R6  1,648 

 
Class C  138,254  Class Y  341,029 

 
Class M  6,579  Total  $765,724 

 
Class R  647     

 

 

The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. The fund also reduced expenses through brokerage/service arrangements. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $2,204 under the expense offset arrangements and by $13,324 under the brokerage/service arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $856, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees.

The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Pension expense for the fund is included in Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of operations. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003.

The fund has adopted distribution plans (the Plans) with respect to its class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plans is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plans provide for payments by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35%, 1.00%, 1.00%,

84  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



1.00% and 1.00% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. The Trustees have approved payment by the fund at an annual rate of 0.25%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 0.75% and 0.50% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. During the reporting period, the class specific expenses related to distribution fees were as follows:

Class A  $480,122  Class M  36,982 

 
Class B  160,400  Class R  2,424 

 
Class C  1,036,833  Total  $1,716,761 

 

 

For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received net commissions of $65,594 and $2,453 from the sale of class A and class M shares, respectively, and received $8,360 and $5,405 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of class B and class C shares, respectively.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of class A shares. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received $50 on class A redemptions.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:

  Cost of purchases  Proceeds from sales 

Investments in securities, including TBA commitments     
(Long-term)  $1,876,697,175  $1,883,980,539 

U.S. government securities (Long-term)  —  — 

Total  $1,876,697,175  $1,883,980,539 

 

The fund may purchase or sell investments from or to other Putnam funds in the ordinary course of business, which can reduce the fund’s transaction costs, at prices determined in accordance with SEC requirements and policies approved by the Trustees. During the reporting period, purchases or sales from or to other Putnam funds, if any, did not represent more than 5% of the fund’s total cost of purchases and/or total proceeds from sales.

Written option transactions during the reporting period are summarized as follows:

  Written swap       
  option contract  Written swap  Written option  Written option 
  amounts  option premiums  contract amounts  premiums 

Written options outstanding         
at the beginning of the         
reporting period  $207,363,275  $1,528,440  $8,691,073  $240,470 

Options opened  288,837,100  1,847,320  65,939,836  2,409,203 
Options exercised  (13,312,200)  (105,391)  —  — 
Options expired  (173,520,675)  (312,500)  (4,017,062)  (1,598,179) 
Options closed  (192,985,500)  (1,522,270)  (40,168,877)  (772,406) 

Written options outstanding at         
the end of the reporting period  $116,382,000  $1,435,599  $30,444,970  $279,088 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  85 

 



Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  8,043,635  $86,718,193  12,570,592  $144,943,375 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,917,809  20,443,842  1,471,688  16,688,940 

  9,961,444  107,162,035  14,042,280  161,632,315 

Shares repurchased  (9,796,575)  (104,635,692)  (8,703,999)  (100,636,511) 

Net increase  164,869  $2,526,343  5,338,281  $60,995,804 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class B  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  171,820  $1,830,394  244,936  $2,795,825 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  140,037  1,481,587  136,386  1,534,338 

  311,857  3,311,981  381,322  4,330,163 

Shares repurchased  (277,136)  (2,940,737)  (449,199)  (5,128,730) 

Net increase (decrease)  34,721  $371,244  (67,877)  $(798,567) 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class C  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  2,716,305  $28,958,485  5,483,523  $62,387,590 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  910,667  9,598,433  697,593  7,833,969 

  3,626,972  38,556,918  6,181,116  70,221,559 

Shares repurchased  (2,366,252)  (25,071,019)  (3,362,970)  (38,352,078) 

Net increase  1,260,720  $13,485,899  2,818,146  $31,869,481 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class M  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  222,387  $2,408,995  238,446  $2,726,625 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  46,698  494,527  30,733  346,671 

  269,085  2,903,522  269,179  3,073,296 

Shares repurchased  (150,069)  (1,597,877)  (67,498)  (773,945) 

Net increase  119,016  $1,305,645  201,681  $2,299,351 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  56,754  $625,480  189,917  $2,171,478 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,642  17,933  29,257  328,844 

  58,396  643,413  219,174  2,500,322 

Shares repurchased  (248)  (2,690)  (704,187)  (7,984,337) 

Net increase (decrease)  58,148  $640,723  (485,013)  $(5,484,015) 

 

86  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



  Six months ended 4/30/16*  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R5  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  —  $—  —  $— 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  59  634  54  613 

  59  634  54  613 

Shares repurchased  (1,031)  (10,952)  —  — 

Net increase (decrease)  (972)  $(10,318)  54  $613 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R6  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  75,652  $807,573  277,207  $3,227,787 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  35,023  375,093  22,110  251,838 

  110,675  1,182,666  299,317  3,479,625 

Shares repurchased  (68,118)  (742,882)  (78,305)  (912,262) 

Net increase  42,557  $439,784  221,012  $2,567,363 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  25,470,004  $275,182,890  28,341,612  $327,498,448 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  2,170,251  23,199,982  1,071,840  12,186,823 

  27,640,255  298,382,872  29,413,452  339,685,271 

Shares repurchased  (16,933,690)  (182,875,839)  (13,962,042)  (161,705,766) 

Net increase  10,706,565  $115,507,033  15,451,410  $177,979,505 

 

* Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned 1,034 class R6 shares of the fund (0.2% of class R6 shares outstanding), valued at $10,981.

Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which are under common ownership or control, were as follows:

  Fair value at the        Fair value at 
  beginning of        the end of 
  the reporting      Investment  the reporting 
Name of affiliate  period  Purchase cost  Sale proceeds  income  period 

Putnam Money Market           
Liquidity Fund*  $110,035,724  $154,643,545  $101,153,433  $191,473  $163,525,836 

Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund*  223,132,504  128,475,826  119,377,376  451,433  232,230,954 

Totals  $333,168,228  $283,119,371  $220,530,809  $642,906  $395,756,790 

 

* Management fees charged to Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  87 

 



Note 6: Senior loan commitments

Senior loans are purchased or sold on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis and may be settled a month or more after the trade date, which from time to time can delay the actual investment of available cash balances; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Senior loans can be acquired through an agent, by assignment from another holder of the loan, or as a participation interest in another holder’s portion of the loan. When the fund invests in a loan or participation, the fund is subject to the risk that an intermediate participant between the fund and the borrower will fail to meet its obligations to the fund, in addition to the risk that the borrower under the loan may default on its obligations.

Note 7: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks, including those related to economic instability, unfavorable political developments, and currency fluctuations. The fund may invest in higher-yielding, lower-rated bonds that may have a higher rate of default. The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securitized debt instruments, including mortgage-backed and asset-backed investments. The yields and values of these investments are sensitive to changes in interest rates, the rate of principal payments on the underlying assets and the market’s perception of the issuers. The market for these investments may be volatile and limited, which may make them difficult to buy or sell.

Note 8: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Purchased equity option contracts (contract amount)  $1,100,000 

Purchased TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount)  $11,300,000 

Purchased swap option contracts (contract amount)  $143,100,000 

Written equity option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $690,000 

Written TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $22,600,000 

Written swap option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $142,200,000 

Futures contracts (number of contracts)  2,000 

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)  $276,900,000 

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts (notional)  $1,459,100,000 

OTC total return swap contracts (notional)  $1,365,200,000 

OTC credit default contracts (notional)  $100,600,000 

Centrally cleared credit default contracts (notional)  $88,200,000 

Warrants (number of warrants)  3,200,000 

 

88  Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



The following is a summary of the fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period:

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period

  Asset derivatives  Liability derivatives 

Derivatives not         
accounted for as  Statement of    Statement of   
hedging instruments  assets and    assets and   
under ASC 815  liabilities location  Fair value  liabilities location  Fair value 

      Payables, Net   
      assets — Unrealized   
Credit contracts  Receivables  $549,646  depreciation  $10,123,657* 

Foreign exchange         
contracts  Receivables  3,167,128  Payables  5,135,713 

  Investments,    Payables,   
  Receivables, Net    Net assets  —   
  assets — Unrealized    Unrealized   
Equity contracts  appreciation  23,951,235*  depreciation  22,218,741* 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Interest rate contracts  appreciation  8,116,261*  depreciation  6,503,708* 

Total    $35,784,270    $43,981,819 

 

* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts and/or centrally cleared swaps as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.

The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments in the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not             
accounted for as        Forward     
hedging instruments        currency     
under ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $ —  $(2,874,357)  $(2,874,357) 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  —  —  —  (1,757,474)  —  (1,757,474) 

Equity contracts  (584,819)  (2,784,129)  (6,182,758)  —  4,181,469  (5,370,237) 

Interest rate contracts  —  (428,211)  422,646  —  8,750,380  8,744,815 

Total  $(584,819)  $(3,212,340)  $(5,760,112)  $(1,757,474)  $10,057,492  $(1,257,253) 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

 

Derivatives not             
accounted for as        Forward     
hedging instruments        currency     
under ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $—  $(10,623,833)  $(10,623,833) 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  —  —  —  (2,390,765)  —  (2,390,765) 

Equity contracts  (113,441)  1,477,849  7,489,380  —  (18,158,778)  (9,304,990) 

Interest rate contracts  —  116,903  (232,154)  —  1,789,901  1,674,650 

Total  $(113,441)  $1,594,752  $7,257,226  $(2,390,765)  $(26,992,710)  $(20,644,938) 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  89 

 



Note 9: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.

  Bank of America N.A. Barclays Bank PLC Barclays Capital Inc. (clearing broker) Citibank, N.A. Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. Credit Suisse International Deutsche Bank AG Goldman Sachs International HSBC Bank USA, National Association JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. JPMorgan Securities LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) State Street Bank and Trust Co. UBS AG WestPac Banking Corp. Total

Assets:                                   

Centrally cleared interest rate                                   
swap contracts§  $—  $—  $739,951  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $739,951 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  1,455,000  50,312  —  1,526,253  —  81,229  2,150,857  612,485  —  28,940  —  —  —  —  1,073,968  —  6,979,044 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  —  —  —  —  —  297,606  —  192,470  —  —  59,570  —  —  —  —  —  549,646 

Centrally cleared credit default contracts§  —  —  228,200  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  228,200 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  175,435  —  —  —  —  175,435 

Forward currency contracts#  270,357  494,473  —  383,967  —  242,636  90,392  487,863  29,234  347,485  —  —  334,536  256,523  164,221  65,441  3,167,128 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  62,384  —  —  —  —  —  —  62,384 

Purchased swap options**#  77,692  85,406  —  9  —  4,765  —  96,514  —  10,490  —  —  —  —  —  —  274,876 

Purchased options**#  —  —  —  1,751,745  —  —  —  —  —  1,405,572  —  —  —  —  —  —  3,157,317 

Repurchase agreements**  —  —  —  —  38,888,000  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  38,888,000 

Total Assets  $1,803,049  $630,191  $968,151  $3,661,974  $38,888,000  $626,236  $2,241,249  $1,389,332  $29,234  $1,854,871  $59,570  $175,435  $334,536  $256,523  $1,238,189  $65,441  $54,221,981 

Liabilities:                                   

Centrally cleared interest rate                                   
swap contracts§  —  —  452,045  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  452,045 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  3,494,938  53,525  —  10,313,698  —  21,625  4,340,997  22,393  —  3,963,339  —  —  —  —  —  —  22,210,515 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  46,518  127,517  —  —  —  4,288,534  —  1,568,352  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  6,030,921 

Centrally cleared credit default contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  501,955  —  —  —  —  501,955 

Forward currency contracts#  534,638  439,552  —  456,731  —  388,784  229,318  501,085  10,601  790,076  —  —  661,970  614,252  481,076  27,630  5,135,713 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  82,789  —  —  —  —  —  —  82,789 

Written swap options#  93,027  97,813  —  18  —  7,668  —  109,755  —  610,096  —  —  —  —  —  —  918,377 

Written options#  73,547  —  —  26,494  —  —  —  —  —  43,360  —  —  —  —  —  —  143,401 

Reverse repurchase agreements  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 

Total Liabilities  $4,242,668  $718,407  $452,045  $10,796,941  $—  $4,706,611  $4,570,315  $2,201,585  $10,601  $5,489,660  $—  $501,955  $661,970  $614,252  $481,076  $27,630  $35,475,716 

Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets  $(2,439,619)  $(88,216)  $516,106  $(7,134,967)    $38,888,000  $(4,080,375)    $(2,329,066)  $(812,253)  $18,633  $(3,634,789)  $59,570  $(326,520)  $(327,434)  $(357,729)  $757,113  $37,811  $18,746,265 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##  $(591,950)  $—  $—  $(7,134,967)    $38,888,000  $(3,849,540)    $(2,039,730)  $1,667,969  $—  $(3,634,789)  $59,570  $—  $(179,970)  $(281,958)  $598,578  $—   

Net amount  $(1,847,669)  $(88,216)  $516,106  $—  $—  $(230,835)  $(289,336)  $(2,480,222)  $18,633  $—  $—  $(326,520)  $(147,464)  $(75,771)  $158,535  $37,811   

 

* Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

** Included with Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

† Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

# Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§ Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.

90  Absolute Return 500 Fund  Absolute Return 500 Fund  91 

 



The fund’s portfolio 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCKS (35.5%)*  Shares  Value 

Basic materials (1.5%)     
Bemis Co., Inc.  13,200  $662,376 

Braskem SA Class A (Preference) (Brazil)  383,900  2,740,349 

China Lesso Group Holdings, Ltd. (China)  2,194,000  1,205,132 

China Railway Construction Corp., Ltd. (China)  2,155,000  2,711,972 

Graphic Packaging Holding Co.  69,000  916,320 

Hyosung Corp. (South Korea)  24,428  2,616,183 

IRPC PCL (Thailand)  7,946,100  1,160,181 

Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing, Ltd. (China)  465,000  303,539 

Petronas Chemicals Group Bhd (Malaysia)  488,200  838,616 

PTT Global Chemical PCL (Thailand)  1,729,800  3,095,119 

Sappi, Ltd. (South Africa) †  144,748  627,734 

Sherwin-Williams Co. (The)  3,800  1,091,778 

Siam Cement PCL (The) (Thailand)  62,450  874,969 

Sonoco Products Co.  11,600  543,924 

 19,388,192 
Capital goods (2.0%)   
Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.  55,000  1,584,550 

AptarGroup, Inc.  5,800  440,800 

Avery Dennison Corp.  26,500  1,924,165 

Boeing Co. (The)  23,200  3,127,360 

BWX Technologies, Inc.  15,500  517,545 

China Railway Group, Ltd. (China)  368,000  287,765 

Crown Holdings, Inc. †  14,100  746,736 

General Dynamics Corp.  34,700  4,876,044 

Honeywell International, Inc.  1,700  194,259 

Lockheed Martin Corp.  1,600  371,808 

Northrop Grumman Corp.  24,100  4,970,866 

Raytheon Co.  37,300  4,712,855 

Waste Management, Inc.  61,200  3,597,948 

 27,352,701 
Communication services (3.2%)   
AT&T, Inc.  63,100  2,449,542 

China Mobile, Ltd. (China)  571,500  6,500,460 

DISH Network Corp. Class A †  396,800  19,558,272 

Globe Telecom, Inc. (Philippines)  17,745  829,954 

Juniper Networks, Inc.  129,900  3,039,660 

MTN Group, Ltd. (South Africa)  215,706  2,275,571 

Telkom SA SOC, Ltd. (South Africa)  437,959  1,752,115 

Verizon Communications, Inc.  121,717  6,200,264 

 42,605,838 
Consumer cyclicals (4.5%)   
Alfa SAB de CV (Mexico)  445,483  837,903 

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.  57,600  5,094,144 

AutoZone, Inc. †  5,400  4,132,242 

Belle International Holdings, Ltd. (China)  1,224,000  745,007 

China Dongxiang Group Co., Ltd. (China)  2,738,000  563,887 

Clorox Co. (The)  2,900  363,167 

Copart, Inc. †  13,200  565,488 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    19 

 



COMMON STOCKS (35.5%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

Consumer cyclicals cont.     
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. Class A  7,100  $338,031 

Dollar General Corp.  60,700  4,971,937 

Ecolab, Inc.  6,200  712,876 

Gartner, Inc. †  9,500  828,115 

Hankook Tire Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  7,015  326,779 

Home Depot, Inc. (The)  5,400  723,006 

Hyatt Hotels Corp. Class A †  10,600  507,528 

Imperial Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  28,849  304,054 

John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Class A  6,000  297,540 

Kia Motors Corp. (South Korea)  73,296  3,073,642 

Kimberly-Clark de Mexico SAB de CV Class A (Mexico)  1,188,369  2,825,067 

KOC Holding AS (Turkey)  96,752  505,179 

Liberty Braves Group Class A †  2,080  32,531 

Liberty Media Group Class A †  5,200  95,160 

Liberty SiriusXM Group Class A †  20,800  681,616 

MSG Networks, Inc. Class A †  15,700  268,313 

News Corp. Class B  17,400  225,504 

NIKE, Inc. Class B  88,700  5,227,978 

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. †  10,100  2,653,068 

Omnicom Group, Inc.  2,072  171,914 

Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (The) Class A  5,900  417,602 

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. †  26,600  1,019,312 

Sirius XM Holdings, Inc. †  652,700  2,578,165 

Smiles SA (Brazil)  140,156  1,626,001 

Target Corp.  66,000  5,247,000 

Teco Electric and Machinery Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  921,000  726,135 

Thomson Reuters Corp. (Canada)  26,100  1,073,493 

Top Glove Corp. Bhd (Malaysia)  674,800  856,639 

Truworths International, Ltd. (South Africa)  318,523  2,381,515 

Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc.  105,400  3,174,648 

Vantiv, Inc. Class A †  48,100  2,623,374 

Visteon Corp.  13,500  1,075,545 

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.  3,200  213,984 

World Fuel Services Corp.  9,500  443,935 

 60,529,024 
Consumer staples (3.7%)   
Altria Group, Inc.  97,531  6,116,169 

Arca Continental SAB de CV (Mexico)  266,323  1,837,132 

Colgate-Palmolive Co.  54,600  3,872,232 

Constellation Brands, Inc. Class A  30,000  4,681,800 

Grape King Bio, Ltd. (Taiwan)  91,000  547,124 

Gruma SAB de CV Class B (Mexico)  194,488  2,834,914 

Hormel Foods Corp.  45,400  1,750,170 

JBS SA (Brazil)  837,451  2,201,223 

Kroger Co. (The)  117,300  4,151,247 

KT&G Corp. (South Korea)  34,493  3,721,905 

LG Household & Health Care, Ltd. (South Korea)  3,540  3,118,801 

Match Group, Inc. †  23,600  269,040 

 

20    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (35.5%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

Consumer staples cont.     
McDonald’s Corp.  47,968  $6,067,472 

PepsiCo, Inc.  43,000  4,427,280 

Sao Martinho SA (Brazil)  44,401  577,468 

Sysco Corp.  65,100  2,999,157 

 49,173,134 
Energy (2.0%)   
Bangchak Petroleum PCL (The) (Thailand)  1,841,800  1,634,578 

California Resources Corp.  3,623  7,971 

Ecopetrol SA ADR (Colombia)  61,371  610,028 

Exxon Mobil Corp.  106,731  9,435,020 

Formosa Petrochemical Corp. (Taiwan)  985,000  2,794,879 

Frank’s International NV (Netherlands)  12,400  206,460 

Occidental Petroleum Corp.  38,100  2,920,365 

Schlumberger, Ltd.  51,700  4,153,578 

SK Innovation Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  6,743  909,097 

Thai Oil PCL (Thailand)  1,021,400  1,929,928 

Tupras Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS (Turkey)  55,758  1,470,262 

Vantage Drilling International (Units) (Cayman Islands) †  1,527  145,065 

 26,217,231 
Financials (7.5%)   
Agricultural Bank of China, Ltd. (China)  8,105,000  2,923,667 

Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings AG  27,000  960,660 

American Capital Agency Corp. R   146,700  2,694,879 

American Financial Group, Inc.  9,600  663,456 

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. R   59,100  615,822 

Aspen Insurance Holdings, Ltd.  11,600  537,660 

Assurant, Inc.  4,600  389,022 

AvalonBay Communities, Inc. R   18,500  3,270,615 

Banco Bradesco SA ADR (Brazil)  277,835  2,075,425 

Bank Negara Indonesia Persero Tbk PT (Indonesia)  4,967,700  1,723,344 

Bank of Communications Co., Ltd. (China)  4,208,000  2,648,891 

Bank Rakyat Indonesia Persero Tbk PT (Indonesia)  3,922,600  3,070,777 

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.  15,500  927,520 

BS Financial Group, Inc. (South Korea)  109,851  889,272 

Capital One Financial Corp.  71,000  5,139,690 

Care Capital Properties, Inc. R   13,900  370,713 

Cathay Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  1,188,000  1,326,193 

Chimera Investment Corp. R   58,100  825,020 

China Cinda Asset Management Co., Ltd. (China)  6,485,000  2,115,411 

China Construction Bank Corp. (China)  4,196,000  2,673,277 

China Galaxy Securities Co., Ltd. (China)  1,965,000  1,703,811 

Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Co., Ltd. (China)  4,408,000  2,310,957 

CoreLogic, Inc. †  12,800  454,144 

DAMAC Properties Dubai Co. PJSC (United Arab Emirates) †  1,243,289  868,203 

Discover Financial Services  8,500  478,295 

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC (United Arab Emirates)  540,122  858,477 

Endurance Specialty Holdings, Ltd.  7,800  499,044 

Equity Commonwealth † R   15,900  443,769 

Everest Re Group, Ltd.  4,986  921,911 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    21 

 



COMMON STOCKS (35.5%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

Financials cont.     
Four Corners Property Trust, Inc. R   20,900  $370,975 

Guangzhou R&F Properties Co., Ltd. (China)  1,798,000  2,505,679 

Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (The)  1,800  154,368 

Highwealth Construction Corp. (Taiwan)  845,000  1,267,681 

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  63,556  1,768,298 

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, Ltd. (China)  3,517,000  1,889,689 

Industrial Bank of Korea (South Korea)  263,792  2,795,294 

Liberty Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  234,727  2,304,953 

Macquarie Mexico Real Estate Management SA de CV (Mexico) R   496,048  689,090 

MFA Financial, Inc. R   76,600  529,306 

Moscow Exchange MICEXRTS OAO (Russia)  1,938,131  3,060,799 

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China, Ltd. (China)  6,984,000  2,791,612 

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (The)  45,500  3,993,990 

Popular, Inc. (Puerto Rico)  18,500  549,820 

ProAssurance Corp.  7,600  362,748 

Public Storage R   5,200  1,273,012 

Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.  6,200  590,364 

RenaissanceRe Holdings, Ltd.  7,554  837,814 

Sberbank of Russia PJSC ADR (Russia)  551,486  4,427,493 

Shinhan Financial Group Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  26,836  980,107 

SLM Corp. †  118,300  800,891 

Starwood Property Trust, Inc. R   64,300  1,244,848 

Synchrony Financial †  155,300  4,747,521 

TCF Financial Corp.  31,500  429,660 

Two Harbors Investment Corp. R   76,900  602,127 

U.S. Bancorp  44,200  1,886,898 

Validus Holdings, Ltd.  16,500  760,485 

Voya Financial, Inc.  50,700  1,646,229 

Wells Fargo & Co.  145,580  7,276,088 

XL Group PLC  83,300  2,726,409 

 99,644,173 
Health care (3.3%)   
AmerisourceBergen Corp.  45,700  3,889,070 

BioRad Laboratories, Inc. Class A †  3,200  453,920 

Cardinal Health, Inc.  43,528  3,415,207 

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. †  4,800  380,496 

DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc. †  29,700  2,194,830 

Johnson & Johnson  79,585  8,919,887 

McKesson Corp.  24,900  4,178,718 

MEDNAX, Inc. †  10,800  769,932 

Merck & Co., Inc.  43,627  2,392,505 

PerkinElmer, Inc.  18,800  947,896 

Pfizer, Inc.  204,600  6,692,466 

Richter Gedeon Nyrt (Hungary)  144,823  2,878,239 

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.  35,500  5,120,875 

Waters Corp. †  9,100  1,184,456 

    43,418,497 

 

22    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (35.5%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

Technology (5.2%)     
Accenture PLC Class A  41,400  $4,674,888 

Amdocs, Ltd.  21,000  1,187,340 

Apple, Inc.  40,505  3,796,939 

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.  88,500  850,485 

Cisco Systems, Inc.  243,100  6,682,819 

Computer Sciences Corp.  17,300  573,149 

CSRA, Inc.  19,600  508,816 

DST Systems, Inc.  18,200  2,196,376 

eBay, Inc. †  174,300  4,258,149 

Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  532,000  744,321 

Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.  17,700  1,164,660 

Fiserv, Inc. †  28,400  2,775,248 

Genpact, Ltd. †  20,200  563,378 

Gentex Corp.  12,500  200,500 

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  1,854,000  4,389,479 

Ingram Micro, Inc. Class A  23,600  824,820 

Inventec Corp. (Taiwan)  1,783,000  1,173,477 

Leidos Holdings, Inc.  11,600  575,476 

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.  121,900  4,354,268 

Microsoft Corp.  37,123  1,851,324 

NetEase, Inc. ADR (China)  22,572  3,175,880 

Paychex, Inc.  74,100  3,862,092 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  9,060  9,851,809 

Synopsys, Inc. †  20,400  969,408 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR (Taiwan)  125,657  2,964,249 

Tencent Holdings, Ltd. (China)  125,200  2,540,599 

WNS Holdings, Ltd. ADR (India) †  37,037  1,173,703 

Xilinx, Inc.  20,200  870,216 

 68,753,868 
Transportation (1.1%)   
China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd. (China)  3,644,000  2,264,273 

MISC Bhd (Malaysia)  902,200  1,949,662 

OHL Mexico SAB de CV (Mexico) †  454,815  747,334 

Southwest Airlines Co.  3,500  156,135 

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS (Turkey)  62,779  365,933 

Turk Hava Yollari AO (Turkey) †  865,458  2,134,090 

United Parcel Service, Inc. Class B  52,999  5,568,605 

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, Ltd. (China)  1,726,300  1,265,252 

 14,451,284 
Utilities and power (1.5%)   
AK Transneft OAO (Preference) (Russia) †  656  2,030,398 

American Electric Power Co., Inc.  31,300  1,987,550 

American Water Works Co., Inc.  12,900  938,604 

Korea Electric Power Corp. (South Korea)  75,540  4,089,230 

PG&E Corp.  48,800  2,840,160 

Southern Co. (The)  96,200  4,819,620 

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (Malaysia)  969,900  3,560,637 

    20,266,199 
 
Total common stocks (cost $442,127,527)    $471,800,141 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    23 

 



U.S. GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS (25.2%)*  Principal amount  Value 

U.S. Government Guaranteed Mortgage Obligations (1.2%)     
Government National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
4.687s, June 20, 2045  $189,400  $213,748 
4.654s, June 20, 2045  816,326  921,433 
4.554s, May 20, 2045  405,553  456,443 
4.524s, June 20, 2065  397,411  445,929 
4.516s, June 20, 2045  400,057  448,177 
4.468s, May 20, 2065  805,961  898,733 
4.413s, June 20, 2065  200,242  223,443 
3 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  12,000,000  12,676,874 

U.S. Government Agency Mortgage Obligations (24.0%)    16,284,780 
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Pass-Through Certificates     
3 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  1,000,000  1,047,539 

Federal National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
5 1/2s, January 1, 2038  1,634,186  1,845,243 
5 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  1,000,000  1,119,766 
4 1/2s, November 1, 2044  1,552,372  1,711,976 
4 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  1,000,000  1,088,906 
4s, May 1, 2044  649,761  696,184 
3 1/2s, with due dates from June 1, 2042 to January 1, 2046  3,617,203  3,819,712 
3 1/2s, TBA, June 1, 2046  12,000,000  12,557,344 
3 1/2s, TBA, May 1, 2046  24,000,000  25,156,874 
3s, with due dates from February 1, 2043 to February 1, 2043  1,537,645  1,581,552 
3s, TBA, May 1, 2046  261,000,000  267,626,947 

    318,252,043 
 
Total U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations (cost $334,021,991)  $334,536,823 
 
U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS (—%)*  Principal amount  Value 

U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities 2.125%, February 15, 2041 i   $88,777  $115,593 

Total U.S. treasury obligations (cost $115,593)    $115,593 
 
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.5%)*  Principal amount  Value 

Agency collateralized mortgage obligations (8.1%)     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
IFB Ser. 2990, Class LB, 15.84s, 2034  $301,897  $390,882 
IFB Ser. 3232, Class KS, IO, 5.867s, 2036  508,190  86,392 
IFB Ser. 4104, Class S, IO, 5.667s, 2042  758,656  162,930 
IFB Ser. 3116, Class AS, IO, 5.667s, 2034  189,937  2,849 
IFB Ser. 4096, Class SM, IO, 5.617s, 2042  5,584,159  1,059,672 
IFB Ser. 3852, Class NT, 5.567s, 2041  1,769,369  1,831,274 
Ser. 3687, Class CI, IO, 5s, 2038  1,266,900  142,367 
Ser. 4322, Class ID, IO, 4 1/2s, 2043  5,799,340  822,956 
Ser. 4122, Class TI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2042  1,422,667  216,815 
Ser. 4568, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2046  11,296,500  1,468,545 
Ser. 4462, IO, 4s, 2045  2,446,198  423,217 
Ser. 4425, IO, 4s, 2045  7,069,806  891,432 
Ser. 4462, Class KI, IO, 4s, 2045  6,675,096  1,098,520 

 

24    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.5%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
Ser. 4452, Class QI, IO, 4s, 2044  $5,869,230  $896,433 
Ser. 4355, Class DI, IO, 4s, 2044  5,416,118  467,411 
Ser. 4193, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  3,381,560  505,066 
Ser. 4121, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2042  4,104,662  764,493 
Ser. 4116, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2042  3,496,463  620,794 
Ser. 4213, Class GI, IO, 4s, 2041  2,517,845  293,077 
Ser. 3996, Class IK, IO, 4s, 2039  4,451,922  398,537 
Ser. 4013, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2039  5,505,338  519,675 
Ser. 4305, Class KI, IO, 4s, 2038  8,380,169  585,600 
Ser. 4369, Class IA, IO, 3 1/2s, 2044  1,734,590  269,607 
Ser. 303, Class C18, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  4,707,200  816,148 
Ser. 4150, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,677,548  671,754 
Ser. 4121, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  6,464,681  1,175,343 
Ser. 4122, Class CI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  5,312,668  665,125 
Ser. 4136, Class IW, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  3,474,640  455,813 
Ser. 4166, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  2,656,686  349,280 
Ser. 4097, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  4,223,997  442,949 
Ser. 304, Class C37, IO, 3 1/2s, 2027  1,123,319  119,269 
Ser. 4150, Class DI, IO, 3s, 2043  3,167,738  372,209 
Ser. 4158, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  6,059,711  650,934 
Ser. 4165, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  6,947,568  727,410 
Ser. 4134, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2042  7,879,553  898,978 
Ser. 4183, Class MI, IO, 3s, 2042  2,354,567  239,930 
Ser. 4206, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2041  4,817,874  505,993 
Ser. 4433, Class DI, IO, 3s, 2032  7,323,059  612,135 
Ser. 3939, Class EI, IO, 3s, 2026  4,725,341  324,278 
FRB Ser. 8, Class A9, IO, 0.451s, 2028  161,177  2,216 
FRB Ser. 59, Class 1AX, IO, 0.273s, 2043  410,672  4,139 
Ser. 48, Class A2, IO, 0.212s, 2033  609,433  4,571 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 05-74, Class NK, 25.306s, 2035  63,379  98,925 
IFB Ser. 05-122, Class SE, 21.564s, 2035  146,191  217,039 
IFB Ser. 11-4, Class CS, 12.022s, 2040  822,573  1,012,704 
IFB Ser. 13-103, Class SK, IO, 5.481s, 2043  1,227,068  297,459 
IFB Ser. 13-101, Class SE, IO, 5.461s, 2043  3,842,948  933,465 
Ser. 397, Class 2, IO, 5s, 2039  41,361  7,407 
Ser. 15-4, IO, 4 1/2s, 2045  2,553,425  475,667 
Ser. 421, Class C6, IO, 4s, 2045  4,144,954  661,207 
Ser. 14-47, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2044  7,679,282  928,825 
Ser. 12-124, Class UI, IO, 4s, 2042  4,427,259  761,931 
Ser. 12-118, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2042  4,080,375  699,153 
Ser. 13-11, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2042  4,494,482  734,646 
Ser. 12-96, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2041  1,069,138  146,116 
Ser. 12-40, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2041  2,666,029  391,152 
Ser. 12-22, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2041  3,884,170  520,024 
Ser. 12-62, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2041  3,287,794  406,043 
Ser. 409, Class C16, IO, 4s, 2040  509,730  76,781 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    25 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.5%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Federal National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 14-95, Class TI, IO, 4s, 2039  $6,467,423  $617,639 
Ser. 12-104, Class HI, IO, 4s, 2027  5,079,639  603,590 
Ser. 15-10, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,089,098  223,388 
Ser. 417, Class C24, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  2,768,711  473,125 
Ser. 12-118, Class IC, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  6,465,994  1,166,493 
Ser. 12-136, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  2,849,366  283,667 
Ser. 14-10, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  2,921,490  337,453 
Ser. 12-101, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  2,843,152  273,614 
Ser. 14-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  7,253,116  771,863 
Ser. 12-110, Class BI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  3,811,755  367,037 
Ser. 13-21, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2033  3,609,627  532,039 
Ser. 78, Class KI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2027  1,515,914  168,269 
Ser. 12-151, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2043  2,746,689  326,032 
Ser. 13-1, Class MI, IO, 3s, 2043  5,171,284  480,050 
Ser. 13-8, Class NI, IO, 3s, 2042  4,969,295  528,538 
Ser. 6, Class BI, IO, 3s, 2042  5,634,981  455,870 
Ser. 13-35, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2042  2,776,804  259,566 
Ser. 13-23, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2041  3,515,502  265,210 
Ser. 13-66, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2041  8,330,565  718,928 
Ser. 13-31, Class NI, IO, 3s, 2041  5,095,813  419,699 
Ser. 13-7, Class EI, IO, 3s, 2040  3,952,949  469,613 
Ser. 12-100, Class WI, IO, 3s, 2027  11,083,827  1,097,849 
FRB Ser. 03-W10, Class 1, IO, 0.711s, 2043  210,264  3,294 
Ser. 98-W2, Class X, IO, 0.697s, 2028  1,014,486  49,456 
Ser. 98-W5, Class X, IO, 0.538s, 2028  310,270  15,126 
Ser. 08-36, Class OV, PO, zero %, 2036  19,869  17,674 

Government National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 11-81, Class SB, IO, 6.269s, 2036  1,430,714  153,573 
Ser. 09-79, Class IC, IO, 6s, 2039  4,497,453  870,662 
IFB Ser. 13-129, Class SN, IO, 5.711s, 2043  881,595  143,259 
IFB Ser. 14-41, Class SK, IO, 5.664s, 2044  4,908,891  908,145 
IFB Ser. 13-99, Class VS, IO, 5.664s, 2043  1,070,228  189,794 
Ser. 14-182, Class KI, IO, 5s, 2044  5,352,409  930,623 
Ser. 14-133, Class IP, IO, 5s, 2044  4,135,503  746,955 
Ser. 14-122, Class IC, IO, 5s, 2044  3,799,818  724,663 
Ser. 14-76, IO, 5s, 2044  3,019,543  526,740 
Ser. 14-163, Class NI, IO, 5s, 2044  3,291,846  599,226 
Ser. 14-25, Class QI, IO, 5s, 2044  3,822,894  661,819 
Ser. 14-2, Class IC, IO, 5s, 2044  5,670,976  1,177,206 
Ser. 13-3, Class IT, IO, 5s, 2043  1,025,869  180,595 
Ser. 11-116, Class IB, IO, 5s, 2040  624,874  23,137 
Ser. 10-35, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  887,690  160,916 
Ser. 10-20, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  1,526,790  254,470 
Ser. 10-9, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  4,248,688  765,384 
Ser. 09-121, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2039  3,798,242  683,076 
Ser. 14-3, Class IP, IO, 4 1/2s, 2043  2,142,451  342,792 
Ser. 14-108, Class IP, IO, 4 1/2s, 2042  1,202,869  193,205 

 

26    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.5%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 11-18, Class PI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  $160,873  $18,481 
Ser. 10-35, Class AI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  2,156,498  345,018 
Ser. 10-35, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  1,033,844  176,604 
Ser. 13-151, Class IB, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  1,918,851  310,430 
Ser. 10-9, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  1,359,268  227,554 
Ser. 09-121, Class BI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2039  794,727  169,809 
Ser. 09-121, Class CI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2039  3,751,966  760,676 
Ser. 13-34, Class PI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2039  4,142,425  496,594 
Ser. 10-103, Class DI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2038  2,222,574  113,322 
Ser. 15-186, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2045  8,407,168  1,247,960 
Ser. 15-99, Class LI, IO, 4s, 2045  3,685,636  372,831 
Ser. 15-64, Class IG, IO, 4s, 2045  5,478,075  1,031,850 
Ser. 15-53, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2045  4,667,591  1,027,897 
Ser. 15-40, IO, 4s, 2045  1,329,980  277,682 
Ser. 15-40, Class KI, IO, 4s, 2044  3,500,097  652,559 
Ser. 14-149, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2044  5,141,250  761,989 
Ser. 14-63, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  1,918,509  251,900 
Ser. 13-24, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,606,235  230,847 
Ser. 12-138, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2042  2,871,669  541,361 
Ser. 12-106, Class QI, IO, 4s, 2042  948,670  147,630 
Ser. 12-38, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2042 F   5,407,000  937,711 
Ser. 12-47, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,695,347  262,148 
Ser. 14-104, IO, 4s, 2042  4,897,099  812,771 
Ser. 12-50, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2041  2,481,212  332,482 
Ser. 14-162, Class DI, IO, 4s, 2038  2,911,018  247,091 
Ser. 14-133, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2036  5,881,921  583,613 
Ser. 13-53, Class IA, IO, 4s, 2026  2,811,771  318,642 
Ser. 15-64, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  5,342,313  513,343 
Ser. 15-52, Class IK, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  6,648,785  1,142,283 
Ser. 15-20, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  4,553,981  656,169 
Ser. 15-24, Class CI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  1,717,179  341,696 
Ser. 15-24, Class IA, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  2,016,495  321,173 
Ser. 13-102, Class IP, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,188,526  163,897 
Ser. 13-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  5,311,819  557,316 
Ser. 13-79, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  4,477,570  458,593 
Ser. 13-100, Class MI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,309,381  289,306 
Ser. 13-37, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,366,941  226,067 
Ser. 12-145, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,574,641  250,428 
Ser. 13-14, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  9,478,141  1,005,915 
Ser. 13-27, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,257,422  119,744 
Ser. 12-136, Class BI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  5,947,112  1,060,965 
Ser. 12-92, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,799,573  191,739 
Ser. 13-37, Class LI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,703,175  176,410 
Ser. 12-141, Class WI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  2,977,625  237,972 
Ser. 15-36, Class GI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  2,502,287  306,005 
Ser. 12-71, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  2,257,183  162,876 
Ser. 13-157, Class IA, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  5,037,524  570,353 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    27 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.5%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 13-90, Class HI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  $6,701,492  $305,521 
Ser. 13-79, Class XI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  6,114,931  712,997 
Ser. 183, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  3,129,093  338,931 
Ser. 15-118, Class EI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  4,405,481  462,403 
Ser. 15-124, Class NI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  4,949,489  557,971 
Ser. 15-138, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  1,917,784  214,164 
Ser. 15-96, Class NI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  8,554,984  898,273 
Ser. 15-82, Class GI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2038  10,849,116  1,038,043 
Ser. 15-124, Class DI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2038  5,410,673  735,603 
Ser. 15-24, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2037  5,657,631  746,724 
Ser. 15-24, Class IC, IO, 3 1/2s, 2037  2,688,868  356,466 
Ser. 14-145, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2029  1,760,801  197,263 
Ser. 14-115, Class QI, IO, 3s, 2029  3,239,001  299,608 
Ser. 13-H08, IO, 2.926s, 2063  9,255,401  729,326 
Ser. 15-H22, Class GI, IO, 2.568s, 2065  5,668,041  821,866 
Ser. 16-H04, Class HI, IO, 2.362s, 2065  3,627,603  443,656 
Ser. 15-H09, Class AI, IO, 2.085s, 2065  8,350,640  911,055 
Ser. 16-H03, Class AI, IO, 2.058s, 2066  6,904,816  785,623 
FRB Ser. 15-H16, Class XI, IO, 2.035s, 2065  8,989,407  1,153,341 
Ser. 15-H20, Class CI, IO, 2.028s, 2065  10,026,408  1,244,347 
Ser. 15-H24, Class HI, IO, 2.024s, 2065  15,872,456  1,360,269 
Ser. 15-H26, Class DI, IO, 1.997s, 2065  7,708,259  928,845 
Ser. 15-H25, Class BI, IO, 1.991s, 2065  10,402,104  1,257,614 
Ser. 15-H15, Class JI, IO, 1.94s, 2065  7,442,093  899,749 
Ser. 16-H02, Class BI, IO, 1.918s, 2065  8,474,446  923,554 
Ser. 15-H19, Class NI, IO, 1.909s, 2065  13,118,283  1,537,463 
Ser. 16-H04, Class KI, IO, 1.891s, 2066  6,669,969  643,599 
Ser. 15-H25, Class EI, IO, 1.844s, 2065  9,270,797  1,017,006 
Ser. 15-H18, Class IA, IO, 1.827s, 2065  6,742,447  639,184 
Ser. 15-H10, Class CI, IO, 1.806s, 2065  13,474,992  1,432,755 
Ser. 16-H07, Class HI, IO, 1.797s, 2066  8,529,078  840,293 
Ser. 15-H26, Class GI, IO, 1.792s, 2065  7,499,429  839,186 
Ser. 15-H26, Class EI, IO, 1.718s, 2065  9,752,461  1,042,538 
Ser. 14-H21, Class AI, IO, 1.7s, 2064  7,919,197  830,724 
Ser. 15-H09, Class BI, IO, 1.697s, 2065  11,856,727  1,152,474 
Ser. 15-H10, Class EI, IO, 1.631s, 2065  12,392,751  949,285 
Ser. 15-H25, Class AI, IO, 1.612s, 2065  11,181,962  1,056,695 
Ser. 15-H24, Class BI, IO, 1.612s, 2065  13,861,538  968,921 
Ser. 15-H14, Class BI, IO, 1.589s, 2065  15,594,721  1,194,556 
Ser. 16-H08, Class GI, IO, 1.418s, 2066  11,717,000  844,796 
Ser. 15-H26, Class CI, IO, 0.575s, 2065  30,293,358  833,067 

GSMPS Mortgage Loan Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 98-4, IO, 1.147s, 2026  57,232  — 
FRB Ser. 98-2, IO, 1.043s, 2027  34,520  — 
FRB Ser. 99-2, IO, 0.84s, 2027  81,783  716 
FRB Ser. 98-3, IO, zero %, 2027  38,959  — 

    108,043,056 

 

28    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.5%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Commercial mortgage-backed securities (2.7%)     
Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-1, Class B, 5.49s, 2045  $255,000  $256,122 
FRB Ser. 07-1, Class XW, IO, 0.508s, 2049  2,253,897  8,796 

Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 08-1, Class C, 6.476s, 2051  584,000  536,550 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc.     
FRB Ser. 05-5, Class D, 5.56s, 2045  373,626  373,691 
FRB Ser. 05-1, Class C, 5.516s, 2042  429,000  402,574 
Ser. 05-6, Class G, 5.147s, 2047  443,000  427,495 
Ser. 05-3, Class AJ, 4.767s, 2043  225,000  204,965 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc. 144A     
FRB Ser. 04-4, Class XC, IO, 0.095s, 2042  136,632  104 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class AJ, 5.557s, 2039  1,014,000  998,790 
Ser. 05-PWR7, Class D, 5.304s, 2041  431,000  370,824 
Ser. 05-PWR7, Class C, 5.235s, 2041  489,000  492,423 
Ser. 05-PWR9, Class C, 5.055s, 2042  281,000  280,663 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class B, 5.557s, 2039  1,010,000  958,288 
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class C, 5.557s, 2039  384,000  345,420 

CD Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 07-CD5, Class E, 6.326s, 2044  262,000  254,280 

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 14-GC19,     
Class D, 5.063s, 2047  762,000  642,958 

COMM Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 07-C9, Class D, 6.006s, 2049  350,000  324,188 

COMM Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 12-LC4, Class E, 4 1/4s, 2044  604,000  493,882 
Ser. 13-LC13, Class E, 3.719s, 2046  391,000  296,466 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A FRB     
Ser. 03-C3, Class AX, IO, 2.191s, 2038  191,419  25 

GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp. Trust FRB Ser. 06-C1,     
Class AJ, 5.552s, 2044  1,350,222  1,323,218 

GMAC Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc. Trust Ser. 04-C3,     
Class B, 4.965s, 2041  114,056  113,885 

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class D, 4.557s, 2046  336,000  300,451 
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class E, 4.557s, 2046  750,000  551,550 

GS Mortgage Securities Trust 144A FRB Ser. 06-GG8, Class X,     
IO, 0.756s, 2039  35,263,140  38,789 

JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-C14, Class E, 4.715s, 2046  816,000  708,206 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class E, 4.222s, 2045  1,000,000  759,800 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class AJ, 6.284s, 2051  196,500  194,122 
FRB Ser. 06-LDP7, Class B, 6.147s, 2045  619,000  306,467 
FRB Ser. 05-LDP2, Class E, 4.981s, 2042  463,000  460,685 
FRB Ser. 05-LDP2, Class D, 4.941s, 2042  1,000,000  962,150 
FRB Ser. 07-LDPX, Class X, IO, 0.472s, 2049  8,844,082  40,675 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    29 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.5%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class C, 6.384s, 2051  $658,000  $602,011 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class F, 5.365s, 2045  432,000  384,264 
Ser. 13-C13, Class E, 3.986s, 2046  639,000  501,359 
Ser. 13-C10, Class E, 3 1/2s, 2047  553,000  409,441 
FRB Ser. 13-LC11, Class E, 3 1/4s, 2046  370,000  274,910 
Ser. 12-C6, Class G, 2.972s, 2045  800,000  601,680 

Key Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 07-SL1, Class A2, 5.837s, 2040  14,928  14,898 

LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-C3, Class C, 5.916s, 2039  1,703,000  1,668,940 
Ser. 06-C6, Class D, 5.502s, 2039  1,187,000  1,008,392 
FRB Ser. 06-C6, Class C, 5.482s, 2039  397,000  373,696 
FRB Ser. 07-C2, Class XW, IO, 0.739s, 2040  1,821,890  7,703 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-CIP1, Class C, 5.706s, 2038  501,000  459,272 
FRB Ser. 05-CIP1, Class B, 5.676s, 2038  107,448  106,398 
Ser. 04-KEY2, Class D, 5.046s, 2039  256,239  253,871 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust Ser. 06-3, Class AJ,     
5.485s, 2046  97,000  94,536 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 06-4, Class AJFX, 5.147s, 2049  295,000  287,950 
FRB Ser. 06-4, Class XC, IO, 0.797s, 2049  36,681,159  143,057 

Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class F, 4.812s, 2045  844,000  702,292 
FRB Ser. 13-C11, Class E, 4.56s, 2046  750,000  641,175 
FRB Ser. 13-C11, Class F, 4.56s, 2046  1,024,000  781,368 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class G, 4 1/2s, 2045  2,827,000  2,170,853 
Ser. 13-C13, Class F, 3.707s, 2046  1,547,000  1,139,219 

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-HQ8, Class D, 5.59s, 2044  274,000  230,237 
Ser. 07-HQ11, Class D, 5.587s, 2044  2,100,000  1,784,537 
Ser. 07-HQ11, Class C, 5.558s, 2044  1,181,000  1,121,950 
Ser. 06-HQ10, Class B, 5.448s, 2041  1,795,000  1,746,330 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 05-C21, Class E, 5.465s, 2044  569,000  524,106 

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 12-LC5, Class E, 4.777s, 2045  333,000  283,683 
FRB Ser. 13-LC12, Class D, 4.433s, 2046  1,072,000  902,694 

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 11-C4, Class E, 5.265s, 2044  305,000  301,188 
Ser. 12-C6, Class E, 5s, 2045  533,000  432,423 
Ser. 11-C4, Class F, 5s, 2044  851,000  756,369 
FRB Ser. 12-C10, Class E, 4.602s, 2045  381,000  299,085 
Ser. 13-C12, Class E, 3 1/2s, 2048  570,000  434,226 
Ser. 13-C14, Class E, 3 1/4s, 2046  360,000  235,476 

    35,108,091 

 

30    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.5%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) (2.7%)     
BCAP, LLC Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 14-RR1, Class 2A2, 2.506s, 2036  $850,000  $637,784 
FRB Ser. 15-RR5, Class 2A3, 1.42s, 2046  460,000  293,574 
FRB Ser. 15-RR6, Class 3A2, 1.29s, 2046  440,000  352,132 
FRB Ser. 12-RR5, Class 4A8, 0.603s, 2035  2,491,266  2,275,511 

Bear Stearns Alt-A Trust FRB Ser. 04-3, Class B, 3.364s, 2034  292,485  286,479 

Bellemeade Re Ltd. 144A FRB Ser. 15-1A, Class B1, 6.739s,     
2025 (Bermuda)  919,000  896,025 

Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-OA10, Class 1A1, 1.337s, 2046  895,132  644,804 
FRB Ser. 06-OA7, Class 1A2, 1.317s, 2046  1,836,929  1,396,066 
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 1A6, 1.259s, 2035  774,248  584,557 
FRB Ser. 05-38, Class A3, 0.789s, 2035  1,716,357  1,392,788 
FRB Ser. 05-59, Class 1A1, 0.769s, 2035  1,616,238  1,295,848 
FRB Ser. 06-OC2, Class 2A3, 0.729s, 2036  720,890  648,801 
FRB Ser. 06-OA10, Class 4A1, 0.629s, 2046  5,719,474  4,003,631 
FRB Ser. 06-OC10, Class 2A2A, 0.619s, 2036  881,884  851,018 
FRB Ser. 06-OC8, Class 2A2A, 0.559s, 2036  336,078  325,996 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DN1,     
Class B, 11.939s, 2025  1,154,542  1,240,439 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-HQA2,     
Class B, 10.939s, 2028  366,000  352,713 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 16-DNA1,     
Class B, 10.439s, 2028  1,064,000  1,019,525 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DNA3,     
Class B, 9.789s, 2028  750,000  711,349 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DNA2,     
Class B, 7.989s, 2027  780,000  748,350 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C03, Class 2B,     
13.189s, 2028  380,000  404,339 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C02, Class 1B,     
12.689s, 2028  1,310,000  1,411,918 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C03, Class 1B,     
12.189s, 2028  770,000  821,382 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C01, Class 1B,     
12.189s, 2028  1,000,000  1,062,770 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 16-C03, Class 2M2,     
6.339s, 2028  2,962,500  3,080,111 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C04, Class 1M2,     
6.139s, 2028  2,985,000  3,122,597 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C04, Class 2M2,     
5.989s, 2028  140,000  145,643 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C03, Class 1M2,     
5.439s, 2025  2,128,000  2,186,516 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C03, Class 2M2,     
5.439s, 2025  140,000  143,877 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C01, Class 2M2,     
4.989s, 2025  253,000  259,679 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    31 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.5%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) cont.     
Federal National Mortgage Association     
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 1M2,     
4.439s, 2025  $129,000  $129,113 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 2M2,     
4.439s, 2025  206,000  205,960 

GSAA Trust FRB Ser. 07-6, Class 1A1, 0.559s, 2047  406,017  297,408 

MortgageIT Trust FRB Ser. 04-1, Class M2, 1.444s, 2034  348,923  301,819 

Nomura Resecuritization Trust 144A FRB Ser. 15-1R, Class 6A9,     
0.621s, 2047  1,000,000  567,500 

WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-AR19, Class A1C3, 0.939s, 2045  403,511  338,949 
FRB Ser. 05-AR13, Class A1C3, 0.929s, 2045  1,849,139  1,528,067 

Wells Fargo Mortgage Backed Securities Trust FRB Ser. 06-AR6,     
Class 7A2, 2.759s, 2036  223,609  216,467 

    36,181,505 
 
Total mortgage-backed securities (cost $192,392,115)    $179,332,652 
 
CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (10.3%)*  Principal amount  Value 

Basic materials (2.0%)     
A Schulman, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 6 7/8s, 2023  $1,445,000  $1,448,613 

ArcelorMittal SA sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 6 1/8s, 2025 (France)  1,045,000  1,026,713 

Cemex SAB de CV 144A company guaranty sr. sub. notes 5.7s,     
2025 (Mexico)  2,585,000  2,494,525 

Chemours Co. (The) 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 5/8s, 2023  415,000  363,125 

Coveris Holding Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 10s, 2018  1,005,000  1,002,488 

Coveris Holdings SA 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
7 7/8s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  1,125,000  1,080,000 

CPG Merger Sub, LLC 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 8s, 2021  440,000  415,800 

First Quantum Minerals, Ltd. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 7s, 2021 (Canada)  805,000  654,063 

Freeport-McMoran Oil & Gas, LLC/FCX Oil & Gas, Inc. company     
guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 3/4s, 2022  500,000  451,350 

GCP Applied Technologies, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 9 1/2s, 2023  1,050,000  1,149,750 

HD Supply, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes     
7 1/2s, 2020  1,500,000  1,591,875 

HudBay Minerals, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
9 1/2s, 2020 (Canada)  1,431,000  1,212,773 

JMC Steel Group, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 1/4s, 2018  960,000  921,600 

Joseph T Ryerson & Son, Inc. company guaranty sr. sub.     
notes 9s, 2017  1,335,000  1,229,869 

Mercer International, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
7 3/4s, 2022 (Canada)  2,310,000  2,333,100 

Novelis, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 8 3/4s, 2020  3,560,000  3,675,700 

Perstorp Holding AB 144A company guaranty sr. notes 8 3/4s,     
2017 (Sweden)  1,325,000  1,321,688 

PQ Corp. 144A company guaranty sub. notes 8 3/4s, 2018  835,000  871,740 

 

32    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (10.3%)* cont.    Principal amount  Value 

Basic materials cont.       
Steel Dynamics, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 3/8s, 2022    $2,262,000  $2,380,755 

TMS International Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. sub.       
notes 7 5/8s, 2021    685,000  472,650 

Univar USA, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
6 3/4s, 2023    1,073,000  1,067,635 

 27,165,812 
Capital goods (0.8%)     
Advanced Disposal Services, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec.       
notes 8 1/4s, 2020    1,520,000  1,582,700 

American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. company guaranty sr.       
unsec. notes 7 3/4s, 2019    1,306,000  1,456,190 

ATS Automation Tooling Systems, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes       
6 1/2s, 2023 (Canada)    1,000,000  1,028,750 

DH Services Luxembourg Sarl 144A company guaranty sr.       
unsec. sub. notes 7 3/4s, 2020 (Luxembourg)    500,000  493,750 

Gates Global, LLC/Gates Global Co. 144A company guaranty sr.       
unsec. notes 6s, 2022    1,190,000  1,035,300 

KLX, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 5 7/8s, 2022    2,540,000  2,555,875 

TI Group Automotive Systems, LLC 144A sr. unsec. notes       
8 3/4s, 2023    1,000,000  980,000 

TransDigm, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 1/2s, 2024    1,000,000  1,007,500 

 10,140,065 
Communication services (1.4%)     
Altice SA 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 7 3/4s,       
2022 (Luxembourg)    2,500,000  2,501,250 

Cequel Communications Holdings I, LLC/Cequel Capital Corp.       
144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/8s, 2021    3,000,000  2,827,500 

Digicel Group, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 1/4s, 2020 (Jamaica)    2,015,000  1,838,688 

Digicel, Ltd. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 3/4s,       
2023 (Jamaica)    200,000  182,000 

Digicel, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2020 (Jamaica)    500,000  465,000 

Frontier Communications Corp. 144A sr. unsec. notes       
8 7/8s, 2020    2,470,000  2,615,113 

Intelsat Luxembourg SA company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds       
7 3/4s, 2021 (Luxembourg)    140,000  46,200 

Sprint Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2020    1,500,000  1,248,750 

T-Mobile USA, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
6 1/4s, 2021    750,000  785,625 

Telenet Finance V Luxembourg SCA 144A sr. notes 6 3/4s,       
2024 (Luxembourg)  EUR  115,000  146,940 

Virgin Media Secured Finance PLC 144A sr. notes 6s, 2021       
(United Kingdom)  GBP  486,000  738,098 

West Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes       
5 3/8s, 2022    $1,350,000  1,225,125 

WideOpenWest Finance, LLC/WideOpenWest Capital Corp.       
company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes 10 1/4s, 2019    2,025,000  2,030,063 

Wind Acquisition Finance SA 144A company guaranty notes       
7 3/8s, 2021 (Luxembourg)    1,000,000  890,000 

Windstream Services, LLC company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
6 3/8s, 2023    1,955,000  1,490,688 

      19,031,040 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    33 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (10.3%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Consumer cyclicals (1.4%)     
American Tire Distributors, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. sub. notes     
10 1/4s, 2022  $1,000,000  $897,500 

Brookfield Residential Properties, Inc./Brookfield Residential     
US Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 1/8s,     
2022 (Canada)  2,500,000  2,337,500 

Eldorado Resorts, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 7s, 2023  2,835,000  2,955,488 

Gibson Brands, Inc. 144A sr. notes 8 7/8s, 2018  437,000  243,628 

iHeartCommunications, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
notes 9s, 2019  885,000  685,875 

JC Penney Corp, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds     
8 1/8s, 2019  700,000  721,000 

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 1/8s, 2019  2,435,000  2,276,725 

Mattamy Group Corp. 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 1/2s,     
2020 (Canada)  1,491,000  1,444,406 

Navistar International Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
8 1/4s, 2021  1,084,000  785,900 

Neiman Marcus Group, Ltd. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
sub. notes 8 3/4s, 2021 ‡‡  1,475,000  1,224,250 

ROC Finance, LLC/ROC Finance 1 Corp. 144A notes     
12 1/8s, 2018  1,300,000  1,366,625 

Scientific Games Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes     
8 1/8s, 2018  925,000  890,313 

Scientific Games International, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.     
notes 7s, 2022  530,000  540,269 

SugarHouse HSP Gaming Prop. Mezz LP/SugarHouse HSP     
Gaming Finance Corp. 144A sr. notes 6 3/8s, 2021  1,250,000  1,225,000 

Townsquare Media, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 6 1/2s, 2023  630,000  609,525 

 18,204,004 
Consumer staples (0.2%)   
BlueLine Rental Finance Corp. 144A notes 7s, 2019  1,573,000  1,380,308 

Ceridian HCM Holding, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 11s, 2021  1,500,000  1,500,000 

 2,880,308 
Energy (1.2%)   
Archrock Partners LP/Archrock Partners Finance Corp.     
company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2021  600,000  471,000 

California Resources Corp. 144A company guaranty     
notes 8s, 2022  428,000  294,250 

CHC Helicopter SA company guaranty sr. notes 9 1/4s, 2020     
(Canada) (In default) †  1,575,000  700,875 

Chesapeake Energy Corp. 144A company guaranty     
notes 8s, 2022  1,299,220  883,470 

Concho Resources, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 5 1/2s, 2022  1,000,000  1,008,750 

EP Energy, LLC/Everest Acquisition Finance, Inc. company     
guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes 9 3/8s, 2020  1,495,000  975,488 

Halcon Resources Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 8 7/8s, 2021  1,500,000  322,500 

Halcon Resources Corp. 144A company guaranty notes     
8 5/8s, 2020  1,405,000  1,166,150 

 

34    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (10.3%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Energy cont.     
Laredo Petroleum, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
7 3/8s, 2022  $943,000  $924,140 

Lightstream Resources, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 5/8s,     
2020 (Canada)  510,000  21,675 

Linn Energy, LLC/Linn Energy Finance Corp. 144A company     
guaranty notes 12s, 2020 (In default) †  1,125,000  213,750 

Oasis Petroleum, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
6 7/8s, 2022  1,048,000  935,340 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6 1/4s, 2024 (Brazil)  644,000  561,890 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 3 1/4s, 2017 (Brazil)  1,255,000  1,242,450 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
Ser. REGS, 8 1/2s, 2017 (Venezuela)  333,333  194,166 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA sr. unsec. notes 5 1/8s,     
2016 (Venezuela)  2,700,000  2,382,750 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 8 1/2s, 2017 (Venezuela)  999,999  582,499 

Samson Investment Co. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
9 3/4s, 2020 (In default) †  2,500,000  12,500 

SandRidge Energy, Inc. 144A company guaranty notes 8 3/4s,     
2020 (In default) †  2,000,000  580,000 

WPX Energy, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6s, 2022  2,000,000  1,800,000 

 15,273,643 
Financials (1.5%)   
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (The) jr. unsec. sub. FRB     
8 1/8s, 2038  645,000  694,181 

HUB International, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 7 7/8s, 2021  2,375,000  2,327,500 

Icahn Enterprises LP/Icahn Enterprises Finance Corp. company     
guaranty sr. unsec. notes 4 7/8s, 2019  1,430,000  1,419,275 

Lloyds Banking Group PLC 144A jr. unsec. sub. FRN 6.657s,     
perpetual maturity (United Kingdom)  200,000  217,000 

Nationstar Mortgage, LLC/Nationstar Capital Corp. company     
guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 1/2s, 2021  1,500,000  1,316,250 

Ocwen Financial Corp. sr. unsec. notes 6 5/8s, 2019  675,000  516,375 

OneMain Financial Holdings, LLC 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 7 1/4s, 2021  1,000,000  1,040,000 

Provident Funding Associates LP/PFG Finance Corp. 144A     
company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 3/4s, 2021  995,000  940,275 

Russian Agricultural Bank OJSC Via RSHB Capital SA 144A sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 5.298s, 2017 (Russia)  600,000  614,250 

Sberbank of Russia Via SB Capital SA 144A unsec. sub. notes     
5 1/8s, 2022 (Russia)  750,000  748,125 

Stearns Holdings, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. notes     
9 3/8s, 2020  1,000,000  960,000 

TMX Finance, LLC/TitleMax Finance Corp. 144A company     
guaranty sr. notes 8 1/2s, 2018  1,000,000  780,000 

USI, Inc./NY 144A sr. unsec. notes 7 3/4s, 2021  1,151,000  1,151,000 

Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 6.902s, 2020 (Russia)  800,000  838,000 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    35 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (10.3%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Financials cont.     
Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 6.8s, 2025 (Russia)  $250,000  $261,599 

Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 5.942s, 2023 (Russia)  200,000  199,262 

VTB Bank OJSC Via VTB Capital SA 144A sr. unsec. notes     
6 7/8s, 2018 (Russia)  1,500,000  1,595,925 

VTB Bank OJSC Via VTB Capital SA 144A unsec. sub. bonds     
6.95s, 2022 (Russia)  2,600,000  2,574,000 

Wayne Merger Sub, LLC 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 1/4s, 2023  2,370,000  2,358,150 

 20,551,167 
Health care (0.8%)   
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 7 7/8s, 2023  2,510,000  2,252,725 

Concordia Healthcare Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 7s, 2023 (Canada)  2,275,000  2,115,750 

Crimson Merger Sub, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 5/8s, 2022  1,250,000  1,046,875 

DPx Holdings BV 144A sr. unsec. sub. notes 7 1/2s,     
2022 (Netherlands)  870,000  880,875 

HCA, Inc. company guaranty sr. notes 6 1/2s, 2020  610,000  674,813 

Kinetic Concepts, Inc./KCI USA, Inc. company guaranty sub.     
notes 10 1/2s, 2018  856,000  862,420 

Tenet Healthcare Corp. company guaranty sr. notes 6 1/4s, 2018  665,000  711,550 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. 144A company     
guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 3/8s, 2020  1,841,000  1,668,406 

 10,213,414 
Technology (0.6%)   
Avaya, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. notes 7s, 2019  1,000,000  637,500 

First Data Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 7s, 2023  2,000,000  2,055,000 

Infor US, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 1/2s, 2022  2,500,000  2,307,525 

Iron Mountain, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 6s, 2020 R   2,465,000  2,606,738 

Syniverse Holdings, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
9 1/8s, 2019  1,400,000  693,000 

 8,299,763 
Utilities and power (0.4%)   
AES Corp./Virginia (The) sr. unsec. notes 5 1/2s, 2025  1,834,000  1,843,170 

NRG Energy, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes     
6 1/4s, 2022  3,000,000  2,940,960 

    4,784,130 
 
Total corporate bonds and notes (cost $149,770,985)    $136,543,346 
 
COMMODITY LINKED NOTES (8.1%)* †††  Principal amount  Value 

Bank of America Corp. 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1-month LIBOR     
less 0.10%, 2017 (Indexed to the BofA Merrill Lynch Commodity     
MLCXP2KS Excess Return Strategy multiplied by 3)  $17,500,000  $17,500,000 

Citigroup Global Markets Holdings Inc. sr. notes Ser. N, 3-month USD     
LIBOR less 0.20%, 2017 (Indexed to the Citi Commodity Spread Index—     
Bloomberg Commodity IndexSM 3 Month Forward Sub-Indices versus     
Bloomberg Commodity IndexSM Sub-Indices multiplied by 3)  46,370,000  45,604,431 

 

36    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



COMMODITY LINKED NOTES (8.1%)* ††† cont.  Principal amount  Value 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2017     
(Indexed to the S&P GSCI Commodity Index multiplied by 3)     
(United Kingdom)  $10,479,000  $10,677,753 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2017     
(Indexed to the UBSIF3AT Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  13,070,000  12,895,258 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2017     
(Indexed to the UBSIF3AT Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  7,296,000  7,493,409 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2016     
(Indexed to the UBSIF3AT Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  12,962,592  13,781,589 

Total commodity Linked Notes (cost $107,677,592)    $107,952,440 
 
INVESTMENT COMPANIES (7.6%)*  Shares  Value 

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund  329,600  $17,238,080 

Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund  698,400  16,279,704 

Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund  240,100  16,756,579 

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund  318,000  17,858,880 

Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund  382,800  16,127,364 

Utility Select Sector SPDR Fund  343,500  16,632,270 

Total investment companies (cost $98,626,389)    $100,892,877 
 
SENIOR LOANS (3.1%)* c  Principal amount  Value 

Basic materials (0.2%)     
Builders FirstSource, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 6s, 2022  $2,510,441  $2,503,381 

KP Germany Erste GmbH bank term loan FRN 5s,     
2020 (Germany)  219,151  219,151 

KP Germany Erste GmbH bank term loan FRN 5s,     
2020 (Germany)  93,654  93,654 

 2,816,186 
Communication services (0.2%)   
Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN 8 1/2s, 2021  2,090,000  2,006,400 

Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B2, 4 1/4s, 2020  643,655  629,012 

 2,635,412 
Consumer cyclicals (1.8%)   
Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B6, 11 1/4s, 2017  1,850,305  1,739,287 

Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B7, 11 3/4s, 2017  1,393,000  1,292,878 

Caesars Growth Properties Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN     
6 1/4s, 2021  830,213  736,814 

CBAC Borrower, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 8 1/4s, 2020  1,496,250  1,361,588 

DBP Holding Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 1/4s, 2019  2,872,002  2,559,672 

Getty Images, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2019  1,947,179  1,460,384 

Golden Nugget, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 1/2s, 2019  568,094  568,449 

Golden Nugget, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. DD, 5 1/2s, 2019  243,469  243,621 

iHeartCommunications, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. D,     
7.189s, 2019  1,617,000  1,204,161 

JC Penney Corp., Inc. bank term loan FRN 6s, 2018  978,675  979,164 

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  539,161  533,769 

Navistar, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 6 1/2s, 2020  1,496,250  1,411,462 

PET Acquisition Merger Sub, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B1,     
5 3/4s, 2023  1,496,250  1,503,999 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    37 

 



SENIOR LOANS (3.1%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Consumer cyclicals cont.     
ROC Finance, LLC bank term loan FRN 5s, 2019  $2,049,598  $1,947,118 

Sabre GLBL, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2019  695,702  696,862 

Scientific Games International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B2, 6s, 2021  1,975,000  1,943,524 

Talbots, Inc. (The) bank term loan FRN 9 1/2s, 2021  2,098,642  1,946,491 

Travelport Finance Sarl bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 3/4s,     
2021 (Luxembourg)  748,347  749,282 

Yonkers Racing Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 1/4s, 2019  920,314  899,223 

 23,777,748 
Consumer staples (0.3%)   
Del Monte Foods, Inc. bank term loan FRN 8 1/4s, 2021  1,000,000  737,500 

Hostess Brands, LLC bank term loan FRN 8 1/2s, 2023  1,995,000  1,948,451 

Rite Aid Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 7/8s, 2021  1,000,000  1,001,250 

 3,687,201 
Energy (—%)   
Tervita Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 6 1/4s, 2018 (Canada)  316,094  285,538 

 285,538 
Financials (0.4%)   
Altisource Solutions Sarl bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s,     
2020 (Luxembourg)  1,934,367  1,678,063 

Capital Automotive LP bank term loan FRN 6s, 2020  2,000,000  1,997,500 

Walter Investment Management Corp. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2020  1,395,445  1,220,142 

 4,895,705 
Health care (0.1%)   
Kinetic Concepts, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/2s, 2018  1,307,984  1,306,349 

 1,306,349 
Technology (0.1%)   
Avaya, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B6, 6 1/2s, 2018  1,461,118  967,990 

Infor US, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B5, 3 3/4s, 2020  591,817  577,762 

 1,545,752 
Transportation (—%)   
Livingston International, Inc. bank term loan FRN 9s,     
2020 (Canada)  341,087  306,978 

 306,978 
Utilities and power (—%)   
Texas Competitive Electric Holdings Co., LLC bank term loan     
FRN 4.918s, 2017  848,159  289,434 

Texas Competitive Electric Holdings Co., LLC bank term loan     
FRN 4.918s, 2017  8,705  2,971 

    292,405 
 
Total senior loans (cost $45,089,576)    $41,549,274 

 

WARRANTS (1.6%)* †  Expiration  Strike     
  date  price  Warrants  Value 

Bharat Petroleum Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/9/18  $0.00  225,109  $3,319,110 

Ceat, Ltd. 144A (India)  8/15/16  0.00  32,713  541,814 

China State Construction Engineering Corp.,         
Ltd. 144A (China)  12/10/17  0.00  2,729,591  2,319,383 

Indian Oil Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  8/25/17  0.00  422,168  2,757,490 

Infosys, Ltd. 144A (India)  10/10/16  0.00  266,983  4,862,689 

Mindtree, Ltd. 144A (India)  3/3/17  0.00  98,110  1,004,026 

 

38    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



WARRANTS (1.6%)* † cont.  Expiration  Strike     
  date  price  Warrants  Value 

Power Finance Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/9/18  $0.00  659,337  $1,782,784 

Rural Electrification Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/6/17  0.00  567,140  1,525,370 

Shanghai Automotive Co. (China)  3/2/17  0.00  597,800  1,874,203 

Wipro, Ltd. 144A (India)  10/6/17  0.00  25,224  210,808 

Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co., Ltd. 144A (China)  6/30/16  0.00  185,800  587,672 

Total warrants (cost $22,369,435)        $20,785,349 

 

FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY       
BONDS AND NOTES (1.0%)*    Principal amount  Value 

Argentina (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 7 1/2s,       
2026 (Argentina)    $225,000  $228,071 

Brazil (Federal Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. notes 10s, 2017       
(Brazil) (units)  BRL  3,340  980,772 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 9 1/8s,       
2024 (Argentina)    $2,000,000  2,124,040 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
10 7/8s, 2021 (Argentina)    1,155,000  1,284,938 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 9.95s,       
2021 (Argentina)    4,429,748  4,828,425 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 3/8s,       
2021 (Croatia)    220,000  240,797 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 1/4s,       
2017 (Croatia)    475,000  492,813 

Indonesia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 4 3/4s,       
2026 (Indonesia)    400,000  425,000 

Indonesia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5.95s,       
2046 (Indonesia)    950,000  1,056,875 

Russia (Federation of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 5 5/8s,       
2042 (Russia)    1,200,000  1,255,500 

Total foreign government and agency bonds and notes (cost $11,929,241)  $12,917,231 

 

ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (0.3%)*  Principal amount  Value 

Station Place Securitization Trust FRB Ser. 15-4, Class A,     
1.402s, 2016  $3,855,000  $3,855,000 

Total asset-backed securities (cost $3,855,000)    $3,855,000 

 

PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING (—%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Bank of America N.A.       
(1.88)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.88  $17,038,000  $73,944 

1.55/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.55  17,038,000  68,493 

Barclays Bank PLC       
(1.809)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.809  17,038,000  110,917 

1.481/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.481  17,038,000  45,662 

Citibank, N.A.       
(2.087)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.087  14,863,700  15 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    39 

 



PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING (0.0%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date cont.  date/strike  amount  Value 

Credit Suisse International       
(2.915)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.915  $1,860,700  $36,633 

(3.315)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/3.315  1,860,700  14,314 

Goldman Sachs International       
(1.835)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.835  17,038,000  110,747 

1.4825/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.4825  17,038,000  54,692 

(1.82)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.82  8,702,500  5,918 

(1.306)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.306  8,702,500  5,570 

(2.18625)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.18625  14,863,700  15 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(1.15)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.15  8,702,500  10,269 

0.8725/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/0.8725  8,702,500  8,964 

Total purchased swap options outstanding (cost $881,706)    $546,153 
 
PURCHASED OPTIONS  Expiration date/  Contract   
OUTSTANDING (0.4%)*  strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Aug-16/$101.52  $4,000,000  $23,080 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Aug-16/101.39  4,000,000  21,280 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.98  4,000,000  23,080 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jul-16/102.03  1,000,000  5,980 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.16  2,000,000  2,460 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.91  2,000,000  1,780 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.30  1,000,000  1,470 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.22  1,000,000  1,330 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/101.11  1,000,000  1,160 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.84  1,000,000  820 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Apr-17/180.00  217,323  1,559,238 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Mar-17/175.00  225,080  1,204,203 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Feb-17/156.00  239,632  623,592 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Jan-17/145.00  246,805  385,282 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Dec-16/164.00  234,130  594,220 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Nov-16/170.00  234,130  581,436 

Total purchased options outstanding (cost $9,517,526)    $5,030,411 

 

40    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (21.1%)*  Principal amount/shares  Value 

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.44% L   Shares   196,455,035  $196,455,035 

SSgA Prime Money Market Fund Class N 0.41% P   Shares   260,000  260,000 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.17%, June 16, 2016 §    $93,000  92,984 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.29%, June 9, 2016 # Δ §    17,733,000  17,730,393 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.29%, May 26, 2016 # Δ §    9,500,000  9,498,955 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.22%, May 19, 2016 # Δ §    17,289,000  17,287,738 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.30%, May 12, 2016 # Δ §    14,766,000  14,765,409 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.26%, May 5, 2016 # Δ §    23,982,000  23,981,760 

Total short-term investments (cost $280,066,709)      $280,072,274 
 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS       

Total investments (cost $1,698,441,385)      $1,695,929,564 

 

Key to holding’s currency abbreviations 
AUD  Australian Dollar 
BRL  Brazilian Real 
CAD  Canadian Dollar 
CHF  Swiss Franc 
EUR  Euro 
GBP  British Pound 
NOK  Norwegian Krone 
NZD  New Zealand Dollar 
SEK  Swedish Krona 
 
Key to holding’s abbreviations 
ADR  American Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a 
  custodian bank 
ETF  Exchange Traded Fund 
FRB  Floating Rate Bonds: the rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period 
FRN  Floating Rate Notes: the rate shown is the current interest rate or yield at the close of the reporting period 
IFB  Inverse Floating Rate Bonds, which are securities that pay interest rates that vary inversely to changes 
  in the market interest rates. As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce less current income. The rate 
  shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period. 
IO  Interest Only 
OAO  Open Joint Stock Company 
OJSC  Open Joint Stock Company 
PJSC  Public Joint Stock Company 
PO  Principal Only 
REGS  Securities sold under Regulation S may not be offered, sold or delivered within the United States except 
  pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the 
  Securities Act of 1933. 
SPDR  S&P Depository Receipts 
TBA  To Be Announced Commitments 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    41 

 



Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $1,327,564,697.

††† The value of the commodity linked notes, which are marked to market daily, may be based on a multiple of the performance of the index. The multiple (or leverage) will increase the volatility of the note’s value relative to the change in the underlying index.

† This security is non-income-producing.

‡‡ Income may be received in cash or additional securities at the discretion of the issuer.

# This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

Δ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on certain derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

§ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on the initial margin on certain centrally cleared derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

c Senior loans are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, but contain certain restrictions on resale and cannot be sold publicly. These loans pay interest at rates which adjust periodically. The interest rates shown for senior loans are the current interest rates at the close of the reporting period. Senior loans are also subject to mandatory and/or optional prepayment which cannot be predicted. As a result, the remaining maturity may be substantially less than the stated maturity shown (Notes 1 and x).

F This security is valued by Putnam Management at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities’ valuation inputs. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was also used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio (Note 1).

i This security was pledged, or purchased with cash that was pledged, to the fund for collateral on certain derivative contracts (Note 1).

L Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

P This security was pledged, or purchased with cash that was pledged, to the fund for collateral on certain derivative contracts. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period (Note 1).

R Real Estate Investment Trust.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $1,064,332,152 to cover certain derivative contracts, delayed delivery securities and the settlement of certain securities.

Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.

Debt obligations are considered secured unless otherwise indicated.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding TBA commitments.

The dates shown on debt obligations are the original maturity dates.

42     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 4/30/16 (aggregate face value $333,697,406) (Unaudited)   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  $1,601,722  $1,598,382  $3,340 

British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  26,596  3,341  23,255 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,746,646  1,721,623  (25,023) 

Czech Koruna  Sell  6/15/16  160,385  57,211  (103,174) 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  155,928  32,578  (123,350) 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,771,223  2,754,113  (17,110) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  2,889,467  2,701,891  (187,576) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  5,671,305  5,577,945  93,360 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  6/15/16  1,503,922  1,567,940  (64,018) 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  2,884,298  2,722,717  161,581 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  2,884,298  2,655,228  (229,070) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  1,724,400  1,647,775  76,625 

Barclays Bank PLC           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,633,132  2,702,953  (69,821) 

Australian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  2,642,379  2,652,076  9,697 

British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  5,516,459  5,309,273  207,186 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  2,573,943  2,507,384  (66,559) 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  10,892,092  10,553,174  338,918 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  3,218,020  3,024,779  (193,241) 

New Zealand Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,118,641  1,099,556  (19,085) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  5,718,945  5,401,385  (317,560) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  5,665,119  5,388,201  276,918 

Citibank, N.A.           
Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,642,717  1,504,063  (138,654) 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  2,718,867  2,702,732  16,135 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  2,754,982  2,676,256  (78,726) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  22,278  19,632  2,646 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  22,278  21,834  (444) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  10,270,282  10,053,707  216,575 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  7,256,319  7,045,617  210,702 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  7,256,319  6,922,038  (334,281) 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  2,961,128  2,798,094  163,034 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  2,961,128  2,822,908  (138,220) 

Credit Suisse International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  3,531,988  3,574,644  (42,656) 

British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  2,776,496  2,712,630  (63,866) 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,286,772  1,231,778  (54,994) 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  1,177,251  1,117,774  59,477 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,880,019  2,852,700  (27,319) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  2,867,638  2,691,705  175,933 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  2,867,638  2,810,380  (57,258) 

New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  2,753,637  2,715,086  38,551 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    43 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 4/30/16 (aggregate face value $333,697,406) (Unaudited) cont. 
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Credit Suisse International cont.           
New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  $2,753,637  $2,661,875  $(91,762) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  6,058,650  5,949,586  109,064 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  8,471,854  8,143,713  (328,141) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  2,924,758  2,783,601  141,157 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  3,064,729  2,701,390  (363,339) 

Goldman Sachs International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  8,241,356  8,255,250  (13,894) 

British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  2,788,917  2,765,749  (23,168) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,837,673  2,610,100  227,573 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  2,780,550  2,680,671  (99,879) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  8,229,210  7,621,635  607,575 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  8,229,210  7,658,773  (570,437) 

New Zealand Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,803,346  1,840,143  36,797 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  6/15/16  2,726,820  2,682,862  43,958 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  2,899,973  2,766,473  133,500 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  2,899,973  2,734,411  (165,562) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  1,202,451  1,269,206  (66,755) 

HSBC Bank USA, National Association         
Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  791,988  758,252  (33,736) 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  1,409,766  1,365,322  44,444 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,767,651  2,750,846  (16,805) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,290,794  2,301,012  (10,218) 

British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  2,758,960  2,688,001  (70,959) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  4,208,769  4,064,472  144,297 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  798,439  767,618  (30,821) 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,803,044  2,794,978  (8,066) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  2,899,185  2,669,708  (229,477) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  5,260,591  5,207,798  52,793 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  3,042,984  2,628,460  (414,524) 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  2,943,573  2,807,984  135,589 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,943,573  2,850,919  (92,654) 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  3,732,330  3,518,295  214,035 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  3,732,330  3,565,487  (166,843) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  6/15/16  12,527,538  12,305,764  (221,774) 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  6,802,353  6,841,709  (39,356) 

British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  321,343  282,973  38,370 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  4,990,874  4,865,219  (125,655) 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  2,612,699  2,675,669  (62,970) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  2,112,036  2,050,162  (61,874) 

 

44    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 4/30/16 (aggregate face value $333,697,406) (Unaudited) cont. 
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) cont.         
New Zealand Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  $8,340,092  $8,206,807  $(133,285) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  5,866,447  5,358,570  (507,877) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  6,453,562  6,335,405  118,157 

State Street Bank and Trust Co.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,622,370  2,691,138  (68,768) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,850,426  2,843,020  7,406 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  4,237,781  4,062,652  (175,129) 

New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  2,755,566  2,718,720  36,846 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,755,566  2,661,482  (94,084) 

South Korean Won  Buy  5/18/16  6,659,502  6,313,192  346,310 

South Korean Won  Sell  5/18/16  6,659,502  6,244,089  (415,413) 

UBS AG           
Australian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  1,585,351  1,588,262  2,911 

British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  2,722,281  2,669,325  52,956 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  10,852,880  10,421,217  (431,663) 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  5,451,262  5,400,220  51,042 

Japanese Yen  Buy  5/18/16  2,812,971  2,757,196  55,775 

Japanese Yen  Sell  5/18/16  2,812,971  2,690,664  (122,307) 

New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  5/18/16  2,750,626  2,713,991  36,635 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  5/18/16  2,750,626  2,672,328  (78,298) 

WestPac Banking Corp.           
Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  2,621,683  2,509,939  111,744 

Total          $(2,864,631) 
   

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)     
        Unrealized 
  Number of    Expiration  appreciation/ 
  contracts  Value  date  (depreciation) 

DAX Index (Short)  8  $2,309,681  Jun-16  $(24,870) 

Euro-CAC 40 Index (Long)  20  1,002,034  May-16  31,661 

FTSE 100 Index (Long)  30  2,723,001  Jun-16  58,223 

S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Short)  405  41,696,775  Jun-16  331,617 

S&P Mid Cap 400 Index         
E-Mini (Long)  488  71,165,040  Jun-16  3,758,902 

SPI 200 Index (Long)  17  1,690,391  Jun-16  97,941 

Tokyo Price Index (Short)  36  $4,488,158  Jun-16  119,284 

U.S. Treasury Bond 30 yr (Long)  56  9,145,500  Jun-16  (84,674) 

U.S. Treasury Bond Ultra         
30 yr (Short)  80  13,707,500  Jun-16  330,060 

U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr (Long)  207  45,255,375  Jun-16  (37,100) 

U.S. Treasury Note 5 yr (Short)  316  38,208,844  Jun-16  41,340 

U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr (Long)  2,288  297,583,000  Jun-16  (2,802,591) 

U.S. Treasury Note Ultra         
10 yr (Short)  18  2,530,125  Jun-16  (33,426) 

Total        $1,786,367 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    45 

 



WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $2,643,082) (Unaudited)   
Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Bank of America N.A.       
(1.715)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.715  $8,519,000  $81,186 

1.715/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.715  8,519,000  89,364 

Barclays Bank PLC       
(1.645)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.645  8,519,000  57,418 

1.645/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.645  8,519,000  121,907 

Citibank, N.A.       
2.587/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.587  14,863,700  15 

2.387/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.387  14,863,700  15 

Credit Suisse International       
2.515/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.515  1,860,700  82,001 

Goldman Sachs International       
2.58625/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.58625  29,727,400  30 

(1.215)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.215  8,702,500  5,134 

(0.901)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/0.901  8,702,500  5,396 

(1.65875)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.65875  8,519,000  67,215 

1.65875/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-26  Jun-16/1.65875  8,519,000  123,440 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
1.41/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.41  8,702,500  3,568 

1.28/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.28  8,702,500  6,266 

(1.0025)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jul-17  Jul-16/1.0025  8,702,500  8,441 

(6.00 Floor)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Mar-18  Mar-18/6.00  9,893,000  1,025,043 

Total      $1,676,439 
   

 

WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $416,989) (Unaudited)     
  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/$100.80  $4,000,000  $14,200 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/100.68  4,000,000  12,960 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/100.09  4,000,000  8,440 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Aug-16/99.97  4,000,000  7,680 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.36  4,000,000  14,000 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/100.73  4,000,000  8,160 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/101.39  1,000,000  3,590 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jul-16/100.73  1,000,000  2,040 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.45  2,000,000  960 

 

46    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (premiums $416,989) (Unaudited) cont.   
  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/$100.20  $2,000,000  $680 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.63  1,000,000  610 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.56  1,000,000  560 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.44  1,000,000  470 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.75  2,000,000  360 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/100.19  1,000,000  330 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.50  2,000,000  260 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.95  1,000,000  240 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.91  1,000,000  230 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.77  1,000,000  180 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Jun-16/99.53  1,000,000  130 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  May-16/213.50  279,321  115,427 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  May-16/215.00  208,420  21,140 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  May-16/211.00  212,254  20,599 

Total      $233,246 
   

 

FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)   
Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable)  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
2.117/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.117  $1,313,825  $(32,193)  $22,926 

2.035/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.035  1,313,825  (33,383)  15,543 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  2,816,100  (18,620)  (1,549) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  5,632,100  (39,566)  (5,238) 

(3.035)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.035  1,313,825  (34,958)  (32,176) 

(3.117)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.117  1,313,825  (36,787)  (34,552) 

2.655/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.655  5,754,600  38,124  37,693 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    47 

 



FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.   
Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable)  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. cont.         
2.56/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.56  $5,754,600  $36,787  $36,196 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  5,632,100  17,245  (4,844) 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  11,264,200  36,045  (8,336) 

(1.56)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.56  5,754,600  33,131  (26,874) 

(1.655)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.655  5,754,600  32,801  (35,794) 

Total      $(1,374)  $(37,005) 
   

 

TBA SALE COMMITMENTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (proceeds receivable $12,526,016) (Unaudited)   
  Principal  Settlement   
Agency  amount  date  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3 1/2s,       
May 1, 2046  $12,000,000  5/12/2016  $12,578,437 

Total       

 

CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)   
  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$30,544,600  $(38,601)  4/7/18  3 month USD-  1.149%  $115,658 
      LIBOR-BBA     

8,094,600  105,123  3/30/26  1.91%  3 month USD-  (68,393) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

18,034,000 E  (128,343)  6/15/26  1.60%  3 month USD-  79,986 
        LIBOR-BBA   

286,910,200 E  1,096,898  6/15/18  3 month USD-  0.85%  548,039 
      LIBOR-BBA     

18,198,000 E  (16,780)  6/15/21  3 month USD-  1.15%  (132,264) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

34,000  —  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.79701%  386 
      LIBOR-BBA     

269,339,200 E  605,445  6/15/18  1.20%  3 month USD-  (749,870) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

18,774,500 E  44,423  6/15/26  1.85%  3 month USD-  (181,322) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

270,682,300 E  (1,913,941)  6/15/26  3 month USD-  1.90%  2,617,010 
      LIBOR-BBA     

19,074,000 E  134,352  6/15/26  1.90%  3 month USD-  (184,928) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

14,337,000 E  10,965  6/15/21  3 month USD-  1.45%  130,220 
      LIBOR-BBA     

 

48    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont. 
  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$61,126,800 E  $16,704  6/15/21  1.45%  3 month USD-  $(491,749) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

2,226,000  (29)  3/17/26  1.787%  3 month USD-  (23,112) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

34,000  —  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.79882%  392 
      LIBOR-BBA     

34,000  —  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.8005%  397 
      LIBOR-BBA     

34,000  —  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.80312%  406 
      LIBOR-BBA     

34,000  —  3/16/26  3 month USD-  1.80242%  404 
      LIBOR-BBA     

39,551,500 E  83,553  6/15/21  3 month USD-  1.40%  315,878 
      LIBOR-BBA     

26,802,100 E  (182,731)  6/15/46  3 month USD-  2.25%  83,146 
      LIBOR-BBA     

145,700  (5)  4/5/46  2.2375%  3 month USD-  (1,513) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,214,200  27,133  4/5/46  2.27%  3 month USD-  5,280 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,214,200  (15,915)  4/5/46  3 month USD-  2.19%  (16,913) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

7,000,000  (92)  3/18/26  1.78722%  3 month USD-  (72,548) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

7,000,000  (92)  3/18/26  1.79757%  3 month USD-  (79,410) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,736,000  (23)  3/21/26  1.7325%  3 month USD-  (8,772) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,736,000  (23)  3/21/26  1.73%  3 month USD-  (8,361) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

9,253,000 E  (135,862)  6/15/26  1.605%  3 month USD-  (33,338) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

35,378,000 E  52,111  6/15/21  1.4003%  3 month USD-  (156,229) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

485,700  (6)  3/30/26  1.73%  3 month USD-  (2,147) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

2,247,200  (21)  4/14/21  1.152%  3 month USD-  9,609 
        LIBOR-BBA   

4,629,000 E  80,262  6/15/26  3 month USD-  1.6005%  27,009 
      LIBOR-BBA     

34,880,000  (131)  4/18/18  0.879%  3 month USD-  16,860 
        LIBOR-BBA   

24,392,000  (322)  4/18/26  1.634%  3 month USD-  136,748 
        LIBOR-BBA   

8,054,100  (58)  4/21/26  3 month USD-  1.595%  (75,890) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    49 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont. 
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

  $67,111,000  $(252)  4/27/18  0.9625%  3 month USD-  $(70,283) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  12,083,000  (160)  4/27/26  3 month USD-  1.7655%  77,434 
        LIBOR-BBA     

  5,188,000  (176)  4/27/46  2.257%  3 month USD-  (72,291) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

AUD  151,599,000 E  (120,988)  6/15/18  3 month AUD-BBR-  1.93%  (262,537) 
        BBSW     

AUD  79,000 E  (302)  6/15/26  3 month AUD-BBR-  2.55%  (824) 
        BBSW     

AUD  52,997,000 E  127,602  6/15/21  2.25%  3 month AUD-  307,363 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  28,199,000 E  (21,706)  6/15/21  3 month AUD-BBR-  2.50%  137,238 
        BBSW     

AUD  18,215,000 E  (2,068)  6/15/18  2.20%  3 month AUD-  (58,284) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  6,105,000 E  8,095  6/15/26  2.80%  3 month AUD-  (55,555) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  64,092,000 E  50,741  6/15/18  2.2001%  3 month AUD-  (147,112) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  11,796,000 E  66,816  6/15/26  2.8005%  3 month AUD-  (56,572) 
          BBR-BBSW   

CAD  241,569,000 E  32,868  6/15/18  3 month CAD-BA-  0.75%  (1,102,681) 
        CDOR     

CAD  42,820,000 E  20,204  6/15/21  0.90%  3 month CAD-  518,298 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  19,927,000 E  (268,803)  6/15/26  1.40%  3 month CAD-  197,616 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  31,539,448 E  (3,807)  6/15/18  0.90%  3 month CAD-  69,618 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  34,617,000  (98)  3/11/18  0.89%  3 month CAD-  70,112 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  29,624,000 E  148,427  6/15/21  3 month CAD-BA-  0.9003%  (195,837) 
        CDOR     

CAD  14,901,000 E  (3,619)  6/15/18  0.8501%  3 month CAD-  42,840 
          BA-CDOR   

CHF  13,405,000 E  (40,363)  6/15/26  6 month CHF-  0.15%  76,081 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  43,209,000 E  (36,891)  6/15/18  0.90%  6 month CHF-  (227,960) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

CHF  44,637,000 E  (140,495)  6/15/21  6 month CHF-  0.65%  159,675 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  8,819,000 E  (34)  6/15/18  6 month CHF-  0.7425%  9,665 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  44,645,000 E  73,506  6/15/18  6 month CHF-  0.6503%  35,809 
        LIBOR-BBA     

 

50    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont. 
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

CHF  8,762,000 E  $(20)  6/15/18  6 month CHF-  0.748%  $10,639 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  3,277,000 E  (8,001)  6/15/26  6 month CHF-  0.1505%  20,642 
        LIBOR-BBA     

EUR  65,757,000 E  (199,620)  6/15/21  0.00%  6 month EUR-  157,205 
          EURIBOR-   
          REUTERS   

EUR  30,819,000 E  450,344  6/15/26  6 month EUR-  0.50%  (196,404) 
        EURIBOR-REUTERS     

EUR  21,131,000 E  (297,902)  6/15/26  0.5005%  6 month EUR-  144,332 
          EURIBOR-   
          REUTERS   

GBP  85,476,000 E  (169,857)  6/15/18  0.75%  6 month GBP-  181,968 
          LIBOR-BBA   

GBP  26,811,000 E  (204,066)  6/15/21  0.975%  6 month GBP-  144,904 
          LIBOR-BBA   

GBP  3,234,000 E  92,411  6/15/26  6 month GBP-  1.40%  13,129 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  38,292,000 E  (19,018)  6/15/18  6 month GBP-  0.90%  (9,898) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  21,391,000 E  38,174  6/15/18  6 month GBP-  0.7501%  (49,810) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  80,000 E  658  6/15/26  6 month GBP-  1.4005%  (1,298) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

NOK  555,753,000 E  (23,886)  6/15/18  6 month NOK-  0.80%  (265,600) 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  111,111,000 E  81,517  6/15/26  6 month NOK-  1.55%  (130,580) 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  54,158,000 E  (14,895)  6/15/21  1.05%  6 month NOK-  44,745 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  28,924,000  (45)  3/10/26  1.56%  6 month NOK-  40,701 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  29,750,000  (46)  3/17/26  1.60%  6 month NOK-  28,358 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  123,829,000 E  (88,110)  6/15/18  0.70%  6 month NOK-  (3,972) 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  26,452,000 E  25,887  6/15/26  1.5505%  6 month NOK-  76,229 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NZD  18,036,000 E  22,774  6/15/26  3.10%  3 month NZD-  (76,151) 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  25,559,000 E  5,719  6/15/18  3 month NZD-  2.40%  49,907 
        BBR-FRA     

NZD  79,146,000 E  (63,846)  6/15/21  2.70%  3 month NZD-  (460,363) 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  4,325,000 E  (18,360)  6/15/21  3 month NZD-  2.7003%  3,350 
        BBR-FRA     

NZD  25,337,000 E  39,063  6/15/18  2.4001%  3 month NZD-  (4,777) 
          BBR-FRA   

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     51 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont. 
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

SEK  161,038,000 E  $11,409  6/15/21  0.35%  3 month SEK-  $86,750 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  98,759,000 E  21,502  6/15/26  3 month SEK-  1.20%  (72,627) 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  62,142,000 E  (4,059)  6/15/21  3 month SEK-  0.3503%  (33,016) 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  30,506,000 E  (3,785)  6/15/26  1.2005%  3 month SEK-  25,109 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

Total    $(613,567)        $975,954 

 

E Extended effective date.

OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)   
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
baskets  2,620,360  $—  4/18/17  (3 month USD-  A basket  $(5,487,944) 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (MLTRFCF8) of   
        0.10%)  common stocks   

units  64,982  —  4/18/17  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  2,284,726 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Return Index   
        0.07%     

Barclays Bank PLC           
  $556,538  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,586 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,055,859  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  13,890 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  427,441  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  396 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  184,202  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  948 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  756,043  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  701 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  88,288  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  528 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  25,516  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  118 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,799,360  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,594 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

 

52    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.   
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
$4,335,045  $—  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $9,877 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,872,290  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  6,544 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

6,121  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  14 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

846,119  —  1/12/39  (6.00%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,662) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

764,958  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,538 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

484,929  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,243 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

603,184  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,785 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

823,362  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (4,193) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,328,309  —  1/12/43  (3.50%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (7,171) 
      USD-LIBOR  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,066,361  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (922) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,671,227  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,947 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

12,989,733  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  4,557 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

13,628,984  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (43,077) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

Citibank, N.A.           
971,719  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  341 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

460,746  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  162 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    53 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Citibank, N.A. cont.           
baskets  681,708  $—  11/10/16  3 month USD-  A basket  $(501,808) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  (CGPUTS46) of   
        0.55%  common stocks   

baskets  1,473  —  12/16/16  (3 month USD-  A basket  2,536,247 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (CGPUTQL2) of   
        0.42%)  common stocks   

units  48,917  —  10/17/16  3 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  68,175 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.30%     

units  32,769  —  11/23/16  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  (15,479,155) 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  Return Index   
        0.02%     

units  106,667  —  3/17/17  3 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  (2,345,083) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.14%     

Credit Suisse International         
  $580,651  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  204 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,462,405  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,763 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
          Mae II pools   

  1,538,434  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (7,835) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,282,367  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (6,531) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  3,058,782  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  14,146 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
          Mae II pools   

  875,244  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  5,913 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,771,998  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  10,397 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  841,305  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,936 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,900,813  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  10,262 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,656,619  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  14,342 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

 

54    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Credit Suisse International cont.         
  $121,155  $—  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $654 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,931,973  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  13,053 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  5,747,672  —  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  38,846 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  4,136,459  —  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  27,956 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  4,080,609  —  1/12/45  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  25,237 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,414,323  —  1/12/41  (4.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (16,311) 
        USD-LIBOR  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

Deutsche Bank AG           
units  545,425  —  8/8/16  (3 month USD-  DB Custom PT Long  3,595,815 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  12 PR Index   
        0.31%)     

units  545,689  —  8/8/16  3 month USD-  DB Custom PT Short  (7,251,858) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  12 PR Index   
        0.45%     

Goldman Sachs International         
  $648,816  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,996 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  500,513  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,311 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,600,954  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  8,236 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  902,765  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,169 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,381,608  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  8,901 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,381,608  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  8,901 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  663,750  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,098) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    55 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.   
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
$249,375  $—  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $(788) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

263,140  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,573 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

7,026  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  36 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

619,979  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,190 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

909,268  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,874) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

47,175  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (149) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

125,762  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (397) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

16,588  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  77 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

711,035  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,283 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,255,762  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  14,533 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,089,855  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  13,464 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,163,162  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  5,984 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,013,856  —  1/12/41  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,007 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

143,836  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  972 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,229,117  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (11,352) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,231,511  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  18,960 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

56    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
  $1,790,777  $—  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $10,507 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  4,104,634  —  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  27,741 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,929,690  —  1/12/43  (3.50%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (10,420) 
        USD-LIBOR  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

baskets  2,519,861  —  12/15/20  (1 month USD-  A basket  383,637 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (GSCBPUR1) of   
        0.30%)  common stocks   

units  1,196,043  —  12/15/20  (0.45%)  Goldman Sachs  504,520 
          Volatility Carry US   
          Scaled 3x Excess   
          Return Strategy   

units  18,233  —  12/12/16  1 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  47,895 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.17%     

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
  $984,328  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,650 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  301,509  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,037 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,388,259  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  16,135 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,229,408  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (11,354) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

baskets  2,417,037  —  3/24/17  3 month USD-  A basket  (6,545,199) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  (JPCMPTSH) of   
        0.44%  common stocks   

UBS AG             
units  342,704  —  8/19/16  1 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  1,815,167 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.25%     

Total    $—        $(26,103,858) 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    57 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)     
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional     nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount     date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $4,785  $70,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $760 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  9,522  158,000  5/11/63  300 bp  437 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  19,446  315,000  5/11/63  300 bp  1,334 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  18,582  326,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (163) 
Index             

Barclays Bank PLC             
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  31,595  285,000  5/11/63  300 bp  15,208 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  4,351  774,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (58,963) 
Index             

Credit Suisse International           
CMBX NA BB Index  —  (150,100)  8,504,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  624,331 

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  21,515  1,964,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (91,415) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  157,543  4,593,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (218,164) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,666,900  49,085,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (348,253) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,900,318  53,392,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (2,467,148) 
Index             

Goldman Sachs International           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  2,551  715,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (55,936) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  2,562  718,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (56,171) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  7,622  979,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (72,460) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  4,268  1,088,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (84,730) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  6,292  1,472,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (114,117) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  5,248  1,472,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (115,162) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  5,248  1,472,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (115,162) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  17,229  1,730,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (124,285) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,249  3,008,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (242,805) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  132,619  4,918,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (269,676) 
Index             

 

58     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited) cont.     
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional     nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount     date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
CMBX NA BB Index  —  $(16,688)  $1,951,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  $160,983 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  6,816  665,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  67,376 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  775  638,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  58,875 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  10,419  619,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  66,789 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (2,216)  209,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  16,817 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (1,441)  150,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  12,219 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  2,419  107,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  12,164 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (1,180)  592,000  1/17/47  (500 bp)  83,101 

CMBX NA BBB–  —  (68,406)  802,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (22,291) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  17,485  584,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (30,286) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  21,796  1,034,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (62,785) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  45,269  1,049,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (40,539) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  42,227  1,049,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (43,581) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  42,227  1,049,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (43,581) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  44,437  1,069,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (43,008) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  46,148  1,523,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (78,433) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  11,822  1,535,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (113,741) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  67,933  2,132,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (106,464) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  300,164  2,164,000  1/17/47  300 bp  123,149 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  122,252  2,959,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (119,794) 
Index             

JPMorgan Securities LLC           
CMBX NA BBB–  —  (38,112)  598,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (3,727) 
Index             

Total    $6,525,491        $(3,899,297) 

*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at April 30, 2016. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.” Securities rated by Fitch are indicated by “/F.”

Absolute Return 700 Fund    59 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 4/30/16 (Unaudited)   
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

NA HY Series 26  —  $4,615,084  $187,151,000  6/20/21  (500 bp)  $(1,326,214) 
Index             

Total    $4,615,084        $(1,326,214) 

*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at April 30, 2016. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.” Securities rated by Fitch are indicated by “/F.”

ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:

  Valuation inputs

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Common stocks*:       

Basic materials  $10,210,047  $9,178,145  $—­ 

Capital goods  27,064,936  287,765  —­ 

Communication services  31,247,738  11,358,100  —­ 

Consumer cyclicals  51,046,187  9,482,837  —­ 

Consumer staples  41,785,304  7,387,830  —­ 

Energy  21,042,993  5,174,238  —­ 

Financials  55,801,087  43,843,086  —­ 

Health care  40,540,258  2,878,239  —­ 

Technology  50,054,183  18,699,685  —­ 

Transportation  6,472,074  7,979,210  —­ 

Utilities and power  12,616,332  7,649,867  —­ 

Total common stocks  347,881,139  123,919,002  —­ 

 

60    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



  Valuation inputs 

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Asset-backed securities  $—­  $—­  $3,855,000 

Commodity linked notes  —­  107,952,440  —­ 

Corporate bonds and notes  —­  136,543,346  —­ 

Foreign government and agency bonds and notes  —  12,917,231  — 

Investment companies  100,892,877  —­  —­ 

Mortgage-backed securities  —­  151,704,073  27,628,579 

Purchased options outstanding  —­  5,030,411  —­ 

Purchased swap options outstanding  —­  546,153  —­ 

Senior loans  —­  41,549,274  —­ 

U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations  —­  334,536,823  —­ 

U.S. treasury obligations  —­  115,593  —­ 

Warrants  —­  20,785,349  —­ 

Short-term investments  196,715,035  83,357,239  —­ 

Totals by level  $645,489,051  $1,018,956,934  $31,483,579 
 
  Valuation inputs 

Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Forward currency contracts  $—­  $(2,864,631)  $—­ 

Futures contracts  1,786,367  —­  —­ 

Written options outstanding  —­  (233,246)  —­ 

Written swap options outstanding  —­  (1,676,439)  —­ 

Forward premium swap option contracts  —­  (37,005)  —­ 

TBA sale commitments  —­  (12,578,437)  —­ 

Interest rate swap contracts  —­  1,589,521  —­ 

Total return swap contracts  —­  (26,103,858)  —­ 

Credit default contracts  —­  (16,366,086)  —­ 

Totals by level  $1,786,367  $(58,270,181)  $—­ 

* Common stock classifications are presented at the sector level, which may differ from the fund’s portfolio presentation.

During the reporting period, transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, if any (other than certain transfers involving non-U.S. equity securities as described in Note 1), did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using the end of period pricing valuation method.

Absolute Return 700 Fund    61 

 



The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets as of the close of the reporting period:

        Change in net           
        unrealized      Total  Total   
  Balance  Accrued  Realized  appreciation/      transfers  transfers  Balance 
Investments  as of  discounts/  gain/  (deprecia-  Cost of  Proceeds   into  out of  as of 
in securities:  10/31/15  premiums  (loss)  tion) #  purchases  from sales   Level 3†   Level 3†  4/30/16 

Asset-                   
backed                   
securities  $6,477,000  $—­  $—­  $—­  $—­   $(2,622,000)  $—­  $—­  $3,855,000 

Mortgage-                   
backed                   
securities  $14,343,168  (1,368,556)  5,134  364,224  9,138,068  (406,464)  7,484,363  (1,931,358)  $27,628,579 

Totals  $20,820,168  $(1,368,556)  $5,134  $364,224  $9,138,068  $(3,028,464)  $7,484,363  $(1,931,358)   $31,483,579 

† Transfers during the reporting period are accounted for using the end of period market value and include valuations provided by a single broker quote. Such valuations involve certain inputs and estimates that were unobservable at the end of the reporting period.

# Includes $549,952 related to Level 3 securities still held at period end. Total change in unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) for securities (including Level 1 and Level 2) can be found in the Statement of operations.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

62   Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

ASSETS   

Investment in securities, at value (Note 1):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $1,501,986,350)  $1,499,474,529 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $196,455,035) (Notes 1 and 5)  196,455,035 

Cash  1,050,083 

Foreign currency (cost $49,983) (Note 1)  49,983 

Dividends, interest and other receivables  7,360,909 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold  8,447,690 

Receivable for investments sold  42,372,887 

Receivable for sales of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  10,441,398 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)  1,688,253 

Unrealized appreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  112,358 

Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  4,822,867 

Unrealized appreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  12,877,866 

Premium paid on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  278,143 

Prepaid assets  75,018 

Total assets  1,785,507,019 
 
LIABILITIES   

Payable for investments purchased  52,691,847 

Payable for purchases of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  322,230,015 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  7,540,085 

Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)  730,769 

Payable for custodian fees (Note 2)  122,502 

Payable for investor servicing fees (Note 2)  270,873 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  109,015 

Payable for administrative services (Note 2)  5,179 

Payable for distribution fees (Note 2)  278,412 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)  1,332,997 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  42,881,021 

Premium received on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  6,803,634 

Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  7,687,498 

Unrealized depreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  149,363 

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums $3,060,071) (Notes 1 and 3)  1,909,685 

TBA sale commitments, at value (proceeds receivable $12,526,016) (Note 1)  12,578,437 

Collateral on certain derivative contracts, at value (Note 1)  375,593 

Other accrued expenses  245,397 

Total liabilities  457,942,322 
 
Net assets  $1,327,564,697 

(Continued on next page)

Absolute Return 700 Fund    63 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities (Continued)

REPRESENTED BY   

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $1,419,699,192 

Distributions in excess of net investment income (Note 1)  (13,128,999) 

Accumulated net realized loss on investments and foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  (46,104,541) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  (32,900,955) 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $1,327,564,697 
 
COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share   
($376,829,031 divided by 34,391,838 shares)  $10.96 

Offering price per class A share (100/94.25 of $10.96)*  $11.63 

Net asset value and offering price per class B share ($29,855,184 divided by 2,780,987 shares)**  $10.74 

Net asset value and offering price per class C share ($205,502,988 divided by 19,181,237 shares)**  $10.71 

Net asset value and redemption price per class M share ($6,837,254 divided by 633,820 shares)  $10.79 

Offering price per class M share (100/96.50 of $10.79)*  $11.18 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R share   
($1,971,036 divided by 181,789 shares)  $10.84 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R6 share   
($7,730,081 divided by 702,657 shares)  $11.00 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($698,839,123 divided by 63,714,141 shares)  $10.97 

 

* On single retail sales of less than $50,000. On sales of $50,000 or more the offering price is reduced.

** Redemption price per share is equal to net asset value less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

64    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



Statement of operations Six months ended 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

INVESTMENT INCOME   

Interest (including interest income of $341,424 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  $13,693,647 

Dividends (net of foreign tax of $244,441)  9,037,177 

Total investment income  22,730,824 
 
EXPENSES   

Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  4,963,950 

Investor servicing fees (Note 2)  907,508 

Custodian fees (Note 2)  150,627 

Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  48,149 

Distribution fees (Note 2)  1,714,844 

Administrative services (Note 2)  23,420 

Other  367,589 

Fees waived and reimbursed by Manager (Note 2)  (13,737) 

Total expenses  8,162,350 
 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (24,929) 

Net expenses  8,137,421 
 
Net investment income  14,593,403 

 
Net realized loss on investments (Notes 1 and 3)  (62,638,880) 

Net increase from payments by affiliates (Note 2)  2,817 

Net realized gain on swap contracts (Note 1)  13,841,897 

Net realized loss on futures contracts (Note 1)  (2,362,164) 

Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  (2,641,796) 

Net realized gain on written options (Notes 1 and 3)  1,082,691 

Net unrealized depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies during the period  (3,435,909) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts, written options,   
and TBA sale commitments during the period  (26,807,736) 

Net loss on investments  (82,959,080) 
 
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations  $(68,365,677) 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 700 Fund    65 

 



Statement of changes in net assets

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS  Six months ended 4/30/16*  Year ended 10/31/15 

Operations:     
Net investment income  $14,593,403  $20,184,990 

Net realized gain (loss) on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  (52,715,435)  105,665,575 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets     
and liabilities in foreign currencies  (30,243,645)  (80,961,244) 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting     
from operations  (68,365,677)  44,889,321 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     

Class A  (27,873,031)  (4,757,439) 

Class B  (1,820,872)  (215,484) 

Class C  (13,193,769)  (1,330,345) 

Class M  (452,446)  (55,120) 

Class R  (117,103)  (23,421) 

Class R5  (779)  (197) 

Class R6  (550,365)  (122,131) 

Class Y  (51,904,210)  (10,035,024) 

From net realized long-term gain on investments     
Class A  (4,184,485)  (14,604,207) 

Class B  (308,195)  (1,295,170) 

Class C  (2,189,965)  (7,440,380) 

Class M  (72,511)  (238,433) 

Class R  (18,332)  (84,957) 

Class R5  (113)  (502) 

Class R6  (79,090)  (303,202) 

Class Y  (7,530,467)  (25,810,809) 

Increase from capital share transactions (Note 4)  67,429,023  364,116,512 

Total increase (decrease) in net assets  (111,232,387)  342,689,012 
NET ASSETS     

Beginning of period  1,438,797,084  1,096,108,072 

End of period (including distributions in excess of net     
investment income of $13,128,999 and undistributed net     
investment income of $68,190,173, respectively)  $1,327,564,697  $1,438,797,084 

 

* Unaudited.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

66 Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Absolute Return 700 Fund   67 

 


 

Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: LESS DISTRIBUTIONS: RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset   end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a   on investments­  operations­   income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b   (in thousands)  (%) c  (%)  (%) 

Class A­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.45­  .12­  (.68)  (.56)  (.81)  (.12)  (.93)  $10.96­  (4.60)*   $376,829­  .59* d  1.05* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.71­  .20­  .30­  .50­  (.19)  (.57)  (.76)  12.45­  4.04­  424,484­  1.26­  1.60­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  12.17­  .20­  .48­  .68­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  12.71­  5.65­  328,250­  1.24­  1.63­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.78­  .24­  .16­  .40­  (.01)  —­  (.01)  12.17­  3.42­  346,385­  1.25­  2.04­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.35­  .21­  .66­  .87­  (.44)  —­  (.44)  11.78­  7.97­  331,370­  1.33 ­d  1.82­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.45­  .33­  (.04)  .29­  (.34)  (.05)  (.39)  11.35­  2.55­  364,714­  1.37 ­d  2.86 ­d  174 f 

Class B­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.16­  .07­  (.65)  (.58)  (.72)  (.12)  (.84)  $10.74­  (4.89)*   $29,855­  .96* d  .67* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.44­  .10­  .29­  .39­  (.10)  (.57)  (.67)  12.16­  3.18­  30,905­  2.01­  .85­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  11.91­  .11­  .47­  .58­  (.05)  —­  (.05)  12.44­  4.92­  28,072­  1.99­  .88­  313 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.60­  .15­  .16­  .31­  —­  —­  —­  11.91­  2.67­  28,175­  2.00­  1.29­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.19­  .12­  .65­  .77­  (.36)  —­  (.36)  11.60­  7.13­  26,015­  2.08­ d  1.06­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.31­  .24­  (.03)  .21­  (.28)  (.05)  (.33)  11.19­  1.84­  22,984­  2.12 ­d  2.14­ d  174 f 

Class C­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.16­  .07­  (.67)  (.60)  (.73)  (.12)  (.85)  $10.71­  (5.02)*   $205,503­  .96* d  .68* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.44­  .10­  .29­  .39­  (.10)  (.57)  (.67)  12.16­  3.24­  210,619­  2.01­  .85­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  11.91­  .11­  .47­  .58­  (.05)  —­  (.05)  12.44­  4.91­  160,682­  1.99­  .88­  313 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.60­  .15­  .16­  .31­  —­  —­  —­  11.91­  2.67­  148,531­  2.00­  1.29­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.19­  .12­  .65­  .77­  (.36)  —­  (.36)  11.60­  7.16­  138,619­  2.08 ­d  1.06 ­d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.31­  .24­  (.04)  .20­  (.27)  (.05)  (.32)  11.19­  1.79­  132,156­  2.12­ d  2.12­ d  174 f 

Class M­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.25­  .09­  (.67)  (.58)  (.76)  (.12)  (.88)  $10.79­  (4.85)*   $6,837­  .84* d  .80* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.52­  .14­  .29­  .43­  (.13)  (.57)  (.70)  12.25­  3.55­  7,146­  1.76­  1.10­  563 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.99­  .14­  .47­  .61­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  12.52­  5.12­  5,286­  1.74­  1.12­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.65­  .18­  .16­  .34­  —­  —­  —­  11.99­  2.92­  4,535­  1.75­  1.53­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.23­  .15­  .65­  .80­  (.38)  —­  (.38)  11.65­  7.40­  4,105­  1.83­ d  1.31 ­d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.32­  .27­  (.03)  .24­  (.28)  (.05)  (.33)  11.23­  2.12­  3,830­  1.87­ d  2.34­ d  174 f 

Class R­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.31­  .10­  (.68)  (.58)  (.77)  (.12)  (.89)  $10.84­  (4.77)*   $1,971­  .71* d  .92* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.57­  .17­  .30­  .47­  (.16)  (.57)  (.73)  12.31­  3.84­  1,564­  1.51­  1.34­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  12.04­  .17­  .48­  .65­  (.12)  —­  (.12)  12.57­  5.40­  1,848­  1.49­  1.39­  313 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.68­  .21­  .15­  .36­  —­ g  —­  — f  12.04­  3.11­  2,005­  1.50­  1.77­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.25­  .17­  .67­  .84­  (.41)  —­  (.41)  11.68­  7.77­  1,235­  1.58­ d  1.52 ­d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.37­  .30­  (.05)  .25­  (.32)  (.05)  (.37)  11.25­  2.26­  643­  1.62­ d  2.60­ d  174 f 

Class R5­                           
April 30, 2016**#  $12.51­  .08­  (.71)  (.63)  (.83)  (.12)  (.95)  10.93­  (5.13)*  $11­  .24* d  .69* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.78­  .24­  .28­  .52­  (.22)  (.57)  (.79)  12.51­  4.25­  12­  1.01­  1.86­  563 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  12.22­  .24­  .49­  .73­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  12.78­  6.03­  11­  .96­  1.90­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.81­  .28­  .15­  .43­  (.02)  —­  (.02)  12.22­  3.66­  11­  1.02­  2.29­  199 f 
October 31, 2012†  11.56­  .07­  .18­  .25­  —­  —­  —­  11.81­  2.16*  10­  .34* d  .54* d  164 f 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

68    Absolute Return 700 Fund  Absolute Return 700 Fund   69 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: LESS DISTRIBUTIONS: RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset   end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a   on investments­  operations­   income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b   (in thousands)  (%) c  (%)  (%) 

Class R6­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.51­  .14­  (.69)  (.55)  (.84)  (.12)  (.96)  $11.00­  (4.44)*   $7,730­  .42* d  1.22* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.77­  .24­  .30­  .54­  (.23)  (.57)  (.80)  12.51­  4.39­  8,237­  .93­  1.93­  563 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  12.23­  .24­  .48­  .72­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  12.77­  5.97­  6,678­  .91­  1.96­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.81­  .25­  .20­  .45­  (.03)  —­  (.03)  12.23­  3.79­  6,500­  .92­  2.09­  199 f 
October 31, 2012†  11.56­  .07­  .18­  .25­  —­  —­  —­  11.81­  2.16*  10­  .31* d  .58* d  164 f 

Class Y­                           
April 30, 2016**  $12.47­  .13­  (.68)  (.55)  (.83)  (.12)  (.95)  $10.97­  (4.44)*   $698,839­  .47* d  1.18* d  251* e 
October 31, 2015­  12.74­  .23­  .29­  .52­  (.22)  (.57)  (.79)  12.47­  4.25­  755,830­  1.01­  1.85­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  12.20­  .23­  .49­  .72­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  12.74­  5.93­  565,281­  .99­  1.88­  313 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.81­  .27­  .16­  .43­  (.04)  —­  (.04)  12.20­  3.67­  464,035­  1.00­  2.27­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.37­  .23­  .67­  .90­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  11.81­  8.31­  283,356­  1.08­ d  2.04­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.47­  .36­  (.05)  .31­  (.36)  (.05)  (.41)  11.37­  2.75­  195,030­  1.12­ d  3.13­ d  174 f 

* Not annualized.

** Unaudited.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

# Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Reflects a voluntary waiver of certain fund expenses in effect during the period . As a result of such waivers, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets (Note 2):

  4/30/16  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  <0.01%  0.05%  0.08% 

Class B  <0.01  0.05  0.08 

Class C  <0.01  0.05  0.08 

Class M  <0.01  0.05  0.08 

Class R  <0.01  0.05  0.08 

Class R5  <0.01  —  N/A 

Class R6  <0.01  —  N/A 

Class Y  <0.01  0.05  0.08 

e Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

f Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:

  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  463% 

October 31, 2012  487 

October 31, 2011  407 

g Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.   
 
70    Absolute Return 700 Fund  Absolute Return 700 Fund    71 

 



Notes to financial statements 4/30/16 (Unaudited)

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016.

Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 700 basis points (or 7.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions. The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return by combining two independent investment strategies — a beta strategy, which provides broad exposure to investment markets, and an alpha strategy, which seeks returns from active trading. The beta strategy seeks to balance risk and to provide positive total return by investing, without limit, in many different asset classes, including U.S., international, and emerging markets equity securities (growth or value stocks or both) and fixed-income securities; mortgage- and asset-backed securities; below-investment-grade securities (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”); inflation-protected securities; commodities; and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The alpha strategy involves the potential use of active trading strategies designed to provide additional total return through active security selection, tactical asset allocation, currency transactions and options transactions. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, equities or equity-like investments.

Putnam Management may consider, among other factors, a company’s valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings, cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell equity investments, and, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks when deciding whether to buy or sell fixed-income investments. Putnam Management may also take into account general market conditions when making investment decisions. Putnam Management typically uses derivatives, such as futures, options, certain foreign currency transactions, warrants and swap contracts, to a significant extent for hedging purposes and to increase the fund’s exposure to the asset classes and strategies mentioned above, which may create investment leverage.

The fund offers class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class R6 and class Y shares. Class A and class M shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75% and 3.50%, respectively. Class A shares generally are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. Class B shares, which convert to class A shares after approximately eight years, do not pay a front-end sales charge and are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge if those shares are redeemed within six years of purchase. Class C shares have a one-year 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge and do not convert to class A shares. Class R shares, which are not available to all investors, are sold at net asset value. The expenses for class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares may differ based on the distribution fee of each class, which is identified in Note 2. Class R6 and class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, but do not bear a distribution fee and in the case of class R6 shares, bear a lower investor servicing fee, which is identified in Note 2. Class R6 and class Y shares are not available to all investors. Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions

72   Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees. If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last reported sales price on their principal exchange, or official closing price for certain markets, and are classified as Level 1 securities under Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820). If no sales are reported, as in the case of some securities that are traded OTC, a security is valued at its last reported bid price and is generally categorized as a Level 2 security.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

Market quotations are not considered to be readily available for certain debt obligations (including short-term investments with remaining maturities of 60 days or less) and other investments; such investments are valued on the basis of valuations furnished by an independent pricing service approved by the Trustees or dealers selected by Putnam Management. Such services or dealers determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities (which consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings). These securities will generally be categorized as Level 2.

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, on certain days, the fund will fair value foreign equity securities taking into account multiple factors including movements in the U.S. securities markets, currency valuations and comparisons to the valuation of American Depository Receipts, exchange-traded funds and futures contracts. These securities, which would generally be classified as Level 1 securities, will be transferred to Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy when they are valued at fair value. The number of days on which fair value prices will be used will depend on market activity and it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably

Absolute Return 700 Fund    73 

 



available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. Certain securities may be valued on the basis of a price provided by a single source. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividend income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recognized on the ex-dividend date except that certain dividends from foreign securities, if any, are recognized as soon as the fund is informed of the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded at the fair value of the securities received. Dividends representing a return of capital or capital gains, if any, are reflected as a reduction of cost and/or as a realized gain.

All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

The fund earned certain fees in connection with its senior loan purchasing activities. These fees are treated as market discount and are amortized into income in the Statement of operations.

Securities purchased or sold on a delayed delivery basis may be settled at a future date beyond customary settlement time; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Losses may arise due to changes in the fair value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Stripped securities The fund may invest in stripped securities which represent a participation in securities that may be structured in classes with rights to receive different portions of the interest and principal. Interest-only securities receive all of the interest and principal-only securities receive all of the principal. If the interest-only securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, principal-only securities increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are slower than anticipated. The fair value of these securities is highly sensitive to changes in interest rates.

Foreign currency translation The accounting records of the fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The fair value of foreign securities, currency holdings, and other assets and liabilities is recorded in the books and records of the fund after translation to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates on that day. The cost of each security is determined using historical exchange rates. Income and withholding taxes are translated at prevailing exchange rates when earned or incurred. The fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. Such gains and losses are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net realized exchange gains or losses on closed forward currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains and losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized appreciation and depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts to hedge duration and convexity, to isolate prepayment risk, to gain exposure to interest rates, to hedge against changes in values of securities it owns, owned or expects to own, to hedge prepayment risk, to generate additional income for the portfolio, to enhance returns on securities owned, to gain exposure to securities and to manage downside risks.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

74    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts to manage exposure to market risk, to hedge prepayment risk, to hedge interest rate risk, to gain exposure to interest rates, and to equitize cash.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.”

Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Forward currency contracts The fund buys and sells forward currency contracts, which are agreements between two parties to buy and sell currencies at a set price on a future date. These contracts are used to hedge foreign exchange risk and to gain exposure to currencies.

The U.S. dollar value of forward currency contracts is determined using current forward currency exchange rates supplied by a quotation service. The fair value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. The fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed when the contract matures or by delivery of the currency. The fund could be exposed to risk if the value of the currency changes unfavorably, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the fund is unable to enter into a closing position. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Forward currency contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Interest rate swap contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, which are arrangements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on a notional principal amount, to hedge interest rate risk, to gain exposure on interest rates and to hedge prepayment risk.

An OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap can be purchased or sold with an upfront premium. For OTC interest rate swap contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss on OTC interest rate swaps. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared interest rate swaps are settled through a central clearing agent and are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Payments, including upfront premiums, received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or the closing of the contract. Certain OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract.

The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or if the counterparty defaults, in the case of OTC interest rate contracts, or the central clearing agency or a clearing member defaults, in the case of centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, on its respective obligation to perform under the contract. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk or central clearing risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC interest rate swap contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts through

Absolute Return 700 Fund    75 

 



the daily exchange of variation margin. There is minimal counterparty risk with respect to centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Total return swap contracts The fund entered into OTC total return swap contracts, which are arrangements to exchange a market-linked return for a periodic payment, both based on a notional principal amount, to hedge sector exposure, to manage exposure to specific sectors or industries, to manage exposure to specific securities, to gain exposure to a basket of securities, to gain exposure to specific markets or countries, and to gain exposure to specific sectors or industries.

To the extent that the total return of the security, index or other financial measure underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the fund will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty. OTC total return swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers and the change, if any, is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Payments received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses. Certain OTC total return swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract. The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index, the possibility that there is no liquid market for these agreements or that the counterparty may default on its obligation to perform. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC total return swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Credit default contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared credit default contracts to hedge credit risk, to hedge market risk, and to gain exposure on individual names and/or baskets of securities.

In OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts, the protection buyer typically makes a periodic stream of payments to a counterparty, the protection seller, in exchange for the right to receive a contingent payment upon the occurrence of a credit event on the reference obligation or all other equally ranked obligations of the reference entity. Credit events are contract specific but may include bankruptcy, failure to pay, restructuring and obligation acceleration. For OTC credit default contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. Centrally cleared credit default contracts provide the same rights to the protection buyer and seller except the payments between parties, including upfront premiums, are settled through a central clearing agent through variation margin payments. Upfront and periodic payments received or paid by the fund for OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or close of the contract. The OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change in value of OTC credit default contracts is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Upon the occurrence of a credit event, the difference between the par value and fair value of the reference obligation, net of any proportional amount of the upfront payment, is recorded as a realized gain or loss.

In addition to bearing the risk that the credit event will occur, the fund could be exposed to market risk due to unfavorable changes in interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index or the possibility that the fund may be unable to close out its position at the same time or at the same price as if it had purchased the underlying reference obligations. In certain circumstances, the fund may enter into offsetting OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts which would mitigate its risk of loss. Risks of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk, either as the protection seller or as the protection buyer, is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC credit default contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared credit default contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. Counterparty risk is further mitigated with respect to centrally cleared credit default swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Where the fund is a seller of protection, the maximum potential amount of future payments the fund may be required to make is equal to the notional amount.

76    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

TBA commitments The fund may enter into TBA (to be announced) commitments to purchase securities for a fixed unit price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Although the unit price and par amount have been established, the actual securities have not been specified. However, it is anticipated that the amount of the commitments will not significantly differ from the principal amount. The fund holds, and maintains until settlement date, cash or high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price, or the fund may enter into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. Income on the securities will not be earned until settlement date.

The fund may also enter into TBA sale commitments to hedge its portfolio positions, to sell mortgage-backed securities it owns under delayed delivery arrangements or to take a short position in mortgage-backed securities. Proceeds of TBA sale commitments are not received until the contractual settlement date. During the time a TBA sale commitment is outstanding, either equivalent deliverable securities or an offsetting TBA purchase commitment deliverable on or before the sale commitment date are held as “cover” for the transaction, or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value of the TBA sale commitment are segregated. If the TBA sale commitment is closed through the acquisition of an offsetting TBA purchase commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss. If the fund delivers securities under the commitment, the fund realizes a gain or a loss from the sale of the securities based upon the unit price established at the date the commitment was entered into.

TBA commitments, which are accounted for as purchase and sale transactions, may be considered securities themselves, and involve a risk of loss due to changes in the value of the security prior to the settlement date as well as the risk that the counterparty to the transaction will not perform its obligations. Counterparty risk is mitigated by having a master agreement between the fund and the counterparty.

Unsettled TBA commitments are valued at their fair value according to the procedures described under “Security valuation” above. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded by the fund as an unrealized gain or loss. Based on market circumstances, Putnam Management will determine whether to take delivery of the underlying securities or to dispose of the TBA commitments prior to settlement.

TBA purchase commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed within the fund’s portfolio and TBA sale commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts and Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements that govern transactions involving mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities that may result in delayed delivery (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, are presented in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral posted to the fund which cannot be sold or repledged totaled $4,119,626 at the close of the reporting period.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

With respect to ISDA Master Agreements, termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term or short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

Absolute Return 700 Fund     77 

 



At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $37,356,997 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $37,785,125 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million syndicated unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street ($292.5 million) and Northern Trust Company ($100 million) and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the overnight LIBOR plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.16% per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund may also be subject to taxes imposed by governments of countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The fund accrues and applies such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. In some cases, the fund may be entitled to reclaim all or a portion of such taxes, and such reclaim amounts, if any, are reflected as an asset on the fund’s books. In many cases, however, the fund may not receive such amounts for an extended period of time, depending on the country of investment.

The aggregate identified cost on a tax basis is $1,700,960,305, resulting in gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of $59,923,028 and $64,953,769, respectively, or net unrealized depreciation of $5,030,741.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. Actual results may vary. Any non-taxable return of capital cannot be determined until final tax calculations are completed after the end of the fund’s fiscal year. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations.

Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

78    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a management fee (base fee) (based on the fund’s average net assets and computed and paid monthly) at annual rates that may vary based on the average of the aggregate net assets of all open-end funds, sponsored by Putnam Management (excluding net assets of funds that are invested in, or invested in by, other Putnam Funds to avoid “double counting” of those assets). Such annual rates may vary as follows:

1.030%  of the first $5 billion,  0.830%  of the next $50 billion, 


0.980%  of the next $5 billion,  0.810%  of the next $50 billion, 


0.930%  of the next $10 billion,  0.800%  of the next $100 billion and 


0.880%  of the next $10 billion,  0.795%  of any excess thereafter. 


The applicable base fee is increased or decreased for each month by an amount based on the performance of the fund. The amount of the increase or decrease is calculated monthly based on a performance adjustment rate that is equal to 0.04 multiplied by the difference between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the fund’s class A shares) and the annualized performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 7.00% over the thirty-six month period then ended (the “performance period”). The maximum annualized performance adjustment rate is +/– 0.28%. Each month, the performance adjustment rate is multiplied by the fund’s average net assets over the performance period and the result is divided by twelve. The resulting dollar amount is added to, or subtracted from, the base fee for that month. The monthly base fee is determined based on the fund’s average net assets for the month, while the performance adjustment is determined based on the fund’s average net assets over the performance period of up to thirty-six months. This means it is possible that, if the fund underperforms significantly over the performance period, and the fund’s assets have declined significantly over that period, the negative performance adjustment may exceed the base fee. In this event, Putnam Management would make a payment to the fund.

Because the performance adjustment is based on the fund’s performance relative to its applicable benchmark index, and not its absolute performance, the performance adjustment could increase Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares lose value during the performance period provided that the fund outperformed its benchmark index, and could decrease Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares increase in value during the performance period provided that the fund underperformed its benchmark index.

For the reporting period, the base fee represented an effective rate (excluding the impact from any expense waivers in effect) of 0.434% of the fund’s average net assets before a decrease of $1,057,808 (0.076% of the fund’s average net assets) based on performance.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed to waive fees (and, to the extent necessary, bear other expenses) of the fund through February 28, 2017, to the extent that the total expenses of the fund (before any applicable performance-based upward or downward adjustments to the fund’s management fee and excluding payments under the fund’s distribution plans, brokerage, interest, taxes, investor servicing fees, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses) would exceed an annual rate of 0.97% of the fund’s average net assets. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were not reduced as a result of this limit.

Putnam Management has also contractually agreed, through February 28, 2017, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were not reduced as a result of this limit.

Putnam Management may from time to time voluntarily undertake to waive fees and/or reimburse certain fund expense.  Any such waiver or reimbursement would be voluntary and may be modified or discontinued by Putnam Management at any time without notice.  For the reporting period, Putnam Management voluntarily waived $13,767.

Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. PIL did not manage any portion of the assets of the fund during the reporting period. If Putnam Management were to engage the services of PIL, Putnam Management would pay a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

Absolute Return 700 Fund    79 

 



The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL. PAC did not manage any portion of the assets of the fund during the reporting period. If Putnam Management or PIL were to engage the services of PAC, Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, would pay a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

Putnam Management has agreed to reimburse the fund $2,817 for a compliance exception which occurred during the reporting period. The effect of the loss incurred and the reimbursement by Putnam Management of such amounts had no material impact on total return.

The fund reimburses Putnam Management an allocated amount for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund. The aggregate amount of all such reimbursements is determined annually by the Trustees.

Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes.

Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing (except for class R5 and R6 shares) that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. Class R5 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R5 shares at an annual rate of 0.12%. Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares. Class R6 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R6 shares at an annual rate of 0.05%. During the reporting period, the expenses for each class of shares related to investor servicing fees were as follows:

Class A  $263,019  Class R5  3 


Class B  19,646  Class R6  1,967 


Class C  137,171  Class Y  480,048 


Class M  4,456  Total  $907,508 


Class R  1,198     

 

The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. The fund also reduced expenses through brokerage/service arrangements. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $2,158 under the expense offset arrangements and by $22,771 under the brokerage/ service arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $988, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees.

The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Pension expense for the fund is included in Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of operations. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003.

80    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



The fund has adopted distribution plans (the Plans) with respect to its class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plans is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plans provide for payments by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 1.00% and 1.00% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. The Trustees have approved payment by the fund at an annual rate of 0.25%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 0.75% and 0.50% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. During the reporting period, the class specific expenses related to distribution fees were as follows:

Class A  $497,822  Class M  25,313 


Class B  148,713  Class R  4,535 


Class C  1,038,461  Total  $1,714,844 


For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received net commissions of $95,247 and $1,316 from the sale of class A and class M shares, respectively, and received $3,815 and $10,609 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of class B and class C shares, respectively.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of class A shares. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received $365 on class A redemptions.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:

  Cost of purchases  Proceeds from sales 

Investments in securities, including TBA commitments     
(Long-term)  $3,518,225,418  $3,557,394,164 

U.S. government securities (Long-term)  —  — 

Total  $3,518,225,418  $3,557,394,164 

The fund may purchase or sell investments from or to other Putnam funds in the ordinary course of business, which can reduce the fund’s transaction costs, at prices determined in accordance with SEC requirements and policies approved by the Trustees. During the reporting period, purchases or sales from or to other Putnam funds, if any, did not represent more than 5% of the fund’s total cost of purchases and/or total proceeds from sales.

Written option transactions during the reporting period are summarized as follows:

  Written swap       
  option contract  Written swap  Written option  Written option 
  amounts  option premiums  contract amounts  premiums 

Written options outstanding         
at the beginning of the         
reporting period  $359,703,900  $2,771,131  $9,185,614  $375,089 

Options opened  506,161,600  3,657,812  81,290,190  3,905,487 
Options exercised  (23,684,500)  (245,576)  —  — 
Options expired  (297,896,500)  (646,342)  (6,883,079)  (2,733,194) 
Options closed  (338,534,800)  (2,893,943)  (40,892,730)  (1,130,393) 

Written options outstanding at         
the end of the reporting period  $205,749,700  $2,643,082  $42,699,995  $416,989 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    81 

 



Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  5,561,109  $63,447,222  14,651,151  $182,222,249 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  2,643,023  29,258,269  1,467,086  17,883,782 

  8,204,132  92,705,491  16,118,237  200,106,031 

Shares repurchased  (7,915,000)  (88,425,442)  (7,843,842)  (97,635,567) 

Net increase  289,132  $4,280,049  8,274,395  $102,470,464 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class B  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  257,363  $2,830,453  442,256  $5,403,665 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  187,218  2,036,933  120,767  1,447,992 

  444,581  4,867,386  563,023  6,851,657 

Shares repurchased  (204,452)  (2,257,650)  (279,664)  (3,418,487) 

Net increase  240,129  $2,609,736  283,359  $3,433,170 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class C  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  3,118,126  $34,923,177  6,221,011  $75,762,490 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,261,930  13,691,939  643,103  7,704,376 

  4,380,056  48,615,116  6,864,114  83,466,866 

Shares repurchased  (2,525,705)  (27,611,568)  (2,458,918)  (29,986,816) 

Net increase  1,854,351  $21,003,548  4,405,196  $53,480,050 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class M  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  83,454  $931,201  190,105  $2,330,574 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  47,208  515,511  23,860  287,513 

  130,662  1,446,712  213,965  2,618,087 

Shares repurchased  (80,444)  (886,345)  (52,508)  (641,138) 

Net increase  50,218  $560,367  161,457  $1,976,949 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  47,511  $546,794  67,626  $831,699 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  11,740  128,670  8,972  108,378 

  59,251  675,464  76,598  940,077 

Shares repurchased  (4,585)  (49,179)  (96,445)  (1,179,424) 

Net increase (decrease)  54,666  $626,285  (19,847)  $(239,347) 

 

82     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



  Six months ended 4/30/16*  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R5  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  —  $—  —  $— 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  80  892  57  698 

  80  892  57  698 

Shares repurchased  (1,016)  (11,105)  —  — 

Net increase (decrease)  (936)  $(10,213)  57  $698 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class R6  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  68,501  $758,105  221,045  $2,771,512 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  56,708  629,455  34,806  425,333 

  125,209  1,387,560  255,851  3,196,845 

Shares repurchased  (80,873)  (906,685)  (120,331)  (1,507,936) 

Net increase  44,336  $480,875  135,520  $1,688,909 

 
  Six months ended 4/30/16  Year ended 10/31/15 

Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  25,002,049  $283,834,708  41,212,501  $513,819,058 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  4,778,382  52,896,685  2,564,915  31,266,314 

  29,780,431  336,731,393  43,777,416  545,085,372 

Shares repurchased  (26,658,863)  (298,853,017)  (27,560,325)  (343,779,753) 

Net increase  3,121,568  $37,878,376  16,217,091  $201,305,619 

* Effective February 1, 2016, the fund has liquidated its class R5 shares.

At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned the following shares of the fund:

  Shares owned  Percentage of ownership  Value 

Class R6  1,019  0.15%  $11,209 

Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which are under common ownership or control, were as follows:

  Fair value at the        Fair value at 
  beginning of        the end of 
  the reporting      Investment  the reporting 
Name of affiliate  period  Purchase cost  Sale proceeds  income  period 

Putnam Money Market           
Liquidity Fund*  $1  $3,414,550  $3,414,551  $52  $— 

Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund*  115,794,966  558,777,375  478,117,306  341,372  196,455,035 

Totals  $115,794,967  $562,191,925  $481,531,857  $341,424  $196,455,035 

* Management fees charged to Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

Absolute Return 700 Fund    83 

 



Note 6: Senior loan commitments

Senior loans are purchased or sold on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis and may be settled a month or more after the trade date, which from time to time can delay the actual investment of available cash balances; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Senior loans can be acquired through an agent, by assignment from another holder of the loan, or as a participation interest in another holder’s portion of the loan. When the fund invests in a loan or participation, the fund is subject to the risk that an intermediate participant between the fund and the borrower will fail to meet its obligations to the fund, in addition to the risk that the borrower under the loan may default on its obligations.

Note 7: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks, including those related to economic instability, unfavorable political developments, and currency fluctuations. The fund may invest in higher-yielding, lower-rated bonds that may have a higher rate of default.

The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securitized debt instruments, including mortgage-backed and asset-backed investments. The yields and values of these investments are sensitive to changes in interest rates, the rate of principal payments on the underlying assets and the market’s perception of the issuers. The market for these investments may be volatile and limited, which may make them difficult to buy or sell.

Note 8: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Purchased equity option contracts (contract amount)  $1,800,000 

Purchased TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount)  $13,900,000 

Purchased swap option contracts (contract amount)  $253,600,000 

Written equity option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $1,100,000 

Written TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $27,700,000 

Written swap option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $247,300,000 

Futures contracts (number of contracts)  5,000 

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)  $443,200,000 

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts (notional)  $2,348,800,000 

OTC total return swap contracts (notional)  $2,264,000,000 

OTC credit default contracts (notional)  $209,500,000 

Centrally cleared credit default contracts (notional)  $144,500,000 

Warrants (number of warrants)  5,700,000 

 

84    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments in the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period

  Asset derivatives  Liability derivatives 

Derivatives not         
accounted for as  Statement of    Statement of   
hedging instruments  assets and    assets and   
under ASC 815  liabilities location  Fair value  liabilities location  Fair value 

  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Credit contracts  appreciation  $1,334,351  depreciation  $17,700,437* 

Foreign exchange         
contracts  Receivables  4,822,867  Payables  7,687,498 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Equity contracts  appreciation  41,367,130*  depreciation  37,793,083* 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Interest rate contracts  appreciation  11,268,586*  depreciation  13,155,380* 

Total    $58,792,934    $76,336,398 

* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts and/or centrally cleared swaps as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.

The following is a summary of realized gains or losses of derivative instruments on the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1) (there were no unrealized gains or losses on derivative instruments):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives             
not accounted             
for as hedging        Forward     
instruments        currency     
under ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $—  $(5,367,492)  $(5,367,492) 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  —  —  —  (2,466,489)  —  (2,466,489) 

Equity contracts  (1,050,745)  (4,424,608)  (11,370,743)  —  8,372,458  (8,473,638) 

Interest             
rate contracts  —  (762,063)  9,008,579  —  10,836,931  19,083,447 

Total  $(1,050,745)  $(5,186,671)  $(2,362,164)  $(2,466,489)  $13,841,897  $2,775,828 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    85 

 



Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives             
not accounted             
for as hedging        Forward     
instruments        currency     
under ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $—  $(19,355,433)   $(19,355,433) 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  —  —  —  (3,644,286)  —  (3,644,286) 

Equity contracts  (200,971)  3,089,500  13,226,884  —  (30,584,721)  (14,469,308) 

Interest             
rate contracts  —  190,317  (2,641,173)  —  1,452,039  (998,817) 

Total  $(200,971)  $3,279,817  $10,585,711  $(3,644,286)  $(48,488,115)  $(38,467,844) 

 

86    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 


 

 

 

 


 

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Absolute Return 700 Fund    87 

 



Note 9: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.

  Bank of America N.A. Barclays Bank PLC Barclays Capital Inc. (clearing broker) Citibank, N. A. Credit Suisse International Deutsche Bank AG Goldman Sachs International HSBC Bank USA, National Association JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. JPMorgan Securities LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) State Street Bank and Trust Co. UBS AG WestPac Banking Corp. Total

Assets:                                 

Centrally cleared interest rate                                 
swap contracts§  $—  $—  $1,126,181  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $1,126,181 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  2,284,726  58,266  —  2,604,925  172,709  3,595,815  1,077,893  —  24,822  —  —  —  —  1,815,167  —  11,634,323 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  —  —  —  —  774,431  —  525,535  —  —  34,385  —  —  —  —  —  1,334,351 

Centrally cleared credit                                 
default contracts§  —  —  331,213  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  331,213 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  230,859  —  —  —  —  230,859 

Forward currency contracts#  358,161  832,719  —  609,092  383,025  141,157  1,049,403  44,444  546,714  —  —  156,527  390,562  199,319  111,744  4,822,867 

Forward premium swap                                 
option contracts#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  112,358  —  —  —  —  —  —  112,358 

Purchased swap options**#  142,437  156,579  —  15  50,947  —  176,942  —  19,233  —  —  —  —  —  —  546,153 

Purchased options**#  —  —  —  2,764,266  —  —  —  —  2,266,145  —  —  —  —  —  —  5,030,411 

Total Assets  $2,785,324  $1,047,564 $1,457,394  $5,978,298  $1,381,112  $3,736,972  $2,829,773  $44,444  $2,969,272  $34,385  $230,859  $156,527  $390,562  $2,014,486  $111,744  $25,168,716 

Liabilities:                                 

Centrally cleared interest rate                                 
swap contracts§  —  —  777,387  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  777,387 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  5,487,944  57,025  —  18,326,046  30,677  7,251,858  28,078  —  6,556,553  —  —  —  —  —  —  37,738,181 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  49,967  79,701  —  —  8,871,256  —  2,758,215  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  11,759,139 

Centrally cleared credit                                 
default contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  555,610  —  —  —  —  555,610 

Forward currency contracts#  749,321  666,266  —  690,325  665,996  363,339  939,695  50,541  1,245,336  —  —  931,017  753,394  632,268  —  7,687,498 

Forward premium swap                                 
option contracts#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  149,363  —  —  —  —  —  —  149,363 

Written swap options#  170,550  179,325  —  30  82,001  —  201,215  —  1,043,318  —  —  —  —  —  —  1,676,439 

Written options#  115,427  —  —  41,739  —  —  —  —  76,080  —  —  —  —  —  —  233,246 

Total Liabilities  $6,573,209  $982,317  $777,387  $19,058,140  $9,649,930  $7,615,197  $3,927,203  $50,541  $9,070,650  $—  $555,610  $931,017  $753,394  $632,268  $—  $60,576,863 

Total Financial and Derivative                                 
Net Assets  $(3,787,885)  $65,247  $680,007  $(13,079,842)  $(8,268,818)  $(3,878,225)  $(1,097,430)  $(6,097)  $(6,101,378)  $34,385  $(324,751)  $(774,490)  $(362,832)  $1,382,218  $111,744  $(35,408,147) 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##  $(880,864)  $65,247  $—  $(13,079,842)  $(7,849,119)  $(3,389,667)  $2,998,191  $—  $(6,101,378)  $34,385  $—  $(498,931)  $(362,832)  $1,121,435  $—   

Net amount  $(2,907,021)  $—  $680,007  $—  $(419,699)  $(488,558)  $(4,095,621)  $(6,097)  $—  $—  $(324,751)  $(275,559)  $—  $260,783  $111,744   

* Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

** Included with Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

† Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

# Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§ Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.

88 Absolute Return 700 Fund  Absolute Return 700 Fund   89 

 



Statement of Additional Information Supplement  August 1, 2016 

 

SUPPLEMENT TO THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF ALL PUTNAM RETAIL OPEN-END FUNDS

The section “Investor Servicing Agent” is replaced with the following:

Investor Servicing Agent

Putnam Investor Services, located at One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109, is the fund’s investor servicing agent (transfer, plan and dividend disbursing agent), for which it receives fees that are paid monthly by the fund.

Effective September 1, 2016, the fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to assets attributable to non-defined contribution plan accounts (which include accounts maintained directly with the fund, accounts underlying omnibus accounts maintained by financial intermediaries with the fund, accounts of Section 529 college savings plans that are allocated to the fund and accounts of certain funds that operate as funds-of-funds (other than the Putnam RetirementReady Funds) that are allocated to the fund (collectively “retail accounts”)) holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class T and class Y shares, subject to certain limitations, is an annual fee that includes (1) a per account fee for each retail account of the fund that is applicable to the funds in its specified product category, and (2) a fee based on a specified rate of each fund’s average daily net assets that is based on the rate applicable to the funds in its specified product category. The fund categories used for purposes of calculating the per account fee described above are based on product type. The accounts of 529 plans and certain funds-of-funds (other than the Putnam RetirementReady Funds) are included in the determination of the number of accounts at the underlying fund level in proportion to the percentage of the investing fund’s net assets that are invested in the particular underlying fund.

For the Putnam RetirementReady Funds, the fees paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to assets attributable to retail accounts holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R and class Y shares, are based on a specified rate of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to such retail accounts.

The fees paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to defined contribution plan accounts holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class T and class Y shares are based on a specified rate of the average of the net assets attributable to such defined contribution plan accounts invested in a fund as of the end of the month and the end of the prior month.

Putnam Investor Services has agreed, through August 31, 2018, that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution plan accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.250% of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to such accounts.

The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class R5 shares is based on an annual rate of 0.15% of each fund’s average daily net assets attributable to class R5 shares, except that an annual rate of 0.12% of each fund’s average daily net assets attributable to class R5 shares applies to Putnam American Government Income Fund, Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Conservative Fund, Putnam Global Income Trust and Putnam Income Fund.

The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class R6 shares is based on an annual rate of 0.05% of each fund’s average daily net assets attributable to class R6 shares.



The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class I, class G and class P shares is based on an annual rate of 0.01% of each fund’s average daily net assets attributable to class I shares, class G and class P shares, respectively.

For the period from September 1, 2015 through August 31, 2016, the fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to assets attributable to non-defined contribution plan accounts (which include accounts maintained directly with the fund, accounts underlying omnibus accounts maintained by financial intermediaries with the fund, accounts of Section 529 college savings plans that were allocated to the fund and accounts of certain funds that operate as funds-of-funds (including Putnam RetirementReady Funds) that were allocated to the fund (collectively “previously defined retail accounts”)) holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class T and class Y shares, subject to certain limitations, was an annual fee that included (1) a per account fee for each previously defined retail account of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated among each of the funds in the category based on the average daily net assets of each fund, and (2) a fee based on a specified rate of each fund’s average daily net assets. The fund categories used for purposes of calculating the per account fee described above were based on product type. The accounts of 529 plans and certain funds-of-funds (including Putnam RetirementReady Funds) were included in the determination of the number of accounts at the underlying fund level in proportion to the percentage of the investing fund’s assets that were invested in the particular underlying fund.

Financial intermediaries (including brokers, dealers, banks, bank trust departments, registered investment advisers, financial planners, and retirement plan administrators) may own shares of the fund for the benefit of their customers in an omnibus account (including retirement plans). In these circumstances, the financial intermediaries or other third parties may provide certain sub-accounting and similar recordkeeping services for their customers’ accounts.

In recognition of these services, Putnam Investor Services may make payments to these financial intermediaries or other third parties. Payments may be based on the number of underlying accounts in an omnibus account or the assets or share class held in an account. Putnam Investor Services also makes payments to financial intermediaries that charge networking fees for certain services provided in connection with the maintenance of shareholder accounts. These payments are described above under the heading “Distribution Plans – Additional Dealer Payments.”



 
FUND  CLASS A  CLASS B  CLASS C  CLASS M  CLASS R  CLASS R6  CLASS Y 
SYMBOLS               
 
Putnam Absolute  PARTX  PARPX  PARQX  PARZX  PRARX  PRREX  PARYX 
Return 100 Fund             
 
Putnam Absolute  PTRNX  PTRBX  PTRGX  PZARX  PTRKX  PTREX  PYTRX 
Return 300 Fund             
 
Putnam Absolute  PJMDX  PJMBX  PJMCX  PJMMX  PJMRX  PJMEX  PJMYX 
Return 500 Fund             
 
Putnam Absolute  PDMAX  PDMBX  PDMCX  PDMMX  PDMRX  PDMEX  PDMYX 
Return 700 Fund             

 

PUTNAM ABSOLUTE RETURN 100 FUND 
 
PUTNAM ABSOLUTE RETURN 300 FUND 
 
PUTNAM ABSOLUTE RETURN 500 FUND 
 
PUTNAM ABSOLUTE RETURN 700 FUND 
 
Each a Series of Putnam Funds Trust 
 
FORM N-1A 
 
PART B 
 
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI) 
2/28/16 

 

This SAI is not a prospectus. If a fund has more than one form of current prospectus, each reference to the prospectus in this SAI includes all of the fund’s prospectuses, unless otherwise noted. The SAI should be read together with the applicable prospectus. For a free copy of the funds' annual reports or a prospectus dated 2/28/16, as revised from time to time, call Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581, visit Putnam's website at putnam.com or write Putnam Investor Services, P.O. Box 8383, Boston, MA 02266-8383.

Part I of this SAI contains specific information about the funds. Part II includes information about these funds and the other Putnam funds.

I-1 

 

SAI_628 - 2016/02 
SAI_629 - 2016/02 
SAI_630 - 2016/02 
SAI_631 - 2016/02 

 



Table of Contents
 
PART I   
 
FUND ORGANIZATION AND CLASSIFICATION  I-3 
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS  I-4 
CHARGES AND EXPENSES  I-6 
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS  I-37 
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  I-42 
 
 
PART II   
 
HOW TO BUY SHARES  II-1 
DISTRIBUTION PLANS  II-10 
MISCELLANEOUS INVESTMENTS, INVESTMENT PRACTICES AND RISKS  II-17 
TAXES  II-55 
MANAGEMENT  II-70 
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE  II-89 
INVESTOR SERVICES  II-91 
SIGNATURE GUARANTEES  II-95 
REDEMPTIONS  II-96 
POLICY ON EXCESSIVE SHORT-TERM TRADING  II-96 
SHAREHOLDER LIABILITY  II-96 
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO INFORMATION  II-96 
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES  II-98 
SECURITIES RATINGS  II-99 
APPENDIX A - PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES OF THE PUTNAM FUNDS  II-105 
APPENDIX B - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  II-129 

 

I-2 

 



SAI
 
PART I 

 

FUND ORGANIZATION AND CLASSIFICATION

Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund and Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund are each a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust, a Massachusetts business trust organized on January 22, 1996 (“the Trust”). A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, which is governed by Massachusetts law, is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Trust is an open-end management investment company with an unlimited number of authorized shares of beneficial interest. The Trustees may, without shareholder approval, create two or more series of shares representing separate investment portfolios. Any such series of shares may be divided without shareholder approval into two or more classes of shares having such preferences and special or relative rights and privileges as the Trustees determine. Each fund offers classes of shares with different sales charges and expenses.

Each share has one vote, with fractional shares voting proportionally.

Shares of all series and classes will vote together as a single class on all matters except (i) when required by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or when the Trustees have determined that a matter affects one or more series or classes materially differently, shares are voted by individual series or class; and (ii) when the Trustees determine that such a matter affects only the interests of a particular series or class, then only shareholders of such series or class shall be entitled to vote thereon. Shares are freely transferable, are entitled to dividends as declared by the Trustees, and, if a fund were liquidated, would receive the net assets of that fund. Each fund may suspend the sale of shares at any time and may refuse any order to purchase shares. Although each fund is not required to hold annual meetings of its shareholders, shareholders holding at least 10% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote have the right to call a meeting to elect or remove Trustees, or to take other actions as provided in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust.

I-3 

 



INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

As fundamental investment restrictions, which may not be changed without a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a fund created under the Trust, each fund may not and will not:

(1) With respect to 75% of its total assets, invest in securities of any issuer if, immediately after such investment, more than 5% of the total assets of the fund (taken at current value) would be invested in the securities of such issuer; provided that this limitation does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed as to interest or principal by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities or to securities issued by other investment companies.

(2) With respect to 75% of its total assets, acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any issuer.

(3) Borrow money in excess of 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets (not including the amount borrowed) at the time the borrowing is made.

(4) Make loans, except by purchase of debt obligations in which the fund may invest consistent with its investment policies (including without limitation debt obligations issued by other Putnam funds), by entering into repurchase agreements, or by lending its portfolio securities.

(5) Purchase or sell real estate, although it may purchase securities of issuers which deal in real estate, securities which are secured by interests in real estate, and securities which represent interests in real estate, and it may acquire and dispose of real estate or interests in real estate acquired through the exercise of its rights as a holder of debt obligations secured by real estate or interests therein.

(6) Purchase or sell commodities, except as permitted by applicable law.

(7) Underwrite securities issued by other persons except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of its portfolio investments, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.

I-4 

 



(8) Purchase securities (other than securities of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result of such purchase, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be invested in any one industry.

(9) Issue any class of securities which is senior to the fund’s shares of beneficial interest, except for permitted borrowings.

The Investment Company Act of 1940 provides that a "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" of a fund means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding fund shares, or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding fund shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy.

For purposes of each fund’s fundamental policy on industry concentration (#8 above), Putnam Investment Management, LLC (Putnam Management), the funds' investment manager, determines the appropriate industry categories and assigns issuers to them, informed by a variety of considerations, including relevant third party categorization systems. Industry categories and issuer assignments may change over time as industry sectors and issuers evolve. Portfolio allocations shown in shareholder reports and other communications may use broader investment sectors or narrower sub-industry categories.

The following non-fundamental investment policies may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder approval:

(1) The funds will not invest in (a) securities which are not readily marketable, (b) securities restricted as to resale (excluding securities determined by the Trustees of a fund (or the person designated by the Trustees of a fund to make such determinations) to be readily marketable), and (c) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, if, as a result, more than 15% of the fund's net assets (taken at current value) would be invested in securities described in (a), (b) and (c).

(2) The funds will not acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Sections 12(d)(1)(F) or (G) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

I-5 

 



All percentage limitations on investments (other than pursuant to non-fundamental restriction (1)) will apply at the time of the making of an investment and shall not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of such investment. If, as a result of a change in values or net assets or other circumstances, greater than 15% of each fund’s net assets are invested in securities described in (a), (b) and (c) in non-fundamental policy (1) above, the fund will take such steps as are deemed advisable to protect the fund’s liquidity.

The Trust has filed an election under Rule 18f-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 committing each fund that is a series of the Trust to pay all redemptions of fund shares by a single shareholder during any 90-day period in cash, up to the lesser of (i) $250,000 or (ii) 1% of such fund's net assets measured as of the beginning of such 90-day period.

CHARGES AND EXPENSES

Shareholders of your fund approved a new management contract with Putnam Management effective February 27, 2014 (the "Management Contract"). The substantive terms of the Management Contract, including terms relating to fees, are identical to the terms of your fund’s prior management contract dated March 1, 2013, in the case of Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds or February 1, 2010, in the case of Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds. Shareholders were asked to approve the Management Contract following the death on October 8, 2013 of The Honourable Paul G. Desmarais, who had controlled directly and indirectly a majority of the voting shares of Power Corporation of Canada, the ultimate parent company of Putnam Management.

Between October 8, 2013 and the date of the Management Contract, Putnam Management managed each fund's investment portfolio and other affairs and business under an interim management contract, which was substantively identical to the fund's prior management contract dated March 1, 2013, in the case of Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds or February 1, 2010, in the case of Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds. Putnam Management has entered into sub-management and sub-advisory contracts for your fund effective as of the time the Management Contract became effective. Please see “Management—The Sub-Manager” in Part II of this SAI for information about the sub-management contract and "Management—The Sub-Adviser" in Part II of this SAI for information about the sub-advisory contract.

I-6 

 



Management fees

Under the Management Contract, each of Absolute Return 100 Fund and Absolute Return 300 Fund pays a monthly base fee to Putnam Management. The base fee is equal to 0.40% and 0.60%, respectively, of the monthly average of the fund's net asset value ("Average Net Assets"), determined at the close of each business day during the month. In return for this fee, Putnam Management provides Absolute Return 100 Fund and Absolute Return 300 Fund investment management and investor servicing and bears each fund's organizational and operating expenses, excluding performance fee adjustments, distribution and service (12b-1) fees, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses.

Under the Management Contract, each of Absolute Return 500 Fund and Absolute Return 700 Fund pays a monthly base fee to Putnam Management. The base fee is calculated by applying a rate to each fund's average net assets for the month. The rate is based on the monthly average of the aggregate net assets of all open-end funds sponsored by Putnam Management (excluding fund assets that are invested in other Putnam funds (“Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets”), as determined at the close of each business day during the month, as set forth below.

In addition, for all of the Absolute Return Funds, the monthly management fee consists of the monthly base fee plus or minus a performance adjustment for the month. The performance adjustment is determined based on performance over the thirty-six month period then ended. Each month, the performance adjustment is calculated by multiplying the performance adjustment rate and the fund’s average net assets over the performance period and dividing the result by twelve. The resulting dollar amount is added to, or subtracted from, the base fee for that month. The performance adjustment rate is equal to 0.04 multiplied by the difference during the performance period between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the performance of the fund’s class A shares) and the sum of the hurdle described below and the annualized performance of the benchmark indices described below. The maximum annualized performance adjustment rates are also set forth below.

The monthly base fee is determined based on each fund’s average net assets for the month, while the performance adjustment is determined based on the fund’s average net assets over the thirty-six month performance period. This means it is possible that, if the fund underperforms significantly over the performance period, and the fund’s assets have declined significantly over that period, the negative performance adjustment may exceed the base fee. In this event, Putnam Management would make a payment to the fund.

I-7 

 



The application of an expense limitation, if any, will have a positive effect on a fund’s performance and may result in an increase in the performance adjustment. It is possible that the cumulative dollar amount of additional compensation ultimately payable to Putnam Management may, under some circumstances, exceed the cumulative dollar amount of management fees waived by Putnam Management.

Base Fee

Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund

0.400% of Average Net Assets

Benchmark  Hurdle  Maximum 
    performance 
    adjustment rate 

BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill  1.00%  0.04% 
Index (G0BA)     
  (100 basis points)   

 

Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund

0.600% of Average Net Assets

Benchmark  Hurdle  Maximum 
    performance 
    adjustment rate 

BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill  3.00%  0.12% 
Index (G0BA)     
  (300 basis points)   

 

Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund

0.880% of the first $5 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.830% of the next $5 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.780% of the next $10 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.730% of the next $10 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.680% of the next $50 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;

I-8 

 



0.660% of the next $50 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.650% of the next $100 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
and 0.645% of any excess thereafter.

Benchmark  Hurdle  Maximum 
    performance 
    adjustment rate 

BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill  5.00%  0.20% 
Index (G0BA)     
  (500 basis points)   

 

Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund

1.030% of the first $5 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.980% of the next $5 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.930% of the next $10 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.880% of the next $10 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.830% of the next $50 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.810% of the next $50 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.800% of the next $100 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
and 0.795% of any excess thereafter.

Benchmark  Hurdle  Maximum 
    performance 
    adjustment rate 

BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill  7.00%  0.28% 
Index (G0BA)     
  (700 basis points)   

 

For Absolute Return 100 Fund and Absolute Return 300 Fund, under a prior management contract of the funds dated February 1, 2010, each fund paid a monthly base fee to Putnam Management calculated by applying a rate to each fund's average net assets for the month. The rate was based on the Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets, as determined at the close of each business day during the month, as set forth below. In addition, each fund was subject to (and remains subject to) the performance adjustments described above, which were not amended by the Management Contract or any intervening prior management contract.

 

I-9 

 



Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund

0.630% of the first $5 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.580% of the next $5 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.530% of the next $10 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.480% of the next $10 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.430% of the next $50 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.410% of the next $50 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.400% of the next $100 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.395% of any excess thereafter.

Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund

0.730% of the first $5 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.680% of the next $5 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.630% of the next $10 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.580% of the next $10 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.530% of the next $50 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.510% of the next $50 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.500% of the next $100 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;
0.495% of any excess thereafter.

For the past three fiscal years, pursuant to the applicable management contract, each fund incurred the following fees:

I-10 

 



        Amount 
        management 
      Amount of  fee would have 
  Fiscal  Management  management  been without 
Fund name    year  fee paid  fee waived  waivers 
Absolute Return 100         
Fund  2015  $1,035,691  $0  $1,035,691 
  2014  $1,029,882  $0  $1,029,882 
  2013  $827,602  $266,884  $1,094,486 
Absolute Return 300         
Fund  2015  $5,959,895  $0  $5,959,895 
  2014  $5,798,330  $0  $5,798,330 
  2013  $4,114,320  $535,221  $4,649,541 
Absolute Return 500         
Fund  2015  $6,353,466  $191,104  $6,544,570 
  2014  $5,522,657  $169,308  $5,691,965 
  2013  $5,582,221  $172,340  $5,754,561 
Absolute Return 700         
Fund  2015  $10,162,548  $0  $10,162,548 
  2014  $8,288,699  $0  $8,288,699 
  2013  $7,148,552  $0  $7,148,552 

 

The amount of management fee waived for the most recent fiscal year resulted from arrangements set forth in "General expense limitation" under "Management - The Management Contract" in Part II of this SAI and in "Fund-specific expense limitation" below.

 

I-11 

 



Fund-specific expense limitation.

Effective November 1, 2015, Putnam Management has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of Absolute Return 500 Fund and Absolute Return 700 Fund through at least February 28, 2017 to the extent that the total annual operating expenses of each fund (before any applicable performance-based upward or downward adjustment to the fund’s base management fee and excluding payments under the fund’s distribution plans, brokerage, interest, taxes, investor servicing fees, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses) would exceed an annual rate of 0.77% and 0.97%, respectively, of each fund’s average net assets. This obligation may be modified or discontinued only with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Please see “Management – The Management Contract – General expense limitation” in Part II of this SAI for a description of another expense limitation that may apply to a fund.

For periods prior to November 1, 2015, Putnam Management contractually agreed to waive fees and/or reimburse expenses of Absolute Return 500 Fund and Absolute Return 700 Fund to the extent that the total annual operating expenses of each fund (before any applicable performance –based upward or downward adjustment to the fund’s base management fee and excluding payments under the fund’s distribution plans, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses) would exceed an annual rate of 0.90% and 1.10%, respectively, of each fund’s average net assets.

Brokerage commissions

The following table shows brokerage commissions paid during the fiscal years indicated:

I-12 

 



  Fiscal  Brokerage 
Fund name    year  commissions 
Absolute Return 100 Fund  2015  $2,081 
  2014  985 
  2013  1,766 
Absolute Return 300 Fund  2015  $32,193 
  2014  15,622 
  2013  29,468 
Absolute Return 500 Fund  2015  $660,510 
  2014  235,876 
  2013  158,514 
Absolute Return 700 Fund  2015  $1,174,785 
  2014  367,172 
  2013  222,897 

 

The brokerage commissions for Absolute Return 500 Fund’s and Absolute Return 700 Fund’s 2015 fiscal year were higher than the brokerage commissions for the funds’ 2014 and 2013 fiscal years due to an increase in each fund’s portfolio turnover rates in 2015.

The portfolio turnover rate for Absolute Return 300 Fund’s 2015 fiscal year was higher than the portfolio turnover rates for the fund’s 2014 and 2013 fiscal years due in part to strategic repositioning by the portfolio management team.

I-13 

 



The portfolio turnover rates for Absolute Return 500 Fund’s and Absolute Return 700 Fund’s 2015 fiscal years were higher than the portfolio turnover rates for the funds’ 2014 and 2013 fiscal years due in part to an increase in each fund’s net assets.

The following table shows transactions placed with brokers and dealers during the most recent fiscal year to recognize research services received by Putnam Management and its affiliates:

  Dollar value of  Percentage   
  these  of total  Amount of 
Fund name  transactions  transactions  commissions 
Absolute Return       
500 Fund  $1,092,752,627  14.93%  $525,349 

 

  Dollar value of  Percentage   
  these  of total  Amount of 
Fund name  transactions  transactions  commissions 
 
Absolute Return       
700 Fund  $1,952,083,015  15.28%  $935,765 

 

At the end of fiscal 2015, each fund held the following securities of its regular broker-dealers (or affiliates of such broker-dealers):

 

I-14 

 



Fund Name  Broker-dealer or affiliate  Value of securities held 
     
Absolute Return 100  JPMorgan Chase & Co.  $431,623 
Fund  Citigroup, Inc.  $971,122 
  Morgan Stanley  $1,257,996 
  Bank of America Corp.  $1,164,348 
  Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.  $232,568 
  (The)   
  Deutsche Bank AG  $315,476 
  Wells Fargo & Co.  $429,118 
 
Absolute Return 300  Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.  $1,230,884 
Fund  (The)   
  Morgan Stanley  $2,487,781 
  Bank of America Corp.  $3,371,913 
  Wells Fargo & Co.  $1,688,066 
  JPMorgan Chase & Co.  $1,693,211 
  BNP Paribas SA  $2,602,061 
  Citigroup, Inc.  $4,609,706 
  Deutsche Bank AG  $2,587,094 
 
Absolute Return 500  Wells Fargo & Co.  $6,263,998 
Fund     
 
Absolute Return 700  Wells Fargo & Co.  $10,870,229 
Fund     

 

Administrative expense reimbursement

The funds reimbursed Putnam Management for administrative services during fiscal 2015, including compensation of certain Trust officers and contributions to the Putnam Retirement Plan for their benefit, as follows:

Fund name  Total  Portion of total reimbursement for 
  reimbursement  compensation and contributions 
 
Absolute Return  $0  $0 
100 Fund     
Absolute Return  $0  $0 
300 Fund     

 

I-15 

 



Absolute Return  $24,916  $17,026 
500 Fund     
Absolute Return  $32,582  $22,264 
700 Fund     

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund and Absolute Return 300 Fund compensate Putnam Management for administrative services through their management fee, as described above.

Trustee responsibilities and fees

The Trustees are responsible for generally overseeing the conduct of fund business. Subject to such policies as the Trustees may determine, Putnam Management furnishes a continuing investment program for each fund and makes investment decisions on their behalf. Subject to the control of the Trustees, Putnam Management also manages each fund's other affairs and business.

The table below shows the value of each Trustee's holdings in each fund and in all of the Putnam Funds as of December 31, 2015.

  Dollar range  Dollar range  Dollar range  Dollar range  Aggregate 
  of Putnam  of Putnam  of Putnam  of Putnam  dollar range 
Name of  Absolute  Absolute  Absolute  Absolute  of shares held 
Trustee  Return 100  Return 300  Return 500  Return 700  in all of the 
  Fund shares  Fund shares  Fund shares  Fund shares  Putnam funds 
  owned  owned  owned  owned  overseen by 
          Trustee 

Liaquat           
Ahamed  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  over $100,000 

Ravi Akhoury  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  over $100,000 

Barbara M.  $1-$10,000  $50,001-  $10,001-  $1-$10,000  over $100,000 
Baumann    $100,000  $50,000     

Jameson A.  $10,001-  $10,001- 
Baxter  $50,000  over $100,000  over $100,000  $50,000  over $100,000 


Robert J.           
Darretta  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  over $100,000 

 

I-16 

 



Katinka  $50,001- 
Domotorffy  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  $100,000  over $100,000 

John A. Hill  over $100,000  over $100,000  over $100,000  over $100,000  over $100,000 

Paul L.  $50,001- 
Joskow  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  over $100,000  $100,000  over $100,000 

Kenneth R.           
Leibler  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  $1-$10,000  over $100,000 

Robert E.  $10,001-  $10,001-  $10,001-  $10,001-  over $100,000 
Patterson  $50,000  $50,000  $50,000  $50,000   

George  $10,001-  $10,001-  $10,001-  $10,001-  over $100,000 
Putnam, III  $50,000  $50,000  $50,000  $50,000   

W. Thomas           
Stephens  over $100,000  over $100,000  over $100,000  $1-$10,000  over $100,000 

* Robert L.           
Reynolds  $1-$10,000  over $100,000  over $100,000  over $100,000  over $100,000 

 

* Trustee who is an "interested person" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the funds and Putnam Management. Mr. Reynolds is deemed an "interested person" by virtue of his positions as an officer of the funds and Putnam Management. Mr. Reynolds is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments, LLC and President of your fund and each of the other Putnam funds. None of the other Trustees is an "interested person".

Each Independent Trustee of the funds receives an annual retainer fee and an additional fee for each Trustee meeting attended. Independent Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees. All of the current Independent Trustees of the funds are Trustees of all the Putnam funds and receive fees for their services.

The Trustees periodically review their fees to ensure that such fees continue to be appropriate in light of their responsibilities as well as in relation to fees paid to trustees of other mutual fund complexes. The Board Policy and Nominating Committee, which consists solely of Independent Trustees of the funds, estimates that committee and Trustee meeting time, together with the appropriate preparation, requires the equivalent of at least four business days per regular Trustee meeting. The standing committees of the Board of Trustees, and the number of times each committee met during your fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, are shown in the table below:

I-17 

 



Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee*  12 
Board Policy and Nominating Committee  3 
Brokerage Committee  2 
Contract Committee  9 
Executive Committee  1 
Investment Oversight Committees   
Investment Oversight Committee A  6 
Investment Oversight Committee B  6 
Pricing Committee  6 

 

*Effective August 10, 2015, the Audit and Compliance Committee assumed the duties of the Distributions Committee and was redesignated as the Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee. The number of meetings of the Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee reported in the table above excludes the meetings of the Distributions Committee that were held during the funds’ fiscal year. The Distributions Committee met 5 times during the funds’ most recently completed fiscal year.

The following tables show the year each Trustee was first elected a Trustee of the Putnam funds, the fees paid to each Trustee by each fund for fiscal 2015, and the fees paid to each Trustee by all of the Putnam funds for services rendered during calendar year 2015:

I-18 

 



COMPENSATION TABLES
 
Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund       
         
         
    Pension or  Estimated   
Trustees/Year  Aggregate  retirement  annual  Total 
  compensation  benefits  benefits from  compensation 
  from the fund  accrued as  all Putnam  from all 
    part of fund  funds upon  Putnam 
    expenses  retirement(1)  funds(2) 

Liaquat Ahamed/2012(3)  $827  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

Ravi Akhoury/2009  $758  N/A  N/A  $275,000 

Barbara M.         
Baumann/2010(3)  $827  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

Jameson A.         
Baxter/1994(3)(4)  $1,289  $23  $110,533  $458,594 

Charles B. Curtis/2001(5)  $514  $0  $113,917  $162,500 

Robert J.         
Darretta/2007(3)  $816  N/A  N/A  $312,500 

Katinka         
Domotorffy/2012(3)  $827  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

John A. Hill/1985(3)  $810  $64  $161,667  $281,250 

Paul L. Joskow/1997(3)  $827  $16  $113,417  $300,000 

Kenneth R. Leibler/2006  $878  N/A  N/A  $318,750 

Robert E. Patterson/1984  $878  $47  $106,542  $306,250 

George Putnam, III/1984  $851  $60  $130,333  $312,500 

W. Thomas         
Stephens/1997(6)  $827  $8  $107,125  $300,000 

Robert L.         
Reynolds/2008(7)  N/A  N/A  N/A  N/A 

 

I-19 

 



Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund       
         
         
    Pension or  Estimated  Total 
Trustees/Year  Aggregate  retirement  annual  compensation 
  compensation  benefits  benefits from  from all 
  from the fund  accrued as  all Putnam  Putnam 
    part of fund  funds upon  funds(2) 
    expenses  retirement(1)   

Liaquat Ahamed/2012(3)  $3,348  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

Ravi Akhoury/2009  $3,073  N/A  N/A  $275,000 

Barbara M.         
Baumann/2010(3)  $3,348  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

Jameson A.         
Baxter/1994(3)(4)  $5,225  $131  $110,533  $458,594 

Charles B. Curtis/2001(5)  $2,108  $20  $113,917  $162,500 

Robert J.         
Darretta/2007(3)  $3,300  N/A  N/A  $312,500 

Katinka Domotorffy         
/2012(3)  $3,348  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

John A. Hill/1985(3)  $3,281  $321  $161,667  $281,250 

Paul L. Joskow/1997(3)  $3,348  $88  $113,417  $300,000 

Kenneth R. Leibler/2006  $3,558  N/A  N/A  $318,750 

Robert E. Patterson/1984  $3,558  $226  $106,542  $306,250 

George Putnam, III/1984  $3,442  $280  $130,333  $312,500 

W. Thomas         
Stephens/1997(6)  $3,348  $59  $107,125  $300,000 

Robert L.         
Reynolds/2008(7)  N/A  N/A  N/A 

 

I-20 

 



Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund       
 
         
    Pension or  Estimated  Total 
Trustees/Year  Aggregate  retirement  annual  compensation 
  compensation  benefits  benefits from  from all 
  from the fund  accrued as  all Putnam  Putnam 
    part of fund  funds upon  funds(2) 
    expenses  retirement(1)   

Liaquat Ahamed/2012(3)  $3,175  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

Ravi Akhoury/2009  $2,882  N/A  N/A  $275,000 

Barbara M.         
Baumann/2010(3)  $3,175  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

Jameson A.         
Baxter/1994(3)(4)  $4,932  $325  $110,533  $458,594 

Charles B. Curtis/2001(5)  $1,842  $139  $113,917  $162,500 

Robert J.         
Darretta/2007(3)  $3,170  N/A  N/A  $312,500 

Katinka         
Domotorffy/2012(3)  $3,175  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

John A. Hill/1985(3)  $3,109  $654  $161,667  $281,250 

Paul L. Joskow/1997(3)  $3,175  $222  $113,417  $300,000 

Kenneth R. Leibler/2006  $3,362  N/A  N/A  $318,750 

Robert E. Patterson/1984  $3,362  $423  $106,542  $306,250 

George Putnam, III/1984  $3,283  $478  $130,333  $312,500 

W. Thomas         
Stephens/1997(6)  $3,175  $198  $107,125  $300,000 

Robert L.         
Reynolds/2008(7)  N/A  N/A  N/A  N/A 

 

I-21 

 



Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund       
         
         
    Pension or  Estimated  Total 
Trustees/Year  Aggregate  retirement  annual  compensation 
  compensation  benefits  benefits from  from all 
  from the fund  accrued as  all Putnam  Putnam 
    part of fund  funds upon  funds(2) 
    expenses  retirement(1)   

Liaquat Ahamed/2012(3)  $4,127  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

Ravi Akhoury/2009  $3,750  N/A  N/A  $275,000 

Barbara M.         
Baumann/2010(3)  $4,127  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

Jameson A.         
Baxter/1994(3)(4)  $6,426  $477  $110,533  $458,594 

Charles B. Curtis/2001(5)  $2,414  $214  $113,917  $162,500 

Robert J.         
Darretta/2007(3)  $4,116  N/A  N/A  $312,500 

Katinka Domotorffy         
/2012(3)  $4,127  N/A  N/A  $300,000 

John A. Hill/1985(3)  $4,040  $945  $161,667  $281,250 

Paul L. Joskow/1997(3)  $4,127  $326  $113,417  $300,000 

Kenneth R. Leibler/2006  $4,373  N/A  N/A  $318,750 

Robert E. Patterson/1984  $4,373  $607  $106,542  $306,250 

George Putnam, III/1984  $4,263  $679  $130,333  $312,500 

W. Thomas         
Stephens/1997(6)  $4,127  $296  $107,125  $300,000 

Robert L.         
Reynolds/2008(7)  N/A  N/A  N/A  N/A 

 

(1) Estimated benefits for each Trustee are based on Trustee fee rates for calendar years 2003, 2004 and 2005.

(2) As of December 31, 2015, there were 117 funds in the Putnam family.

(3) Certain Trustees are also owed compensation deferred pursuant to a Trustee Compensation Deferral Plan. As of October 31, 2015, the total amounts of deferred compensation payable by each fund, including income earned on such amounts, to these Trustees were:

I-22 

 



  Mr.  Ms.  Ms.  Mr.  Ms.  Mr. Hill  Dr. 
  Ahamed  Baumann  Baxter  Darretta  Domotorffy    Joskow 

Absolute Return  $610  $705  $3,572  $2,321  $323  $7,586  $2,612 
100 Fund               

Absolute Return  $2,218  $2,564  $12,989  $8,440  $1,174  $27,581  $9,498 
300 Fund               

Absolute Return  $1,675  $1,937  $9,811  $6,375  $887  $20,833  $7,174 
500 Fund               

Absolute Return  $1,760  $2,035  $10,309  $6,699  $932  $21,890  $7,539 
700 Fund               

 

(4) Includes additional compensation to Ms. Baxter for service as Chair of the Trustees of the Putnam funds.

(5) Mr. Curtis retired from the Board of Trustees of the Putnam funds on June 30, 2015.

(6) Mr. Stephens retired from the Board of Trustees of the Putnam funds on March 31, 2008. Upon his retirement in 2008, Mr. Stephens became entitled to receive annual retirement benefit payments from the funds commencing on January 15, 2009. Mr. Stephens was re-appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Putnam funds effective May 14, 2009, and in connection with his reappointment, Mr. Stephens has agreed to suspend the balance of his retirement benefit payments for the duration of his service as a Trustee.

(7) Mr. Reynolds is an “interested person” of the fund and Putnam Management.

Under a Retirement Plan for Trustees of the Putnam funds (the Plan), each Trustee who retires with at least five years of service as a Trustee of the funds is entitled to receive an annual retirement benefit equal to one-half of the average annual attendance and retainer fees paid to such Trustee for calendar years 2003, 2004 and 2005. This retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee's lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. A death benefit, also available under the Plan, ensures that the Trustee and his or her beneficiaries will receive benefit payments for the lesser of an aggregate period of (i) ten years, or (ii) such Trustee's total years of service.

I-23 

 



The Plan Administrator (currently the Board Policy and Nominating Committee) may terminate or amend the Plan at any time, but no termination or amendment will result in a reduction in the amount of benefits (i) currently being paid to a Trustee at the time of such termination or amendment, or (ii) to which a current Trustee would have been entitled had he or she retired immediately prior to such termination or amendment. The Trustees have terminated the Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected to the Board after 2003.

For additional information concerning the Trustees, see "Management" in Part II of this SAI.

Share ownership

Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund

At January 31, 2016, the officers and Trustees of the fund as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each class of the fund, and, except as noted below, no person owned of record or to the knowledge of the fund beneficially 5% or more of any class of shares of the fund.

Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class A  UBS WM USA   
  1000 Harbor Blvd   
  Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761  14.49% 

Class A  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  13.20% 

Class A  MLPF&S   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  10.72% 

Class A  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  9.12% 

Class A  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  7.97% 

 

I-24 

 



Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class A  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney   
  Harborside Financial Center   
  Plaza 2, 3rd Floor   
  Jersey City, NJ 07311  6.65% 

Class B  MLPF&S   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  19.55% 

Class B  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  15.24% 

Class B  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  15.24% 

Class B  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  9.47% 

Class C  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  22.26% 

Class C  MLPF&S   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  16.42% 

Class C  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  12.85% 

Class C  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  11.56% 

Class C  UBS WM USA   
  1000 Harbor Blvd   
  Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761  5.28% 

Class M  Marie C. Franklin   
  683 RT 579   
  Pittstown, NJ 08867  38.38% 

Class M  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney   
  Harborside Financial Center   
  Plaza 2, 3rd Floor   
  Jersey City, NJ 07311  14.71% 

Class M  Cetera Investment Services   
  FBO – Karl A. Copenhafer   
  400 First Street So. Suite 300   
  PO Box 283   
  St. Cloud, MN 56302-0283  6.73% 

Class M  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  6.22% 

 

I-25 

 



Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class R  TD Ameritrade Trust Company   
  PO Box 17748   
  Denver, CO 80217-0748  24.30% 

Class R  Acensus Trust Company Co   
  Joyce & McFarland LLP Retirement Trust   
  PO Box 10758   
  Fargo, ND 58106-0758  20.90% 

Class R  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  13.03% 

Class R  Putnam Investments, LLC   
  1 Post Office Square   
  Boston, MA 02109-2106  12.95% 

Class R  MLPF&S   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  10.30% 

Class R  PAI Trust Company Inc.   
  USTA Northern 401K Pension Plan   
  1300 Enterprise Dr.   
  De Pere, WI 54115-4934  9.07% 

Class R  MG TRCO Customer FBO   
  SIRQ Inc 401K Plan   
  717 17th St. Suite 1300   
  Denver, CO 80202-3304  8.30% 

Class R6  Great-West Trust Company, LLC – The Putnam   
  Retirement Plan   
  8515 E. Orchard Rd, #2T2   
  Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002  85.22% 

Class R6  State Street Bank FBO   
  1 Lincoln St.   
  Boston, MA 02111-2901  13.01% 

Class Y  Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.   
  101 Montgomery St.   
  San Francisco, CA 94104-4151  15.22% 

Class Y  UBS WM USA   
  1000 Harbor Blvd   
  Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761  13.37% 

Class Y  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  9.89% 

Class Y  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  7.75% 

Class Y  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 7399-0001  7.61% 

 

I-26 

 



Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class Y  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney   
  Harborside Financial Center   
  Plaza 2, 3rd Floor   
  Jersey City, NJ 07311  7.55% 

Class Y  MLPF&S   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  6.88% 

Class Y*  Putnam Retirement Ready 2020 Fund—Class A   
  shares   
  7 Shattuck Road   
  Andover, MA 01810-2450  5.38% 

Class Y*  Putnam Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 1--Class A   
  shares   
  7 Shattuck Road   
  Andover, MA 01810-2450  5.07% 

 

*The address for the name listed is: c/o Putnam Investments, One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund

At January 31, 2016, the officers and Trustees of the fund as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each class of the fund except class Y, of which they owned 4.41%, and, except as noted below, no person owned of record or to the knowledge of the fund beneficially 5% or more of any class of shares of the fund.

I-27 

 



Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class A  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310  14.69% 

Class A  Pershing LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  13.00% 

Class A  MLPF&S   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  8.44% 

Class A  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  6.37% 

Class B  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  15.82% 

Class B  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  10.51% 

Class B  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310  10.49% 

Class B  MLPF&S   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E. Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  8.96% 

Class C  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  14.72% 

Class C  MLPF&S   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E. Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  14.54% 

Class C  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  12.98% 

Class C  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  11.83% 

Class C  LPL Financial   
  9785 Towne Centre Dr.   
  San Diego, CA 92121  7.98% 

Class M  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney   
  Harborside Financial Center   
  Plaza 2, 3rd Floor   
  Jersey City, NJ 07311  27.01% 

 

I-28 

 



Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class M  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  13.69% 

Class R  TD Ameritrade TRCO   
  PO Box 17748   
  Denver, CO 80217-0748  36.65% 

Class R  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  27.08% 

Class R  Matrix Trust Company   
  717 17th St. Suite 1300   
  Denver, CO 80202-3304  8.86% 

Class R  Mid Atlantic Trust Company   
  1251 Waterfront Pl. Suite 525   
  Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4228  6.47% 

Class R  MG Trust Company   
  Millwood Management 401k Plan   
  717 7th St. Suite 1300   
  Denver, CO 80202-3304  5.15% 

Class R6  Great-West Trust Company, LLC – The Putnam   
  Retirement Plan   
  8515 E. Orchard Rd, #2T2   
  Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002  99.22% 

Class Y  Merrill Lynch   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  22.70% 

Class Y  UBS WM USA   
  1000 Harbor Blvd   
  Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761  18.55% 

Class Y  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  10.21% 

Class Y  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  7.96% 

Class Y  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  6.61% 

 

Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund

At January 31, 2016, the officers and Trustees of the fund as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each class of the fund except class Y, of which they owned 6.91%, and, except as noted below, no person owned of

I-29 

 



record or to the knowledge of the fund beneficially 5% or more of any class of shares of the fund.

Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class A  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  18.63% 

Class A  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  12.17% 

Class A  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  7.74% 

Class A  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney   
  Harborside Financial Center   
  Plaza 2, 3rd Floor   
  Jersey City, NJ 07311  5.39% 

Class B  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  20.41% 

Class B  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  15.68% 

Class B  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  11.46% 

Class B  Charles Schwab & Co Inc.   
  101 Montgomery St.   
  San Francisco, CA 94104-4151  5.38% 

Class C  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  15.34% 

Class C  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  10.92% 

Class C  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  10.20% 

Class C  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney   
  Harborside Financial Center   
  Plaza 2, 3rd Floor   
  Jersey City, NJ 07311  9.52% 

Class C  Raymond James   
  880 Carillon Pkwy   
  St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1100  9.02% 

 

I-30 

 



Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class C  MLPF&S   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr. E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  6.38% 

Class M  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  25.61% 

Class M  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  13.52% 

Class M  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  11.83% 

Class R  TD Ameritrade Trust Company CO#00T8W   
  PO Box 17748   
  Denver, CO 80217-0748  26.59% 

Class R  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  22.63% 

Class R  TD Ameritrade Trust Company CO#006AR   
  PO Box 17748   
  Denver, CO 80217-0748  11.66% 

Class R  Counsel Trust DBA MATC FBO   
  Scarlett Group 401K Plan   
  1251 Waterfront Pl. Suite 525   
  Pittsburgh, PA 1522-4228  10.28% 

Class R  TD Ameritrade Trust Company CO#0093B   
  PO Box 17748   
  Denver, CO 80217-0748  9.34% 

Class R  Acensus Trust Company Co   
  Sardella Safe Harbor 401K Plan 68706   
  PO Box 10758   
  Fargo, ND 58106-0758  5.65% 

Class R6  Great-West Trust Company, LLC – The Putnam   
  Retirement Plan   
  8515 E. Orchard Rd, #2T2   
  Greenwood Village, CO 80111  68.78% 

Class R6  Mid Atlantic Trust Company   
  1251 Waterfront Pl. Suite 525   
  Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4228  23.06% 

Class R6  TD Ameritrade TRCO   
  PO Box 17748   
  Denver, CO 80217-0748  6.98% 

Class Y  Merrill Lynch   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  11.99% 

Class Y  Charles Schwab & Co Inc.   
  101 Montgomery St.   
  San Francisco, CA 94104-4151  10.27% 

 

I-31 

 



Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class Y  LPL Financial   
  4707 Executive Drive   
  San Diego, CA 92121-3091  8.88% 

Class Y  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  8.87% 

Class Y  UBS WM USA   
  1000 Harbor Blvd   
  Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761  8.37% 

Class Y  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  7.99% 

Class Y  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  7.19% 

Class Y  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney   
  Harborside Financial Center   
  Plaza 2, 3rd Floor   
  Jersey City, NJ 07311  6.98% 

Class Y  Raymond James   
  880 Carillon Pkwy   
  St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1100  6.04% 

 

Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund

At January 31, 2016, the officers and Trustees of the fund as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each class of the fund except class Y, of which they owned 2.94%, and, except as noted below, no person owned of record or to the knowledge of the fund beneficially 5% or more of any class of shares of the fund.

I-32 

 



Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class A  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  17.93% 

Class A  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  14.07% 

Class A  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  6.79% 

Class B  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  18.28% 

Class B  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  17.85% 

Class B  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  7.27% 

Class B  LPL Financial   
  4707 Executive Drive   
  San Diego, CA 92121-3091  6.93% 

Class B  Charles Schwab & Co Inc.   
  101 Montgomery St.   
  San Francisco, CA 94104-4151  5.11% 

Class C  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  17.51% 

Class C  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  12.60% 

Class C  MLPF&S   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr. E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  9.52% 

Class C  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney   
  Harborside Financial Center   
  Plaza 2, 3rd Floor   
  Jersey City, NJ 07311  8.91% 

Class C  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  7.26% 

Class C  Raymond James   
  880 Carillon Pkwy   
  St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1100  5.31% 

 

I-33 

 



Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class C  LPL Financial   
  4707 Executive Drive   
  San Diego, CA 92121-3091  5.07% 

Class M  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  27.97% 

Class M  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  10.57% 

Class M  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  5.18% 

Class R  MG Trust Company   
  Allied Motion Technologies, Inc.   
  700 17th St. Ste. 300   
  Denver, CO 80202-3531  23.15% 

Class R  Mid Atlantic Trust Company   
  Retriev Technologies Inc 401k Profit Sharing Plan &   
  Trust   
  1251 Waterfront Pl. Suite 525   
  Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4228  10.27% 

Class R  Pai Trust Company, Inc.   
  Eliot Lupkin P A 401k Plan   
  1300 Enterprise Dr.   
  De Pere, WI 54115-4934  8.97% 

Class R  UBS WM USA   
  1000 Harbor Blvd   
  Weehawken, NJ 07086-6761  8.91% 

Class R  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney   
  Harborside Financial Center   
  Plaza 2, 3rd Floor   
  Jersey City, NJ 07311  8.81% 

Class R  Pai Trust Company   
  Tom Vogel Agency, Inc. 401k Plan   
  1300 Enterprise Dr.   
  De Pere, WI 54115-4934  5.52% 

Class R  NFS LLC   
  2114 Bellview Dr.   
  Palo Alto, CA 94303-3403  5.24% 

Class R  Pai Trust Company   
  Cenpro Services, Inc. 401k Plan   
  1300 Enterprise Dr.   
  De Pere, WI 54115-4934  5.13% 

Class R6  Great-West Trust Company, LLC – The Putnam   
  Retirement Plan   
  8515 E. Orchard Rd   
  Greenwood Village, CO 80111-5002  86.47% 

Class R6  TD Ameritrade TRCO   
  PO Box 17748   
  Denver, CO 80217-0748  10.38% 

 

I-34 

 



Class  Shareholder name  Percentage 
  and address  owned 

Class Y  First Clearing   
  2801 Market St.   
  St. Louis, MO 63103-2523  28.86% 

Class Y  National Financial Services, LLC   
  499 Washington Blvd   
  Jersey City, NJ 07310-2010  13.72% 

Class Y  Merrill Lynch   
  4800 Deer Lake Dr., E., Fl. 3   
  Jacksonville, FL 32246-6484  9.14% 

Class Y  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney   
  Harborside Financial Center   
  Plaza 2, 3rd Floor   
  Jersey City, NJ 07311  8.84% 

Class Y  Charles Schwab & Co Inc.   
  101 Montgomery St.   
  San Francisco, CA 94104-4151  6.62% 

Class Y  Pershing, LLC   
  1 Pershing Plaza   
  Jersey City, NJ 07399-0001  5.89% 

 

Distribution fees

During fiscal 2015, each fund paid the following 12b-1 fees to Putnam Retail Management:

Fund name  Class A  Class B  Class C  Class M  Class R 

Absolute Return  $299,460  $8,896  $240,042  $6,003  $831 
100 Fund           

Absolute Return  $1,060,637  $48,844  $1,488,446  $32,049  $4,154 
300 Fund           

Absolute Return  $912,984  $346,876  $1,931,141  $58,943  $29,879 
500 Fund           

Absolute Return  $922,463  $296,611  $1,844,585  $45,748  $9,339 
700 Fund           

 

I-35 

 



Class A sales charges and contingent deferred sales charges

Putnam Retail Management received sales charges with respect to class A shares in the following amounts during the periods indicated:

      Sales charges   
      retained by Putnam  Contingent 
    Total front-  Retail Management  deferred 
  Fiscal  end sales  after dealer  sales 
Fund name  year  charges  concessions  charges 
Absolute Return         
100 Fund  2015  $47,994  $236  $34 
  2014  74,470  158  37 
  2013  41,986  618  150 
Absolute Return         
300 Fund  2015  $197,320  $1,051  $1,262 
  2014  276,142  4,461  703 
  2013  208,946  11,166  10 
Absolute Return         
500 Fund  2015  $736,717  $133,234  $145 
  2014  588,227  102,048  83 
  2013  876,205  151,868  64 
Absolute Return         
700 Fund  2015  $1,150,846  $206,322  $671 
  2014  665,561  117,931  2,375 
  2013  873,315  144,641  220 

 

I-36 

 



Class B contingent deferred sales charges

Putnam Retail Management received contingent deferred sales charges upon redemptions of class B shares in the following amounts during the periods indicated:

Fund name  Fiscal year  Contingent deferred sales 
    charges 
Absolute Return 100 Fund  2015  $84 
  2014  68 
  2013  2,202 
Absolute Return 300 Fund  2015  $622 
  2014  619 
  2013  4,140 
Absolute Return 500 Fund  2015  $15,155 
  2014  27,553 
  2013  33,787 
Absolute Return 700 Fund  2015  $19,284 
  2014  18,209 
  2013  20,732 

 

Class C contingent deferred sales charges

Putnam Retail Management received contingent deferred sales charges upon redemptions of class C shares in the following amounts during the periods indicated:

I-37 

 



Fund name  Fiscal year  Contingent deferred sales 
    charges 
Absolute Return 100 Fund  2015  $231 
  2014  415 
  2013  1,030 
Absolute Return 300 Fund  2015  $5,082 
  2014  7,609 
  2013  6,004 
Absolute Return 500 Fund  2015  $5,365 
  2014  4,208 
  2013  8,809 
Absolute Return 700 Fund  2015  $10,476 
  2014  4,587 
  2013  4,203 

 

Class M sales charges

Putnam Retail Management received sales charges with respect to class M shares in the following amounts during the periods indicated:

I-38 

 


      Sales charges 
      retained by 
    Total  Putnam Retail 
    front-end  Management after 
  Fiscal  sales  dealer 
Fund name  year  charges  concessions 
 
Absolute Return 100       
Fund  2015  $3,209  $153 
  2014  424  14 
  2013  1,812  66 
Absolute Return 300       
Fund  2015  $16,573  $408 
  2014  12,311  4 
  2013  15,768  3 
Absolute Return 500       
Fund  2015  $15,864  $2,898 
  2014  9,969  1,661 
  2013  21,160  4,149 
Absolute Return 700       
Fund  2015  $12,151  $2,340 
  2014  22,582  3,069 
  2013  13,158  2,457 

 

During the fund’s last three fiscal years, Putnam Retail Management received no contingent deferred sales charges with respect to class M shares. Effective November 1, 2015 each fund no longer assesses a contingent deferred sales charge with respect to class M shares.

I-39 

 



Investor servicing fees

During the 2015 fiscal year, each fund incurred the following fees for investor servicing provided by Putnam Investor Services, Inc.

Fund name  Investor Servicing Fees 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  $0* 

Absolute Return 300 Fund  $0* 

Absolute Return 500 Fund  $1,248,049 

Absolute Return 700 Fund  $1,605,942 

 

* These fees are being paid by Putnam Management under the terms of the management contract.

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

Other accounts managed

The following tables show the number and approximate assets of other investment accounts (or portions of investment accounts) that each fund's portfolio managers managed as of each fund's most recent fiscal year-end. The other accounts may include accounts for which the individuals were not designated as a portfolio manager. Unless noted, none of the other accounts pays a fee based on the account's performance.

I-40 

 



Absolute Return 100 Fund

          Other accounts (including 
          separate accounts, 
          managed account 
          programs and single- 
      Other accounts that pool  sponsor defined 
Portfolio  Other SEC-registered open-  assets from more than one  contribution plan 
managers  end and closed-end funds  client  offerings) 

  Number    Number    Number   
  of    of    of   
  accounts  Assets  accounts  Assets  accounts  Assets 

D. William Kohli  17*  $9,103,200,000  20**  $3,143,100,000  12***  $9,328,200,000 

Michael Salm  27*  $16,545,200,000  32+  $7,898,000,000  15***  $5,937,600,000 

Paul Scanlon  25*  $12,259,500,000  31++  $4,581,500,000  14  $5,685,000,000 

 

* 3 accounts, with total assets of $1,475,700,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.
** 1 account, with total assets of $33,200,000, pays an advisory fee based on account performance.
*** 1 account, with total assets of $452,900,000, pays an advisory fee based on account performance.
+ 2 accounts, with total assets of $102,500,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.
++ 3 accounts, with total assets of $167,500,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.

Absolute Return 300 Fund

          Other accounts (including 
          separate accounts, 
          managed account 
      Other accounts that pool  programs and single- 
Portfolio  Other SEC-registered open-  assets from more than one  sponsor defined 
managers  end and closed-end funds  client  contribution plan offerings) 

  Number    Number    Number   
  of    of    of   
  accounts  Assets  accounts  Assets  accounts  Assets 

D. William  17*  $8,432,300,000  20**  $3,143,100,000  12***  $9,328,200,000 
Kohli             

Michael  27*  $15,874,400,000  32+  $7,898,000,000  15***  $5,937,600,000 
Salm             

Paul  25*  $11,588,700,000  31++  $4,581,500,000  14  $5,685,000,000 
Scanlon             

 

I-41 

 



* 3 accounts, with total assets of $804,900,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.
** 1 account, with total assets of $33,200,000, pays an advisory fee based on account performance.
*** 1 account, with total assets of $452,900,000, pays an advisory fee based on account performance.
+ 2 accounts, with total assets of $102,500,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.
++ 3 accounts, with total assets of $167,500,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.

Absolute Return 500 Fund

          Other accounts 
          (including separate 
          accounts, managed 
          account programs and 
  Other SEC-registered  Other accounts that pool  single-sponsor defined 
Portfolio  open-end and closed-end  assets from more than one  contribution plan 
managers  funds  client  offerings) 

  Number    Number    Number   
  of    of    of   
  accounts  Assets  accounts  Assets  accounts  Assets 

James Fetch  23*  $7,947,100,000  54**  $2,329,100,000  1  $100,000 

Robert Kea  23*  $7,947,100,000  54**  $2,329,100,000  1  $1,400,000 

Robert Schoen  25***  $8,006,400,000  54**  $2,329,100,000  6  $250,100,000 

Jason  23*  $7,947,100,000  54**  $2,329,100,000  1  $700,000 
Vaillancourt             

 

* 2 accounts, with total assets of $1,469,800,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.
** 1 account, with total assets of $183,400,000, pays an advisory fee based on account performance.
*** 3 accounts, with total assets of $1,479,100,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.

I-42 

 



Absolute Return 700 Fund

          Other accounts 
          (including separate 
          accounts, managed 
          account programs and 
  Other SEC-registered  Other accounts that pool  single-sponsor defined 
Portfolio  open-end and closed-end  assets from more than one  contribution plan 
managers  funds  client  offerings) 

  Number    Number    Number   
  of    of    of   
  accounts  Assets  accounts  Assets  accounts  Assets 

James  23*  $7,639,800,000  54**  $2,329,100,000  1  $100,000 
Fetch             

Robert Kea  23*  $7,639,800,000  54**  $2,329,100,000  1  $1,400,000 

Robert  25***  $7,699,100,000  54**  $2,329,100,000  6  $250,100,000 
Schoen             

Jason  23*  $7,639,800,000  54**  $2,329,100,000  1  $700,000 
Vaillancourt             

 

* 2 accounts, with total assets of $1,162,500,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.
** 1 account, with total assets of $183,400,000, pays an advisory fee based on account performance.
*** 3 accounts, with total assets of $1,171,800,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.

See “Management—Portfolio Transactions—Potential conflicts of interest in managing multiple accounts” in Part II of this SAI for information on how Putnam Management addresses potential conflicts of interest resulting from an individual’s management of more than one account.

Compensation of portfolio managers

Putnam’s goal for its products and investors is to deliver strong performance versus peers or performance ahead of the applicable benchmark, depending on the product, over a rolling 3-year period. Portfolio managers are evaluated and compensated, in part, based on their performance relative to this goal across the products they manage. In addition to their individual performance, evaluations take into account the performance of their group and a subjective component.

I-43 

 



Each portfolio manager is assigned an industry competitive incentive compensation target consistent with this goal and evaluation framework. Actual incentive compensation may be higher or lower than the target, based on individual, group, and subjective performance, and may also reflect the performance of Putnam as a firm. Typically, performance is measured over the lesser of three years or the length of time a portfolio manager has managed a product.

Incentive compensation includes a cash bonus and may also include grants of deferred cash, stock or options. In addition to incentive compensation, portfolio managers receive fixed annual salaries typically based on level of responsibility and experience.

For these funds, Putnam evaluates performance based on each fund's pre-tax return relative to the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index.

Ownership of securities

The dollar range of shares of each fund owned by each portfolio manager at the end of the fund’s last fiscal year, including investments by immediate family members and amounts invested through retirement and deferred compensation plans, was as follows:

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Fund  Portfolio managers  Dollar range of shares 
    owned 
Absolute Return 100  D. William Kohli  $0 
Fund     
  Michael Salm  $0 
  Paul Scanlon  $0 
Absolute Return 300  D. William Kohli  $100,001 - $500,000 
Fund     
  Michael Salm  $0 
  Paul Scanlon  $0 
Absolute Return 500  James Fetch  $0 
Fund     
  Robert Kea  $0 
  Robert Schoen  $0 
  Jason Vaillancourt  $0 
Absolute Return 700  James Fetch  $100,000- $500,000 
Fund     
  Robert Kea  $50,000-$100,000 
  Robert Schoen  $100,001-$500,000 
  Jason Vaillancourt  $100,001 - $500,000 

 

I-45 

 



INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Absolute Return 100 and 300 Funds

KPMG LLP, Two Financial Center, 60 South Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, is the funds’ independent registered public accounting firm providing audit services, tax return review and other tax consulting services and assistance and consultation in connection with the review of various Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, financial highlights and financial statements included in the funds’ Annual Reports for the funds’ most recent fiscal year are included as Appendix B to this SAI. The financial highlights included in the prospectus and this SAI and the financial statements included in this SAI (which is incorporated by reference into the prospectus) have been so included in reliance upon the reports of the independent registered public accounting firm, given on their authority as experts in auditing and accounting.

Absolute Return 500 and 700 Funds

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, 101 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, is the funds’ independent registered public accounting firm providing audit services, tax return review and other tax consulting services and assistance and consultation in connection with the review of various Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, financial highlights and financial statements included in the funds’ Annual Reports for the funds’ most recent fiscal year are included as Appendix B to this SAI. The financial highlights included in the prospectus and this SAI and the financial statements included in this SAI (which is incorporated by reference into the prospectus) have been so included in reliance upon the independent registered public accounting firm’s reports, given on their authority as experts in auditing and accounting.

I-46 

 



THE PUTNAM FUNDS
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (“SAI”) 
PART II

 

HOW TO BUY SHARES

Each prospectus describes briefly how investors may buy shares of the fund and identifies the share classes offered by that prospectus. Because of different sales charges and expenses, the investment performance of the classes will vary. This section of the SAI contains more information on how to buy shares. For more information, including your eligibility to purchase certain classes of shares, contact your investment dealer or Putnam Investor Services, Inc., the funds’ investor servicing agent (“Putnam Investor Services”), at 1-800-225-1581. Investors who purchase shares at net asset value through employer-sponsored retirement plans (including, for example, 401(k) plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, and 457 plans) should also consult their employer for information about the extent to which the matters described in this section and in the sections that follow apply to them.

Except as set forth below, the fund does not accept new accounts or additional investments (including by way of exchange from another fund) into existing accounts held in the name of persons or entities that do not have both a residential or business address within the United States (including APO/FPO addresses) and a valid U.S. tax identification number. Any existing account that is updated to reflect a non-U.S. address will also be restricted from making additional investments. Non-U.S. institutional clients may invest in a fund, provided that the client is acting for its own account and is not a financial institution (e.g., a broker-dealer purchasing shares on behalf of its customers), and has provided Putnam with documentation (i) that is appropriate to the type of entity seeking to establish the account and (ii) sufficient to enable Putnam Investor Services to determine that the investment would not violate any applicable securities laws or regulations, including non-U.S. laws and regulations.

In addition, Class M shares of Putnam Diversified Income Trust, Putnam Europe Equity Fund, Putnam Global Income Trust, Putnam High Yield Advantage Fund, Putnam Income Fund, and Putnam U.S. Government Income Trust are available for public offering in Japan through certain Japanese registered broker-dealers with whom Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership has an agreement.

In addition, the fund does not accept new accounts or additional investments (including by way of exchange from another fund) into existing accounts by entities that Putnam Investor Services has reason to believe are involved in the sale or distribution of marijuana, even if such sale or distribution is licensed by a state.

General Information

The fund is currently making a continuous offering of its shares. The fund receives the entire net asset value of shares sold. The fund will accept unconditional orders for shares to be executed at the public offering price based on the net asset value per share next determined after the order is placed. In the case of class A shares and class M shares, the public offering price is the net asset value plus the applicable sales charge, if any. (The public offering price is thus calculable by dividing the net asset value by 100% minus the sales charge, expressed as a percentage.) No sales charge is included in the public offering price of other classes of shares. In the case of orders for purchase of shares placed through dealers, the public offering price will be based on the net asset value determined on the day the order is placed, but only if the dealer or a registered transfer agent or registered clearing agent receives the order, together with all required identifying information, before the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”). If the dealer or registered transfer agent or registered clearing agent receives the order after the close of the NYSE, the price will be based on the net asset value next determined. If funds for the purchase of shares are sent directly to Putnam Investor Services, they will be invested at the public offering price based on the net asset value next determined after all required identifying

February 28, 2016  II-1 

 



information has been collected. Payment for shares of the fund must be in U.S. dollars; if made by check, the check must be drawn on a U.S. bank.

Initial purchases are subject to the minimums stated in the prospectus, except that (i) individual investments under certain employer-sponsored retirement plans or Tax Qualified Retirement Plans may be lower, and (ii) the minimum investment is waived for investors participating in systematic investment plans or military allotment plans. Information about these plans is available from investment dealers or Putnam Investor Services. Currently Putnam is waiving the minimum for all initial purchases, but reserves the right to reject initial purchases under the minimum in the future, except as noted in the first sentence of this paragraph.

Systematic investment plan. As a convenience to investors, shares may be purchased through a systematic investment plan. Pre-authorized monthly, semi-monthly, or weekly bank drafts for a fixed amount ($200,000 or less) are used to purchase fund shares at the applicable public offering price next determined after Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership (“Putnam Retail Management”) receives the proceeds from the draft. A shareholder may choose any date or dates in the month for these drafts, but if the date falls on a weekend or holiday, the draft will be processed on the next business day. Further information and application forms are available from the investment dealers or from Putnam Retail Management.

Reinvestment of distributions. Distributions to be reinvested are reinvested without a sales charge in shares of any Putnam fund the shareholder is eligible to invest in under the shareholder's account as of the ex-dividend date using the net asset value determined on that date, and are credited to a shareholder's account on the payment date. Dividends for Putnam money market funds are credited to a shareholder's account on the payment date. Distributions for all other funds that declare a distribution daily are reinvested without a sales charge as of the last day of the period for which distributions are paid using the net asset value determined on that date, and are credited to a shareholder's account on the payment date.

Purchasing shares with securities (“in-kind” purchases). In addition to cash, the fund will consider accepting securities as payment for fund shares at the applicable net asset value. Generally, the fund will only consider accepting securities to increase its holdings in a portfolio security, or if Putnam Investment Management, LLC (“Putnam Management”) determines that the offered securities are a suitable investment for the fund and in a sufficient amount for efficient management.

While no minimum has been established, it is expected that the fund would not accept securities with a value of less than $100,000 per issue as payment for shares. The fund may reject in whole or in part any or all offers to pay for purchases of fund shares with securities, may require partial payment in cash for such purchases to provide funds for applicable sales charges, and may discontinue accepting securities as payment for fund shares at any time without notice. The fund will value accepted securities in the manner described in the section "Determination of Net Asset Value" for valuing shares of the fund. The fund will only accept securities that are delivered in proper form. The fund will not accept certain securities, for example, options or restricted securities, as payment for shares. The acceptance of securities by certain funds in exchange for fund shares is subject to additional requirements. For federal income tax purposes, a purchase of fund shares with securities will be treated as a sale or exchange of such securities on which the investor will generally realize a taxable gain or loss. The processing of a purchase of fund shares with securities involves certain delays while the fund considers the suitability of such securities and while other requirements are satisfied. For information regarding procedures for payment in securities, contact Putnam Retail Management. Investors should not send securities to the fund except when authorized to do so and in accordance with specific instructions received from Putnam Retail Management.

February 28, 2016  II-2 

 



Sales Charges and Other Share Class Features — Retail Investors

This section describes certain key features of share classes offered to retail investors and retirement plans that do not purchase shares at net asset value. Much of this information addresses the sales charges, including initial sales charges and contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSCs”) imposed on the different share classes and various commission payments made by Putnam to dealers and other financial intermediaries facilitating shareholders’ investments. This information supplements the descriptions of these share classes and payments included in the prospectus.

Initial sales charges, dealer commissions and CDSCs on shares sold outside the United States may differ from those applied to U.S. sales.

Initial sales charges for class A and class M shares . The public offering price of class A and class M shares is the net asset value plus a sales charge that varies depending on the size of your purchase (calculable as described above). The fund receives the net asset value. The tables below indicate the sales charges applicable to purchases of class A and class M shares of the funds by style category. The variations in sales charges reflect the varying efforts required to sell shares to different categories of purchasers.

The sales charge is allocated between your investment dealer and Putnam Retail Management as shown in the tables below, except when Putnam Retail Management, in its discretion, allocates the entire amount to your investment dealer.

The underwriter's commission, or dealer reallowance, is the sales charge shown in the prospectus less any applicable dealer discount. Putnam Retail Management will give dealers ten days' notice of any changes in the dealer discount. Putnam Retail Management retains the entire sales charge on any retail sales made by it.

For purchases of class A shares by retail investors that qualify for the highest sales charge breakpoint described in the prospectus, Putnam Retail Management pays commissions on sales during the one-year period beginning with the date of the initial purchase qualifying for that breakpoint. Each subsequent one-year measuring period for these purposes begins with the first qualifying purchase following the end of the prior period. These commissions are paid at the rate of 1.00% of the amount of qualifying purchases up to $4 million, 0.50% of the next $46 million of qualifying purchases and 0.25% of qualifying purchases thereafter.

For Growth Funds, Blend Funds, Value Funds, Asset Allocation Funds (excluding funds in the Retirement Income Lifestyle suite), Global Sector Funds and RetirementReady ® Funds only:

  CLASS A  CLASS M 
    Amount of sales    Amount of sales 
    charge    charge 
    reallowed to    reallowed to 
  Sales charge as  dealers as a  Sales charge as  dealers as a 
Amount of transaction at  a percentage of  percentage of  a percentage of  percentage of 
offering price ($)  offering price  offering price  offering price  offering price 
 
Under 50,000  5.75%  5.00%  3.50%  3.00% 
50,000 but under 100,000  4.50  3.75  2.50  2.00 
100,000 but under 250,000  3.50  2.75  1.50  1.00 
250,000 but under 500,000  2.50  2.00  1.00  1.00 
500,000 but under 1,000,000  2.00  1.75  1.00  1.00 
1,000,000 and above  NONE  NONE  N/A*  N/A* 

 

February 28, 2016  II-3 

 



For Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund and Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund only:

  CLASS A  CLASS M 
    Amount of sales    Amount of sales 
    charge    charge 
    reallowed to    reallowed to 
  Sales charge as  dealers as a  Sales charge as  dealers as a 
Amount of transaction at  a percentage of  percentage of  a percentage of  percentage of 
offering price ($)  offering price  offering price  offering price  offering price 
 
Under 50,000  5.75%  5.00%  3.50%  3.00% 
50,000 but under 100,000  4.50  3.75  2.50  2.00 
100,000 but under 250,000  3.50  2.75  1.50  1.00 
250,000 but under 500,000  2.50  2.00  1.00  1.00 
500,000 and above  NONE  NONE  N/A**  N/A** 

 

For funds in the Retirement Income Lifestyle suite, taxable Income Funds and Tax-Exempt Funds (except for Money Market Funds, Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund, Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund, and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund):

  CLASS A  CLASS M 
    Amount of sales    Amount of sales 
    charge    charge 
    reallowed to    reallowed to 
  Sales charge as  dealers as a  Sales charge as  dealers as a 
Amount of transaction at  a percentage of  percentage of  a percentage of  percentage of 
offering price ($)  offering price  offering price  offering price  offering price 
 
Under 50,000  4.00%  3.50%  3.25%  3.00% 
50,000 but under 100,000  4.00  3.50  2.25  2.00 
100,000 but under 250,000  3.25  2.75  1.25  1.00 
250,000 but under 500,000  2.50  2.00  1.00  1.00 
500,000 and above  NONE  NONE  N/A**  N/A** 

 

For Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund and Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund only:

  CLASS A  CLASS M 
    Amount of sales    Amount of sales 
    charge    charge 
    reallowed to    reallowed to 
  Sales charge as  dealers as a  Sales charge as  dealers as a 
Amount of transaction at  a percentage of  percentage of  a percentage of  percentage of 
offering price ($)  offering price  offering price  offering price  offering price 
 
Under 500,000  1.00%  1.00%  0.75%  0.75% 
500,000 and above  NONE  NONE  N/A**  N/A** 

 

February 28, 2016  II-4 

 



*The funds will not accept purchase orders for class M shares (other than by employer-sponsored retirement plans) where the total of the current purchase, plus existing account balances that are eligible to be linked under a right of accumulation (as described below) is $1 million or more.

**The funds will not accept purchase orders for class M shares (other than by employer-sponsored retirement plans) where the total of the current purchase, plus existing account balances that are eligible to be linked under a right of accumulation (as described below) is $500,000 or more.

Purchases of class A and class T shares without an initial sales charge. Class A shares of any Putnam fund (other than Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund, and Putnam Money Market Fund) purchased by retail investors that are not subject to an initial sales charge (in accordance with the schedules stated above) are subject to a CDSC of 1.00% if redeemed before the first day of the month in which the nine-month anniversary of that purchase falls. Class A shares of Putnam Short Duration Income Fund and Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund and class A and class T shares of Putnam Money Market Fund purchased by retail investors by exchanging shares from another Putnam fund that were not subject to an initial sales charge (in accordance with the schedules stated above) are subject to a CDSC of 1.00% if redeemed before the first day of the month in which the nine-month anniversary of the original purchase falls.

The CDSC assessed on redemptions of fewer than all of an investor's class A shares (and, for Putnam Money Market Fund, class T shares) subject to a CDSC will be based on the amount of the redemption minus the amount of any appreciation on the investor's CDSC-subject shares since the purchase of such shares. The CDSC assessed on full redemptions of CDSC-subject shares will be based on the lower of the shares' cost and current NAV. Putnam Retail Management will retain any CDSC imposed on redemptions of such shares to compensate it for the up-front commissions paid to financial intermediaries for such share sales.

Purchases of class A shares for rollover IRAs. Purchases of class A shares for a Putnam Rollover IRA or a rollover IRA of a Putnam affiliate, from a retirement plan for which an affiliate of Putnam Management or a business partner of such affiliate is the administrator, including subsequent contributions, are not subject to an initial sales charge or CDSC. Putnam Retail Management may pay commissions or finders’ fees of up to 1.00% of the proceeds for such Putnam Rollover IRA purchases to the dealer of record or other third party.

Commission payments and CDSCs for class B and class C shares . Except in the case of Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund as noted below, Putnam Retail Management will pay a 4% commission on sales of class B shares of the fund only to those financial intermediaries who have entered into service agreements with Putnam Retail Management. For tax-exempt funds, this commission includes a 0.20% pre-paid service fee (except for Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund and Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund, each of which has a 0.25% pre-paid service fee). For Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund and Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund, Putnam Retail Management will pay a 1.00% commission to financial intermediaries selling class B shares of the fund.

Except in the case of Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, Putnam Retail Management pays financial intermediaries a 1.00% commission on sales of class C shares of a fund.

Putnam Retail Management will retain any CDSC imposed on redemptions of class B and class C shares to compensate it for the cost of paying the up-front commissions paid to financial intermediaries for class B or class C share sales.

Conversion of class B shares into class A shares. Class B shares will automatically convert to class A shares on or around the end of the month eight years after the purchase date (for Putnam Small Cap Value Fund, on or around the end of the month six years after the purchase date, and for Putnam Multi-Cap Value Fund, on or around the end of the month five years after the purchase date). Class B shares acquired by exchanging class B shares of another Putnam fund will convert to class A shares based on the time of the initial purchase. The

February 28, 2016  II-5 

 



conversion period of the acquired fund will apply, unless the initial fund’s CDSC schedule is higher than that of the acquired fund. In that case, the conversion period and CDSC schedule of the initial fund will apply. Class B shares acquired through reinvestment of distributions will convert to class A shares based on the date of the initial purchase to which such shares relate. For this purpose, class B shares acquired through reinvestment of distributions will be attributed to particular purchases of class B shares in accordance with such procedures as the Trustees may determine from time to time. The conversion of class B shares to class A shares is subject to the condition that such conversions will not constitute taxable events for Federal tax purposes. Shareholders should consult with their tax advisers regarding the state and local tax consequences of the conversion of class B shares to class A shares, or any other exchange or conversion of shares. Average annual total return performance information for class B shares shown in the fund's prospectus assumes conversion to class A shares after the applicable period described in the fund’s prospectus.

Sales without sales charges or contingent deferred sales charges

The fund may sell shares without a sales charge or CDSC to the following categories of investors:

(i) current and former Trustees of the fund, their family members, business and personal associates; current and former employees of Putnam Management and certain current and former corporate affiliates, their family members, business and personal associates; employer-sponsored retirement plans for the foregoing; and partnerships, trusts or other entities in which any of the foregoing has a substantial interest;

(ii) clients of administrators or other service providers of employer-sponsored retirement plans which have entered into agreements with Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services, Inc. or an affiliate (for purposes of this waiver, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs) (not applicable to tax-exempt funds);

(iii) registered representatives and other employees of broker-dealers having sales agreements with Putnam Retail Management; employees of financial institutions having sales agreements with Putnam Retail Management or otherwise having an arrangement with any such broker-dealer or financial institution with respect to sales of fund shares; and their immediate family members (spouses and children under age 21, including step-children and adopted children);

(iv) a trust department of any financial institution purchasing shares of the fund in its capacity as trustee of any trust (other than a tax-qualified retirement plan trust), through an arrangement approved by Putnam Retail Management, if the value of the shares of the fund and other Putnam funds purchased or held by all such trusts exceeds $1 million in the aggregate;

(v) clients of (i) broker-dealers, financial institutions, financial intermediaries or registered investment advisors that are approved by Putnam Retail Management and charge a fee for advisory or investment services or (ii) broker-dealers, financial institutions, or financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with Putnam Retail Management to offer shares through a fund “supermarket” or retail self directed brokerage account with or without the imposition of a transaction fee; and

(vi) college savings plans that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

(vii) Shareholders reinvesting the proceeds from a Putnam Corporate IRA Plan distribution into a non-retirement plan account.

In the case of paragraph (i) and (vii) above, the availability of shares at NAV has been determined to be appropriate because involvement by Putnam Retail Management and other brokers in purchases by these investors is typically minimal.

February 28, 2016  II-6 

 



In addition to the categories enumerated above, in connection with settlements reached between certain firms and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and/or Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding sales of class B and class C shares in excess of certain dollar thresholds, the fund will permit shareholders who are clients of these firms (and applicable affiliates of such firms) to redeem class B and class C shares of the fund and concurrently purchase class A shares (in an amount to be determined by the dealer of record and Putnam Retail Management in accordance with the terms of the applicable settlement) without paying a sales charge.

The fund may issue its shares at net asset value without an initial sales charge or a CDSC in connection with the acquisition of substantially all of the securities owned by other investment companies or personal holding companies. The CDSC will be waived on redemptions to pay premiums for insurance under Putnam’s insured investor program.

Application of CDSC to Systematic Withdrawal Plans (“SWP”). Investors who set up a SWP for a share account (see "INVESTOR SERVICES — Plans Available to Shareholders -- Systematic Withdrawal Plan") may withdraw through the SWP up to 12% of the net asset value of the account (calculated as set forth below) each year without incurring any CDSC. Shares not subject to a CDSC (such as shares representing reinvestment of distributions) will be redeemed first and will count toward the 12% limitation. If there are insufficient shares not subject to a CDSC, shares subject to the lowest CDSC liability will be redeemed next until the 12% limit is reached. The 12% figure is calculated on a pro rata basis at the time of the first payment made pursuant to an SWP and recalculated thereafter on a pro rata basis at the time of each SWP payment. Therefore, shareholders who have chosen an SWP based on a percentage of the net asset value of their account of up to 12% will be able to receive SWP payments without incurring a CDSC. However, shareholders who have chosen a specific dollar amount (for example, $100 per month from the fund that pays income distributions monthly) for their periodic SWP payment should be aware that the amount of that payment not subject to a CDSC may vary over time depending on the net asset value of their account. For example, if the net asset value of the account is $10,000 at the time of payment, the shareholder will receive $100 free of the CDSC (12% of $10,000 divided by 12 monthly payments). However, if at the time of the next payment the net asset value of the account has fallen to $9,400, the shareholder will receive $94 free of any CDSC (12% of $9,400 divided by 12 monthly payments) and $6 subject to the lowest applicable CDSC. This SWP privilege may be revised or terminated at any time.

Other exceptions to application of CDSC. No CDSC is imposed on the redemption of shares of any class subject to a CDSC to the extent that the shares redeemed (i) are no longer subject to the holding period therefor, (ii) resulted from reinvestment of distributions, or (iii) were exchanged for shares of another Putnam fund, provided that the shares acquired in such exchange or subsequent exchanges (including shares of a Putnam money market fund or Putnam Short Duration Income Fund) will continue to remain subject to the CDSC, if applicable, until the applicable holding period expires. In determining whether the CDSC applies to each redemption, shares not subject to a CDSC are redeemed first.

The fund will waive any CDSC on redemptions, in the case of individual, joint or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts, in the event of death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder, for the purpose of paying benefits pursuant to tax-qualified retirement plans ("Benefit Payments"), or, in the case of living trust accounts, in the event of the death or post-purchase disability of the settlor of the trust. Benefit Payments currently include, without limitation, (1) distributions from an IRA due to death or post-purchase disability, (2) a return of excess contributions to an IRA or 401(k) plan, and (3) distributions from retirement plans qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code or from a 403(b) plan due to death, disability, retirement or separation from service. These waivers may be changed at any time.

Ways to Reduce Initial Sales Charges — Class A and Class M Shares

February 28, 2016  II-7 

 



There are several ways in which an investor may obtain reduced sales charges on purchases of class A shares and class M shares. The variations in sales charges reflect the varying efforts required to sell shares to separate categories of purchasers. These provisions may be altered or discontinued at any time.

Right of accumulation. A purchaser of class A shares or class M shares may qualify for a right of accumulation discount by combining all current purchases by such person with the value of certain other shares of any class of Putnam funds already owned. The applicable sales charge is based on the total of:

(i) the investor's current purchase(s); and

(ii) the higher of (x) the maximum public offering price (at the close of business on the previous day) or (y) the initial value of total purchases (less the value of shares redeemed on the applicable redemption date) of:

(a) all shares held in accounts registered to the investor and other accounts eligible to be linked to the investor’s accounts (as described below) in all of the Putnam funds (except closed-end and money market funds and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, unless acquired as described in (b) below); and

(b) any shares of money market funds or Putnam Short Duration Income Fund acquired by exchange from other Putnam funds.

For shares held on December 31, 2007, the initial value will be the value of those shares at the maximum public offering price on that date.

The following persons may qualify for a right of accumulation discount:

(i) an individual, or a "company" as defined in Section 2(a)(8) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (which includes corporations which are corporate affiliates of each other);

(ii) an individual, his or her spouse and their children under age 21, purchasing for his, her or their own account;

(iii) a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing for a single trust estate or single fiduciary account (including a pension, profit-sharing, or other employee benefit trust created pursuant to a plan qualified under Section 401 of the Code and Simplified Employer Pension Plans (SEPs) created pursuant to Section 408(k) of the Code);

(iv) tax-exempt organizations qualifying under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, (not including tax-exempt organizations qualifying under Section 403(b)(7) (a "403(b) plan") of the Code; and

(v) employer-sponsored retirement plans of a single employer or of affiliated employers, other than 403(b) plans.

A combined purchase currently may also include shares of any class of other continuously offered Putnam funds (other than money market funds and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund) purchased at the same time, if the dealer places the order for such shares directly with Putnam Retail Management.

For individual investors, Putnam Investor Services automatically links accounts the registrations of which are under the same last name and address. Account types eligible to be linked for the purpose of qualifying for a right

February 28, 2016  II-8 

 



of accumulation discount include the following (in each case as registered to the investor, his or her spouse and his or her children under the age of 21):

(i) individual accounts;

(ii) joint accounts;

(iii) accounts established as part of a plan established pursuant to Section 403(b) of the Code (“403(b) plans”) or an IRA other than a SIMPLE IRA, SARSEP or SEP IRA;

(iv) shares owned through accounts in the name of the investor’s (or spouse’s or minor child’s) dealer or other financial intermediary (with documentation identifying to the satisfaction of Putnam Investor Services the beneficial ownership of such shares); and

(v) accounts established as part of a Section 529 college savings plan managed by Putnam Management.

Shares owned by a plan participant as part of an employer-sponsored retirement plan of a single employer or of affiliated employers (other than 403(b) plans) or a single fiduciary account opened by a trustee or other fiduciary (including a pension, profit-sharing, or other employee benefit trust created pursuant to a plan qualified under Section 401 of the Code) are not eligible for linking to other accounts attributable to such person to qualify for the right of accumulation discount, although all current purchases made by each such plan may be combined with existing aggregate balances of such plan in Putnam funds for purposes of determining the sales charge applicable to shares purchased at such time by the plan.

To obtain the right of accumulation discount on a purchase through an investment dealer, when each purchase is made the investor or dealer must provide Putnam Retail Management with sufficient information to verify that the purchase qualifies for the privilege or discount. The shareholder must furnish this information to Putnam Investor Services when making direct cash investments. Sales charge discounts under a right of accumulation apply only to current purchases. No credit for right of accumulation purposes is given for any higher sales charge paid with respect to previous purchases for the investor’s account or any linked accounts.

Statement of Intention. Investors may also obtain the reduced sales charges for class A shares or class M shares shown in the prospectus for investments of a particular amount by means of a written Statement of Intention (also referred to as a Letter of Intention), which expresses the investor's intention to invest that amount (including certain "credits," as described below) within a period of 13 months in shares of any class of the fund or any other continuously offered Putnam fund (excluding Putnam money market funds and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund), including through an account established as part of a Section 529 college savings plan managed by Putnam Management. Each purchase of class A shares or class M shares under a Statement of Intention will be made at the lesser of (i) the public offering price applicable at the time of such purchase and (ii) the public offering price applicable on the date the Statement of Intention is executed to a single transaction of the total dollar amount indicated in the Statement of Intention.

An investor may receive a credit toward the amount indicated in the Statement of Intention equal to the maximum public offering price as of the close of business on the previous day of all shares he or she owns, or which are eligible to be linked for purposes of the right of accumulation described above, on the date of the Statement of Intention which are eligible for purchase under a Statement of Intention (plus any shares of money market funds and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund acquired by exchange of such eligible shares). Investors do not receive credit for shares purchased by the reinvestment of distributions. Investors qualifying for the "combined purchase privilege" (see above) may purchase shares under a single Statement of Intention.

The Statement of Intention is not a binding obligation upon the investor to purchase the full amount indicated. The minimum initial investment under a Statement of Intention is 5% of such amount, and must be invested immediately. Class A shares or class M shares purchased with the first 5% of such amount will be held in escrow to secure payment of the higher sales charge applicable to the shares actually purchased if the full amount indicated is not purchased. When the full amount indicated has been purchased, the escrow will be released. If

February 28, 2016  II-9 

 



an investor desires to redeem escrowed shares before the full amount has been purchased, the shares will be released from escrow only if the investor pays the sales charge that, without regard to the Statement of Intention, would apply to the total investment made to date.

If an investor purchases more than the dollar amount indicated on the Statement of Intention and qualifies for a further reduced sales charge, the sales charge will be adjusted for the entire amount purchased at the end of the 13-month period, upon recovery by Putnam Retail Management from the investor's dealer of its portion of the sales charge adjustment. Once received from the dealer, which may take a period of time or may never occur, the sales charge adjustment will be used to purchase additional shares at the then current offering price applicable to the actual amount of the aggregate purchases. These additional shares will not be considered as part of the total investment for the purpose of determining the applicable sales charge pursuant to the Statement of Intention. No sales charge adjustment will be made unless and until the investor's dealer returns to Putnam Retail Management any excess commissions previously received.

If an investor purchases less than the dollar amount indicated on the Statement of Intention within the 13-month period, the sales charge will be adjusted upward for the entire amount purchased at the end of the 13-month period. This adjustment will be made by redeeming shares from the account to cover the additional sales charge, the proceeds of which will be paid to the investor's dealer and Putnam Retail Management. Putnam Retail Management will make a corresponding downward adjustment to the amount of the reallowance payable to the dealer with respect to purchases made prior to the investor’s failure to fulfill the conditions of the Statement of Intention. If the account exceeds an amount that would otherwise qualify for a reduced sales charge, that reduced sales charge will be applied. Adjustments to sales charges and dealer reallowances will not be made in the case of the shareholder’s death prior to the expiration of the 13-month period.

Statements of Intention are not available for certain employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Statement of Intention forms may be obtained from Putnam Retail Management or from investment dealers. In addition, shareholders may complete the applicable portion of the fund’s standard account application. Interested investors should read the Statement of Intention carefully.

Commissions on Sales to Employee Retirement Plans

Purchases of class A and class R shares. On sales of class A shares at net asset value to certain employer-sponsored retirement plans and health reimbursement accounts and sales of class R shares, Putnam Retail Management may, at its discretion, pay commissions to the dealer of record on net monthly purchases up to the following rates: 1.00% of the first $1 million, 0.75% of the next $1 million and 0.50% thereafter.

For commission payments made by Putnam Retail Management to dealers and other financial intermediaries with respect to other classes of shares offered to employer-sponsored retirement plans and other tax-favored plan investors, see the corresponding sub-heading under “—Sales Charges and Other Share Class Features—Retail Investors.”

DISTRIBUTION PLANS

If the fund or a class of shares of the fund has adopted a distribution (12b-1) plan, the prospectus describes the principal features of the plan. This SAI contains additional information which may be of interest to investors.

Continuance of a plan is subject to annual approval by a vote of the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the fund and who have no direct or indirect interest in the plan or related arrangements (the "Qualified Trustees"), cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose. All material

February 28, 2016  II-10 

 



amendments to a plan must be likewise approved by the Trustees and the Qualified Trustees. No plan may be amended in order to increase materially the costs which the fund may bear for distribution pursuant to such plan without also being approved by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund or the relevant class of the fund, as the case may be. A plan terminates automatically in the event of its assignment and may be terminated without penalty, at any time, by a vote of a majority of the Qualified Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund or the relevant class of the fund, as the case may be.

The fund makes payments under each plan to Putnam Retail Management to compensate Putnam Retail Management for services provided and expenses incurred by it for purposes of promoting the sale of the relevant class of shares, reducing redemptions of shares or maintaining or improving services provided to shareholders by Putnam Retail Management and investment dealers.

Putnam Retail Management compensates qualifying dealers (including, for this purpose, certain financial institutions) for sales of shares and the maintenance of shareholder accounts.

Putnam Retail Management may suspend or modify its payments to dealers. The payments are also subject to the continuation of the relevant distribution plan, the terms of the service agreements between the dealers and Putnam Retail Management and any applicable limits imposed by FINRA. Unless noted below or where Putnam Retail Management and the applicable dealer have agreed otherwise, these payments commence in the first year after purchase.

Financial institutions receiving payments from Putnam Retail Management as described above may be required to comply with various state and federal regulatory requirements, including among others those regulating the activities of securities brokers or dealers.

Except as otherwise agreed between Putnam Retail Management and a dealer, for purposes of determining the amounts payable to dealers for shareholder accounts for which such dealers are designated as the dealer of record, "average net asset value" means the product of (i) the average daily share balance in such account(s) and (ii) the average daily net asset value of the relevant class of shares over the quarter.

Class A shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at up to the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class A shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record) except as described below. No payments are made during the first year after purchase on shares purchased at net asset value by shareholders that invest at least $1 million, or, in the case of dealers of record for an employer-sponsored retirement plan investing at least $1 million, where such dealer has agreed to a reduced sales commission.

Rate*  Fund 

0.25%  All funds currently making payments under a class A 
  distribution plan, except for those listed below 

0.20% for shares purchased before 3/21/05;  Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 3/21/05**   

0.20% for shares purchased before 4/1/05;  Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05   

 

February 28, 2016  II-11 

 



Rate*  Fund 

0.20% for shares purchased on or before 12/31/89;  Putnam Convertible Securities Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased after 12/31/89  George Putnam Balanced Fund 
  Putnam Global Equity Fund 
  Putnam Global Natural Resources Fund 
  Putnam Global Health Care Fund 
  The Putnam Fund for Growth and Income 
  Putnam Investors Fund 
  Putnam Voyager Fund 

0.20% for shares purchased on or before 3/31/90;  Putnam High Yield Trust 
0.25% for shares purchased after 3/31/90  Putnam U.S. Government Income Trust 

0.20% for shares purchased on or before 1/1/90;  Putnam Equity Income Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased after 1/1/90   

0.20% for shares purchased on or before 3/31/91;  Putnam Income Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased after 3/31/91;   

0.10%  Putnam Short Duration Income Fund 

0.15% for shares purchased on or before 3/6/92;  Putnam Michigan Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% for shares purchased after 3/6/92 but before  Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund 
4/1/05;  Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05   

0.15% for shares purchased on or before 5/11/92;  Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% for shares purchased after 5/11/92 but before   
4/1/05;   
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05   

0.15% for shares purchased on or before 12/31/92;  Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% for shares purchased after 12/31/92 but  Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund 
before 4/1/05;  Putnam New York Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05  Putnam Tax Exempt Income Fund 

0.15% for shares purchased on or before 3/5/93;  Putnam Arizona Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% for shares purchased after 3/5/93 but before   
4/1/05;   
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05   

0.15% for shares purchased on or before 7/8/93;  Putnam Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% for shares purchased after 7/8/93 but before   
4/1/05;   
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05   

0.00%  Putnam Money Market Fund 
  Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund 


*For purposes of this table, shares are deemed to be purchased on date of settlement (
i.e. , once purchased and paid for). Shares issued in connection with dividend reinvestments are considered to be purchased on the date of their issuance, not the issuance of the original shares.

 

 

February 28, 2016  II-12 

 



**Shares of Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund issued in connection with the merger of Putnam Municipal Income Fund into that fund pay a commission at the annual rate of 0.20% or 0.25%, based on the date of the original purchase of the shareholder’s corresponding shares of Putnam Municipal Income Fund, as set forth below: 0.20% for shares purchased on or before 5/7/92; 0.25% for shares purchased after 5/7/92.

Class B shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class B shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record).

Rate  Fund 

0.25%  All funds currently making payments under a class B 
  distribution plan, except for those listed below 

0.25%, except that the first year's service fees of  Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund 
0.25% are prepaid at time of sale  Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund 

0.20%, except that the first year’s service fees of  Putnam Arizona Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% are prepaid at time of sale  Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Michigan Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam New York Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Tax Exempt Income Fund 

0.00%  Putnam Money Market Fund 
  Putnam Short Duration Income Fund 

 

Class C shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class C shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record). No payments are made during the first year after purchase unless the shares were initially purchased without a CDSC, except that payments for Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund will be made beginning in the first year.

Rate  Fund 

1.00%  All funds currently making payments under a class C 
  distribution plan, except for those listed below 

0.50%  Putnam Money Market Fund 
  Putnam Short Duration Income Fund 

 

February 28, 2016  II-13 

 



Different rates may apply to shares sold outside the United States.

Class M shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class M shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record), except as follows.

Rate  Fund 

0.65%  All Growth, Blend, Value, Global Sector and Asset 
  Allocation Funds (excluding funds in the Retirement 
  Income Lifestyle suite) currently making payments 
  under a class M distribution plan, and Putnam 
  Absolute Return 500 Fund and Putnam Absolute 
  Return 700 Fund. 

0.40%  All Income funds currently making payments under a 
  class M distribution plan (except for Putnam Floating 
  Rate Income Fund, Putnam Money Market Fund, 
  Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund and 
  Putnam Short Duration Income Fund) and funds in the 
  Retirement Income Lifestyle suite. 

0.30%  Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute 
  Return 300 Fund, Putnam Short-Term Municipal 
  Income Fund and Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund 

0.15%  Putnam Money Market Fund 
  Putnam Short Duration Income Fund 

 

Putnam Retail Management’s payments to dealers for plans investing in class M shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record may equal up to the annual rate of 0.75% of the average net asset value of such class M shares for Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund and Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund as well as all Growth, Blend, Value, Global Sector and Asset Allocation Funds currently making payments under a class M distribution plan and up to the annual rate of 0.50% of the average net asset value of such class M shares for all Income funds currently making payments under a class M distribution plan (except for Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund, Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund, Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund).

Different rates may apply to shares sold outside the United States.

Class R shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at up to the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class R shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record). No payments are made to dealers during the first year after purchase unless Putnam Retail Management did not pay a commission to the dealer at purchase.

Rate  Fund 

0.50%  All funds currently making payments under a class R 
  distribution plan 

 

February 28, 2016  II-14 

 



A portion of the class R distribution fee payable to dealers may be paid to third parties who provide services to plans investing in class R shares and participants in such plans.

Class T shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class T shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record).

Rate  Fund 

0.25%  Putnam Money Market Fund 

 

Additional Dealer Payments

As described earlier in this section, dealers may receive different commissions, sales charge reallowances and other payments with respect to sales of different classes of shares of the funds. These payments may include servicing payments to retirement plan administrators and other institutions up to the same levels as described above. For purposes of this section the term “dealer” includes any broker, dealer, bank, bank trust department, registered investment advisor, financial planner, retirement plan administrator and any other institution having a selling, services, or any similar agreement with Putnam Retail Management or one of its affiliates.

Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates pay additional compensation to selected dealers under the categories described below. These categories are not mutually exclusive, and a single dealer may receive payments under all categories. These payments may create an incentive for a dealer firm or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the fund or other Putnam funds to its customers. These additional payments are made pursuant to agreements with dealers and do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a share or the amount a fund will receive as proceeds from such sales or the distribution (12b-1) fees and the expenses paid by the fund as shown under the heading “Fees and Expenses” in the prospectus.

Marketing Support Payments. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates make payments to certain dealers for marketing support services. These payments are individually negotiated with each dealer firm, taking into account the marketing support services provided by the dealer, including business planning assistance, educating dealer personnel about the Putnam funds and shareholder financial planning needs, placement on the dealer’s preferred or recommended fund company list, and access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the dealer, as well as the size of the dealer’s relationship with Putnam Retail Management. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates compensate dealers differently depending upon, among other factors, the level and/or type of marketing support provided by the dealer. Payments are generally based on one or more of the following factors: average net assets of Putnam’s retail mutual funds attributable to that dealer, gross or net sales of Putnam’s retail mutual funds attributable to that dealer, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that a dealer firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment for services rendered. In addition, payments typically apply to retail sales and assets, but may not, in certain situations, apply to other specific types of sales or assets, such as to retirement plans or fee-based advisory programs.

Although the total of marketing support payments made to dealers in any year may vary, on average, the aggregate payments are not expected, on an annual basis, to exceed 0.085% of the average assets of Putnam’s retail mutual funds attributable to the dealers.

February 28, 2016  II-15 

 



The following dealers (and such dealers’ respective affiliates) received marketing support payments from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates during the calendar year ended December 31, 2015:

American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc.  MMC Securities Corp. 

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.  MetLife Securities, Inc. 

AXA Advisors, LLC  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC 

BancWest Investment Services, Inc.  National Planning Corporation 

Cadaret, Grant & Co. Inc.  M&T Securities, Inc. 

CCO Investment Services Corp.  Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. 

Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.  NFP Securities, Inc. 

Cetera Advisors, LLC  Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC 

Cetera Advisor Networks, LLC  Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. 

Cetera Financial Specialists, LLC  PNC Investments LLC 

Cetera Investment Services, LLC  Raymond James & Associates, Inc. 

Commonwealth Equity Services  Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. 

CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc.  RBC Capital Markets, LLC 

CUSO Financial Services, L.P.  Royal Alliance Associates 

First Allied Securities, Inc.  Sagepoint Financial, Inc. 

FSC Securities Corporation  Santander Securities LLC 

Girard Securities, Inc.  Securities America, Inc. 

HD Vest Investment Securities, Inc.  SII Investments 

Independent Financial Group, LLC  Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated 

Investacorp, Inc.  Summit Brokerage Services, Inc. 

INVEST Financial Corporation  SunTrust Bank, Inc. 

Investment Centers of America, Inc.  SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. 

Investors Capital Corp.  TD Ameritrade, Inc. 

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC  TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc. 

J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC  Triad Advisors, Inc. 

J.P. Turner & Company, LLC  U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. 

Legend Equities Corporation  UBS Financial Services Inc. 

Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp.  Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. 

Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation  VSR Financial Services, Inc. 

Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc.  Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC 

LPL Financial LLC  Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. 

 

Additional dealers may receive marketing support payments in 2016 and in future years. Any additions, modifications or deletions to the list of dealers identified above that have occurred since December 31, 2015 are not reflected. You can ask your dealer about any payments it receives from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates.

Program Servicing Payments. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates also make payments to certain dealers that sell Putnam fund shares through dealer platforms and other investment programs to compensate dealers for a variety of services they provide. A dealer may perform program services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform program services. In addition to shareholder recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, program services may include services rendered in connection with dealer platform development and maintenance, fund/investment selection and monitoring, or other similar services. Payments by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates for program servicing support to any one dealer are not expected, with certain

February 28, 2016  II-16 

 



limited exceptions, to exceed 0.20% of the total assets in the program on an annual basis. In addition, Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates make one-time or annual payments to selected dealers receiving program servicing payments in reimbursement of printing costs for literature for shareholders, account maintenance fees or fees for establishment of Putnam funds on the dealer’s system. The amounts of these payments may, but will not normally (except in cases where the aggregate assets in the program are small), cause the aggregate amount of the program servicing payments to such dealer on an annual basis to exceed the amounts set forth above.

The following dealers (and such dealers’ respective affiliates) received program servicing payments from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates during the calendar year ended December 31, 2015:

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.  Pershing LLC 

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.  RBC Capital Markets, LLC 

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC  Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company 

National Financial Services LLC  Trust Company of America 

 

As noted above, this list of program servicing recipients above is for the year ended December 31, 2015. During 2015, Putnam changed its reporting approach for certain firms that provide administrative services, which results in fewer firms being listed for 2015 than in past years. Additional or different dealers may also receive program servicing payments in 2016 and in future years. Any additions, modifications or deletions to the list of dealers identified above that have occurred since December 31, 2015 are not reflected. You can ask your dealer about any payments it receives from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates.

Other Payments. From time to time, Putnam Retail Management, at its expense, may provide additional compensation to dealers which sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the fund to the extent not prohibited by laws or the rules of any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. Such compensation provided by Putnam Retail Management may include financial assistance to dealers that enables Putnam Retail Management to participate in and/or present at dealer-sponsored conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered representatives and other dealer employees, dealer entertainment, and other dealer-sponsored events, and travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with prospecting, retention and due diligence trips. Putnam Retail Management makes payments for entertainment events it deems appropriate, subject to Putnam Retail Management’s internal guidelines and applicable law. These payments may vary upon the nature of the event.

Sub-accounting payments. Certain dealers or other financial intermediaries also receive payments from Putnam Investor Services or its affiliates in recognition of sub-accounting or other services they provide to shareholders or plan participants who invest in the fund or other Putnam funds through their retirement plan. The amount paid for these services varies depending on the share class selected and by dealer or other financial intermediary, and may also take into account the extent to which the services provided by the dealer replace services that Putnam Investor Services or its affiliates would otherwise have to provide. There are no such payments in respect of class R6 shares, and payments in respect of class R5 shares are generally made at an annual rate of up to 0.10% of a fund’s average net assets attributable to class R5 shares held by a dealer or other financial intermediary, except that an annual rate of up to 0.07% of a fund’s average net assets attributable to class R5 shares held by a dealer or other financial intermediary applies to Putnam American Government Income Fund, Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Conservative Fund, Putnam Global Income Trust, Putnam Income Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund. Payments for other classes vary. See the discussion under the heading “MANAGEMENT – Investor Servicing Agent” for more details.

You can ask your dealer for information about payments it receives from Putnam Retail Management or its affiliates and the services it provides for those payments.

February 28, 2016  II-17 

 



MISCELLANEOUS INVESTMENTS, INVESTMENT PRACTICES AND RISKS

As noted in the prospectus, in addition to the main investment strategies and the principal risks described in the prospectus, the fund may employ other investment practices and may be subject to other risks, which are described below. Because the following is a combined description of investment strategies of all of the Putnam funds, certain matters described herein may not apply to your fund. Unless a strategy or policy described below is specifically prohibited or limited by the investment restrictions discussed in the fund’s prospectus or in this SAI, or by applicable law, the fund may engage in each of the practices described below without limit. This section contains information on the investments and investment practices listed below. With respect to funds for which Putnam Investments Limited (“PIL”) and/or The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (“PAC”) serves as sub-investment manager (as described in the fund’s prospectus), references to Putnam Management in this section include PIL and/or PAC, as appropriate.


Temporary Defensive Strategies  Money Market Instruments 

Bank Loans  Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed Securities 

Borrowing and Other Forms of Leverage  Options on Securities 

Derivatives  Preferred Stocks and Convertible Securities 

Exchange-Traded Notes  Private Placements and Restricted Securities 

Floating Rate and Variable Rate Demand Notes  Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) 

Foreign Currency Transactions  Redeemable Securities 

Foreign Investments and Related Risks  Repurchase Agreements 

Forward Commitments and Dollar Rolls  Securities Loans 

Futures Contracts and Related Options  Securities of Other Investment Companies 

Hybrid Instruments  Short Sales 

Inflation-Protected Securities  Short-Term Trading 

Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)  Special Purpose Acquisition Companies 

Interfund Borrowing and Lending  Structured Investments 

Inverse Floaters  Swap Agreements 

Investment Ratings  Tax-exempt Securities 

Legal and Regulatory Risk Relating to Investment Strategy  Warrants 

Lower-rated Securities  Zero-coupon and Payment-in-kind Bonds 

 

Temporary Defensive Strategies

In response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, Putnam Management may take temporary defensive positions that differ from the fund’s usual investment strategies. In implementing these temporary defensive strategies, the fund may invest primarily in, among other things, debt securities, preferred stocks, U.S. government and agency obligations, cash or money market instruments (including, to the extent permitted by law or applicable exemptive relief, money market funds), or any other securities Putnam Management considers consistent with such defensive strategies. While temporary defensive strategies are mainly designed to limit losses, such strategies may not work as intended.

Bank Loans

The fund may invest in bank loans. By purchasing a loan, the fund acquires some or all of the interest of a bank or other lending institution in a loan to a particular borrower. The fund may act as part of a lending syndicate, and in such cases would be purchasing a “participation” in the loan. The fund may also purchase loans by assignment from another lender. Many loans are secured by the assets of the borrower, and most impose restrictive covenants which must be met by the borrower. These loans are typically made by a syndicate of banks, represented by an agent bank which has negotiated and structured the loan and which is responsible

February 28, 2016  II-18 

 



generally for collecting interest, principal, and other amounts from the borrower on its own behalf and on behalf of the other lending institutions in the syndicate, and for enforcing its and their other rights against the borrower. Each of the lending institutions, including the agent bank, lends to the borrower a portion of the total amount of the loan, and retains the corresponding interest in the loan.

The fund’s ability to receive payments of principal and interest and other amounts in connection with loan participations held by it will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower (and, in some cases, the lending institution from which it purchases the loan). The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, or may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult to liquidate. In addition, the fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. The failure by the fund to receive scheduled interest or principal payments on a loan would adversely affect the income of the fund and would likely reduce the value of its assets, which would be reflected in a reduction in the fund's net asset value. Banks and other lending institutions generally perform a credit analysis of the borrower before originating a loan or participating in a lending syndicate. In selecting the loans in which the fund will invest, however, Putnam Management will not rely solely on that credit analysis, but will perform its own investment analysis of the borrowers. Putnam Management's analysis may include consideration of the borrower's financial strength and managerial experience, debt coverage, additional borrowing requirements or debt maturity schedules, changing financial conditions, and responsiveness to changes in business conditions and interest rates. Putnam Management will generally not have access to non-public information to which other investors in syndicated loans may have access. Because loans in which the fund may invest are not generally rated by independent credit rating agencies, a decision by the fund to invest in a particular loan will depend almost exclusively on Putnam Management's, and the original lending institution's, credit analysis of the borrower. Investments in loans may be of any quality, including “distressed” loans, and will be subject to the fund’s credit quality policy. The loans in which the fund may invest include those that pay fixed rates of interest and those that pay floating rates – i.e. , rates that adjust periodically based on a known lending rate, such as a bank’s prime rate.

Loans may be structured in different forms, including novations, assignments and participating interests. In a novation, the fund assumes all of the rights of a lending institution in a loan, including the right to receive payments of principal and interest and other amounts directly from the borrower and to enforce its rights as a lender directly against the borrower. The fund assumes the position of a co-lender with other syndicate members. As an alternative, the fund may purchase an assignment of a portion of a lender's interest in a loan. In this case, the fund may be required generally to rely upon the assigning bank to demand payment and enforce its rights against the borrower, but would otherwise be entitled to all of such bank's rights in the loan. The fund may also purchase a participating interest in a portion of the rights of a lending institution in a loan. In such case, it will be entitled to receive payments of principal, interest and premium, if any, but will not generally be entitled to enforce its rights directly against the agent bank or the borrower, and must rely for that purpose on the lending institution. The fund may also acquire a loan interest directly by acting as a member of the original lending syndicate.

The fund will in many cases be required to rely upon the lending institution from which it purchases the loan to collect and pass on to the fund such payments and to enforce the fund's rights under the loan. As a result, an insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the lending institution may delay or prevent the fund from receiving principal, interest and other amounts with respect to the underlying loan. When the fund is required to rely upon a lending institution to pay to the fund principal, interest and other amounts received by it, Putnam Management will also evaluate the creditworthiness of the lending institution.

February 28, 2016  II-19 

 



The borrower of a loan in which the fund holds an interest may, either at its own election or pursuant to terms of the loan documentation, prepay amounts of the loan from time to time. There is no assurance that the fund will be able to reinvest the proceeds of any loan prepayment at the same interest rate or on the same terms as those of the original loan.

Corporate loans in which the fund may invest are generally made to finance internal growth, mergers, acquisitions, stock repurchases, leveraged buy-outs and other corporate activities. A significant portion of the corporate loans purchased by the fund may represent interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged corporate acquisitions, known as "leveraged buy-out" transactions, leveraged recapitalization loans and other types of acquisition financing. The highly leveraged capital structure of the borrowers in such transactions may make such loans especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. In addition, loans generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to sell such participations in secondary markets. As a result, the fund may be unable to sell loans at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at a price that is less than their fair market value. The fund may hold investments in loans for a very short period of time when opportunities to resell the investments that Putnam Management believes are attractive arise.

Certain of the loans acquired by the fund may involve revolving credit facilities under which a borrower may from time to time borrow and repay amounts up to the maximum amount of the facility. In such cases, the fund would have an obligation to advance its portion of such additional borrowings upon the terms specified in the loan participation. To the extent that the fund is committed to make additional loans under such a participation, it will at all times set aside on its books liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments. Certain of the loan participations acquired by the fund may also involve loans made in foreign ( i. e ., non-U.S.) currencies. The fund's investment in such participations would involve the risks of currency fluctuations described in this SAI with respect to investments in the foreign securities.

With respect to its management of investments in bank loans, Putnam Management will normally seek to avoid receiving material, non-public information (“Confidential Information”) about the issuers of bank loans being considered for acquisition by the fund or held in the fund’s portfolio. In many instances, borrowers may offer to furnish Confidential Information to prospective investors, and to holders, of the issuer’s loans. Putnam Management’s decision not to receive Confidential Information may place Putnam Management at a disadvantage relative to other investors in loans (which could have an adverse effect on the price the fund pays or receives when buying or selling loans). Also, in instances where holders of loans are asked to grant amendments, waivers or consent, Putnam Management’s ability to assess their significance or desirability may be adversely affected. For these and other reasons, it is possible that Putnam Management’s decision not to receive Confidential Information under normal circumstances could adversely affect the fund’s investment performance.

Notwithstanding its intention generally not to receive material, non-public information with respect to its management of investments in loans, Putnam Management may from time to time come into possession of material, non-public information about the issuers of loans that may be held in the fund’s portfolio. Possession of such information may in some instances occur despite Putnam Management’s efforts to avoid such possession, but in other instances Putnam Management may choose to receive such information (for example, in connection with participation in a creditors’ committee with respect to a financially distressed issuer). As, and to the extent, required by applicable law, Putnam Management's ability to trade in these loans for the account of the fund could potentially be limited by its possession of such information. Such limitations on Putnam Management's ability to trade could have an adverse effect on the fund by, for example, preventing the fund from selling a loan that is experiencing a material decline in value. In some instances, these trading restrictions could continue in effect for a substantial period of time.

February 28, 2016  II-20 

 



In some instances, other accounts managed by Putnam Management or an affiliate may hold other securities issued by borrowers whose loans may be held in the fund’s portfolio. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the loans held in the fund’s portfolio, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities. In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the issuer deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the issuer’s loans. In such cases, Putnam Management may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the fund and other client accounts. Putnam Management will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if Putnam Management's client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuer’s securities.

Borrowing and Other Forms of Leverage

The fund may borrow money to the extent permitted by its investment policies and restrictions and applicable law. When the fund borrows money or otherwise leverages its portfolio, the value of an investment in the fund will be more volatile and other investment risks will tend to be compounded. This is because leverage tends to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the fund’s holdings. In addition to borrowing money from banks, the fund may engage in certain other investment transactions that may be viewed as forms of financial leverage – for example, using dollar rolls, investing collateral from loans of portfolio securities, entering into when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment transactions or using derivatives such as swaps, futures, forwards, and options. Because the fund either (1) sets aside cash (or other assets determined to be liquid by Putnam Management in accordance with procedures established by the Trustees) on its books in respect of such transactions during the period in which the transactions are open or (2) otherwise “covers” its obligations under the transactions, such as by holding offsetting investments , the fund does not consider these transactions to be borrowings for purposes of its investment restrictions or “senior securities” for purposes of the 1940 Act. In some cases (e . g., with respect to futures and forwards that are contractually required to “cash-settle”), the fund is permitted under relevant guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or SEC staff to set aside assets with respect to an investment transaction in the amount of its net (marked-to-market) obligations thereunder, rather than the full notional amount of the transaction. By setting aside assets equal only to its net obligations, the fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if it set aside assets equal to the notional amount of the transaction, which may increase the risk associated with such investments.

Each Putnam fund (other than Putnam RetirementReady® Funds, Putnam Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 1, Putnam Global Sector Fund, Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short-Term Investment Fund) participates in a syndicated committed line of credit provided by State Street Bank and Trust Company and Northern Trust Company and an uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street Bank and Trust Company. These lines of credit are intended to provide a temporary source of cash in extraordinary or emergency circumstances, such as unexpected shareholder redemption requests. The fund may pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit, in addition to the stated interest rate. A participating fund in the syndicated committed line of credit that invests more than 10% of its assets in other pooled investment vehicles (other than money market funds) (a “fund-of-funds”) will be required to maintain a 400% asset coverage ratio.

Derivatives

Certain of the instruments in which the fund may invest, such as futures contracts, options, hybrid instruments, forward contracts, swap agreements and structured investments, are considered to be "derivatives." Derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value or other attributes of an underlying asset, such as a security or an index. Further information about these instruments and the risks involved in their use is included elsewhere in the prospectus and in this SAI. The fund’s use of derivatives may cause the fund to recognize higher amounts of short-term capital gains, which are generally taxed to individual shareholders at ordinary income tax rates, and higher amounts of ordinary income, and more generally may

February 28, 2016  II-21 

 



affect the timing, character and amount of a fund’s distributions to shareholders. The fund’s use of commodity-linked derivatives can bear on or be limited by the fund’s intention to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code), as discussed in “Taxes” below. Investments in derivatives may be applied toward meeting a requirement to invest in a particular kind of investment if the derivatives have economic characteristics similar to that investment. The fund’s use of certain derivatives may in some cases involve forms of financial leverage, which involves risk and may increase the volatility of the fund’s net asset value. See “—Borrowing and Other Forms of Leverage.” In its use of derivatives, the fund may take both long positions (the values of which move in the same direction as the prices of the underlying investments, pools of investments, indexes or currencies), and short positions (the values of which move in the opposite direction from the prices of the underlying investments, pools of investments indexes or currencies).

Short positions may involve greater risks than long positions, as the risk of loss may be theoretically unlimited (unlike a long position, in which the risk of loss may be limited to the amount invested). The fund may use derivatives that combine “long” and “short” positions in order to capture the difference between underlying investments, pools of investments, indices or currencies.

Exchange-Traded Notes

The fund may invest in exchange traded notes (“ETNs”). ETNs are typically senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market index less applicable fees and expenses. ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. The fund may hold the ETN until maturity, at which time the issuer is obligated to pay a return linked to the performance of the relevant market index. ETNs do not make periodic interest payments and principal is not protected.

The market value of an ETN may be influenced by, among other things, time to maturity, level of supply and demand of the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, the current performance of the market index to which the ETN is linked, and the credit rating of the ETN issuer. The market value of an ETN may differ from the performance of the applicable market index and there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities underlying the market index that the ETN seeks to track. A change in the issuer’s credit rating may also impact the value of an ETN despite the underlying market index remaining unchanged. ETNs are also subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) will accept, or a court will uphold, how the fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes.

An ETN that is tied to a specific market index may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market index. ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable market index, and the fund would bear a proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN in which it invests.

The fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN. Some ETNs that use leverage in an effort to amplify the returns of an underlying market index can, at times, be relatively illiquid and may therefore be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs may offer the potential for greater return, but the potential for loss and speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. The extent of the fund’s investment in commodity-linked ETNs, if any, is limited by tax considerations. For more information regarding the tax treatment of commodity-linked ETNs, please see “Taxes” below.

February 28, 2016  II-22 

 



ETNs are generally similar to structured investments and hybrid instruments. For discussion of these investments and the risks generally associated with them, see “Hybrid Instruments” and “Structured Investments” in this SAI.

Floating Rate and Variable Rate Demand Notes

The fund may purchase taxable or tax-exempt floating rate and variable rate demand notes for short-term cash management or other investment purposes. Floating rate and variable rate demand notes and bonds may have a stated maturity in excess of one year, but may have features that permit a holder to demand payment of principal plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days notice. Frequently, such obligations are secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements provided by banks. The issuer has a corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal of the obligation plus accrued interest upon a specific number of days notice to the holders. The interest rate of a floating rate instrument may be based on a known lending rate, such as a bank's prime rate, and is reset whenever such rate is adjusted. The interest rate on a variable rate demand note is reset at specified intervals at a market rate.

Foreign Currency Transactions

To manage its exposure to foreign currencies, the fund may engage in foreign currency exchange transactions, including purchasing and selling foreign currency, foreign currency options, foreign currency forward contracts and foreign currency futures contracts and related options. In addition, the fund may engage in these transactions for the purpose of increasing its return. Foreign currency transactions involve costs, and, if unsuccessful, may reduce the fund’s return.

Generally, the fund may engage in both "transaction hedging" and "position hedging." The fund may also engage in foreign currency transactions for non-hedging purposes, subject to applicable law. When it engages in transaction hedging, the fund enters into foreign currency transactions with respect to specific receivables or payables, generally arising in connection with the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. The fund will engage in transaction hedging when it desires to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of a security it has agreed to purchase or sell, or the U.S. dollar equivalent of a dividend or interest payment in a foreign currency. By transaction hedging the fund will attempt to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the applicable foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the dividend or interest payment is earned, and the date on which such payments are made or received. The fund may also engage in position hedging to protect against a decline in the value relative to the U.S. dollar of the currencies in which its portfolio securities are denominated or quoted (or an increase in the value of the currency in which securities the fund intends to buy are denominated or quoted).

The fund may purchase or sell a foreign currency on a spot (or cash) basis at the prevailing spot rate in connection with the settlement of transactions in portfolio securities denominated in that foreign currency or for other hedging or non-hedging purposes. If conditions warrant, for hedging or non-hedging purposes, the fund may also enter into contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date ("forward contracts") and purchase and sell foreign currency futures contracts. The fund may also purchase or sell exchange-listed and over-the-counter call and put options on foreign currency futures contracts and on foreign currencies.

A foreign currency futures contract is a standardized exchange-traded contract for the future delivery of a specified amount of a foreign currency at a price set at the time of the contract. Foreign currency futures contracts traded in the United States are designed by and traded on exchanges regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC"), such as the New York Mercantile Exchange, and have margin requirements.

February 28, 2016  II-23 

 



A foreign currency forward contract is a negotiated agreement to exchange currency at a future time, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract as agreed by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. The contract price may be higher or lower than the current spot rate. In the case of a cancelable forward contract, the holder has the unilateral right to cancel the contract at maturity by paying a specified fee. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts differ from foreign currency futures contracts in certain respects. For example, the maturity date of a forward contract may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, rather than a predetermined date in a given month. Forward contracts may be in any amount agreed upon by the parties rather than predetermined amounts. In addition, forward contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers, so that no intermediary is required. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades.

At the maturity of a forward or futures contract, the fund either may accept or make delivery of the currency specified in the contract, or at or prior to maturity enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract. Closing transactions with respect to futures contracts may be effected only on a commodities exchange or board of trade which provides a secondary market in such contracts; a clearing corporation associated with the exchange assumes responsibility for closing out such contracts.

Although the fund intends to purchase or sell foreign currency futures contracts only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a secondary market on an exchange or board of trade will exist for any particular contract or at any particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures position and, in the event of adverse price movements, the fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin.

It is impossible to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration or maturity of a forward or futures contract. Accordingly, it may be necessary for the fund to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security or securities being hedged is less than the amount of foreign currency the fund is obligated to deliver and a decision is made to sell the security or securities and make delivery of the foreign currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received upon the sale of the portfolio security or securities if the market value of such security or securities exceeds the amount of foreign currency the fund is obligated to deliver.

As noted above, the fund may purchase or sell exchange-listed and over-the-counter call and put options on foreign currency futures contracts and on foreign currencies. A put option on a futures contract gives the fund the right to assume a short position in the futures contract until the expiration of the option. A put option on a currency gives the fund the right to sell the currency at an exercise price until the expiration of the option. A call option on a futures contract gives the fund the right to assume a long position in the futures contract until the expiration of the option. A call option on a currency gives the fund the right to purchase the currency at the exercise price until the expiration of the option.

Foreign currency options are traded primarily in the over-the-counter market, although options on foreign currencies are also listed on several exchanges. Options are traded not only on the currencies of individual nations, but also on the euro, the joint currency of most countries in the European Union.

February 28, 2016  II-24 

 



The fund will only purchase or write foreign currency options when Putnam Management believes that a liquid secondary market exists for such options. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time. Options on foreign currencies may be affected by all of those factors which influence foreign exchange rates and investments generally.

The fund's currency hedging transactions may call for the delivery of one foreign currency in exchange for another foreign currency and may at times not involve currencies in which its portfolio securities are then denominated. Putnam Management will engage in such "cross hedging" activities when it believes that such transactions provide significant hedging opportunities for the fund. Cross hedging transactions by the fund involve the risk of imperfect correlation between changes in the values of the currencies to which such transactions relate and changes in the value of the currency or other asset or liability which is the subject of the hedge.

Transaction and position hedging do not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities that the fund owns or intends to purchase or sell. They simply establish a rate of exchange which one can achieve at some future point in time. Additionally, although these techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, they involve costs to the fund and tend to limit any potential gain which might result from the increase in value of such currency.

The fund may also engage in non-hedging currency transactions. For example, Putnam Management may believe that exposure to a currency is in the fund's best interest but that securities denominated in that currency are unattractive. In this situation, the fund may purchase a currency forward contract or option in order to increase its exposure to the currency. In accordance with SEC regulations, the fund will set aside liquid assets on its books to cover forward contracts used for non-hedging purposes.

In addition, the fund may seek to increase its current return or to offset some of the costs of hedging against fluctuations in current exchange rates by writing covered call options and covered put options on foreign currencies. The fund receives a premium from writing a call or put option, which increases the fund's current return if the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a net profit. The fund may terminate an option that it has written prior to its expiration by entering into a closing purchase transaction in which it purchases an option having the same terms as the option written.

The value of any currency, including U.S. dollars and foreign currencies, may be affected by complex political and economic factors applicable to the issuing country. In addition, the exchange rates of foreign currencies (and therefore the values of foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts) may be affected significantly, fixed, or supported directly or indirectly by U.S. and foreign government actions. Government intervention may increase risks involved in purchasing or selling foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts, since exchange rates may not be free to fluctuate in response to other market forces.

The value of a foreign currency option, forward contract or futures contract reflects the value of an exchange rate, which in turn reflects relative values of two currencies -- the U.S. dollar and the foreign currency in question. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for currency conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the "spread") between prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market involve substantially larger amounts than those that may be involved in the exercise of foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts, investors may be disadvantaged by having to deal in an odd-lot market for the underlying foreign currencies in connection with options at prices that are less favorable than for round lots. Foreign governmental restrictions or taxes could result in adverse changes in the cost of acquiring or disposing of foreign currencies.

February 28, 2016  II-25 

 



There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies and there is no regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis. Available quotation information is generally representative of very large round-lot transactions in the interbank market and thus may not reflect exchange rates for smaller odd-lot transactions (less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent that options markets are closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, significant price and rate movements may take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets.

The decision as to whether and to what extent the fund will engage in foreign currency exchange transactions will depend on a number of factors, including prevailing market conditions, the composition of the fund's portfolio and the availability of suitable transactions. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the fund will engage in foreign currency exchange transactions at any given time or from time to time.

Foreign Investments and Related Risks

Foreign securities are normally denominated and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, the value of the fund's foreign investments and the value of its shares may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar. In addition, the fund is required to compute and distribute its income in U.S. dollars. Therefore, if the exchange rate for a foreign currency declines after a fund's income has been earned and translated into U.S. dollars (but before payment), the fund could be required to liquidate portfolio securities to make such distributions. Similarly, if an exchange rate declines between the time a fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the amount of such currency required to be converted into U.S. dollars in order to pay such expenses in U.S. dollars will be greater than the equivalent amount in any such currency of such expenses at the time they were incurred.

There may be less information publicly available about a foreign issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and foreign issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. In addition, there may be less (or less effective) regulation of exchanges, brokers and listed companies in some foreign countries. The securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than in the United States.

Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations may be more complex and involve certain risks (such as delay in payment or delivery of securities or in the recovery of the fund's assets held abroad) and expenses not present in the settlement of investments in U.S. markets. For example, settlement of transactions involving foreign securities or foreign currencies (see below) may occur within a foreign country, and the fund may accept or make delivery of the underlying securities or currency in conformity with any applicable U.S. or foreign restrictions or regulations, and may pay fees, taxes or charges associated with such delivery. Such investments may also involve the risk that an entity involved in the settlement may not meet its obligations.

In addition, foreign securities may be subject to the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets, imposition of sanctions (whether imposed by the local sovereign or by the United States government), currency exchange controls, foreign withholding taxes or restrictions on the repatriation of foreign currency, confiscatory taxation, political, social or financial instability and diplomatic developments which could affect the value of the fund's investments in certain foreign countries. Dividends or interest on, or proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, and special U.S. tax considerations may apply.

Note on MSCI indices. MSCI, Inc. (MSCI) publishes two versions of its indices reflecting the reinvestment of dividends using two different methodologies: gross dividends and net dividends. While both versions reflect reinvested dividends, they differ with respect to the manner in which taxes associated with dividend payments are treated. In calculating the net dividends version, MSCI incorporates reinvested dividends applying the

February 28, 2016  II-26 

 



withholding tax rate applicable to foreign non-resident institutional investors that do not benefit from double taxation treaties. Putnam Management believes that the net dividends version of MSCI indices better reflects the returns U.S. investors might expect were they to invest directly in the component securities of an MSCI index.

Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the United States or in other foreign countries.

The laws of some foreign countries may limit the fund's ability to invest in securities of certain issuers organized under the laws of those foreign countries. These restrictions may take the form of prior governmental approval requirements, limits on the amount or type of securities held by foreigners and limits on the types of companies in which foreigners may invest (e.g., limits on investment in certain industries). Some countries also limit the investment of foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms or rights or preferences than securities of the issuer available for purchase by domestic parties, or may directly limit foreign investors’ rights (such as voting rights). Although securities subject to such restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions. Foreign laws may also impact the availability of derivatives or hedging techniques relating to a foreign country’s government securities. In each of these situations, the funds’ ability to invest significantly in desired issuers, or the terms of such investments, could be negatively impacted as a result of the relevant legal restriction. Sanctions imposed by the United States government on other countries or persons or issuers operating in such countries could restrict the fund’s ability to buy affected securities or to sell any affected securities it has previously purchased, which may subject the fund to greater risk of loss in those securities.

For purposes of some foreign holding limits or disclosure thresholds, all positions owned or controlled by the same person or entity, even if in different accounts, may be aggregated for purposes of determining whether the applicable limits or thresholds have been exceeded. Thus, even if the fund does not intend to exceed applicable limits, it is possible that different clients managed by Putnam Management and its affiliates (including separate affiliates owned by Power Corporation of Canada outside the Putnam Investments group) may be aggregated for this purpose. These limits may adversely affect the fund’s ability to invest in the applicable security.

The risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets, typically are increased in connection with investments in developing countries, also known as "emerging markets." For example, political and economic structures in these countries may be in their infancy and developing rapidly, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. Certain of these countries have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized and expropriated the assets of private companies. High rates of inflation or currency devaluations may adversely affect the economies and securities markets of such countries. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative.

The currencies of certain emerging market countries have experienced devaluations relative to the U.S. dollar, and future devaluations may adversely affect the value of assets denominated in such currencies. Many emerging market countries have experienced substantial, and in some periods extremely high, rates of inflation or deflation for many years, and future inflation may adversely affect the economies and securities markets of such countries.

In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in emerging markets and the availability of additional investments in these markets. The small size, limited trading volume and relative inexperience of the securities markets in these countries may make investments in securities traded in emerging markets illiquid and more volatile than investments in securities traded in more developed countries, and the fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before making investments in securities traded in emerging markets. There may be little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers of emerging market securities, and it may be difficult as a result to assess the value or prospects of an investment in such securities.

February 28, 2016  II-27 

 



American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) as well as other “hybrid” forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing in foreign securities.

Certain of the foregoing risks may also apply to some extent to securities of U.S. issuers that are denominated in foreign currencies or that are traded in foreign markets, or securities of U.S. issuers having significant foreign operations.

Forward Commitments and Dollar Rolls

The fund may enter into contracts to purchase securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time ("forward commitments") if the fund sets aside on its books liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price, or if the fund enters into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. In the case of to-be-announced ("TBA") purchase commitments, the unit price and the estimated principal amount are established when the fund enters into a contract, with the actual principal amount being within a specified range of the estimate. Forward commitments may be considered securities in themselves, and involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date, which risk is in addition to the risk of decline in the value of the fund's other assets. Where such purchases are made through dealers, the fund relies on the dealer to consummate the sale. The dealer's failure to do so may result in the loss to the fund of an advantageous yield or price. Although the fund will generally enter into forward commitments with the intention of acquiring securities for its portfolio or for delivery pursuant to options contracts it has entered into, the fund may dispose of a commitment prior to settlement if Putnam Management deems it appropriate to do so. The fund may realize short-term profits or losses upon the sale of forward commitments.

The fund may enter into TBA sale commitments to hedge its portfolio positions, to sell securities it owns under delayed delivery arrangements, or to take a short position in mortgage-backed securities. Proceeds of TBA sale commitments are not received until the contractual settlement date. During the time a TBA sale commitment is outstanding, either equivalent deliverable securities or an offsetting TBA purchase commitment deliverable on or before the sale commitment date are held as "cover" for the transaction, or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value of the TBA sale commitment are segregated. Where the fund purchases or sells an option, which is to be settled in cash, to buy or sell a TBA sale commitment, the fund will segregate cash or liquid assets in an amount equal to the current “mark-to-market” value of the option. Unsettled TBA sale commitments are valued at current market value of the underlying securities. If the TBA sale commitment is closed through the acquisition of an offsetting purchase commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss on the commitment without regard to any unrealized gain or loss on the underlying security. If the fund delivers securities under the commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss from the sale of the securities based upon the unit price established at the date the commitment was entered into.

The fund may enter into dollar roll transactions (generally using TBAs) in which it sells a fixed income security for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to purchase similar securities (for example, same type, coupon and maturity) at an agreed upon future time. By engaging in a dollar roll transaction, the fund foregoes principal and interest paid on the security that is sold, but receives the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase. The fund would also be able to earn interest on the proceeds of the sale before they are reinvested. The fund accounts for dollar rolls as purchases and sales. Because cash (or other assets determined to be liquid by Putnam Management in accordance with procedures

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established by the Trustees) in the amount of the fund’s commitment under a dollar roll is set aside on the fund’s books, the fund does not consider these transactions to be borrowings for purposes of its investment restrictions.

The obligation to purchase securities on a specified future date involves the risk that the market value of the securities that the fund is obligated to purchase may decline below the purchase price. In addition, in the event the other party to the transaction files for bankruptcy, becomes insolvent or defaults on its obligation, the fund may be adversely affected.

Futures Contracts and Related Options

Subject to applicable law, the fund may invest without limit in futures contracts and related options for hedging and non-hedging purposes, such as to manage the effective duration of the fund's portfolio or as a substitute for direct investment. A financial futures contract sale creates an obligation by the seller to deliver the type of financial instrument called for in the contract in a specified delivery month for a stated price. A financial futures contract purchase creates an obligation by the purchaser to take delivery of the type of financial instrument called for in the contract in a specified delivery month at a stated price. The specific instruments delivered or taken, respectively, at settlement date are not determined until on or near that date. The determination is made in accordance with the rules of the exchange on which the futures contract sale or purchase was made. Futures contracts are traded in the United States only on commodity exchanges or boards of trade -- known as "contract markets" -- approved for such trading by the CFTC, and must be executed through a futures commission merchant or brokerage firm which is a member of the relevant contract market. Examples of futures contracts that the fund may use (which may include single-security futures) include, without limitation, U.S. Treasury security futures, index futures, corporate or municipal bond futures, Government National Mortgage Association certificate futures, interest rate swap futures, and Eurodollar futures. In addition, as described elsewhere in this SAI, the fund may use foreign currency futures.

Although futures contracts (other than index futures and futures based on the volatility or variance experienced by an index) by their terms call for actual delivery or acceptance of commodities or securities, in most cases the contracts are closed out before the settlement date without the making or taking of delivery. Index futures and futures based on the volatility or variance experienced by an index do not call for actual delivery or acceptance of commodities or securities, but instead require cash settlement of the futures contract on the settlement date specified in the contract. Such contracts may also be closed out before the settlement date. Closing out a futures contract sale is effected by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity with the same delivery date. If the price of the initial sale of the futures contract exceeds the price of the offsetting purchase, the seller is paid the difference and realizes a gain. Conversely, if the price of the offsetting purchase exceeds the price of the initial sale, the seller realizes a loss. If the fund is unable to enter into a closing transaction, the amount of the fund's potential loss is unlimited. The closing out of a futures contract purchase is effected by the purchaser's entering into a futures contract sale. If the offsetting sale price exceeds the purchase price, the purchaser realizes a gain, and if the purchase price exceeds the offsetting sale price, he realizes a loss.

Unlike when the fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by the fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Instead, upon entering into a contract, the fund is required to deliver to the futures broker an amount of liquid assets. This amount is known as "initial margin." The nature of initial margin in futures transactions is different from that of margin in security transactions in that futures contract margin does not involve the borrowing of funds to finance the transactions. Rather, initial margin is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit which is returned to the fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Futures contracts also involve brokerage costs.

Subsequent payments, called "variation margin" or "maintenance margin," to and from the broker are made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying security or commodity fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as "marking to the market." For example, when the fund has purchased a futures contract on a security and the price of the underlying security has risen, that

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position will have increased in value and the fund will receive from the broker a variation margin payment based on that increase in value. Conversely, when the fund has purchased a security futures contract and the price of the underlying security has declined, the position would be less valuable and the fund would be required to make a variation margin payment to the broker.

The fund may elect to close some or all of its futures positions at any time prior to their expiration in order to reduce or eliminate a position then currently held by the fund. The fund may close its positions by taking opposite positions which will operate to terminate the fund's position in the futures contracts. Final determinations of variation margin are then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the fund, and the fund realizes a loss or a gain. Such closing transactions involve additional commission costs.

The fund does not intend to purchase or sell futures or related options for other than hedging purposes, if, as a result, the sum of the initial margin deposits on the fund's existing futures and related options positions and premiums paid for outstanding options on futures contracts would exceed 5% of the fund's net assets.

Each Putnam fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the CEA pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA (the “exclusion”) promulgated by the CFTC. Accordingly, neither these funds nor Putnam Management are subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA. To remain eligible for the exclusion, each fund will be limited in its ability to use certain financial instruments regulated under the CEA (“commodity interests”), including futures and options on futures and certain swaps transactions. In the event that a fund’s investments in commodity interests are not within the thresholds set forth in the exclusion, Putnam Management may be required to register as a “commodity pool operator” and/or “commodity trading advisor” with the CFTC with respect to that fund. Putnam Management’s eligibility to claim the exclusion with respect to a fund will be based upon, among other things, the level and scope of the fund’s investment in commodity interests, the purposes of such investments and the manner in which the fund holds out its use of commodity interests. A fund’s ability to invest in commodity interests (including, but not limited to, futures and swaps on broad-based securities indexes and interest rates) is limited by Putnam Management's intention to operate the fund in a manner that would permit Putnam Management to continue to claim the exclusion under Rule 4.5, which may adversely affect the fund’s total return. In the event the fund’s investments in commodity interests require Putnam Management to register with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator with respect to a fund, the fund’s expenses may increase, adversely affecting that fund’s total return.

Index futures. An index futures contract is a contract to buy or sell units of an index at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Entering into a contract to buy units of an index is commonly referred to as buying or purchasing a contract or holding a long position in the index. Entering into a contract to sell units of an index is commonly referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position. A unit is the current value of the index. The fund may enter into stock index futures contracts, debt index futures contracts, or other index futures contracts appropriate to its objective(s). The fund may also purchase and sell options on index futures contracts.

For example, the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index ("S&P 500") is composed of 500 selected U.S. common stocks. The S&P 500 assigns relative weightings to the common stocks included in the Index, and the value fluctuates with changes in the market values of those common stocks. In the case of the S&P 500, contracts are currently to buy or sell 250 units. Thus, if the value of the S&P 500 were $150, one contract would be worth $37,500 (250 units x $150). The stock index futures contract specifies that no delivery of the actual stocks making up the index will take place. Instead, settlement in cash must occur upon the termination of the contract, with the settlement being the difference between the contract price and the actual level of the stock index at the expiration of the contract. For example, if the fund enters into a futures contract to buy 250 units of the S&P 500 at a specified future date at a contract price of $150 and the S&P 500 is at $154 on that future date, the fund will gain $1,000 (250 units x gain of $4). If the fund enters into a futures contract to sell 250 units of the

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stock index at a specified future date at a contract price of $150 and the S&P 500 is at $152 on that future date, the fund will lose $500 (250 units x loss of $2).

Options on futures contracts. The fund may purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts it may buy or sell and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. In return for the premium paid, options on futures contracts give the purchaser the right to assume a position in a futures contract at the specified option exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer's futures margin account which represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract, at exercise, exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the future. If an option is exercised on the last trading day prior to its expiration date, the settlement will be made entirely in cash equal to the difference between the exercise price of the option and the closing level of the underlying asset on which the future is based on the expiration date. Purchasers of options who fail to exercise their options prior to the exercise date suffer a loss of the premium paid.

The fund may use options on futures contracts in lieu of writing or buying options directly on the underlying securities or indices or purchasing and selling the underlying futures contracts. For example, to hedge against a possible decrease in the value of its portfolio securities, the fund may purchase put options or write call options on futures contracts rather than selling futures contracts. Similarly, the fund may purchase call options or write put options on futures contracts as a substitute for the purchase of futures contracts to hedge against a possible increase in the price of securities which the fund expects to purchase. Such options generally operate in the same manner, and involve the same risks, as options purchased or written directly on the underlying investments. In addition, the fund will be required to deposit initial margin and maintenance margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it pursuant to brokers' requirements similar to those described above in connection with the discussion of futures contracts. The writing of an option on a futures contract involves risks similar to those relating to the sale of futures contracts.

Compared to the purchase or sale of futures contracts, the purchase of call or put options on futures contracts generally involves less potential risk to the fund because the maximum amount at risk is the premium paid for the options (plus transaction costs). However, there may be circumstances when the purchase of a call or put option on a futures contract would result in a loss to the fund when the purchase or sale of a futures contract would not, such as when there is no movement in the prices of the hedged investments.

As an alternative to purchasing call and put options on index futures, the fund may purchase and sell call and put options on the underlying indices themselves. Such options would be used in a manner identical to the use of options on index futures.

Risks of transactions in futures contracts and related options. Successful use of futures contracts by the fund is subject to Putnam Management's ability to predict movements in various factors affecting securities markets, including interest rates and market movements, and, in the case of index futures and futures based on the volatility or variance experienced by an index, Putnam Management’s ability to predict the future level of the index or the future volatility or variance experienced by an index. For example, it is possible that, where the fund has sold futures to hedge its portfolio against a decline in the market, the index on which the futures are written may advance and the value of securities held in the fund's portfolio, which may differ from those that comprise the index, may decline. If this occurred, the fund would lose money on the futures and also experience a decline in value in its portfolio securities. It is also possible that, if the fund has hedged against the possibility of a decline in the market adversely affecting securities held in its portfolio and securities prices increase instead, the fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of those securities it has hedged because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions. In addition, in such situations, if the fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so.

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The use of options and futures strategies also involves the risk of imperfect correlation among movements in the prices of the securities or other assets underlying the futures and options purchased and sold by the fund, of the options and futures contracts themselves, and, in the case of hedging transactions, of the securities which are the subject of a hedge. In addition to the possibility that there may be an imperfect correlation, or no correlation at all, between movements in the futures used by the fund and the portion of the portfolio being hedged, the prices of futures may not correlate perfectly with movements in the underlying asset due to certain market distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions which could distort the expected relationship between the underlying asset and futures markets. Second, margin requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market, and as a result the futures market may attract more speculators than the securities market does. Increased participation by speculators in the futures market may also cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of price distortions in the futures market and also because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the underlying asset and movements in the prices of related futures, even a correct forecast of general market trends by Putnam Management may still not result in a profitable position.

There is no assurance that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not, at times, render certain market clearing facilities inadequate, and thereby result in the institution by exchanges of special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of customer orders.

To reduce or eliminate a position held by the fund, the fund may seek to close out such position. The ability to establish and close out positions will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that this market will develop or continue to exist for a particular futures contract or option. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain contracts or options; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of contracts or options, or underlying securities; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or a clearing corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of contracts or options (or a particular class or series of contracts or options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange for such contracts or options (or in the class or series of contracts or options) would cease to exist, although outstanding contracts or options on the exchange that had been issued by a clearing corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

Hybrid Instruments

These instruments are generally considered derivatives and include indexed or structured securities, and combine the elements of futures contracts or options with those of debt, preferred equity or a depository instrument. A hybrid instrument may be a debt security, preferred stock, warrant, convertible security, certificate of deposit or other evidence of indebtedness on which a portion of or all interest payments, and/or the principal or stated amount payable at maturity, redemption or retirement is determined by reference to prices, changes in prices, or differences between prices, of securities, currencies, intangibles, goods, articles or commodities (collectively, “underlying assets”), or by another objective index, economic factor or other measure, including interest rates, currency exchange rates, or commodities or securities indices (collectively, “benchmarks”).

The risks of investing in hybrid instruments reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid instrument may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt instrument that has a fixed principal amount, is denominated in U.S. dollars or pays interest either at a fixed rate or a floating rate determined by reference to a common,

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nationally published benchmark. The risks of a particular hybrid instrument will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the benchmark(s) or the prices of the underlying assets to which the instrument is linked. Such risks generally depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid instrument, which may not be foreseen by the purchaser, such as economic and political events, the supply and demand of the underlying assets and interest rate movements. Hybrid instruments may be highly volatile and their use by the fund may not be successful.

Hybrid instruments may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Alternatively, hybrid instruments may bear interest at above market rates but bear an increased risk of principal loss (or gain). The latter scenario may result if “leverage” is used to structure the hybrid instrument. Leverage risk occurs when the hybrid instrument is structured so that a given change in a benchmark or underlying asset is multiplied to produce a greater value change in the hybrid instrument, thereby magnifying the risk of loss as well as the potential for gain.

Hybrid instruments can be an efficient means of creating exposure to a particular market, or segment of a market, with the objective of enhancing total return. For example, a fund may wish to take advantage of expected declines in interest rates in several European countries, but avoid the transaction costs associated with buying and currency-hedging the foreign bond positions. One solution would be to purchase a U.S. dollar-denominated hybrid instrument whose redemption price is linked to the average three year interest rate in a designated group of countries. The redemption price formula would provide for payoffs of less than par if rates were above the specified level. Furthermore, a fund could limit the downside risk of the security by establishing a minimum redemption price so that the principal paid at maturity could not be below a predetermined minimum level if interest rates were to rise significantly. The purpose of this arrangement, known as a structured security with an embedded put option, would be to give the fund the desired European bond exposure while avoiding currency risk, limiting downside market risk, and lowering transaction costs. Of course, there is no guarantee that the strategy will be successful and the fund could lose money if, for example, interest rates do not move as anticipated or credit problems develop with the issuer of the hybrid instrument.

Hybrid instruments are potentially more volatile and carry greater market risks than traditional debt instruments. Depending on the structure of the particular hybrid instrument, changes in a benchmark may be magnified by the terms of the hybrid instrument and have an even more dramatic and substantial effect upon the value of the hybrid instrument. Also, the prices of the hybrid instrument and the benchmark or underlying asset may not move in the same direction or at the same time.

Hybrid instruments may also carry liquidity risk since the instruments are often “customized” to meet the portfolio needs of a particular investor, and therefore, the number of investors that are willing and able to buy such instruments in the secondary market may be smaller than that for more traditional debt securities. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of such an investment could be zero. In addition, because the purchase and sale of hybrid investments could take place in an over-the-counter market without the guarantee of a central clearing organization, or in a transaction between the fund and the issuer of the hybrid instrument, the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the issuer of the hybrid instrument would be an additional risk factor the fund would have to consider and monitor. In addition, uncertainty regarding the tax treatment of hybrid instruments may reduce demand for such instruments. Tax considerations may also limit the extent of the fund’s investments in certain hybrid instruments. Hybrid instruments also may not be subject to regulation by the CFTC, which generally regulates the trading of commodity futures by U.S. persons, the SEC, which regulates the offer and sale of securities by and to U.S. persons, or any other governmental regulatory authority.

Inflation-Protected Securities

The fund may invest in U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (“U.S. TIPS”), which are fixed income securities issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury, the principal amounts of which are adjusted daily based upon changes in the rate of inflation. The fund may also invest in other inflation-protected securities issued by

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non-U.S. governments or by private issuers. U.S. TIPS pay interest on a semi-annual basis, equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. The interest rate on these bonds is fixed at issuance, but over the life of the bond this interest may be paid on an increasing or decreasing principal value that has been adjusted for inflation.

Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed for U.S. TIPS, even during a period of deflation. However, because the principal amount of U.S. TIPS would be adjusted downward during a period of deflation, the fund will be subject to deflation risk with respect to its investments in these securities. In addition, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate. If the fund purchases U.S. TIPS in the secondary market whose principal values have been adjusted upward due to inflation since issuance, the fund may experience a loss if there is a subsequent period of deflation. The fund may also invest in other inflation-related bonds which may or may not provide a guarantee of principal. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal amount.

The periodic adjustment of U.S. TIPS is currently tied to the CPI-U, which is calculated by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-protected bonds issued by a non-U.S. government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government. There can no assurance that the CPI-U or any non-U.S. inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond's inflation measure. In addition, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a non-U.S. country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States.

In general, the value of inflation-protected bonds is expected to fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-protected bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-protected bonds. If inflation is lower than expected during the period the fund holds the security, the fund may earn less on the security than on a conventional bond. Any increase in principal value is taxable in the year the increase occurs, even though holders do not receive cash representing the increase at that time. As a result, when the fund invests in inflation-protected securities, it could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements as a regulated investment company and to eliminate any fund-level income tax liability under the Code.

The U.S. Treasury began issuing inflation-protected bonds in 1997. Certain non-U.S. governments, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, have a longer history of issuing inflation-protected bonds, and there may be a more liquid market in certain of these countries for these securities.

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Initial Public Offerings

The fund may purchase debt or equity securities in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). These securities, which are often issued by unseasoned companies, may be subject to many of the same risks of investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. Securities issued in an IPO frequently are very volatile in price, and the fund may hold securities purchased in an IPO for a very short period of time. As a result, the fund’s investments in IPOs may increase portfolio turnover, which increases brokerage and administrative costs and may result in taxable distributions to shareholders.

At any particular time or from time to time the fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be made available to the fund. In addition, under certain market conditions a relatively small number of companies may issue securities in IPOs. Similarly, as the number of Putnam funds to which IPO securities are allocated increases, the number of securities issued to any one fund may decrease. The investment performance of the fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the fund is able to do so. In addition, as the fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the fund’s performance will generally decrease.

Interfund Borrowing and Lending

To satisfy redemption requests or to cover unanticipated cash shortfalls, the fund has entered into a Master Interfund Lending Agreement by and among each Putnam fund and Putnam Management (the “Interfund Lending Agreement”) under which the fund may lend or borrow money for temporary purposes directly to or from another Putnam fund (an “Interfund Loan”), subject to meeting the conditions of an SEC exemptive order granted to the fund permitting such Interfund Loans. All Interfund Loans would consist only of uninvested cash reserves that the lending fund otherwise would invest in short-term repurchase agreements or other short-term instruments. At this time, Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short-Term Investment Fund are the only Putnam funds expected to make their uninvested cash reserves available for Interfund Loans.

If the fund has outstanding borrowings, any Interfund Loans to the fund (a) would be at an interest rate equal to or lower than that of any outstanding bank loan, (b) would be secured at least on an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding bank loan that requires collateral, and (c) would have a maturity no longer than any outstanding bank loan (and in any event not over seven days). In addition, if an event of default were to occur under any agreement evidencing an outstanding bank loan to the fund, the event of default would automatically (without need for action or notice by the lending fund) constitute an immediate event of default under the Interfund Lending Agreement entitling the lending fund to call the Interfund Loan (and exercise all rights with respect to any collateral) and such a call would be deemed made if the lending bank exercises its right to call its loan under its agreement with the borrowing fund.

The fund may make an unsecured borrowing under the Interfund Lending Agreement if its outstanding borrowings from all sources immediately after the interfund borrowing total 10% or less of its total assets; provided, that if the fund has a secured loan outstanding from any other lender, including but not limited to another Putnam fund, the fund’s Interfund Loan would be secured on at least an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding loan secured by collateral. If the fund’s total outstanding borrowings immediately after an interfund borrowing would be greater than 10% of its total assets, the fund may borrow through the credit facility on a secured basis only. All secured Interfund Loans would be secured by the pledge of segregated collateral with a market value equal to at least 102% of the outstanding principal value of the Interfund Loan. The fund may not borrow from any source if its total outstanding borrowings immediately after the borrowing would exceed the limits imposed by Section 18 of the 1940 Act or the fund’s fundamental investment restrictions.

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The fund may not lend to another Putnam fund under the Interfund Lending Agreement if the Interfund Loan would cause its aggregate outstanding Interfund Loans to exceed 15% of the fund’s current net assets at the time of the Interfund Loan. The fund’s Interfund Loans to any one fund may not exceed 5% of the lending fund’s net assets. The duration of Interfund Loans would be limited to the time required to receive payment for securities sold, but in no event may the duration exceed seven days. Interfund Loans effected within seven days of each other would be treated as separate loan transactions for purposes of this condition. Each Interfund Loan may be called on one business day’s notice by a lending fund and may be repaid on any day by a borrowing fund.

The limitations detailed above and the other conditions of the SEC exemptive order permitting interfund lending are designed to minimize the risks associated with interfund lending for both the lending fund and the borrowing fund. However, no borrowing or lending activity is without risk. If the fund borrows money from another fund, there is a risk that the Interfund Loan could be called on one day’s notice or not renewed, in which case the fund may have to borrow from a bank at higher rates if an Interfund Loan were not available from another fund. A delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost opportunity or additional lending costs, and interfund loans are subject to the risk that the borrowing fund could be unable to repay the loan when due.

Inverse Floaters

These securities have variable interest rates that typically move in the opposite direction from movements in prevailing short-term interest rate levels – rising when prevailing short-term interest rate fall, and vice versa. The prices of inverse floaters can be considerably more volatile than the prices of bonds with comparable maturities.

Investment Ratings

The securities in which money market funds invest must be rated in one of the two highest short-term rating categories (without regard for gradations or subcategories) by one or more Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (“NRSROs”) or be deemed by Putnam Management to be of comparable quality to securities having such ratings. Money market funds will rely on the two highest ratings given to a security by the NRSROs for purposes of complying with this requirement. If one or both of the two highest ratings are in the second highest short-term rating category, the security is treated as a Second Tier Security. Generally, Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act prohibits a money market fund from investing more than 3% of its assets in Second Tier Securities. Money market funds comply with these rating requirements at the time a security is acquired. If a security is downgraded to Second Tier after its acquisition, the money market funds may continue to hold the security even if the portfolio exceeds Rule 2a-7’s limits on Second Tier Securities. Other factors, such as substantial redemptions, may cause a money market fund’s portfolio to exceed Rule 2a-7 limits on the acquisition of securities. A money market fund may continue to hold securities in excess of these limits, even if the fund has the right to tender the security for purchase for its amortized cost value.

Legal and Regulatory Risks Relating to Investment Strategy

The fund may be adversely affected by new (or revised) laws or regulations that may be imposed by the CFTC, the SEC, the U.S. Federal Reserve or other banking regulators, or other governmental regulatory authorities or self-regulatory organizations that supervise the financial markets. These agencies are empowered to promulgate a variety of rules pursuant to financial reform legislation in the United States. The fund may also be adversely affected by changes in the enforcement or interpretation of existing statutes and rules. The regulatory environment for private funds is evolving, and changes in the regulation of private funds may adversely affect the value of the investments held by the fund and the ability of the fund to execute its investment strategy. In addition, the securities and futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations and margin requirements. The CFTC, the SEC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, other regulators and self-regulatory organizations and exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of market

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emergencies. The regulation of derivatives transactions and funds that engage in such transactions is an evolving area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action.

The U.S. government recently enacted legislation that provides for new regulation of the derivatives market, including new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements. Because the legislation leaves much to rule making, its ultimate impact remains unclear. New regulations could, among other things, adversely affect the value of the investments held by the fund, restrict the fund’s ability to engage in derivatives transactions (for example, by making certain types of derivatives transactions no longer available to the fund) and/or increase the costs of such derivatives transactions (for example, by increasing margin or capital requirements), and the fund may be unable to execute its investment strategy as a result. It is unclear how the regulatory changes will affect counterparty risk.

The CFTC and certain futures exchanges have established limits, referred to as “position limits,” on the maximum net long or net short positions which any person may hold or control in particular options and futures contracts. All positions owned or controlled by the same person or entity, even if in different accounts, may be aggregated for purposes of determining whether the applicable position limits have been exceeded. Thus, even if the fund does not intend to exceed applicable position limits, it is possible that different clients managed by Putnam Management and its affiliates may be aggregated for this purpose. Any modification of trading decisions or elimination of open positions that may be required to avoid exceeding such limits may adversely affect the profitability of the fund.

The SEC has in the past adopted interim rules requiring reporting of all short positions above a certain threshold and is expected to adopt rules requiring monthly public disclosure in the future. In addition, other non-U.S. jurisdictions where the fund may trade have adopted reporting requirements. If the fund’s short positions or its strategy become generally known, the fund’s ability to implement its investment strategy could be adversely affected. In particular, other investors could cause a “short squeeze” in the securities held short by the fund forcing the fund to cover its positions at a loss. Such reporting requirements may also limit the fund’s ability to access management and other personnel at certain companies where the fund seeks to take a short position. In addition, if other investors engage in copycat behavior by taking positions in the same issuers as the fund, the cost of borrowing securities to sell short could increase drastically and the availability of such securities to the fund could decrease drastically. In addition, the SEC recently proposed additional restrictions on short sales, which could restrict the fund’s ability to engage in short sales in certain circumstances. The SEC and regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions may adopt (and in certain cases, have adopted) bans on short sales of certain securities in response to market events. Bans on short selling may make it impossible for the fund to execute certain investment strategies.

Recently enacted federal legislation requires the adoption of regulations that will require any creditor that makes a loan and any securitizer of a loan to retain at least 5% of the credit risk on any loan that is transferred, sold or conveyed by such creditor or securitizer. It is currently unclear how these requirements will apply to loan participations, syndicated loans, and loan assignments. Investors, such as the fund, that seek or hold investments in loans could be adversely affected by the regulation.

In July 2014, the SEC adopted amendments to the rules governing money market funds, which may affect the fund’s operations. Under the rule amendments, non-government money market funds will be required to use a floating net asset value, so that the value of a money market fund’s shares will change over time with the market values of the fund’s portfolio investments, unless they have policies and procedures reasonably designed to limit all beneficial owners of the fund’s shares to natural persons. Money market funds that are subject to the floating net asset value requirements will be required to cease using the amortized cost method to value their shares and to effect transactions in fund shares at a net asset value per share calculated out to the fourth decimal point (e.g., $1.0004 or $0.9998 instead of $1.00). The amendments also permit the board of trustees of a money market fund to impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of a shareholder's redemption request and/or to suspend redemptions for a period of up to ten business days if less than 30% of the fund’s total assets are invested in “weekly liquid assets,”

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which includes cash, certain government securities and securities with a remaining maturity of, or subject to a demand feature that is exercisable and payable within, five business days. Non-government money market funds will be required to impose a redemption fee if less than 10% of the fund’s total assets are invested in weekly liquid assets, unless the fund’s board of directors determines that imposing such a fee is not in the best interests of the fund. Full compliance with the rule amendments is currently required by October 2016.

Lower-rated Securities

The fund may invest in lower-rated fixed-income securities (commonly known as "junk bonds"). The lower ratings reflect a greater possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions, or both, or an unanticipated rise in interest rates, may impair the ability of the issuer to make payments of interest and principal. The inability (or perceived inability) of issuers to make timely payment of interest and principal would likely make the values of securities held by the fund more volatile and could limit the fund's ability to sell its securities at prices approximating the values the fund had placed on such securities. In the absence of a liquid trading market for securities held by it, the fund at times may be unable to establish the fair value of such securities.

Securities ratings are based largely on the issuer's historical financial condition and the rating agencies' analysis at the time of rating. Consequently, the rating assigned to any particular security is not necessarily a reflection of the issuer's current financial condition, which may be better or worse than the rating would indicate. In addition, the rating assigned to a security by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor's (or by any other nationally recognized securities rating agency) does not reflect an assessment of the volatility of the security's market value or the liquidity of an investment in the security. See "SECURITIES RATINGS."

Like those of other fixed-income securities, the values of lower-rated securities fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates. A decrease in interest rates will generally result in an increase in the value of the fund's fixed-income assets. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the value of the fund's fixed-income assets will generally decline. The values of lower-rated securities may often be affected to a greater extent by changes in general economic conditions and business conditions affecting the issuers of such securities and their industries. Negative publicity or investor perceptions may also adversely affect the values of lower-rated securities. Changes by nationally recognized securities rating agencies in their ratings of any fixed-income security and changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal may also affect the value of these investments. Changes in the value of portfolio securities generally will not affect income derived from these securities, but will affect the fund's net asset value. The fund will not necessarily dispose of a security when its rating is reduced below its rating at the time of purchase. However, Putnam Management will monitor the investment to determine whether its retention will assist in meeting the fund's goal(s).

Issuers of lower-rated securities are often highly leveraged, so that their ability to service their debt obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired. Such issuers may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them and may be unable to repay outstanding obligations at maturity by refinancing. The risk of loss due to default in payment of interest or repayment of principal by such issuers is significantly greater because such securities frequently are unsecured and subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness.

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At times, a substantial portion of the fund's assets may be invested in an issue of which the fund, by itself or together with other funds and accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates, holds all or a major portion. Although Putnam Management generally considers such securities to be liquid because of the availability of an institutional market for such securities, it is possible that, under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the fund could find it more difficult to sell these securities when Putnam Management believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell the securities only at prices lower than if they were more widely held. Under these circumstances, it may also be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the fund's net asset value. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, the fund may be required to participate in various legal proceedings or take possession of and manage assets securing the issuer's obligations on such securities. This could increase the fund's operating expenses and adversely affect the fund's net asset value. In the case of tax-exempt funds, any income derived from the fund's ownership or operation of such assets would not be tax-exempt. The ability of a holder of a tax-exempt security to enforce the terms of that security in a bankruptcy proceeding may be more limited than would be the case with respect to securities of private issuers. In addition, the fund's intention to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under the Code may limit the extent to which the fund may exercise its rights by taking possession of such assets.

To the extent the fund invests in securities in the lower rating categories, the achievement of the fund's goals is more dependent on Putnam Management's investment analysis than would be the case if the fund were investing in securities in the higher rating categories.

Money Market Instruments

Money market instruments, or short-term debt instruments, consist of obligations such as commercial paper, bank obligations ( i.e. , certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances), repurchase agreements and various government obligations, such as Treasury bills. These instruments have a remaining maturity of one year or less and are generally of high credit quality. Money market instruments may be structured to be, or may employ a trust or other form so that they are, eligible investments for money market funds. For example, put features can be used to modify the maturity of a security or interest rate adjustment features can be used to enhance price stability. If a structure fails to function as intended, adverse tax or investment consequences may result. Neither the IRS nor any other regulatory authority has ruled definitively on certain legal issues presented by certain structured securities. Future tax or other regulatory determinations could adversely affect the value, liquidity, or tax treatment of the income received from these securities or the nature and timing of distributions made by the funds.

Commercial paper is a money market instrument issued by banks or companies to raise money for short-term purposes. Unlike some other debt obligations, commercial paper is typically unsecured. Commercial paper may be issued as an asset-backed security (that is, backed by a pool of assets representing the obligations of a number of different issuers), in which case certain of the risks discussed in “Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed securities” would apply. Commercial paper is traded primarily among institutions.

Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund may invest in bankers’ acceptances issued by banks with deposits in excess of $2 billion (or the foreign currency equivalent) at the close of the last calendar year. If the Trustees change this minimum deposit requirement, shareholders would be notified. Other Putnam funds may invest in bankers’ acceptances without regard to this requirement.

In accordance with rules issued by the SEC, the fund may from time to time invest all or a portion of its cash balances in money market and/or short-term bond funds advised by Putnam Management. In connection with such investments, Putnam Management may waive a portion of the advisory fees otherwise payable by the fund. See “Charges and expenses” in Part I of this SAI for the amount, if any, waived by Putnam Management in connection with such investments.

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Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed Securities

Mortgage-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs") and certain stripped mortgage-backed securities, represent a participation in, or are secured by, mortgage loans. Asset-backed securities are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property and receivables from credit card agreements.

Mortgage-backed securities have yield and maturity characteristics corresponding to the underlying assets. Unlike traditional debt securities, which may pay a fixed rate of interest until maturity, when the entire principal amount comes due, payments on certain mortgage-backed securities include both interest and a partial repayment of principal. Besides the scheduled repayment of principal, repayments of principal may result from the voluntary prepayment, refinancing or foreclosure of the underlying mortgage loans. If property owners make unscheduled prepayments of their mortgage loans, these prepayments will result in early payment of the applicable mortgage-backed securities. In that event the fund may be unable to invest the proceeds from the early payment of the mortgage-backed securities in an investment that provides as high a yield as the mortgage-backed securities. Consequently, early payment associated with mortgage-backed securities may cause these securities to experience significantly greater price and yield volatility than that experienced by traditional fixed-income securities. The occurrence of mortgage prepayments is affected by factors including the level of interest rates, general economic conditions, the location and age of the mortgage and other social and demographic conditions. During periods of falling interest rates, the rate of mortgage prepayments tends to increase, thereby tending to decrease the life of mortgage-backed securities. During periods of rising interest rates, the rate of mortgage prepayments usually decreases, thereby tending to increase the life of mortgage-backed securities. If the life of a mortgage-backed security is inaccurately predicted, the fund may not be able to realize the rate of return it expected.

Adjustable rate mortgage securities (“ARMs”), like traditional mortgage-backed securities, are interests in pools of mortgage loans that provide investors with payments consisting of both principal and interest as mortgage loans in the underlying mortgage pool are paid off by the borrowers. Unlike fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities, ARMs are collateralized by or represent interests in mortgage loans with variable rates of interest. These interest rates are reset at periodic intervals, usually by reference to an interest rate index or market interest rate. Although the rate adjustment feature may act as a buffer to reduce sharp changes in the value of adjustable rate securities, these securities are still subject to changes in value based on, among other things, changes in market interest rates or changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness. If rates increase due to a reset, the risk of default by underlying borrowers may increase. Because the interest rates are reset only periodically, changes in the interest rate on ARMs may lag changes in prevailing market interest rates. Also, some ARMs (or the underlying mortgages) are subject to caps or floors that limit the maximum change in the interest rate during a specified period or over the life of the security. As a result, changes in the interest rate on an ARM may not fully reflect changes in prevailing market interest rates during certain periods. The fund may also invest in “hybrid” ARMs, whose underlying mortgages combine fixed-rate and adjustable rate features.

Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are less effective than other types of securities as a means of "locking in" attractive long-term interest rates. One reason is the need to reinvest prepayments of principal; another is the possibility of significant unscheduled prepayments resulting from declines in interest rates. These prepayments would have to be reinvested at lower rates. The automatic interest rate adjustment feature of mortgages underlying ARMs likewise reduces the ability to lock-in attractive rates. As a result, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of declining interest rates than other securities of comparable maturities, although they may have a similar risk of decline in market value during periods of rising interest rates. Prepayments may also significantly shorten the effective maturities of these securities, especially during periods of declining interest rates. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, a reduction in prepayments may increase the effective maturities of these securities, subjecting them to a greater risk of decline in market value in response to rising interest rates than

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traditional debt securities, and, therefore, potentially increasing the volatility of the fund. In certain circumstances, the mishandling of related documentation may also affect the rights of the security holders in and to the underlying collateral.

At times, some mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities will have higher than market interest rates and therefore will be purchased at a premium above their par value. Prepayments may cause losses on securities purchased at a premium.

CMOs may be issued by a U.S. government agency or instrumentality or by a private issuer. Although payment of the principal of, and interest on, the underlying collateral securing privately issued CMOs may be guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, these CMOs represent obligations solely of the private issuer and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities or any other person or entity.

Prepayments could cause early retirement of CMOs. CMOs are designed to reduce the risk of prepayment for investors by issuing multiple classes of securities, each having different maturities, interest rates and payment schedules, and with the principal and interest on the underlying mortgages allocated among the several classes in various ways. Payment of interest or principal on some classes or series of CMOs may be subject to contingencies or some classes or series may bear some or all of the risk of default on the underlying mortgages. CMOs of different classes or series are generally retired in sequence as the underlying mortgage loans in the mortgage pool are repaid. If enough mortgages are repaid ahead of schedule, the classes or series of a CMO with the earliest maturities generally will be retired prior to their maturities. Thus, the early retirement of particular classes or series of a CMO would have the same effect as the prepayment of mortgages underlying other mortgage-backed securities. Conversely, slower than anticipated prepayments can extend the effective maturities of CMOs, subjecting them to a greater risk of decline in market value in response to rising interest rates than traditional debt securities, and, therefore, potentially increasing their volatility.

Prepayments could result in losses on stripped mortgage-backed securities. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are usually structured with two classes that receive different portions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage loans. The yield to maturity on an interest only or “IO” class of stripped mortgage-backed securities is extremely sensitive not only to changes in prevailing interest rates but also to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying assets. A rapid rate of principal prepayments may have a measurable adverse effect on the fund's yield to maturity to the extent it invests in IOs. If the assets underlying the IO experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, principal only or “POs” tend to increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are slower than anticipated. The secondary market for stripped mortgage-backed securities may be more volatile and less liquid than that for other mortgage-backed securities, potentially limiting the fund's ability to buy or sell those securities at any particular time.

The risks associated with other asset-backed securities (including in particular the risks of issuer default and of early prepayment) are generally similar to those described above for CMOs. In addition, because asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in the underlying assets that is comparable to a mortgage, asset-backed securities present certain additional risks that are not present with mortgage-backed securities. The ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited. For example, revolving credit receivables are generally unsecured and the debtors on such receivables are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give debtors the right to set-off certain amounts owed, thereby reducing the balance due. Automobile receivables generally are secured, but by automobiles, rather than by real property.

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Asset-backed securities may be collateralized by the fees earned by service providers. The value of asset-backed securities may be substantially dependent on the servicing of the underlying asset and are therefore subject to risks associated with negligence by, or defalcation of, their servicers. In certain circumstances, the mishandling of related documentation may also affect the rights of the security holders in and to the underlying collateral. The insolvency of entities that generate receivables or that utilize the assets may result in added costs and delays in addition to losses associated with a decline in the value of the underlying assets.

Options on Securities

Writing covered options. The fund may write covered call options and covered put options on optionable securities held in its portfolio or that it has an absolute and immediate right to acquire without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or other assets determined to be liquid by Putnam Management in accordance with procedures established by the Trustees, in such amount as are set aside on the fund’s books), when in the opinion of Putnam Management such transactions are consistent with the fund's goal(s) and policies. Call options written by the fund give the purchaser the right to buy the underlying securities from the fund at a stated exercise price; put options give the purchaser the right to sell the underlying securities to the fund at a stated price.

The fund may write only covered options, which means that, so long as the fund is obligated as the writer of a call option, it will own the underlying securities subject to the option (or comparable securities satisfying the cover requirements of securities exchanges) or have an absolute and immediate right to acquire without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or other assets determined to be liquid by Putnam Management in accordance with procedures established by the Trustees, in such amount as are set aside on the fund’s books). In the case of put options, the fund will set aside on its books assets determined to be liquid by Putnam Management in accordance with procedures established by the Trustees and equal in value to the price to be paid if the option is exercised. In addition, the fund will be considered to have covered a put or call option if and to the extent that it holds an option that offsets some or all of the risk of the option it has written. The fund may write combinations of covered puts and calls on the same underlying security.

The fund will receive a premium from writing a put or call option, which increases the fund's return in the event the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium reflects, among other things, the relationship between the exercise price and the current market value of the underlying security, the volatility of the underlying security, the amount of time remaining until expiration, current interest rates, and the effect of supply and demand in the options market and in the market for the underlying security. By writing a call option, if the fund holds the security, the fund limits its opportunity to profit from any increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option but continues to bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security. If the fund does not hold the underlying security, the fund bears the risk that, if the market price exceeds the option strike price, the fund will suffer a loss equal to the difference at the time of exercise. By writing a put option, the fund assumes the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying security for an exercise price higher than its then-current market value, resulting in a potential capital loss unless the security subsequently appreciates in value.

The fund may terminate an option that it has written prior to its expiration by entering into a closing purchase transaction, in which it purchases an offsetting option. The fund realizes a profit or loss from a closing transaction if the cost of the transaction (option premium plus transaction costs) is less or more than the premium received from writing the option. If the fund writes a call option but does not own the underlying security, and when it writes a put option, the fund may be required to deposit cash or securities with its broker as "margin," or collateral, for its obligation to buy or sell the underlying security. As the value of the underlying security varies, the fund may have to deposit additional margin with the broker. Margin requirements are complex and are fixed by individual brokers, subject to minimum requirements currently imposed by the Federal Reserve Board and by stock exchanges and other self-regulatory organizations.

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Purchasing put options. The fund may purchase put options to protect its portfolio holdings in an underlying security against a decline in market value. Such protection is provided during the life of the put option since the fund, as holder of the option, is able to sell the underlying security at the put exercise price regardless of any decline in the underlying security's market price. In order for a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. By using put options in this manner, the fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized from appreciation of the underlying security by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs. The fund may also purchase put options for other investment purposes, including to take a short position in the security underlying the put option.

Purchasing call options. The fund may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities that the fund wants ultimately to buy. Such hedge protection is provided during the life of the call option since the fund, as holder of the call option, is able to buy the underlying security at the exercise price regardless of any increase in the underlying security's market price. In order for a call option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must rise sufficiently above the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. The fund may also purchase call options for other investment purposes.

Risk factors in options transactions . The successful use of the fund's options strategies depends on the ability of Putnam Management to forecast correctly interest rate and market movements. For example, if the fund were to write a call option based on Putnam Management's expectation that the price of the underlying security would fall, but the price were to rise instead, the fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if the fund were to write a put option based on Putnam Management's expectation that the price of the underlying security would rise, but the price were to fall instead, the fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price.

When the fund purchases an option, it runs the risk that it will lose its entire investment in the option in a relatively short period of time, unless the fund exercises the option or enters into a closing sale transaction before the option's expiration. If the price of the underlying security does not rise (in the case of a call) or fall (in the case of a put) to an extent sufficient to cover the option premium and transaction costs, the fund will lose part or all of its investment in the option. This contrasts with an investment by the fund in the underlying security, since the fund will not realize a loss if the security's price does not change.

The effective use of options also depends on the fund's ability to terminate option positions at times when Putnam Management deems it desirable to do so. There is no assurance that the fund will be able to effect closing transactions at any particular time or at an acceptable price. If a secondary market in options were to become unavailable, the fund could no longer engage in closing transactions. Lack of investor interest might adversely affect the liquidity of the market for particular options or series of options. A market may discontinue trading of a particular option or options generally. In addition, a market could become temporarily unavailable if unusual events -- such as volume in excess of trading or clearing capability -- were to interrupt its normal operations.

A market may at times find it necessary to impose restrictions on particular types of options transactions, such as opening transactions. For example, if an underlying security ceases to meet qualifications imposed by the market or the Options Clearing Corporation, new series of options on that security will no longer be opened to replace expiring series, and opening transactions in existing series may be prohibited. If an options market were to become unavailable, the fund as a holder of an option would be able to realize profits or limit losses only by exercising the option, and the fund, as option writer, would remain obligated under the option until expiration or exercise.

Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying options purchased or sold by the fund could result in losses on the options. For example, if a fund is unable to purchase a security underlying a put option it had purchased, the fund may be unable to exercise the put option. If trading is interrupted in an underlying security,

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the trading of options on that security is normally halted as well. As a result, the fund as purchaser or writer of an option will be unable to close out its positions until options trading resumes, and it may be faced with considerable losses if trading in the security reopens at a substantially different price. In addition, the Options Clearing Corporation or other options markets may impose exercise restrictions. If a prohibition on exercise is imposed at the time when trading in the option has also been halted, the fund as purchaser or writer of an option will be locked into its position until one of the two restrictions has been lifted. If the Options Clearing Corporation were to determine that the available supply of an underlying security appears insufficient to permit delivery by the writers of all outstanding calls in the event of exercise, it may prohibit indefinitely the exercise of put options. The fund, as holder of such a put option, could lose its entire investment if it is unable to exercise the put option prior to its expiration.

Foreign-traded options are subject to many of the same risks presented by internationally-traded securities. In addition, because of time differences between the United States and various foreign countries, and because different holidays are observed in different countries, foreign options markets may be open for trading during hours or on days when U.S. markets are closed. As a result, option premiums may not reflect the current prices of the underlying interest in the United States.

Over-the-counter ("OTC") options purchased by the fund and assets held to cover OTC options written by the fund may, under certain circumstances, be considered illiquid securities for purposes of any limitation on the fund's ability to invest in illiquid securities. The fund may use both European-style options, which are only exercisable immediately prior to their expiration, and American-style options, which are exercisable at any time prior to the expiration date.

In addition to options on securities and futures, the fund may also enter into options on futures, swaps, or other instruments as described elsewhere in this SAI.

Preferred Stocks and Convertible Securities

The fund may invest in preferred stocks or convertible securities. A preferred stock generally pays dividends at a specified rate and has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of an issuer's assets but is junior to the debt securities of the issuer in those same respects. The market prices of preferred stocks are subject to changes in interest rates and are more sensitive to changes in an issuer's creditworthiness than are the prices of debt securities. Shareholders of preferred stock may suffer a loss of value if dividends are not paid. Under ordinary circumstances, preferred stock does not carry voting rights. In addition, many preferred stocks may be called or redeemed prior to their maturity by the issuer under certain conditions.

Convertible securities include bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks and other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for, at a specific price or formula within a particular period of time, a prescribed amount of common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid or accrued on preferred stock until the security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged.

The market value of a convertible security is a function of its "investment value" and its "conversion value." A security's "investment value" represents the value of the security without its conversion feature ( i.e. , a nonconvertible fixed income security). The investment value may be determined by reference to its credit quality and the current value of its yield to maturity or probable call date. At any given time, investment value is dependent upon such factors as the general level of interest rates, the yield of similar nonconvertible securities, the financial strength of the issuer and the seniority of the security in the issuer's capital structure. A security's "conversion value" is determined by multiplying the number of shares the holder is entitled to receive upon conversion or exchange by the current price of the underlying security.

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If the conversion value of a convertible security is significantly below its investment value, the convertible security will trade like nonconvertible debt or preferred stock and its market value will not be influenced greatly by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying security. Conversely, if the conversion value of a convertible security is near or above its investment value, the market value of the convertible security will be more heavily influenced by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying security. Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain than common stocks.

The fund's investments in convertible securities may at times include securities that have a mandatory conversion feature, pursuant to which the securities convert automatically into common stock or other equity securities at a specified date and a specified conversion ratio, or that are convertible at the option of the issuer. Because conversion of the security is not at the option of the holder, the fund may be required to convert the security into the underlying common stock even at times when the value of the underlying common stock or other equity security has declined substantially.

The fund's investments in preferred stocks and convertible securities, particularly securities that are convertible into securities of an issuer other than the issuer of the convertible security, may be illiquid. The fund may not be able to dispose of such securities in a timely fashion or for a fair price, which could result in losses to the fund.

Private Placements and Restricted Securities

The fund may invest in securities that are purchased in private placements and, accordingly, are subject to restrictions on resale as a matter of contract or under federal securities laws. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such investments, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the fund could find it more difficult to sell such securities when Putnam Management believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell such securities only at prices lower than if such securities were more widely held. At times, it may also be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the fund's net asset value.

While such private placements may offer attractive opportunities for investment not otherwise available on the open market, the securities so purchased are often "restricted securities," i.e. , securities which cannot be sold to the public without registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) or the availability of an exemption from registration (such as Rules 144 or 144A), or which are "not readily marketable" because they are subject to other legal or contractual delays in or restrictions on resale.

The absence of a trading market can make it difficult to ascertain a market value for illiquid investments. Disposing of illiquid investments may involve time-consuming negotiation and legal expenses, and it may be difficult or impossible for the fund to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. The fund may have to bear the extra expense of registering such securities for resale and the risk of substantial delay in effecting such registration. In addition, market quotations are less readily available. The judgment of Putnam Management may at times play a greater role in valuing these securities than in the case of publicly traded securities. Generally speaking, restricted securities may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or in a privately negotiated transaction to a limited number of purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration, or in a public offering for which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act. The fund may be deemed to be an "underwriter" for purposes of the Securities Act when selling restricted securities to the public, and in such event the fund may be liable to purchasers of such securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer, or the prospectus forming a part of it, is materially inaccurate or misleading. The SEC Staff currently takes the view that any delegation by the Trustees of the authority to determine that a restricted security is readily marketable (as described in the investment restrictions of the funds) must be pursuant to written procedures established by the Trustees and the Trustees have delegated such authority to Putnam Management.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

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The fund may invest in REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in either real estate or real estate related loans. Like regulated investment companies such as the fund, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided that they comply with certain requirements under the Code. The fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by REITs in which it invests in addition to the fund’s own expenses.

REITs involve certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general (such as possible declines in the value of real estate, lack of availability of mortgage funds, or extended vacancies of property). REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the risk of borrower default, the likelihood of which is increased for mortgage REITs that invest in sub-prime mortgages. REITs, and mortgage REITs in particular, are also subject to interest rate risk. REITs are dependent upon their operators’ management skills, are generally not diversified (except to the extent the Code requires), and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency and the risk of default by borrowers. REITs are also subject to the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code or failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than more widely held securities.

The fund's investment in a REIT may result in the fund making distributions that constitute a return of capital to fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. In addition, distributions by a fund from REITs will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction, or, generally, for treatment as qualified dividend income.

Redeemable Securities

Certain securities held by the fund may permit the issuer at its option to "call" or redeem its securities. If an issuer were to redeem securities held by the fund during a time of declining interest rates, the fund may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in securities providing the same investment return as the securities redeemed.

Repurchase Agreements

Each fund may enter into repurchase agreements amounting to not more than 25% of its total assets, except that this 25% limitation does not apply to repurchase agreements entered into in connection with short sales and to investments by a money market fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund. Money market funds and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund may invest without limit in repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is a contract under which the fund, the buyer under the contract, acquires a security subject to the obligation of the seller (or repurchase agreement counterparty) to repurchase, and the fund to resell, the security at a fixed time and price, which represents the fund's cost plus interest (or, for repurchase agreements under which the fund acquires a security and then sells it short, the fund’s cost of “borrowing” the security). A repurchase agreement with a stated maturity of longer than one week is considered an illiquid investment. It is the fund's present intention to enter into repurchase agreements only with banks and registered broker-dealers. The fund may enter into repurchase agreements, including with respect to securities it wishes to sell short. See “Short Sales” in this SAI. Certain of the repurchase agreements related to securities sold short may provide that, at the option of the fund, settlement may be made by delivery of cash equal to the difference between (a) the sum of (i) the market value of the securities sold short at the time the repurchase agreement is closed out and (ii) transaction costs associated with the acquisition in the market by the repurchase agreement counterparty of the securities sold short and (b) the repurchase price specified in the repurchase agreement.

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The fund may be exposed to the credit risk of the repurchase agreement counterparty (or seller) in the event that the counterparty is unable to close out the repurchase agreement in accordance with its terms. If the seller defaults, the fund could realize a loss on the sale of the underlying security to the extent that the proceeds of the sale including accrued interest are less than the resale price provided in the agreement including interest. In addition, if the seller should be involved in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, the fund may incur delay and costs in selling the underlying security or may suffer a loss of principal and interest if the fund is treated as an unsecured creditor and required to return the underlying collateral to the seller's estate.

Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, the fund may transfer uninvested cash balances into a joint account, along with cash of other Putnam funds and certain other accounts. These balances may be invested in one or more repurchase agreements and/or short-term money market instruments.

The fund may also enter into reverse repurchase agreements. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the fund sells portfolio assets subject to an agreement by the fund to repurchase the same assets at an agreed upon price and date. The fund can use the proceeds received from entering into a reverse repurchase agreement to make additional investments, which generally causes the fund’s portfolio to behave as if it were leveraged. If the buyer in a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the fund may be unable to recover the securities it sold and as a result would realize a loss equal to the difference between the value of those securities and the payment it received for them. The size of this loss will depend upon the difference between what the buyer paid for the securities the fund sold to it and the value of those securities (e.g., a buyer may pay $95 for a bond with a market value of $100). In the event of a buyer’s bankruptcy or insolvency, the fund’s use of proceeds from the sale of its securities may be restricted while the other party or its trustee or receiver determines whether to honor the fund’s right to repurchase the securities. The fund’s use of reverse repurchase agreements also subjects the fund to interest costs based on the difference between the sale and repurchase price of a security involved in such a transaction. Additionally, reverse repurchase agreements entail the same risks as over-the-counter derivatives. These include the risk that the counterparty to the reverse repurchase agreement may not be able to fulfill its obligations, as discussed above, that the parties may disagree as to the meaning or application of contractual terms, or that the instrument may not perform as expected.

Securities Loans

The fund may make secured loans of its portfolio securities, on either a short-term or long-term basis, amounting to not more than 25% of its total assets, thereby realizing additional income. The risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of credit, consist of possible delay in recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. If a borrower defaults, the value of the collateral may decline before the fund can dispose of it. As a matter of policy, securities loans are made to broker-dealers pursuant to agreements requiring that the loans be continuously secured by collateral consisting of cash or short-term debt obligations at least equal at all times to the value of the securities on loan, "marked-to-market" daily. The borrower pays to the fund an amount equal to any dividends or interest received on securities lent. The fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of the cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. Although voting rights, or rights to consent, with respect to the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the fund retains the right to call the loans at any time on reasonable notice, and it will do so to enable the fund to exercise voting rights on any matters materially affecting the investment. The fund may also call such loans in order to sell the securities. The fund may pay fees in connection with arranging loans of its portfolio securities.

Securities of Other Investment Companies

Securities of other investment companies, including shares of open- and closed-end investment companies and unit investment trusts (which may include exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”)), represent interests in collective investment portfolios that, in turn, invest directly in underlying instruments. The fund may invest in other

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investment companies when it has more uninvested cash than Putnam Management believes is advisable, when it receives cash collateral from securities lending arrangements, when there is a shortage of direct investments available, or when Putnam Management believes that investment companies offer attractive values.

Investment companies may be structured to perform in a similar fashion to a broad-based securities index or may focus on a particular strategy or class of assets. ETFs typically seek to track the performance or dividend yield of specific indexes or companies in related industries. These indexes may be broad-based, sector-based or international. Investing in investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but also involves expenses at the investment company-level, such as portfolio management fees and operating expenses. These expenses are in addition to the fees and expenses of the fund itself, which may lead to duplication of expenses while the fund owns another investment company’s shares. In addition, investing in investment companies involves the risk that they will not perform in exactly the same fashion, or in response to the same factors, as the underlying instruments or index. To the extent the fund invests in other investment companies that are professionally managed, its performance will also depend on the investment and research abilities of investment managers other than Putnam Management.

Open-end investment companies typically offer their shares continuously at net asset value plus any applicable sales charge and stand ready to redeem shares upon shareholder request. The shares of certain other types of investment companies, such as ETFs and closed-end investment companies, typically trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their net asset value. In the case of closed-end investment companies, the number of shares is typically fixed. The securities of closed-end investment companies and ETFs carry the risk that the price the fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the investment company’s net asset value. ETFs and closed-end investment companies are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. The shares of investment companies, particularly closed-end investment companies, may also be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of the fund’s net asset value.

The extent to which the fund can invest in securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, is generally limited by federal securities laws. For more information regarding the tax treatment of ETFs, please see “Taxes” below.

Short Sales

The fund may engage in short sales of securities either as a hedge against potential declines in value of a portfolio security or to realize appreciation when a security that the fund does not own declines in value. Short sales are transactions in which the fund sells a security it does not own to a third party by borrowing the security in anticipation of purchasing the same security at the market price on a later date to close out the short position. The fund may also engage in short sales by entering into a repurchase agreement with respect to the security it wishes to sell short. See “– Repurchase Agreements” in this SAI. The fund will incur a gain if the price of the security declines between the date of the short sale and the date on which the fund replaces the borrowed security (or closes out the related repurchase agreement); and the fund will incur a loss if the price of the security increases between those dates. Such a loss is theoretically unlimited since the potential increase in the market price of the security sold short is not limited. Until the security is replaced, the fund must pay the lender (or repurchase agreement counterparty) any dividends or interest that accrues during the period of the loan (or repurchase agreement). To borrow (or enter into a repurchase agreement with respect to) the security, the fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The fund’s successful use of short sales is subject to Putnam Management’s ability to accurately predict movements in the market price of the security sold short. Short selling may involve financial leverage because the fund is exposed both to changes in the market price of the security sold short and to changes in the value of securities purchased with the proceeds of the short sale, effectively leveraging its assets. Under adverse market conditions, a fund may have difficulty purchasing securities to meet its short sale delivery obligations, and may be required to close out its short position at a time when the fund would not choose to do so, and may therefore have to sell portfolio securities to

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raise the capital necessary to meet its short sale obligations at a time when fundamental investment considerations may not favor such sales. While the fund has an open short position, it will segregate, by appropriate notation on its books or the books of its custodian, cash or liquid assets at least equal in value to the market value of the securities sold short. The segregated amount will be “marked-to-market” daily. Because of this segregation, the fund does not consider these transactions to be “senior securities” for purposes of the 1940 Act. In connection with short sale transactions, the fund may be required to pledge certain additional assets for the benefit of the securities lender (or repurchase agreement counterparty) and the fund may, while such assets remain pledged, be limited in its ability to invest those assets in accordance with the fund’s investment strategies.

Certain of the repurchase agreements related to securities sold short may provide that, at the option of the fund, in lieu of delivering the securities sold short, settlement may be made by delivery of cash equal to the difference between (a) the sum of (i) the market value of the securities sold short at the time the repurchase agreement is closed out and (ii) transaction costs associated with the acquisition in the market by the repurchase agreement counterparty of the securities sold short and (b) the repurchase price specified in the repurchase agreement. Because that cash amount represents the fund’s maximum loss in the event of the insolvency of the counterparty, the fund will, except where the local market practice for foreign securities to be sold short requires payment prior to delivery of such securities, treat such amount, rather than the full notional amount of the repurchase agreement, as its “investment” in securities of the counterparty for purposes of all applicable investment restrictions, including its fundamental policy with respect to diversification.

Short-term Trading

In seeking the fund's objective(s), Putnam Management will buy or sell portfolio securities whenever Putnam Management believes it appropriate to do so. From time to time the fund will buy securities intending to seek short-term trading profits. A change in the securities held by the fund is known as "portfolio turnover" and generally involves some expense to the fund. This expense may include brokerage commissions or dealer markups and other transaction costs on both the sale of securities and the reinvestment of the proceeds in other securities. If sales of portfolio securities cause the fund to realize net short-term capital gains, such gains will be taxable as ordinary income when distributed to taxable individual shareholders. As a result of the fund's investment policies, under certain market conditions the fund's portfolio turnover rate may be higher than that of other mutual funds. Portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is the ratio of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities to the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities -- excluding securities whose maturities at acquisition were one year or less. The fund's portfolio turnover rate is not a limiting factor when Putnam Management considers a change in the fund's portfolio.

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies

The fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) or similar special purpose entities that pool funds to seek potential acquisition opportunities. Unless and until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets (less a portion retained to cover expenses) in U.S. government securities, money market securities and cash; if an acquisition that meets the requirements for the SPAC is not completed within a pre-established period of time, the invested funds are returned to the entity’s shareholders. Because SPACs and similar entities are in essence blank check companies without an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. In addition, these securities, which are typically traded in the over-the-counter market, may be considered illiquid and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.

Structured Investments

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A structured investment is a security having a return tied to an underlying index or other security or asset class. Structured investments generally are individually negotiated agreements and may be traded over-the-counter. Structured investments are organized and operated to restructure the investment characteristics of the underlying security. This restructuring involves the deposit with or purchase by an entity, such as a corporation or trust, or specified instruments (such as commercial bank loans) and the issuance by that entity or one or more classes of securities (“structured securities”) backed by, or representing interests in, the underlying instruments. The cash flow on the underlying instruments may be apportioned among the newly issued structured securities to create securities with different investment characteristics, such as varying maturities, payment priorities and interest rate provisions, and the extent of such payments made with respect to structured securities is dependent on the extent of the cash flow on the underlying instruments. Because structured securities typically involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments. Investments in structured securities are generally of a class of structured securities that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the right of payment of another class. Subordinated structured securities typically have higher yields and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured securities. Structured securities are typically sold in private placement transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured securities. Investments in government and government-related and restructured debt instruments are subject to special risks, including the inability or unwillingness to repay principal and interest, requests to reschedule or restructure outstanding debt and requests to extend additional loan amounts.

Swap Agreements

The fund may enter into swap agreements and other types of over-the-counter transactions such as caps, floors and collars with broker-dealers or other financial institutions for hedging or investment purposes. A swap involves the exchange by the fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive cash flows, e.g. , an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed-rate payments. The purchase of a cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index or other underlying financial measure exceeds a predetermined value on a predetermined date or dates, to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling the cap. The purchase of a floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index or other underlying financial measure falls or other underlying measure below a predetermined value on a predetermined date or dates, to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling the floor. A collar combines elements of a cap and a floor.

Swap agreements and similar transactions can be individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. Depending on their structures, swap agreements may increase or decrease the fund's exposure to long-or short-term interest rates (in the United States or abroad), foreign currency values, mortgage securities, mortgage rates, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors such as security prices, inflation rates or the volatility of an index or one or more securities. For example, if the fund agrees to exchange payments in U.S. dollars for payments in a non-U.S. currency, the swap agreement would tend to decrease the fund's exposure to U.S. interest rates and increase its exposure to that non-U.S. currency and interest rates. The fund may also engage in total return swaps, in which payments made by the fund or the counterparty are based on the total return of a particular reference asset or assets (such as an equity or fixed-income security, a combination of such securities, or an index). A swap agreement may be structured with reference to an index of securities that is created and maintained by the swap counterparty. The fund may also enter into swap agreements on futures contracts including, but not limited to, index futures contracts. Swap agreements on futures contracts are generally subject to the same risks involved in the fund’s use of futures contracts, in addition to the risks involved in the fund’s use of swap agreements. See “—Futures Contracts and Related Options.” A total return swap, or a swap on a futures contract, may add leverage to a portfolio by providing investment exposure to an underlying asset or market where the fund does not own or take physical custody of such asset or invest directly in such market.

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The fund’s ability to realize a profit from such transactions will depend on the ability of the financial institutions with which it enters into the transactions to meet their obligations to the fund. If a counterparty's creditworthiness declines, the value of the agreement would be likely to decline, potentially resulting in losses. If a default occurs by the other party to such transaction, the fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction, which may be limited by applicable law in the case of a counterparty's insolvency. If the returns of an index upon which a swap is based are unavailable or cannot be calculated (including where the index is created and maintained by the swap counterparty), the fund may experience difficulty in valuing the swap or in determining the amounts owed to or by the counterparty, regardless of whether the counterparty has defaulted. Under certain circumstances, suitable transactions may not be available to the fund, or the fund may be unable to close out its position under such transactions at the same time, or at the same price, as if it had purchased comparable publicly traded securities.

The fund may also enter into options on swap agreements ("swaptions"). A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. Swaptions are generally subject to the same risks involved in the fund’s use of options. See “—Options on Securities.”

A credit default swap is an agreement between the fund and a counterparty that enables the fund to buy or sell protection against a credit event related to a particular issuer. One party, acting as a “protection buyer,” makes periodic payments to the other party, a “protection seller,” in exchange for a promise by the protection seller to make a payment to the protection buyer if a negative credit event (such as a delinquent payment or default) occurs with respect to a referenced bond or group of bonds. Credit default swaps may also be structured based on the debt of a basket of issuers, rather than a single issuer, and may be customized with respect to the default event that triggers purchase or other factors (for example, the Nth default within a basket, or defaults by a particular combination of issuers within the basket, may trigger a payment obligation). The fund may enter into credit default swap contracts for investment purposes. As a credit protection seller in a credit default swap contract, the fund would be required to pay the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation to the counterparty in the event of a default by a third party, such as a U.S. or non-U.S. corporate issuer, on the debt obligation. In return for its obligation, the fund would receive from the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the fund would keep the stream of payments and would have no payment obligations. As the seller, the fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.

The fund may also purchase credit default swap contracts in order to hedge against the risk of default of the debt of a particular issuer or basket of issuers or profit from changes in the creditworthiness of the particular issuer(s) (also known as “buying credit protection”). In these cases, the fund would function as the counterparty referenced in the preceding paragraph. This would involve the risk that the investment may expire worthless and would only generate income in the event of an actual default by the issuer(s) of the underlying obligation(s) (or, as applicable, a credit downgrade or other indication of financial instability). It would also involve the risk that the seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the fund in the event of a default. The purchase of credit default swaps involves costs, which will reduce the fund’s return.

Tax-exempt Securities

General description. As used in this SAI, the term "Tax-exempt Securities" includes debt obligations issued by a state, its political subdivisions (for example, counties, cities, towns, villages, districts and authorities) and their agencies, instrumentalities or other governmental units, the interest from which is, in the opinion of bond counsel, exempt from federal income tax and (if applicable) the corresponding state’s personal income tax. Such obligations are issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, such as airports, bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation, schools, streets and

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water and sewer works. Other public purposes for which Tax-exempt Securities may be issued include the refunding of outstanding obligations or the payment of general operating expenses.

Short-term Tax-exempt Securities are generally issued by state and local governments and public authorities as interim financing in anticipation of tax collections, revenue receipts or bond sales to finance such public purposes.

In addition, certain types of "private activity" bonds may be issued by public authorities to finance projects such as privately operated housing facilities; certain local facilities for supplying water, gas or electricity; sewage or solid waste disposal facilities; student loans; or public or private institutions for the construction of educational, hospital, housing and other facilities. Such obligations are included within the term Tax-exempt Securities if the interest paid thereon is, in the opinion of bond counsel, exempt from federal income tax and (if applicable) state personal income tax (such interest may, however, be subject to federal alternative minimum tax). Other types of private activity bonds, the proceeds of which are used for the construction, repair or improvement of, or to obtain equipment for, privately operated industrial or commercial facilities, may also constitute Tax-exempt Securities, although the current federal tax laws place substantial limitations on the size of such issues.

Tax-exempt Securities share many of the structural features and risks of other bonds, as described elsewhere in this SAI. For example, the fund may purchase callable Tax-exempt Securities, zero-coupon Tax-exempt Securities, or “stripped” Tax-exempt Securities, which entail additional risks. The fund may also purchase structured or asset-backed Tax-exempt Securities, such as the securities (including preferred stock) of special purpose entities that hold interests in the Tax-exempt Securities of one or more issuers and issue “tranched” securities that are entitled to receive payments based on the cash flows from those underlying securities. See “—Redeemable securities,” “—Zero-coupon and Payment-in-kind Bonds,” “—Structured investments,” and “—Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed Securities” in this SAI. Structured Tax-exempt Securities may involve increased risk that the interest received by the fund may not be exempt from federal or state income tax, or that such interest may result in liability for the alternative minimum tax for shareholders of the fund. For example, in certain cases, the issuers of certain securities held by a special purpose entity may not have received an unqualified opinion of bond counsel that the interest from the securities will be exempt from federal income tax and (if applicable) the corresponding state’s personal income tax.

The amount of information about the financial condition of an issuer of Tax-exempt Securities may not be as extensive as that which is made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded. As a result, the achievement of the fund's goals is more dependent on Putnam Management's investment analysis than would be the case if the fund were investing in securities of better-known issuers.

Escrow-secured or pre-refunded bonds. These securities are created when an issuer uses the proceeds from a new bond issue to buy high grade, interest-bearing debt securities, generally direct obligations of the U.S. government, in order to redeem (or “pre-refund”), before maturity, an outstanding bond issue that is not immediately callable. These securities are then deposited in an irrevocable escrow account held by a trustee bank to secure all future payments of principal and interest on the pre-refunded bond until that bond’s call date. Pre-refunded bonds often receive an ‘AAA’ or equivalent rating. Because pre-refunded bonds still bear the same interest rate, and have a very high credit quality, their price may increase. However, as the original bond approaches its call date, the bond's price will fall to its call price.

Residual interest bonds. The fund may invest in residual interest bonds, which are created by depositing municipal securities in a trust and dividing the income stream of an underlying municipal bond in two parts, one, a variable rate security and the other, a residual interest bond. The interest rate for the variable rate security is determined by an index or a periodic auction process, while the residual interest bond holder receives the balance of the income from the underlying municipal bond less an auction fee. The market prices of residual interest bonds may be highly sensitive to changes in market rates and may decrease significantly when market rates increase.

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Tobacco Settlement Revenue Bonds. The fund may invest in tobacco settlement revenue bonds, which are secured by an issuing state’s proportionate share of payments under the Master Settlement Agreement (“MSA”). The MSA is an agreement that was reached out of court in November 1998 between 46 states and six U.S. jurisdictions and tobacco manufacturers representing an overwhelming majority of U.S. market share. The MSA provides for annual payments by the manufacturers to the states and jurisdictions in perpetuity in exchange for releasing all claims against the manufacturers and a pledge of no further litigation. The MSA established a base payment schedule and a formula for adjusting payments each year. Tobacco manufacturers pay into a master escrow trust based on their market share, and each state receives a fixed percentage of the payment as set forth in the MSA. Within some states, certain localities may in turn be allocated a specific portion of the state’s MSA payment pursuant to an arrangement with the state.

A number of state and local governments have securitized the future flow of payments under the MSA by selling bonds pursuant to indentures, some through distinct governmental entities created for such purpose. The bonds are backed by the future revenue flow that is used for principal and interest payments on the bonds. Annual payments on the bonds, and thus risk to the fund, are dependent on the receipt of future settlement payments by the state or its instrumentality. The actual amount of future settlement payments may vary based on, among other things, annual domestic cigarette shipments, inflation, the financial capability of participating tobacco companies, and certain offsets for disputed payments. Payments made by tobacco manufacturers could be reduced if cigarette shipments continue to decline below the base levels used in establishing manufacturers’ payment obligations under the MSA. Demand for cigarettes in the U.S. could continue to decline based on many factors, including, without limitation, anti-smoking campaigns, tax increases, price increases implemented to recoup the cost of payments by tobacco companies under the MSA, reduced ability to advertise, enforcement of laws prohibiting sales to minors, elimination of certain sales venues such as vending machines, and the spread of local ordinances restricting smoking in public places.

Because tobacco settlement bonds are backed by payments from the tobacco manufacturers, and generally not by the credit of the state or local government issuing the bonds, their creditworthiness depends on the ability of tobacco manufacturers to meet their obligations. The bankruptcy of an MSA-participating manufacturer could cause delays or reductions in bond payments, which would affect the fund’s net asset value. Under the MSA, a market share loss by MSA-participating tobacco manufacturers to non-MSA participating manufacturers would also cause a downward adjustment in the payment amounts under some circumstances.

The MSA and tobacco manufacturers have been and continue to be subject to various legal claims, including, among others, claims that the MSA violates federal antitrust law. In addition, the United States Department of Justice has alleged in a civil lawsuit that the major tobacco companies defrauded and misled the American public about the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes. An adverse outcome to this lawsuit or to any other litigation matters or regulatory actions relating to the MSA or affecting tobacco manufacturers could adversely affect the payment streams associated with the MSA or cause delays or reductions in bond payments by tobacco manufacturers.

In addition to the risks described above, tobacco settlement revenue bonds are subject to other risks described in this SAI, including the risks of asset-backed securities discussed under “Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed Securities.”

Participation interests (Money Market Funds only). The money market funds may invest in Tax-exempt Securities either by purchasing them directly or by purchasing certificates of accrual or similar instruments evidencing direct ownership of interest payments or principal payments, or both, on Tax-exempt Securities, provided that, in the opinion of counsel, any discount accruing on a certificate or instrument that is purchased at a yield not greater than the coupon rate of interest on the related Tax-exempt Securities will be exempt from federal income tax to the same extent as interest on the Tax-exempt Securities. The money market funds may also invest in Tax-exempt Securities by purchasing from banks participation interests in all or part of specific

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holdings of Tax-exempt Securities. These participations may be backed in whole or in part by an irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee of the selling bank. The selling bank may receive a fee from the money market funds in connection with the arrangement. The money market funds will not purchase such participation interests unless it receives an opinion of counsel or a ruling of the IRS that interest earned by it on Tax-exempt Securities in which it holds such participation interests is exempt from federal income tax. No money market fund expects to invest more than 5% of its assets in participation interests.

Stand-by commitments. When the fund purchases Tax-exempt Securities, it has the authority to acquire stand-by commitments from banks and broker-dealers with respect to those Tax-exempt Securities. A stand-by commitment may be considered a security independent of the Tax-exempt security to which it relates. The amount payable by a bank or dealer during the time a stand-by commitment is exercisable, absent unusual circumstances, would be substantially the same as the market value of the underlying Tax-exempt security to a third party at any time. The fund expects that stand-by commitments generally will be available without the payment of direct or indirect consideration. The fund does not expect to assign any value to stand-by commitments.

Yields. The yields on Tax-exempt Securities depend on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, effective marginal tax rates, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the Tax-exempt security market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. The ratings of nationally recognized securities rating agencies represent their opinions as to the credit quality of the Tax-exempt Securities which they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, Tax-exempt Securities with the same maturity and interest rate but with different ratings may have the same yield. Yield disparities may occur for reasons not directly related to the investment quality of particular issues or the general movement of interest rates and may be due to such factors as changes in the overall demand or supply of various types of Tax-exempt Securities or changes in the investment objectives of investors. Subsequent to purchase by the fund, an issue of Tax-exempt Securities or other investments may cease to be rated, or its rating may be reduced below the minimum rating required for purchase by the fund. Putnam Management will consider such an event in its determination of whether the fund should continue to hold an investment in its portfolio. Downgrades of Tax-exempt Securities held by a money market fund may require the fund to sell such securities, potentially at a loss.

"Moral obligation" bonds. The fund may invest in so-called “moral obligation” bonds, where repayment of the bond is backed by a moral (but not legally binding) commitment of an entity other than the issuer, such as a state legislature, to pay. Such a commitment may be in addition to the legal commitment of the issuer to repay the bond or may represent the only payment obligation with respect to the bond (where, for example, no amount has yet been specifically appropriated to pay the bond. See “—Municipal leases” below.)

Municipal leases. The fund may acquire participations in lease obligations or installment purchase contract obligations (collectively, “lease obligations”) of municipal authorities or entities. Lease obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipality for which the municipality’s taxing power is pledged. Certain of these lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses, which provide that the municipality has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. In the case of a “non-appropriation” lease, the fund’s ability to recover under the lease in the event of non-appropriation or default will be limited solely to the repossession of the leased property, and in any event, foreclosure of that property might prove difficult.

Additional risks. Securities in which the fund may invest, including Tax-exempt Securities, are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the federal Bankruptcy Code (including special provisions related to municipalities and other public entities), and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. There is also the

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possibility that, as a result of litigation or other conditions, the power, ability or willingness of issuers to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal on their Tax-exempt Securities may be materially affected.

From time to time, legislation may be introduced or litigation may arise that may restrict or eliminate the federal income tax exemption for interest on debt obligations issued by states and their political subdivisions. Federal tax laws limit the types and amounts of tax-exempt bonds issuable for certain purposes, especially industrial development bonds and private activity bonds. Such limits may affect the future supply and yields of these types of Tax-exempt Securities. Further proposals limiting the issuance of Tax-exempt Securities may well be introduced in the future. If it appeared that the availability of Tax-exempt Securities for investment by the fund and the value of the fund's portfolio could be materially affected by such changes in law, the Trustees of the fund would reevaluate its goal and policies and consider changes in the structure of the fund or its dissolution. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors for the current law on tax-exempt bonds and securities.

Warrants

The fund may invest in warrants, which are instruments that give the fund the right to purchase certain securities from an issuer at a specific price (the “strike price”) for a limited period of time. The strike price of warrants typically is much lower than the current market price of the underlying securities, yet they are subject to similar price fluctuations. As a result, warrants may be more volatile investments than the underlying securities and may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying securities and do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuing company. Also, the value of the warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities and a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to the expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

In addition to warrants on securities, the fund may purchase put warrants and call warrants whose values vary depending on the change in the value of one or more specified securities indices ("index warrants"). Index warrants are generally issued by banks or other financial institutions and give the holder the right, at any time during the term of the warrant, to receive upon exercise of the warrant a cash payment from the issuer based on the value of the underlying index at the time of exercise. In general, if the value of the underlying index rises above the exercise price of the index warrant, the holder of a call warrant will be entitled to receive a cash payment from the issuer upon exercise based on the difference between the value of the index and the exercise price of the warrant; if the value of the underlying index falls, the holder of a put warrant will be entitled to receive a cash payment from the issuer upon exercise based on the difference between the exercise price of the warrant and the value of the index. The holder of a warrant would not be entitled to any payments from the issuer at any time when, in the case of a call warrant, the exercise price is greater than the value of the underlying index, or, in the case of a put warrant, the exercise price is less than the value of the underlying index. If the fund were not to exercise an index warrant prior to its expiration, then the fund would lose the amount of the purchase price paid by it for the warrant.

The fund will normally use index warrants in a manner similar to its use of options on securities indices. The risks of the fund's use of index warrants are generally similar to those relating to its use of index options. Unlike most index options, however, index warrants are issued in limited amounts and are not obligations of a regulated clearing agency, but are backed only by the credit of the bank or other institution which issues the warrant. Also, index warrants generally have longer terms than index options. Index warrants are not likely to be as liquid as certain index options backed by a recognized clearing agency. In addition, the terms of index warrants may limit the fund's ability to exercise the warrants at such time, or in such quantities, as the fund would otherwise wish to do.

Zero-coupon and Payment-in-kind Bonds

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The fund may invest without limit in so-called "zero-coupon" bonds and "payment-in-kind" bonds. Zero-coupon bonds are issued at a significant discount from their principal amount in lieu of paying interest periodically. Payment-in-kind bonds allow the issuer, at its option, to make current interest payments on the bonds either in cash or in additional bonds. Because zero-coupon and payment-in-kind bonds do not pay current interest in cash, their value is subject to greater fluctuation in response to changes in market interest rates than bonds that pay interest currently. Both zero-coupon and payment-in-kind bonds allow an issuer to avoid the need to generate cash to meet current interest payments. Accordingly, such bonds may involve greater credit risks than bonds paying interest currently in cash. The fund is required to accrue interest income on such investments and to distribute such amounts at least annually to shareholders even though such bonds do not pay current interest in cash. Thus, it may be necessary at times for the fund to liquidate investments, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements under the Code.

TAXES

The following discussion of U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on the Code, existing U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority, as of the date of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state and local tax laws.

Taxation of the fund. The fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded regulated investment companies and their shareholders, the fund must, among other things:

(a) derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined below);

(b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the fund’s taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer to a value not greater than 5% of the value of the fund’s total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the fund’s total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, (x) in the securities (other than those of the U.S. government or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers which the fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or (y) in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (as defined below); and

(c) distribute with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid—generally, taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and net tax-exempt interest income, for such year.

In general, for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described in paragraph (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership which would be qualifying income if realized by the regulated investment company. However, 100% of the net income of a regulated investment company derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (defined as a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities

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market or readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, and (ii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in paragraph (a)(i) above) will be treated as qualifying income. In general, such entities will be treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes because they meet the passive income requirement under Code section 7704(c)(2). In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to regulated investment companies, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

For purposes of the diversification test in paragraph (b) above, identification of the issuer (or, in some cases, issuers) of a particular fund investment will depend on the terms and conditions of that investment. In some cases, identification of the issuer (or issuers) is uncertain under current law, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to issuer identification for a particular type of investment may adversely affect the fund’s ability to meet the diversification test in (b) above. Also, for the purposes of the diversification test in paragraph (b) above, the term “outstanding voting securities of such issuer” will include the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership.

If the fund qualifies as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment, the fund will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on income or gains distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends (including Capital Gain Dividends, as defined below).

If the fund were to fail to meet the income, diversification or distribution test described above, the fund could in some cases cure such failure, including by paying a fund-level tax, paying interest, making additional distributions, or disposing of certain assets. If the fund were ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure for any year, or were otherwise to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the fund would be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Some portions of such distributions may be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders, and may be eligible to be treated as “qualified dividend income” in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals, provided, in both cases, that the shareholder meets certain holding period and other requirements in respect of the fund’s shares (as described below). In addition, the fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.

The fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and its net tax-exempt income (if any). The fund may distribute its net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss, in each case determined with reference to any loss carryforwards). Investment company taxable income (which is retained by the fund) will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates. The fund may also retain for investment its net capital gain. If the fund retains any net capital gain, it will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained, but may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who will be (i) required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the fund on such undistributed amount against their U.S. federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds on a properly-filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. If the fund makes this designation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the fund will be increased by an amount equal to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income under clause (i) of the preceding sentence and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence. The fund is not required to, and there can be no assurance the fund will, make this designation if it retains all or a portion of its net capital gain in a taxable year.

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In determining its net capital gain, including in connection with determining the amount available to support a Capital Gain Dividend (as defined below), its taxable income and its earnings and profits, a regulated investment company may also elect to treat part or all of any post-October capital loss (defined as any net capital loss attributable to the portion, if any, of the taxable year after October 31 or, if there is no such loss, the net long-term capital loss or net short-term capital loss attributable to any such portion of the taxable year) or late-year ordinary loss (generally, the sum of its (i) net ordinary loss, if any, from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of property, attributable to the portion, if any, of the taxable year after October 31, and its (ii) other net ordinary loss, if any, attributable to the portion, if any, of the taxable year after December 31) as if incurred in the succeeding taxable year.

If the fund fails to distribute in a calendar year at least an amount equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. For these purposes, ordinary gains and losses from the sale, exchange, or other taxable disposition of property that would otherwise be properly taken into account after October 31 are treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year. For purposes of the excise tax, the fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax in the taxable year ending within the calendar year. A dividend paid to shareholders in January of a year generally is deemed to have been paid by the fund on December 31 of the preceding year, if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October, November or December of that preceding year. The fund intends generally to make distributions sufficient to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

The fund distributes its net investment income and capital gains to shareholders as dividends at least annually to the extent required to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code and generally to avoid U.S. federal income or excise tax. Under current law, provided it is not treated as a “personal holding company” for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the fund is permitted to treat the portion of redemption proceeds paid to redeeming shareholders that represents the redeeming shareholders’ portion of the fund’s accumulated earnings and profits as a dividend on the fund’s tax return. This practice, which involves the use of tax equalization, will have the effect of reducing the amount of income and gains that the fund is required to distribute as dividends to shareholders in order for the fund to avoid U.S. federal income tax and excise tax. This practice may also reduce the amount of distributions required to be made to non-redeeming shareholders and the amount of any undistributed income will be reflected in the value of the shares of the fund; the total return on a shareholder’s investment will not be reduced as a result of this distribution policy.

Fund distributions. Distributions from the fund (other than exempt-interest dividends, as discussed below) generally are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent derived from the fund’s investment income and net short-term capital gains. Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares of the fund or other Putnam funds.

Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the fund owned (or is deemed to have owned) the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. In general, the fund will recognize long-term capital gain or loss on investments it has owned for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss on investments it has owned for one year or less. Tax rules can alter the fund’s holding period in investments and thereby affect the tax treatment of gain or loss on such investments. Distributions of net capital gain that are properly reported by the fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be treated as long-term capital gains includible in net capital gain and taxed to individuals at reduced rates. Distributions from capital gains generally are made after applying any available capital loss carryforwards. Distributions of net short-term capital gain (as reduced by any net long-term capital loss for the taxable year) will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Investors who purchase shares shortly before the record date of a distribution will pay the full price for the shares and then receive some portion of the price back as a taxable distribution.

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Section 1411 of the Code generally imposes a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on the net investment income of certain individuals, trusts and estates to the extent their income exceeds certain threshold amounts. For these purposes, “net investment income” generally includes, among other things, (i) distributions paid by the fund of net investment income and capital gains (other than exempt-interest dividends) as described herein, and (ii) any net gain from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of fund shares. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisers regarding the possible implications of this additional tax on their investment in the fund.

Distributions of investment income reported by the fund as “qualified dividend income” received by an individual will be taxed at the reduced rates applicable to net capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the fund’s shares. In general, a dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, on the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Each fund, other than fixed-income and money market funds, generally expects to report eligible dividends as qualified dividend income.

In general, distributions of investment income reported by the fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to such fund’s shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by the fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), then 100% of the fund’s dividends (other than dividends properly reported as Capital Gain Dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income.

In general, fixed-income and money market funds receive interest, rather than dividends, from their portfolio securities. As a result, it is not currently expected that any significant portion of such funds’ distributions to shareholders will be derived from qualified dividend income. For information regarding qualified dividend income received from underlying funds, see “Funds of funds” below.

In general, dividends of net investment income received by corporate shareholders of the fund will qualify for the 70% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations only to the extent of the amount of eligible dividends received by the fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by the fund will not be treated as a dividend eligible for the dividends-received deduction (1) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that the fund has held for less than 46 days (91 days in the case of certain preferred stock) during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date in the case of certain preferred stock) or (2) to the extent that the fund is under an obligation (pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Moreover, the dividends received deduction may otherwise be disallowed or reduced (1) if the corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its shares of the fund or (2) by application of various provisions of the Code (for instance, the dividends-received deduction is reduced in the case of a dividend received on debt-financed portfolio stock (generally, stock acquired with borrowed funds)).

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For information regarding eligibility for the dividends-received deduction of dividend income derived from an underlying fund, see “Funds of funds” below.

Exempt-interest dividends. A fund will be qualified to pay exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders if, at the close of each quarter of the fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of the total value of the fund’s assets consists of obligations the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax under Section 103(a) of the Code. In some cases, the fund may also pass through to its shareholders the tax-exempt character of any exempt-interest dividends it receives from underlying funds in which it invests (see “Funds of funds,” below). Distributions that the fund reports as exempt-interest dividends are treated as interest excludable from shareholders’ gross income for federal income tax purposes but may be taxable for federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”) purposes and for state and local purposes. If the fund intends to qualify to pay exempt-interest dividends, the fund may be limited in its ability to enter into taxable transactions involving forward commitments, repurchase agreements, financial futures and options contracts on financial futures, tax-exempt bond indices and other assets.

Part or all of the interest on indebtedness, if any, incurred or continued by a shareholder to purchase or carry shares of the fund paying exempt-interest dividends is not deductible. The portion of interest that is not deductible is equal to the total interest paid or accrued on the indebtedness, multiplied by the percentage of the fund’s total distributions (not including distributions from net long-term capital gains) paid to the shareholder that are exempt-interest dividends. Under rules used by the IRS to determine when borrowed funds are considered used for the purpose of purchasing or carrying particular assets, the purchase of shares may be considered to have been made with borrowed funds even though such funds are not directly traceable to the purchase of shares.

In general, exempt-interest dividends, if any, attributable to interest received on certain private activity obligations and certain industrial development bonds will not be tax-exempt to any shareholders who are “substantial users” of the facilities financed by such obligations or bonds or who are “related persons” of such substantial users.

A fund that is qualified to pay exempt-interest dividends will notify its shareholders in a written statement of the portion of distributions for the taxable year that constitutes exempt-interest dividends.

Exempt-interest dividends may be taxable for purposes of the federal AMT. For individual shareholders, exempt-interest dividends that are derived from interest on private activity bonds that are issued after August 7, 1986 (other than a “qualified 501(c)(3) bond,” as such term is defined in the Code) generally must be included in an individual’s tax base for purposes of calculating the shareholder’s liability for U.S. federal AMT. Corporate shareholders will be required to include all exempt-interest dividends in determining their federal AMT. The AMT calculation for corporations is based, in part, on a corporation’s earnings and profits for the year. A corporation must include all exempt-interest dividends in calculating its earnings and profits for the year. Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund intends to distribute exempt-interest dividends that will not be taxable for federal AMT purposes for individuals. It intends to make such distributions by investing in Tax-exempt Securities other than private activity bonds that are issued after August 7, 1986 (other than “qualified 501(c)(3) bonds,” as such term is defined in the Code). Because corporate shareholders are required to include all exempt-interest dividends in determining their federal AMT, exempt-interest dividends distributed by Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund will be taxable for purposes of the federal AMT.

Funds of funds. If the fund invests in shares of underlying funds, a portion of its distributable income and gains will consist of distributions from the underlying funds and gains and losses on the disposition of shares of the underlying funds. To the extent that an underlying fund realizes net losses on its investments for a given taxable year, the fund will not be able to recognize its share of those losses (so as to offset distributions of net income or capital gains from other underlying funds) until and only to the extent that it disposes of shares of the underlying fund in a transaction qualifying for sale or exchange treatment or those losses reduce distributions required to be made by the underlying fund. Moreover, even when the fund does make such a disposition, a portion of its loss

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may be recognized as a long-term capital loss, which will not be treated as favorably for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a short-term capital loss or an ordinary deduction. In particular, the fund will not be able to offset any capital losses from its dispositions of underlying fund shares against its ordinary income (including distributions of any net short-term capital gains realized by an underlying fund). As a result of the foregoing rules, and certain other special rules, the amounts of net investment income and net capital gains that the fund will be required to distribute to shareholders may be greater than such amounts would have been had the fund invested directly in the securities held by the underlying funds, rather than investing in shares of the underlying funds. For similar reasons, the amount or timing of distributions from the fund qualifying for treatment as being of a particular character (e.g., as long-term capital gain, exempt interest, eligible for dividends-received deduction, etc.) will not necessarily be the same as it would have been had the fund invested directly in the securities held by the underlying funds. In addition, in certain circumstances, the “wash sale” rules under Section 1091 of the Code may apply to the fund’s sales of underlying fund shares that have generated losses. A wash sale occurs if shares of an underlying fund are sold by the fund at a loss and the fund acquires additional shares of that same underlying fund 30 days before or after the date of the sale. The wash-sale rules could defer losses in the fund’s hands on sales of underlying fund shares (to the extent such sales are wash sales) for extended (and, in certain cases, potentially indefinite) periods of time.

If the fund receives dividends from an underlying fund that qualifies as a regulated investment company, and the underlying fund reports such dividends as “qualified dividend income,” then the fund may, in turn, report a portion of its distributions as “qualified dividend income” as well, provided the fund meets the holding period and other requirements with respect to shares of the underlying fund.

If the fund receives dividends from an underlying fund and the underlying fund reports such dividends as eligible for the dividends-received deduction, then the fund is permitted, in turn, to designate a portion of its distributions as eligible for the dividends-received deduction, provided the fund meets the holding period and other requirements with respect to shares of the underlying fund.

If the fund were to own 20% or more of the voting interests of an investment company, subject to a safe harbor in respect of certain fund of funds arrangements, the fund would be required to “look through” the investment company to its holdings and combine the appropriate percentage (as determined pursuant to the applicable Treasury Regulations) of the investment company’s assets with the fund’s assets for purposes of satisfying the 25% diversification test described above.

If, at the close of each quarter of the fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of its total assets consists of interests in other regulated investment companies (such fund, a “qualified fund of funds”), the fund will be permitted to distribute exempt-interest dividends and thereby pass through to its shareholders the tax-exempt character of any exempt-interest dividends it receives from underlying funds in which it invests, or interest on any tax-exempt obligations in which it directly invests, if any. For further information regarding exempt-interest dividends, see “Exempt-interest dividends,” above.

If the fund is a qualified fund of funds, the fund will be entitled to elect to pass through to its shareholders a credit or deduction for foreign taxes (if any) borne in respect of foreign securities income earned by the fund, or by any underlying funds and passed through to the fund. If the fund so elects, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes, if any, treated as paid by the fund. Even if the fund is eligible to make such an election for a given year, it may determine not to do so. If the fund elects to pass through to its shareholders foreign tax credits or deductions, tax-exempt shareholders and those who invest in the fund through tax-advantaged accounts such as IRAs will not benefit from any such tax credit or deduction. See “Foreign taxes” below for more information.

Derivatives, hedging and related transactions; certain exposure to commodities. In general, option premiums received by the fund are not immediately included in the income of the fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the fund transfers or

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otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If a call option written by the fund is exercised and the fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) the sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the fund’s basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by the fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the fund generally will subtract the premium received for purposes of computing its cost basis in the securities purchased. Gain or loss arising in respect of a termination of the fund’s obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by the fund expires unexercised, the fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.

Certain covered call writing activities of the fund may trigger the U.S. federal income tax straddle rules contained primarily in Section 1092 of the Code. Very generally, where applicable, Section 1092 requires (i) that losses be deferred on positions deemed to be offsetting positions with respect to “substantially similar or related property,” to the extent of unrealized gain in the latter, and (ii) that the holding period of such a straddle position that has not already been held for the long-term holding period be terminated and begin anew once the position is no longer part of a straddle. Options on single stocks that are not “deep in the money” may constitute qualified covered calls, which generally are not subject to the straddle rules; the holding period on stock underlying qualified covered calls that are “in the money” although not “deep in the money” will be suspended during the period that such calls are outstanding. Thus, the straddle rules and the rules governing qualified covered calls could cause gains that would otherwise constitute long-term capital gains to be treated as short-term capital gains, and distributions that would otherwise constitute “qualified dividend income” or qualify for the dividends-received deduction to fail to satisfy the holding period requirements and therefore to be taxed as ordinary income or to fail to qualify for the 70% dividends-received deduction, as the case may be.

In general, 40% of the gain or loss arising from the closing out of a futures contract traded on an exchange approved by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission is treated as short-term gain or loss, and 60% is treated as long-term gain or loss, although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, such contracts held by the fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) are “marked to market” with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable.

In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures transactions, the fund’s derivative transactions, including transactions in options, futures contracts, straddles, securities loan and other similar transactions, including for hedging purposes, will be subject to special tax rules (including constructive sale, mark-to-market, straddle, wash sale, and short sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the fund, defer losses to the fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains, short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses, or capital gains into ordinary income. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The fund may make any applicable elections pertaining to such transactions consistent with the interests of the fund.

Because these and other tax rules applicable to these types of transactions are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether the fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid a fund-level tax.

A fund’s use of commodity-linked derivatives can be limited by the fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company and can bear on its ability to so qualify. Income and gains from certain commodity-linked

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derivatives do not constitute qualifying income to a regulated investment company for purposes of the 90% gross income test described above. The tax treatment of certain other commodity-linked derivative instruments in which the fund might invest is not certain, in particular with respect to whether income or gains from such instruments constitute qualifying income to a regulated investment company. If the fund were to treat income or gain from a particular instrument as qualifying income and the income or gain were later determined not to constitute qualifying income and, together with any other nonqualifying income, caused the fund’s nonqualifying income to exceed 10% of its gross income in any taxable year, the fund would fail to qualify as a regulated investment company unless it is eligible to and does pay a tax at the fund level.

The tax rules are uncertain with respect to the treatment of income or gains arising in respect of commodity-linked exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) and certain commodity-linked structured notes; also, the timing and character of income or gains arising from ETNs can be uncertain. An adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect the fund’s ability to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and to avoid a fund-level tax.

To the extent that, in order to achieve exposure to commodities, the fund invests in entities that are treated as pass-through vehicles for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including, for instance, certain ETFs (e.g., ETFs investing in gold bullion) and partnerships other than qualified publicly traded partnerships (as defined earlier), all or a portion of any income and gains from such entities could constitute non-qualifying income to the fund for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described above. In such a case, the fund’s investments in such entities could be limited by its intention to qualify as a regulated investment company and could bear on its ability to so qualify. Certain commodities-related ETFs may qualify as qualified publicly traded partnerships. In such cases, the net income derived from such investments will constitute qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement. If, however, such a vehicle were to fail to qualify as a qualified publicly traded partnership in a particular year, a portion of the gross income derived from it in such year could constitute non-qualifying income to the fund for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement and thus could adversely affect the fund’s ability to qualify as a regulated investment company for a particular year. In addition, the diversification requirement described above for regulated investment company qualification will limit the fund’s investments in one or more vehicles that are qualified publicly traded partnerships to 25% of the fund’s total assets as of the close of each quarter of the fund’s taxable year.

Certain of the fund’s investments in derivative instruments and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and any of the fund's transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, are likely to produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If such a difference arises, and the fund’s book income is less than its taxable income (or, for tax-exempt funds, the sum of its net tax-exempt and taxable income), the fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment and to eliminate fund-level income tax. In the alternative, if the fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and tax-exempt income, the distribution (if any) of such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income), (ii) thereafter as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.

Investments in REITs. The fund’s investment in REIT equity securities may result in the fund’s receipt of cash in excess of the REIT’s earnings. If the fund distributes such amounts, such distribution could constitute a return of capital to the fund shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Dividends received by the fund from a REIT generally will not constitute qualified dividend income and will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction.

The fund may invest in REITs, including REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”) (including by investing in residual interests in collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) with respect to which an election to be treated as a REMIC is in effect), REITs that are themselves taxable mortgage pools (“TMPs”) or REITs that invest in TMPs. Under a notice issued by the IRS in October

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2006 and Treasury regulations that have not yet been issued, but apply retroactively, a portion of the fund’s income from a REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a REMIC or TMP (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to U.S. federal income tax in all events. This notice also provides, and the regulations are expected to provide, that excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as the fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC or TMP residual interest directly. As a result, a fund investing in such interests may not be a suitable investment for charitable remainder trusts, as noted below.

In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. A shareholder will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such inclusions notwithstanding any exemption from such income tax otherwise available under the Code. Any investment in residual interests of CMO that has elected to be treated as a REMIC can create complex tax problems, especially if the fund has state or local governments or other tax-exempt organizations as shareholders.

Income of a fund that would be UBTI if earned directly by a tax-exempt entity generally will not constitute UBTI when distributed to a tax-exempt shareholder of the fund. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder will recognize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the fund if shares in the fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). Furthermore, a tax-exempt shareholder may recognize UBTI if the fund recognizes excess inclusion income derived from direct or indirect investments in REMIC residual interests or TMPs if the amount of such income recognized by the fund exceeds the fund's investment company taxable income (after taking into account deductions for dividends paid by the fund).

Under legislation enacted in December 2006, a charitable remainder trust (“CRT”), as defined in Section 664 of the Code, that realizes UBTI for a taxable year must pay an excise tax annually of an amount equal to such UBTI. Under IRS guidance issued in October 2006, a CRT will not recognize UBTI solely as a result of investing in a fund that recognizes excess inclusion income. Rather, if at any time during any taxable year a CRT (or one of certain other tax-exempt shareholders, such as the United States, a state or political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality thereof, and certain energy cooperatives) is a record holder of a share in a fund that recognizes excess inclusion income, then the fund will be subject to a tax on that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to such shareholders at the highest federal corporate income tax rate. The extent to which this IRS guidance remains applicable in light of the December 2006 legislation is unclear. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the fund may elect to specially allocate any such tax to the applicable CRT, or other shareholder, and thus reduce such shareholder’s distributions for the year by the amount of the tax that relates to such shareholder’s interest in the fund. CRTs and other tax-exempt investors are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the consequences of investing in the fund.

Return of capital distributions. If the fund makes a distribution in and with respect to any taxable year to a shareholder in excess of the fund’s current and accumulated “earnings and profits,” the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of such shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares. Dividends and distributions on the fund’s shares generally are subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the fund’s realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Such distributions

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are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the fund’s net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized income and gains may be required to be distributed even when the fund’s net asset value also reflects unrealized losses. Distributions are taxable to a shareholder even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the fund prior to the shareholder’s investment (and thus included in the price paid by the shareholder).

Securities issued or purchased at a discount. Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance (and zero-coupon debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that are acquired by the fund will be treated as debt obligations that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of the original issue discount (“OID”) is treated as interest income and is included in the fund’s income (and required to be distributed by the fund) over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. In addition, payment-in-kind securities will give rise to income which is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.

Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance that are acquired by the fund in the secondary market may be treated as having “market discount.” Very generally, market discount is the excess of the stated redemption price of a debt obligation (or in the case of an obligation issued with OID, its “revised issue price”) over the purchase price of such obligation. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued market discount” on such debt security. Alternatively, the fund may elect to accrue market discount currently, in which case the fund will be required to include the accrued market discount in the fund's income (as ordinary income) and thus distribute it over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. The rate at which the market discount accrues, and thus is included in the fund's income, will depend upon which of the permitted accrual methods the Fund elects.

Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance that are acquired by the fund may be treated as having “acquisition discount” (very generally, the excess of the stated redemption price over the purchase price) or OID. The fund will be required to include the acquisition discount or OID in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. The fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt obligations having acquisition discount or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

If the fund holds the foregoing kinds of securities, or other debt securities subject to special rules under the Code, it may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount which is greater than the total amount of cash interest the fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the fund or, if necessary, by disposition of portfolio securities including at a time when it may not be advantageous to do so. These dispositions may cause the fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates) and, in the event the fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than if the fund had not held such securities.

Securities purchased at a premium. Very generally, where the fund purchases a bond at a price that exceeds the redemption price at maturity ( i . e ., a premium), the premium is amortizable over the remaining term of the bond. In the case of a taxable bond, if the fund makes an election applicable to all such bonds it purchases, which election is irrevocable without consent of the IRS, the fund reduces the current taxable income from the bond by the amortized premium and reduces its tax basis in the bond by the amount of such offset; upon the disposition or maturity of such bonds acquired on or after January 4, 2013, the fund is permitted to deduct any remaining

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premium allocable to a prior period. In the case of a tax-exempt bond, tax rules require the fund to reduce its tax basis by the amount of amortized premium.

Higher-Risk Securities. The fund may invest to a significant extent in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default. Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present special tax issues for the fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether the fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation and, if so, the amount of market discount the fund should recognize, when the fund may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by the fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.

Capital loss carryforward. Distributions from capital gains generally are made after applying any available capital loss carryforwards. Capital loss carryforwards are reduced to the extent they offset current-year net realized capital gains, whether the fund retains or distributes such gains. If a fund incurs or has incurred net capital losses in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 (“post-2010 losses”), those losses will be carried forward to one or more subsequent taxable years; any such carryforward losses will retain their character as short-term or long-term. If the fund incurred net capital losses in a taxable year beginning on or before December 22, 2010 (“pre-2011 losses”), the fund is permitted to carry such losses forward for eight taxable years; in the year to which they are carried forward, such losses are treated as short-term capital losses that first offset any short-term capital gains, and then offset long-term capital gains. The fund must use any post 2010 losses, which will not expire, before it uses any pre-2011 losses. This increases the likelihood that pre-2011 losses will expire unused at the conclusion of the eight-year carryforward period. The amounts and expiration dates, if any, of any capital loss carryforwards available to the fund are shown in Note 1 (Federal income taxes) to the financial statements included in this Part II of the SAI or incorporated by reference into this SAI.

Foreign taxes. If more than 50% of the fund’s assets at taxable year end consists of the securities of foreign corporations, the fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. A qualified fund of funds also may elect to pass through to its shareholders foreign taxes it has paid or foreign taxes passed through to it by any underlying fund that itself elected to pass through such taxes to shareholders (see “Funds of funds” above). In such a case, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes. A shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, as a result of which a shareholder may not get a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. In particular, shareholders must hold their fund shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize on their U.S. federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such foreign taxes. Even if the fund is eligible to make such an election for a given year, it may determine not to do so. However, even if the fund elects to pass through to its shareholders foreign tax credits or deductions, tax-exempt shareholders and those who invest in the fund through tax-advantaged accounts such as IRAs will not benefit from any such tax credit or deduction.

Passive Foreign Investment Companies. Investments treated as equity for federal income tax purposes in certain “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”, as defined below) could subject the fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on the proceeds from the disposition of its investment in such a company. This tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to fund shareholders; however, this tax can be avoided by making an election to mark such investments to market annually or to treat the passive foreign investment company as a “qualified electing fund.” The QEF and

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mark-to-market elections may have the effect of accelerating the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increasing the amount required to be distributed by the fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the fund to liquidate other investments to meet its distribution requirement, which may also accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the fund’s total return. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as “qualified dividend income.” If the fund indirectly invests in PFICs by virtue of the fund’s investments in other funds, it may not make such PFIC elections; rather, the underlying funds directly investing in the PFICs would decide whether to make such elections.

Because it is not always possible to identify a foreign corporation as a PFIC, the fund may incur the tax and interest charges described above in some instances.

A PFIC is any foreign corporation: (i) 75 percent or more of the income of which for the taxable year is passive income, or (ii) the average percentage of the assets of which (generally by value, but by adjusted tax basis in certain cases) that produce or are held for the production of passive income is at least 50 percent. Generally, passive income for this purpose means dividends, interest (including income equivalent to interest), royalties, rents, annuities, the excess of gains over losses from certain property transactions and commodities transactions, and foreign currency gains. Passive income for this purpose does not include rents and royalties received by the foreign corporation from active business and certain income received from related persons.

Foreign currency-denominated securities and related hedging transactions. The fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. Any such net gains could require a larger dividend toward the end of the calendar year. Any such net losses generally will reduce and potentially require the recharacterization of prior ordinary income distributions. Such ordinary income treatment may accelerate fund distributions to shareholders and increase the distributions taxed to shareholders as ordinary income. Any net ordinary losses so created cannot be carried forward by the fund to offset income or gains earned in subsequent taxable years.

Sale or redemption of shares. The sale, exchange or redemption of fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise the gain or loss on the sale, exchange or redemption of fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, if a shareholder sells shares at a loss within six months of purchase, any loss generally will be disallowed for federal income tax purposes to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends received on such shares. This loss disallowance, however, does not apply with respect to redemptions of fund shares held for six months or less with respect to a regular exempt-interest dividend paid by the fund if such fund declares substantially all of its net tax-exempt income as exempt-interest dividends on a daily basis, and pays such dividends at least on a monthly basis. In addition, any loss (not already disallowed as provided in the preceding sentences) realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any Capital Gain Dividends received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of fund shares will be disallowed if other shares of the same fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

Cost basis reporting. Upon the redemption or exchange of a shareholder’s shares in the fund, the fund, or, if such shareholder’s shares are then held through a financial intermediary, the financial intermediary, will be required to provide the shareholder and the IRS with cost basis and certain other related tax information about the fund shares the shareholder redeemed or exchanged. This cost basis reporting requirement is effective for shares purchased, including through dividend reinvestment, on or after January 1, 2012. Shareholders can visit www.putnam.com/costbasis, or call the fund at 1-800-225-1581, or consult their financial representatives, as appropriate, for more information regarding available methods for cost basis reporting and how to select a

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particular method. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine which available cost basis method is best for them.

Shares purchased through tax-qualified plans. Special tax rules apply to investments through employer-sponsored retirement plans and other tax-qualified plans or tax-advantaged arrangements. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the suitability of shares of the fund as an investment through such plans and arrangements the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax situation.

Backup withholding. The fund generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable dividends and other distributions paid to any individual shareholder who fails to furnish the fund with a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN), who has under-reported dividends or interest income, or who fails to certify to the fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding rules may also apply to distributions that are properly reported as exempt-interest dividends. The current back-up withholding tax rate is 28%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.

In order for a foreign investor to qualify for exemption from the back-up withholding tax rates and for reduced withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in a fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.

Tax shelter reporting regulations. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of fund shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Non-U.S. shareholders. Distributions by the fund to shareholders that are not “U.S. person” within the meaning of the Code (“foreign shareholders”) properly reported by the fund as (1) Capital Gain Dividends, (2) interest-related dividends, (3) short-term capital gain dividends, each as defined below and subject to certain conditions described below, and (4) exempt-interest dividends generally are not subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax.

The exception to withholding for “interest-related dividends” generally applies with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign shareholder (w) that has not provided a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (x) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign shareholder is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (y) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (z) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign shareholder and the foreign shareholder is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income of types similar to those not subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign shareholder, to the extent such distributions are properly reported by the fund in a written notice to shareholders. The exception to withholding for “short-term capital gain dividends” applies to distributions (other than (a) distributions to an individual foreign shareholder who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution and (b) distributions subject to special rules regarding the disposition of U.S. real property interests as described below) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, to the extent such distributions are properly reported by the fund in a written notice to shareholders (a “short-term capital gain dividend”).

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The fact that a fund achieves its goals by investing in underlying funds generally does not adversely affect the fund’s ability to pass on to foreign shareholders the full benefit of the interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends that it receives from its investments in underlying funds, except possibly to the extent that (1) interest-related dividends received by the fund are offset by deductions allocable to the fund’s qualified interest income or (2) short-term capital gain dividends received by the fund are offset by the fund’s net short- or long-term capital losses, in which case the amount of a distribution from the fund to a foreign shareholder that is properly reported as either an interest-related dividend or a short-term capital gain dividend, respectively, may be less than the amount that such shareholder would have received had they invested directly in the underlying funds.

Distributions by the fund to foreign shareholders other than Capital Gain Dividends, interest-related dividends, and short-term capital gain dividends and exempt-interest dividends (e.g.,; dividends attributable to foreign-source dividend and interest income or to short-term capital gains or U.S.-source interest income to which the exception from withholding described above does not apply) are generally subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate).

Under U.S. federal tax law, a beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign shareholder is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of the fund or on Capital Gain Dividends , unless (i) such gain or Capital Gain Dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States; (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met; or (iii) the special rules relating to gain attributable to the sale or exchange of “U.S. real property interests” (“USRPIs”) apply to the foreign shareholder's sale of shares of the fund or to the Capital Gain Dividend the foreign shareholder received (as described below).

If a beneficial holder who is a foreign shareholder has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates and, in the case of a foreign corporation, may also be subject to a branch profits tax. If a foreign shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States. More generally, foreign shareholders who are residents in a country with an income tax treaty with the United States may obtain different tax results than those described herein, and are urged to consult their tax advisors.

Special rules would apply if the fund were a qualified investment entity (“QIE”) because it is either a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of certain exceptions to the definition of USRPIs described below. Very generally, a USRPHC is a domestic corporation that holds USRPIs the fair market value of which equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the corporation’s USRPIs, interests in real property located outside the United States, and other trade or business assets. USRPIs generally are defined as any interest in U.S. real property and any interest (other than solely as a creditor) in a USRPHC or, very generally, an entity that has been a USRPHC in the last five years. A fund that holds, directly or indirectly, significant interests in REITs may be a USRPHC. Interests in domestically controlled QIEs, including RICs and REITs that are QIEs, not-greater-than-10% interests in publicly traded classes of stock in REITs and not-greater-than-5% interests in publicly traded classes of stock in RICs generally are not USRPIs, but these exceptions do not apply for purposes of determining whether a fund is a QIE.

If an interest in the fund were a USRPI, the fund would be required to withhold U.S. tax on the proceeds of a share redemption by a greater-than-5% foreign shareholder, in which case such foreign shareholder generally would also be required to file U.S. tax returns and pay any additional taxes due in connection with the redemption.

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If the fund were a QIE under a special “look-through” rule, any distributions by the fund to a foreign shareholder (including, in certain cases, distributions made by the fund in redemption of its shares) attributable directly or indirectly to (i) distributions received by the fund from a lower-tier RIC or REIT that the fund is required to treat as USRPI gain in its hands and (ii) gains realized on the disposition of USRPIs by the fund would retain their character as gains realized from USRPIs in the hands of the fund’s foreign shareholders and would be subject to U.S. tax withholding. In addition, such distributions could result in the foreign shareholder being required to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax on the distributions at regular U.S. federal income tax rates. The consequences to a foreign shareholder, including the rate of such withholding and character of such distributions (e.g., as ordinary income or USRPI gain), would vary depending upon the extent of the foreign shareholder’s current and past ownership of the fund.

Foreign shareholders of the fund also may be subject to “wash sale” rules to prevent the avoidance of the tax-filing and -payment obligations discussed above through the sale and repurchase of fund shares.

Foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisers and, if holding shares through intermediaries, their intermediaries, concerning the application of these rules to their investment in the fund.

Other reporting and withholding requirements . Sections 1471-1474 of the Code and the U.S. Treasury and IRS guidance issued thereunder (collectively, “FATCA”) generally require a fund to obtain information sufficient to identify the status of each of its shareholders under FATCA or under an applicable intergovernmental agreement (an “IGA”) between the United States and a foreign government. If a shareholder fails to provide the requested information or otherwise fails to comply with FATCA or an IGA, the fund may be required to withhold under FATCA at a rate of 30% with respect to that shareholder on ordinary dividends it pays and 30% of the gross proceeds of share redemptions or exchanges and certain capital gain dividends it pays on or after January 1, 2017 (which date, under recent Treasury guidance, is expected to be delayed until on or after January 1, 2019). If a payment by the fund is subject to FATCA withholding, the fund is required to withhold even if such payment would otherwise be exempt from withholding under the rules applicable to foreign shareholders described above (e.g., Capital Gain Dividends, short-term capital gain dividends and interest-related dividends). Each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax advisor regarding the applicability of FATCA and any other reporting requirements with respect to the prospective investor’s own situation, including investments through an intermediary.

General Considerations. The U.S. federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the specific federal tax consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing of shares of the fund, as well as the effects of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.

February 28, 2016  II-70 

 



MANAGEMENT

Trustees

Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal     
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During     
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years    Other Directorships Held by Trustee   

Liaquat Ahamed (Born  Author; won Pulitzer  Trustee of the Brookings Institution (a nonprofit 
1952), Trustee since 2012  Prize for Lords of  public policy organization). Mr. Ahamed is also a 
  Finance: The Bankers  director of the Rohatyn Group, an emerging-market 
  Who Broke the World.  fund complex that manages money for institutions. 
  Director of Aspen  Mr. Ahamed has 25 years experience in the 
  Insurance Co., a New  management of fixed income portfolios and was 
  York Stock Exchange  previously the Chief Executive Officer of Fischer 
  company and Chair of  Francis Trees & Watts, Inc., a fixed-income 
  the Aspen Board’s  investment management subsidiary of BNP Paribas. 
  Investment Committee.  Mr. Ahamed holds a B.A. in economics from Trinity 
    College, Cambridge University and an M.A. in 
    economics from Harvard University. 

Ravi Akhoury (Born 1947),  Served as Chairman and  Director of RAGE Frameworks, Inc. and English 
Trustee since 2009  CEO of MacKay Shields  Helper, Inc. (each a private software company). Mr. 
  (a multi-product  Akhoury previously served as Director of Jacob 
  investment management  Ballas Capital India (a non-banking finance company 
  firm) from 1992 to 2007.  focused on private equity advisory services) and a 
    member of its Compensation Committee. He also 
    served as Director and on the Compensation 
    Committee of MaxIndia/New York Life Insurance 
    Company in India. Mr. Akhoury is also a Trustee of 
    the Rubin Museum, serving on the Investment 
    Committee, and of American India Foundation. Mr. 
    Akhoury is a former Vice President and Investment 
    Policy Committee member of Fischer, Francis, Trees 
    and Watts (a fixed-income investment management 
    subsidiary of BNP Paribas). He previously served on 
    the Board of Bharti Telecom (an Indian 
    telecommunications company) and was a member of 
    its Audit and Compensation Committees. He also 
    served on the Board of Thompson Press (a publishing 
    company) and was a member of its Audit Committee. 
    Mr. Akhoury graduated from the Indian Institute of 
    Technology with a BS in Engineering and obtained 
    an MS in Quantitative Methods from SUNY at Stony 
    Brook. 

 

February 28, 2016  II-71 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal     
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During     
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years    Other Directorships Held by Trustee   

Barbara M. Baumann (Born  President of Cross Creek  Director of Buckeye Partners, L.P. (a publicly traded 
1955), Trustee since 2010  Energy Corporation, a  master limited partnership focused on pipeline 
  strategic consultant to  transport, storage and distribution of petroleum 
  domestic energy firms  products) and Devon Energy Corporation (a leading 
  and direct investor in  independent natural gas and oil exploration and 
  energy projects.  production company). She serves on the board of The 
    Denver Foundation, is a former Chair of the Board, 
    and a current Board member, of Girls Inc. of Metro 
    Denver (a nonprofit organization benefitting young 
    women), and serves on the Finance Committee of the 
    Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Until September 
    2014, Ms. Baumann was a director of UNS Energy 
    Corporation (a publicly held electric and gas utility in 
    Arizona). Until May 2014, Ms. Baumann was a 
    Director of SM Energy Corporation (a publicly held 
    U.S. exploration and production company). Until 
    May 2012, Ms. Baumann was a Director of CVR 
    Energy, Inc. (a publicly held petroleum refiner and 
    fertilizer manufacturer). Prior to 2003, she was 
    Executive Vice President of Associated Energy 
    Managers, LLC (a domestic private equity firm). 
    From 1981 until 2000 she held a variety of financial 
    and operational management positions with the 
    global energy company Amoco Corporation and its 
    successor, BP. Ms. Baumann holds a B.A. from 
    Mount Holyoke College and an MBA from The 
    Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Jameson A. Baxter (Born  President of Baxter  Chair of the Mutual Fund Directors Forum; Director 
1943), Trustee since 1994,  Associates, Inc., (a  of the Adirondack Land Trust; and Trustee of the The 
Vice Chair from 2005 to 2011  private investment firm).  Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Chapter. Until 
and Chair since 2011    2011, Ms. Baxter was a Director of ASHTA 
    Chemicals Inc. Until 2007, Ms. Baxter was a 
    Director of Banta Corporation (a printing and supply 
    chain management company), Ryerson, Inc. (a 
    metals service company) and Advocate Health Care. 
    She has also served as a director on a number of other 
    boards including BoardSource (formerly the 
    National Center for Nonprofit Boards), Intermatic 
    Corporation (a manufacturer of energy control 
    products) and MB Financial. She is Chairman 
    Emeritus of the Board of Trustees, Mount Holyoke 
    College. Ms. Baxter is also a graduate of Mount 
    Holyoke College. 

 

February 28, 2016  II-72 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal     
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During     
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years    Other Directorships Held by Trustee   

Robert J. Darretta (Born  Mr. Darretta serves as a  Until April, 2007, Mr. Darretta was Vice Chairman 
1946), Trustee since 2007  director of the United  of the Board of Directors of Johnson & Johnson (a 
  Health Group. From  diversified health care conglomerate). Mr. Darretta 
  2009-2012, Mr. Darretta  received a B.S. in Economics from Villanova 
  served as the Health Care  University. 
  Industry Advisor to   
  Permira, (a global private   
  equity firm). Prior to   
  2007, Mr. Darretta was   
  the Chief Financial   
  Officer of Johnson &   
  Johnson.   


Katinka Domotorffy (Born  Voting member of the  Director of Reach Out and Read of Greater New 
1975), Trustee since 2012  Investment Committees  York, an organization dedicated to promoting 
  of the Anne Ray  childhood literacy; and of the Great Lakes Science 
  Charitable Trust and  Center. Ms. Domotorffy holds a BSc in Economics 
  Margaret A. Cargill  from the University of Pennsylvania and an MSc in 
  Foundation, part of the  Accounting and Finance from the London School of 
  Margaret A. Cargill  Economics. 
  Philanthropies. Prior to   
  2012, Ms. Domotorffy   
  was Partner, Chief   
  Investment Officer, and   
  Global Head of   
  Quantitative Investment   
  Strategies at Goldman   
  Sachs Asset   
  Management   

John A. Hill (Born 1942),  Vice Chairman, First  Director of Devon Energy Corporation and various 
Trustee since 1985 and  Reserve Corporation (a  private companies owned by First Reserve 
Chairman from 2000 to 2011  private equity buyout  Corporation. He is also Chairman of The Board of 
  firm that specializes in  Trustees of Sarah Lawrence College and a member 
  energy investments in the  of the Advisory Board of the Millstein Center for 
  diversified world-wide  Global Markets and Corporate Ownership at the 
  energy industry).  Columbia University Law School. Mr. Hill received 
    a B.A in Economics from Southern Methodist 
    University and pursued graduate studies as a 
    Woodrow Wilson Fellow. 

 

February 28, 2016  II-73 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal     
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During     
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years    Other Directorships Held by Trustee   

Paul L. Joskow (Born 1947),  President of the Alfred P.  Trustee of Yale University; a Director of Exelon 
Trustee since 1997  Sloan Foundation (a  Corporation (an energy company focused on power 
  philanthropic institution  services); and a Member of the Board of Overseers of 
  focused primarily on  the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Prior to April 2013, 
  research and education  he served as Director of TransCanada Corporation 
  on issues related to  and TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. (energy companies 
  science, technology and  focused on natural gas transmission, oil pipelines, 
  economic performance).  and power services.) Prior to August 2007, he served 
  He is the Elizabeth and  as a Director of National Grid (a U.K.-based holding 
  James Killian Professor  company with interests in electric and gas 
  of Economics, Emeritus  transmission and distribution and 
  at the Massachusetts  telecommunications infrastructure). Prior to July, 
  Institute of Technology  2006, he served as President of the Yale University 
  (“MIT”).  Council. Prior to February 2005, he served on the 
  Prior to 2007, he was the  board of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical 
  Director of the Center for  Research (a non-profit research institution). Prior to 
  Energy and  February 2002, he was a Director of State Farm 
  Environmental Policy  Indemnity Company (an automobile insurance 
  Research at MIT.  company), and prior to March 2000, he was a 
    Director of New England Electric System (a public 
    utility holding company). Dr. Joskow holds a Ph.D. 
    and a M.Phil. from Yale University and a B.A. from 
    Cornell University. 

Kenneth R. Leibler (Born  A founder and former  Until November 2010, Mr. Leibler was a Director of 
1949), Trustee since 2006  Chairman of the Boston  Ruder Finn Group (a global communications and 
  Options Exchange (an  advertising firm). Prior to December 2006, Mr. 
  electronic market place  Leibler served as a Director of the Optimum Funds 
  for the trading of listed  Group. Prior to October 2006, he served as a Director 
  derivatives securities).  of ISO New England (the organization responsible 
  He currently serves on  for the operation of the electric generation system in 
  the Board of Trustees of  the New England states). Prior to 2000, he was a 
  Beth Israel Deaconess  Director of the Investment Company Institute in 
  Hospital in Boston and as  Washington, D.C. Prior to January 2005, Mr. Leibler 
  a Director of Beth Israel  served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 
  Deaconess Care  the Boston Stock Exchange. Prior to January 2000, 
  Organization, an  he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of 
  accountable care group  Liberty Financial Companies (a publicly traded 
  jointly owned by the  diversified asset management organization). Prior to 
  medical center and its  June 1990, he served as President and Chief 
  affiliated physicians  Operating Officer of the American Stock Exchange 
  network. He is also  (AMEX). Prior to serving as AMEX President, he 
  Director of Eversource  held the position of Chief Financial Officer, and 
  Corporation, which  headed its management and marketing operations. 
  operates New England’s  Mr. Leibler graduated with a B.A in Economics from 
  largest energy delivery  Syracuse University. 
  system.   

 

February 28, 2016  II-74 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal     
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During     
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years    Other Directorships Held by Trustee   

Robert E. Patterson (Born  Co-Chairman of Cabot  Mr. Patterson is past Chairman and served as a 
1945), Trustee since 1984  Properties, Inc. (a private  Trustee of the Joslin Diabetes Center. Prior to 
  equity firm investing in  December 2001, Mr. Patterson served as the 
  commercial real estate)  President and as a Trustee of Cabot Industrial Trust 
  and Chairman of the  (a publicly-traded real estate investment trust). He 
  Investment Committee  has also served as a Trustee of the Sea Education 
  of Cabot Properties.  Association. Prior to 1998, he was Executive Vice 
    President and Director of Acquisitions of Cabot 
    Partners Limited Partnership (a registered investment 
    adviser involved in institutional real estate 
    investments). Prior to 1990, he served as Executive 
    Vice President of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes Realty 
    Advisers, Inc. (the predecessor company of Cabot 
    Partners). Mr. Patterson practiced law and held 
    various positions in state government, and was the 
    founding Executive Director of the Massachusetts 
    Industrial Finance Agency. Mr. Patterson is a 
    graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law 
    School. 

George Putnam, III (Born  Chairman of New  Director of The Boston Family Office, LLC (a 
1951), Trustee since 1984  Generation Research,  registered investment advisor), a Trustee of 
  Inc. (a publisher of  Epiphany School and a Trustee of the Marine 
  financial advisory and  Biological Laboratory. Until 2010, Mr. Putnam was a 
  other research services)  Trustee of St. Mark’s School. Until 2006, Mr. 
  and President of New  Putnam was a Trustee of Shore Country Day School. 
  Generation Advisors,  Until 2002, he was a Trustee of the Sea Education 
  LLC (a registered  Association. Mr. Putnam is a graduate of Harvard 
  investment adviser to  College, Harvard Business School and Harvard Law 
  private funds), which are  School. 
  firms he founded in   
  1986. Prior to June 2007,   
  Mr. Putnam was   
  President of the Putnam   
  Funds.   

W. Thomas Stephens (Born  Prior to 2009, Mr.  Until 2014, Mr. Stephens was a Director of 
1942), Trustee from  Stephens was Chairman  TransCanadaPipelines Ltd. (an energy infrastructure 
1997-2008, and since 2009  and Chief Executive  company). Until 2010, Mr. Stephens was a Director 
  Officer of Boise  of Boise Inc. (a manufacturer of paper and packaging 
  Cascade, LLC (a paper,  products). Until 2004, Mr. Stephens was a Director 
  forest product and  of Xcel Energy Incorporated (a public utility 
  timberland assets  company), Qwest Communications and Norske 
  company).  Canada, Inc. (a paper manufacturer). Until 2003, Mr. 
    Stephens was a Director of Mail-Well, Inc. (a 
    diversified printing company). Prior to July 2001, 
    Mr. Stephens was Chairman of Mail-Well. Mr. 
    Stephens holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from the 
    University of Arkansas. 

 

February 28, 2016  II-75 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal     
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During     
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years    Other Directorships Held by Trustee   

 
Interested Trustees     

*Robert L. Reynolds (Born  President and Chief  Director of several not-for-profit boards, including 
1952), Trustee since 2008  Executive Officer of  West Virginia University Foundation, the Concord 
  Putnam Investments  Museum, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Boston 
  since 2008 and, since  Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Chief 
  2014, President and  Executives Club of Boston, the National 
  Chief Executive Officer  Innovation Initiative, and the Council on 
  of Great-West Financial,  Competitiveness, and he is a former President of the 
  a financial services  Commercial Club of Boston. Prior to 2008, he 
  company that provides  served as a Director of FMR Corporation, Fidelity 
  retirement savings plans,  Investments Insurance Ltd., Fidelity Investments 
  life insurance, and  Canada Ltd., and Fidelity Management Trust 
  annuity and executive  Company and as a Trustee of the Fidelity Family of 
  benefits products, and of  Funds. Mr. Reynolds received a B.S. in Business 
  Great-West Lifeco U.S.  Administration with a major in Finance from West 
  Inc., a holding company  Virginia University. 
  that owns Putnam   
  Investments and   
  Great-West Financial.   
  Member of Putnam   
  Investments’ and   
  Great-West Financial’s   
  Board of Directors. Prior   
  to joining Putnam   
  Investments in 2008, Mr.   
  Reynolds was Vice   
  Chairman and Chief   
  Operating Officer of   
  Fidelity Investments   
  from 2000 to 2007.   


1
The address of each Trustee is One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109. As of December 31, 2015, there were 117 Putnam Funds.

2 Each Trustee serves for an indefinite term, until his or her resignation, retirement at age 75, death or removal.

* Trustee who is an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the fund and Putnam Management. Mr. Reynolds is deemed an “interested person” by virtue of his positions as an officer of the fund and Putnam Management. Mr. Reynolds is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments, LLC and President of your fund and each of the other Putnam funds.

Trustee Qualifications

Each of the fund’s Trustees was most recently elected by shareholders of the fund during 2014, although most of the Trustees have served on the Board for many years. The Board Policy and Nominating Committee is responsible for recommending proposed nominees for election to the full Board of Trustees for its approval. As

February 28, 2016  II-76 

 



part of its deliberative process, the Committee considers the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that it determines would benefit the Putnam funds at the time.

In recommending the election of the current board members as Trustees, the Committee generally considered the educational, business and professional experience of each Trustee in determining his or her qualifications to serve as a Trustee of the fund, including the Trustee's record of service as a director or trustee of public and private organizations. (This included, but was not limited to, consideration of the specific experience noted in the preceding table.) In the case of most members of the Board, the Committee considered his or her previous service as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Putnam funds, which demonstrated a high level of diligence and commitment to the interests of fund shareholders and an ability to work effectively and collegially with other members of the Board.

The Committee also considered, among other factors, the particular attributes described below with respect to the various individual Trustees and considered the attributes as indicative of the person’s ability to deal effectively with the types of financial, regulatory, and/or investment matters that typically arise in the course of a Trustee’s work:

Liaquat Ahamed -- Mr. Ahamed’s experience as Chief Executive Officer of a major investment management organization and as head of the investment division at the World Bank, as well as his experience as an author of economic literature.

Ravi Akhoury -- Mr. Akhoury's experience as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a major investment management organization.

Barbara M. Baumann -- Ms. Baumann’s experience in the energy industry as a consultant, an investor, and in both financial and operational management positions at a global energy company, and her service as a director of multiple NYSE companies.

Jameson A. Baxter -- Ms. Baxter's experience in corporate finance acquired in the course of her career at a major investment bank, her experience as a director and audit committee chair of two NYSE companies and her role as Chair of the Mutual Fund Directors Forum.

Robert J. Darretta -- Mr. Darretta's experience as the Chief Financial Officer and Vice Chairman of the board of a major NYSE health products company.

Katinka Domotorffy -- Ms. Domotorffy’s experience as Chief Investment Officer and Global Head of Quantitative Investment Strategies at a major asset management organization.

John A. Hill -- Mr. Hill's experience as founder and chairman of an open-end mutual fund and as a founder and lead managing partner of one of the largest private equity firms in the United States.

Paul L. Joskow -- Dr. Joskow's education and experience as a professional economist familiar with financial economics and related issues and his service on multiple for-profit boards.

Kenneth R. Leibler -- Mr. Leibler's extensive experience in the financial services industry, including as Chief Executive Officer of a major asset management organization, and his service as a director of various public and private companies.

Robert E. Patterson -- Mr. Patterson’s training and experience as an attorney and his experience as president of a NYSE company.

February 28, 2016  II-77 

 



George Putnam, III -- Mr. Putnam’s training and experience as an attorney, his experience as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of an investment management firm and his experience as an author of various publications on the subject of investments.

W. Thomas Stephens -- Mr. Stephens's extensive business experience, including his service as Chief Executive Officer of four public companies, as non-executive chairman of two public companies and as a director of numerous other public companies.

Interested Trustee

Robert L. Reynolds -- Mr. Reynolds’s extensive experience as a senior executive of one of the largest mutual fund organizations in the United States and his current role as President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments.

On January 8, 2016, Great-West Financial, a company under common control with Putnam Investments, LLC and of which Mr. Reynolds is the Chief Executive Officer, entered into a loan application and rate lock agreement as the lending party with Cabot Industrial Core Fund Operating Partnership, L.P (“Cabot OP”), the proposed guarantor for a collection of six borrowing parties, each being a limited liability company wholly owned by Cabot OP. The loan is intended to provide long-term financing in the form of a 7 year loan totaling $72.25 million to Cabot Industrial Core Fund, L.P. (the “Cabot Fund”). Cabot OP is an entity through which the Cabot Fund holds certain investments. The interest rate for the loan has been set at 3.48%. Mr. Patterson may be deemed to have an indirect interest in the transaction, or an indirect relationship with Great-West Financial, through his position as an officer of Cabot OP and as Co-Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Cabot Fund, which approved the proposed loan on behalf of the borrowing parties. Mr. Patterson has an 18.3% ownership interest in Cabot Properties, Inc., the highest controlling entity of Cabot OP, and is also a 14.3% partner in Cabot Properties, L.P., the asset manager of the Cabot Fund.

Officers

In addition to Robert L. Reynolds, the fund’s President, the other officers of the fund are shown below. All of the officers of your fund are employees of Putnam Management or its affiliates or are members of the Trustees’ independent administrative staff.

Name, Address1 , Year of Birth,  Length of Service with  Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years and 
Position(s) Held with Fund  the Putnam Funds2  Position(s) with Fund’s Investment Adviser and 
    Distributor3 

Jonathan S. Horwitz4 (Born 1955)  Since 2004  Executive Vice President, Principal Executive 
Executive Vice President, Principal    Officer, and Compliance Liaison, The Putnam Funds. 
Executive Officer, and Compliance     
Liaison     

Steven D. Krichmar (Born 1958)  Since 2002  Chief of Operations, Putnam Investments and 
Vice President and Principal Financial    Putnam Management. 
Officer     

Robert T. Burns (Born 1961)  Since 2011  General Counsel, Putnam Investments, Putnam 
Vice President and Chief Legal    Management and Putnam Retail Management. 
Officer     


James F. Clark3 (Born 1974)  Since 2016  Associate General Counsel, Putnam Investments, 
Chief Compliance Officer    Putnam Management and Putnam Retail 
    Management (2003-2015). 

 

February 28, 2016  II-78 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of Birth,  Length of Service with  Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years and 
Position(s) Held with Fund  the Putnam Funds2  Position(s) with Fund’s Investment Adviser and 
    Distributor3 

Michael J. Higgins4 (Born 1976)  Since 2010  Vice President, Treasurer, and Clerk, The Putnam 
Vice President, Treasurer, and Clerk    Funds 

Janet C. Smith (Born 1965)  Since 2007  Director of Fund Administration Services, Putnam 
Vice President, Principal Accounting    Investments and Putnam Management. 
Officer, and Assistant Treasurer     

Susan G. Malloy (Born 1957)  Since 2007  Director of Accounting and Control Services, Putnam 
Vice President and Assistant    Management. 
Treasurer     

James P. Pappas (Born 1953)  Since 2004  Director of Trustee Relations, Putnam Investments 
Vice President    and Putnam Management. 

Mark C. Trenchard (Born 1962)  Since 2002  Director of Operational Compliance, Putnam 
Vice President and BSA Compliance    Investments, Putnam Retail Management 
Officer     

Nancy E. Florek4 (Born 1957)  Since 2000  Vice President, Director of Proxy Voting and 
Vice President, Director of Proxy    Corporate Governance, Assistant Clerk, and 
Voting and Corporate Governance,    Associate Treasurer, The Putnam Funds. 
Assistant Clerk, and Associate     
Treasurer     


1
The address of each Officer is One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

2 Each officer serves for an indefinite term, until his or her resignation, retirement, death or removal.

3 Prior positions and/or officer appointments with the fund or the fund’s investment adviser and distributor have been omitted.

4 Officers of the fund indicated are members of the Trustees’ independent administrative staff. Compensation for these individuals is fixed by the Trustees and reimbursed to Putnam Management by the funds.

Except as stated above, the principal occupations of the officers and Trustees for the last five years have been with the employers as shown above, although in some cases they have held different positions with such employers.

Leadership Structure and Standing Committees of the Board of Trustees

For details regarding the number of times the standing committees of the Board of Trustees met during a fund's last fiscal year, see "Trustee responsibilities and fees" in Part I of this SAI.

Board Leadership Structure. Currently, 12 of the 13 Trustees of your fund are Independent Trustees, meaning that they are not considered "interested persons" of your fund or its investment manager. These Independent Trustees must vote separately to approve all financial arrangements and other agreements with your fund’s investment manager and other affiliated parties. The role of independent trustees has been characterized as that of a “watchdog” charged with oversight to protect shareholders’ interests against overreaching and abuse by those who are in a position to control or influence a fund. Your fund’s Independent Trustees meet regularly as a group in executive session ( i. e ., without representatives of your fund’s investment manager or its affiliates present). An Independent Trustee currently serves as chair of the Board.

February 28, 2016  II-79 

 



Taking into account the number, the diversity and the complexity of the funds overseen by the Board and the aggregate amount of assets under management, your fund’s Trustees have determined that the efficient conduct of the Board's affairs makes it desirable to delegate responsibility for certain specific matters to committees of the Board. The Executive Committee, Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee, and Board Policy and Nominating Committee are authorized to take action on certain matters as specified in their charters or in policies and procedures relating to the governance of the funds; with respect to other matters, these committees review and evaluate and make recommendations to the Trustees as they deem appropriate. The other committees also review and evaluate matters specified in their charters and make recommendations to the Trustees as they deem appropriate. Each committee may utilize the resources of your fund’s independent staff, counsel and independent registered public accountants as well as other experts. The committees meet as often as appropriate, either in conjunction with regular meetings of the Trustees or otherwise. The membership and chair of each committee are appointed by the Trustees upon recommendation of the Board Policy and Nominating Committee. Each committee is chaired by an Independent Trustee and, except as noted below, the membership and chairs of each committee consist exclusively of Independent Trustees.

The Trustees have determined that this committee structure also allows the Board to focus more effectively on the oversight of risk as part of its broader oversight of the fund's affairs. While risk management is the primary responsibility of the fund's investment manager, the Trustees receive reports regarding investment risks, compliance risks and other risks. The Board's committee structure allows separate committees to focus on different aspects of these risks and their potential impact on some or all of the funds and to discuss with the fund's investment manager how it monitors and controls such risks.

Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee. The Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee provides oversight on matters relating to the preparation of the funds’ financial statements, compliance matters, internal audit functions, and Codes of Ethics issues. This oversight is discharged by regularly meeting with management and the funds’ independent registered public accountants and keeping current on industry developments. Duties of this Committee also include the review and evaluation of all matters and relationships pertaining to the funds’ independent registered public accountants, including their independence. The Committee also oversees all dividends and distributions by the funds. The Committee makes recommendations to the Trustees of the funds regarding the amount and timing of distributions paid by the funds, and determines such matters when the Trustees are not in session. The Committee also oversees the policies and procedures pursuant to which Putnam Management prepares recommendations for distributions, and meets regularly with representatives of Putnam Management to review the implementation of these policies and procedures. The Committee reports to the Trustees and makes recommendations to the Trustees regarding these matters. The members of the Committee include only Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the funds or Putnam Management. Each member of the Committee also is “independent,” as that term is interpreted for purposes of Rule 10A-3(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the listing standards of the NYSE. The Board of Trustees has adopted a written charter for the Committee, a current copy of which is available at putnam.com/individual. The Committee currently consists of Messrs. Darretta (Chairperson), Akhoury, Hill and Patterson, and Mses. Baumann and Domotorffy.

Board Policy and Nominating Committee . The Board Policy and Nominating Committee reviews matters pertaining to the operations of the Board of Trustees and its Committees, the compensation of the Trustees and their staff, and the conduct of legal affairs for the funds. The Committee evaluates and recommends all candidates for election as Trustees and recommends the appointment of members and chairs of each board committee. The Committee will consider nominees for Trustee recommended by shareholders of a fund provided that such recommendations are submitted by the date disclosed in the fund’s proxy statement and otherwise comply with applicable securities laws, including Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act. The Committee also reviews policy matters affecting the operation of the Board and its independent staff. In addition, the Committee oversees the voting of proxies associated with portfolio investments of the funds with the goal of ensuring that these proxies are voted in the best interest of the funds’ shareholders. The Committee reports to the Trustees and makes recommendations to the Trustees regarding these matters. The Committee generally

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believes that the Board benefits from diversity of background, experience and views among its members, and considers this as a factor in evaluating the composition of the Board, but has not adopted any specific policy in this regard. The Committee is composed entirely of Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the funds or Putnam Management and currently consists of Messrs. Hill (Chairperson), Leibler, Patterson and Putnam, Dr. Joskow and Ms. Baxter.

Brokerage Committee. The Brokerage Committee reviews the funds' policies regarding the execution of portfolio trades and Putnam Management's practices and procedures relating to the implementation of those policies. The Committee reviews periodic reports on the cost and quality of execution of portfolio transactions and the extent to which brokerage commissions have been used (i) by Putnam Management to obtain brokerage and research services generally useful to it in managing the portfolios of the funds and of its other clients, and (ii) by the funds to pay for certain fund expenses. The Committee reports to the Trustees and makes recommendations to the Trustees regarding these matters. The Committee currently consists of Dr. Joskow (Chairperson), Ms. Baxter, and Messrs. Ahamed, Leibler, Putnam and Stephens.

Contract Committee. The Contract Committee reviews and evaluates at least annually all arrangements pertaining to (i) the engagement of Putnam Management and its affiliates to provide services to the funds, (ii) the expenditure of the funds' assets for distribution purposes pursuant to Distribution Plans of the funds, and (iii) the engagement of other persons to provide material services to the funds, including in particular those instances where the cost of services is shared between the funds and Putnam Management and its affiliates or where Putnam Management or its affiliates have a material interest. The Committee also reviews the proposed organization of new fund products, proposed structural changes to existing funds and matters relating to closed-end funds. The Committee reports and makes recommendations to the Trustees regarding these matters. The Committee currently consists of Messrs. Putnam (Chairperson), Ahamed, Leibler and Stephens, Dr. Joskow and Ms. Baxter.

Executive Committee. The functions of the Executive Committee are twofold. The first is to ensure that the funds’ business may be conducted at times when it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Trustees or for the Trustees to act by written consent. The Committee may exercise any or all of the power and authority of the Trustees when the Trustees are not in session. The second is to review annual and ongoing goals, objectives and priorities for the Board of Trustees and to facilitate coordination of all efforts between the Trustees and Putnam Management on behalf of the shareholders of the funds. The Committee currently consists of Ms. Baxter (Chairperson), and Messrs. Hill, Leibler, Patterson and Putnam.

Investment Oversight Committees. The Investment Oversight Committees regularly meet with investment personnel of Putnam Management to review the investment performance and strategies of the funds in light of their stated goals and policies. The Committees seek to identify any compliance issues that are unique to the applicable categories of funds and work with the appropriate Board committees to ensure that any such issues are properly addressed. Investment Oversight Committee A currently consists of Mses. Domotorffy (Chairperson) and Baumann, Messrs. Ahamed, Leibler, Putnam and Stephens and Dr. Joskow. Investment Oversight Committee B currently consists of Messrs. Akhoury (Chairperson), Darretta, Hill, Patterson and Reynolds, and Ms. Baxter.

Pricing Committee. The Pricing Committee oversees the valuation of assets of the Putnam funds and reviews the funds’ policies and procedures for achieving accurate and timely pricing of fund shares. The Committee also oversees implementation of these policies, including fair value determinations of individual securities made by Putnam Management or other designated agents of the funds. The Committee also oversees compliance by money market funds with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and the correction of occasional pricing errors. The Committee also reviews matters related to the liquidity of portfolio holdings. The Committee reports to the Trustees and makes recommendations to the Trustees regarding these matters. The Committee currently consists of Mses. Baumann (Chairperson) and Domotorffy, and Messrs. Akhoury, Darretta, Hill and Patterson.

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Indemnification of Trustees

The Agreement and Declaration of Trust of each fund provides that the fund will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the fund, except if it has been finally adjudicated that (a) they have not acted in good faith, (b) they have not acted in the reasonable belief that their actions were (i) in the best interests of the fund or (ii) at least were not opposed to the best interests of the fund, (c) in the case of a criminal proceeding, they had reasonable cause to believe the action was unlawful or (d) they were liable to the fund or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties. The fund, at its expense, provides liability insurance for the benefit of its Trustees and officers.

For details of Trustees’ fees paid by the fund and information concerning retirement guidelines for the Trustees, see “Charges and expenses” in Part I of this SAI.

Putnam Management and its Affiliates

Putnam Management is one of America’s oldest and largest money management firms. Putnam Management’s staff of experienced portfolio managers and research analysts selects securities and constantly supervises the fund’s portfolio. By pooling an investor’s money with that of other investors, a greater variety of securities can be purchased than would be the case individually; the resulting diversification helps reduce investment risk. Putnam Management has been managing mutual funds since 1937.

Putnam Management is a subsidiary of Putnam Investments. Great-West Lifeco Inc., a financial services holding company with operations in Canada, the United States and Europe and a member of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies, owns a majority interest in Putnam Investments. Power Financial Corporation, a diversified management and holding company with direct and indirect interests in the financial services sector in Canada, the United States and Europe, is a subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada, a diversified international management and holding company with interests in companies in the financial services, communications and other business sectors. The Desmarais Family Residuary Trust, a trust established pursuant to the Last Will and Testament of the Honourable Paul G. Desmarais, directly and indirectly controls a majority of the voting shares of Power Corporation of Canada.

Trustees and officers of the fund who are also officers of Putnam Management or its affiliates or who are stockholders of Putnam Investments or its parent companies will benefit from the advisory fees, sales commissions, distribution fees and transfer agency fees paid or allowed by the fund.

The Management Contract

Under a Management Contract between the fund and Putnam Management, subject to such policies as the Trustees may determine, Putnam Management, at its expense, furnishes continuously an investment program for the fund and makes investment decisions on behalf of the fund. Subject to the control of the Trustees, Putnam Management also manages, supervises and conducts the other affairs and business of the fund, furnishes office space and equipment, provides bookkeeping and clerical services (including determination of the fund’s net asset value, but excluding shareholder accounting services) and places all orders for the purchase and sale of the fund’s portfolio securities. Putnam Management may place fund portfolio transactions with broker-dealers that furnish Putnam Management, without cost to it, certain research, statistical and quotation services of value to Putnam Management and its affiliates in advising the fund and other clients. In so doing, Putnam Management may cause the fund to pay greater brokerage commissions than it might otherwise pay.

For details of Putnam Management’s compensation under the Management Contract, see “Charges and expenses” in Part I of this SAI. Putnam Management’s compensation under the Management Contract may be

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reduced in any year if the fund’s expenses exceed the limits on investment company expenses imposed by any statute or regulatory authority of any jurisdiction in which shares of the fund are qualified for offer or sale. The term “expenses” is defined in the statutes or regulations of such jurisdictions, and generally excludes brokerage commissions, taxes, interest, extraordinary expenses and, if the fund has a distribution plan, payments made under such plan.

Fund-specific expense limitation. Under the Management Contract, Putnam Management may reduce its compensation to the extent that the fund’s expenses exceed such lower expense limitation as Putnam Management may, by notice to the fund, declare to be effective. For the purpose of determining any such limitation on Putnam Management’s compensation, expenses of the fund shall not reflect the application of commissions or cash management credits that may reduce designated fund expenses. The terms of any such expense limitation specific to a particular fund are described in the prospectus and/or Part I of this SAI .

General expense limitation. Through the expiration of the one-year period following the effective date of the annual update of each fund’s Registration Statement, Putnam Management will reimburse expenses or waive fees of the fund to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, excluding brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, any upward or downward adjustments to a fund’s base management fee, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis, to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period.

In addition to the fee paid to Putnam Management, the fund reimburses Putnam Management for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their assistants who provide certain administrative services for the fund and the other Putnam funds, each of which bears an allocated share of the foregoing costs. The aggregate amount of all such payments and reimbursements is determined annually by the Trustees.

The amount of this reimbursement for the fund’s most recent fiscal year is included in “Charges and expenses” in Part I of this SAI. Putnam Management pays all other salaries of officers of the fund. The fund pays all expenses not assumed by Putnam Management including, without limitation, auditing, legal, custodial, investor servicing and shareholder reporting expenses. The fund pays the cost of typesetting for its prospectuses and the cost of printing and mailing any prospectuses sent to its shareholders. Putnam Retail Management pays the cost of printing and distributing all other prospectuses.

The Management Contract provides that Putnam Management shall not be subject to any liability to the fund or to any shareholder of the fund for any act or omission in the course of or connected with rendering services to the fund in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its duties on the part of Putnam Management.

The Management Contract may be terminated without penalty by vote of the Trustees or the shareholders of the fund, or by Putnam Management, on 30 days’ written notice. It may be amended only by a vote of the shareholders of the fund. The Management Contract also terminates without payment of any penalty in the event of its assignment. The Management Contract provides that it will continue in effect only so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by vote of either the Trustees or the shareholders, and, in either case, by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of Putnam Management or the fund. In each of the foregoing cases, the vote of the shareholders is the affirmative vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act.

Putnam Management has entered into a Master Sub-Accounting Services Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street"), under which Putnam Management has delegated to State Street responsibility for providing certain administrative, pricing, and bookkeeping services for the fund. Putnam Management pays State Street a fee, monthly, based on a combination of fixed annual charges and charges based on the fund's

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assets and the number and types of securities held by the fund, and reimburses State Street for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

The Sub-Manager

If so disclosed in the fund’s prospectus, PIL, an affiliate of Putnam Management, has been retained as the sub-manager for a portion of the assets of the fund, as determined by Putnam Management from time to time, pursuant to a sub-management agreement between Putnam Management and PIL. Under the terms of the sub-management contract, PIL, at its own expense, furnishes continuously an investment program for that portion of each such fund that is allocated to PIL from time to time by Putnam Management and makes investment decisions on behalf of such portion of the fund, subject to the supervision of Putnam Management. Putnam Management may also, at its discretion, request PIL to provide assistance with purchasing and selling securities for the fund, including placement of orders with certain broker-dealers. PIL, at its expense, furnishes all necessary investment and management facilities, including salaries of personnel, required for it to execute its duties.

The sub-management contract provides that PIL shall not be subject to any liability to Putnam Management, the fund or any shareholder of the fund for any act or omission in the course of or connected with rendering services to the fund in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties on the part of PIL.

The sub-management contract may be terminated with respect to a fund without penalty by vote of the Trustees or the shareholders of the fund, or by PIL or Putnam Management, on 30 days’ written notice. The sub-management contract also terminates without payment of any penalty in the event of its assignment. Subject to applicable law, it may be amended by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of Putnam Management or the fund. The sub-management contract provides that it will continue in effect only so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by vote of either the Trustees or the shareholders, and, in either case, by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of Putnam Management or the fund. In each of the foregoing cases, the vote of the shareholders is the affirmative vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act.

The Sub-Adviser

If so disclosed in the fund’s prospectus, The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (“PAC”), an affiliate of Putnam Management, has been retained as a sub-adviser for a portion of the assets of the fund, as determined from time to time by Putnam Management or, with respect to portions of a fund’s assets for which PIL acts as sub-manager as described above, by PIL pursuant to a sub-advisory contract among Putnam Management, PIL and PAC. Under certain terms of the sub-advisory contract, PAC, at its own expense, furnishes continuously an investment program for that portion of each such fund that is allocated to PAC from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable and makes investment decisions on behalf of such portion of the fund, subject to the supervision of Putnam Management or PIL, as the case may be. Putnam Management or PIL, as the case may be, may also, at its discretion, request PAC to provide assistance with purchasing and selling securities for the fund, including placement of orders with certain broker-dealers.

PAC, at its expense, furnishes all necessary investment and management facilities, including salaries of personnel, required for it to execute its duties. The sub-advisory contract provides that PAC shall not be subject to any liability to Putnam Management, PIL, the fund or any shareholder of the fund for any act or omission in the course of or connected with rendering services to the fund in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties on the part of PAC.

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The sub-advisory contract may be terminated with respect to a fund without penalty by vote of the Trustees or the shareholders of the fund, or by PAC, PIL or Putnam Management, on 30 days’ written notice. The sub-advisory contract also terminates without payment of any penalty in the event of its assignment. Subject to applicable law, it may be amended by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of Putnam Management or the fund. The sub-advisory contract provides that it will continue in effect only so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by vote of either the Trustees or the shareholders, and, in either case, by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of Putnam Management or the fund. In each of the foregoing cases, the vote of the shareholders is the affirmative vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act.

Portfolio Transactions

Potential conflicts of interest in managing multiple accounts. Like other investment professionals with multiple clients, the fund’s Portfolio Manager(s) may face certain potential conflicts of interest in connection with managing both the fund and the other accounts listed under “ PORTFOLIO MANAGER(S)” “Other accounts managed” at the same time. The paragraphs below describe some of these potential conflicts, which Putnam Management believes are faced by investment professionals at most major financial firms. As described below, Putnam Management and the Trustees of the Putnam funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures that attempt to address certain of these potential conflicts.

The management of accounts with different advisory fee rates and/or fee structures, including accounts that pay advisory fees based on account performance (“performance fee accounts”), may raise potential conflicts of interest by creating an incentive to favor higher-fee accounts. These potential conflicts may include, among others:

• The most attractive investments could be allocated to higher-fee accounts or performance fee accounts.

• The trading of higher-fee accounts could be favored as to timing and/or execution price. For example, higher-fee accounts could be permitted to sell securities earlier than other accounts when a prompt sale is desirable or to buy securities at an earlier and more opportune time.

• The trading of other accounts could be used to benefit higher-fee accounts (front- running).

• The investment management team could focus their time and efforts primarily on higher-fee accounts due to a personal stake in compensation.

Putnam Management attempts to address these potential conflicts of interest relating to higher-fee accounts through various compliance policies that are generally intended to place all accounts, regardless of fee structure, on the same footing for investment management purposes. For example, under Putnam Management’s policies:

• Performance fee accounts must be included in all standard trading and allocation procedures with all other accounts.

• All accounts must be allocated to a specific category of account and trade in parallel with allocations of similar accounts based on the procedures generally applicable to all accounts in those groups (e.g., based on relative risk budgets of accounts).

• All trading must be effected through Putnam’s trading desks and normal queues and procedures must be followed ( i.e. , no special treatment is permitted for performance fee accounts or higher-fee accounts based on account fee structure).

• Front running is strictly prohibited.

• The fund’s Portfolio Manager(s) may not be guaranteed or specifically allocated any portion of a performance fee.

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As part of these policies, Putnam Management has also implemented trade oversight and review procedures in order to monitor whether particular accounts (including higher-fee accounts or performance fee accounts) are being favored over time.

Potential conflicts of interest may also arise when the Portfolio Manager(s) have personal investments in other accounts that may create an incentive to favor those accounts. As a general matter and subject to limited exceptions, Putnam Management’s investment professionals do not have the opportunity to invest in client accounts, other than the Putnam funds. However, in the ordinary course of business, Putnam Management or related persons may from time to time establish “pilot” or “incubator” funds for the purpose of testing proposed investment strategies and products prior to offering them to clients. These pilot accounts may be in the form of registered investment companies, private funds such as partnerships or separate accounts established by Putnam Management or an affiliate. Putnam Management or an affiliate supplies the funding for these accounts. Putnam employees, including the fund’s Portfolio Manager(s), may also invest in certain pilot accounts. Putnam Management, and to the extent applicable, the Portfolio Manager(s) will benefit from the favorable investment performance of those funds and accounts. Pilot funds and accounts may, and frequently do, invest in the same securities as the client accounts. Putnam Management’s policy is to treat pilot accounts in the same manner as client accounts for purposes of trading allocation – neither favoring nor disfavoring them except as is legally required. For example, pilot accounts are normally included in Putnam Management’s daily block trades to the same extent as client accounts (except that pilot accounts do not participate in initial public offerings).

A potential conflict of interest may arise when the fund and other accounts purchase or sell the same securities. On occasions when the Portfolio Manager(s) consider the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interests of the fund as well as other accounts, Putnam Management’s trading desk may, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased in order to obtain the best execution and lower brokerage commissions, if any. Aggregation of trades may create the potential for unfairness to the fund or another account if one account is favored over another in allocating the securities purchased or sold – for example, by allocating a disproportionate amount of a security that is likely to increase in value to a favored account. Putnam Management’s trade allocation policies generally provide that each day’s transactions in securities that are purchased or sold by multiple accounts are, insofar as possible, averaged as to price and allocated between such accounts (including the fund) in a manner which in Putnam Management’s opinion is equitable to each account and in accordance with the amount being purchased or sold by each account. Certain exceptions exist for specialty, regional or sector accounts. Trade allocations are reviewed on a periodic basis as part of Putnam Management’s trade oversight procedures in an attempt to ensure fairness over time across accounts.

“Cross trades,” in which one Putnam account sells a particular security to another account (potentially saving transaction costs for both accounts), may also pose a potential conflict of interest. Cross trades may be seen to involve a potential conflict of interest if, for example, one account is permitted to sell a security to another account at a higher price than an independent third party would pay, or if such trades result in more attractive investments being allocated to higher-fee accounts. Putnam Management and the fund’s Trustees have adopted compliance procedures that provide that any transactions between the fund and another Putnam-advised account are to be made at an independent current market price, as required by law.

Another potential conflict of interest may arise based on the different goals and strategies of the fund and other accounts. For example, another account may have a shorter-term investment horizon or different goals, policies or restrictions than the fund. Depending on goals or other factors, the Portfolio Manager(s) may give advice and make decisions for another account that may differ from advice given, or the timing or nature of decisions made, with respect to the fund. In addition, investment decisions are the product of many factors in addition to basic suitability for the particular account involved. Thus, a particular security may be bought or sold for certain accounts even though it could have been bought or sold for other accounts at the same time. More rarely, a particular security may be bought for one or more accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager(s) when one or more other accounts are selling the security (including short sales). There may be circumstances when purchases

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or sales of portfolio securities for one or more accounts may have an adverse effect on other accounts. As noted above, Putnam Management has implemented trade oversight and review procedures to monitor whether any account is systematically favored over time.

Under federal securities laws, a short sale of a security by another client of Putnam Management or its affiliates (other than another registered investment company) within five business days prior to a public offering of the same securities (the timing of which is generally not known to Putnam in advance) may prohibit the fund from participating in the public offering, which could cause the fund to miss an otherwise favorable investment opportunity or to pay a higher price for the securities in the secondary markets.

The fund’s Portfolio Manager(s) may also face other potential conflicts of interest in managing the fund, and the description above is not a complete description of every conflict that could be deemed to exist in managing both the fund and other accounts. For information on restrictions imposed on personal securities transactions of the fund’s Portfolio Manager(s), please see “- Personal Investments by Employees of Putnam Management and Putnam Retail Management and Officers and Trustees of the Fund.”

For information about other funds and accounts managed by the fund’s Portfolio Manager(s), please refer to “Who oversees and manages the fund(s)?” in the prospectus and “ PORTFOLIO MANAGER(S)” “Other accounts managed” in Part I of the SAI.

Brokerage and research services.

Transactions on stock exchanges, commodities markets and futures markets and other agency transactions involve the payment by the fund of negotiated brokerage commissions. Such commissions may vary among different brokers. A particular broker may charge different commissions according to such factors as execution venue and exchange. Although the fund does not typically pay commissions for principal transactions in the over-the-counter markets, such as the markets for most fixed income securities and certain derivatives, an undisclosed amount of profit or “mark-up” is included in the price the fund pays. In underwritten offerings, the price paid by the fund includes a disclosed, fixed commission or discount retained by the underwriter or dealer. See "Charges and expenses" in Part I of this SAI for information concerning commissions paid by the fund.

It has for many years been a common practice in the investment advisory business for broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions for the clients of advisers of investment companies and other institutional investors to provide those advisers with brokerage and research services, as defined in Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act. Consistent with this practice, Putnam Management receives brokerage and research services from broker-dealers with which Putnam Management places the fund's portfolio transactions. The services that broker-dealers may provide to Putnam Management’s managers and analysts include, among others, brokerage and trading systems, economic analysis, investment research, industry and company reviews, statistical information, market data, evaluations of investments, recommendations as to the purchase and sale of investments and performance measurement services. Some of these services are of value to Putnam Management and its affiliates in advising various of their clients (including the fund), although not all of these services are necessarily useful and of value in managing the fund. Research services provided by broker-dealers are supplemental to Putnam Management’s own research efforts and relieve Putnam Management of expenses it might otherwise have borne in generating such research. The management fee paid by the fund is not reduced because Putnam Management and its affiliates receive brokerage and research services even though Putnam Management might otherwise be required to purchase some of these services for cash. Putnam Management may also use portfolio transactions to generate “soft dollar” credits to pay for “mixed-use” services ( i.e. , products or services that may be used both for investment- and non-investment-related purposes), but in such instances Putnam Management uses its own resources to pay for that portion of the mixed-use product or service that in its good-faith judgment does not relate to investment or brokerage purposes. Putnam Management may also allocate trades to generate soft dollar credits for third-party investment research reports and related fundamental research.

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Putnam Management places all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio investments for the funds, and buys and sells investments for the funds, through a substantial number of brokers and dealers. In selecting broker-dealers to execute the funds’ portfolio transactions, Putnam Management uses its best efforts to obtain for each fund the most favorable price and execution reasonably available under the circumstances, except to the extent it may be permitted to pay higher brokerage commissions as described below. In seeking the most favorable price and execution and in considering the overall reasonableness of the brokerage commissions paid, Putnam Management, having in mind the fund's best interests, considers all factors it deems relevant, including, in no particular order of importance, and by way of illustration, the price, size and type of the transaction, the nature of the market for the security or other investment, the amount of the commission, the timing of the transaction taking into account market prices and trends, the reputation, experience and financial stability of the broker-dealer involved and the quality of service rendered by the broker-dealer in other transactions.

Putnam Management may cause the fund to pay a broker-dealer that provides "brokerage and research services" (as defined in the Exchange Act and as described above) to Putnam Management an amount of disclosed commission for effecting securities transactions on stock exchanges and other transactions for the fund on an agency basis in excess of the commission another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction. Putnam Management may also instruct an executing broker to “step out” a portion of the trades placed with a broker to other brokers that provide brokerage and research services to Putnam Management. Putnam Management's authority to cause the fund to pay any such greater commissions or to instruct a broker to “step out” a portion of a trade is subject to the requirements of applicable law and such policies as the Trustees may adopt from time to time. It is the position of the staff of the SEC that Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act does not apply to the payment of such greater commissions in "principal" transactions. Accordingly, Putnam Management will use its best effort to obtain the most favorable price and execution available with respect to such transactions, as described above.

The Trustees of the funds have directed Putnam Management, subject to seeking most favorable pricing and execution, to use its best efforts to allocate a portion of overall fund trades to trading programs which generate commission credits to pay fund expenses such as shareholder servicing and custody charges. The extent of any commission credits generated for this purpose may vary significantly from time to time and from fund to fund depending on, among other things, the nature of each fund's trading activities and market conditions.

The Management Contract provides that commissions, fees, brokerage or similar payments received by Putnam Management or an affiliate in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio investments of the fund, less any direct expenses approved by the Trustees, shall be recaptured by the fund through a reduction of the fee payable by the fund under the Management Contract. Putnam Management seeks to recapture for the fund soliciting dealer fees on the tender of the fund's portfolio securities in tender or exchange offers. Any such fees which may be recaptured are likely to be minor in amount.

Principal Underwriter

Putnam Retail Management, located at One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109, is the principal underwriter of shares of the fund and the other continuously offered Putnam funds. Putnam Retail Management is not obligated to sell any specific amount of shares of the fund and will purchase shares for resale only against orders for shares. See “Charges and expenses” in Part I of this SAI for information on sales charges and other payments received by Putnam Retail Management.

Personal Investments by Employees of Putnam Management and Putnam Retail Management and Officers and Trustees of the Fund

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Employees of Putnam Management, PIL, PAC and Putnam Retail Management and officers and Trustees of the fund are subject to significant restrictions on engaging in personal securities transactions. These restrictions are set forth in the Codes of Ethics adopted by Putnam Management, PIL, PAC and Putnam Retail Management (the “Putnam Investments Code of Ethics”) and by the fund (the “Putnam Funds Code of Ethics”). The Putnam Investments Code of Ethics and the Putnam Funds Code of Ethics, in accordance with Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, contain provisions and requirements designed to identify and address certain conflicts of interest between personal investment activities and the interests of the fund.

The Putnam Investments Code of Ethics does not prohibit personnel from investing in securities that may be purchased or held by the fund. However, the Putnam Investments Code of Ethics, consistent with standards recommended by the Investment Company Institute’s Advisory Group on Personal Investing and requirements established by Rule 17j-1 and rules adopted under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, among other things, prohibits personal securities investments without pre-clearance, imposes time periods during which personal transactions may not be made in certain securities by employees with access to investment information, and requires the timely submission of broker confirmations and quarterly reporting of personal securities transactions. Additional restrictions apply to portfolio managers, traders, research analysts and others involved in the investment advisory process.

The Putnam Funds Code of Ethics incorporates and applies the restrictions of the Putnam Investments Code of Ethics to officers and Trustees of the fund who are affiliated with Putnam Investments. The Putnam Funds Code of Ethics does not prohibit unaffiliated officers and Trustees from investing in securities that may be held by the fund; however, the Putnam Funds Code of Ethics regulates the personal securities transactions of unaffiliated Trustees of the fund, including limiting the time periods during which they may personally buy and sell certain securities and requiring them to submit reports of personal securities transactions under certain circumstances.

The fund’s Trustees, in compliance with Rule 17j-1, approved the Putnam Investments and the Putnam Funds Codes of Ethics and are required to approve any material changes to these Codes. The Trustees also provide continued oversight of personal investment policies and annually evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the Codes of Ethics.

Investor Servicing Agent

Putnam Investor Services, located at One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109, is the fund’s investor servicing agent (transfer, plan and dividend disbursing agent), for which it receives fees that are paid monthly by the fund. Effective January 1, 2015, the fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to assets attributable to non-defined contribution plan accounts (which include accounts maintained directly with the fund, accounts underlying omnibus accounts maintained by financial intermediaries with the fund, accounts of Section 529 college savings plans that are allocated to the fund and accounts of certain funds that operate as funds-of-funds that are allocated to the fund (collectively “retail accounts”)) holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class T and class Y shares, subject to certain limitations, is an annual fee that includes (1) a per account fee for each retail account of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which is totaled and then allocated among each of the funds in the category based on the average daily net assets of each fund, and (2) a fee based on a specified rate of each fund’s average daily net assets. The fund categories used for purposes of calculating the per account fee described above are based on asset classes. The accounts of 529 plans and certain funds-of-funds are included in the determination of the number of accounts at the underlying fund level in proportion to the percentage of the investing fund’s assets that are invested in the particular underlying fund.

The fees paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to defined contribution plan accounts holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class T and class Y shares are based on a specified rate of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to such defined contribution plan accounts.

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Putnam Investor Services has agreed, through December 31, 2015, that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution plan accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts.

The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class R5 shares is based on an annual rate of 0.15% of each fund’s average assets attributable to class R5 shares, except that an annual rate of 0.12% of each fund’s average assets attributable to class R5 shares applies to Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund, Putnam American Government Income Fund, Putnam Diversified Income Trust, Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Conservative Fund, Putnam Global Income Trust, Putnam Income Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund.

The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class R6 shares is based on an annual rate of 0.05% of each fund’s average assets attributable to class R6 shares.

The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class I and class P shares is based on an annual rate of 0.01% of each fund’s average assets attributable to class I shares and class P shares, respectively.

Financial intermediaries (including brokers, dealers, banks, bank trust departments, registered investment advisers, financial planners, and retirement plan administrators) may own shares of the fund for the benefit of their customers in an omnibus account (including retirement plans). In these circumstances, the financial intermediaries or other third parties may provide certain sub-accounting and similar recordkeeping services for their customers’ accounts.

In recognition of these services, Putnam Investor Services may make payments to these financial intermediaries or other third parties. Payments may be based on the number of underlying accounts in an omnibus account or the assets or share class held in an account. Putnam Investor Services also makes payments to financial intermediaries that charge networking fees for certain services provided in connection with the maintenance of shareholder accounts. These payments are described above under the heading “Distribution Plans – Additional Dealer Payments.”

Custodian

State Street Bank and Trust Company, located at 2 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, is the fund’s custodian. State Street is responsible for safeguarding and controlling the fund’s cash and securities, handling the receipt and delivery of securities, collecting interest and dividends on the fund’s investments, serving as the fund’s foreign custody manager, providing reports on foreign securities depositaries, making payments covering the expenses of the fund and performing other administrative duties. State Street does not determine the investment policies of the fund or decide which securities the fund will buy or sell. State Street has a lien on the fund’s assets to secure charges and advances made by it. The fund may from time to time enter into brokerage arrangements that reduce or recapture fund expenses, including custody expenses. The fund also has an offset arrangement that may reduce the fund’s custody fee based on the amount of cash maintained by its custodian.

Counsel to the Fund and the Independent Trustees

Ropes & Gray LLP serves as counsel to the fund and the Independent Trustees, and is located at Prudential Tower, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02199.

DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

The fund determines the net asset value per share of each class of shares once each day the NYSE is open. Currently, the NYSE is closed Saturdays, Sundays and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Rev. Dr.

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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The fund determines net asset value as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The net asset value per share of each class equals the total value of its assets, less its liabilities, divided by the number of its outstanding shares.

Assets of money market funds are valued at amortized cost pursuant to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act. For other funds, securities and other assets (“Securities”) for which market quotations are readily available are valued at prices which, in the opinion of Putnam Management, most nearly represent the market values of such Securities. Currently, prices for these Securities are determined using the last reported sale price (or official closing price for Securities listed on certain markets) or, if no sales are reported (as in the case of some Securities traded over-the-counter), the last reported bid price, except that certain Securities are valued at the mean between the last reported bid and ask prices. All other Securities are valued by Putnam Management or other parties at their fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees.

Reliable market quotations are not considered to be readily available for, among other Securities, long-term corporate bonds and notes, certain preferred stocks, tax-exempt securities, and certain foreign securities. These investments are valued at fair value, generally on the basis of valuations furnished by approved pricing services, which determine valuations for normal, institutional-size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships between securities that are generally recognized by institutional traders. Other Securities, such as various types of options, are valued at fair value on the basis of valuations furnished by broker-dealers or other market intermediaries.

Putnam Management values all other Securities at fair value using its internal resources. The valuation procedures applied in any specific instance are likely to vary from case to case. However, consideration is generally given to the financial position of the issuer and other fundamental analytical data relating to the investment and to the nature of the restrictions on disposition of the Securities (including any registration expenses that might be borne by the fund in connection with such disposition). In addition, specific factors are also generally considered, such as the cost of the investment, the market value of any unrestricted Securities of the same class, the size of the holding, the prices of any recent transactions or offers with respect to such Securities and any available analysts’ reports regarding the issuer. In the case of Securities that are restricted as to resale, Putnam Management determines fair value based on the inherent worth of the Security without regard to the restrictive feature, adjusted for any diminution in value resulting from the restrictive feature.

Generally, trading in certain Securities (such as foreign securities) is substantially completed each day at various times before the close of the NYSE. The closing prices for these Securities in markets or on exchanges outside the U.S. that close before the close of the NYSE may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the close of the NYSE. As a result, the fund has adopted fair value pricing procedures, which, among other things, require the fund to fair value foreign equity securities if there has been a movement in the U.S. market that exceeds a specified threshold. Although the threshold may be revised from time to time and the number of days on which fair value prices will be used will vary, it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. In addition, Securities held by some of the funds may be traded in foreign markets that are open for business on days that the fund is not, and the trading of such Securities on those days may have an impact on the value of a shareholder’s investment at a time when the shareholder cannot buy and sell shares of the fund.

Currency exchange rates used in valuing Securities are normally determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Occasionally, events affecting such exchange rates may occur between the time of the determination of exchange rates and the close of the NYSE, which, in the absence of fair valuation, would not be reflected in the computation of the fund’s net asset value. If events materially affecting the currency exchange rates occur during such period, then the exchange rates used in valuing affected Securities will be valued by Putnam Management at their fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees.

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In addition, because of the amount of time required to collect and process trading information as to large numbers of securities issues, the values of certain Securities (such as convertible bonds, U.S. government securities and tax-exempt securities) are determined based on market quotations collected before the close of the NYSE. Occasionally, events affecting the value of such Securities may occur between the time of the determination of value and the close of the NYSE, which, in the absence of fair value prices, would not be reflected in the computation of the fund’s net asset value. If events materially affecting the value of such Securities occur during such period, then these Securities will be valued by Putnam Management at their fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. It is expected that any such instance would be very rare.

The fair value of Securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such Securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a Security at a given point in time and does not reflect an actual market price.

The fund may also value its Securities at fair value under other circumstances pursuant to procedures approved by the Trustees.

Money Market Funds

Money market funds generally value their portfolio securities at amortized cost according to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act.

Since the net income of a money market fund is declared as a dividend each time it is determined, the net asset value per share of a money market fund typically remains at $1.00 per share immediately after such determination and dividend declaration. Any increase in the value of a shareholder’s investment in a money market fund representing the reinvestment of dividend income is reflected by an increase in the number of shares of that fund in the shareholder’s account on the last business day of each month. It is expected that a money market fund’s net income will normally be positive each time it is determined. However, if because of realized losses on sales of portfolio investments, a sudden rise in interest rates, or for any other reason the net income of a fund determined at any time is a negative amount, a money market fund may offset such amount allocable to each then shareholder’s account from dividends accrued during the month with respect to such account. If, at the time of payment of a dividend, such negative amount exceeds a shareholder’s accrued dividends, a money market fund may reduce the number of outstanding shares by treating the shareholder as having contributed to the capital of the fund that number of full and fractional shares which represent the amount of the excess. Each shareholder is deemed to have agreed to such contribution in these circumstances by his or her investment in a money market fund.

INVESTOR SERVICES

Shareholder Information

Each time shareholders buy or sell shares, a statement confirming the transaction and listing their current share balance will be made available for viewing electronically or delivered via mail. (Under certain investment plans, a statement may only be sent quarterly.) The fund also sends annual and semiannual reports that keep shareholders informed about its portfolio and performance, and year-end tax information to simplify their recordkeeping. To help shareholders take full advantage of their Putnam investment, publications covering many topics of interest to investors are available on our website or from Putnam Investor Services. Shareholders may call Putnam Investor Services toll-free weekdays at 1-800-225-1581 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time for more information, including account balances. Shareholders can also visit the Putnam website at http://www.putnam.com.

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Your Investing Account

The following information provides more detail concerning the operation of a Putnam Investing Account. For further information or assistance, investors should consult Putnam Investor Services. Shareholders who purchase shares through an employer-sponsored retirement plan should note that not all of the services or features described below may be available to them, and they should contact their employer for details. A shareholder may reinvest a cash distribution without a front-end sales charge or without the reinvested shares being subject to a CDSC, as the case may be, by delivering to Putnam Investor Services the uncashed distribution check. Putnam Investor Services must receive the properly endorsed check within 1 year after the date of the check.

The Investing Account also provides a way to accumulate shares of the fund. In most cases, after an initial investment, a shareholder may send checks to Putnam Investor Services, made payable to the fund, to purchase additional shares at the applicable public offering price next determined after Putnam Investor Services receives the check. Checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank and must be payable in U.S. dollars.

Putnam Investor Services acts as the shareholder's agent whenever it receives instructions to carry out a transaction on the shareholder's account. Upon receipt of instructions that shares are to be purchased for a shareholder's account, shares will be purchased through the investment dealer designated by the shareholder. Shareholders may change investment dealers at any time by written notice to Putnam Investor Services, provided the new dealer has a sales agreement with Putnam Retail Management.

Shares credited to an account are transferable upon written instructions in good order to Putnam Investor Services and may be sold to the fund as described under "How do I sell or exchange fund shares?" in the prospectus. Putnam funds no longer issue share certificates. A shareholder may send to Putnam Investor Services any certificates which have been previously issued to enable more convenient maintenance of the account as a book-entry account.

Putnam Retail Management, at its expense, may provide certain additional reports and administrative material to qualifying institutional investors with fiduciary responsibilities to assist these investors in discharging their responsibilities. Institutions seeking further information about this service should contact Putnam Retail Management, which may modify or terminate this service at any time.

The fund pays Putnam Investor Services' fees for maintaining Investing Accounts.

Checkwriting Privilege . For those funds that allow shareholders, as disclosed in the prospectus, to redeem shares by check, Putnam is currently waiving the minimum per-check amount stated in the prospectus.

Reinstatement Privilege

An investor who has redeemed shares of the fund may reinvest within 90 days of such redemption the proceeds of such redemption in shares of the same class of the fund, or may reinvest within 90 days of such redemption the proceeds in shares of the same class of one of the other continuously offered Putnam funds (through the exchange privilege described in the prospectus), including, in the case of shares subject to a CDSC, the amount of CDSC charged on the redemption. Any such reinvestment would be at the net asset value of the shares of the fund(s) the investor selects, next determined after Putnam Retail Management receives a Reinstatement Authorization. The time that the previous investment was held will be included in determining any applicable CDSC due upon redemptions and, in the case of class B shares, the eight-year period for conversion to class A shares. Reinstatements into class B, class C or class M shares may be permitted even if the resulting purchase would otherwise be rejected for causing a shareholder’s investments in such class to exceed the applicable investment maximum. Shareholders will receive from Putnam Retail Management the amount of any CDSC

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paid at the time of redemption as part of the reinstated investment, which may be treated as capital gains to the shareholder for tax purposes.

Exercise of the Reinstatement Privilege does not alter the federal income tax treatment of any capital gains realized on a sale of fund shares, but to the extent that any shares are sold at a loss and the proceeds are reinvested in shares of the fund, some or all of the loss may be disallowed as a deduction. Consult your tax adviser. Investors who desire to exercise the Reinstatement Privilege should contact their investment dealer or Putnam Investor Services.

Exchange Privilege

Except as otherwise set forth in this section, by calling Putnam Investor Services, investors may exchange shares valued in the aggregate up to $500,000 between accounts with identical registrations, provided that no certificates are outstanding for such shares. During periods of unusual market changes and shareholder activity, shareholders may experience delays in contacting Putnam Investor Services by telephone to exercise the telephone exchange privilege.

Putnam Investor Services also makes exchanges promptly after receiving a properly completed Exchange Authorization Form and, if issued, share certificates. If the shareholder is a corporation, partnership, agent, or surviving joint owner, Putnam Investor Services will require additional documentation of a customary nature. Because an exchange of shares involves the redemption of fund shares and reinvestment of the proceeds in shares of another Putnam fund, completion of an exchange may be delayed under unusual circumstances if the fund were to suspend redemptions or postpone payment for the fund shares being exchanged, in accordance with federal securities laws. Exchange Authorization Forms and prospectuses of the other Putnam funds are available from Putnam Retail Management or investment dealers having sales contracts with Putnam Retail Management. The prospectus of each fund describes its goal(s) and policies, and shareholders should obtain a prospectus and consider these objectives and policies carefully before requesting an exchange. Shares of certain Putnam funds are not available to residents of all states. The fund reserves the right to change or suspend the exchange privilege at any time. Shareholders would be notified of any change or suspension. Additional information is available from Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581.

Shareholders of other Putnam funds may also exchange their shares at net asset value for shares of the fund, as set forth in the current prospectus of each fund. Exchanges from Putnam Money Market Fund, Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund or Putnam Short Duration Income Fund into another Putnam fund may be subject to an initial sales charge.

For federal income tax purposes, an exchange is a sale on which the investor generally will realize a capital gain or loss depending on whether the net asset value at the time of the exchange is more or less than the investor's basis.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege . Class A shareholders who are eligible to purchase class Y, class R5 or class R6 shares may exchange their class A shares for class Y, class R5, or class R6 shares of the same fund, provided that such shares are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state, that the class A shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and, in the case of class R5 and class R6 shares, the shares are available through the relevant retirement plan.

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Class C shareholders who are eligible to purchase class A shares without a sales charge because the shareholders are (i) clients of broker-dealers, financial institutions, financial intermediaries or registered investment advisors that are approved by Putnam Retail Management and charge a fee for advisory or investment services or (ii) clients of broker-dealers, financial institutions, or financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with Putnam Retail Management to offer shares through a fund ‘supermarket’ or retail self-directed brokerage account (with or without the imposition of a transaction fee) may exchange their class C shares for class A shares of the same fund, provided that (i) the class C shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and (ii) class A shares of such fund are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state.

Class C shareholders who are eligible to purchase class Y shares may exchange their class C shares for class Y shares of the same fund, provided that the class C shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and class Y shares of such fund are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state.

Class M shareholders who are eligible to purchase class Y shares may exchange their Class M shares for class Y shares of the same fund, provided that class Y shares of such fund are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state.

Class R shareholders who are eligible to purchase class R5 or class R6 shares may exchange their class R shares for class R5 or class R6 shares of the same fund, provided that such shares are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state and are available through the relevant retirement plan.

Class R5 shareholders who are eligible to purchase class A, class R, class R6 or class Y shares may exchange their class R5 shares for class A, class R, class R6 or class Y shares of the same fund, provided that such shares are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state and are available through the relevant retirement plan.

Class R6 shareholders who are eligible to purchase class A, class R, class R5 or class Y shares may exchange their class R6 shares for class A, class R, class R5 or class Y shares of the same fund, provided that such shares are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state and are available through the relevant retirement plan.

Class Y shareholders who are eligible to purchase class A, class C, class R5 or class R6 shares may exchange their class Y shares for class A, class C, class R5 or class R6 shares of the same fund, provided that such shares are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state and, in the case of class R5 and class R6 shares, the shares are available through the relevant retirement plan. Class Y shareholders should be aware that the financial institution or intermediary through which they hold class Y shares may have the authority under its account or similar agreement to exchange class Y shares for class A or class C shares under certain circumstances, and none of the Putnam Funds, Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services are responsible for any actions taken by a shareholder’s financial institution or intermediary in this regard.

No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange. For federal income tax purposes, a same-fund exchange is not expected to result in the realization by the investor of a capital gain or loss. Shareholders should be aware that (i) the same-fund exchange privilege may be effected only if permitted by a shareholder’s dealer of record, (ii) the same-fund exchange privilege may not be available for all accounts and may not be offered by all dealers, financial institutions and other intermediaries through which a shareholder may hold shares, and (iii) the dealer of record through whom a shareholder holds shares may be authorized (e.g., under its account or similar agreement with a shareholder) to reject any same-fund exchange. None of the Putnam funds, Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services are responsible for any determinations made, or any actions taken, by a shareholder’s dealer of record in respect of same-fund exchanges. To exchange shares under the same-fund exchange privilege, please contact your investment dealer or Putnam Investor Services.

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Dividends PLUS

Shareholders may invest the fund's distributions of net investment income or distributions combining net investment income and short-term capital gains in shares of the same class of another continuously offered Putnam fund (the "receiving fund") using the net asset value per share of the receiving fund determined on the date the fund's distribution is payable. No sales charge or CDSC will apply to the purchased shares. The prospectus of each fund describes its goal(s) and policies, and shareholders should obtain a prospectus and consider these goal(s) and policies carefully before investing their distributions in the receiving fund. Shares of certain Putnam funds are not available to residents of all states.

Shareholders of other Putnam funds may also use their distributions to purchase shares of the fund at net asset value.

For federal tax purposes, distributions from the fund which are reinvested in another fund are treated as paid by the fund to the shareholder and invested by the shareholder in the receiving fund and thus, to the extent composed of taxable income and deemed paid to a taxable shareholder, are taxable.

The Dividends PLUS program may be revised or terminated at any time.

Plans Available to Shareholders

The plans described below are fully voluntary and may be terminated at any time without the imposition by the fund or Putnam Investor Services of any penalty. All plans provide for automatic reinvestment of all distributions in additional shares of the fund at net asset value. The fund, Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services may modify or cease offering these plans at any time.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan ("SWP"). An investor who owns or buys shares of the fund valued at $5,000 or more at the current public offering price may open a SWP plan and have a designated sum of money ($50 or more) paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually to the investor or another person. (Payments from the fund can be combined with payments from other Putnam funds into a single check through a designated payment plan.) Shares are deposited in a plan account, and all distributions are reinvested in additional shares of the fund at net asset value (except where the plan is utilized in connection with a charitable remainder trust). Shares in a plan account are then redeemed at net asset value to make each withdrawal payment. Payment will be made to any person the investor designates; however, if shares are registered in the name of a trustee or other fiduciary, payment will be made only to the fiduciary, except in the case of a profit-sharing or pension plan where payment will be made to a designee. As withdrawal payments may include a return of principal, they cannot be considered a guaranteed annuity or actual yield of income to the investor. The redemption of shares in connection with a plan generally will result in a gain or loss for tax purposes. Some or all of the losses realized upon redemption may be disallowed pursuant to the so-called wash sale rules if shares of the same fund from which shares were redeemed are purchased (including through the reinvestment of fund distributions) within a period beginning 30 days before, and ending 30 days after, such redemption. In such a case, the basis of the replacement shares will be increased to reflect the disallowed loss. Continued withdrawals in excess of income will reduce and possibly exhaust invested principal, especially in the event of a market decline. The cost of administering these plans for the benefit of those shareholders participating in them is borne by the fund as an expense of all shareholders. The fund, Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services may terminate or change the terms of the plan at any time. A plan will be terminated if communications mailed to the shareholder are returned as undeliverable.

Investors should consider carefully with their own financial advisers whether the plan and the specified amounts to be withdrawn are appropriate in their circumstances. The fund and Putnam Investor Services make no recommendations or representations in this regard.

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Tax-favored plans. (Not offered by funds investing primarily in Tax-exempt Securities.) Investors may purchase shares of the fund through the following Tax Qualified Retirement Plans, available to qualified individuals or organizations:

Standard and variable profit-sharing (including 401(k)) and money purchase pension plans; and Individual Retirement Account Plans (IRAs), including SIMPLE IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs; and Coverdell Education savings plans.

Forms and further information on these Plans are available from investment dealers or from Putnam Retail Management. In addition, plan administration arrangements are available on an optional basis; contact Putnam Investor Services at 1-866-207-7261.

Consultation with a competent financial and tax adviser regarding these Plans and consideration of the suitability of fund shares as an investment under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or otherwise, is recommended.

Automatic Rebalancing Arrangements. Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services may enter into arrangements with certain dealers which provide for automatic periodic rebalancing of shareholders’ accounts in Putnam funds. For more information about these arrangements, please contact Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services.

SIGNATURE GUARANTEES

Requests to redeem shares having a net asset value of $100,000 or more, or to transfer shares or make redemption proceeds payable to anyone other than the registered account owners, must be signed by all registered owners or their legal representatives and must be guaranteed by a bank, broker/dealer, municipal securities dealer or broker, credit union, national securities exchange, registered securities association, clearing agency, savings association or trust company, provided such institution is authorized and acceptable under and conforms with Putnam Investor Services’ signature guarantee procedures. A copy of such procedures is available upon request. In certain situations, for example, if you want your redemption proceeds sent to an address other than your address as it appears on Putnam’s records, you may also need to provide a signature guarantee. Putnam Investor Services usually requires additional documentation for the sale of shares by a corporation, partnership, agent or fiduciary, or a surviving joint owner. Contact Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581 for more information on Putnam’s signature guarantee and documentation requirements.

REDEMPTIONS

Suspension of redemptions. The fund may not suspend shareholders’ right of redemption, or postpone payment for more than seven days, unless the Exchange is closed for other than customary weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the rules of the SEC during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted or during any emergency which makes it impracticable for the fund to dispose of its securities or to determine fairly the value of its net assets, or during any other period permitted by order of the Commission for protection of investors.

In-kind redemptions. To the extent consistent with applicable laws and regulations, the fund will consider satisfying all or a portion of a redemption request by distributing securities or other property in lieu of cash (“in-kind” redemptions). Any transaction costs or other expenses involved in liquidating securities received in an in-kind redemption will be borne by the redeeming investor. For information regarding procedures for in-kind redemptions, please contact Putnam Retail Management.

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POLICY ON EXCESSIVE SHORT-TERM TRADING

As disclosed in the prospectus of each fund other than Putnam Money Market Fund, Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund, Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, Putnam Management and the fund’s Trustees have adopted policies and procedures intended to discourage excessive short-term trading. Putnam Management’s Compliance Department currently uses multiple reporting tools in an attempt to detect short-term trading activity occurring in shareholder accounts. Putnam Management measures excessive short-term trading in the fund by the number of “round trip” transactions, as defined in the prospectus, above a specified dollar amount within a specified period of time. Generally, if an investor has been identified as having completed two “round trip” transactions with values of at least $25,000 within a rolling 90-day period, Putnam Management will issue the investor and/or his or her financial intermediary, if any, a written warning. To the extent that short-term trading activity continues, additional measures may be taken. Putnam Management’s practices for measuring excessive short-term trading activity and issuing warnings may change from time to time.

SHAREHOLDER LIABILITY

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the fund. However, the Agreement and Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the fund and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the fund or the Trustees. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of fund property for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the fund would be unable to meet its obligations. The likelihood of such circumstances appears to be remote.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO INFORMATION

The Trustees of the Putnam funds have adopted policies with respect to the disclosure of the fund’s portfolio holdings by the fund, Putnam Management, or their affiliates. These policies provide that information about the fund’s portfolio generally may not be released to any party prior to (i) the day after the posting of such information on the Putnam Investments website, (ii) the filing of the information with the SEC in a required filing, or (iii) the dissemination of such information to all shareholders simultaneously. Certain limited exceptions pursuant to the fund’s policies are described below. The Trustees will periodically receive reports from the fund’s Chief Compliance Officer regarding the operation of these policies and procedures, including any arrangements to make non-public disclosures of the fund’s portfolio information to third parties. Putnam Management and its affiliates are not permitted to receive compensation or other consideration in connection with disclosing information about the fund’s portfolio holdings to third parties.

Public Disclosures

The fund’s portfolio holdings are currently disclosed to the public through filings with the SEC and postings on the Putnam Investments website. The fund files its portfolio holdings with the SEC for each fiscal quarter on Form N-CSR (with respect to each annual period and semi-annual period) and Form N-Q (with respect to the first and third quarters of the fund’s fiscal year). In addition, money market funds file monthly reports of portfolio holdings on form N-MFP (with respect to the prior month). Shareholders may obtain the Form N-CSR, N-MFP and N-Q filings on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, Form N-CSR and N-Q filings may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Form N-CSR and N-Q filings are available upon filing and form N-MFP filings are available 60 days after each calendar month end. You may call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for information about the SEC’s website or the operation of the Public Reference Room.

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For Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund, the following information is publicly available on the Putnam Investments website, www.putnam.com/individual, as disclosed in the following table. This information will remain available on the website for six months thereafter, after which the information can be found on the SEC’s website.

Information  Frequency of Disclosure  Date of Web Posting 

Full Portfolio Holdings  Monthly  5 business days after the end of 
    each month. 

 

For Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, Putnam Management makes the fund’s portfolio information publicly available on the Putnam Investments website, www.putnam.com/individual, as disclosed in the following table.

Information  Frequency of Disclosure  Date of Web Posting 

Full Portfolio Holdings  Monthly  On or after 5 business days after 
    the end of each month. 

 

For all other funds, Putnam Management also currently makes the fund’s portfolio information publicly available on the Putnam Investments website, www.putnam.com/individual, as disclosed in the following table.

Information(1)  Frequency of Disclosure  Date of Web Posting 

Full Portfolio Holdings  Quarterly  Last business day of the month 
    following the end of each 
    calendar quarter 

Top 10 Portfolio Holdings and  Monthly  Approximately 15 days after the 
other portfolio statistics    end of each month 

 

(1) Putnam mutual funds that are not currently offered to the general public (“incubated” funds) do not post portfolio holdings on the Web, except to the extent required by applicable regulations. Full portfolio holdings for the Putnam RetirementReady® Funds, Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 1, and Putnam Global Sector Fund, which invest solely in other Putnam funds, are posted on www.putnam.com/individual approximately 15 days after the end of each month. Please see these funds’ prospectuses for their target allocations.

The scope of the information relating to the fund’s portfolio that is made available on the website may change from time to time without notice. In addition, the posting of fund holdings may be delayed in some instances for technical reasons.

Putnam Management or its affiliates may include fund portfolio information that has already been made public through a Web posting or SEC filing in marketing literature and other communications to shareholders, advisors or other parties, provided that, in the case of information made public through the Web, the information is disclosed no earlier than the day after the date of posting to the website.

Other Disclosures

In order to address potential conflicts between the interest of fund shareholders, on the one hand, and those of Putnam Management, Putnam Retail Management or any affiliated person of those entities or of the fund, on the other hand, the fund’s policies require that non-public disclosures of information regarding the fund’s portfolio may be made only if there is a legitimate business purpose consistent with fiduciary duties to all shareholders of the fund. In addition, the party receiving the non-public information must sign a non-disclosure agreement unless otherwise approved by the Chief Compliance Officer of the fund. Arrangements to make non-public disclosures of the fund’s portfolio information must be approved by the Chief Compliance Officer of the fund.

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The Chief Compliance Officer will report on an ongoing basis to a committee of the fund’s Board of Trustees consisting only of Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the fund or Putnam Management regarding any such arrangement that the fund may enter into with third parties other than service providers to the fund.

The fund periodically discloses its portfolio information on a confidential basis to various service providers that require such information in order to assist the fund with its day-to-day business affairs. In addition to Putnam Management and its affiliates, including Putnam Investor Services and PRM, these service providers include the fund’s custodian (State Street Bank and Trust Company) and any sub-custodians (including one or more sub-custodians for each non-U.S. market in which the fund purchases securities), pricing services (including IDC, Reuters, Markit, Statpro, Standard & Poors, Bloomberg, ICE ClearCredit, LCH Swapclear, PriceServ and CME Group), independent registered public accounting firm (KPMG LLP or PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP), legal counsel (Ropes & Gray LLP and, for funds sold in Japan, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto), financial printer and filing agent (McMunn Associates, Inc., Newsfile Corp.), proxy voting service (Glass, Lewis & Co) and securities lending agent (Goldman Sachs Bank USA). These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the fund.

The fund may also periodically provide non-public information about its portfolio holdings to rating and ranking organizations and other providers of industry data, such as Lipper Inc., Morningstar Inc., Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters, in connection with those firms’ research on and classification of the fund and in order to gather information about how the fund’s attributes (such as volatility, turnover, and expenses) compare with those of peer funds. The fund may also periodically provide non-public information about its portfolio holdings to consultants that provide portfolio analysis services or other investment research or trading analytics. Such recipients of portfolio holdings include Barclays, Factset, ITG, Bloomberg and Credit Suisse. Any such rating, ranking, or consulting or other firm would be required to keep the fund’s portfolio information confidential and would be prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the fund. Such firms may receive portfolio holdings information only from certain funds (such as equity funds or fixed income funds) and such information may be provided in greater or lesser detail depending on the nature of the services provided by the relevant firm.

PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

The Trustees of the Putnam funds have established proxy voting guidelines and procedures that govern the voting of proxies for the securities held in the funds’ portfolios. The proxy voting guidelines summarize the funds’ positions on various issues of concern to investors, and provide direction to the proxy voting service used by the funds as to how fund portfolio securities should be voted on proposals dealing with particular issues. The proxy voting procedures explain the role of the Trustees, Putnam Management, the proxy voting service and the funds’ proxy manager in the proxy voting process, describe the procedures for referring matters involving investment considerations to the investment personnel of Putnam Management and describe the procedures for handling potential conflicts of interest. The Putnam funds’ proxy voting guidelines and procedures are included in this SAI as Appendix A. Information regarding how the funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30, 2015 is available on the Putnam Individual Investor website, www.putnam.com/individual, and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. If you have questions about finding forms on the SEC’s website, you may call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You may also obtain the Putnam funds’ proxy voting guidelines and procedures by calling Putnam’s Shareholder Services at 1-800-225-1581.

SECURITIES RATINGS

The ratings of securities in which the fund may invest will be measured at the time of purchase and, to the extent a security is assigned a different rating by one or more of the various rating agencies, Putnam Management may use the highest rating assigned by any agency. Putnam Management will not necessarily sell an investment if its

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rating is reduced. Below are descriptions of ratings, as provided by the rating agencies, which represent opinions as to the quality of various debt instruments.

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

Global Long-Term Rating Scale (original maturity of 1 year or more)

Aaa – Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

Aa – Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

A – Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

Baa – Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Ba – Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

B – Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

Caa – Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

Ca – Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

C – Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.

By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.

Global Short-Term Rating Scale (original maturity of 13 months or less)

P-1 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-2 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-3 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

NP – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

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US Municipal Short-Term Obligation Ratings

MIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

MIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

MIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

SG – This designation denotes speculative grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

US Municipal Demand Obligation Ratings

VMIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

VMIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

VMIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

SG – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

Standard & Poor’s

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (original maturity of one year or more)

AAA – An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

AA – An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

A – An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

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BBB – An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

BB ; B ; CCC ; CC and C – Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the lowest degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.

BB – An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B – An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CCC – An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CC – An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor’s expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

C – An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher.

D – An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

NR – This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor’s does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

Note: The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings (original maturity of 365 days or less)

A-1 – A short-term obligation rated’A-1’ is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

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A-2 – A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.

A-3 – A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B – A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

C – A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

D – A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the due date, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings (original maturity of 3 years or less)

SP-1 – Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

SP-2 – Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

SP-3 – Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

Fitch Ratings

Long-Term Rating Scales

AAA – Highest credit quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

AA – Very high credit quality. ‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A – High credit quality. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

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BBB – Good credit quality. ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

BB – Speculative. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments.

B – Highly speculative. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

CCC – Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.

CC – Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.

C – Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill.

Conditions that are indicative of a ‘C’ category rating for an issuer include:

a. the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;

b. the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or

c. Fitch Ratings otherwise believes a condition of ‘RD’ or ‘D’ to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange.

RD – Restricted default. ‘RD’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include:

a. the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;

b. the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;

c. the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or

d. execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.

D – Default. ‘D’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.

Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.

“Imminent” default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.

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In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency’s opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer’s financial obligations or local commercial practice.

Note: The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA’ Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) category, or to Long-Term IDR categories below ‘B’.

Short-Term Ratings

F1 – Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

F2 – Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

F3 – Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

B – Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

C – High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

RD – Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

D – Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

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Appendix A

Proxy voting guidelines of the Putnam funds 

 

The proxy voting guidelines below summarize the funds’ positions on various issues of concern to investors, and give a general indication of how fund portfolio securities will be voted on proposals dealing with particular issues. The funds’ proxy voting service is instructed to vote all proxies relating to fund portfolio securities in accordance with these guidelines, except as otherwise instructed by the Director of Proxy Voting and Corporate Governance (“Proxy Voting Director”), a member of the Office of the Trustees who is appointed to assist in the coordination and voting of the funds’ proxies.

The proxy voting guidelines are just that – guidelines. The guidelines are not exhaustive and do not address all potential voting issues. Because the circumstances of individual companies are so varied, there may be instances when the funds do not vote in strict adherence to these guidelines. For example, the proxy voting service is expected to bring to the Proxy Voting Director’s attention proxy questions that are company-specific and of a non-routine nature and that, even if covered by the guidelines, may be more appropriately handled on a case-by-case basis.

Similarly, Putnam Management’s investment professionals, as part of their ongoing review and analysis of all fund portfolio holdings, are responsible for monitoring significant corporate developments, including proxy proposals submitted to shareholders, and notifying the Proxy Voting Director of circumstances where the interests of fund shareholders may warrant a vote contrary to these guidelines. In such instances, the investment professionals submit a written recommendation to the Proxy Voting Director and the person or persons designated by Putnam Management’s Legal and Compliance Department to assist in processing referral items under the funds’ “Proxy Voting Procedures.” The Proxy Voting Director, in consultation with a senior member of the Office of the Trustees and/or the Chair of the Board Policy and Nominating Committee, as appropriate, will determine how the funds’ proxies will be voted. When indicated, the Chair of the Board Policy and Nominating Committee may consult with other members of the Committee or the full Board of Trustees.

The following guidelines are grouped according to the types of proposals generally presented to shareholders. Part I deals with proposals submitted by management and approved and recommended by a company’s board of directors. Part II deals with proposals submitted by shareholders. Part III addresses unique considerations pertaining to non-U.S. issuers.

The Trustees of the Putnam funds are committed to promoting strong corporate governance practices and encouraging corporate actions that enhance shareholder value through the judicious voting of the funds’ proxies. It is the funds’ policy to vote their proxies at all shareholder meetings where it is practicable to do so. In furtherance of this, the funds’ have requested that their securities lending agent recall each domestic issuer’s voting securities that are on loan, in advance of the record date for the issuer’s shareholder meetings, so that the funds may vote at the meetings.

The Putnam funds will disclose their proxy votes not later than August 31 of each year for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, in accordance with the timetable established by SEC rules.

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I. BOARD-APPROVED PROPOSALS

The vast majority of matters presented to shareholders for a vote involve proposals made by a company itself (sometimes referred to as “management proposals”), which have been approved and recommended by its board of directors. In view of the enhanced corporate governance practices currently being implemented in public companies and of the funds’ intent to hold corporate boards accountable for their actions in promoting shareholder interests, the funds’ proxies generally will be voted for the decisions reached by majority independent boards of directors, except as otherwise indicated in these guidelines. Accordingly, the funds’ proxies will be voted for board-approved proposals, except as follows:

Matters relating to the Board of Directors 

 

Uncontested Election of Directors

The funds’ proxies will be voted for the election of a company’s nominees for the board of directors, except as follows:

►The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

• the board does not have a majority of independent directors,

• the board has not established independent nominating, audit, and compensation committees,

• the board has more than 19 members or fewer than five members, absent special circumstances,

• the board has not acted to implement a policy requested in a shareholder proposal that received the support of a majority of the shares of the company cast at its previous two annual meetings, or

• the board has adopted or renewed a shareholder rights plan (commonly referred to as a “poison pill”) without shareholder approval during the current or prior calendar year.

►The funds will on a case-by-case basis withhold votes from the entire board of directors, or from particular directors as may be appropriate, if the board has approved compensation arrangements for one or more company executives that the funds determine are unreasonably excessive relative to the company’s performance or has otherwise failed to observe good corporate governance practices.

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►The funds will withhold votes from any nominee for director:

• who is considered an independent director by the company and who has received compensation within the last three years from the company other than for service as a director (e.g., investment banking, consulting, legal, or financial advisory fees),

• who attends less than 75% of board and committee meetings without valid reasons for the absences (e.g., illness, personal emergency, etc.),

• of a public company (Company A) who is employed as a senior executive of another company (Company B), if a director of Company B serves as a senior executive of Company A (commonly referred to as an “interlocking directorate”),

• who serves on more than five unaffiliated public company boards (for the purpose of this guideline, boards of affiliated registered investment companies will count as one board), or

• who is a member of the governance or other responsible committee, if the company has adopted without shareholder approval a bylaw provision shifting legal fees and costs to unsuccessful plaintiffs in intra-corporate litigation.

Commentary :

Board independence : Unless otherwise indicated, for the purposes of determining whether a board has a majority of independent directors and independent nominating, audit, and compensation committees, an “independent director” is a director who (1) meets all requirements to serve as an independent director of a company under the NYSE Corporate Governance Rules (e.g., no material business relationships with the company and no present or recent employment relationship with the company including employment of an immediate family member as an executive officer), and (2) has not within the last three years accepted directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the company other than in his or her capacity as a member of the board of directors or any board committee. The funds’ Trustees believe that the recent ( i.e. , within the last three years) receipt of any amount of compensation for services other than service as a director raises significant independence issues.

Board size : The funds’ Trustees believe that the size of the board of directors can have a direct impact on the ability of the board to govern effectively. Boards that have too many members can be unwieldy and ultimately inhibit their ability to oversee management performance. Boards that have too few members can stifle innovation and lead to excessive influence by management.

Time commitment: Being a director of a company requires a significant time commitment to adequately prepare for and attend the company’s board and committee meetings. Directors must be able to commit the time and attention necessary to perform their fiduciary duties in proper fashion, particularly in times of crisis. The funds’ Trustees are concerned about over-committed directors. In some cases, directors may serve on too many boards to make a meaningful contribution. This may be particularly true for senior executives of public companies (or other

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directors with substantially full-time employment) who serve on more than a few outside boards. The funds may withhold votes from such directors on a case-by-case basis where it appears that they may be unable to discharge their duties properly because of excessive commitments.

Interlocking directorships : The funds’ Trustees believe that interlocking directorships are inconsistent with the degree of independence required for outside directors of public companies.

Corporate governance practices : Board independence depends not only on its members’ individual relationships, but also on the board’s overall attitude toward management and shareholders. Independent boards are committed to good corporate governance practices and, by providing objective independent judgment, enhancing shareholder value. The funds may withhold votes on a case-by-case basis from some or all directors who, through their lack of independence or otherwise, have failed to observe good corporate governance practices or, through specific corporate action, have demonstrated a disregard for the interests of shareholders. Such instances may include cases where a board of directors has approved compensation arrangements for one or more members of management that, in the judgment of the funds’ Trustees, are excessive by reasonable corporate standards relative to the company’s record of performance. It may also represent a disregard for the interests of shareholders if a board of directors fails to register an appropriate response when a director who fails to win the support of a majority of shareholders in an election (sometimes referred to as a “rejected director”) continues to serve on the board. While the Trustees recognize that it may in some circumstances be appropriate for a rejected director to continue his or her service on the board, steps should be taken to address the concerns reflected by the shareholders’ lack of support for the rejected director. Adopting a fee-shifting bylaw provision without shareholder approval, which may discourage legitimate shareholders lawsuits as well as frivolous ones, is another example of disregard for shareholder interests.

Contested Elections of Directors

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis in contested elections of directors.

Classified Boards

►The funds will vote against proposals to classify a board, absent special circumstances indicating that shareholder interests would be better served by this structure.

Commentary: Under a typical classified board structure, the directors are divided into three classes, with each class serving a three-year term. The classified board structure results in directors serving staggered terms, with usually only a third of the directors up for re-election at any given annual meeting. The funds’ Trustees generally believe that it is appropriate for directors to stand for election each year, but recognize that, in special circumstances, shareholder interests may be better served under a classified board structure.

Other Board-Related Proposals

The funds will generally vote for proposals that have been approved by a majority independent board, and on a case-by-case basis on proposals that have been approved by a board that fails to

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meet the guidelines’ basic independence standards ( i.e. , majority of independent directors and independent nominating, audit, and compensation committees).

Executive Compensation 

 

The funds generally favor compensation programs that relate executive compensation to a company’s long-term performance. The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on board-approved proposals relating to executive compensation, except as follows:

►Except where the funds are otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors, the funds will vote for stock option and restricted stock plans that will result in an average annual dilution of 1.67% or less (based on the disclosed term of the plan and including all equity-based plans).

►The funds will vote against stock option and restricted stock plans that will result in an average annual dilution of greater than 1.67% (based on the disclosed term of the plan and including all equity-based plans).

►The funds will vote against any stock option or restricted stock plan where the company’s actual grants of stock options and restricted stock under all equity-based compensation plans during the prior three (3) fiscal years have resulted in an average annual dilution of greater than 1.67%.

►The funds will vote against stock option plans that permit the replacing or repricing of underwater options (and against any proposal to authorize a replacement or repricing of underwater options).

►The funds will vote against stock option plans that permit issuance of options with an exercise price below the stock’s current market price.

►Except where the funds are otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors, the funds will vote for an employee stock purchase plan that has the following features: (1) the shares purchased under the plan are acquired for no less than 85% of their market value; (2) the offering period under the plan is 27 months or less; and (3) dilution is 10% or less.

►The funds will vote for proposals to approve a company’s executive compensation program (i.e., “say on pay” proposals in which the company’s board proposes that shareholders indicate their support for the company’s compensation philosophy, policies, and practices), except that the funds will vote against the proposal if the company is assigned to the lowest category, through independent third party benchmarking performed by the funds’ proxy voting service, for the correlation of the company’s executive compensation program with its performance.

►The funds will vote for bonus plans under which payments are treated as performance-based compensation that is deductible under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, except that the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis if any of the following circumstances exist:

 

 

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the amount per employee under the plan is unlimited, or

the plan’s performance criteria is undisclosed, or

the company is assigned to the lowest category, through independent third party benchmarking performed by the funds’ proxy voting service, for the correlation of the company’s executive compensation program with its performance.

Commentary : Companies should have compensation programs that are reasonable and that align shareholder and management interests over the longer term. Further, disclosure of compensation programs should provide absolute transparency to shareholders regarding the sources and amounts of, and the factors influencing, executive compensation. Appropriately designed equity-based compensation plans can be an effective way to align the interests of long-term shareholders with the interests of management. However, the funds may vote against these or other executive compensation proposals on a case-by-case basis where compensation is excessive by reasonable corporate standards, where a company fails to provide transparent disclosure of executive compensation, or, in some instances, where independent third-party benchmarking indicates that compensation is inadequately correlated with performance, relative to peer companies. (Examples of excessive executive compensation may include, but are not limited to, equity incentive plans that exceed the dilution criteria noted above, excessive perquisites, performance-based compensation programs that do not properly correlate reward and performance, “golden parachutes” or other severance arrangements that present conflicts between management’s interests and the interests of shareholders, and “golden coffins” or unearned death benefits. ) In voting on a proposal relating to executive compensation, the funds will consider whether the proposal has been approved by an independent compensation committee of the board.

Capitalization 

 

Many proxy proposals involve changes in a company’s capitalization, including the authorization of additional stock, the issuance of stock, the repurchase of outstanding stock, or the approval of a stock split. The management of a company’s capital structure involves a number of important issues, including cash flow, financing needs, and market conditions that are unique to the circumstances of the company. As a result, the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on board-approved proposals involving changes to a company’s capitalization, except that where the funds are not otherwise withholding votes from the entire board of directors:

►The funds will vote for proposals relating to the authorization and issuance of additional common stock (except where such proposals relate to a specific transaction).

►The funds will vote for proposals to effect stock splits (excluding reverse stock splits).

►The funds will vote for proposals authorizing share repurchase programs.

Commentary : A company may decide to authorize additional shares of common stock for reasons relating to executive compensation or for routine business purposes. For the most part, these decisions are best left to the board of directors and senior management. The funds will vote on a

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case-by-case basis, however, on other proposals to change a company’s capitalization, including the authorization of common stock with special voting rights, the authorization or issuance of common stock in connection with a specific transaction ( e.g. , an acquisition, merger or reorganization), or the authorization or issuance of preferred stock. Actions such as these involve a number of considerations that may affect a shareholder’s investment and that warrant a case-by-case determination.

Acquisitions, Mergers, Reincorporations, Reorganizations and Other Transactions 

 

Shareholders may be confronted with a number of different types of transactions, including acquisitions, mergers, reorganizations involving business combinations, liquidations, and the sale of all or substantially all of a company’s assets, which may require their consent. Voting on such proposals involves considerations unique to each transaction. As a result, the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on board-approved proposals to effect these types of transactions, except as follows:

►The funds will vote for mergers and reorganizations involving business combinations designed solely to reincorporate a company in Delaware.

Commentary: A company may reincorporate into another state through a merger or reorganization by setting up a “shell” company in a different state and then merging the company into the new company. While reincorporation into states with extensive and established corporate laws –notably Delaware – provides companies and shareholders with a more well-defined legal framework, shareholders must carefully consider the reasons for a reincorporation into another jurisdiction, including especially an offshore jurisdiction.

Anti-Takeover Measures 

 

Some proxy proposals involve efforts by management to make it more difficult for an outside party to take control of the company without the approval of the company’s board of directors. These include the adoption of a shareholder rights plan, requiring supermajority voting on particular issues, the adoption of fair price provisions, the issuance of blank check preferred stock, and the creation of a separate class of stock with disparate voting rights. Such proposals may adversely affect shareholder rights, lead to management entrenchment, or create conflicts of interest. As a result, the funds will vote against board-approved proposals to adopt such anti-takeover measures, except as follows:

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on proposals to ratify or approve shareholder rights plans; and

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on proposals to adopt fair price provisions.

Commentary: The funds’ Trustees recognize that poison pills and fair price provisions may enhance or protect shareholder value under certain circumstances. For instance, where a company has incurred significant operating losses, a shareholder rights plan may be appropriately tailored to

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protect shareholder value by preserving a company’s net operating losses. Thus, the funds will consider proposals to approve such matters on a case-by-case basis.

Other Business Matters 

 

Many proxies involve approval of routine business matters, such as changing a company’s name, ratifying the appointment of auditors, and procedural matters relating to the shareholder meeting. For the most part, these routine matters do not materially affect shareholder interests and are best left to the board of directors and senior management of the company. The funds will vote for board-approved proposals approving such matters, except as follows:

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on proposals to amend a company’s charter or bylaws (except for charter amendments necessary to effect stock splits, to change a company’s name or to authorize additional shares of common stock).

►The funds will vote against authorization to transact other unidentified, substantive business at the meeting.

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on proposals to ratify the selection of independent auditors if there is evidence that the audit firm’s independence or the integrity of an audit is compromised.

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on other business matters where the funds are otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors.

Commentary: Charter and bylaw amendments (for example, amendments implementing proxy access proposals) and the transaction of other unidentified, substantive business at a shareholder meeting may directly affect shareholder rights and have a significant impact on shareholder value. As a result, the funds do not view these items as routine business matters. Putnam Management’s investment professionals and the funds’ proxy voting service may also bring to the Proxy Voting Director’s attention company-specific items that they believe to be non-routine and warranting special consideration. Under these circumstances, the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis.

The fund’s proxy voting service may identify circumstances that call into question an audit firm’s independence or the integrity of an audit. These circumstances may include recent material restatements of financials, unusual audit fees, egregious contractual relationships, and aggressive accounting policies. The funds will consider proposals to ratify the selection of auditors in these circumstances on a case-by-case basis. In all other cases, given the existence of rules that enhance the independence of audit committees and auditors by, for example, prohibiting auditors from performing a range of non-audit services for audit clients, the funds will vote for the ratification of independent auditors.

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II. SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

SEC regulations permit shareholders to submit proposals for inclusion in a company’s proxy statement. These proposals generally seek to change some aspect of the company’s corporate governance structure or to change some aspect of its business operations. The funds generally will vote in accordance with the recommendation of the company’s board of directors on all shareholder proposals, except as follows:

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by someone other than the chief executive officer.

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals asking that director nominees receive support from holders of a majority of votes cast or a majority of shares outstanding in order to be (re)elected.

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals to declassify a board, absent special circumstances which would indicate that shareholder interests are better served by a classified board structure.

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals to eliminate supermajority vote requirements in the company’s charter documents.

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals to require shareholder approval of shareholder rights plans.

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals to amend a company’s charter documents to permit shareholders to call special meetings, but only if both of the following conditions are met:

• the proposed amendment limits the right to call special meetings to shareholders holding at least 15% of the company’s outstanding shares, and

• applicable state law does not otherwise provide shareholders with the right to call special meetings.

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals relating to proxy access.

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals requiring companies to make cash payments under management severance agreements only if both of the following conditions are met:

• the company undergoes a change in control, and

• the change in control results in the termination of employment for the person receiving the severance payment.

 

 

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►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals requiring companies to accelerate vesting of equity awards under management severance agreements only if both of the following conditions are met:

• the company undergoes a change in control, and

• the change in control results in the termination of employment for the person receiving the severance payment.

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals to limit a company’s ability to make excise tax gross-up payments under management severance agreements.

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals requesting that the board adopt a policy to recoup, in the event of a significant restatement of financial results or significant extraordinary write-off, to the fullest extent practicable, for the benefit of the company, all performance-based bonuses or awards that were paid to senior executives based on the company having met or exceeded specific performance targets to the extent that the specific performance targets were not, in fact, met.

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals calling for the company to obtain shareholder approval for any future golden coffins or unearned death benefits (payments or awards of unearned salary or bonus, accelerated vesting or the continuation of unvested equity awards, perquisites or other payments or awards in respect of an executive following his or her death), and for shareholder proposals calling for the company to cease providing golden coffins or unearned death benefits.

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals requiring a company to report on its executive retirement benefits (e.g., deferred compensation, split-dollar life insurance, SERPs and pension benefits).

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals requiring a company to disclose its relationships with executive compensation consultants (e.g. , whether the company, the board or the compensation committee retained the consultant, the types of services provided by the consultant over the past five years, and a list of the consultant’s clients on which any of the company’s executives serve as a director).

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals that are consistent with the funds’ proxy voting guidelines for board-approved proposals.

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on other shareholder proposals where the funds are otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors.

Commentary: The funds’ Trustees believe that effective corporate reforms should be promoted by holding boards of directors – and in particular their independent directors – accountable for their actions, rather than by imposing additional legal restrictions on board governance through piecemeal proposals. As stated above, the funds’ Trustees believe that boards of directors and

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management are responsible for ensuring that their businesses are operating in accordance with high legal and ethical standards and should be held accountable for resulting corporate behavior. Accordingly, the funds will generally support the recommendations of boards that meet the basic independence and governance standards established in these guidelines. Where boards fail to meet these standards, the funds will generally evaluate shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis. The funds will also consider proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by someone other than the company’s chief executive officer on a case-by-case basis, recognizing that in some cases this separation may advance the company’s corporate governance while in other cases it may be less necessary to the sound governance of the company. The funds will take into account the level of independent leadership on a company’s board in evaluating these proposals.

However, the funds generally support shareholder proposals to implement majority voting for directors, observing that majority voting is an emerging standard intended to encourage directors to be attentive to shareholders’ interests. The funds also generally support shareholder proposals to declassify a board, to eliminate supermajority vote requirements, or to require shareholder approval of shareholder rights plans. The funds’ Trustees believe that these shareholder proposals further the goals of reducing management entrenchment and conflicts of interest, and aligning management’s interests with shareholders’ interests in evaluating proposed acquisitions of the company. The Trustees also believe that shareholder proposals to limit severance payments may further these goals in some instances. In general, the funds favor arrangements in which severance payments are made to an executive only when there is a change in control and the executive loses his or her job as a result. Arrangements in which an executive receives a payment upon a change of control even if the executive retains employment introduce potential conflicts of interest and may distract management focus from the long term success of the company.

In evaluating shareholder proposals that address severance payments, the funds distinguish between cash and equity payments. The funds generally do not favor cash payments to executives upon a change in control transaction if the executive retains employment. However, the funds recognize that accelerated vesting of equity incentives, even without termination of employment, may help to align management and shareholder interests in some instances, and will evaluate shareholder proposals addressing accelerated vesting of equity incentive payments on a case-by-case basis.

When severance payments exceed a certain amount based on the executive’s previous compensation, the payments may be subject to an excise tax. Some compensation arrangements provide for full excise tax gross-ups, which means that the company pays the executive sufficient additional amounts to cover the cost of the excise tax. The funds are concerned that the benefits of providing full excise tax gross-ups to executives may be outweighed by the cost to the company of the gross-up payments. Accordingly, the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals to curtail excise tax gross-up payments. The funds generally favor arrangements in which severance payments do not trigger an excise tax or in which the company’s obligations with respect to gross-up payments are limited in a reasonable manner.

The funds’ Trustees believe that performance-based compensation can be an effective tool for aligning management and shareholder interests. However, to fulfill its purpose, performance compensation should only be paid to executives if the performance targets are actually met. A

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significant restatement of financial results or a significant extraordinary write-off may reveal that executives who were previously paid performance compensation did not actually deliver the required business performance to earn that compensation. In these circumstances, it may be appropriate for the company to recoup this performance compensation. The funds will consider on a case-by-case basis shareholder proposals requesting that the board adopt a policy to recoup, in the event of a significant restatement of financial results or significant extraordinary write-off, performance-based bonuses or awards paid to senior executives based on the company having met or exceeded specific performance targets to the extent that the specific performance targets were not, in fact, met. The funds do not believe that such a policy should necessarily disadvantage a company in recruiting executives, as executives should understand that they are only entitled to performance compensation based on the actual performance they deliver.

The funds’ Trustees disfavor golden coffins or unearned death benefits, and the funds will generally support shareholder proposals to restrict or terminate these practices. The Trustees will also consider whether a company’s overall compensation arrangements, taking all of the pertinent circumstances into account, constitute excessive compensation or otherwise reflect poorly on the corporate governance practices of the company. As the Trustees evaluate these matters, they will be mindful of evolving practices and legislation relevant to executive compensation and corporate governance.

The funds’ Trustees also believe that shareholder proposals that are intended to increase transparency, particularly with respect to executive compensation, without establishing rigid restrictions upon a company’s ability to attract and motivate talented executives, are generally beneficial to sound corporate governance without imposing undue burdens. The funds will generally support shareholder proposals calling for reasonable disclosure.

III. VOTING SHARES OF NON-U.S. ISSUERS

Many of the Putnam funds invest on a global basis, and, as a result, they may hold, and have an opportunity to vote, shares in non-U.S. issuers – i.e., issuers that are incorporated under the laws of foreign jurisdictions and whose shares are not listed on a U.S. securities exchange or the NASDAQ stock market.

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In many non-U.S. markets, shareholders who vote proxies of a non-U.S. issuer are not able to trade in that company’s stock on or around the shareholder meeting date. This practice is known as “share blocking.” In countries where share blocking is practiced, the funds will vote proxies only with direction from Putnam Management’s investment professionals.

In addition, some non-U.S. markets require that a company’s shares be re-registered out of the name of the local custodian or nominee into the name of the shareholder for the shareholder to be able to vote at the meeting. This practice is known as “share re-registration.” As a result, shareholders, including the funds, are not able to trade in that company’s stock until the shares are re-registered back in the name of the local custodian or nominee following the meeting. In countries where share re-registration is practiced, the funds will generally not vote proxies.

Protection for shareholders of non-U.S. issuers may vary significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Laws governing non-U.S. issuers may, in some cases, provide substantially less protection for shareholders than do U.S. laws. As a result, the guidelines applicable to U.S. issuers, which are premised on the existence of a sound corporate governance and disclosure framework, may not be appropriate under some circumstances for non-U.S. issuers. However, the funds will vote proxies of non-U.S. issuers in accordance with the guidelines applicable to U. S. issuers except as follows:

Uncontested Board Elections 

 

China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand

►The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

• fewer than one-third of the directors are independent directors, or

• the board has not established audit, compensation and nominating committees each composed of a majority of independent directors .

Commentary: Whether a director is considered “independent” or not will be determined by reference to local corporate law or listing standards.

Europe ex-United Kingdom

►The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

• the board has not established audit and compensation committees each composed of a majority of independent, non-executive directors, or

• the board has not established a nominating committee composed of a majority of independent directors.

 

 

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Commentary: An “independent director” under the European Commission’s guidelines is one who is free of any business, family or other relationship, with the company, its controlling shareholder or the management of either, that creates a conflict of interest such as to impair his judgment. A “non-executive director” is one who is not engaged in the daily management of the company.

Germany

►For companies subject to “co-determination,” the funds will vote for the election of nominees to the supervisory board, except that the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis for any nominee who is either an employee of the company or who is otherwise affiliated with the company (as determined by the funds’ proxy voting service).

►The funds will withhold votes for the election of a former member of the company’s managerial board to chair of the supervisory board.

Commentary: German corporate governance is characterized by a two-tier board system—a managerial board composed of the company’s executive officers, and a supervisory board. The supervisory board appoints the members of the managerial board. Shareholders elect members of the supervisory board, except that in the case of companies with a large number of employees, company employees are allowed to elect some of the supervisory board members (one-half of supervisory board members are elected by company employees at companies with more than 2,000 employees; one-third of the supervisory board members are elected by company employees at companies with more than 500 employees but fewer than 2,000). This “co-determination” practice may increase the chances that the supervisory board of a large German company does not contain a majority of independent members. In this situation, under the Fund’s proxy voting guidelines applicable to U.S. issuers, the funds would vote against all nominees. However, in the case of companies subject to “co-determination” and with the goal of supporting independent nominees, the Funds will vote for supervisory board members who are neither employees of the company nor otherwise affiliated with the company.

Consistent with the funds’ belief that the interests of shareholders are best protected by boards with strong, independent leadership, the funds will withhold votes for the election of former chairs of the managerial board to chair of the supervisory board.

Hong Kong

►The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

•  fewer than one-third of the directors are independent directors, or

• the board has not established audit, compensation and nominating committees each with at least a majority of its members being independent directors, or

• the chair of the audit, compensation or nominating committee is not an independent director.

 

 

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Commentary. For purposes of these guidelines, an “independent director” is a director that has no material, financial or other current relationships with the company. In determining whether a director is independent, the funds will apply the standards included in the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited Section 3.13.

Italy

►The funds will withhold votes from any director not identified in the proxy materials.

Commentary: In Italy, companies have the right to nominate co-opted directors for election to the board at the next annual general meeting, but do not have to indicate, until the day of the annual meeting, whether or not they are nominating a co-opted director for election. When a company does not explicitly state in its proxy materials that co-opted directors are standing for election, shareholders will not know for sure who the board nominees are until the actual meeting occurs. The funds will withhold support from any such co-opted director on the grounds that there was insufficient information for evaluation before the meeting.

Japan

►For companies that have established a U.S.-style corporate governance structure, the funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

• the board does not have a majority of outside directors,

• the board has not established nominating and compensation committees composed of a majority of outside directors, or

• the board has not established an audit committee composed of a majority of independent directors.

►The funds will withhold votes for the appointment of members of a company’s board of statutory auditors if a majority of the members of the board of statutory auditors is not independent.

Commentary:

Board structure : Recent amendments to the Japanese Commercial Code give companies the option to adopt a U.S.-style corporate governance structure (i.e., a board of directors and audit, nominating, and compensation committees). The funds will vote for proposals to amend a company’s articles of incorporation to adopt the U.S.-style corporate structure.

Definition of outside director and independent director : Corporate governance principles in Japan focus on the distinction between outside directors and independent directors. Under these principles, an outside director is a director who is not and has never been a director, executive, or employee of the company or its parent company, subsidiaries or affiliates. An outside director is “independent” if that person can make decisions completely independent from the managers of the company, its parent, subsidiaries, or affiliates and does not have a material relationship with the

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company (i.e., major client, trading partner, or other business relationship; familial relationship with current director or executive; etc.). The guidelines have incorporated these definitions in applying the board independence standards above.

Korea

►The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

• fewer than half of the directors are outside directors,

• the board has not established a nominating committee with at least half of the members being outside directors, or

• the board has not established an audit committee composed of at least three members and in which at least two-thirds of its members are outside directors.

►The funds will vote withhold votes from nominees to the audit committee if the board has not established an audit committee composed of (or proposed to be composed of) at least three members, and of which at least two-thirds of its members are (or will be) outside directors.

Commentary: For purposes of these guidelines, an “outside director” is a director that is independent from the management or controlling shareholders of the company, and holds no interests that might impair the performance his or her duties impartially with respect to the company, management or controlling shareholder. In determining whether a director is an outside director, the funds will also apply the standards included in Article 415-2(2) of the Korean Commercial Code (i.e., no employment relationship with the company for a period of two years before serving on the committee, no director or employment relationship with the company’s largest shareholder, etc.) and may consider other business relationships that would affect the independence of an outside director.

Malaysia

►The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

• in the case of a board with an independent director serving as chair, fewer than one-third of the directors are independent directors ; or, in the case of a board not chaired by an independent director, less than a majority of the directors are independent directors,

• the board has not established audit and nominating committees with at least a majority of the members being independent directors and all of the members being non-executive directors, or

• the board has not established a compensation committee with at least a majority of the members being non-executive directors.

 

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Commentary. For purposes of these guidelines, an “independent director” is a director who has no material, financial or other current relationships with the company. In determining whether a director is independent, the funds will apply the standards included in the Malaysia Code of Corporate Governance, Commentary to Recommendation 3.1. A “non-executive director” is a director who does not take on primary responsibility for leadership of the company.

Russia

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis for the election of nominees to the board of directors.

Commentary: In Russia, director elections are typically handled through a cumulative voting process. Cumulative voting allows shareholders to cast all of their votes for a single nominee for the board of directors, or to allocate their votes among nominees in any other way. In contrast, in “regular” voting, shareholders may not give more than one vote per share to any single nominee. Cumulative voting can help to strengthen the ability of minority shareholders to elect a director.

In Russia, as in some other emerging markets, standards of corporate governance are usually behind those in developed markets. Rather than vote against the entire board of directors, as the funds generally would in the case of a company whose board fails to meet the funds’ standards for independence, the funds may, on a case by case basis, cast all of their votes for one or more independent director nominees. The funds believe that it is important to increase the number of independent directors on the boards of Russian companies to mitigate the risks associated with dominant shareholders.

Singapore

►The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

• in the case of a board with an independent director serving as chair, fewer than one-third of the directors are independent directors; or, in the case of a board not chaired by an independent director, fewer than half of the directors are independent directors,

• the board has not established audit and compensation committees, each with an independent director serving as chair, with at least a majority of the members being independent directors, and with all of the directors being non-executive directors, or

• the board has not established a nominating committee, with an independent director serving as chair, and with at least a majority of the members being independent directors.

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Commentary: For purposes of these guidelines, an “independent director” is a director that has no material, financial or other current relationships with the company. In determining whether a director is independent, the funds will apply the standards included in the Singapore Code of Corporate Governance, Guideline 2.3. A “non-executive director” is a director who is not employed with the company.

United Kingdom

►The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

• fewer than half of the directors are independent non-executive directors,

• the board has not established a nomination committee composed of a majority of independent non-executive directors, or

• the board has not established compensation and audit committees composed of (1) at least three directors (in the case of smaller companies, two directors) and (2) solely independent non-executive directors, provided that, to the extent permitted under the United Kingdom’s Combined Code on Corporate Governance, the company chairman may serve on (but not serve as chairman of) the compensation and audit committees if the chairman was considered independent upon his or her appointment as chairman.

►The funds will withhold votes from any nominee for director who is considered an independent director by the company and who has received compensation within the last three years from the company other than for service as a director, such as investment banking, consulting, legal, or financial advisory fees.

►The funds will vote for proposals to amend a company’s articles of association to authorize boards to approve situations that might be interpreted to present potential conflicts of interest affecting a director.

Commentary:

Application of guidelines : Although the United Kingdom’s Combined Code on Corporate Governance (“Combined Code”) has adopted the “comply and explain” approach to corporate governance, the funds’ Trustees believe that the guidelines discussed above with respect to board independence standards are integral to the protection of investors in U.K. companies. As a result, these guidelines will generally be applied in a prescriptive manner.

Definition of independence : For the purposes of these guidelines, a non-executive director shall be considered independent if the director meets the independence standards in section A.3.1 of the Combined Code (i.e., no material business or employment relationships with the company, no remuneration from the company for non-board services, no close family ties with senior employees or directors of the company, etc.), except that the funds do not view service on the board for more than nine years as affecting a director’s independence. Company chairmen in the

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U.K. are generally considered affiliated upon appointment as chairman due to the nature of the position of chairman. Consistent with the Combined Code, a company chairman who was considered independent upon appointment as chairman: may serve as a member of, but not as the chairman of, the compensation (remuneration) committee; and, in the case of smaller companies, may serve as a member of, but not as the chairman of, the audit committee.

Smaller companies: A smaller company is one that is below the FTSE 350 throughout the year immediately prior to the reporting year.

Conflicts of interest: The Companies Act 2006 requires a director to avoid a situation in which he or she has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the company. This broadly written requirement could be construed to prevent a director from becoming a trustee or director of another organization. Provided there are reasonable safeguards, such as the exclusion of the relevant director from deliberations, the funds believe that the board may approve this type of potential conflict of interest in its discretion.

All other jurisdictions

►The funds will vote for supervisory board nominees when the supervisory board meets the funds’ independence standards, otherwise the funds will vote against supervisory board nominees.

Commentary: Companies in many jurisdictions operate under the oversight of supervisory boards. In the absence of jurisdiction-specific guidelines, the funds will generally hold supervisory boards to the same standards of independence as it applies to boards of directors in the United States.

Contested Board Elections 

 

Italy

►The funds will vote for the management- or board-sponsored slate of nominees if the board meets the funds’ independence standards, and against the management- or board-sponsored slate of nominees if the board does not meet the funds’ independence standards; the funds will not vote on shareholder-proposed slates of nominees.

Commentary: Contested elections in Italy may involve a variety of competing slates of nominees. In these circumstances, the funds will focus their analysis on the board- or management-sponsored slate.

Corporate Governance 

 

►The funds will vote for proposals to change the size of a board if the board meets the funds’ independence standards, and against proposals to change the size of a board if the board does not meet the funds’ independence standards.

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals calling for a majority of a company’s directors to be independent of management.

 

 

February 28, 2016  II-125 

 



►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals seeking to increase the independence of board nominating, audit, and compensation committees.

►The funds will vote for shareholder proposals that implement corporate governance standards similar to those established under U.S. federal law and the listing requirements of U.S. stock exchanges, and that do not otherwise violate the laws of the jurisdiction under which the company is incorporated.

Australia

►The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on board spill resolutions.

Commentary: The Corporations Amendment (Improving Accountability on Director and Executive Compensation) Bill 2011 provides that, if a company’s remuneration report receives a “no” vote of 25% or more of all votes cast at two consecutive annual general meetings, at the second annual general meeting, a spill resolution must be proposed. If the spill resolution is approved (by simple majority), then a further meeting to elect a new board (excluding the managing director) must be held within 90 days. The funds will consider board spill resolutions on a case-by-case basis.

Europe

►The funds will vote for proposals to ratify board acts, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

Taiwan

►The funds will vote against proposals to release directors from their non-competition obligations (their obligations not to engage in any business that is competitive with the company), unless the proposal is narrowly drafted to permit directors to engage in a business that is competitive with the company only on behalf of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company.

 

Compensation 

 

►The funds will vote for proposals to approve annual directors’ fees, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis in each case in which the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against such a proposal.

►The funds will vote for non-binding proposals to approve remuneration reports, except that the funds will vote against proposals to approve remuneration reports that indicate that awards under a long-term incentive plan are not linked to performance targets.

Commentary: Since proposals relating to directors’ fees for non-U.S. issuers generally address relatively modest fees paid to non-executive directors, the funds generally support these proposals, provided that the fees are consistent with directors’ fees paid by the company’s peers and do not

February 28, 2016  II-126 

 



otherwise appear unwarranted. Consistent with the approach taken for U.S. issuers, the funds generally favor compensation programs that relate executive compensation to a company’s long-term performance and will support non-binding remuneration reports unless such a correlation is not made.

Europe and Asia ex-Japan

►In the case of proposals that do not include sufficient information for determining average annual dilution, the funds will will vote for stock option and restricted stock plans that will result in an average gross potential dilution of 5% or less.

Commentary: Asia ex-Japan means China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. In these markets, companies may not disclose the life of the plan and there may not be a specific number of shares requested; therefore, it may not be possible to determine the average annual dilution related to the plan and apply the funds’ standard dilution test.

France

►The funds will vote for an employee stock purchase plan or share save scheme that has the following features: (1) the shares purchased under the plan are acquired for no less than 70% of their market value; (2) the vesting period is greater than or equal to 10 years; (3) the offering period under the plan is 27 months or less; and (4) dilution is 10% or less.

Commentary: To conform to local market practice, the funds support plans or schemes at French issuers that permit the purchase of shares at up to a 30% discount (i.e., shares may be purchased for no less than 70% of their market value). By comparison, for U.S. issuers, the funds do not support employee stock purchase plans that permit shares to be acquired at more than a 15% discount ( i.e. , for less than 85% of their market value); in the United Kingdom, up to a 20% discount is permitted.

United Kingdom

►The funds will vote for an employee stock purchase plan or share save scheme that has the following features: (1) the shares purchased under the plan are acquired for no less than 80% of their market value; (2) the offering period under the plan is 27 months or less; and (3) dilution is 10% or less.

Commentary: These are the same features that the funds require of employee stock purchase plans proposed by U.S. issuers, except that, to conform to local market practice, the funds support plans or schemes at United Kingdom issuers that permit the purchase of shares at up to a 20% discount ( i.e. , shares may be purchased for no less than 80% of their market value). By comparison, for U.S. issuers, the funds do not support employee stock purchase plans that permit shares to be acquired at more than a 15% discount ( i.e. , for less than 85% of their market value).

February 28, 2016  II-127 

 



Capitalization 

 

Unless a proposal is directly addressed by a country-specific guideline:

►The funds will vote for proposals

• to issue additional common stock representing up to 20% of the company’s outstanding common stock, where shareholders do not have preemptive rights, or

• to issue additional common stock representing up to 100% of the company’s outstanding common stock, where shareholders do have preemptive rights.

►The funds will vote for proposals to authorize share repurchase programs that are recommended for approval by the funds’ proxy voting service; otherwise, the funds will vote against such proposals.

Australia

►The funds will vote for proposals to carve out, from the general cap on non- pro rata share issues of 15% of total equity in a rolling 12-month period, a particular proposed issue of shares or a particular issue of shares made previously within the 12-month period, if the company’s board meets the funds’ independence standards; if the company’s board does not meet the funds’ independence standards, then the funds will vote against these proposals.

►The funds will vote for proposals to approve the grant of equity awards to directors, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

China

►The funds will vote for proposals to issue and/or to trade in non-convertible, convertible and/or exchangeable debt obligations, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

Hong Kong

►The funds will vote for proposals to approve a general mandate permitting the company to engage in non- pro rata share issues of up to 20% of total equity in a year if the company’s board meets the funds’ independence standards; if the company’s board does not meet the funds’ independence standards, then the funds will vote against these proposals.

►The funds will for proposals to approve the reissuance of shares acquired by the company under a share repurchase program, provided that: (1) the funds supported (or would have supported, in accordance with these guidelines) the share repurchase program, (2) the reissued shares represent no more than 10% of the company’s outstanding shares

 

 

February 28, 2016  II-128 

 



(measured immediately before the reissuance), and (3) the reissued shares are sold for no less than 85% of current market value.

France

►The funds will vote for proposals to increase authorized shares, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

►The funds will vote against proposals to authorize the issuance of common stock or convertible debt instruments and against proposals to authorize the repurchase and/or reissuance of shares where those authorizations may be used, without further shareholder approval, as anti-takeover measures.

New Zealand

►The funds will vote for proposals to approve the grant of equity awards to directors, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

Commentary: In light of the prevalence of certain types of capitalization proposals in Australia, China, Hong Kong, France and New Zealand, the funds have adopted guidelines specific to those jurisdictions.

Other Business Matters 

 

►The funds will vote for proposals permitting companies to deliver reports and other materials electronically (e.g., via website posting).

►The funds will vote for proposals permitting companies to issue regulatory reports in English.

►The funds will vote against proposals to shorten shareholder meeting notice periods to fourteen days.

Commentary: Under Directive 2007/36/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, companies have the option to request shareholder approval to set the notice period for special meetings at 14 days provided that certain electronic voting and communication requirements are met. The funds believe that the 14 day notice period is too short to provide overseas shareholders with sufficient time to analyze proposals and to participate meaningfully at special meetings and, as a result, have determined to vote against such proposals.

►The funds will vote for proposals to amend a company’s charter or bylaws, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

 

February 28, 2016  II-129 

 



Commentary: If the substance of any proposed amendment is covered by a specific guideline included herein, then that guideline will govern.

France

►The funds will vote for proposals to approve a company’s related party transactions, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

►If a company has not proposed an opt-out clause in its articles of association and the implementation of double-voting rights has not been approved by shareholders, the funds will vote against the ratification of board acts for the previous fiscal year, will withhold votes from the re-election of members of the board’s governance committee (or in the absence of a governance committee, against the chair of the board or the next session board member up for re-election) and, if there is no opportunity to vote against ratification of board acts or to withhold votes from directors, will vote against the approval of the company’s accounts and reports.

Commentary: In France, shareholders are generally requested to approve any agreement between the company and: (i) its directors, chair of the board, CEO and deputy CEOs; (ii) the members of the supervisory board and management board, for companies with a dual structure; and (iii) a shareholder who directly or indirectly owns at least 10% of the company’s voting rights. This includes agreements under which compensation may be paid to executive officers after the end of their employment, such as severance payments, supplementary retirement plans and non-competition agreements. The funds will generally support these proposals unless the funds’ proxy voting service recommends a vote against, in which case the funds will consider the proposal on a case-by-case basis.

Under French law, shareholders of French companies with shares held in registered form under the same name for at least two years will automatically be granted double-voting rights, unless a company has amended its articles of association to opt out of the double-voting rights regime. Awarding double-voting rights in this manner is likely to disadvantage non-French institutional shareholders. Accordingly, the funds will take actions to signal disapproval of double-voting rights at companies that have not opted-out from the double-voting rights regime and that have not obtained shareholder approval of the double-voting rights regime.

Germany

►The funds will vote in accordance with the recommendation of the company’s board of directors on shareholder countermotions added to a company’s meeting agenda, unless the countermotion is directly addressed by one of the funds’ other guidelines.

Commentary: In Germany, shareholders are able to add both proposals and countermotions to a meeting agenda. Countermotions, which must correspond to a proposal on the agenda, generally call for shareholders to oppose the existing proposal, although they may also propose separate voting decisions. Countermotions may be proposed by any shareholder and they are typically

February 28, 2016  II-130 

 



added throughout the period between the publication of the meeting agenda and the meeting date. This guideline reflects the funds’ intention to focus on the original proposal, which is expected to be presented a reasonable period of time before the shareholder meeting so that the funds will have an appropriate opportunity to evaluate it.

►The funds will vote for proposals to approve profit-and-loss transfer agreements between a controlling company and its subsidiaries.

Commentary: These agreements are customary in Germany and are typically entered into for tax purposes. In light of this and the prevalence of these proposals, the funds have adopted a guideline to vote for this type of proposal.

Taiwan

►The funds will vote for proposals to amend a Taiwanese company’s procedural rules.

Commentary: Since procedural rules, which address such matters as a company’s policies with respect to capital loans, endorsements and guarantees, and acquisitions and disposal of assets, are generally adopted or amended to conform to changes in local regulations governing these transactions, the funds have adopted a guideline to vote for these transactions.

As adopted January 29, 2016

February 28, 2016  II-131 

 



Appendix B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 28, 2016  II-132 

 




Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Trustees and Shareholders
Putnam Funds Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund (the fund), a series of Putnam Funds Trust, including the fund’s portfolio, as of October 31, 2015, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits 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 and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2015, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers or by other appropriate auditing procedures. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund as of October 31, 2015, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.


Boston, Massachusetts
December 15, 2015

26  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



The fund’s portfolio 10/31/15

CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (37.9%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Banking (15.5%)     
Abbey National Treasury Services PLC/United Kingdom     
company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 3/8s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  $462,000  $462,015 

ABN Amro Bank NV 144A sr. unsec. FRN 1.123s,     
2016 (Netherlands)  2,000,000  2,006,298 

American Express Bank FSB sr. unsec. FRN Ser. BKNT,     
0.497s, 2017  586,000  582,452 

Bank of America Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2s, 2018  1,159,000  1,164,348 

Bank of America, NA unsec. sub. FRN Ser. BKNT, 0.617s, 2016  1,740,000  1,736,384 

Bank of Montreal sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. MTN, 2 1/2s,     
2017 (Canada)  423,000  430,393 

Bank of Nova Scotia (The) sr. unsec. unsub. FRN 0.737s,     
2016 (Canada)  1,300,000  1,300,861 

Bank of Nova Scotia (The) sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 3/8s,     
2017 (Canada)  430,000  428,696 

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (The) 144A sr. unsec. notes     
1.2s, 2017 (Japan)  430,000  428,096 

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (The) 144A sr. unsec. unsub.     
FRN 0.782s, 2016 (Japan)  1,000,000  1,000,282 

BB&T Corp. unsec. sub. notes 5.2s, 2015  1,000,000  1,006,380 

BNP Paribas SA company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. bonds     
Ser. MTN, 1 3/8s, 2017 (France)  490,000  490,613 

BNP Paribas SA company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
Ser. BKNT, 5s, 2021 (France)  600,000  672,402 

BPCE SA company guaranty sr. unsec. FRN Ser. MTN, 1.57s,     
2016 (France)  1,000,000  1,003,587 

Branch Banking & Trust Co. unsec. sub. FRN 0.656s, 2016  250,000  249,525 

Citigroup, Inc. sr. unsec. sub. FRN 0.603s, 2016  500,000  498,017 

Citigroup, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 4.45s, 2017  456,000  473,105 

Commonwealth Bank of Australia/New York, NY sr. unsec.     
unsub. bonds 1 1/8s, 2017  588,000  588,587 

Cooperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank BA/     
Netherlands (Rabobank Nederland) company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 3 3/8s, 2017 (Netherlands)  385,000  395,254 

Credit Agricole SA/London 144A sr. unsec. FRN 1.481s, 2016     
(United Kingdom)  1,950,000  1,956,683 

Deutsche Bank AG/London sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  449,000  482,404 

Dexia Credit Local SA/New York 144A government guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 1 1/4s, 2016 (France)  2,000,000  2,006,810 

Fifth Third Bancorp unsec. sub. FRB 0.765s, 2016  1,230,000  1,222,495 

HBOS PLC unsec. sub. FRN Ser. EMTN, 1.032s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  1,000,000  992,566 

HSBC Finance Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. FRN 0.754s, 2016  1,000,000  998,250 

HSBC USA, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2s, 2018  1,000,000  1,000,878 

ING Bank NV 144A unsec. notes 3 3/4s, 2017 (Netherlands)  620,000  638,978 

Intesa Sanpaolo SpA company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds 2 3/8s,     
2017 (Italy)  1,500,000  1,507,748 

JPMorgan Chase & Co. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2s, 2017  428,000  431,623 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  27 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (37.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Banking cont.     
JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA unsec. sub. FRN 0.666s, 2016  $1,000,000  $998,306 

KeyBank NA/Cleveland, OH unsec. sub. notes Ser. MTN,     
5.45s, 2016  1,115,000  1,131,376 

KeyCorp sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. MTN, 2.3s, 2018  447,000  449,771 

Nordea Bank AB 144A sr. unsec. FRN 0.774s, 2016 (Sweden)  1,525,000  1,527,172 

PNC Bank NA sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. BKNT, 1 1/8s, 2017  430,000  429,984 

Royal Bank of Canada sr. unsec. unsub. FRN Ser. GMTN, 0.793s,     
2016 (Canada)  1,000,000  1,001,788 

Royal Bank of Canada sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. GMTN, 2.2s,     
2018 (Canada)  435,000  441,404 

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC jr. unsec. sub. FRB 7 1/2s,     
perpetual maturity (United Kingdom)  500,000  517,500 

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC unsec. sub. notes 4.7s, 2018     
(United Kingdom)  1,535,000  1,594,452 

Svenska Handelsbanken AB company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
2 7/8s, 2017 (Sweden)  250,000  254,660 

Svenska Handelsbanken AB sr. unsec. FRN 0.795s,     
2016 (Sweden)  1,000,000  1,001,546 

UBS AG/Stamford, CT sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. BKNT,     
5 7/8s, 2017  374,000  405,391 

UBS AG/Stamford, CT unsec. sub. notes Ser. MTN, 5 7/8s, 2016  1,000,000  1,032,036 

Wells Fargo & Co. sr. unsec. notes 2.1s, 2017  423,000  429,118 

Westpac Banking Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.55s,     
2018 (Australia)  78,000  77,781 

  37,448,015 
Basic materials (0.7%)   
Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. sr. unsec. notes 5.45s, 2018  338,000  367,452 

Corp Nacional del Cobre de Chile 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
3 7/8s, 2021 (Chile)  500,000  505,221 

Rio Tinto Finance USA PLC company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 1 5/8s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  430,000  428,356 

Rio Tinto Finance USA, Ltd. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
9s, 2019 (Australia)  245,000  297,470 

Southern Copper Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 7/8s,     
2045 (Peru)  200,000  174,500 

  1,772,999 
Capital goods (0.7%)   
Boeing Co. (The) sr. unsec. bonds 8 3/4s, 2021  865,000  1,157,020 

Covidien International Finance SA company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6s, 2017 (Luxembourg)  430,000  468,185 

  1,625,205 
Communication services (2.4%)   
AT&T, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. FRN 0.699s, 2016  1,000,000  999,760 

AT&T, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3s, 2022  1,000,000  980,878 

AT&T, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.7s, 2017  430,000  432,095 

Comcast Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. bonds     
6 1/2s, 2017  430,000  458,171 

Verizon Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 6.35s, 2019  313,000  355,738 

Verizon Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 2 5/8s, 2020  815,000  823,096 

 

28  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (37.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Communication services cont.     
Verizon Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. FRN     
1.867s, 2016  $1,000,000  $1,009,264 

Vodafone Group PLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 1/4s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  744,000  739,190 

  5,798,192 
Consumer cyclicals (4.3%)   
Amazon.com, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 1.2s, 2017  423,000  423,336 

Autonation, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
6 3/4s, 2018  365,000  404,220 

Autonation, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 1/2s, 2020  100,000  109,213 

Dollar General Corp. sr. unsec. notes 1 7/8s, 2018  300,000  298,882 

Ford Motor Credit Co., LLC sr. unsec. unsub. FRN 1.561s, 2016  1,000,000  1,002,808 

Ford Motor Credit Co., LLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 7/8s, 2021  1,475,000  1,681,322 

Ford Motor Credit Co., LLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3.157s, 2020  2,000,000  2,020,582 

General Motors Financial Co., Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 3.1s, 2019  2,000,000  2,006,630 

Lender Processing Services, Inc./Black Knight Lending     
Solutions, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 3/4s, 2023  492,000  514,140 

McGraw Hill Financial, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 3.3s, 2020  1,010,000  1,027,805 

Volkswagen International Finance NV 144A company guaranty     
sr. unsec. FRN 0.764s, 2016 (Germany)  1,000,000  972,028 

  10,460,966 
Consumer finance (0.9%)   
Air Lease Corp. sr. unsec. notes 2 5/8s, 2018  1,385,000  1,379,418 

American Express Co. jr. unsec. sub. FRN Ser. C, 4.9s,     
perpetual maturity  370,000  358,947 

American Express Co. sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2018  286,000  321,066 

American Express Co. sr. unsec. notes 6.15s, 2017  174,000  188,081 

  2,247,512 
Consumer staples (2.1%)   
Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 1 1/4s, 2018  430,000  425,406 

Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. FRN 0.513s, 2017  700,000  697,717 

ConAgra Foods, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2019  958,000  1,093,911 

Constellation Brands, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 7 1/4s, 2016  283,000  295,381 

Costco Wholesale Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 0.65s, 2015  320,000  320,143 

CVS Health Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2 1/4s, 2018  430,000  435,859 

CVS Health Corp. 144A sr. unsec. sub. notes 4 3/4s, 2022  1,030,000  1,122,672 

Diageo Capital PLC company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1 1/2s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  202,000  202,534 

PepsiCo, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 1/4s, 2017  427,000  428,951 

  5,022,574 
Energy (2.4%)   
BP Capital Markets PLC company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 1.846s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  430,000  434,178 

Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5.7s,     
2017 (Canada)  430,000  452,456 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  29 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (37.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Energy cont.     
Chevron Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.104s, 2017  $423,000  $423,214 

ConocoPhillips Co. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
1.05s, 2017  430,000  427,463 

Hess Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 7.3s, 2031  25,000  28,597 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
3 7/8s, 2016 (Brazil)  350,000  349,125 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6 1/4s, 2024 (Brazil)  490,000  393,235 

Petroleos Mexicanos company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 1/2s, 2021 (Mexico)  1,500,000  1,600,608 

Petroleos Mexicanos 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
4 1/2s, 2026 (Mexico)  185,000  177,354 

Phillips 66 company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
2.95s, 2017  430,000  439,712 

Shell International Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 5.2s, 2017 (Netherlands)  462,000  488,939 

Shell International Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 0 5/8s, 2015 (Netherlands)  125,000  125,028 

Total Capital International SA company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 1.55s, 2017 (France)  423,000  426,376 

  5,766,285 
Financial (2.1%)   
GE Capital International Funding Co. 144A company guaranty     
sr. unsec. notes 0.964s, 2016 (Ireland)  1,186,000  1,185,766 

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
Ser. GLOB, 2 3/8s, 2018  229,000  232,568 

KKR Group Finance Co., LLC 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6 3/8s, 2020  1,977,000  2,311,607 

Morgan Stanley sr. unsec. notes 4 3/4s, 2017  1,204,000  1,257,996 

  4,987,937 
Health care (2.4%)   
AbbVie, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 3/4s, 2017  385,000  388,652 

Actavis Funding SCS company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1.85s, 2017 (Luxembourg)  2,000,000  2,006,762 

Amgen, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2 1/8s, 2017  430,000  435,584 

AstraZeneca PLC sr. unsub. notes 5.9s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  430,000  467,294 

Biogen, Inc. sr. unsec. sub. notes 3 5/8s, 2022  730,000  742,210 

Johnson & Johnson sr. unsec. notes 5.15s, 2018  269,000  297,273 

Mylan NV company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 1.8s, 2016  1,000,000  999,345 

UnitedHealth Group, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2018  192,000  211,034 

Zoetis, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 1.15s, 2016  265,000  265,023 

  5,813,177 
Insurance (1.3%)   
Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (The) jr. unsec. sub. FRB     
8 1/8s, 2038  235,000  261,438 

MetLife, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 3/4s, 2016  430,000  445,049 

MetLife, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 4 3/4s, 2021  1,180,000  1,303,194 

Metropolitan Life Global Funding I 144A notes 3s, 2023  790,000  786,011 

Principal Life Global Funding II 144A notes 1s, 2015  260,000  260,140 

    3,055,832 

 

30  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (37.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Investment banking/Brokerage (0.1%)     
Deutsche Bank AG unsec. sub. notes 4 1/2s, 2025 (Germany)  $324,000  $315,476 

  315,476 
Real estate (0.5%)   
Liberty Property LP sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3 3/8s, 2023 R   550,000  527,012 

Select Income REIT sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3.6s, 2020 R   130,000  131,762 

Select Income REIT sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2.85s, 2018 R   130,000  130,547 

Simon Property Group LP 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1 1/2s, 2018 R   389,000  387,983 

  1,177,304 
Technology (0.4%)   
eBay, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.35s, 2017  430,000  427,336 

Intel Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.35s, 2017  430,000  431,868 

  859,204 
Transportation (0.4%)   
Continental Airlines, Inc. pass-through certificates     
Ser. 97-4A, 6.9s, 2018  641,600  663,222 

Continental Airlines, Inc. pass-through certificates Ser. 98-1A,     
6.648s, 2017  42,519  43,741 

Federal Express Corp. 2012 Pass Through Trust 144A notes     
2 5/8s, 2018  260,361  262,466 

  969,429 
Utilities and power (1.7%)   
Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc. sr. unsec. notes     
7 1/8s, 2018  289,000  334,139 

Dayton Power & Light Co. (The) sr. bonds 1 7/8s, 2016  1,500,000  1,506,960 

Electricite de France (EDF) 144A unsec. sub. FRN 5 1/4s,     
perpetual maturity (France)  260,000  258,050 

IPALCO Enterprises, Inc. sr. notes 5s, 2018  277,000  292,235 

PPL WEM, Ltd./Western Power Distribution, Ltd. 144A sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 3.9s, 2016 (United Kingdom)  980,000  991,391 

Texas-New Mexico Power Co. 144A 1st mtge. bonds Ser. A,     
9 1/2s, 2019  654,000  795,509 

    4,178,284 
 
Total corporate bonds and notes (cost $91,334,766)    $91,498,391 
 
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (30.2%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations (3.6%)     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
IFB Ser. 2976, Class LC, 23.702s, 2035  $28,063  $43,565 
Ser. 2430, Class UD, 6s, 2017  15,653  16,055 
Ser. 3724, Class CM, 5 1/2s, 2037  70,348  78,659 
Ser. 2533, Class HB, 5 1/2s, 2017  36,140  37,372 
Ser. 3331, Class NV, 5s, 2029  187,455  190,616 
Ser. 2513, Class DB, 5s, 2017  21,390  21,922 
Ser. 3539, Class PM, 4 1/2s, 2037  63,471  67,275 
Ser. 311, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  1,479,874  307,074 
Ser. 3805, Class AK, 3 1/2s, 2024  75,442  77,286 
Ser. 3876, Class CA, 2 3/4s, 2026  74,196  75,682 
Ser. 3683, Class JH, 2 1/2s, 2023  16,835  16,900 
Ser. 3609, Class LK, 2s, 2024  410,144  414,514 
FRB Ser. T-8, Class A9, IO, 0.469s, 2028  133,114  1,830 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  31 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (30.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
FRB Ser. T-59, Class 1AX, IO, 0.272s, 2043  $318,261  $3,817 
Ser. T-48, Class A2, IO, 0.212s, 2033  477,227  4,567 
Ser. 3835, Class FO, PO, zero %, 2041  2,030,061  1,783,673 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 04-10, Class QC, 27.812s, 2031  83,760  98,140 
IFB Ser. 05-75, Class GS, 19.659s, 2035  198,928  276,925 
IFB Ser. 11-4, Class CS, 12.506s, 2040  287,652  351,262 
Ser. 06-124, Class A, 5 5/8s, 2036  29,217  29,928 
Ser. 05-68, Class PC, 5 1/2s, 2035  49,245  52,604 
Ser. 02-65, Class HC, 5s, 2017  10,670  10,834 
Ser. 09-100, Class PA, 4 1/2s, 2039  16,891  17,230 
Ser. 11-60, Class PA, 4s, 2039  44,625  46,420 
Ser. 03-43, Class YA, 4s, 2033  327,643  335,644 
Ser. 11-89, Class VA, 4s, 2023  102,751  102,963 
Ser. 04-2, Class QL, 4s, 2019  143,912  148,791 
Ser. 418, Class C15, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,165,031  428,313 
Ser. 10-155, Class A, 3 1/2s, 2025  42,993  44,195 
Ser. 10-81, Class AP, 2 1/2s, 2040  142,776  144,836 
FRB Ser. 03-W10, Class 1, IO, 0.804s, 2043  61,677  1,140 
Ser. 98-W2, Class X, IO, 0.694s, 2028  822,621  40,103 
Ser. 98-W5, Class X, IO, 0.603s, 2028  244,178  11,904 

Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 14-163, Class NI, IO, 5s, 2044  1,120,198  225,395 
Ser. 13-20, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2042  6,093,417  1,149,202 
Ser. 09-32, Class AB, 4s, 2039  41,503  43,810 
Ser. 13-23, Class IK, IO, 3s, 2037  13,570,412  1,731,313 
Ser. 10-151, Class KO, PO, zero %, 2037  226,802  204,991 

GSMPS Mortgage Loan Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 98-4, IO, 1.147s, 2026  46,281  — 
FRB Ser. 98-2, IO, 1.043s, 2027  29,430  — 
FRB Ser. 99-2, IO, 0.827s, 2027  65,096  570 
FRB Ser. 98-3, IO, zero %, 2027  33,841  — 

  8,637,320 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (21.9%)   
Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-4, Class AJ, 5.695s, 2046  300,000  301,814 
Ser. 06-6, Class A2, 5.309s, 2045  39,165  39,286 
FRB Ser. 07-1, Class XW, IO, 0.33s, 2049  785,278  4,458 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc.     
FRB Ser. 04-3, Class D, 5.346s, 2039  626,000  627,559 
FRB Ser. 04-4, Class D, 5.073s, 2042  200,000  202,625 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc. 144A     
FRB Ser. 04-4, Class XC, IO, 0.171s, 2042  204,327  163 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-T26, Class AJ, 5.566s, 2045 F   534,000  529,635 
Ser. 05-PWR9, Class AJ, 4.985s, 2042  34,845  34,797 

 

32  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (30.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 06-PW11, Class B, 5.522s, 2039  $976,000  $974,175 

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust Ser. 14-GC21, Class AS,     
4.026s, 2047  486,000  510,990 

COMM Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates FRB Ser. 14-CR14,     
Class XA, IO, 0.874s, 2047  11,169,776  471,253 

COMM Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 07-C9, Class AJ, 5.65s, 2049  602,000  608,586 
Ser. 06-C8, Class AJ, 5.377s, 2046  1,044,000  1,042,330 
FRB Ser. 14-CR18, Class C, 4.738s, 2047  1,407,000  1,438,845 
FRB Ser. 13-LC13, Class XA, IO, 1.409s, 2046  6,293,843  390,911 
FRB Ser. 14-CR17, Class XA, IO, 1.195s, 2047  5,761,658  377,696 

COMM Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 07-C9, Class AJFL,     
0.885s, 2049  1,500,000  1,477,545 

Credit Suisse Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 08-C1,     
Class AJ, 6.068s, 2041  500,000  516,495 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A     
Ser. 98-C1, Class F, 6s, 2040  146,098  154,134 
FRB Ser. 03-C3, Class AX, IO, 1.955s, 2038  443,941  41 

DBRR Trust 144A FRB Ser. 13-EZ3, Class A, 1.636s, 2049  319,444  319,444 

DBUBS Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 11-LC3A, Class D,     
5.422s, 2044  1,073,000  1,125,792 

First Union Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A Ser. 99-C1,     
Class F, 5.35s, 2035  120,987  119,475 

GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp. FRB Ser. 05-C1, Class D,     
4.527s, 2048  972,000  928,182 

GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp. 144A FRB Ser. 05-C3,     
Class XC, IO, 0.035s, 2045  2,410,822  — 

GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp. Trust FRB Ser. 06-C1,     
Class AJ, 5.284s, 2044  1,128,000  1,129,410 

GE Commercial Mortgage Corp. Trust Ser. 07-C1, Class A3,     
5.481s, 2049  486,154  487,106 

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class XA, IO,     
1.627s, 2046  3,584,231  306,810 

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II 144A FRB Ser. 13-GC10,     
Class D, 4.411s, 2046  1,219,000  1,126,466 

GS Mortgage Securities Trust     
Ser. 06-GG8, Class AJ, 5.622s, 2039  283,000  285,121 
FRB Ser. 13-GC12, Class XA, IO, 1.74s, 2046  8,356,318  676,187 
FRB Ser. 14-GC22, Class XA, IO, 1.074s, 2047  6,993,782  444,860 
FRB Ser. 14-GC24, Class XA, IO, 0.886s, 2047  8,704,533  466,754 

GS Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-GC6, Class D, 5.631s, 2045  489,000  505,616 
FRB Ser. 11-GC3, Class D, 5.555s, 2044  258,000  272,445 
FRB Ser. 14-GC18, Class D, 4.948s, 2047  520,000  467,696 
FRB Ser. 14-GC26, Class D, 4.511s, 2047  456,000  388,954 
FRB Ser. 13-GC12, Class D, 4.476s, 2046  1,190,000  1,110,853 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-LC9, Class D, 4.42s, 2047  326,000  318,795 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  33 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (30.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
Ser. 08-C2, Class ASB, 6 1/8s, 2051  $204,618  $211,718 
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class AJ, 6.076s, 2051  343,500  350,999 
FRB Ser. 06-LDP6, Class B, 5.56s, 2043  475,000  472,132 
FRB Ser. 05-LDP5, Class F, 5.546s, 2044  620,000  620,475 
FRB Ser. 05-CB11, Class C, 5.501s, 2037  500,000  523,150 
Ser. 06-LDP8, Class AJ, 5.48s, 2045  2,051,000  2,055,348 
Ser. 04-LN2, Class A2, 5.115s, 2041  36,825  36,866 
FRB Ser. 13-C10, Class C, 4.156s, 2047  300,000  295,380 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class XA, IO, 1.871s, 2045  4,616,770  356,946 
FRB Ser. 13-C10, Class XA, IO, 1.274s, 2047  9,421,104  573,095 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-C3, Class E, 5.549s, 2046  1,293,000  1,360,883 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class E, 5.198s, 2045  1,330,000  1,318,030 

LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-C3, Class C, 5.756s, 2039  447,000  446,844 
FRB Ser. 06-C6, Class AJ, 5.452s, 2039  350,000  360,328 
Ser. 06-C7, Class A2, 5.3s, 2038  248,822  249,094 
Ser. 04-C8, Class F, 5.005s, 2039  206,323  207,767 
FRB Ser. 07-C2, Class XW, IO, 0.539s, 2040  891,107  6,420 

LSTAR Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 15-3, Class B, 3.357s, 2048  1,713,000  1,569,245 
FRB Ser. 15-3, Class C, 3.357s, 2048  338,000  281,753 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-C1, Class A3, 5.837s, 2050  169,899  170,051 
Ser. 04-KEY2, Class D, 5.046s, 2039  416,000  412,992 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 05-MCP1, Class XC,     
IO, 0.046s, 2043  2,803,679  30 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-2, Class AM, 5.886s, 2046  431,000  440,318 
Ser. 06-3, Class AJ, 5.485s, 2046  887,000  889,510 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 06-4,     
Class XC, IO, 0.612s, 2049  44,445,797  100,003 

Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust     
FRB Ser. 13-C7, Class XA, IO, 1.67s, 2046  13,456,835  1,021,374 
FRB Ser. 14-C17, Class XA, IO, 1.275s, 2047  14,222,052  982,175 

Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 14-C15, Class D, 4.897s, 2047  750,000  683,281 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class D, 4.767s, 2046  424,000  402,560 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class XA, IO, 2.086s, 2045  10,385,694  826,701 
FRB Ser. 13-C7, Class XB, IO, 0.371s, 2046  24,165,000  568,578 

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-T27, Class AJ, 5.645s, 2042  502,000  529,168 
Ser. 07-IQ14, Class A2, 5.61s, 2049  140,823  140,897 
Ser. 07-HQ11, Class AJ, 5.508s, 2044  279,000  279,823 

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust 144A FRB Ser. 11-C3, Class E,     
5.178s, 2049  301,000  312,160 

 

34  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (30.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
Morgan Stanley Re-REMIC Trust 144A FRB Ser. 10-C30A,     
Class A3B, 5.246s, 2043  $407,159  $408,177 

UBS-Barclays Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-C3, Class C, 4.958s, 2049  300,000  316,791 
FRB Ser. 13-C6, Class D, 4.494s, 2046  665,000  623,976 
FRB Ser. 12-C4, Class XA, IO, 1.822s, 2045  6,662,991  596,685 
FRB Ser. 12-C2, Class XA, IO, 1.72s, 2063  14,596,842  969,330 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-C25, Class AJ, 5.72s, 2043  853,000  863,918 
Ser. 06-C24, Class AJ, 5.658s, 2045  338,000  339,386 
FRB Ser. 06-C29, IO, 0.378s, 2048  33,737,442  99,188 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 07-C31, IO, 0.211s, 2047  83,063,119  207,658 

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 13-LC12,     
Class C, 4.299s, 2046  500,000  498,820 

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 13-LC12, Class D, 4.299s, 2046  1,250,000  1,176,666 

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 14-C19, Class C, 4.646s, 2047  212,000  216,600 
Ser. 13-C18, Class AS, 4.387s, 2046  491,000  530,167 
Ser. 13-UBS1, Class AS, 4.306s, 2046  305,000  327,515 
Ser. 13-C12, Class AS, 3.56s, 2048  384,000  394,383 
FRB Ser. 13-C17, Class XA, IO, 1.565s, 2046  4,861,196  349,520 
FRB Ser. 13-C14, Class XA, IO, 0.898s, 2046  9,281,551  430,571 

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-C5, Class E, 5.634s, 2044  1,155,000  1,220,812 
FRB Ser. 11-C2, Class D, 5.469s, 2044  1,074,000  1,141,501 
FRB Ser. 11-C4, Class D, 5.265s, 2044  1,045,000  1,110,051 
FRB Ser. 11-C4, Class E, 5.265s, 2044  285,000  301,217 
FRB Ser. 13-C15, Class D, 4.481s, 2046  920,000  845,283 
FRB Ser. 12-C10, Class D, 4.456s, 2045  279,000  262,434 
FRB Ser. 12-C10, Class XA, IO, 1.765s, 2045  4,400,830  376,183 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class XA, IO, 1.469s, 2048  1,543,602  109,387 

  52,955,617 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) (4.7%)   
BCAP, LLC Trust FRB Ser. 15-RR5, Class 2A3, 1.268s, 2046  410,000  315,077 

BCAP, LLC Trust 144A FRB Ser. 14-RR1, Class 2A2, 2.352s, 2036  500,000  421,540 

Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-OA7, Class 1A2, 1.162s, 2046  2,326,677  1,849,709 
FRB Ser. 05-38, Class A3, 0.547s, 2035  261,196  225,804 
FRB Ser. 05-59, Class 1A1, 0.524s, 2035  726,879  578,539 
FRB Ser. 06-OC2, Class 2A3, 0.487s, 2036  140,649  125,881 
FRB Ser. 06-OA2, Class A5, 0.424s, 2046  1,374,210  1,058,142 
FRB Ser. 06-OC8, Class 2A2A, 0.317s, 2036  283,675  273,746 

Countrywide Asset-Backed Certificates Trust FRB Ser. 05-2,     
Class M4, 1.262s, 2035 F   395,000  343,650 

CSMC Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-6R, Class 3A7, 2.923s, 2036  490,000  260,514 
FRB Ser. 09-13R, Class 3A2, 2.306s, 2036  384,135  228,560 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  35 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (30.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) cont.     
GSAA Trust FRB Ser. 05-8, Class M1, 0.687s, 2035  $350,000  $262,500 

GSAMP Trust FRB Ser. 06-NC1, Class M1, 0.557s, 2036  350,000  248,500 

Morgan Stanley Resecuritization Trust 144A Ser. 15-R4,     
Class CB1, 0.598s, 2047  1,265,000  1,012,000 

MortgageIT Trust FRB Ser. 05-1, Class 1M1, 0.917s, 2035  785,590  742,081 

Nomura Home Equity Loan, Inc., Home Equity Loan Trust     
Ser. 06-WF1, Class M2, 0.487s, 2036  620,000  461,900 

Nomura Resecuritization Trust 144A FRB Ser. 15-4R,     
Class 1A14, 0.404s, 2047  1,000,000  577,500 

WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Trust     
FRB Ser. 04-AR13, Class A1B2, 1.177s, 2034  539,739  507,355 
FRB Ser. 05-AR17, Class A1B2, 0.607s, 2045  1,327,871  1,148,609 
FRB Ser. 05-AR13, Class A1B3, 0.557s, 2045  643,254  577,320 

    11,218,927 
 
Total mortgage-backed securities (cost $73,297,528)    $72,811,864 
 
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (6.4%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Station Place Securitization Trust     
FRB Ser. 15-4, Class A, 1.402s, 2017  $3,166,000  $3,166,000 
FRB Ser. 15-2, Class A, 1.235s, 2017  2,342,000  2,342,000 

Station Place Securitization Trust 144A FRB Ser. 14-2, Class A,     
1.055s, 2016  9,902,000  9,902,000 

Total asset-backed securities (cost $15,410,000)    $15,410,000 
 
U.S. GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS (5.2%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage Obligations (5.2%)     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation 4 1/2s, October 1, 2018  $19,876  $20,517 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Pass-Through Certificates     
6s, September 1, 2017  123,223  128,020 
4 1/2s, August 1, 2018  16,553  17,160 

Federal National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
6s, with due dates from September 1, 2018 to September 1, 2019  52,072  54,449 
4 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  1,000,000  1,083,594 
4s, TBA, November 1, 2045  1,000,000  1,064,609 
3s, TBA, December 1, 2045  5,000,000  5,043,360 
3s, TBA, November 1, 2045  5,000,000  5,054,297 

    12,466,006 
 
Total U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations (cost $12,492,815)  $12,466,006 
 
U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS (—%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
U.S. Treasury Notes 2s, September 30, 2020 ∆  $58,000  $59,269 

Total U.S. treasury obligations (cost $57,974)    $59,269 
 
MUNICIPAL BONDS AND NOTES (0.7%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Union Cnty., AZ Indl. Dev. VRDN (Del-Tin Fiber LLC),     
0.26s, 10/1/27  $1,700,000  $1,700,000 

Total municipal bonds and notes (cost $1,700,000)    $1,700,000 

 

36  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
BONDS AND NOTES (0.6%)*  Principal amount/units  Value 

 
Argentina (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. 1, 8 3/4s,     
2017 (Argentina) (In default) †  $500,000  $547,500 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
10 7/8s, 2021 (Argentina)  600,000  631,500 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 1/4s,     
2017 (Croatia)  200,000  209,300 

Total foreign government and agency bonds and notes (cost $1,285,435)  $1,388,300 

 

PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING (0.1%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

 
Bank of America N.A.       
(1.548)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.548  $9,688,500  $48 

Citibank, N.A.       
(2.087)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.087  5,087,700  1,730 

Credit Suisse International       
(2.915)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.915  574,800  33,695 

(3.315)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/3.315  574,800  18,633 

Goldman Sachs International       
2.0775/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.0775  5,188,000  32,891 

0.90/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.90  14,768,800  22,153 

1.36/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.36  9,814,700  10,305 

1.285/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.285  9,814,700  5,104 

(2.82)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jan-46  Jan-16/2.82  232,800  3,092 

(2.18625)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.18625  5,087,700  1,323 

(2.5025)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.5025  5,188,000  519 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(2.148)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.148  4,907,400  25,322 

0.98/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.98  6,126,800  14,398 

1.898/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/1.898  4,907,400  9,128 

Total purchased swap options outstanding (cost $316,293)    $178,341 
 
PURCHASED OPTIONS  Expiration date/  Contract   
OUTSTANDING (—%)*  strike price  amount  Value 

 
Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/$100.98  $1,000,000  $5,482 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.86  1,000,000  4,851 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.66  1,000,000  4,207 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.50  1,000,000  3,584 

Total purchased options outstanding (cost $50,626)      $18,124 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  37 

 



SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (24.8%)*  Principal amount/shares  Value 

 
Agrium, Inc. commercial paper with a yield of 0.45%,       
November 18, 2015    $1,500,000  $1,499,681 

Airgas, Inc. commercial paper with a yield of 0.52%,       
December 9, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,177 

Albemarle Corp. commercial paper with a yield of 0.79%,       
November 2, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,967 

AXA Financial, Inc. commercial paper with a yield of 0.22%,       
November 23, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,798 

Bacardi Corp. 144A commercial paper with a yield of 0.46%,       
November 12, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,789 

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya/NY FRN certificate of deposit with       
a yield of 1.17%, May 16, 2016    1,000,000  997,841 

BASF SE commercial paper with a yield of 0.34%,       
December 21, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,292 

Baxter International, Inc. commercial paper with a yield       
of 0.40%, November 19, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,700 

Bell Canada commercial paper with a yield of 0.42%,       
November 5, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,930 

Brookfield US Holdings, Inc. commercial paper with a yield       
of 0.46%, November 13, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,770 

Cox Enterprises, Inc. commercial paper with a yield of 0.46%,       
November 3, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,962 

DTE Electric Co. commercial paper with a yield of 0.30%,       
November 12, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,863 

Duke Energy Corp. 144A commercial paper with a yield       
of 0.41%, November 16, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,744 

ERAC USA Finance, LLC commercial paper with a yield       
of 0.43%, November 24, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,588 

Harley-Davidson Financial Services commercial paper with       
a yield of 0.30%, November 20, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,763 

Kroger Co. (The) commercial paper with a yield of 0.33%,       
November 23, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,698 

Macy’s Retail Holdings, Inc. commercial paper with a yield       
of 0.37%, November 2, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,985 

Marsh & McLennan Cos., Inc. commercial paper with a yield       
of 0.37%, November 5, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,938 

Monsanto Co. commercial paper with a yield of 0.56%,       
November 17, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,627 

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.15% L   Shares   21,277,630  21,277,630 

TransCanada American Investments Ltd. commercial paper       
with a yield of 0.43%, November 20, 2015    $1,500,000  1,499,660 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.01%, January 21, 2016 ∆    110,000  109,984 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.03%, February 4, 2016 ∆    5,000  4,999 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.06%, February 18, 2016 ∆    239,000  238,947 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.07%, April 7, 2016 # ∆ §    1,523,000  1,521,937 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.09%, January 14, 2016 ∆ §    2,155,000  2,154,644 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.11%, April 21, 2016 # ∆ §    316,000  315,696 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.15%, February 11, 2016 ∆ §    313,000  312,929 

Viacom, Inc. commercial paper with a yield of 0.41%,       
November 12, 2015    1,500,000  1,499,812 

 

38  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (24.8%)* cont.  Principal amount/shares  Value 

 
Whirlpool Corp. commercial paper with a yield of 0.52%,     
December 11, 2015  $1,500,000  $1,499,133 

WPP CP, LLC commercial paper with a yield of 0.45%,     
November 10, 2015  1,500,000  1,499,831 

Total short-term investments (cost $59,930,386)    $59,928,315 
 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS     

Total investments (cost $255,875,823)    $255,458,610 

 

Key to holding’s abbreviations

 

BKNT  Bank Note 
bp  Basis Points 
EMTN  Euro Medium Term Notes 
FRB  Floating Rate Bonds: the rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period 
FRN  Floating Rate Notes: the rate shown is the current interest rate or yield at the close of the reporting period 
GMTN  Global Medium Term Notes 
IFB  Inverse Floating Rate Bonds, which are securities that pay interest rates that vary inversely to changes in the market interest rates. As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce less current income. The rate 
  shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period. 
IO  Interest Only 
MTN  Medium Term Notes 
PO  Principal Only 
TBA  To Be Announced Commitments 
VRDN  Variable Rate Demand Notes, which are floating-rate securities with long-term maturities that carry coupons that reset and are payable upon demand either daily, weekly or monthly. The rate shown is the 
  current interest rate at the close of the reporting period. 

 

Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $241,306,072.

† This security is non-income-producing.

# This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

∆ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on certain derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

§ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on the initial margin on certain centrally cleared derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

F This security is valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities’ valuation inputs (Note 1).

L Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

R Real Estate Investment Trust.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $22,373,081 to cover certain derivative contracts and delayed delivery securities.

Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.

Absolute Return 100 Fund  39 

 



Debt obligations are considered secured unless otherwise indicated.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding TBA commitments.

The dates shown on debt obligations are the original maturity dates.

FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15

        Unrealized 
  Number of    Expiration  appreciation/ 
  contracts  Value  date  (depreciation) 

U.S. Treasury Bond 30 yr (Short)  10  $1,564,375  Dec-15  $(11,208) 

U.S. Treasury Bond Ultra         
30 yr (Long)  1  159,750  Dec-15  421 

U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr (Short)  6  766,125  Dec-15  4,207 

U.S. Treasury Note 5 yr (Short)  13  1,557,055  Dec-15  (2,131) 

U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr (Short)  6  1,311,938  Dec-15  173 

Total        $(8,538) 

 

WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $3,256,565)

 

Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Bank of America N.A.       
1.798/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.798  $9,688,500  $10 

1.278/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.278  2,422,125  121 

Citibank, N.A.       
2.587/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.587  5,087,700  356 

2.387/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.387  5,087,700  661 

Credit Suisse International       
2.515/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.515  574,800  55,197 

Goldman Sachs International       
(1.885)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jan-46  Jan-16/1.885  232,800  526 

2.58625/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.58625  10,175,400  712 

2.29/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.29  2,594,000  2,957 

(0.725)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.725  14,768,800  5,760 

(0.8125)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.8125  14,768,800  12,110 

(1.435)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.435  9,814,700  19,139 

(2.29)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.29  2,594,000  52,217 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(0.83)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.83  6,126,800  5,147 

(0.905)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.905  6,126,800  9,129 

(2.023)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.023  2,453,700  11,974 

2.023/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.023  2,453,700  27,089 

(6.00 Floor)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Mar-18  Mar-18/6.00  16,499,000  2,117,746 

Total      $2,320,851 

 

40  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $50,313)

  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/$99.98  $1,000,000  $2,071 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.92  1,000,000  1,927 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.86  1,000,000  1,791 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.77  1,000,000  1,604 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.19  1,000,000  787 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.03  1,000,000  645 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/98.98  1,000,000  607 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/98.86  1,000,000  516 

Total      $9,948 

 

FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15

Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable)  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.         
2.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Purchased)  Nov-15/2.00  $4,907,400  $(19,630)  $1,472 

(2.238)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Purchased)  Nov-15/2.238  4,907,400  (19,630)  (5,791) 

2.119/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Written)  Nov-15/2.119  2,453,700  19,630  4,228 

(2.119)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Written)  Nov-15/2.119  2,453,700  19,630  (3,065) 

Citibank, N.A.         
1.475/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Purchased)  Nov-15/1.475  4,907,400  (13,005)  245 

1.399/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Purchased)  Nov-15/1.399  4,907,400  (7,361)  147 

(1.551)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Written)  Nov-15/1.551  4,907,400  20,366  (1,227) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
2.117/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.117  653,200  (16,005)  (124) 

2.035/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.035  653,200  (16,597)  (2,469) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  1,265,300  (8,366)  (3,339) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  2,530,500  (17,777)  (7,715) 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  41 

 



FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.

Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable)  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. cont.         
(3.035)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.035  $653,200  $(17,380)  $(8,469) 

(3.117)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.117  653,200  (18,290)  (10,521) 

2.655/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.655  2,861,000  18,954  15,238 

2.56/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.56  2,861,000  18,290  13,876 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  5,061,000  16,195  1,721 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  2,530,500  7,748  582 

(1.56)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.56  2,861,000  16,472  (4,463) 

(1.655)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.655  2,861,000  16,308  (7,582) 

Total      $(448)  $(17,256) 

 

TBA SALE COMMITMENTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (proceeds receivable $5,079,961)

  Principal  Settlement   
Agency  amount  date  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3s,       
November 1, 2045  $5,000,000  11/12/15  $5,054,297 

Total      $5,054,297 

 

CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15

  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$1,134,000  $(5,905)  9/30/25  3 month USD-  2.1575%  $6,659 
      LIBOR-BBA     

1,134,000  15,528  9/30/25  2.3975%  3 month USD-  (22,314) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,134,000  (9,987)  9/30/25  3 month USD-  2.2775%  15,217 
      LIBOR-BBA     

5,188,000  (30,418)  10/9/25  3 month USD-  2.155%  22,507 
      LIBOR-BBA     

2,594,000  30,316  10/9/25  2.3225%  3 month USD-  (36,466) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

2,594,000  (17,204)  10/28/25  3 month USD-  2.055%  (18,054) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

1,297,000  16,527  10/28/25  2.235%  3 month USD-  (4,692) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

5,188,000  (37,422)  10/28/25  3 month USD-  2.0775%  (28,300) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

 

42  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.

  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$2,594,000  $36,022  10/28/25  2.2625%  3 month USD-  $(13,029) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

2,594,000  (16,895)  10/29/25  3 month USD-  2.12%  (1,993) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

1,297,000  16,844  10/29/25  2.31%  3 month USD-  (13,466) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

3,891,000  (24,565)  10/27/25  3 month USD-  2.07125%  (19,731) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

1,945,500  24,488  10/27/25  2.25%  3 month USD-  (10,170) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

46,709,000 E  229,423  12/16/17  1.25%  3 month USD-  (78,762) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

7,023,000 E  42,552  12/16/25  2.35%  3 month USD-  (124,019) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,945,500  16,122  9/29/25  2.235%  3 month USD-  (19,447) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

648,500  12,948  9/29/45  2.703%  3 month USD-  (12,773) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

49,774,000 E  98,125  12/16/20  1.70%  3 month USD-  (264,877) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,160,000 E  3,459  12/16/45  3 month USD-  2.70%  42,623 
      LIBOR-BBA     

858,000  (12)  9/29/25  2.162%  3 month USD-  (9,882) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

728,000  (10)  9/30/25  2.07%  3 month USD-  (2,161) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

4,445,000  (17)  10/7/17  3 month USD-  0.72225%  (8,231) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

4,445,000  (17)  10/7/17  3 month USD-  0.71967%  (8,461) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

4,445,000  (17)  10/7/17  3 month USD-  0.72163%  (8,286) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

4,844,000  (39)  10/7/20  1.3645%  3 month USD-  25,086 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,068,000  (14)  10/7/25  2.0085%  3 month USD-  3,487 
        LIBOR-BBA   

341,000  (12)  10/7/45  2.54395%  3 month USD-  (1,304) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

887,800  (7)  10/19/20  1.345%  3 month USD-  5,995 
        LIBOR-BBA   

887,800  (7)  10/19/20  1.34757%  3 month USD-  5,883 
        LIBOR-BBA   

903,900  (7)  10/19/20  1.35331%  3 month USD-  5,738 
        LIBOR-BBA   

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  43 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.

  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$1,171,400  $(15)  10/28/25  2.013%  3 month USD-  $4,929 
        LIBOR-BBA   

389,100  (5)  10/28/25  2.044%  3 month USD-  519 
        LIBOR-BBA   

Total  $399,779        $(567,775) 

 

E Extended effective date.

OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15

    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $2,939  $43,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $2,384 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  5,604  93,000  5/11/63  300 bp  4,403 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  11,483  186,000  5/11/63  300 bp  9,080 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  10,944  192,000  5/11/63  300 bp  8,464 
Index             

Barclays Bank PLC             
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  16,962  153,000  5/11/63  300 bp  14,985 
Index             

Credit Suisse International           
CMBX NA BB Index  —  (26,087)  1,478,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  (2,398) 

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  6,693  611,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (1,199) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  22,336  1,543,000  5/11/63  300 bp  2,406 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  32,335  2,462,000  5/11/63  300 bp  534 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,461  86,000  1/17/47  300 bp  493 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,595  101,000  1/17/47  300 bp  109 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  7,515  128,000  1/17/47  300 bp  3,097 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  5,865  171,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (37) 
Index             

Goldman Sachs International           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (311)  45,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (892) 
Index             

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (1,711)  200,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  1,495 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (1,251)  118,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  640 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (586)  61,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  392 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  52  43,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  741 

 

44  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.

    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.           
CMBX NA BB Index  —  $431  $42,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  $1,104 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  927  41,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  1,584 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  640  38,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  1,249 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (54)  27,000  1/17/47  (500 bp)  943 

CMBX NA BBB–  —  (1,162)  128,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  491 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (27)  10,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (156) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (289)  36,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (754) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (644)  59,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (1,406) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (1,113)  119,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (2,651) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (1,193)  119,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (2,731) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (1,193)  119,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (2,731) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (482)  120,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (2,032) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (2,016)  121,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (3,579) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,405  123,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (184) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  740  124,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (862) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  255  8,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (21) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,563  119,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (545) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,878  128,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (540) 
Index             

JPMorgan Securities LLC           
CMBX NA BBB–  —  (4,079)  170,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (1,883) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  —  (2,190)  85,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (1,092) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  4,703  85,000  1/17/47  300 bp  1,769 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  8,965  170,000  1/17/47  300 bp  3,100 
Index             

Total    $110,903        $33,770 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund  45 

 



* Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

** Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

*** Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at October 31, 2015. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.”

ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:

    Valuation inputs   

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Asset-backed securities  $—­  $—­  $15,410,000 

Corporate bonds and notes  —­  91,498,391  —­ 

Foreign government and agency bonds and notes  —­  1,388,300  —­ 

Mortgage-backed securities  —­  70,800,824  2,011,040 

Municipal bonds and notes  —­  1,700,000  —­ 

Purchased options outstanding  —­  18,124  —­ 

Purchased swap options outstanding  —­  178,341  —­ 

U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations  —­  12,466,006  —­ 

U.S. treasury obligations  —­  59,269  —­ 

Short-term investments  21,277,630  38,650,685  —­ 

Totals by level  $21,277,630  $216,759,940  $17,421,040 
   
    Valuation inputs   

Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Futures contracts  $(8,538)  $—­  $—­ 

Written options outstanding  —­  (9,948)  —­ 

Written swap options outstanding  —­  (2,320,851)  —­ 

Forward premium swap option contracts  —­  (17,256)  —­ 

TBA sale commitments  —­  (5,054,297)  —­ 

Interest rate swap contracts  —­  (967,554)  —­ 

Credit default contracts  —­  (77,133)  —­ 

Totals by level  $(8,538)  $(8,447,039)  $—­ 

 

46  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets as of the close of the reporting period:

      Change in net           
        unrealized      Total  Total   
  Balance  Accrued  appreciation/    Proceeds   transfers  transfers  Balance 
Investments  as of  discounts/  Realized   (deprecia-  Cost of  from   into  out of  as of 
in securities:  10/31/14  premiums  gain/(loss)  tion) #  purchases  sales   Level 3†  Level 3†  10/31/15 

Asset-backed                   
securities  $—­  $—­  $—­  $—­  $5,508,000  $—­  $9,902,000­  $—  $15,410,000 

Mortgage-                   
backed                   
securities  $—­  —­  —­  (3,281)  1,592,781  —­  421,540  —­  $2,011,040 

Totals  $—­  $—­  $—­  $(3,281)  $7,100,781  $—  $10,323,540  $—  $17,421,040 

 

† Transfers during the reporting period are accounted for using the end of period market value and include valuations provided by a single broker quote. Such valuations involve certain inputs and estimates that were unobservable at the end of the reporting period.

# Includes $(3,281) related to Level 3 securities still held at period end. Total change in unrealized appreciation/(depreciation) for securities (including Level 1 and Level 2) can be found in the Statement of operations.

During the reporting period, transfers between level 1 and level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, if any, did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using the end of period pricing valuation method.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 100 Fund  47 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities 10/31/15

ASSETS   

Investment in securities, at value (Note 1):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $234,598,193)  $234,180,980 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $21,277,630) (Notes 1 and 5)  21,277,630 

Cash  167,967 

Interest and other receivables  1,137,899 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold  1,395,109 

Receivable for investments sold  840,964 

Receivable for sales of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  2,052,576 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)  139,761 

Unrealized appreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  37,509 

Unrealized appreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  59,463 

Premium paid on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  44,388 

Total assets  261,334,246 
 
LIABILITIES   

Payable for investments purchased  104,682 

Payable for purchases of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  9,243,181 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  2,701,354 

Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)  85,070 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  35,798 

Payable for distribution fees (Note 2)  44,883 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)  191,085 

Unrealized depreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  54,765 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  25,693 

Premium received on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  155,291 

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums $3,306,878) (Notes 1 and 3)  2,330,799 

TBA sale commitments, at value (proceeds receivable $5,079,961) (Note 1)  5,054,297 

Other accrued expenses  1,276 

Total liabilities  20,028,174 
 
Net assets  $241,306,072 

 
REPRESENTED BY   

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $251,538,402 

Undistributed net investment income (Note 1)  1,717,919 

Accumulated net realized loss on investments (Note 1)  (11,974,980) 

Net unrealized appreciation of investments  24,731 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $241,306,072 

 

(Continued on next page)

 

48  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities (Continued)

COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share   
($113,552,561 divided by 11,274,966 shares)  $10.07 

Offering price per class A share (100/99.00 of $10.07)*  $10.17 

Net asset value and offering price per class B share ($1,617,327 divided by 161,281 shares)**  $10.03 

Net asset value and offering price per class C share ($23,502,651 divided by 2,355,755 shares)**  $9.98 

Net asset value and redemption price per class M share ($1,942,263 divided by 193,307 shares)  $10.05 

Offering price per class M share (100/99.25 of $10.05)*  $10.13 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R share   
($37,202 divided by 3,721 shares)  $10.00 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R5 share   
($10,439 divided by 1,029 shares)  $10.14 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R6 share   
($525,117 divided by 51,822 shares)  $10.13 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($100,118,512 divided by 9,900,063 shares)  $10.11 

 

* On single retail sales of less than $500,000.

** Redemption price per share is equal to net asset value less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 100 Fund  49 

 



Statement of operations Year ended 10/31/15

INVESTMENT INCOME   

Interest (including interest income of $33,337 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  $4,915,400 

Total investment income  4,915,400 
 
EXPENSES   

Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  1,035,691 

Distribution fees (Note 2)  555,232 

Other  2,115 

Total expenses  1,593,038 
 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (809) 

Net expenses  1,592,229 
 
Net investment income  3,323,171 

 
Net realized gain on investments (Notes 1 and 3)  1,684,898 

Net realized loss on swap contracts (Note 1)  (2,371,365) 

Net realized gain on futures contracts (Note 1)  108,557 

Net realized loss on written options (Notes 1 and 3)  (125,289) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts, written options,   
and TBA sale commitments during the year  (3,701,694) 

Net loss on investments  (4,404,893) 
 
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations  $(1,081,722) 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

50  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



Statement of changes in net assets

DECREASE IN NET ASSETS  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Operations:     
Net investment income  $3,323,171  $3,442,596 

Net realized loss on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  (703,199)  (3,384,131) 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments     
and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  (3,701,694)  3,467,110 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting     
from operations  (1,081,722)  3,525,575 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     

Class A  (1,683,366)  (2,322,820) 

Class B  (23,734)  (38,368) 

Class C  (121,397)  (168,857) 

Class M  (25,522)  (35,397) 

Class R  (2,368)  (3,775) 

Class R5  (160)  (173) 

Class R6  (9,369)  (9,126) 

Class Y  (1,615,330)  (1,245,828) 

Decrease from capital share transactions (Note 4)  (29,325,881)  (264,686) 

Total decrease in net assets  (33,888,849)  (563,455) 
 
NET ASSETS     

Beginning of year  275,194,921  275,758,376 

End of year (including undistributed net investment income     
of $1,717,919 and $2,224,551, respectively)  $241,306,072  $275,194,921 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 100 Fund  51 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:      RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended  of period  income (loss)a  on investments  operations  income  on investments  tions  of period  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c  (%)  (%) 

Class A­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.25­  .13­  (.18)  (.05)  (.13)  —­  (.13)  $10.07­  (.49)  $113,553­  .66­  1.28­  105f 
October 31, 2014­  10.26­  .13­  .01­  .14­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.25­  1.37­  136,276­  .64­  1.32­  98f 
October 31, 2013­  10.16­  .15­  .03­  .18­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  10.26­  1.73­  160,057­  .64­e  1.49­e  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.15­  .16­  —­d  .16­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.16­  1.65­  158,622­  .65­e  1.55­e  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.44­  .23­  (.30)  (.07)  (.13)  (.09)  (.22)  10.15­  (.79)  249,746­  .67­e  2.27­e  186­g 

Class B­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.20­  .11­  (.17)  (.06)  (.11)  —­  (.11)  $10.03­  (.64)  $1,617­  .86­  1.09­  105f 
October 31, 2014­  10.21­  .11­  .01­  .12­  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.20­  1.19­  2,467­  .84­  1.12­  98f 
October 31, 2013­  10.12­  .13­  .02­  .15­  (.06)  —­  (.06)  10.21­  1.45­  3,080­  .84­e  1.27­e  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.11­  .13­  .02­  .15­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  10.12­  1.48­  2,655­  .85­e  1.33­e  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.39­  .22­  (.32)  (.10)  (.09)  (.09)  (.18)  10.11­  (1.03)  3,070­  .87­e  2.10­e  186­g 

Class C­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.15­  .05­  (.17)  (.12)  (.05)  —­  (.05)  $9.98­  (1.20)  $23,503­  1.41­  .53­  105f 
October 31, 2014­  10.15­  .06­  —­d  .06­  (.06)  —­  (.06)  10.15­  .58­  26,468­  1.39­  .56­  98f 
October 31, 2013­  10.05­  .08­  .02­  .10­  —­  —­  —­  10.15­  1.00­  30,621­  1.39­e  .75­e  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.03­  .08­  .01­  .09­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  10.05­  .90­  40,649­  1.40­e  .80­e  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.33­  .16­  (.31)  (.15)  (.06)  (.09)  (.15)  10.03­  (1.56)  62,600­  1.42­e  1.58­e  186­g 

Class M­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.23­  .12­  (.17)  (.05)  (.13)  —­  (.13)  $10.05­  (.53)  $1,942­  .71­  1.24­  105f 
October 31, 2014­  10.24­  .13­  —­d  .13­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  10.23­  1.31­  2,059­  .69­  1.27­  98f 
October 31, 2013­  10.14­  .15­  .02­  .17­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  10.24­  1.70­  2,609­  .69­e  1.45­e  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.13­  .15­  .01­  .16­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.14­  1.61­  2,973­  .70­e  1.48­e  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.42­  .23­  (.31)  (.08)  (.12)  (.09)  (.21)  10.13­  (.81)  3,576­  .72­e  2.22­e  186­g 

Class R­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.18­  .11­  (.18)  (.07)  (.11)  —­  (.11)  $10.00­  (.67)  $37­  .91­  1.06­  105f 
October 31, 2014­  10.19­  .11­  —­d  .11­  (.12)  —­  (.12)  10.18­  1.12­  214­  .89­  1.06­  98f 
October 31, 2013­  10.10­  .13­  .02­  .15­  (.06)  —­  (.06)  10.19­  1.50­  311­  .89­e  1.26­e  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.09­  .13­  —­d  .13­  (.12)  —­  (.12)  10.10­  1.33­  316­  .90­e  1.27­e  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.39­  .21­  (.31)  (.10)  (.11)  (.09)  (.20)  10.09­  (1.00)  317­  .92­e  2.06­e  186­g 

Class R5­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.32­  .16­  (.18)  (.02)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  $10.14­  (.22)  $10­  .41­  1.56­  105f 
October 31, 2014­  10.32­  .16­  .01­  .17­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  10.32­  1.71­  10­  .39­  1.58­  98f 
October 31, 2013­  10.21­  .18­  .02­  .20­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  10.32­  1.94­  10­  .39­e  1.74­e  81­g 
October 31, 2012†  10.12­  .05­  .04­  .09­  —­  —­  —­  10.21­  .89*  10­  .13*e  .48*e  238­g 

Class R6­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.31­  .16­  (.18)  (.02)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  $10.13­  (.22)  $525­  .41­  1.54­  105f 
October 31, 2014­  10.32­  .16­  .01­  .17­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  10.31­  1.63­  583­  .39­  1.56­  98f 
October 31, 2013­  10.21­  .16­h  .04­  .20­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  10.32­  1.97­  509­  .39­e  1.57­e,h  81­g 
October 31, 2012†  10.12­  .05­  .04­  .09­  —­  —­  —­  10.21­  .89*  10­  .13*e  .48*e  238­g 

Class Y­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.29­  .16­  (.18)  (.02)  (.16)  —­  (.16)  $10.11­  (.22)  $100,119­  .41­  1.54­  105f 
October 31, 2014­  10.30­  .16­  —­d  .16­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  10.29­  1.61­  107,117­  .39­  1.54­  98f 
October 31, 2013­  10.21­  .18­  .02­  .20­  (.11)  —­  (.11)  10.30­  1.94­  78,562­  .39­e  1.74­e  81­g 
October 31, 2012­  10.20­  .18­  .01­  .19­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  10.21­  1.90­  71,603­  .40­e  1.78­e  238­g 
October 31, 2011­  10.48­  .26­  (.31)  (.05)  (.14)  (.09)  (.23)  10.20­  (.51)  80,840­  .42­e  2.55­e  186­g 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

52  Absolute Return 100 Fund  Absolute Return 100 Fund  53 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

* Not annualized.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees, if any.

d Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

e Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets (Note 2):

  10/31/13  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  0.10%  0.33%  0.29% 

Class B  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class C  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class M  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class R  0.10  0.33  0.29 

Class R5  0.09  0.10  N/A 

Class R6  0.07  0.08  N/A 

Class Y  0.10  0.33  0.29 

 

f Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

g Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been following:

  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  126% 

October 31, 2012  641 

October 31, 2011  424 

 

h The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending October 31, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

54  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



Notes to financial statements 10/31/15

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015.

Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 100 basis points (or 1.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions. The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return through a broadly diversified portfolio reflecting uncorrelated fixed-income strategies designed to exploit market inefficiencies across global markets and fixed-income sectors. These strategies include investments in the following asset categories: (a) sovereign debt: obligations of governments in developed and emerging markets; (b) corporate credit: investment-grade debt, below-investment-grade debt (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”), bank loans, convertible bonds and structured credit; and (c) securitized assets: asset-backed securities, residential mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, short-term debt securities. Putnam Management may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments.

The fund offers class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class R5, class R6 and class Y shares. Class A and class M shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 1.00% and 0.75%, respectively, and generally do not pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Effective November 1, 2015, Class M shares will no longer pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Class B shares, which convert to class A shares after approximately eight years, do not pay a front-end sales charge and are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge if those shares are redeemed within two years of purchase. Class C shares have a one-year 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge and do not convert to class A shares. Class R shares, which are not available to all investors, are sold at net asset value. The expenses for class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares may differ based on the distribution fee of each class, which is identified in Note 2. Class R5, class R6 and class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, but do not bear a distribution fee and in the case of class R5 and class R6 shares, bear a lower investor servicing fee, which is identified in Note 2. Class R5, class R6 and class Y shares are not available to all investors.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees.

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If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

Market quotations are not considered to be readily available for certain debt obligations and other investments; such investments are valued on the basis of valuations furnished by an independent pricing service approved by the Trustees or dealers selected by Putnam Management. Such services or dealers determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities (which consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings). These securities will generally be categorized as Level 2. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Short-term securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value, and are classified as Level 2 securities.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. Certain securities may be valued on the basis of a price provided by a single source. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis. All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

Securities purchased or sold on a delayed delivery basis may be settled at a future date beyond customary settlement time; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Losses may arise due to changes in the fair value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Stripped securities The fund may invest in stripped securities which represent a participation in securities that may be structured in classes with rights to receive different portions of the interest and principal. Interest-only securities receive all of the interest and principal-only securities receive all of the principal. If the interest-only securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, principal-only securities increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are slower than anticipated. The fair value of these securities is highly sensitive to changes in interest rates.

Foreign currency translation The accounting records of the fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The fair value of foreign securities, currency holdings, and other assets and liabilities is recorded in the books and records of the fund after translation to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates on that day. The cost of each security is

56  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



determined using historical exchange rates. Income and withholding taxes are translated at prevailing exchange rates when earned or incurred. The fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. Such gains and losses are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net realized exchange gains or losses on closed forward currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains and losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized appreciation and depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts for hedging duration and convexity, to isolate prepayment risk, and to manage downside risks.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts for hedging treasury term structure risk and for yield curve positioning.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.”

Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Interest rate swap contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, which are arrangements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on a notional principal amount, for hedging term structure risk and for yield curve positioning.

An OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap can be purchased or sold with an upfront premium. For OTC interest rate swap contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss on OTC interest rate swaps. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared interest rate swaps are settled through a central clearing agent and

Absolute Return 100 Fund  57 

 



are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Payments, including upfront premiums, received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or the closing of the contract. Certain OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract.

The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or if the counterparty defaults, in the case of OTC interest rate contracts, or the central clearing agency or a clearing member defaults, in the case of centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, on its respective obligation to perform under the contract. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk or central clearing risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC interest rate swap contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. There is minimal counterparty risk with respect to centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Credit default contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared credit default contracts for hedging credit risk, for gaining liquid exposure to individual names, for hedging market risk and for gaining exposure to specific sectors.

In OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts, the protection buyer typically makes a periodic stream of payments to a counterparty, the protection seller, in exchange for the right to receive a contingent payment upon the occurrence of a credit event on the reference obligation or all other equally ranked obligations of the reference entity. Credit events are contract specific but may include bankruptcy, failure to pay, restructuring and obligation acceleration. For OTC credit default contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. Centrally cleared credit default contracts provide the same rights to the protection buyer and seller except the payments between parties, including upfront premiums, are settled through a central clearing agent through variation margin payments. Upfront and periodic payments received or paid by the fund for OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or close of the contract. The OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change in value of OTC credit default contracts is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Upon the occurrence of a credit event, the difference between the par value and fair value of the reference obligation, net of any proportional amount of the upfront payment, is recorded as a realized gain or loss.

In addition to bearing the risk that the credit event will occur, the fund could be exposed to market risk due to unfavorable changes in interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index or the possibility that the fund may be unable to close out its position at the same time or at the same price as if it had purchased the underlying reference obligations. In certain circumstances, the fund may enter into offsetting OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts which would mitigate its risk of loss. Risks of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk, either as the protection seller or as the protection buyer, is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC credit default contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared credit default contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. Counterparty risk is further mitigated with respect to centrally cleared credit default swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Where the fund is a seller of protection, the maximum potential amount of future payments the fund may be required to make is equal to the notional amount.

OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

TBA commitments The fund may enter into TBA (to be announced) commitments to purchase securities for a fixed unit price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Although the unit price and par amount have been established, the actual securities have not been specified. However, it is anticipated that the amount of the commitments will not significantly differ from the principal amount. The fund holds, and maintains until settlement date, cash or high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price, or the fund may enter into

58  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. Income on the securities will not be earned until settlement date.

The fund may also enter into TBA sale commitments to hedge its portfolio positions, to sell mortgage-backed securities it owns under delayed delivery arrangements or to take a short position in mortgage-backed securities. Proceeds of TBA sale commitments are not received until the contractual settlement date. During the time a TBA sale commitment is outstanding, either equivalent deliverable securities or an offsetting TBA purchase commitment deliverable on or before the sale commitment date are held as “cover” for the transaction, or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value of the TBA sale commitment are segregated. If the TBA sale commitment is closed through the acquisition of an offsetting TBA purchase commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss. If the fund delivers securities under the commitment, the fund realizes a gain or a loss from the sale of the securities based upon the unit price established at the date the commitment was entered into.

TBA commitments, which are accounted for as purchase and sale transactions, may be considered securities themselves, and involve a risk of loss due to changes in the value of the security prior to the settlement date as well as the risk that the counterparty to the transaction will not perform its obligations. Counterparty risk is mitigated by having a master agreement between the fund and the counterparty.

Unsettled TBA commitments are valued at their fair value according to the procedures described under “Security valuation” above. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded by the fund as an unrealized gain or loss. Based on market circumstances, Putnam Management will determine whether to take delivery of the underlying securities or to dispose of the TBA commitments prior to settlement.

TBA purchase commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed within the fund’s portfolio and TBA sale commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts and Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements that govern transactions involving mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities that may result in delayed delivery (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, are presented in the fund’s portfolio.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

With respect to ISDA Master Agreements, termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term or short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $2,228,723 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $2,323,390 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million syndicated unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street ($292.5 million) and Northern Trust Company ($100 million) and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street. Prior to September 24, 2015, the fund participated in a $392.5 million unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street and a

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substantially similar unsecured uncommitted line of credit. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the overnight LIBOR (the Federal Funds rate prior to September 24, 2015) plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.16% (0.11% prior to September 24, 2015) per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund may also be subject to taxes imposed by governments of countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The fund accrues and applies such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. In some cases, the fund may be entitled to reclaim all or a portion of such taxes, and such reclaim amounts, if any, are reflected as an asset on the fund’s books. In many cases, however, the fund may not receive such amounts for an extended period of time, depending on the country of investment.

At October 31, 2015, the fund had a capital loss carryover of $11,613,980 available to the extent allowed by the Code to offset future net capital gain, if any. The amounts of the carryovers and the expiration dates are:

Loss carryover 

Short-term  Long-term  Total  Expiration 

$10,120,909  $—  $10,120,909  * 

1,493,071  N/A  1,493,071  October 31, 2019 

 

* Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, the fund will be permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an unlimited period. However, any losses incurred will be required to be utilized prior to the losses incurred in pre-enactment tax years. As a result of this ordering rule, pre-enactment capital loss carryforwards may be more likely to expire unused. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. These differences include temporary and/or permanent differences from income on swap contracts and from interest-only securities. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations. At the close of the reporting period, the fund reclassified $348,557 to decrease undistributed net investment income and $348,557 to decrease accumulated net realized loss.

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The tax basis components of distributable earnings and the federal tax cost as of the close of the reporting period were as follows:

Unrealized appreciation  $1,323,902 
Unrealized depreciation  (2,091,513) 

Net unrealized depreciation  (767,611) 
Undistributed ordinary income  2,937,842 
Capital loss carryforward  (11,613,980) 
Cost for federal income tax purposes  $256,226,221 

 

Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a monthly base fee equal to 0.40% of the monthly average of the fund’s net asset value. In return for this fee, Putnam Management provides investment management and investor servicing and bears the fund’s organizational and operating expenses, excluding performance fee adjustments, payments under the fund’s distribution plan, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment related expenses, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses.

The applicable base fee is increased or decreased for each month by an amount based on the performance of the fund. The amount of the increase or decrease is calculated monthly based on a performance adjustment rate that is equal to 0.04 multiplied by the difference between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the fund’s class A shares) and the annualized performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 1.00% over the thirty-six month period then ended (the “performance period”). The maximum annualized performance adjustment rate is +/– 0.04%. Each month, the performance adjustment rate is multiplied by the fund’s average net assets over the performance period and the result is divided by twelve. The resulting dollar amount is added to, or subtracted from, the base fee for that month. The monthly base fee is determined based on the fund’s average net assets for the month, while the performance adjustment is determined based on the fund’s average net assets over the performance period of up to thirty-six months. This means it is possible that, if the fund underperforms significantly over the performance period, and the fund’s assets have declined significantly over that period, the negative performance adjustment may exceed the base fee. In this event, Putnam Management would make a payment to the fund.

Because the performance adjustment is based on the fund’s performance relative to its applicable benchmark index, and not its absolute performance, the performance adjustment could increase Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares lose value during the performance period provided that the fund outperformed its benchmark index, and could decrease Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares increase in value during the performance period provided that the fund underperformed its benchmark index.

For the reporting period, the base fee represented an effective rate (excluding the impact from any expense waivers in effect) of 0.40% of the fund’s average net assets before an increase of $25,037 (0.01% of the fund’s average net assets) based on performance.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed, through February 28, 2017, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were not reduced as a result of this limit.

Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. Putnam Management pays a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management

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or PIL. Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, pays a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

The aggregate amount of all reimbursements for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund is determined annually by the Trustees. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing (except for class R5 and R6 shares) that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) for the portion of the fund’s fiscal year beginning after January 1, 2015, a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. Class R5 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R5 shares at an annual rate of 0.12%. Class R6 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R6 shares at an annual rate of 0.05%. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $809 under the expense offset arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $155, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has adopted distribution plans (the Plans) with respect to its class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plans is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plans provide for payments by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 1.00% and 1.00% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. The Trustees have approved payment by the fund at an annual rate of 0.25%, 0.45%, 1.00%, 0.30% and 0.50% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. During the reporting period, the class specific expenses related to distribution fees were as follows:

Class A  $299,460  Class M  6,003 

 
Class B  8,896  Class R  831 

 
Class C  240,042  Total  $555,232 

 

 

62  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received net commissions of $236 and $153 from the sale of class A and class M shares, respectively, and received $84 and $231 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of class B and class C shares, respectively.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% and 0.30% (0.40% for purchases before April 1, 2010, and no longer applicable at all effective November 1, 2015) is assessed on certain redemptions of class A and class M shares, respectively. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received $34 and no monies on class A and class M redemptions, respectively.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:

  Cost of purchases  Proceeds from sales 

Investments in securities, including TBA commitments     
(Long-term)  $206,155,288  $192,146,460 

U.S. government securities (Long-term)  —  — 

Total  $206,155,288  $192,146,460 

 

Written option transactions during the reporting period are summarized as follows:

 

  Written swap       
  option contract  Written swap  Written option  Written option 
  amounts  option premiums  contract amounts  premiums 

Written options outstanding         
at the beginning of the         
reporting period  $50,736,200  $3,182,721  $26,000,000  $92,188 

Options opened  411,000,610  2,306,056  75,000,000  445,781 
Options exercised  (39,483,450)  (345,878)  —  — 
Options expired  (93,363,950)  (586,135)  (34,000,000)  (140,625) 
Options closed  (188,569,785)  (1,300,199)  (59,000,000)  (347,031) 

Written options outstanding at         
the end of the reporting period  $140,319,625  $3,256,565  $8,000,000  $50,313 

 

Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  4,825,727  $48,841,162  7,395,684  $75,603,398 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  130,105  1,315,364  184,523  1,872,905 

  4,955,832  50,156,526  7,580,207  77,476,303 

Shares repurchased  (6,977,627)  (70,669,586)  (9,884,467)  (100,996,686) 

Net decrease  (2,021,795)  $(20,513,060)  (2,304,260)  $(23,520,383) 

 

Absolute Return 100 Fund   63 

 



  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class B  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  17,481  $176,527  40,478  $412,316 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,918  19,336  2,801  28,345 

  19,399  195,863  43,279  440,661 

Shares repurchased  (99,962)  (1,010,060)  (102,982)  (1,048,026) 

Net decrease  (80,563)  $(814,197)  (59,703)  $(607,365) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class C  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  507,037  $5,083,420  445,367  $4,518,102 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  9,809  98,879  13,540  137,024 

  516,846  5,182,299  458,907  4,655,126 

Shares repurchased  (769,204)  (7,740,723)  (868,938)  (8,815,764) 

Net decrease  (252,358)  $(2,558,424)  (410,031)  $(4,160,638) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class M  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  44,790  $451,570  11,982  $122,507 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  2,275  22,950  3,206  32,478 

  47,065  474,520  15,188  154,985 

Shares repurchased  (55,066)  (555,450)  (68,781)  (700,525) 

Net decrease  (8,001)  $(80,930)  (53,593)  $(545,540) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  5,880  $59,039  10,405  $105,961 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  143  1,433  374  3,775 

  6,023  60,472  10,779  109,736 

Shares repurchased  (23,339)  (234,354)  (20,213)  (204,886) 

Net decrease  (17,316)  $(173,882)  (9,434)  $(95,150) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R5  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  —  $—  —  $— 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  15  160  17  173 

  15  160  17  173 

Shares repurchased  —  —  —  — 

Net increase  15  $160  17  $173 

 

64  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R6  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  35,901  $365,506  11,557  $118,602 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  923  9,369  896  9,126 

  36,824  374,875  12,453  127,728 

Shares repurchased  (41,507)  (421,598)  (5,249)  (53,616) 

Net increase (decrease)  (4,683)  $(46,723)  7,204  $74,112 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  9,360,103  $95,109,189  8,978,632  $92,113,316 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  144,456  1,463,342  96,796  984,415 

  9,504,559  96,572,531  9,075,428  93,097,731 

Shares repurchased  (10,010,581)  (101,711,356)  (6,294,821)  (64,507,626) 

Net increase (decrease)  (506,022)  $(5,138,825)  2,780,607  $28,590,105 

 

At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned the following shares of the fund:

 

  Shares owned  Percentage of ownership  Value 

Class R5  1,029  100.0%  $10,439 

Class R6  1,030  2.0  10,434 

 

Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which are under common ownership or control, were as follows:

  Fair value at the        Fair value at 
  beginning of        the end of 
  the reporting      Investment  the reporting 
Name of affiliate  period  Purchase cost  Sale proceeds  income  period 

Putnam Money Market           
Liquidity Fund*  $—  $22,252,602  $22,252,602  $1,798  $— 

Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund*  43,011,817  334,069,388  355,803,575  31,539  21,277,630 

Totals  $43,011,817  $356,321,990  $378,056,177  $33,337  $21,277,630 

 

* Management fees charged to Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

Note 6: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks, including those related to economic instability, unfavorable political developments, and currency fluctuations. The fund may invest in higher-yielding, lower-rated bonds that may have a higher rate of default. The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securitized debt instruments, including mortgage-backed and asset-backed investments. The yields and values of these investments are sensitive to changes in interest rates, the rate of principal payments on the underlying assets and the market’s perception of the issuers. The market for these investments may be volatile and limited, which may make them difficult to buy or sell.

Absolute Return 100 Fund  65 

 



Note 7: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Purchased TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount)  $8,000,000 

Purchased swap option contracts (contract amount)  $81,300,000 

Written TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $13,800,000 

Written swap option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $93,600,000 

Futures contracts (number of contracts)  50 

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts (notional)  $137,600,000 

OTC credit default contracts (notional)  $9,100,000 

 

The following is a summary of the fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period:

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period

  Asset derivatives  Liability derivatives 

Derivatives not         
accounted for as  Statement of    Statement of   
hedging instruments  assets and    assets and   
under ASC 815  liabilities location  Fair value  liabilities location  Fair value 

Credit contracts  Receivables  $38,336  Payables  $115,469 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Interest rate contracts  appreciation  449,221*  depreciation  3,576,903* 

Total    $487,557    $3,692,372 

 

* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts and/or centrally cleared swaps as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.

The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments in the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not accounted for         
as hedging instruments under         
ASC 815  Options  Futures  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $183,702  $183,702 

Interest rate contracts  (1,248,021)  108,557  (2,555,067)  $(3,694,531) 

Total  $(1,248,021)  $108,557  $(2,371,365)  $(3,510,829) 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

 

Derivatives not accounted for         
as hedging instruments under         
ASC 815  Options  Futures  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $(124,284)  $(124,284) 

Interest rate contracts  699,460  (48,006)  (318,202)  $333,252 

Total  $699,460  $(48,006)  $(442,486)  $208,968 

 

66  Absolute Return 100 Fund 

 



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Absolute Return 100 Fund  67 

 



Note 8: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.

  Bank of America N.A. Barclays Bank PLC Barclays Capital Inc. (clearing broker) Citibank, N.A. Credit Suisse International Goldman Sachs International JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. JPMorgan Securities LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Total

Assets:                     

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts§  $—  $—  $139,761  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $139,761 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  —  —  —  —  23,689  11,353  —  3,294  —  38,336 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  5,700  —  —  392  —  —  31,417  —  —  37,509 

Purchased swap options**#  48  —  —  1,730  52,328  75,387  48,848  —  —  178,341 

Purchased options**#  —  —  —  —  —  —  18,124  —  —  18,124 

Total Assets  $5,748  $—  $139,761  $2,122  $76,017  $86,740  $98,389  $3,294  $—  $412,071 

Liabilities:                     

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts§  —  —  181,777  —  —  —  —  —  —  181,777 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  6,639  1,977  —  —  76,397  21,657  —  8,799  —  115,469 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  9,308  9,308 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  8,856  —  —  1,227  —  —  44,682  —  —  54,765 

Written swap options#  131  —  —  1,017  55,197  93,421  2,171,085  —  —  2,320,851 

Written options#  —  —  —  —  —  —  9,948  —  —  9,948 

Total Liabilities  $15,626  $1,977  $181,777  $2,244  $131,594  $115,078  $2,225,715  $8,799  $9,308  $2,692,118 

Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets  $(9,878)  $(1,977)  $(42,016)  $(122)  $(55,577)  $(28,338)  $(2,127,326)  $(5,505)  $(9,308)  $(2,280,047) 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##  $—  $—  $—  $—  $(55,577)  $—  $(2,127,326)  $—  $—   

Net amount  $(9,878)  $(1,977)  $(42,016)  $(122)  $—  $(28,338)  $—  $(5,505)  $(9,308)   

 

* Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

** Included with Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

† Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

# Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§ Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.

68   Absolute Return 100 Fund  Absolute Return 100 Fund  69 

 



Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Trustees and Shareholders
Putnam Funds Trust:

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund (the fund), a series of Putnam Funds Trust, including the fund’s portfolio, as of October 31, 2015, and the related statement of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended, and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended. These financial statements and financial highlights are the responsibility of the fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial highlights based on our audits.

We conducted our audits 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 and financial highlights are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our procedures included confirmation of securities owned as of October 31, 2015, by correspondence with the custodian and brokers or by other appropriate auditing procedures. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements and financial highlights referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund as of October 31, 2015, the results of its operations for the year then ended, the changes in its net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the years or periods in the five-year period then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.


Boston, Massachusetts
December 14, 2015

Absolute Return 300 Fund   27 

 



The fund’s portfolio 10/31/15 ÿ

MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (42.2%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations (14.3%)     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
IFB Ser. 2976, Class LC, 23.702s, 2035  $128,821  $199,982 
IFB Ser. 3072, Class SM, 23.079s, 2035  292,607  448,461 
IFB Ser. 3072, Class SB, 22.932s, 2035  262,167  401,722 
IFB Ser. 3249, Class PS, 21.629s, 2036  190,497  282,285 
IFB Ser. 2990, Class LB, 16.445s, 2034  687,362  916,556 
IFB Ser. 3852, Class NT, 5.804s, 2041  7,277,869  7,673,640 
Ser. 4462, Class KI, IO, 4s, 2045  2,259,138  409,988 
Ser. 4193, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  7,217,372  1,143,968 
Ser. 4213, Class GI, IO, 4s, 2041  6,715,377  1,009,321 
Ser. 4369, Class IA, IO, 3 1/2s, 2044  5,993,054  1,104,501 
Ser. 311, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  6,530,572  1,355,094 
Ser. 303, Class C19, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,496,521  681,923 
Ser. 304, Class C22, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  4,653,771  911,176 
Ser. 4141, Class IM, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  4,615,772  795,953 
Ser. 4136, Class IW, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  11,740,130  1,669,192 
Ser. 4166, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  6,239,534  964,632 
Ser. 4150, Class DI, IO, 3s, 2043  10,704,809  1,363,191 
Ser. 4158, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  7,552,157  942,509 
Ser. 4165, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  10,500,089  1,246,361 
Ser. 4206, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2041  6,458,622  785,239 
Ser. 304, Class C45, IO, 3s, 2027  11,386,537  1,184,459 
FRB Ser. T-8, Class A9, IO, 0.469s, 2028  380,770  5,236 
FRB Ser. T-59, Class 1AX, IO, 0.272s, 2043  910,248  10,916 
Ser. T-48, Class A2, IO, 0.212s, 2033  1,365,158  13,065 
Ser. 3835, Class FO, PO, zero %, 2041  15,228,503  13,380,219 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 04-10, Class QC, 27.812s, 2031  409,411  479,698 
IFB Ser. 05-74, Class NK, 26.515s, 2035  94,468  156,345 
IFB Ser. 07-53, Class SP, 23.478s, 2037  248,885  395,165 
IFB Ser. 05-75, Class GS, 19.659s, 2035  208,935  290,855 
IFB Ser. 11-4, Class CS, 12.506s, 2040  2,039,957  2,491,065 
IFB Ser. 13-103, Class SK, IO, 5.723s, 2043  4,732,013  1,221,155 
IFB Ser. 13-101, Class SE, IO, 5.703s, 2043  16,665,002  4,107,090 
Ser. 397, Class 2, IO, 5s, 2039  844,214  153,225 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C01, Class 2M2,     
4.747s, 2025  362,000  355,701 
Ser. 15-4, Class IO, IO, 4 1/2s, 2045  4,578,612  928,085 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 1M2,     
4.197s, 2025  406,000  386,117 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 2M2,     
4.197s, 2025  170,000  161,592 
Ser. 418, Class C24, IO, 4s, 2043  8,511,480  1,744,056 
Ser. 13-44, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  4,133,328  614,187 
Ser. 12-124, Class UI, IO, 4s, 2042  4,109,439  789,012 
Ser. 13-11, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2042  12,747,825  2,184,480 
Ser. 12-40, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2041  17,378,218  2,710,291 

 

28   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (42.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Federal National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 12-22, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2041  $12,244,198  $1,864,619 
Ser. 12-62, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2041  8,158,568  1,199,685 
Ser. 418, Class C15, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  18,799,022  3,719,050 
Ser. 417, Class C24, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  9,739,453  2,030,871 
Ser. 12-136, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  8,135,479  935,011 
Ser. 14-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  9,016,472  1,126,050 
Ser. 13-21, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2033  9,243,141  1,603,685 
Ser. 417, Class C19, IO, 3 1/2s, 2033  10,031,370  1,475,314 
Ser. 12-151, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2043  8,234,889  1,047,478 
Ser. 6, Class BI, IO, 3s, 2042  17,655,492  1,703,755 
Ser. 13-35, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2042  4,522,406  474,499 
Ser. 13-31, Class NI, IO, 3s, 2041  12,616,134  1,095,585 
Ser. 13-55, Class AI, IO, 3s, 2033  5,378,925  795,913 
FRB Ser. 03-W10, Class 1, IO, 0.804s, 2043  312,871  5,781 
Ser. 98-W2, Class X, IO, 0.694s, 2028  2,353,186  114,718 
Ser. 98-W5, Class X, IO, 0.603s, 2028  698,507  34,052 
Ser. 07-44, Class CO, PO, zero %, 2037  53,053  48,227 

Government National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 13-99, Class VS, IO, 5.901s, 2043  2,989,680  524,001 
IFB Ser. 11-70, Class SH, IO, 5.691s, 2041  12,680,791  2,012,442 
Ser. 14-133, Class IP, IO, 5s, 2044  6,168,846  1,204,529 
Ser. 14-25, Class QI, IO, 5s, 2044  8,530,847  1,822,104 
Ser. 14-2, Class IC, IO, 5s, 2044  3,210,889  743,867 
Ser. 13-3, Class IT, IO, 5s, 2043  7,725,948  1,490,799 
Ser. 11-116, Class IB, IO, 5s, 2040  2,255,405  113,103 
Ser. 10-35, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  2,711,577  518,302 
Ser. 10-20, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  9,880,364  1,753,172 
Ser. 10-9, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  20,737,450  3,994,779 
Ser. 09-121, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2039  21,060,397  3,961,039 
Ser. 13-24, Class IK, IO, 4 1/2s, 2043  5,735,808  989,083 
Ser. 14-3, Class IP, IO, 4 1/2s, 2043  2,696,992  493,846 
Ser. 12-129, IO, 4 1/2s, 2042  6,022,508  1,374,939 
Ser. 11-18, Class PI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  445,251  59,281 
Ser. 10-9, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  6,193,524  1,088,382 
Ser. 09-121, Class BI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2039  3,625,989  820,779 
Ser. 10-103, Class DI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2038  4,299,080  274,595 
Ser. 15-94, IO, 4s, 2045  209,095  52,684 
Ser. 15-99, Class LI, IO, 4s, 2045  5,511,621  755,695 
Ser. 12-106, Class QI, IO, 4s, 2042  6,280,136  1,001,242 
Ser. 12-47, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,987,431  333,324 
Ser. 12-41, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2041  6,599,088  1,114,949 
Ser. 13-53, Class IA, IO, 4s, 2026  9,147,829  1,046,969 
Ser. 15-20, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  11,109,843  1,740,446 
Ser. 13-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  6,075,843  714,276 
Ser. 13-79, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  6,728,066  870,343 
Ser. 13-100, Class MI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  8,968,633  1,005,653 
Ser. 13-37, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,486,932  415,956 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   29 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (42.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 12-92, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  $4,694,865  $597,703 
Ser. 12-71, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  15,297,931  1,277,515 
Ser. 12-48, Class KI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  3,071,226  327,393 
Ser. 183, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  8,866,352  1,081,704 
Ser. 15-138, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  943,163  125,346 
Ser. 15-82, Class GI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2038  10,767,978  1,241,225 
Ser. 14-145, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2029  6,073,059  756,035 
Ser. 14-46, Class KI, IO, 3s, 2036  5,766,785  654,357 
Ser. 14-115, Class QI, IO, 3s, 2029  11,653,501  1,146,005 
Ser. 15-H15, Class JI, IO, 1.931s, 2065  13,543,022  1,688,815 
Ser. 15-H19, Class NI, IO, 1.904s, 2065  21,147,675  2,632,886 
Ser. 15-H25, Class EI, IO, 1.838s, 2065  16,164,000  1,729,548 
Ser. 15-H18, IO, 1.822s, 2065  13,713,517  1,412,081 
Ser. 15-H09, Class BI, IO, 1.696s, 2065  18,528,565  1,891,766 
Ser. 15-H10, Class EI, IO, 1.636s, 2065  19,798,479  1,503,694 
Ser. 15-H25, Class AI, IO, 1.608s, 2065  18,168,702  1,691,506 
Ser. 10-151, Class KO, PO, zero %, 2037  1,360,815  1,229,945 

GSMPS Mortgage Loan Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 98-4, IO, 1.147s, 2026  132,417  1 
FRB Ser. 98-2, IO, 1.043s, 2027  84,214  1 
FRB Ser. 99-2, IO, 0.827s, 2027  186,135  1,626 
FRB Ser. 98-3, IO, zero %, 2027  96,774  1 

130,621,733 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (21.3%)   
Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-4, Class AJ, 5.695s, 2046  3,767,000  3,789,779 
Ser. 06-6, Class A2, 5.309s, 2045  136,975  137,399 
FRB Ser. 07-1, Class XW, IO, 0.33s, 2049  4,276,994  24,278 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc.     
FRB Ser. 04-3, Class D, 5.346s, 2039  2,832,319  2,839,371 
FRB Ser. 05-1, Class B, 5.338s, 2042  2,632,000  2,600,732 
FRB Ser. 05-6, Class F, 5.147s, 2047  1,367,000  1,367,547 
FRB Ser. 04-4, Class D, 5.073s, 2042  761,000  770,988 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc. 144A     
FRB Ser. 04-4, Class XC, IO, 0.171s, 2042  970,051  776 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-PW17, Class AJ, 5.878s, 2050  1,497,000  1,541,931 
FRB Ser. 07-PW16, Class AJ, 5.705s, 2040  6,625,000  6,737,241 
FRB Ser. 07-T26, Class AJ, 5.566s, 2045 F   2,150,000  2,132,425 
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class AJ, 5.522s, 2039  3,565,000  3,573,913 
Ser. 05-T18, Class D, 5.134s, 2042  1,206,000  1,193,192 
Ser. 05-PWR9, Class C, 5.055s, 2042  959,000  957,677 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 06-PW11, Class B, 5.522s, 2039  5,275,000  5,265,136 

CFCRE Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 11-C1,     
Class E, 5.836s, 2044  2,448,000  2,205,819 

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 13-GC17,     
Class XA, IO, 1.508s, 2046  15,114,170  990,432 

 

30   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (42.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-GC17, Class D, 5.105s, 2046  $5,194,000  $5,002,513 
FRB Ser. 13-GC11, Class D, 4.457s, 2046  2,873,000  2,645,458 

COMM Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-C8, Class AJ, 5.377s, 2046  1,941,000  1,937,894 
FRB Ser. 14-UBS6, Class XA, IO, 1.076s, 2047  25,757,575  1,665,446 

COMM Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-LC4, Class D, 5.645s, 2044  133,000  135,780 
Ser. 12-LC4, Class E, 4 1/4s, 2044  1,361,000  1,222,213 
Ser. 13-LC13, Class E, 3.719s, 2046  1,503,000  1,143,163 
FRB Ser. 07-C9, Class AJFL, 0.885s, 2049  3,218,000  3,169,827 

Credit Suisse Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 08-C1,     
Class AJ, 6.068s, 2041  5,468,000  5,648,389 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. Ser. 05-C3,     
Class B, 4.882s, 2037  1,140,000  1,138,632 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A     
Ser. 98-C1, Class F, 6s, 2040  484,703  511,361 
FRB Ser. 03-C3, Class AX, IO, 1.955s, 2038  1,582,332  147 

CSAIL Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 15-C1,     
Class D, 3.801s, 2050  2,153,000  1,793,725 

DBUBS Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 11-LC3A, Class D,     
5.422s, 2044  998,000  1,047,102 

First Union Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A Ser. 99-C1,     
Class F, 5.35s, 2035  683,527  674,983 

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class D, 4.411s, 2046  3,267,000  3,019,002 
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class E, 4.411s, 2046  1,864,000  1,624,066 

GS Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-GC6, Class D, 5.631s, 2045  5,707,000  5,900,924 
FRB Ser. 11-GC3, Class D, 5.555s, 2044  1,352,177  1,427,885 
Ser. 11-GC3, Class E, 5s, 2044  1,219,000  1,165,734 
FRB Ser. 14-GC26, Class D, 4.511s, 2047  3,525,000  3,006,719 
FRB Ser. 13-GC12, Class D, 4.476s, 2046  3,719,000  3,471,649 
FRB Ser. 13-GC13, Class D, 4.069s, 2046  1,486,000  1,339,064 

JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust FRB Ser. 13-C12,     
Class XA, IO, 0.865s, 2045  108,142,686  3,655,223 

JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-C17, Class D, 4.887s, 2047  1,306,000  1,196,243 
FRB Ser. 14-C25, Class D, 3.949s, 2047  1,801,000  1,486,726 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-LC9, Class D, 4.42s, 2047  1,809,000  1,769,021 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class AJ, 6.076s, 2051  2,780,000  2,840,687 
Ser. 06-LDP6, Class AJ, 5.565s, 2043  51,000  50,949 
FRB Ser. 06-LDP6, Class B, 5.56s, 2043  1,946,000  1,934,249 
FRB Ser. 04-CBX, Class B, 5.021s, 2037  807,000  806,112 
FRB Ser. 05-LDP2, Class D, 4.941s, 2042  3,805,000  3,873,452 
FRB Ser. 13-C10, Class XA, IO, 1.274s, 2047  21,008,568  1,277,972 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   31 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (42.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class B, 6.176s, 2051  $2,194,000  $2,207,383 
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class C, 6.176s, 2051  1,220,000  1,165,527 
FRB Ser. 11-C3, Class E, 5.549s, 2046  6,397,000  6,732,843 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class E, 5.198s, 2045  6,446,000  6,387,986 
FRB Ser. 12-C8, Class D, 4.665s, 2045  5,497,000  5,446,977 
Ser. 11-C4, Class F, 3.873s, 2046  3,030,000  2,803,053 
Ser. 13-C10, Class E, 3 1/2s, 2047  1,963,000  1,559,604 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
Pass-Through Certificates 144A Ser. 01-C1, Class H,     
5.626s, 2035  1,828,613  1,863,466 

LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 04-C8, Class F, 5.005s, 2039  485,547  488,946 
FRB Ser. 07-C2, Class XW, IO, 0.539s, 2040  4,439,241  31,984 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust Ser. 04-BPC1, Class C, 5.011s, 2041  208,789  208,443 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 05-MCP1, Class XC,     
IO, 0.046s, 2043  8,296,865  90 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-1, Class AJ, 5.562s, 2039  4,164,000  4,210,845 
Ser. 06-3, Class AJ, 5.485s, 2046  4,350,000  4,362,311 

Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust FRB     
Ser. 13-C12, Class XA, IO, 0.982s, 2046  24,398,214  1,060,961 

Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 14-C15, Class D, 4.897s, 2047  2,750,000  2,505,364 
Ser. 14-C17, Class D, 4.698s, 2047  2,634,000  2,341,002 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class E, 4.658s, 2045  1,477,000  1,422,536 
FRB Ser. 13-C10, Class E, 4.082s, 2046  4,055,000  3,526,634 
Ser. 15-C24, Class D, 3.257s, 2048  1,613,000  1,191,679 

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust     
Ser. 06-HQ9, Class C, 5.842s, 2044  1,857,000  1,892,125 
Ser. 06-HQ10, Class B, 5.448s, 2041  1,036,000  988,911 

Morgan Stanley Re-REMIC Trust 144A FRB Ser. 10-C30A,     
Class A3B, 5.246s, 2043  598,375  599,871 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-C26, Class AJ, 6s, 2045  2,040,000  2,037,307 
FRB Ser. 06-C25, Class AJ, 5.72s, 2043  1,496,000  1,515,149 
Ser. 06-C24, Class AJ, 5.658s, 2045  3,772,000  3,787,465 
FRB Ser. 06-C29, IO, 0.378s, 2048  140,166,150  412,088 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 04-C11, Class G, 5.169s, 2041  1,500,000  1,446,840 

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A Ser. 14-LC18,     
Class D, 3.957s, 2047  2,837,000  2,309,522 

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-C4, Class E, 5.265s, 2044  1,006,000  1,063,241 
FRB Ser. 13-C16, Class D, 4.982s, 2046  1,559,000  1,491,947 
FRB Ser. 12-C7, Class D, 4.838s, 2045  5,321,000  5,490,474 
FRB Ser. 13-UBS1, Class D, 4.63s, 2046  6,827,000  6,386,112 
FRB Ser. 13-C15, Class D, 4.481s, 2046  2,160,004  1,984,581 

 

32   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (42.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-C10, Class D, 4.456s, 2045  $1,300,000  $1,222,813 
FRB Ser. 12-C10, Class E, 4.456s, 2045  1,658,000  1,372,513 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class D, 4.353s, 2048  4,100,000  3,869,088 
Ser. 13-C14, Class E, 3 1/4s, 2046  1,065,000  830,050 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class XA, IO, 1.469s, 2048  7,047,595  499,425 
FRB Ser. 12-C9, Class XB, IO, 0.707s, 2045  46,094,000  2,051,828 

194,479,930 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) (6.6%)   
BCAP, LLC Trust FRB Ser. 12-RR5, Class 4A8, 0.364s, 2035  3,750,000  3,448,794 

BCAP, LLC Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-RR2, Class 5A12, 5.818s, 2036  1,901,100  1,806,539 
FRB Ser. 14-RR2, Class 4A3, 0.464s, 2036  2,791,000  2,053,060 

Bear Stearns Alt-A Trust FRB Ser. 04-6, Class M2, 1.922s, 2034  2,371,945  2,087,311 

Bellemeade Re Ltd. 144A FRB Ser. 15-1A, Class M2, 4.497s,     
2025 (Bermuda)  950,000  942,875 

Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust 144A FRB Ser. 15-6, Class 1A2,     
0.426s, 2047  6,860,000  4,459,000 

Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 1A2, 1.622s, 2035  1,939,913  1,746,377 
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 2A1, 1.572s, 2035  1,801,828  1,471,168 
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 1A1, 1.202s, 2035  2,082,877  1,682,548 
FRB Ser. 06-OA7, Class 1A2, 1.162s, 2046  4,535,663  3,605,852 
FRB Ser. 05-38, Class A3, 0.547s, 2035  1,741,305  1,505,358 
FRB Ser. 05-59, Class 1A1, 0.524s, 2035  7,735,844  6,157,135 
FRB Ser. 05-62, Class 1A1, 0.497s, 2035  1,149,730  948,527 
FRB Ser. 06-OA2, Class A1, 0.404s, 2046  1,776,589  1,332,442 
FRB Ser. 06-OC8, Class 2A2A, 0.317s, 2036  1,118,011  1,078,881 

Countrywide Asset-Backed Certificates Trust FRB Ser. 05-2,     
Class M4, 1.262s, 2035 F   3,680,000  3,201,600 

CSMC Trust 144A FRB Ser. 11-6R, Class 3A7, 2.923s, 2036  1,700,000  903,825 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DN1,     
Class B, 11.697s, 2025  1,163,659  1,350,658 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DNA1,     
Class B, 9.397s, 2027  1,040,000  1,178,948 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes Ser. 15-DNA2,     
Class B, 7.737s, 2027  1,649,000  1,594,583 

GSAMP Trust FRB Ser. 06-HE2, Class M1, 0.517s, 2046  4,000,000  3,260,000 

MortgageIT Trust FRB Ser. 05-1, Class 1M1, 0.917s, 2035  2,220,862  2,097,862 

Nationstar HECM Loan Trust 144A Ser. 15-1A, Class A,     
3.844s, 2018  923,033  926,706 

Nomura Resecuritization Trust 144A FRB Ser. 15-4R,     
Class 1A14, 0.404s, 2047  1,750,000  1,010,625 

WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Trust     
FRB Ser. 04-AR13, Class A1B2, 1.177s, 2034  2,377,424  2,234,778 
FRB Ser. 05-AR13, Class A1C3, 0.687s, 2045  4,072,215  3,479,062 
FRB Ser. 05-AR1, Class A1B, 0.587s, 2045  929,102  850,129 
FRB Ser. 05-AR9, Class A1B, 0.577s, 2045  3,767,026  3,444,414 

    59,859,057 
 
Total mortgage-backed securities (cost $393,069,230)    $384,960,720 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   33 

 



U.S. GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS (34.2%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
U.S. Government Guaranteed Mortgage Obligations (1.0%)     
Government National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
4.687s, June 20, 2045  $115,308  $128,213 
4.654s, June 20, 2045  495,632  550,711 
4.554s, May 20, 2045  251,845  278,545 
4.524s, June 20, 2065  260,929  287,735 
4.516s, June 20, 2045  243,652  268,541 
4.468s, May 20, 2065  497,269  546,109 
4.413s, June 20, 2065  121,329  133,113 
4s, July 20, 2044  931,126  1,003,603 
4s, TBA, November 1, 2045  2,000,000  2,128,750 
3 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  4,000,000  4,192,188 

9,517,508 
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage Obligations (33.2%)   
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Pass-Through Certificates     
3 1/2s, with due dates from April 1, 2042 to February 1, 2044  4,051,728  4,232,443 

Federal National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
4 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  2,000,000  2,167,188 
4s, with due dates from July 1, 2042 to August 1, 2045 ##  14,115,949  15,158,847 
3 1/2s, with due dates from May 1, 2042 to July 1, 2043  3,204,294  3,345,464 
3 1/2s, TBA, December 1, 2045  1,000,000  1,038,555 
3 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  1,000,000  1,040,859 
3s, February 1, 2043  785,872  796,248 
3s, TBA, December 1, 2045  121,000,000  122,049,300 
3s, TBA, November 1, 2045  151,000,000  152,639,769 

    302,468,673 
 
Total U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations (cost $312,246,743)  $311,986,181 
 
U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS (0.1%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities 2.125%, February 15, 2041 i   $274,277  $332,594 

U.S. Treasury Notes     
2.000%, February 15, 2025 i   164,000  162,780 

2.000%, September 30, 2020 ∆

382,000  390,356 

Total U.S. treasury obligations (cost $877,202)    $885,730 
 
CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (28.7%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Basic materials (2.2%)     
ArcelorMittal SA sr. unsec. bonds 10.6s, 2019 (France)  $1,250,000  $1,371,875 

Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. sr. unsec. notes 5.45s, 2018  1,308,000  1,421,973 

Boise Cascade Co. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
6 3/8s, 2020  2,187,000  2,274,480 

Celanese US Holdings, LLC sr. notes 5 7/8s, 2021 (Germany)  950,000  1,021,250 

Compass Minerals International, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 4 7/8s, 2024  1,400,000  1,368,500 

Louisiana-Pacific Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 7 1/2s, 2020  1,415,000  1,485,750 

Novelis, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 8 3/4s, 2020  1,263,000  1,266,158 

 

34   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (28.7%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Basic materials cont.     
Rio Tinto Finance USA PLC company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 1 5/8s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  $1,691,000  $1,684,534 

Rio Tinto Finance USA, Ltd. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
9s, 2019 (Australia)  1,985,000  2,410,112 

Sealed Air Corp. 144A sr. unsec. notes 4 7/8s, 2022  1,385,000  1,423,088 

Southern Copper Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 7/8s,     
2045 (Peru)  800,000  698,000 

Steel Dynamics, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
6 1/8s, 2019  1,500,000  1,552,500 

USG Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
5 1/2s, 2025  734,000  755,103 

WR Grace & Co.- Conn. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
5 5/8s, 2024  1,500,000  1,548,750 

20,282,073 
Capital goods (2.1%)   
Amstead Industries, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 5 3/8s, 2024  500,000  493,750 

Amstead Industries, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 5s, 2022  1,500,000  1,515,000 

Belden, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes     
5 1/2s, 2022  1,020,000  1,009,800 

Belden, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes     
5 1/4s, 2024  500,000  467,500 

Boeing Co. (The) sr. unsec. bonds 8 3/4s, 2021  3,580,000  4,788,590 

Bombardier, Inc. 144A unsec. notes 5 1/2s, 2018 (Canada)  750,000  705,000 

Briggs & Stratton Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
6 7/8s, 2020  1,000,000  1,092,500 

Covidien International Finance SA company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6s, 2017 (Luxembourg)  1,692,000  1,842,255 

KLX, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 7/8s, 2022  750,000  765,469 

Manitowoc Co., Inc. (The) company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
5 7/8s, 2022  1,180,000  1,218,350 

Moog, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
5 1/4s, 2022  1,025,000  1,045,500 

Owens-Brockway Glass Container, Inc. 144A company guaranty     
sr. unsec. notes 5 3/8s, 2025  345,000  346,725 

Owens-Brockway Glass Container, Inc. 144A company guaranty     
sr. unsec. notes 5s, 2022  1,500,000  1,529,070 

Pittsburgh Glass Works, LLC 144A company guaranty sr.     
notes 8s, 2018  1,333,000  1,388,320 

Tenneco, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 3/8s, 2024  384,000  397,440 

ZF North America Capital, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 4s, 2020  500,000  505,000 

19,110,269 
Communication services (2.0%)   
AT&T, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3s, 2022  4,000,000  3,923,512 

AT&T, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.7s, 2017  1,695,000  1,703,258 

Comcast Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. bonds     
6 1/2s, 2017  1,700,000  1,811,372 

Crown Castle International Corp. sr. unsec. notes 5 1/4s, 2023 R   840,000  904,050 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   35 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (28.7%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Communication services cont.     
DISH DBS Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
4 1/4s, 2018  $2,194,000  $2,191,258 

Intelsat Luxembourg SA company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds     
6 3/4s, 2018 (Luxembourg)  465,000  412,688 

Sprint Communications, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 9s, 2018  500,000  549,685 

T-Mobile USA, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
6.464s, 2019  1,500,000  1,543,125 

Verizon Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 6.35s, 2019  584,000  663,741 

Verizon Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 2 5/8s, 2020  1,522,000  1,537,120 

Vodafone Group PLC sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 1/4s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  2,930,000  2,911,058 

18,150,867 
Consumer cyclicals (2.3%)   
Amazon.com, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 1.2s, 2017  1,638,000  1,639,302 

Autonation, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
6 3/4s, 2018  2,008,000  2,223,764 

Autonation, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 1/2s, 2020  552,000  602,854 

Brookfield Residential Properties, Inc. 144A company guaranty     
sr. unsec. notes 6 1/2s, 2020 (Canada)  300,000  300,750 

Clear Channel Worldwide Holdings, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 6 1/2s, 2022  1,000,000  1,042,500 

Dollar General Corp. sr. unsec. notes 1 7/8s, 2018  2,400,000  2,391,053 

Host Hotels & Resorts LP sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6s, 2021 R   596,000  664,955 

Host Hotels & Resorts LP sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/4s, 2022 R   279,000  299,592 

JC Penney Corp, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds     
8 1/8s, 2019  490,000  487,550 

Lender Processing Services, Inc./Black Knight Lending     
Solutions, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 3/4s, 2023  1,475,000  1,541,375 

Lennar Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
4 3/4s, 2022  565,000  565,000 

Lennar Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
4 1/2s, 2019  1,000,000  1,035,000 

McGraw Hill Financial, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 3.3s, 2020  3,990,000  4,060,340 

Nielsen Co. Luxembourg Sarl (The) 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 5 1/2s, 2021 (Luxembourg)  1,500,000  1,548,750 

Owens Corning company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 9s, 2019  253,000  297,589 

Rivers Pittsburgh Borrower LP/Rivers Pittsburgh Finance Corp.     
144A sr. notes 9 1/2s, 2019  712,000  742,260 

Tri Pointe Holdings, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 5 7/8s, 2024  1,330,000  1,330,000 

20,772,634 
Consumer staples (1.8%)   
Anheuser-Busch InBev Finance, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 1 1/4s, 2018  1,695,000  1,676,891 

BC ULC/New Red Finance, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.     
notes 4 5/8s, 2022 (Canada)  1,000,000  1,013,750 

BlueLine Rental Finance Corp. 144A sr. notes 7s, 2019  1,500,000  1,513,125 

 

36   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (28.7%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Consumer staples cont.     
Corrections Corp. of America company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
4 1/8s, 2020 R   $1,420,000  $1,414,675 

Costco Wholesale Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 0.65s, 2015  2,180,000  2,180,972 

CVS Health Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2 1/4s, 2018  1,690,000  1,713,026 

CVS Health Corp. 144A sr. unsec. sub. notes 4 3/4s, 2022  3,975,000  4,332,643 

Diageo Capital PLC company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1 1/2s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  798,000  800,112 

United Rentals North America, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6 1/8s, 2023  1,600,000  1,669,600 

16,314,794 
Energy (2.3%)   
BP Capital Markets PLC company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 1.846s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  1,695,000  1,711,469 

Canadian Natural Resources, Ltd. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5.7s,     
2017 (Canada)  1,695,000  1,783,518 

Chesapeake Energy Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. FRN     
3.571s, 2019  1,500,000  967,500 

ConocoPhillips Co. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
1.05s, 2017  1,695,000  1,685,000 

Hess Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 7.3s, 2031  180,000  205,899 

Pertamina Persero PT 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 4.3s,     
2023 (Indonesia)  400,000  377,898 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
3 7/8s, 2016 (Brazil)  5,000,000  4,987,500 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA sr. unsec. notes 5 1/8s,     
2016 (Venezuela)  1,693,000  1,269,750 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA 144A company guaranty sr. notes     
8 1/2s, 2017 (Venezuela)  833,333  508,333 

Petroleos Mexicanos company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 1/2s, 2021 (Mexico)  1,300,000  1,387,194 

Petroleos Mexicanos 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
4 1/2s, 2026 (Mexico)  1,500,000  1,438,007 

Phillips 66 company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
2.95s, 2017  1,690,000  1,728,172 

Shell International Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 5.2s, 2017 (Netherlands)  1,816,000  1,921,889 

Shell International Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 5/8s, 2015 (Netherlands)  875,000  875,199 

20,847,328 
Financials (11.9%)   
Abbey National Treasury Services PLC/United Kingdom     
company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 3/8s, 2017     
(United Kingdom)  1,819,000  1,819,058 

ABN Amro Bank NV 144A sr. unsec. FRN 1.123s,     
2016 (Netherlands)  3,000,000  3,009,447 

Air Lease Corp. sr. unsec. notes 2 5/8s, 2018  5,465,000  5,442,976 

Ally Financial, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3.6s, 2018  1,000,000  1,012,500 

American Express Bank FSB sr. unsec. FRN Ser. BKNT,     
0.497s, 2017  2,000,000  1,987,890 

American Express Co. jr. unsec. sub. FRN Ser. C, 4.9s,     
perpetual maturity  1,600,000  1,552,202 

American Express Co. sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2018  1,523,000  1,709,730 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   37 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (28.7%)* cont.    Principal amount  Value 

 
Financials cont.       
American Express Co. sr. unsec. notes 6.15s, 2017    $923,000  $997,692 

Baggot Securities, Ltd. 144A jr. sub. notes 10.24s, perpetual       
maturity (Ireland)  EUR  3,260,000  3,620,924 

Bank of America Corp. sr. unsec. notes Ser. MTN, 1.7s, 2017    $1,000,000  1,003,033 

Bank of America Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2s, 2018    2,358,000  2,368,880 

Bank of America, NA unsec. sub. FRN Ser. BKNT, 0.617s, 2016    3,800,000  3,792,104 

Bank of Montreal sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. MTN, 2 1/2s,       
2017 (Canada)    1,638,000  1,666,627 

Bank of Nova Scotia (The) sr. unsec. unsub. FRN 0.737s,       
2016 (Canada)    1,000,000  1,000,662 

Bank of Nova Scotia (The) sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 3/8s,       
2017 (Canada)    1,695,000  1,689,861 

Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Ltd. (The) 144A sr. unsec. notes       
1.2s, 2017 (Japan)    1,710,000  1,702,430 

BNP Paribas SA company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. bonds       
Ser. MTN, 1 3/8s, 2017 (France)    2,605,000  2,608,259 

BPCE SA company guaranty sr. unsec. FRN Ser. MTN, 1.57s,       
2016 (France)    975,000  978,497 

Branch Banking & Trust Co. unsec. sub. FRN 0.656s, 2016    500,000  499,050 

Citigroup, Inc. sr. unsec. sub. FRN 0.603s, 2016    2,100,000  2,091,669 

Citigroup, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 4.45s, 2017    2,427,000  2,518,037 

CNO Financial Group, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/4s, 2025    1,055,000  1,120,938 

Commonwealth Bank of Australia/New York, NY sr. unsec.       
unsub. bonds 1 1/8s, 2017    2,318,000  2,320,316 

Cooperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Boerenleenbank BA/       
Netherlands (Rabobank Nederland) company guaranty sr.       
unsec. notes 3 3/8s, 2017 (Netherlands)    1,516,000  1,556,379 

Credit Agricole SA/London 144A sr. unsec. FRN 1.481s, 2016       
(United Kingdom)    2,980,000  2,990,212 

Deutsche Bank AG unsec. sub. notes 4 1/2s, 2025 (Germany)    2,657,000  2,587,094 

Deutsche Bank AG/London sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2017       
(United Kingdom)    2,358,000  2,533,426 

GE Capital International Funding Co. 144A company guaranty       
sr. unsec. notes 0.964s, 2016 (Ireland)    2,673,000  2,672,473 

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The) sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
Ser. GLOB, 2 3/8s, 2018    1,212,000  1,230,884 

ING Bank NV 144A unsec. notes 3 3/4s, 2017 (Netherlands)    4,575,000  4,715,041 

International Lease Finance Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
3 7/8s, 2018    875,000  888,125 

JPMorgan Chase & Co. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2s, 2017    1,679,000  1,693,211 

JPMorgan Chase Bank, NA unsec. sub. FRN 0.666s, 2016    1,000,000  998,306 

KeyCorp sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. MTN, 2.3s, 2018    2,375,000  2,389,720 

KKR Group Finance Co., LLC 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.       
unsub. notes 6 3/8s, 2020    2,170,000  2,537,273 

MetLife, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 3/4s, 2016    1,710,000  1,769,847 

MetLife, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 4 3/4s, 2021    2,125,000  2,346,854 

Morgan Stanley sr. unsec. notes 4 3/4s, 2017    2,381,000  2,487,781 

National Australia Bank, Ltd./New York sr. unsec. FRN 0.87s,       
2016 (Australia)    2,000,000  2,005,054 

 

38   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (28.7%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Financials cont.     
National Australia Bank, Ltd./New York sr. unsec. notes 2.3s,     
2018 (Australia)  $1,175,000  $1,188,341 

OneMain Financial Holdings, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 6 3/4s, 2019  1,000,000  1,061,250 

PNC Bank NA sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. BKNT, 1 1/8s, 2017  1,700,000  1,699,937 

Principal Life Global Funding II 144A notes 1s, 2015  1,740,000  1,740,934 

Royal Bank of Canada sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. GMTN, 2.2s,     
2018 (Canada)  1,700,000  1,725,027 

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC jr. unsec. sub. FRB 7 1/2s,     
perpetual maturity (United Kingdom)  5,085,000  5,262,975 

Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC unsec. sub. notes 4.7s, 2018     
(United Kingdom)  2,952,000  3,066,334 

Sberbank of Russia Via SB Capital SA 144A unsec. sub. notes     
5 1/8s, 2022 (Russia)  950,000  893,000 

Select Income REIT sr. unsec. unsub. notes 3.6s, 2020 R   1,000,000  1,013,556 

Select Income REIT sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2.85s, 2018 R   1,000,000  1,004,208 

Simon Property Group LP 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
1 1/2s, 2018 R   1,535,000  1,530,988 

Societe Generale SA company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 2 3/4s,     
2017 (France)  675,000  688,370 

Svenska Handelsbanken AB company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
2 7/8s, 2017 (Sweden)  874,000  890,290 

UBS AG/Stamford, CT sr. unsec. unsub. notes Ser. BKNT,     
5 7/8s, 2017  1,500,000  1,625,901 

VTB Bank OJSC Via VTB Capital SA 144A sr. unsec. notes     
6 7/8s, 2018 (Russia)  1,000,000  1,049,250 

Wells Fargo & Co. sr. unsec. notes 2.1s, 2017  1,664,000  1,688,066 

Wells Fargo Bank, NA unsec. sub. FRN 0.531s, 2016  1,228,000  1,227,187 

Westpac Banking Corp. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.55s,     
2018 (Australia)  306,000  305,185 

109,575,261 
Health care (1.7%)   
AbbVie, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1 3/4s, 2017  1,519,000  1,533,409 

Amgen, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 2 1/8s, 2017  1,695,000  1,717,013 

AstraZeneca PLC sr. unsub. notes 5.9s, 2017 (United Kingdom)  1,695,000  1,842,007 

CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
notes 5 1/8s, 2018  500,000  509,375 

HCA, Inc. sr. notes 6 1/2s, 2020  612,000  685,440 

Mallinckrodt International Finance SA/Mallinckrodt CB, LLC     
144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/2s,     
2025 (Luxembourg)  206,000  187,460 

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. notes 5 1/4s, 2026 R   3,805,000  3,957,200 

Service Corporation International sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
5 3/8s, 2022  1,674,000  1,766,070 

Tenet Healthcare Corp. company guaranty sr. notes 6 1/4s, 2018  665,000  709,888 

Tenet Healthcare Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. FRN     
3.837s, 2020  1,175,000  1,166,188 

UnitedHealth Group, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2018  756,000  830,946 

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 5 3/4s, 2020  600,000  627,000 

    15,531,996 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   39 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (28.7%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Technology (0.4%)     
eBay, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 1.35s, 2017  $1,695,000  $1,684,499 

Infor US, Inc. 144A sr. notes 5 3/4s, 2020  1,145,000  1,167,900 

SoftBank Corp. 144A sr. unsec. notes 4 1/2s, 2020 (Japan)  850,000  843,625 

3,696,024 
Transportation (0.3%)   
Continental Airlines, Inc. pass-through certificates     
Ser. 97-4A, 6.9s, 2018  463,992  479,628 

Continental Airlines, Inc. pass-through certificates Ser. 98-1A,     
6.648s, 2017  345,333  355,261 

Federal Express Corp. 2012 Pass Through Trust 144A notes     
2 5/8s, 2018  1,909,316  1,924,751 

2,759,640 
Utilities and power (1.7%)   
Consolidated Edison Co. of New York, Inc. sr. unsec. notes     
7 1/8s, 2018  1,543,000  1,784,001 

Electricite de France (EDF) 144A unsec. sub. FRN 5 1/4s,     
perpetual maturity (France)  905,000  898,213 

PPL WEM, Ltd./Western Power Distribution, Ltd. 144A sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 3.9s, 2016 (United Kingdom)  7,725,000  7,814,779 

Texas-New Mexico Power Co. 144A 1st mtge. bonds Ser. A,     
9 1/2s, 2019  3,816,000  4,641,683 

    15,138,676 
 
Total corporate bonds and notes (cost $262,185,399)    $262,179,562 
 
SENIOR LOANS (8.6%)* c  Principal amount  Value 

 
Basic materials (0.5%)     
AIlnex Luxembourg & CY SCA bank term loan FRN Ser. B1,     
4 1/2s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  $457,569  $457,283 

AIlnex Luxembourg & CY SCA bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
4 1/2s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  237,411  237,262 

Coveris Holdings SA bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s,     
2019 (Luxembourg)  1,202,102  1,197,594 

HD Supply, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2021  1,000,000  996,458 

Ineos US Finance, LLC bank term loan FRN 3 3/4s, 2018  417,501  412,021 

TMS International Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2020  1,469,182  1,395,723 

4,696,341 
Capital goods (1.0%)   
ADS Waste Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 3/4s, 2019  1,445,540  1,425,965 

Berry Plastics Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. F, 4s, 2022  1,000,000  1,001,111 

Gardner Denver, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/4s, 2020  700,700  656,030 

Gates Global, LLC/Gates Global Co. bank term loan FRN     
4 1/4s, 2021  1,475,050  1,384,088 

Generac Power Systems, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 1/2s, 2020  396,250  390,306 

Reynolds Group Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/2s, 2018  1,060,501  1,061,827 

Staples, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2021  1,000,000  994,500 

TransDigm, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. C, 3 3/4s, 2020  435,695  429,976 

TransDigm, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. D, 3 3/4s, 2021  790,000  778,714 

TransDigm, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. E, 3 1/2s, 2022  1,119,645  1,096,786 

    9,219,303 

 

40   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



SENIOR LOANS (8.6%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Communication services (1.3%)     
Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B1, 5s, 2019  $726,697  $693,087 

Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B4, 5s, 2022  882,788  833,351 

Charter Communications Operating, LLC bank term loan FRN     
Ser. E, 3s, 2020  1,466,250  1,451,130 

Crown Castle Operating Co. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B2, 3s, 2021  962,946  961,876 

Intelsat Jackson Holdings SA bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
3 3/4s, 2019 (Bermuda)  1,419,814  1,374,114 

Level 3 Financing, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B1, 4s, 2020  2,000,000  1,996,562 

Numericable US, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B1, 4 1/2s,     
2020 (France)  768,932  758,479 

Numericable US, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B2, 4 1/2s,     
2020 (France)  665,231  656,188 

SBA Senior Finance II, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 1/4s, 2021  1,975,000  1,958,027 

WideOpenWest Finance, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/2s, 2019  746,250  734,279 

Windstream Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B5, 3 1/2s, 2019  242,555  236,289 

11,653,382 
Consumer cyclicals (2.4%)   
Academy, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5s, 2022  942,705  939,170 

Amaya BV bank term loan FRN 5s, 2021 (Netherlands)  990,019  965,681 

American Casino & Entertainment Properties, LLC bank term     
loan FRN 5s, 2022  748,125  748,593 

Bass Pro Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2020  825,850  818,968 

Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B6, 11s, 2017  564,361  514,274 

Caesars Growth Properties Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN     
6 1/4s, 2021  414,750  365,758 

CCM Merger, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2021  1,057,050  1,054,848 

Chrysler Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2017  324,852  324,006 

CityCenter Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/4s, 2020  591,022  590,653 

CPG International, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2020  1,339,747  1,326,349 

Dollar Tree Stores, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2022  276,640  276,788 

Eldorado Resorts, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/4s, 2022  997,500  996,253 

Hilton Worldwide Finance, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 1/2s, 2020  833,882  835,156 

Interactive Data Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2021  987,500  986,471 

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  1,129,264  1,089,739 

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. bank term loan FRN 5s, 2022  1,000,000  1,000,000 

Neiman Marcus Group, Ltd., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
4 1/4s, 2020  1,485,300  1,447,661 

Nortek, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2020  992,473  986,270 

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4s, 2017  952,500  949,325 

Realogy Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2020  1,462,697  1,460,412 

Scientific Games International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B2, 6s, 2021  992,500  968,928 

Tribune Media Co. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2020  1,006,387  1,003,871 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   41 

 



SENIOR LOANS (8.6%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Consumer cyclicals cont.     
Univision Communications, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4s, 2020  $754,194  $748,118 

Yonkers Racing Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 1/4s, 2019  1,335,794  1,295,163 

21,692,455 
Consumer staples (0.8%)   
CEC Entertainment, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2021  423,550  408,990 

Ceridian HCM Holding, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
4 1/2s, 2020  658,682  602,145 

Del Monte Foods, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4.263s, 2021  943,200  920,799 

Landry’s, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  1,239,433  1,239,046 

Libbey Glass, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2021  987,500  980,916 

Restaurant Brands International, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 3/4s, 2021 (Canada)  1,491,304  1,490,505 

Rite Aid Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 7/8s, 2021  1,000,000  1,000,938 

US Foods, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/2s, 2019  977,500  976,889 

7,620,228 
Energy (0.3%)   
American Energy-Marcellus, LLC bank term loan FRN     
5 1/4s, 2020  690,000  318,550 

EP Energy, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B3, 3 1/2s, 2018  513,667  460,695 

Fieldwood Energy, LLC bank term loan FRN 3 7/8s, 2018  1,471,243  1,295,919 

Offshore Group Investment, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5s,     
2017 (Cayman Islands)  883,022  248,718 

Seventy Seven Energy, Inc. bank term loan FRN 3 3/4s, 2021  994,962  821,673 

3,145,555 
Financials (0.2%)   
USI, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/4s, 2019  1,458,975  1,441,194 

Vantiv, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2021  253,393  253,617 

Walter Investment Management Corp. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2020  401,567  368,772 

2,063,583 
Health care (1.3%)   
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 3/4s, 2021  560,000  546,000 

CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. H, 4s, 2021  880,697  877,761 

Envision Healthcare Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  472,390  470,914 

Grifols Worldwide Operations USA, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
3.198s, 2021  1,640,025  1,634,729 

HCA, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B4, 3.032s, 2018  980,000  980,000 

Horizon Pharma, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2021  997,500  917,700 

IASIS Healthcare, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2018  960,686  961,886 

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/2s, 2018  878,067  877,628 

MPH Acquisition Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 3/4s, 2021  912,182  899,069 

Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 3/4s, 2021  587,563  578,602 

Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC bank term loan FRN     
4 1/4s, 2022  1,062,338  1,047,287 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. BD, 3 1/2s, 2019  639,595  595,463 

 

42   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



SENIOR LOANS (8.6%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Health care cont.     
Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. C2, 3 3/4s, 2019  $639,595  $597,382 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. E, 3 3/4s, 2020  462,718  428,940 

11,413,361 
Technology (0.4%)   
Avago Technologies, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s,     
2020 (Cayman Islands)  1,227,679  1,226,827 

Dell International, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B2, 4s, 2020  1,452,494  1,451,761 

Syniverse Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2019  950,228  862,332 

3,540,920 
Utilities and power (0.4%)   
Calpine Construction Finance Co. LP bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B, 3s, 2020  586,500  570,188 

Calpine Construction Finance Co. LP bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B2, 3 1/4s, 2022  1,178,956  1,148,009 

Energy Transfer Equity LP bank term loan FRN 3 1/4s, 2019  715,000  681,395 

NRG Energy, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 2 3/4s, 2018  1,462,500  1,419,539 

    3,819,131 
 
Total senior loans (cost $81,304,963)    $78,864,259 
 
ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (5.6%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Station Place Securitization Trust FRB Ser. 15-2, Class A,     
1.235s, 2017  $9,526,000  $9,526,000 

Station Place Securitization Trust 144A FRB Ser. 14-2, Class A,     
1.055s, 2016  41,911,000  41,911,000 

Total asset-backed securities (cost $51,437,000)    $51,437,000 

 

FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY       
BONDS AND NOTES (4.1%)*    Principal amount  Value 

 
Argentina (Republic of) sr. unsec. bonds 7s, 2017 (Argentina)    $2,810,000  $2,788,925 

Brazil (Federal Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 4 7/8s,       
2021 (Brazil)    1,710,000  1,682,213 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 9.95s,       
2021 (Argentina)    2,846,483  2,921,915 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 1/4s,       
2017 (Croatia)    150,000  156,975 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 3/8s,       
2021 (Croatia)    960,000  1,033,200 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. bonds 4 3/4s, 2019 (Greece)  EUR  5,155,000  5,158,004 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. notes 3 3/8s, 2017 (Greece)  EUR  5,669,000  5,738,820 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2038 (Greece) ††  EUR  892,589  579,774 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2037 (Greece) ††  EUR  112,696  73,389 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2036 (Greece) ††  EUR  1,142,451  758,376 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2035 (Greece) ††  EUR  645,941  429,837 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2034 (Greece) ††  EUR  567,404  380,152 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   43 

 



FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY       
BONDS AND NOTES (4.1%)* cont.    Principal amount  Value 

 
Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2033 (Greece) ††  EUR  501,823  $340,347 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2032 (Greece) ††  EUR  467,658  321,670 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2031 (Greece) ††  EUR  442,123  308,900 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2030 (Greece) ††  EUR  1,927,028  1,370,966 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2029 (Greece) ††  EUR  459,773  332,567 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2028 (Greece) ††  EUR  2,462,206  1,818,212 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2027 (Greece) ††  EUR  1,534,622  1,155,734 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2026 (Greece) ††  EUR  2,236,272  1,724,431 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2025 (Greece) ††  EUR  4,284,952  3,390,718 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2024 (Greece) ††  EUR  1,628,752  1,307,687 

Hellenic (Republic of) sr. unsec. unsub. bonds Ser. PSI,       
stepped-coupon 3s (3.65s, 2/24/20), 2023 (Greece) ††  EUR  2,286,576  1,861,033 

Indonesia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 3 3/8s,       
2023 (Indonesia)    $1,290,000  1,225,500 

Russia (Federation of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 4 1/2s,       
2022 (Russia)    450,000  460,125 

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) unsec. bonds 5 3/4s,       
2016 (Venezuela)    500,000  456,250 

Total foreign government and agency bonds and notes (cost $40,652,025)  $37,775,720 

 

PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS       
OUTSTANDING (0.4%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

 
Bank of America N.A.       
(1.548)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.548  $196,480,500  $982 

Citibank, N.A.       
(2.087)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.087  77,674,100  26,409 

Credit Suisse International       
(2.915)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.915  11,563,400  677,847 

(3.315)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/3.315  11,563,400  374,839 

Goldman Sachs International       
2.0775/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.0775  83,133,600  527,067 

0.90/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.90  226,530,900  339,796 

1.36/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.36  165,533,800  173,811 

(2.82)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jan-46  Jan-16/2.82  12,440,300  165,207 

1.285/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.285  165,533,800  86,078 

(2.18625)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.18625  77,674,100  20,195 

(2.5025)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.5025  83,133,600  8,313 

 

44   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS       
OUTSTANDING (0.4%)* cont.       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

 
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(2.148)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.148  $82,766,800  $427,077 

0.98/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.98  100,690,900  236,624 

1.898/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/1.898  82,766,800  153,946 

Total purchased swap options outstanding (cost $5,677,290)    $3,218,191 

 

PURCHASED OPTIONS  Expiration date/  Contract   
OUTSTANDING (—%)*  strike price  amount  Value 

 
Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/$100.98  $21,000,000  $115,122 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.86  21,000,000  101,871 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.66  21,000,000  88,347 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA       
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.50  21,000,000  75,264 

Total purchased options outstanding (cost $1,063,125)      $380,604 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (7.3%)*  Principal amount/shares  Value 

 
Airgas, Inc. commercial paper with a yield of 0.35%,       
November 2, 2015    $5,000,000  $4,999,951 

AutoNation, Inc. commercial paper with a yield of 0.65%,       
November 2, 2015    5,000,000  4,999,910 

KCP&L Greater Missouri Operations Co. commercial paper with       
a yield of 0.40%, November 2, 2015    2,325,000  2,324,974 

Kroger Co. (The) commercial paper with a yield of 0.30%,       
November 2, 2015    5,000,000  4,999,958 

Macy’s Retail Holdings, Inc. commercial paper with a yield       
of 0.37%, November 2, 2015    3,500,000  3,499,964 

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.15% L   Shares   14,980,484  14,980,484 

SSgA Prime Money Market Fund Class N 0.09% P   Shares   340,000  340,000 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.03%, February 4, 2016 # ∆ 

  $3,991,000  3,989,898 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.04%, April 28, 2016 ∆ 

  501,000  500,424 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.04%, February 18, 2016 ∆ § 

  4,375,000  4,374,033 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.07%, April 14, 2016 # ∆ § 

  2,963,000  2,960,553 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.07%, April 7, 2016 # ∆ § 

  6,492,000  6,487,469 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.09%, January 14, 2016 ∆ 

  3,193,000  3,192,473 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.11%, April 21, 2016 ∆ § 

  3,581,000  3,577,555 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.15%, February 11, 2016 # ∆ § 

  5,114,000  5,112,834 

Total short-term investments (cost $66,346,879)      $66,340,480 
 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS       

Total investments (cost $1,214,859,856)      $1,198,028,447 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   45 

 



Key to holding’s currency abbreviations 
AUD  Australian Dollar 
BRL  Brazilian Real 
CAD  Canadian Dollar 
CHF  Swiss Franc 
EUR  Euro 
GBP  British Pound 
JPY  Japanese Yen 
KRW  South Korean Won 
NOK  Norwegian Krone 
NZD  New Zealand Dollar 
PLN  Polish Zloty 
SEK  Swedish Krona 
USD/$  United States Dollar 
ZAR  South African Rand 

 

Key to holding’s abbreviations 
BKNT  Bank Note 
bp  Basis Points 
FRB  Floating Rate Bonds: the rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period 
FRN  Floating Rate Notes: the rate shown is the current interest rate or yield at the close of the reporting period 
GMTN Global Medium Term Notes 
IFB  Inverse Floating Rate Bonds, which are securities that pay interest rates that vary inversely to changes in the market interest rates. As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce less current income. The rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period.
IO  Interest Only 
MTN  Medium Term Notes 
OJSC  Open Joint Stock Company 
OTC  Over-the-counter 
PO  Principal Only 
TBA  To Be Announced Commitments 

 

Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $912,125,191.

†† The interest rate and date shown parenthetically represent the new interest rate to be paid and the date the fund will begin accruing interest at this rate.

# This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

∆ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on certain derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

§ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on the initial margin on certain centrally cleared derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

## Forward commitment, in part or in entirety (Note 1).

c Senior loans are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, but contain certain restrictions on resale and cannot be sold publicly. These loans pay interest at rates which adjust periodically. The interest rates shown for senior loans are the current interest rates at the close of the reporting period. Senior loans are also subject to mandatory and/or optional prepayment which cannot be predicted. As a result, the remaining maturity may be substantially less than the stated maturity shown (Notes 1 and 6).

46   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



F This security is valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities’ valuation inputs (Note 1).

i This security was pledged, or purchased with cash that was pledged, to the fund for collateral on certain derivative contracts (Note 1).

L Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

P This security was pledged, or purchased with cash that was pledged, to the fund for collateral on certain derivative contracts. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period (Note 1).

R Real Estate Investment Trust.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $342,693,682 to cover certain derivative contracts and delayed delivery securities.

Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.

Debt obligations are considered secured unless otherwise indicated.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding TBA commitments.

The dates shown on debt obligations are the original maturity dates.

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $212,874,510)     
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
  British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  $469,324  $466,130  $(3,194) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  2,444,212  2,496,301  52,089 

  Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  3,020,310  2,927,945  92,365 

  New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  130,498  31,347  (99,151) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  99,119  93,722  5,397 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  528,375  515,281  (13,094) 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  505,953  594,385  (88,432) 

Barclays Bank PLC           
  British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  267,877  266,032  1,845 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  7,238,111  7,410,448  172,337 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  156,283  191,170  34,887 

  Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  3,148,141  3,048,453  99,688 

  New Zealand Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  1,399,042  1,330,079  (68,963) 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  2,326,565  2,354,749  28,184 

  Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  3,431,118  3,416,863  14,255 

  Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  3,431,118  3,481,665  50,547 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  400,374  480,936  (80,562) 

  Swiss Franc  Sell  12/16/15  1,238,080  1,259,631  21,551 

Citibank, N.A.             
  British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  4,007,983  3,980,120  27,863 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  3,247,123  3,209,381  (37,742) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  4,043,315  4,161,993  118,678 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   47 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $212,874,510) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Citibank, N.A. cont.           
Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  $1,976,883  $1,924,264  $(52,619) 

Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  3,204,725  3,113,645  91,080 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  1,299,428  1,340,296  (40,868) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  3,370,890  3,428,241  57,351 

Swiss Franc  Buy  12/16/15  879,422  898,456  (19,034) 

Credit Suisse International           
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  284,831  282,859  1,972 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  1,586,180  1,569,689  16,491 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  3,725,519  3,847,518  121,999 

Indian Rupee  Buy  11/18/15  3,128,940  3,127,259  1,681 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  179,845  89,635  (90,210) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  1,179,122  1,115,419  63,703 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  2,359,049  2,432,122  73,073 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  3,462,937  3,450,039  12,898 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  3,462,937  3,514,428  51,491 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  435,922  443,256  (7,334) 

Swiss Franc  Buy  12/16/15  70,415  71,618  (1,203) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  1,048,543  1,041,264  7,279 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  3,146,750  3,109,610  (37,140) 

Czech Koruna  Sell  12/16/15  3,017,101  3,087,792  70,691 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  1,278,336  1,330,077  51,741 

Israeli Shekel  Sell  1/20/16  439,843  438,934  (909) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,306,562  1,203,056  (103,506) 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  245,041  252,689  (7,648) 

Polish Zloty  Sell  12/16/15  2,059,905  2,093,833  33,928 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  31,178  31,719  541 

Goldman Sachs International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  1,628,632  1,608,249  20,383 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  2,815,021  2,796,633  18,388 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  2,368,911  2,363,403  5,508 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  6,556,082  6,757,997  201,915 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,582,181  1,635,382  53,201 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  627,686  647,236  19,550 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  363,103  358,035  5,068 

HSBC Bank USA, National Association         
British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  1,562,411  1,551,216  (11,195) 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  120,555  119,134  (1,421) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  1,362,737  1,402,773  40,036 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  544,890  524,728  (20,162) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  1,685,328  1,714,668  29,340 

 

48   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $212,874,510) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  $80,981  $79,971  $1,010 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  1,461,764  1,451,913  9,851 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  2,957,393  2,895,114  (62,279) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  1,972,029  1,976,714  4,685 

Indian Rupee  Buy  11/18/15  3,138,091  3,131,867  6,224 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  136,110  330,232  194,122 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  3,181,191  3,245,442  64,251 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  1,633,035  1,544,625  88,410 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  556,132  532,945  (23,187) 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  4,946,595  4,930,405  16,190 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  4,946,595  5,017,721  71,126 

South African Rand  Buy  1/20/16  859,846  848,111  11,735 

South Korean Won  Sell  11/18/15  81,654  67,462  (14,192) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  2,308,332  2,408,646  100,314 

Swiss Franc  Buy  12/16/15  1,440,104  1,465,920  (25,816) 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  1,496,293  1,514,546  (18,253) 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  2,981,635  2,939,506  42,129 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  614,168  665,110  (50,942) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  6,190,968  6,305,778  114,810 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,646,560  1,740,000  93,440 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  2,964,068  2,854,569  109,499 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  1,475,009  1,480,324  5,315 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  1,598,592  1,578,514  20,078 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  1,598,592  1,596,039  (2,553) 

South Korean Won  Sell  11/18/15  59,241  81,052  21,811 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  1,402,977  1,495,038  (92,061) 

State Street Bank and Trust Co.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  292,311  288,618  3,693 

Brazilian Real  Buy  1/5/16  1,396,969  1,326,854  70,115 

British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  36,991  36,734  (257) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  2,033,313  2,030,418  2,895 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  4,162,708  4,202,696  39,988 

Hungarian Forint  Buy  12/16/15  3,391,630  3,400,702  (9,072) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  329,968  254,951  (75,017) 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  57,041  58,824  (1,783) 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  4,824,669  4,792,657  32,012 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  4,824,669  4,884,640  59,971 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  316,692  322,194  (5,502) 

Swiss Franc  Sell  12/16/15  1,187,726  1,208,102  20,376 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   49 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $212,874,510) cont.   
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

UBS AG             
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  $2,690,188  $2,720,051  $(29,863) 

  British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  4,014,765  3,986,842  27,923 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  1,296,143  1,281,383  (14,760) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  1,096,990  1,129,368  32,378 

  Israeli Shekel  Sell  1/20/16  22,297  21,988  (309) 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,244,702  1,211,293  (33,409) 

  Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  37,083  38,216  (1,133) 

  Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  153,900  106,138  (47,762) 

WestPac Banking Corp.           
  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  70,942  71,819  877 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  7,282,346  7,496,327  213,981 

  Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  3,360,871  3,253,892  106,979 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  3,360,871  3,367,653  6,782 

  New Zealand Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  225,037  234,258  9,221 

  South Korean Won  Buy  11/18/15  3,385,386  3,274,754  110,632 

  South Korean Won  Sell  11/18/15  3,385,386  3,261,771  (123,615) 

Total            $2,065,665 

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15       
        Unrealized 
  Number of    Expiration  appreciation/ 
  contracts  Value  date  (depreciation) 

Euro-Bund 10 yr (Long)  15  $2,593,140  Dec-15  $56,702 

U.S. Treasury Bond 30 yr (Long)  243  38,014,313  Dec-15  219,047 

U.S. Treasury Bond Ultra         
30 yr (Long)  22  3,514,500  Dec-15  9,258 

U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr (Short)  154  33,673,063  Dec-15  4,432 

U.S. Treasury Note 5 yr (Short)  296  35,452,938  Dec-15  (48,511) 

U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr (Short)  97  12,385,688  Dec-15  47,619 

Total        $288,547 

 

WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $7,625,699)     
Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

 
Bank of America N.A.       
1.798/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.798  $196,480,500  $197 

1.278/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.278  49,120,125  2,456 

Citibank, N.A.       
2.587/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.587  77,674,100  5,437 

2.387/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.387  77,674,100  10,098 

Credit Suisse International       
2.515/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.515  11,563,400  1,110,410 

 

50   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $7,625,699) cont.     
Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

 
Goldman Sachs International       
2.58625/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.58625  $155,348,200  $10,875 

(1.885)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jan-46  Jan-16/1.885  12,440,300  28,115 

2.29/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.29  41,566,800  47,386 

(0.725)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.725  226,530,900  88,347 

(0.8125)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.8125  226,530,900  185,755 

(1.435)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.435  165,533,800  322,791 

(2.29)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.29  41,566,800  836,740 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(0.83)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.83  100,690,900  84,580 

(0.905)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.905  100,690,900  150,029 

(2.023)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.023  41,383,400  201,951 

2.023/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.023  41,383,400  456,873 

(6.00 Floor)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Mar-18  Mar-18/6.00  10,748,000  1,379,570 

Total      $4,921,610 

 

WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $1,056,563)     
  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

 
Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/$99.98  $21,000,000  $43,491 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.92  21,000,000  40,467 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.86  21,000,000  37,611 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.77  21,000,000  33,684 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.19  21,000,000  16,527 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.03  21,000,000  13,545 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/98.98  21,000,000  12,747 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/98.86  21,000,000  10,836 

Total      $208,908 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   51 

 



FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15     
Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable)  (depreciation) 

 
Bank of America N.A.         
2.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Purchased)  Nov-15/2.00  $82,766,800  $(331,067)  $24,830 

(2.238)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Purchased)  Nov-15/2.238  82,766,800  (331,067)  (97,665) 

2.119/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Written)  Nov-15/2.119  41,383,400  331,067  71,304 

(2.119)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Written)  Nov-15/2.119  41,383,400  331,067  (51,688) 

Citibank, N.A.         
1.475/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Purchased)  Nov-15/1.475  82,766,800  (219,332)  4,138 

1.399/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Purchased)  Nov-15/1.399  82,766,800  (124,150)  2,483 

(1.551)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Written)  Nov-15/1.551  82,766,800  343,482  (20,692) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
2.117/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.117  7,937,425  (194,491)  (1,508) 

2.035/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.035  7,937,425  (201,682)  (30,003) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  20,643,600  (136,495)  (54,478) 

(3.035)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.035  7,937,425  (211,199)  (102,909) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  41,287,200  (290,043)  (125,885) 

(3.117)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.117  7,937,425  (222,248)  (127,848) 

2.655/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.655  34,765,900  230,324  185,164 

2.56/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.56  34,765,900  222,248  168,615 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  82,574,300  264,238  28,075 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  41,287,200  126,421  9,496 

(1.56)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.56  34,765,900  200,158  (54,235) 

(1.655)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.655  34,765,900  198,166  (92,130) 

Total      $(14,603)  $(264,936) 

 

52   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



TBA SALE COMMITMENTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (proceeds receivable $169,293,945)   
  Principal  Settlement   
Agency  amount  date  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 4s,       
November 1, 2045  $14,000,000  11/12/15  $14,904,532 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3 1/2s,       
November 1, 2045  1,000,000  11/12/15  1,040,859 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3s,       
November 1, 2045  151,000,000  11/12/15  152,639,769 

Total      $168,585,160 

 

OTC INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15     
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
BRL  50,958,174  $—  1/2/17  Brazil Cetip  0.00%  $(342,439) 
        Interbank Deposit     
        Rate Over     

PLN  17,860,000  —  3/17/24  4.1072%  6 month PLN-  (795,509) 
          WIBOR-WIBO   

PLN  8,905,000  —  3/18/24  4.12875%  6 month PLN-  (400,625) 
          WIBOR-WIBO   

PLN  7,747,000  —  3/27/24  4.045%  6 month PLN-  (345,165) 
          WIBOR-WIBO   

PLN  2,800,000  —  6/26/25  6 month PLN-  2.89%  42,139 
        WIBOR-WIBO     

PLN  2,800,000  —  6/29/25  6 month PLN-  2.88%  41,416 
        WIBOR-WIBO     

PLN  8,400,000  —  6/30/25  6 month PLN-  2.87%  122,209 
        WIBOR-WIBO     

PLN  8,400,000  —  7/1/25  6 month PLN-  3.0266%  157,296 
        WIBOR-WIBO     

PLN  8,400,000  —  7/2/25  6 month PLN-  3.00%  151,850 
        WIBOR-WIBO     

PLN  15,586,000  —  11/2/25  6 month PLN-  2.30%  3,469 
        WIBOR-WIBO     

PLN  57,686,000  —  11/2/17  1.52%  6 month PLN-  1,791 
          WIBOR-WIBO   

ZAR  33,758,000  —  1/26/25  3 month ZAR-  7.09%  (165,986) 
        JIBAR-SAFEX     

ZAR  22,505,000  —  1/23/25  3 month ZAR-  7.08%  (111,428) 
        JIBAR-SAFEX     

ZAR  57,141,000  —  8/25/25  8.3575%  3 month ZAR-  (63,628) 
          JIBAR-SAFEX   

Goldman Sachs International         
KRW  3,045,000,000  —  11/6/19  3 month KRW-CD-  2.17%  55,399 
        KSDA-BLOOMBERG     

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   53 

 



OTC INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
BRL  51,471,210  $—  1/2/17  Brazil Cetip  0.00%  $(469,635) 
        Interbank Deposit     
        Rate Over     

BRL  34,842,430  —  1/2/17  Brazil Cetip  0.00%  (166,237) 
        Interbank Deposit     
        Rate Over     

PLN  11,874,000  —  3/12/25  2.42%  6 month PLN-  (87,592) 
          WIBOR-WIBO   

PLN  54,863,000  —  8/20/17  6 month PLN-  1.71%  43,994 
        WIBOR-WIBO     

PLN  2,823,000  —  8/21/17  6 month PLN-  1.71%  2,268 
        WIBOR-WIBO     

ZAR  23,349,000  —  1/22/25  3 month ZAR-  7.14%  (108,942) 
        JIBAR-SAFEX     

ZAR  70,047,000  —  1/23/25  3 month ZAR-  7.0633%  (352,313) 
        JIBAR-SAFEX     

ZAR  56,589,000  —  3/10/25  3 month ZAR-  7.91%  (57,199) 
        JIBAR-SAFEX     

ZAR  59,643,000  —  8/21/25  8.28%  3 month ZAR-  (44,277) 
          JIBAR-SAFEX   

ZAR  454,372,000  —  8/18/17  7.06%  3 month ZAR-  (134,087) 
          JIBAR-SAFEX   

ZAR  89,464,000  —  8/24/25  8.44%  3 month ZAR-  (137,427) 
          JIBAR-SAFEX   

ZAR  113,593,000  —  9/9/17  3 month ZAR-  7.185%  46,800 
        JIBAR-SAFEX     

ZAR  340,779,000  —  10/16/17  3 month ZAR-  6.82%  (57,460) 
        JIBAR-SAFEX     

Total    $—        $(3,171,318) 

 

CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15   
  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$20,640,000  $(107,477)  9/30/25  3 month USD-  2.1575%  $121,246 
      LIBOR-BBA     

20,640,000  282,619  9/30/25  2.3975%  3 month USD-  (406,142) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

20,640,000  (181,781)  9/30/25  3 month USD-  2.2775%  276,961 
      LIBOR-BBA     

83,133,600  (487,429)  10/9/25  3 month USD-  2.155%  360,650 
      LIBOR-BBA     

41,566,800  485,783  10/9/25  2.3225%  3 month USD-  (584,344) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

41,566,800  (275,679)  10/28/25  3 month USD-  2.055%  (289,299) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

 

54   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.   
  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$20,783,400  $264,839  10/28/25  2.235%  3 month USD-  $(75,185) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

83,133,600  (599,658)  10/28/25  3 month USD-  2.0775%  (453,492) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

41,566,800  577,230  10/28/25  2.2625%  3 month USD-  (208,783) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

41,566,800  (270,733)  10/29/25  3 month USD-  2.12%  (31,938) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

20,783,400  269,910  10/29/25  2.31%  3 month USD-  (215,786) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

62,350,200  (393,629)  10/27/25  3 month USD-  2.07125%  (316,172) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

31,175,100  392,395  10/27/25  2.25%  3 month USD-  (162,963) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

644,210,000 E  3,159,998  12/16/17  1.25%  3 month USD-  (1,090,500) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

42,946,000 E  582,176  12/16/25  2.35%  3 month USD-  (436,416) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

31,175,100  258,342  9/29/25  2.235%  3 month USD-  (311,624) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

10,391,700  207,481  9/29/45  2.703%  3 month USD-  (204,672) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

282,850,000 E  228,963  12/16/20  1.70%  3 month USD-  (1,833,863) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

14,974,000 E  38,039  12/16/45  3 month USD-  2.70%  543,592 
      LIBOR-BBA     

2,870,000  (38)  9/29/25  2.162%  3 month USD-  (33,056) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,456,000  (19)  9/30/25  2.07%  3 month USD-  (4,322) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

21,000,000  (277)  10/5/25  3 month USD-  2.021%  (42,285) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

8,300,000  (110)  10/6/25  1.945%  3 month USD-  75,525 
        LIBOR-BBA   

8,300,000  (110)  10/6/25  1.939%  3 month USD-  80,149 
        LIBOR-BBA   

55,459,000  (208)  10/7/17  3 month USD-  0.72225%  (102,693) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

55,459,000  (208)  10/7/17  3 month USD-  0.71967%  (105,561) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

55,459,000  (208)  10/7/17  3 month USD-  0.72163%  (103,382) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

4,322,000  (35)  10/7/20  1.3645%  3 month USD-  22,382 
        LIBOR-BBA   

34,311,000  (453)  10/7/25  2.0085%  3 month USD-  112,034 
        LIBOR-BBA   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   55 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

  $4,539,000  $(154)  10/7/45  2.54395%  3 month USD-  $(17,355) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  30,726,100  (247)  10/19/20  1.345%  3 month USD-  207,476 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  30,726,100  (247)  10/19/20  1.34757%  3 month USD-  203,608 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  31,285,900  (252)  10/19/20  1.35331%  3 month USD-  198,592 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  18,770,300  (248)  10/28/25  2.013%  3 month USD-  78,985 
          LIBOR-BBA   

  6,235,000  (82)  10/28/25  2.044%  3 month USD-  8,320 
          LIBOR-BBA   

AUD  7,943,000  (75)  10/8/25  6 month AUD-  2.9525%  34,933 
        BBR-BBSW     

AUD  4,112,000  (24)  10/9/20  2.40%  6 month AUD-  (4,622) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  2,154,000  (21)  10/9/25  6 month AUD-  2.90375%  2,728 
        BBR-BBSW     

AUD  1,742,000  (17)  10/9/25  6 month AUD-  2.915%  3,452 
        BBR-BBSW     

AUD  11,201,000  (65)  10/16/20  2.37%  6 month AUD-  (2,204) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  29,954,000  (82)  10/22/17  1.975%  3 month AUD-  (19,545) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  16,289,000  (5,326)  9/28/25  3.00%  6 month AUD-  (130,646) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  4,648,000  (43)  10/6/25  2.9225%  6 month AUD-  (12,185) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  20,003,000  (115)  10/8/20  2.41125%  6 month AUD-  (30,457) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  34,016,000  (91)  10/8/17  1.9725%  3 month AUD-  (19,836) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  15,004,000  (86)  10/8/20  2.45%  6 month AUD-  (42,617) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  20,003,000  (115)  10/8/20  2.4175%  6 month AUD-  (34,711) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  9,957,000  (57)  10/8/20  2.445%  6 month AUD-  (26,589) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  10,568,000  (100)  10/8/25  6 month AUD-  2.92%  24,625 
        BBR-BBSW     

AUD  5,250,000  (49)  10/8/25  6 month AUD-  2.94875%  21,837 
        BBR-BBSW     

AUD  6,989,000  (41)  10/13/20  6 month AUD-  2.47%  24,017 
        BBR-BBSW     

AUD  2,280,000  (22)  10/13/25  3.0025%  6 month AUD-  (17,001) 
          BBR-BBSW   

 

56   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

AUD  6,306,000  $(37)  10/14/20  2.4675%  6 month AUD-  $(22,001) 
          BBR-BBSW   

AUD  9,610,000  (92)  10/16/25  2.8775%  6 month AUD-  3,734 
          BBR-BBSW   

CAD  83,039,000  (124,560)  6/17/17  3 month CAD-  0.92%  (34,928) 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  54,175,000  (404)  6/17/20  3 month CAD-  1.24%  191,852 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  2,067,000  (22)  4/17/25  1.89%  3 month CAD-  (3,752) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  8,268,000  (90)  4/17/25  1.91875%  3 month CAD-  (31,330) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  7,340,000  (79)  4/17/25  1.89375%  3 month CAD-  (15,212) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  18,274,000  (215)  6/17/25  2.253%  3 month CAD-  (532,081) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  8,838,000  (95)  5/21/25  3 month CAD-  2.1875%  227,344 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  5,484,000  (58)  6/29/25  3 month CAD-  2.255%  156,947 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  3,353,000  (36)  6/29/25  3 month CAD-  2.27%  99,597 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  3,266,000  (33)  7/29/25  3 month CAD-  2.03%  37,947 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  10,603,000  77,775  7/17/25  3 month CAD-  2.035%  210,833 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  2,922,000  (30)  7/23/25  3 month CAD-  2.0125%  31,070 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  5,168,000  (52)  8/5/25  1.9575%  3 month CAD-  (31,298) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  3,309,000  (33)  8/7/25  1.9625%  3 month CAD-  (20,960) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  3,061,000  (31)  8/14/25  3 month CAD-  1.9375%  12,842 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  41,520,000  (118)  8/27/17  3 month CAD-  0.6825%  (91,840) 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  9,137,000  (91)  8/27/25  1.9375%  3 month CAD-  (33,063) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  3,513,000  (35)  9/3/25  1.8925%  3 month CAD-  (145) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  3,353,000  (34)  9/10/25  3 month CAD-  1.90%  784 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  3,305,000  (33)  9/15/25  1.915%  3 month CAD-  (3,605) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  27,088,000  (167)  9/18/20  1.165%  3 month CAD-  22,428 
          BA-CDOR   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   57 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

CAD  7,699,000  $(77)  10/23/25  1.91625%  3 month CAD-  $5,069 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  3,387,000  (34)  9/24/25  1.855%  3 month CAD-  12,524 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  3,253,000  (32)  10/2/25  1.90%  3 month CAD-  2,778 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  6,961,000  (43)  10/7/20  1.22%  3 month CAD-  (5,072) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  36,154,000  (224)  10/7/20  1.21156%  3 month CAD-  (14,874) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  23,030,000  (66)  10/7/17  3 month CAD-  0.822%  (8,987) 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  44,387,000  (128)  10/7/17  3 month CAD-  0.82%  (18,659) 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  10,033,000  (102)  10/7/25  3 month CAD-  1.91%  (3,851) 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  8,502,000  (53)  10/7/20  1.218%  3 month CAD-  (5,555) 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  7,393,000  (75)  10/14/25  1.865%  3 month CAD-  28,993 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  34,005,000  (97)  10/23/17  3 month CAD-  0.81%  (21,695) 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  35,207,000  (100)  10/23/17  3 month CAD-  0.805%  (25,134) 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  16,652,000  (102)  10/27/20  3 month CAD-  1.07659%  (86,081) 
        BA-CDOR     

CAD  5,525,000  (55)  10/29/25  1.907%  3 month CAD-  9,017 
          BA-CDOR   

CAD  6,315,000  (63)  10/30/25  3 month CAD-  1.9225%  (3,838) 
        BA-CDOR     

CHF  31,720,000  (127)  5/5/17  6 month CHF-  0.60875%  (106,166) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  6,270,000  (88)  5/5/25  6 month CHF-  0.22%  128,298 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  6,270,000  (90)  5/19/25  0.29%  6 month CHF-  (169,354) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

CHF  31,720,000  (130)  5/19/17  0.63%  6 month CHF-  91,967 
          LIBOR-BBA   

CHF  3,261,000  (46)  5/26/25  0.28%  6 month CHF-  (83,517) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

CHF  8,409,000  (70)  10/15/20  6 month CHF-  0.3855%  (55,153) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  5,159,000  (43)  10/15/20  6 month CHF-  0.3875%  (33,300) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  6,362,000  (88)  10/23/25  6 month CHF-  0.1425%  25,488 
        LIBOR-BBA     

 

58   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

CHF  32,529,000  $(126)  10/9/17  0.685%  6 month CHF-  $61,708 
          LIBOR-BBA   

CHF  12,919,000  (107)  10/9/20  6 month CHF-  0.3875%  (85,433) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  5,842,000  (48)  10/12/20  6 month CHF-  0.402%  (33,803) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

CHF  20,954,000  (82)  10/15/17  0.678%  6 month CHF-  42,889 
          LIBOR-BBA   

EUR  22,815,000 E  117,756  12/16/20  0.50%  6 month EUR-  (133,906) 
          EURIBOR-   
          REUTERS   

EUR  18,666,000 E  557,186  12/16/25  6 month EUR-  0.75%  198,472 
        EURIBOR-REUTERS     

GBP  194,000 E  (1,567)  12/16/17  6 month GBP-  1.25%  (227) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  1,821,000 E  (32,021)  12/16/20  6 month GBP-  1.75%  (1,843) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

GBP  2,959,000 E  (35,973)  12/16/25  6 month GBP-  2.00%  (14,976) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  58,423,000  (20)  3/24/44  6 month JPY-  1.80%  62,477 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  114,399,000  (38)  3/24/44  6 month JPY-  1.79625%  121,438 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  3,191,100,000  (125)  3/14/19  6 month JPY-  0.3175%  182,895 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  698,200,000  (122)  3/14/44  1.795%  6 month JPY-  (742,071) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  56,638,000  (10)  3/24/44  6 month JPY-  1.80125%  60,726 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  65,000,000  (20)  11/7/44  6 month JPY-  1.5025%  30,963 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  384,000,000  (115)  11/7/44  6 month JPY-  1.495%  176,685 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  2,006,000,000  (143)  11/7/19  0.2475%  6 month JPY-  (81,687) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  1,185,100,000  (84)  11/7/19  0.25%  6 month JPY-  (49,360) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  19,740,000  (6)  11/7/44  6 month JPY-  1.4975%  9,189 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  89,716,000  (10)  5/1/25  0.51%  6 month JPY-  (5,935) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  2,831,226,000  (171)  5/20/25  0.583%  6 month JPY-  (345,867) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  2,259,032,000  (134)  5/26/25  6 month JPY-  0.595%  294,285 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  816,434,000  (89)  5/26/25  0.614%  6 month JPY-  (119,296) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   59 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

JPY  685,358,000  $(40)  6/4/25  6 month JPY-  0.619%  $101,716 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  680,465,000  (72)  6/8/25  0.6725%  6 month JPY-  (130,361) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  734,779,000  (77)  6/10/25  0.674%  6 month JPY-  (141,426) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  728,564,000  (77)  6/12/25  0.6775%  6 month JPY-  (142,010) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  2,045,682,000  (119)  6/17/25  6 month JPY-  0.689%  415,497 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  613,929,000  (36)  6/25/25  0.622%  6 month JPY-  (89,767) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  2,259,032,000  (133)  7/2/25  6 month JPY-  0.6325%  345,778 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  506,235,000  (55)  9/14/25  0.525%  6 month JPY-  (24,630) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  701,129,000  (41)  7/15/25  0.6275%  6 month JPY-  (102,700) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  659,005,000  (38)  8/7/25  6 month JPY-  0.575%  64,789 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  727,424,000  (77)  8/14/25  6 month JPY-  0.558%  60,112 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  704,110,000  (77)  9/8/25  0.545%  6 month JPY-  (46,911) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  677,396,000  (75)  9/10/25  0.5375%  6 month JPY-  (40,649) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  1,206,705,000  (72)  10/29/25  0.483%  6 month JPY-  (5,257) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  1,521,804,000  (167)  9/28/25  0.48%  6 month JPY-  (13,764) 
          LIBOR-BBA   

JPY  592,343,000  (35)  10/9/25  6 month JPY-  0.49625%  11,616 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  1,702,879,000  (102)  11/2/25  6 month JPY-  0.48125%  2,170 
        LIBOR-BBA     

JPY  919,552,000  (101)  11/2/25  6 month JPY-  0.46875%  (8,315) 
        LIBOR-BBA     

NOK  45,585,000  (45)  10/9/20  1.32%  6 month NOK-  (7,857) 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  57,151,000  (26)  10/9/17  6 month NOK-  0.99%  3,268 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  28,575,000  (28)  10/9/20  1.31%  6 month NOK-  (3,296) 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  70,116,000  (32)  10/12/17  6 month NOK-  0.975%  2,131 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  57,532,000  (56)  10/12/20  1.285%  6 month NOK-  1,645 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

 

60   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

NOK  57,532,000  $(57)  10/13/20  1.36725%  6 month NOK-  $(25,439) 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NOK  70,116,000  (32)  10/13/17  6 month NOK-  1.01%  8,234 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  170,958,000  (79)  10/14/17  6 month NOK-  1.02125%  21,723 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  76,333,000  (35)  10/22/17  6 month NOK-  0.9965%  6,537 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  120,186,000  (195)  10/23/25  6 month NOK-  1.92%  19,026 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  41,193,000  (40)  10/29/20  6 month NOK-  1.2775%  (4,366) 
        NIBOR-NIBR     

NOK  27,123,000  (43)  10/29/25  1.88%  6 month NOK-  7,528 
          NIBOR-NIBR   

NZD  8,639,000  (47)  10/23/20  3.09%  3 month NZD-  (11,789) 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  8,123,000  (73)  10/29/25  3 month NZD-  3.4925%  (12,661) 
        BBR-FRA     

NZD  3,717,000  (33)  11/2/25  3.5075%  3 month NZD-  2,972 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  33,473,000  (176)  10/9/20  3.03%  3 month NZD-  10,322 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  18,639,000  (46)  10/9/17  2.705%  3 month NZD-  11,277 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  8,202,000  (44)  10/12/20  3.0525%  3 month NZD-  (2,681) 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  11,295,000  (61)  10/14/20  3.0775%  3 month NZD-  (12,283) 
          BBR-FRA   

NZD  10,987,000  (28)  10/14/17  3 month NZD-  2.725%  (4,131) 
        BBR-FRA     

NZD  7,227,000  (18)  10/14/17  3 month NZD-  2.721%  (3,099) 
        BBR-FRA     

NZD  531,000  (3)  10/20/20  3 month NZD-  3.0475%  41 
        BBR-FRA     

NZD  21,960,000  (56)  10/29/17  2.7675%  3 month NZD-  (5,649) 
          BBR-FRA   

SEK  27,926,000  (44)  5/19/25  3 month SEK-  1.3225%  36,492 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  42,357,000  (69)  6/23/25  1.5525%  3 month SEK-  (151,795) 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  11,980,000  (18)  7/29/25  1.32%  3 month SEK-  (7,866) 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  11,722,000  (18)  8/6/25  3 month SEK-  1.34%  10,153 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  10,411,000  (16)  7/23/25  1.4275%  3 month SEK-  (19,855) 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   61 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.   
    Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
    premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

SEK  12,280,000  $(19)  8/11/25  1.3575%  3 month SEK-  $(12,595) 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  8,955,000  (14)  8/27/25  1.3025%  3 month SEK-  (2,481) 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  12,989,000  (20)  8/28/25  3 month SEK-  1.3075%  4,210 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  10,469,000  (17)  9/22/25  3 month SEK-  1.35%  5,931 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  28,692,000  (45)  9/25/25  3 month SEK-  1.315%  3,980 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  38,836,000  (62)  10/23/25  1.3955%  3 month SEK-  (30,871) 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  136,944,000  (61)  9/25/17  3 month SEK-  0.17%  (22,441) 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  28,692,000  (45)  9/28/25  3 month SEK-  1.3075%  769 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  136,944,000  (61)  9/28/17  3 month SEK-  0.17125%  (21,779) 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  11,546,000  (18)  9/30/25  3 month SEK-  1.34125%  4,596 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  566,081,000  (257)  10/9/17  3 month SEK-  0.1522%  (109,569) 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  98,591,000  (96)  10/9/20  0.5036%  3 month SEK-  (60,680) 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  54,938,000  (88)  10/9/25  3 month SEK-  1.355%  25,510 
        STIBOR-SIDE     

SEK  200,590,000  (92)  10/14/17  0.17875%  3 month SEK-  24,830 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  284,471,000  (128)  10/23/17  0.187%  3 month SEK-  27,860 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  41,978,000  (41)  10/23/20  0.498%  3 month SEK-  (20,994) 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  280,371,000  (125)  10/27/17  0.244%  3 month SEK-  (10,904) 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

SEK  91,046,000  (40)  10/29/17  0.2675%  3 month SEK-  (8,621) 
          STIBOR-SIDE   

Total    $4,971,551        $(5,582,529) 



E
Extended effective date.

 

 

62   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
$806,536  $—  1/12/41  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $2,023 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

Barclays Bank PLC           
599,528  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,510 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

138,559  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  479 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

2,315,296  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,692 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

4,142,073  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  10,431 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,850,772  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  10,900 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

11,647,965  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (20,279) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

5,272,375  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  14,924 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,954,541  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,532 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,298,882  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  968 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

977,271  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,766 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,163,612  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,837 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

10,110,505  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (17,602) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

12,675,200  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  35,878 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,895,218  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,903 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   63 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

 
Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
$455,276  $—  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $1,023 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

231,256  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  570 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

672,362  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,903 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,954,541  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,532 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

7,394,359  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (12,873) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

6,908,949  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,148 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

4,267,413  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (7,429) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,011,079  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,176 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

739,981  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,864 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

4,686,391  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,449 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

21,650,453  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  61,283 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

5,353,489  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  15,153 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

270,704  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  766 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

525,400  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,323 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,703,864  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  4,291 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,235,253  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  3,111 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

64   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

 
Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
$10,056,974  $—  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $(17,509) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,907,332  —  1/12/39  (6.00%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (10,670) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,466,399  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (4,308) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

733,230  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,154) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

733,230  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,154) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,471,442  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (4,323) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,821,703  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (11,227) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,471,442  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (4,323) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

823,259  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,382 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

739,468  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,093 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

522,147  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  876 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

805,223  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,984 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,937,841  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (8,630) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

977,426  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,702) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,688,533  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (4,681) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,163,604  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  3,294 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   65 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

 
Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
  $7,721,381  $—  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $(13,443) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

EUR  6,402,000  —  9/15/17  (0.4975%)  Eurostat Eurozone  6,864 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  3,201,000  —  9/15/17  (0.46%)  Eurostat Eurozone  6,097 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  4,554,000  —  9/15/17  (0.435%)  Eurostat Eurozone  11,202 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

Citibank, N.A.           
  $1,090,308  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  3,086 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  904,953  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,562 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

Credit Suisse International         
  1,303,028  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  3,688 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  3,765,364  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (6,555) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  3,617,241  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,071 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
          Mae II pools   

  3,540,977  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (7,600) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  3,768,030  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (8,088) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  8,049,044  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  13,510 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
          Mae II pools   

  2,739,813  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,283 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

Deutsche Bank AG           
  3,765,364  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (6,555) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

 

66   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International         
$2,937,612  $—  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $7,240 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,266,122  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  5,585 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

7,260,796  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  11,464 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,846,364  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  7,015 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

6,367,570  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  18,024 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,519,486  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (6,127) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,322,208  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,302) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,628,477  —  1/12/41  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,085 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

423,828  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  952 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

96,999  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  153 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,889,781  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,563 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

4,821,423  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (8,394) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

213,559  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (372) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

569,511  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (992) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

972,280  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,396 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,219,324  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  7,934 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   67 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
  $5,211,568  $—  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $8,229 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  4,826,414  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (10,359) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  6,954,000  —  2/24/25  (2.01%)  USA Non Revised  (214,878) 
          Consumer Price   
          Index-Urban (CPI-U)   

  2,405,000  —  3/12/25  (1.925%)  USA Non Revised  (44,565) 
          Consumer Price   
          Index-Urban (CPI-U)   

EUR  23,048,000  —  8/10/17  (0.63%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (47,572) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  7,610,000  —  8/11/17  (0.63%)  Eurostat Eurozone  (15,707) 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  6,402,000  —  8/31/17  (0.27%)  Eurostat Eurozone  37,924 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  6,402,000  —  9/1/17  (0.37%)  Eurostat Eurozone  23,739 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  6,402,000  —  9/10/20  (0.7975%)  Eurostat Eurozone  43,085 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

GBP  4,028,000  —  2/20/25  (2.895%)  GBP Non-revised UK  44,274 
          Retail Price Index   

GBP  1,392,000  —  3/10/25  (2.8675%)  GBP Non-revised UK  (2,618) 
          Retail Price Index   

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
  $4,826,740  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (10,360) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

EUR  3,201,000  —  9/4/20  (0.8675%)  Eurostat Eurozone  8,807 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

EUR  3,201,000  —  9/7/20  (0.85%)  Eurostat Eurozone  11,996 
          HICP excluding   
          tobacco   

Total    $—        $(18,459) 

 

68   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15       
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional   nation  (paid) by fund appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount   date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $11,962  $175,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $9,701 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  22,719  377,000  5/11/63  300 bp  17,850 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  46,609  755,000  5/11/63  300 bp  36,857 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  44,403  779,000  5/11/63  300 bp  34,341 
Index             

Barclays Bank PLC             
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  69,177  624,000  5/11/63  300 bp  61,116 
Index             

Credit Suisse International           
CMBX NA BB Index  —  (166,815)  9,451,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  (15,336) 

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  83,322  5,756,000  5/11/63  300 bp  8,974 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  204,519  15,572,000  5/11/63  300 bp  3,379 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  187,525  17,118,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (33,582) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  26,121  649,000  1/17/47  300 bp  3,719 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  56,889  969,000  1/17/47  300 bp  23,442 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  189,648  5,529,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (1,194) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  421,942  11,855,000  1/17/47  300 bp  12,746 
Index             

Goldman Sachs International           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  652  250,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (2,577) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (1,337)  293,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (5,122) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (3,548)  513,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (10,174) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  517  145,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (4,488) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  517  145,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (4,488) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,924  450,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (13,609) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,604  450,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (13,928) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,604  450,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (13,928) 
Index             

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (8,545)  999,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  7,467 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   69 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.       
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional nation  (paid) by fund appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
CMBX NA BB Index  —  $(5,599)  $528,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  $2,864 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  7,574  450,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  14,787 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  4,520  441,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  11,589 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  495  408,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  7,035 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (3,246)  338,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  2,171 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  6,218  275,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  10,626 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (829)  416,000  1/17/47  (500 bp)  14,533 

CMBX NA BBB–  —  (8,769)  966,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  3,709 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (249)  93,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (1,450) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (3,240)  297,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (7,076) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (4,755)  592,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (12,402) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (5,558)  594,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (13,231) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (5,957)  594,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (13,630) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (5,957)  594,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (13,630) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (2,392)  596,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (10,090) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,568  598,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (4,157) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (10,681)  641,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (18,960) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  7,391  647,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (966) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  13,828  656,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (8,815) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  20,269  677,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (3,099) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  29,270  966,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (4,073) 
Index             

JPMorgan Securities LLC           
CMBX NA BBB–  —  (30,927)  1,289,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (14,277) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  —  (16,594)  644,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (8,275) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  35,632  644,000  1/17/47  300 bp  13,403 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  67,985  1,289,000  1/17/47  300 bp  23,493 
Index             

Total    $1,283,406        $71,245 

 

70   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at October 31, 2015. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.”

ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:

    Valuation inputs  

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Asset-backed securities  $—­  $—­  $51,437,000 

Corporate bonds and notes  —­  262,179,562  —­ 

Foreign government and agency bonds and notes  —­  37,775,720  —­ 

Mortgage-backed securities  —­  372,071,439  12,889,281 

Purchased options outstanding  —­  380,604  —­ 

Purchased swap options outstanding  —­  3,218,191  —­ 

Senior loans  —­  78,864,259  —­ 

U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations  —­  311,986,181  —­ 

U.S. treasury obligations  —­  885,730  —­ 

Short-term investments  15,320,484  51,019,996  —­ 

Totals by level  $15,320,484  $1,118,381,682  $64,326,281 
 
    Valuation inputs  

Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Forward currency contracts  $—­  $2,065,665  $—­ 

Futures contracts  288,547  —­  —­ 

Written options outstanding  —­  (208,908)  —­ 

Written swap options outstanding  —­  (4,921,610)  —­ 

Forward premium swap option contracts  —­  (264,936)  —­ 

TBA sale commitments  —­  (168,585,160)  —­ 

Interest rate swap contracts  —­  (13,725,398)  —­ 

Total return swap contracts  —­  (18,459)  —­ 

Credit default contracts  —­  (1,212,161)  —­ 

Totals by level  $288,547  $(186,870,967)  $—­ 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   71 

 



The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets as of the close of the reporting period:

      Change in net           
        unrealized      Total  Total   
  Balance  Accrued  appreciation/    Proceeds   transfers  transfers  Balance 
Investments  as of  discounts/  Realized   (deprecia-  Cost of  from   into  out of  as of 
in securities:  10/31/14  premiums  gain/(loss)  tion) #  purchases  sales   Level 3†   Level 3†  10/31/15 

Asset-backed                   
securities  $—­  $—­  $—­  $—­  $9,526,000  $—­ $41,911,000  $—­  $51,437,000 

Mortgage-                   
backed                   
securities  $—­  (314,398)  —­  (33,533)  11,430,673  —­  1,806,539  —­  $12,889,281 

Totals  $—­  $(314,398)  $—­  $(33,533) $20,956,673  $—­ $43,717,539  $—­  $64,326,281 


† Transfers during the reporting period are accounted for using the end of period market value and include valuations provided by a single broker quote. Such valuations involve certain inputs and estimates that were unobservable at the end of the reporting period.

# Includes $(33,533) related to Level 3 securities still held at period end. Total change in unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) for securities (including Level 1 and Level 2) can be found in the Statement of operations.

During the reporting period, transfers between level 1 and level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, if any, did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using the end of period pricing valuation method.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

72   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities 10/31/15

ASSETS   

Investment in securities, at value (Note 1):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $1,199,879,372)  $1,183,047,963 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $14,980,484) (Note 5)  14,980,484 

Cash  112,102 

Foreign currency (cost $716) (Note 1)  716 

Interest and other receivables  8,123,903 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold  935,475 

Receivable for investments sold  14,815,919 

Receivable for sales of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  79,062,412 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)  2,590,115 

Unrealized appreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  494,105 

Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  3,481,817 

Unrealized appreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  1,510,325 

Premium paid on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  284,998 

Total assets  1,309,440,334 
 
LIABILITIES   

Payable for investments purchased  5,451,069 

Payable for purchases of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  203,997,784 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  1,870,653 

Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)  668,555 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  124,204 

Payable for distribution fees (Note 2)  201,454 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)  2,073,099 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  4,628,857 

Premium received on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  1,568,404 

Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  1,416,152 

Unrealized depreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  759,041 

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums $8,682,262) (Notes 1 and 3)  5,130,518 

TBA sale commitments, at value (proceeds receivable $169,293,945) (Note 1)  168,585,160 

Collateral on certain derivative contracts, at value (Note 1)  835,374 

Other accrued expenses  4,819 

Total liabilities  397,315,143 
 
Net assets  $912,125,191 

 
REPRESENTED BY   

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $994,736,118 

Undistributed net investment income (Note 1)  29,954,891 

Accumulated net realized loss on investments and foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  (93,380,069) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  (19,185,749) 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $912,125,191 

 

(Continued on next page)

Absolute Return 300 Fund   73 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities (Continued)   
 
COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share   
($374,838,510 divided by 36,823,057 shares)  $10.18 

Offering price per class A share (100/99.00 of $10.18)*  $10.28 

Net asset value and offering price per class B share ($9,668,861 divided by 955,221 shares)**  $10.12 

Net asset value and offering price per class C share ($134,130,680 divided by 13,336,952 shares)**  $10.06 

Net asset value and redemption price per class M share ($9,913,249 divided by 976,979 shares)  $10.15 

Offering price per class M share (100/99.25 of $10.15)*  $10.23 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R share   
($378,778 divided by 37,357 shares)  $10.14 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R5 share   
($10,835 divided by 1,057 shares)  $10.25 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R6 share   
($1,446,243 divided by 141,195 shares)  $10.24 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($381,738,035 divided by 37,358,236 shares)  $10.22 


*
On single retail sales of less than $500,000.

** Redemption price per share is equal to net asset value less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

74   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



Statement of operations Year ended 10/31/15   
 
INVESTMENT INCOME   

Interest (net of foreign tax of $34) (including interest income of $36,019 from investments   
in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  $36,178,295 
 
EXPENSES   

Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  5,959,895 

Distribution fees (Note 2)  2,634,130 

Other  8,373 

Total expenses  8,602,398 
 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (2,213) 

Net expenses  8,600,185 
 
Net investment income  27,578,110 

 
Net realized gain on investments (Notes 1 and 3)  7,455,283 

Net realized loss on swap contracts (Note 1)  (26,348,079) 

Net realized loss on futures contracts (Note 1)  (5,414,408) 

Net realized gain on foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  10,283,267 

Net realized gain on written options (Notes 1 and 3)  6,842,817 

Net unrealized depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies during the year  (2,992,605) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts, written options   
and TBA sale commitments during the year  (32,193,689) 

Net loss on investments  (42,367,414) 
 
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations  $(14,789,304) 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 300 Fund   75 

 



Statement of changes in net assets     
 
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Operations:     
Net investment income  $27,578,110  $29,447,730 

Net realized loss on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  (7,181,120)  (13,351,284) 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments     
and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  (35,186,294)  14,133,645 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting     
from operations  (14,789,304)  30,230,091 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     

Class A  (15,901,153)  (20,686,906) 

Class B  (385,159)  (475,397) 

Class C  (4,377,677)  (5,496,333) 

Class M  (388,196)  (448,939) 

Class R  (30,512)  (26,254) 

Class R5  (408)  (451) 

Class R6  (59,446)  (106,155) 

Class Y  (16,543,336)  (11,249,614) 

Increase (decrease) from capital share transactions (Note 4)  (132,214,116)  157,170,381 

Total increase (decrease) in net assets  (184,689,307)  148,910,423 
 
NET ASSETS     

Beginning of year  1,096,814,498  947,904,075 

End of year (including undistributed net investment income     
of $29,954,891 and $24,661,955, respectively)  $912,125,191  $1,096,814,498 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

76   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 


 

 

 

 

 


 

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Absolute Return 300 Fund   77 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:          LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:          RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain   distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a   on investments­     operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b  (in thousands)  (%) c  (%)  (%) 

Class A­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.71­  .28­  (.44)  (.16)  (.37)  —­  (.37)  $10.18­  (1.53)  $374,839­  .84­  2.71­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.81­  .31­  .03­  .34­  (.44)  —­  (.44)  10.71­  3.19­  470,872­  .81­  2.91­  203 ­d 
October 31, 2013­  10.58­  .34­  .05­  .39­  (.16)  —­  (.16)  10.81­  3.73­  497,067­  .78­ e  3.13­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.38­  .31­  (.01)  .30­  (.10)  —­  (.10)  10.58­  2.97­  518,088­  .82­ e  2.94­ e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.92­  .38­  (.56)  (.18)  (.32)  (.04)  (.36)  10.38­  (1.72)  830,296­  .87 ­e  3.55­ e  188 f 

Class B­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.65­  .26­  (.44)  (.18)  (.35)  —­  (.35)  $10.12­  (1.74)  $9,669­  1.04­  2.52­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.75­  .29­  .02­  .31­  (.41)  —­  (.41)  10.65­  2.96­  11,822­  1.01­  2.73­  203 ­d 
October 31, 2013­  10.53­  .31­  .05­  .36­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  10.75­  3.46­  12,854­  .98­ e  2.93­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.32­  .28­  .01­  .29­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  10.53­  2.86­  13,859­  1.02 ­e  2.71­ e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.86­  .37­  (.58)  (.21)  (.29)  (.04)  (.33)  10.32­  (2.03)  16,066­  1.07 ­e  3.48 ­e  188 f 

Class C­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.58­  .20­  (.43)  (.23)  (.29)  —­  (.29)  $10.06­  (2.22)  $134,131­  1.59­  1.96­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.68­  .23­  .02­  .25­  (.35)  —­  (.35)  10.58­  2.37­  162,146­  1.56­  2.17­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.44­  .25­  .06­  .31­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  10.68­  2.94­  169,740­  1.53 ­e  2.39­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.24­  .22­  .01­  .23­  (.03)  —­  (.03)  10.44­  2.23­  201,889­  1.57­ e  2.19 ­e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.80­  .30­  (.57)  (.27)  (.25)  (.04)  (.29)  10.24­  (2.53)  291,442­  1.62­ e  2.86 ­e  188 f 

Class M­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.68­  .28­  (.44)  (.16)  (.37)  —­  (.37)  $10.15­  (1.56)  $9,913­  .89­  2.67­  486 ­d 
October 31, 2014­  10.78­  .31­  .02­  .33­  (.43)  —­  (.43)  10.68­  3.13­  11,043­  .86­  2.85­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.55­  .33­  .05­  .38­  (.15)  —­  (.15)  10.78­  3.68­  11,228­  .83­ e  3.08­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.35­  .30­  — ­g  .30­  (.10)  —­  (.10)  10.55­  2.90­  11,914­  .87­ e  2.89­ e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.90­  .38­  (.57)  (.19)  (.32)  (.04)  (.36)  10.35­  (1.85)  17,639­  .92 ­e  3.56­ e  188 f 

Class R­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.68­  .26­  (.45)  (.19)  (.35)  —­  (.35)  $10.14­  (1.81)  $379­  1.09­  2.52­  486 ­d 
October 31, 2014­  10.77­  .28­  .03­  .31­  (.40)  —­  (.40)  10.68­  2.96­  914­  1.06­  2.64­  203 ­d 
October 31, 2013­  10.54­  .31­  .05­  .36­  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.77­  3.47­  824­  1.03­ e  2.86­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.34­  .28­  —­ g  .28­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  10.54­  2.71­  734­  1.07­ e  2.68 ­e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.89­  .36­  (.57)  (.21)  (.30)  (.04)  (.34)  10.34­  (1.98)  801­  1.12 ­e  3.35­ e  188 f 

Class R5­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.78­  .31­  (.44)  (.13)  (.40)  —­  (.40)  $10.25­  (1.24)  $11­  .59­  3.00­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.88­  .34­  .02­  .36­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  10.78­  3.42­  11­  .56­  3.19­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.63­  .37­  .05­  .42­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  10.88­  4.03­  11­  .53­ e  3.40­ e  246 f 
October 31, 2012†  10.42­  .09­  .12­  .21­  —­  —­  —­  10.63­  2.02*  10­  .18* e  .84* e  238 f 

Class R6­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.78­  .31­  (.45)  (.14)  (.40)  —­  (.40)  $10.24­  (1.34)  $1,446­  .59­  2.98­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.88­  .37­  (.01)  .36­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  10.78­  3.43­  1,828­  .56­  3.38­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.63­  .32­ h  .11­  .43­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  10.88­  4.06­  2,573­     .53 ­e        2.91 e,h  246 f 
October 31, 2012†  10.42­  .09­  .12­  .21­  —­  —­  —­  10.63­  2.02*  10­     .18* e      .84* e  238 f 

Class Y­                           
October 31, 2015­  $10.75­  .31­  (.44)  (.13)  (.40)  —­  (.40)  $10.22­  (1.24)  $381,738­  .59­  2.98­  486­ d 
October 31, 2014­  10.85­  .33­  .03­  .36­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  10.75­  3.42­  438,177­  .56­  3.06­  203­ d 
October 31, 2013­  10.63­  .36­  .05­  .41­  (.19)  —­  (.19)  10.85­  3.93­  253,607­    .53­ e  3.37 ­e  246 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.43­  .33­  — ­g  .33­  (.13)  —­  (.13)  10.63­  3.21­  212,599­    .57 ­e  3.20­ e  238 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.96­  .41­  (.56)  (.15)  (.34)  (.04)  (.38)  10.43­  (1.47)  367,131­   .62­ e  3.82 ­e  188 f 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

78   Absolute Return 300 Fund  Absolute Return 300 Fund   79 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

* Not annualized.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage/service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

e Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets (Note 2):

  10/31/13  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  0.06%  0.19%  0.18% 

Class B  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class C  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class M  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class R  0.06  0.19  0.18 

Class R5  0.05  0.05  N/A 

Class R6  0.03  0.03  N/A 

Class Y  0.06  0.19  0.18 

 

f Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:

  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  656% 

October 31, 2012  722 

October 31, 2011  512 


g
Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

h The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending October 31, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

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Notes to financial statements 10/31/15

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015.

Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 300 basis points (or 3.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions. The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return through a broadly diversified portfolio reflecting uncorrelated fixed-income strategies designed to exploit market inefficiencies across global markets and fixed-income sectors. These strategies include investments in the following asset categories: (a) sovereign debt: obligations of governments in developed and emerging markets; (b) corporate credit: investment-grade debt, below-investment-grade debt (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”), bank loans, convertible bonds and structured credit; and (c) securitized assets: asset-backed securities, residential mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, bonds with moderate exposure to interest rate and credit risks. Putnam Management may consider, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks, as well as general market conditions, when deciding whether to buy or sell investments.

The fund offers class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class R5, class R6 and class Y shares. Class A and class M shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 1.00% and 0.75%, respectively, and generally do not pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Effective November 1, 2015, Class M shares will no longer pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Class B shares, which convert to class A shares after approximately eight years, do not pay a front-end sales charge and are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge if those shares are redeemed within two years of purchase. Class C shares have a one-year 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge and do not convert to class A shares. Class R shares, which are not available to all investors, are sold at net asset value. The expenses for class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares may differ based on the distribution fee of each class, which is identified in Note 2. Class R5, class R6 and class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, but do not bear a distribution fee and in the case of class R5 and class R6 shares, bear a lower investor servicing fee, which is identified in Note 2. Class R5, class R6 and class Y shares are not available to all investors.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees.

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If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

Market quotations are not considered to be readily available for certain debt obligations and other investments; such investments are valued on the basis of valuations furnished by an independent pricing service approved by the Trustees or dealers selected by Putnam Management. Such services or dealers determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities (which consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings). These securities will generally be categorized as Level 2. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Short-term securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value, and are classified as Level 2 securities.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. Certain securities may be valued on the basis of a price provided by a single source. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis.

All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

The fund earned certain fees in connection with its senior loan purchasing activities. These fees are treated as market discount and are amortized into income in the Statement of operations.

Securities purchased or sold on a forward commitment or delayed delivery basis may be settled at a future date beyond customary settlement time; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Losses may arise due to changes in the fair value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Stripped securities The fund may invest in stripped securities which represent a participation in securities that may be structured in classes with rights to receive different portions of the interest and principal. Interest-only securities receive all of the interest and principal-only securities receive all of the principal. If the interest-only securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, principal-only securities increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are slower than anticipated. The fair value of these securities is highly sensitive to changes in interest rates.

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Foreign currency translation The accounting records of the fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The fair value of foreign securities, currency holdings, and other assets and liabilities is recorded in the books and records of the fund after translation to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates on that day. The cost of each security is determined using historical exchange rates. Income and withholding taxes are translated at prevailing exchange rates when earned or incurred. The fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. Such gains and losses are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net realized exchange gains or losses on closed forward currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains and losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized appreciation and depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts to hedge duration and convexity, to isolate prepayment risk and to manage downside risks.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts for hedging treasury term structure risk and for yield curve positioning.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.” Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Forward currency contracts The fund buys and sells forward currency contracts, which are agreements between two parties to buy and sell currencies at a set price on a future date. These contracts are used for hedging currency exposures and to gain exposure to currencies.

The U.S. dollar value of forward currency contracts is determined using current forward currency exchange rates supplied by a quotation service. The fair value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss.

Absolute Return 300 Fund   83 

 



The fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed when the contract matures or by delivery of the currency. The fund could be exposed to risk if the value of the currency changes unfavorably, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the fund is unable to enter into a closing position. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Forward currency contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Interest rate swap contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, which are arrangements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on a notional principal amount, for hedging term structure risk, for yield curve positioning and for gaining exposure to rates in various countries.

An OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap can be purchased or sold with an upfront premium. For OTC interest rate swap contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss on OTC interest rate swaps. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared interest rate swaps are settled through a central clearing agent and are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Payments, including upfront premiums, received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or the closing of the contract. Certain OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract.

The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or if the counterparty defaults, in the case of OTC interest rate contracts, or the central clearing agency or a clearing member defaults, in the case of centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, on its respective obligation to perform under the contract. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk or central clearing risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC interest rate swap contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. There is minimal counterparty risk with respect to centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Total return swap contracts The fund entered into OTC total return swap contracts, which are arrangements to exchange a market-linked return for a periodic payment, both based on a notional principal amount, to hedge sector exposure, for gaining exposure to specific sectors, for hedging inflation and for gaining exposure to inflation.

To the extent that the total return of the security, index or other financial measure underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the fund will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty. OTC total return swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers and the change, if any, is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Payments received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses. Certain OTC total return swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract. The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index, the possibility that there is no liquid market for these agreements or that the counterparty may default on its obligation to perform. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC total return swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Credit default contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared credit default contracts to hedge credit risk, for gaining liquid exposure to individual names, to hedge market risk and for gaining exposure to specific sectors.

In OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts, the protection buyer typically makes a periodic stream of payments to a counterparty, the protection seller, in exchange for the right to receive a contingent payment upon the occurrence of a credit event on the reference obligation or all other equally ranked obligations of the reference

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entity. Credit events are contract specific but may include bankruptcy, failure to pay, restructuring and obligation acceleration. For OTC credit default contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. Centrally cleared credit default contracts provide the same rights to the protection buyer and seller except the payments between parties, including upfront premiums, are settled through a central clearing agent through variation margin payments. Upfront and periodic payments received or paid by the fund for OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or close of the contract. The OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change in value of OTC credit default contracts is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Upon the occurrence of a credit event, the difference between the par value and fair value of the reference obligation, net of any proportional amount of the upfront payment, is recorded as a realized gain or loss.

In addition to bearing the risk that the credit event will occur, the fund could be exposed to market risk due to unfavorable changes in interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index or the possibility that the fund may be unable to close out its position at the same time or at the same price as if it had purchased the underlying reference obligations. In certain circumstances, the fund may enter into offsetting OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts which would mitigate its risk of loss. Risks of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk, either as the protection seller or as the protection buyer, is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC credit default contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared credit default contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. Counterparty risk is further mitigated with respect to centrally cleared credit default swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Where the fund is a seller of protection, the maximum potential amount of future payments the fund may be required to make is equal to the notional amount.

OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

TBA commitments The fund may enter into TBA (to be announced) commitments to purchase securities for a fixed unit price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Although the unit price and par amount have been established, the actual securities have not been specified. However, it is anticipated that the amount of the commitments will not significantly differ from the principal amount. The fund holds, and maintains until settlement date, cash or high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price, or the fund may enter into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. Income on the securities will not be earned until settlement date.

The fund may also enter into TBA sale commitments to hedge its portfolio positions, to sell mortgage-backed securities it owns under delayed delivery arrangements or to take a short position in mortgage-backed securities. Proceeds of TBA sale commitments are not received until the contractual settlement date. During the time a TBA sale commitment is outstanding, either equivalent deliverable securities or an offsetting TBA purchase commitment deliverable on or before the sale commitment date are held as “cover” for the transaction, or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value of the TBA sale commitment are segregated. If the TBA sale commitment is closed through the acquisition of an offsetting TBA purchase commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss. If the fund delivers securities under the commitment, the fund realizes a gain or a loss from the sale of the securities based upon the unit price established at the date the commitment was entered into.

TBA commitments, which are accounted for as purchase and sale transactions, may be considered securities themselves, and involve a risk of loss due to changes in the value of the security prior to the settlement date as well as the risk that the counterparty to the transaction will not perform its obligations. Counterparty risk is mitigated by having a master agreement between the fund and the counterparty.

Unsettled TBA commitments are valued at their fair value according to the procedures described under “Security valuation” above. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded by the fund as an unrealized gain or loss. Based on market circumstances, Putnam Management will determine whether to take delivery of the underlying securities or to dispose of the TBA commitments prior to settlement.

TBA purchase commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed within the fund’s portfolio and TBA sale commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

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Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts and Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements that govern transactions involving mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities that may result in delayed delivery (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, are presented in the fund’s portfolio.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

With respect to ISDA Master Agreements, termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term or short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $5,377,844 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $6,195,848 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million syndicated unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street ($292.5 million) and Northern Trust Company ($100 million) and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street. Prior to September 24, 2015, the fund participated in a $392.5 million unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street and a substantially similar unsecured uncommitted line of credit. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the overnight LIBOR (the Federal Funds rate prior to September 24, 2015) plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.16% (0.11% prior to September 24, 2015) per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund may also be subject to taxes imposed by governments of countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The fund accrues and applies such taxes to net

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investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. In some cases, the fund may be entitled to reclaim all or a portion of such taxes, and such reclaim amounts, if any, are reflected as an asset on the fund’s books. In many cases, however, the fund may not receive such amounts for an extended period of time, depending on the country of investment.

At October 31, 2015, the fund had a capital loss carryover of $90,096,841 available to the extent allowed by the Code to offset future net capital gain, if any. The amounts of the carryovers and the expiration dates are:

  Loss carryover    

Short-term  Long-term  Total  Expiration 

$63,477,183  $21,397,771  $84,874,954  * 

5,221,887  N/A  5,221,887  October 31, 2019 


* Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, the fund will be permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an unlimited period. However, any losses incurred will be required to be utilized prior to the losses incurred in pre-enactment tax years. As a result of this ordering rule, pre-enactment capital loss carryforwards may be more likely to expire unused. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. These differences include temporary and/or permanent differences from foreign currency gains and losses, from realized gains and losses on certain futures contracts, from income on swap contracts and from interest-only securities. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations. At the close of the reporting period, the fund reclassified $15,400,713 to increase undistributed net investment income and $15,400,713 to increase accumulated net realized loss.

The tax basis components of distributable earnings and the federal tax cost as of the close of the reporting period were as follows:

Unrealized appreciation  $12,090,473 
Unrealized depreciation  (31,665,858) 

Net unrealized depreciation  (19,575,385) 
Undistributed ordinary income  32,313,563 
Capital loss carryforward  (90,096,841) 
Cost for federal income tax purposes  $1,217,596,183 

 

Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a monthly base fee equal to 0.60% of the monthly average of the fund’s net asset value. In return for this fee, Putnam Management provides investment management and investor servicing and bears the fund’s organizational and operating expenses, excluding performance fee adjustments, payments under the fund’s distribution plan, brokerage, interest, taxes, investment related expenses, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses.

The applicable base fee is increased or decreased for each month by an amount based on the performance of the fund. The amount of the increase or decrease is calculated monthly based on a performance adjustment rate that is equal to 0.04 multiplied by the difference between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the fund’s class A shares) and the annualized performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 3.00% over the thirty-six month period then ended (the “performance period”). The maximum annualized performance adjustment rate is +/– 0.12%. Each month, the performance adjustment rate is multiplied by the fund’s average net assets over the performance period and the result is divided by twelve. The resulting dollar amount is added to,

Absolute Return 300 Fund   87 

 



or subtracted from, the base fee for that month. The monthly base fee is determined based on the fund’s average net assets for the month, while the performance adjustment is determined based on the fund’s average net assets over the performance period of up to thirty-six months. This means it is possible that, if the fund underperforms significantly over the performance period, and the fund’s assets have declined significantly over that period, the negative performance adjustment may exceed the base fee. In this event, Putnam Management would make a payment to the fund.

Because the performance adjustment is based on the fund’s performance relative to its applicable benchmark index, and not its absolute performance, the performance adjustment could increase Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares lose value during the performance period provided that the fund outperformed its benchmark index, and could decrease Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares increase in value during the performance period provided that the fund underperformed its benchmark index.

For the reporting period, the base fee represented an effective rate (excluding the impact from any expense waivers in effect) of 0.60% of the fund’s average net assets before a decrease of $147,599 (0.01% of the fund’s average net assets) based on performance.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed, through February 28, 2017, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were not reduced as a result of this limit.

Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. Putnam Management pays a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL. Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, pays a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

The aggregate amount of all reimbursements for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund is determined annually by the Trustees. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing (except for class R5 and R6 shares) that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) for the portion of the fund’s fiscal year beginning after January 1, 2015, a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. Class R5 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R5 shares at an annual rate of 0.12%. Class R6 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R6 shares at an annual rate of 0.05%. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $2,213 under the expense offset arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $600, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed

88   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003. These fees are being paid by Putnam Management as part of the management contract.

The fund has adopted distribution plans (the Plans) with respect to its class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plans is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plans provide for payments by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 1.00% and 1.00% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. The Trustees have approved payment by the fund at an annual rate of 0.25%, 0.45%, 1.00%, 0.30% and 0.50% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. During the reporting period, the class specific expenses related to distribution fees were as follows:

Class A  $1,060,637  Class M  32,049 


Class B  48,844  Class R  4,154 


Class C  1,488,446  Total  $2,634,130 


 

For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received net commissions of $1,051 and $408 from the sale of class A and class M shares, respectively, and received $622 and $5,082 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of class B and class C shares, respectively.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% and 0.30% (0.40% for purchases before April 1, 2010, and no longer applicable at all effective November 1, 2015) is assessed on certain redemptions of class A and class M shares, respectively. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received $1,262 and no monies on class A and class M redemptions, respectively.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:

  Cost of purchases  Proceeds from sales 

Investments in securities, including TBA commitments     
(Long-term)  $5,183,662,209  $5,079,301,216 

U.S. government securities (Long-term)  —  — 

Total  $5,183,662,209  $5,079,301,216 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   89 

 



Written option transactions during the reporting period are summarized as follows:

  Written swap       
  option contract  Written swap  Written option  Written option 
  amounts  option premiums  contract amounts  premiums 

Written options outstanding         
at the beginning of the         
reporting period  $382,794,600  $4,179,950  $220,000,000  $794,063 

Options opened  6,092,701,975  35,345,309  1,053,000,000  6,402,031 
Options exercised  (689,870,650)  (6,041,812)  —  — 
Options expired  (1,096,664,875)  (7,234,669)  (268,000,000)  (1,206,562) 
Options closed  (2,683,575,825)  (18,623,079)  (837,000,000)  (4,932,969) 

Written options outstanding at         
the end of the reporting period  $2,005,385,225  $7,625,699  $168,000,000  $1,056,563 

 

Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  9,480,342  $98,178,353  19,297,964  $206,641,761 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,331,562  13,755,031  1,754,736  18,459,821 

  10,811,904  111,933,384  21,052,700  225,101,582 

Shares repurchased  (17,957,387)  (185,903,754)  (23,058,584)  (247,366,189) 

Net decrease  (7,145,483)  $(73,970,370)  (2,005,884)  $(22,264,607) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class B  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  73,344  $759,228  118,143  $1,256,525 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  32,999  339,564  39,766  416,745 

  106,343  1,098,792  157,909  1,673,270 

Shares repurchased  (261,029)  (2,687,475)  (243,605)  (2,602,816) 

Net decrease  (154,686)  $(1,588,683)  (85,696)  $(929,546) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class C  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  2,127,406  $21,844,799  2,950,735  $31,325,486 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  348,096  3,574,945  432,511  4,524,069 

  2,475,502  25,419,744  3,383,246  35,849,555 

Shares repurchased  (4,461,123)  (45,765,800)  (3,954,578)  (42,000,317) 

Net decrease  (1,985,621)  $(20,346,056)  (571,332)  $(6,150,762) 

 

90   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class M  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  246,240  $2,543,205  208,282  $2,228,073 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  36,342  374,327  41,355  433,813 

  282,582  2,917,532  249,637  2,661,886 

Shares repurchased  (339,634)  (3,492,493)  (257,037)  (2,747,589) 

Net decrease  (57,052)  $(574,961)  (7,400)  $(85,703) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  28,618  $295,438  31,316  $334,611 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  2,632  27,137  2,498  26,254 

  31,250  322,575  33,814  360,865 

Shares repurchased  (79,510)  (815,460)  (24,704)  (265,250) 

Net increase (decrease)  (48,260)  $(492,885)  9,110  $95,615 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R5  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  —  $—  —  $— 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  39  408  43  451 

  39  408  43  451 

Shares repurchased  —  —  —  — 

Net increase  39  $408  43  $451 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R6  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  27,870  $289,940  44,053  $473,239 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  5,733  59,446  10,053  106,155 

  33,603  349,386  54,106  579,394 

Shares repurchased  (62,049)  (654,008)  (120,977)  (1,303,729) 

Net decrease  (28,446)  $(304,622)  (66,871)  $(724,335) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  21,787,643  $226,046,313  30,113,150  $324,017,583 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,154,296  11,935,425  772,166  8,138,629 

  22,941,939  237,981,738  30,885,316  332,156,212 

Shares repurchased  (26,331,856)  (272,918,685)  (13,504,352)  (144,926,944) 

Net increase (decrease)  (3,389,917)  $(34,936,947)  17,380,964  $187,229,268 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   91 

 



At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned the following shares of the fund:

  Shares owned  Percentage of ownership  Value 

Class R5  1,057  100.00%  $10,835 

Class R6  1,058  0.75  10,834 

 

Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which is under common ownership and control, were as follows:

  Fair value at the        Fair value at 
  beginning of        the end of 
  the reporting      Investment  the reporting 
Name of affiliate  period  Purchase cost  Sale proceeds  income  period 

Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund*  $120,097,821  $865,591,859  $970,709,196  $36,019  $14,980,484 


* Management fees charged to Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

Note 6: Senior loan commitments

Senior loans are purchased or sold on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis and may be settled a month or more after the trade date, which from time to time can delay the actual investment of available cash balances; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Senior loans can be acquired through an agent, by assignment from another holder of the loan, or as a participation interest in another holder’s portion of the loan. When the fund invests in a loan or participation, the fund is subject to the risk that an intermediate participant between the fund and the borrower will fail to meet its obligations to the fund, in addition to the risk that the borrower under the loan may default on its obligations.

Note 7: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks, including those related to economic instability, unfavorable political developments, and currency fluctuations. The fund may invest in higher-yielding, lower-rated bonds that may have a higher rate of default. The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securitized debt instruments, including mortgage-backed and asset-backed investments. The yields and values of these investments are sensitive to changes in interest rates, the rate of principal payments on the underlying assets and the market’s perception of the issuers. The market for these investments may be volatile and limited, which may make them difficult to buy or sell.

Note 8: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Purchased TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount)  $99,100,000 

Purchased swap option contracts (contract amount)  $1,123,900,000 

Written TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $178,200,000 

Written swap option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $1,123,500,000 

Futures contracts (number of contracts)  900 

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)  $586,900,000 

OTC interest rate swap contracts (notional)  $144,200,000 

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts (notional)  $2,788,000,000 

OTC total return swap contracts (notional)  $382,700,000 

OTC credit default contracts (notional)  $78,100,000 

 

92   Absolute Return 300 Fund 

 



The following is a summary of the fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period:

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period

  Asset derivatives  Liability derivatives 

Derivatives not         
accounted for as  Statement of    Statement of   
hedging instruments  assets and    assets and   
under ASC 815  liabilities location  Fair value  liabilities location  Fair value 

Credit contracts  Receivables  $259,410  Payables  $1,471,571 

Foreign         
exchange contracts  Receivables  3,481,817  Payables  1,416,152 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Interest rate contracts  appreciation  12,872,648*  depreciation  28,124,617* 

Total    $16,613,875    $31,012,340 


* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts and/or centrally cleared swaps as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.

The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments in the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not accounted      Forward     
for as hedging instruments      currency     
under ASC 815  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $1,082,570  $1,082,570 

Foreign exchange           
contracts  —  —  10,489,210  —  $10,489,210 

Interest rate contracts  (3,238,579)  (5,414,408)  —  (27,430,649)  $(36,083,636) 

Total  $(3,238,579)  $(5,414,408)  $10,489,210  $(26,348,079)  $(24,511,856) 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not accounted      Forward     
for as hedging instruments      currency     
under ASC 815  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $(697,037)  $(697,037) 

Foreign exchange           
contracts  —  —  (3,004,100)  —  $(3,004,100) 

Interest rate contracts  778,431  1,194,480  —  (799,501)  $1,173,410 

Total  $778,431  $1,194,480  $(3,004,100)  $(1,496,538)  $(2,527,727) 

 

Absolute Return 300 Fund   93 

 



Note 9: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.

  Bank of America N.A. Barclays Bank PLC Barclays Capital Inc. (clearing broker) Citibank, N.A. Credit Suisse International Deutsche Bank AG Goldman Sachs International HSBC Bank USA, National Association JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. JPMorgan Securities LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) State Street Bank and Trust Co. UBS AG WestPac Banking Corp. Total

Assets:                                 

OTC Interest rate swap contracts*#  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $520,170  $55,399  $—  $93,062  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $668,631 

Centrally cleared interest rate                                 
swap contracts§  —  —  2,440,094  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  2,440,094 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  2,023  233,204  —  5,648  29,552  —  226,662  —  20,803  —  —  —  —  —  —  517,892 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  —  —  —  —  151,479  —  82,962  —  —  24,969  —  —  —  —  —  259,410 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  150,021  —  —  —  —  150,021 

Forward currency contracts#  149,851  423,294  —  294,972  343,308  164,180  324,013  69,376  567,918  —  —  407,082  229,050  60,301  448,472  3,481,817 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  96,134  —  —  6,621  —  —  —  —  391,350  —  —  —  —  —  —  494,105 

Purchased swap options**#  982  —  —  26,409  1,052,686  —  1,320,467  —  817,647  —  —  —  —  —  —  3,218,191 

Purchased options**#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  380,604  —  —  —  —  —  —  380,604 

Total Assets  $248,990  $656,498  $2,440,094  $333,650  $1,577,025  $684,350  $2,009,503  $69,376  $2,271,384  $24,969  $150,021  $407,082  $229,050  $60,301  $448,472  $11,610,765 

Liabilities:                                 

OTC Interest rate swap contracts*#  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $2,224,780  $—  $—  $1,615,169  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $3,839,949 

Centrally cleared interest rate                                 
swap contracts§  —  —  2,073,099  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  2,073,099 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  —  143,307  —  —  22,243  6,555  353,886  —  10,360  —  —  —  —  —  —  536,351 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  26,944  8,061  —  —  1,152,482  —  217,363  —  —  66,721  —  —  —  —  —  1,471,571 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 

Forward currency contracts#  203,871  149,525  —  150,263  98,747  149,203  —  32,778  125,474  —  —  163,809  91,631  127,236  123,615  1,416,152 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  149,353  —  —  20,692  —  —  —  —  588,996  —  —  —  —  —  —  759,041 

Written swap options#  2,653  —  —  15,535  1,110,410  —  1,520,009  —  2,273,003  —  —  —  —  —  —  4,921,610 

Written options#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  208,908  —  —  —  —  —  —  208,908 

Total Liabilities  $382,821  $300,893  $2,073,099  $186,490  $2,383,882  $2,380,538  $2,091,258  $32,778  $4,821,910  $66,721  $—  $163,809  $91,631  $127,236  $123,615  $15,226,681 

Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets  $(133,831)  $355,605  $366,995  $147,160  $(806,857)   $(1,696,188)  $(81,755)  $36,598  $(2,550,526)  $(41,752)  $150,021  $243,273  $137,419  $(66,935)  $324,857  $(3,615,916) 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##  $(133,831)  $332,594  $—  $130,000  $(806,857)  $(1,696,188)  $(81,755)  $—  $(2,550,526)  $—  $—  $210,000  $137,419  $(66,935)  $—   

Net amount  $—  $23,011  $366,995  $17,160  $—  $—  $—  $36,598  $—  $(41,752)  $150,021  $33,273  $—  $—  $324,857   


*
Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

** Included with Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

† Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

# Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§ Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.

94   Absolute Return 300 Fund  Absolute Return 300 Fund   95 

 



Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Trustees of Putnam Funds Trust and Shareholders of
Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund:

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio, 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 Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund (the “fund”) at October 31, 2015, and the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for each of the periods indicated, 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 investments owned at October 31, 2015 by correspondence with the custodian, brokers, and transfer agent, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
December 14, 2015

26   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



The fund’s portfolio 10/31/15 ÿ

COMMON STOCKS (29.3%)*  Shares  Value 

 
Basic materials (0.9%)     
Airgas, Inc.  6,200  $596,192 

AP Thailand PCL NVDR (Thailand)  2,629,200  443,529 

Bemis Co., Inc.  11,300  517,314 

China Lesso Group Holdings, Ltd. (China)  1,224,000  991,219 

Hyosung Corp. (South Korea)  13,629  1,388,403 

Koza Altin Isletmeleri AS (Turkey)  78,240  439,734 

Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing, Ltd. (China)  259,000  161,071 

Mondi PLC (South Africa)  6,267  144,836 

PTT Global Chemical PCL (Thailand)  965,200  1,512,895 

Sherwin-Williams Co. (The)  3,200  853,856 

Soulbrain Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  14,323  498,188 

WestRock Co.  50,900  2,736,384 

10,283,621 
Capital goods (1.9%)   
Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.  45,700  1,311,590 

Avery Dennison Corp.  21,800  1,416,346 

Boeing Co. (The)  18,600  2,754,102 

Deere & Co.  42,700  3,330,600 

General Dynamics Corp.  27,700  4,115,666 

Orbital ATK, Inc.  8,900  762,018 

S&T Motiv Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  9,288  590,277 

Staples, Inc.  234,600  3,047,454 

TransDigm Group, Inc. †  5,600  1,231,160 

Waste Management, Inc.  49,500  2,661,120 

21,220,333 
Communication services (1.1%)   
AT&T, Inc.  53,200  1,782,732 

China Mobile, Ltd. (China)  304,000  3,616,425 

Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  128,000  392,237 

Globe Telecom, Inc. (Philippines)  22,280  1,080,576 

Mobile Telesystems OJSC ADR (Russia)  53,446  375,725 

Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (Russia)  91,654  299,028 

SBA Communications Corp. Class A †  1,700  202,334 

Verizon Communications, Inc.  98,096  4,598,740 

12,347,797 
Conglomerates (0.1%)   
Sistema JSFC GDR (Russia)  204,623  1,418,934 

1,418,934 
Consumer cyclicals (3.7%)   
ANTA Sports Products, Ltd. (China)  305,000  850,784 

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.  50,700  4,410,393 

Barloworld, Ltd. (South Africa)  178,811  1,009,472 

Belle International Holdings, Ltd. (China)  986,000  956,710 

Carter’s, Inc.  6,300  572,544 

China Dongxiang Group Co., Ltd. (China)  1,528,000  387,164 

CJ E&M Corp. (South Korea) †  10,022  733,301 

Clorox Co. (The)  7,700  938,938 

CVC Brasil Operadora e Agencia de Viagens SA (Brazil)  73,300  277,497 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   27 

 



COMMON STOCKS (29.3%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Consumer cyclicals cont.     
Cyfrowy Polsat SA (Poland) †  77,855  $501,565 

Discovery Communications, Inc. Class C †  25,800  710,016 

Dollar General Corp.  35,000  2,371,950 

FactSet Research Systems, Inc.  3,700  647,944 

Gartner, Inc. †  7,800  707,226 

Harley-Davidson, Inc.  3,900  192,855 

Lear Corp.  2,200  275,132 

Lewis Group, Ltd. (South Africa)  93,109  402,560 

LF Corp. (South Korea)  13,567  376,291 

Liberty Media Corp. †  3,200  125,280 

Macy’s, Inc.  41,900  2,136,062 

Morningstar, Inc.  1,800  147,798 

Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (South Africa) †  40,977  697,838 

NIKE, Inc. Class B  39,200  5,136,376 

Omnicom Group, Inc.  45,152  3,382,788 

PayPal Holdings, Inc. †  13,900  500,539 

Pier 1 Imports, Inc.  115,460  856,713 

Rollins, Inc.  12,100  324,522 

Scripps Networks Interactive Class A  32,200  1,934,576 

Target Corp.  52,300  4,036,514 

Thomson Reuters Corp. (Canada)  21,400  877,828 

Thor Industries, Inc.  9,400  508,352 

Tongaat Hulett, Ltd. (South Africa)  40,822  349,081 

Top Glove Corp. Bhd (Malaysia)  560,600  1,235,640 

Truworths International, Ltd. (South Africa)  131,303  887,121 

Vantiv, Inc. Class A †  14,800  742,220 

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.  22,400  1,282,176 

41,483,766 
Consumer staples (3.3%)   
Altria Group, Inc.  86,600  5,236,702 

Amorepacific Group (South Korea)  10,361  1,451,140 

Arca Continental SAB de CV (Mexico)  148,597  949,186 

Bunge, Ltd.  14,300  1,043,328 

Colgate-Palmolive Co.  45,600  3,025,560 

ConAgra Foods, Inc.  34,500  1,398,975 

Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc.  40,200  1,664,682 

Grape King Bio, Ltd. (Taiwan)  226,000  1,236,315 

Gruma SAB de CV Class B (Mexico)  108,516  1,665,404 

JBS SA (Brazil)  363,071  1,341,552 

Kraft Heinz Co. (The)  51,800  4,038,846 

Kroger Co. (The)  103,000  3,893,400 

KT&G Corp. (South Korea)  19,245  1,923,271 

LG Household & Health Care, Ltd. (South Korea)  2,239  1,852,647 

McDonald’s Corp.  41,100  4,613,475 

New Oriental Education & Technology Group, Inc. ADR (China)  26,005  715,398 

Pinnacle Foods, Inc.  32,000  1,410,560 

Sao Martinho SA (Brazil)  24,742  285,044 

    37,745,485 

 

28   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (29.3%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Energy (1.6%)     
Bangchak Petroleum PCL (The) (Thailand)  1,027,600  $1,040,096 

Columbia Pipeline Group, Inc.  68,200  1,416,514 

Exxon Mobil Corp.  94,102  7,785,999 

Occidental Petroleum Corp.  61,000  4,546,940 

Schlumberger, Ltd.  17,900  1,399,064 

Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam Persero Tbk PT (Indonesia)  1,265,600  671,014 

Thai Oil PCL (Thailand)  569,900  869,251 

Tupras Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS (Turkey) †  31,110  821,506 

18,550,384 
Financials (6.3%)   
Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings AG  22,300  810,828 

American Capital Agency Corp. R   118,500  2,112,855 

American Financial Group, Inc.  7,900  570,301 

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. R   266,000  2,646,700 

Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. R   16,500  325,380 

Aspen Insurance Holdings, Ltd.  9,800  476,378 

Assurant, Inc.  18,300  1,491,999 

Banco Bradesco SA ADR (Brazil)  291,380  1,585,107 

Bank of Chongqing Co., Ltd. (China)  667,500  498,663 

Bank of Communications Co., Ltd. (China)  410,000  301,786 

Bank Tabungan Negara Persero Tbk PT (Indonesia)  4,665,400  401,566 

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. Class B †  33,938  4,616,247 

BS Financial Group, Inc. (South Korea)  61,292  749,743 

Capital One Financial Corp.  50,700  4,000,230 

CBOE Holdings, Inc.  14,400  965,376 

Chimera Investment Corp. R   45,500  640,640 

China Cinda Asset Management Co., Ltd. (China)  3,618,000  1,403,421 

China Construction Bank Corp. (China)  1,505,000  1,085,144 

China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. (China)  733,500  1,913,111 

Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Co., Ltd. (China)  2,250,000  1,408,733 

CITIC, Ltd. (China)  519,000  965,366 

Citizens Financial Group, Inc.  19,100  464,130 

CTBC Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  2,993,000  1,637,364 

DAMAC Properties Dubai Co. PJSC (United Arab Emirates) †  1,958,205  1,582,195 

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC (United Arab Emirates)  301,365  530,316 

Endurance Specialty Holdings, Ltd.  6,600  416,658 

Everest Re Group, Ltd.  4,136  736,084 

First Niagara Financial Group, Inc.  61,600  637,560 

Fubon Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  269,000  433,161 

HCP, Inc. R   41,600  1,547,520 

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  35,461  1,055,178 

Itau Unibanco Holding SA ADR (Preference) (Brazil)  257,925  1,766,786 

JB Financial Group Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  87,978  457,120 

Krungthai Card PCL (Thailand)  192,500  539,871 

Liberty Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  130,967  1,279,525 

Macquarie Mexico Real Estate Management SA de CV (Mexico) R   276,774  383,045 

MFA Financial, Inc. R   59,700  413,124 

MMI Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  481,885  873,019 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   29 

 



COMMON STOCKS (29.3%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Financials cont.     
Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS OAO (Russia) †  1,319,054  $1,856,109 

New York Community Bancorp, Inc.  85,900  1,419,068 

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China, Ltd. (China)  3,143,000  1,675,879 

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.  36,900  3,330,594 

Porto Seguro SA (Brazil)  28,271  237,000 

ProAssurance Corp.  6,200  328,352 

Rayonier, Inc. R   32,600  738,390 

RenaissanceRe Holdings, Ltd.  4,462  489,169 

RMB Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  80,218  390,648 

Sberbank PAO ADR (Russia)  232,940  1,423,379 

Shin Kong Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  6,148,806  1,467,846 

SLM Corp. †  104,000  734,240 

Starwood Property Trust, Inc. R   50,400  1,012,536 

Taishin Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  3,680,000  1,436,050 

TFS Financial Corp.  8,900  156,284 

Turkiye Sinai Kalkinma Bankasi AS (Turkey)  602,214  318,035 

Two Harbors Investment Corp. R   12,200  103,212 

Valid Solucoes e Servicos de Seguranca em Meios de Pagamento     
e Identificacao SA (Brazil)  41,000  465,543 

Validus Holdings, Ltd.  13,400  593,620 

Wells Fargo & Co.  115,700  6,263,998 

XL Group PLC  69,200  2,635,136 

70,797,318 
Health care (3.3%)   
AmerisourceBergen Corp.  36,700  3,541,917 

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. †  2,500  348,700 

C.R. Bard, Inc.  11,727  2,185,326 

Cardinal Health, Inc.  11,874  976,043 

DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc. †  24,700  1,914,497 

Eli Lilly & Co.  54,199  4,421,012 

Hologic, Inc. †  89,900  3,493,514 

Johnson & Johnson  66,300  6,698,289 

Mednax, Inc. †  9,100  641,277 

Merck & Co., Inc.  89,400  4,886,604 

Pfizer, Inc.  170,200  5,756,164 

Richter Gedeon Nyrt (Hungary)  90,412  1,508,173 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. †  6,278  588,688 

36,960,204 
Technology (5.2%)   
Accenture PLC Class A  14,900  1,597,280 

Amdocs, Ltd.  17,400  1,036,518 

Analog Devices, Inc.  12,300  739,476 

Apple, Inc.  35,013  4,184,054 

Black Knight Financial Services, Inc. Class A †  7,500  270,225 

Cisco Systems, Inc.  186,300  5,374,755 

Computer Sciences Corp.  16,400  1,092,076 

DST Systems, Inc.  15,300  1,868,895 

eBay, Inc. †  141,600  3,950,640 

EMC Corp.  156,100  4,092,942 

 

30   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (29.3%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Technology cont.     
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.  14,400  $1,050,048 

Fiserv, Inc. †  18,300  1,766,133 

Genpact, Ltd. †  16,800  416,304 

Gentex Corp.  33,900  555,621 

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  309,000  819,325 

Innolux Corp. (Taiwan)  4,147,000  1,387,588 

Intuit, Inc.  25,900  2,523,437 

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.  22,900  2,894,560 

Leidos Holdings, Inc.  9,700  509,929 

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.  98,500  4,036,530 

Microsoft Corp.  14,319  753,752 

Motorola Solutions, Inc.  2,100  146,937 

NetApp, Inc.  35,700  1,213,800 

NetEase, Inc. ADR (China)  12,051  1,741,731 

Paychex, Inc.  60,800  3,136,064 

Pegatron Corp. (Taiwan)  656,000  1,596,076 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  2,057  2,464,075 

Shanda Games, Ltd. ADR (China) †  40,226  277,157 

Shin Zu Shing Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  118,000  379,065 

Silicon Works Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  7,203  213,669 

SK Hynix, Inc. (South Korea)  60,988  1,629,253 

Synopsys, Inc. †  16,700  834,666 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR (Taiwan)  63,421  1,392,725 

Tencent Holdings, Ltd. (China)  62,200  1,167,318 

WNS Holdings, Ltd. ADR (India) †  35,386  1,205,601 

58,318,225 
Transportation (0.8%)   
Bangkok Expressway PCL (Thailand)  379,900  384,520 

China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd. (China)  504,000  426,189 

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.  5,700  283,803 

OHL Mexico SAB de CV (Mexico) †  253,767  335,380 

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS (Turkey)  35,028  275,053 

Turk Hava Yollari AO (Turkey) †  482,889  1,425,513 

United Parcel Service, Inc. Class B  42,886  4,418,116 

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, Ltd. (China)  1,866,300  1,658,217 

9,206,791 
Utilities and power (1.1%)   
American Electric Power Co., Inc.  11,400  645,810 

American Water Works Co., Inc.  11,100  636,696 

Entergy Corp.  38,100  2,596,896 

Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc.  9,100  266,266 

Huadian Power International Corp., Ltd. (China)  1,644,000  1,201,098 

Huaneng Power International, Inc. (China)  1,372,000  1,485,908 

Korea Electric Power Corp. (South Korea)  44,233  1,991,500 

Southern Co. (The)  90,900  4,099,590 

    12,923,764 
 
Total common stocks (cost $322,248,456)    $331,256,622 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   31 

 



U.S. GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS (25.0%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
U.S. Government Guaranteed Mortgage Obligations (0.6%)     
Government National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
4.687s, June 20, 2045  $168,916  $187,821 
4.654s, June 20, 2045  727,330  808,157 
4.554s, May 20, 2045  369,170  408,309 
4.524s, June 20, 2065  383,303  422,680 
4.516s, June 20, 2045  357,555  394,079 
4.468s, May 20, 2065  730,680  802,445 
4.413s, June 20, 2065  178,960  196,341 
3 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  4,000,000  4,192,188 

7,412,020 
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage Obligations (24.4%)   
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Pass-Through Certificates     
3 1/2s, with due dates from August 1, 2043 to February 1, 2044  2,550,230  2,664,146 
3s, March 1, 2043  797,773  806,779 

Federal National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
5 1/2s, January 1, 2038  917,765  1,034,138 
5 1/2s, TBA, December 1, 2045  2,000,000  2,233,125 
5 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  2,000,000  2,234,375 
4 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  2,000,000  2,167,188 
4s, with due dates from May 1, 2044 to June 1, 2044  4,407,269  4,722,952 
3 1/2s, July 1, 2043  821,748  857,251 
3 1/2s, TBA, December 1, 2045  5,000,000  5,192,774 
3 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  5,000,000  5,204,297 
3s, TBA, December 1, 2045  118,000,000  119,023,284 
3s, TBA, November 1, 2045  128,000,000  129,390,003 

    275,530,312 
 
Total U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations (cost $283,354,940)  $282,942,332 
 
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.9%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations (5.7%)     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
IFB Ser. 2990, Class LB, 16.445s, 2034  $114,256  $152,353 
IFB Ser. 3232, Class KS, IO, 6.104s, 2036  608,788  92,840 
IFB Ser. 4104, Class S, IO, 5.904s, 2042  532,221  120,958 
IFB Ser. 3116, Class AS, IO, 5.904s, 2034  330,145  12,791 
IFB Ser. 4087, Class SA, IO, 5.854s, 2039  4,788,133  591,306 
IFB Ser. 3852, Class NT, 5.804s, 2041  2,089,829  2,203,474 
Ser. 4122, Class TI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2042  1,258,639  224,415 
Ser. 4462, IO, 4s, 2045  1,592,997  323,633 
Ser. 4355, Class DI, IO, 4s, 2044  4,920,715  577,692 
Ser. 4193, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  2,486,584  394,128 
Ser. 4121, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,536,739  354,372 
Ser. 4116, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2042  3,062,971  579,312 
Ser. 4213, Class GI, IO, 4s, 2041  936,156  140,704 
Ser. 4013, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2039  2,758,866  319,245 
Ser. 304, Class C53, IO, 4s, 2032  1,755,902  278,293 
Ser. 311, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  1,573,075  326,413 

 

32   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
Ser. 303, Class C18, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  $2,169,823  $436,041 
Ser. 303, Class C19, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  1,963,344  382,909 
Ser. 304, Class C22, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  2,157,807  422,483 
Ser. 4141, Class IM, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,286,665  221,875 
Ser. 4121, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  3,932,049  750,388 
Ser. 4136, Class IW, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  2,572,434  365,744 
Ser. 4166, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  2,048,275  316,663 
Ser. 4097, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  3,469,615  436,269 
Ser. 304, IO, 3 1/2s, 2027  1,265,325  136,946 
Ser. 304, Class C37, IO, 3 1/2s, 2027  937,637  100,102 
Ser. 4150, Class DI, IO, 3s, 2043  1,891,003  240,807 
Ser. 4158, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  4,710,235  587,837 
Ser. 4165, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  4,054,129  481,225 
Ser. 4183, Class MI, IO, 3s, 2042  1,809,026  213,646 
Ser. 4206, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2041  3,022,730  367,504 
Ser. 4433, Class DI, IO, 3s, 2032  3,911,197  419,124 
Ser. 4179, Class EI, IO, 3s, 2030  3,232,388  346,674 
Ser. 304, Class C45, IO, 3s, 2027  1,688,967  175,691 
Ser. 3939, Class EI, IO, 3s, 2026  3,319,394  276,672 
FRB Ser. T-8, Class A9, IO, 0.469s, 2028  210,513  2,895 
FRB Ser. T-59, Class 1AX, IO, 0.272s, 2043  503,306  6,036 
Ser. T-48, Class A2, IO, 0.212s, 2033  754,801  7,223 
Ser. 315, PO, zero %, 2043  2,890,070  2,263,098 
Ser. 3206, Class EO, PO, zero %, 2036  35,487  31,691 
Ser. 3175, Class MO, PO, zero %, 2036  30,947  28,356 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 05-74, Class NK, 26.515s, 2035  64,666  107,022 
IFB Ser. 11-4, Class CS, 12.506s, 2040  767,475  937,191 
IFB Ser. 13-103, Class SK, IO, 5.723s, 2043  965,228  249,089 
IFB Ser. 13-101, Class SE, IO, 5.703s, 2043  1,290,318  317,999 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C03, Class 1M2,     
5.197s, 2025  600,000  594,000 
Ser. 397, Class 2, IO, 5s, 2039  29,516  5,357 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C01, Class 2M2,     
4.747s, 2025  170,000  167,042 
Ser. 15-4, Class IO, IO, 4 1/2s, 2045  1,961,089  397,513 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 1M2,     
4.197s, 2025  592,000  563,008 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 2M2,     
4.197s, 2025  134,000  127,373 
Ser. 421, Class C6, IO, 4s, 2045  3,405,113  655,675 
Ser. 14-47, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2044  2,923,214  379,696 
Ser. 418, Class C24, IO, 4s, 2043  1,665,110  341,192 
Ser. 13-44, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  785,504  116,721 
Ser. 12-124, Class UI, IO, 4s, 2042  3,451,353  662,660 
Ser. 12-118, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2042  2,928,829  547,208 
Ser. 13-11, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2042  2,667,996  457,190 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   33 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Federal National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 12-96, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2041  $1,571,908  $246,176 
Ser. 12-22, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2041  2,772,819  422,261 
Ser. 12-62, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2041  2,392,044  351,740 
Ser. 409, Class C16, IO, 4s, 2040  499,384  90,151 
Ser. 12-104, Class HI, IO, 4s, 2027  2,894,672  384,894 
Ser. 418, Class C15, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,677,064  727,441 
Ser. 417, Class C24, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,942,620  405,075 
Ser. 12-118, Class IC, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  4,625,680  891,219 
Ser. 12-136, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,804,234  207,361 
Ser. 14-10, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,509,365  202,344 
Ser. 12-101, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  2,116,234  231,798 
Ser. 14-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  4,348,107  543,027 
Ser. 12-110, Class BI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  2,418,676  258,589 
Ser. 13-21, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2033  2,638,046  457,701 
Ser. 417, Class C19, IO, 3 1/2s, 2033  1,494,027  219,727 
Ser. 12-151, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2043  1,869,135  237,754 
Ser. 13-8, Class NI, IO, 3s, 2042  3,695,405  450,703 
Ser. 6, Class BI, IO, 3s, 2042  3,235,868  312,261 
Ser. 13-35, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2042  2,976,121  312,260 
Ser. 13-23, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2041  5,375,967  453,517 
Ser. 13-31, Class NI, IO, 3s, 2041  4,262,336  370,141 
Ser. 13-7, Class EI, IO, 3s, 2040  2,241,626  330,169 
Ser. 13-55, Class MI, IO, 3s, 2032  2,241,314  264,923 
FRB Ser. 03-W10, Class 1, IO, 0.804s, 2043  167,785  3,100 
Ser. 98-W2, Class X, IO, 0.694s, 2028  1,301,077  63,428 
Ser. 98-W5, Class X, IO, 0.603s, 2028  386,195  18,827 

Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 09-79, Class IC, IO, 6s, 2039  3,600,877  713,658 
IFB Ser. 13-129, Class SN, IO, 5.956s, 2043  674,016  104,331 
IFB Ser. 13-99, Class VS, IO, 5.901s, 2043  813,626  142,604 
IFB Ser. 11-70, Class SH, IO, 5.691s, 2041  1,520,748  241,343 
Ser. 14-182, Class KI, IO, 5s, 2044  3,170,601  616,206 
Ser. 14-133, Class IP, IO, 5s, 2044  3,150,697  615,205 
Ser. 14-163, Class NI, IO, 5s, 2044  1,806,517  363,489 
Ser. 14-25, Class QI, IO, 5s, 2044  2,938,807  627,700 
Ser. 14-2, Class IC, IO, 5s, 2044  792,098  183,505 
Ser. 13-3, Class IT, IO, 5s, 2043  1,229,285  237,203 
Ser. 11-116, Class IB, IO, 5s, 2040  646,334  32,412 
Ser. 10-35, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  1,157,969  221,339 
Ser. 10-20, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  858,381  152,311 
Ser. 10-9, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  3,670,919  707,151 
Ser. 09-121, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2039  1,817,767  341,886 
Ser. 14-3, Class IP, IO, 4 1/2s, 2043  2,302,053  421,529 
Ser. 11-18, Class PI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  75,967  10,114 
Ser. 10-35, Class AI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  1,580,802  271,661 
Ser. 10-35, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  810,888  141,944 
Ser. 13-151, Class IB, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  1,005,159  177,069 

 

34   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 10-9, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  $734,985  $129,158 
Ser. 09-121, Class CI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2039  2,398,055  548,387 
Ser. 10-103, Class DI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2038  2,221,634  141,902 
Ser. 15-99, Class LI, IO, 4s, 2045  2,809,923  385,267 
Ser. 15-53, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2045  2,708,998  625,635 
Ser. 15-40, IO, 4s, 2045  970,003  232,907 
Ser. 15-40, Class KI, IO, 4s, 2044  2,451,774  483,612 
Ser. 14-149, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2044  1,915,542  333,919 
Ser. 13-24, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,284,332  202,038 
Ser. 12-138, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,841,276  435,650 
Ser. 12-47, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2042  2,012,508  337,530 
Ser. 14-104, IO, 4s, 2042  3,010,420  532,242 
Ser. 12-50, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2041  1,397,542  215,920 
Ser. 12-41, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2041  2,808,505  474,511 
Ser. 14-133, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2036  3,822,436  504,256 
Ser. 15-20, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  4,395,632  688,611 
Ser. 15-24, Class CI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  1,241,282  287,692 
Ser. 15-24, Class IA, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  1,504,650  277,021 
Ser. 13-102, Class IP, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  1,786,628  174,262 
Ser. 13-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  1,437,114  168,947 
Ser. 13-79, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,168,990  409,941 
Ser. 13-100, Class MI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,529,287  283,609 
Ser. 13-37, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  1,587,512  189,374 
Ser. 12-145, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,578,096  314,378 
Ser. 13-14, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  2,303,280  261,906 
Ser. 13-27, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  754,632  92,156 
Ser. 12-92, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  890,911  113,422 
Ser. 13-37, Class LI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,318,836  165,804 
Ser. 12-141, Class WI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  3,396,455  360,160 
Ser. 15-36, Class GI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  1,847,837  257,219 
Ser. 12-71, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  1,184,697  98,933 
Ser. 13-90, Class HI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  4,307,005  256,698 
Ser. 13-79, Class XI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  3,226,482  481,616 
Ser. 183, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  3,004,878  366,598 
Ser. 15-118, Class EI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  4,190,185  541,941 
Ser. 15-124, Class NI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  3,792,107  522,704 
Ser. 15-138, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  1,633,355  217,073 
Ser. 15-96, Class NI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  4,387,430  561,591 
Ser. 15-82, Class GI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2038  7,355,155  847,829 
Ser. 15-124, Class DI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2038  4,667,469  714,636 
Ser. 15-24, Class IC, IO, 3 1/2s, 2037  1,967,375  297,644 
Ser. 14-115, Class QI, IO, 3s, 2029  2,361,807  232,260 
Ser. 15-H20, Class CI, IO, 2.252s, 2065  8,973,180  1,095,008 
FRB Ser. 15-H16, Class XI, IO, 2.225s, 2065  4,542,204  567,776 
Ser. 15-H25, Class BI, IO, 2.224s, 2065  8,415,000  1,012,325 
Ser. 15-H24, Class HI, IO, 2.014s, 2065  10,409,000  907,665 
Ser. 15-H15, Class JI, IO, 1.931s, 2065  5,877,255  732,894 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   35 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 15-H09, Class AI, IO, 1.931s, 2065  $6,231,907  $697,350 
Ser. 15-H19, Class NI, IO, 1.904s, 2065  7,144,283  889,463 
Ser. 15-H25, Class EI, IO, 1.838s, 2065  6,292,000  673,244 
Ser. 15-H18, IO, 1.822s, 2065  3,673,039  378,213 
Ser. 15-H10, Class CI, IO, 1.801s, 2065  6,663,704  785,068 
Ser. 15-H26, Class GI, IO, 1.792s, 2065  5,322,000  638,640 
Ser. 15-H26, Class EI, IO, 1.715s, 2065  4,900,000  560,462 
Ser. 15-H09, Class BI, IO, 1.696s, 2065  9,589,737  979,112 
Ser. 15-H10, Class EI, IO, 1.636s, 2065  6,444,400  489,452 
Ser. 15-H25, Class AI, IO, 1.608s, 2065  9,287,000  864,620 
Ser. 15-H14, Class BI, IO, 1.593s, 2065  6,700,097  502,507 
Ser. 15-H24, Class BI, IO, 0.719s, 2065  9,796,000  693,557 

GSMPS Mortgage Loan Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 98-4, IO, 1.147s, 2026  73,212  — 
FRB Ser. 98-2, IO, 1.043s, 2027  46,558  — 
FRB Ser. 99-2, IO, 0.827s, 2027  102,941  901 
FRB Ser. 98-3, IO, zero %, 2027  53,518  — 

64,350,227 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (3.0%)   
Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-6, Class A2, 5.309s, 2045  36,989  37,104 
FRB Ser. 07-1, Class XW, IO, 0.33s, 2049  2,570,782  14,593 

Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 08-1, Class C, 6.258s, 2051  1,000,000  993,090 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc.     
FRB Ser. 05-1, Class C, 5.338s, 2042  292,000  274,299 
FRB Ser. 05-5, Class D, 5.286s, 2045  366,000  365,928 
Ser. 05-3, Class AJ, 4.767s, 2043  225,000  207,481 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc. 144A     
FRB Ser. 04-4, Class XC, IO, 0.171s, 2042  668,907  535 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class AJ, 5.522s, 2039  596,000  597,490 
Ser. 05-PWR7, Class D, 5.304s, 2041  375,000  374,483 
Ser. 05-PWR9, Class C, 5.055s, 2042  215,000  214,703 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class B, 5.522s, 2039  3,084,000  3,078,233 
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class C, 5.522s, 2039  320,000  319,389 

CD Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 07-CD5, Class E, 6.12s, 2044  250,000  241,233 

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 06-C4, Class B,     
5.792s, 2049  703,000  701,552 

Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 13-GC11,     
Class E, 4.457s, 2046  1,041,000  896,167 

COMM Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 07-C9, Class D, 5.796s, 2049  300,000  279,750 

COMM Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 12-LC4, Class E, 4 1/4s, 2044  266,000  238,875 
FRB Ser. 14-UBS6, Class D, 3.966s, 2047  387,000  327,766 
FRB Ser. 07-C9, Class AJFL, 0.885s, 2049  140,000  137,904 

 

36   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. Ser. 05-C3,     
Class B, 4.882s, 2037  $203,000  $202,756 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A FRB     
Ser. 03-C3, Class AX, IO, 1.955s, 2038  189,030  18 

GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp. Trust FRB Ser. 06-C1,     
Class AJ, 5.284s, 2044  1,921,000  1,923,401 

GE Commercial Mortgage Corp. Trust Ser. 07-C1, Class A3,     
5.481s, 2049  456,675  457,569 

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class D, 4.411s, 2046  291,000  268,910 
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class E, 4.411s, 2046  850,000  740,588 

GS Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-GC16, Class D, 5.316s, 2046  488,000  470,572 
FRB Ser. 06-GG8, Class X, IO, 0.571s, 2039  33,594,483  45,017 

JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-C14, Class E, 4.562s, 2046  675,000  603,923 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class E, 4.086s, 2045  800,000  669,920 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A     
FRB Ser. 04-CB8, Class F, 5.036s, 2039  500,000  499,185 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class AJ, 6.076s, 2051  453,000  462,889 
FRB Ser. 06-LDP7, Class B, 5.911s, 2045  556,000  278,000 
Ser. 06-LDP6, Class AJ, 5.565s, 2043  24,000  23,976 
FRB Ser. 05-LDP2, Class D, 4.941s, 2042  850,000  865,292 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class C, 6.176s, 2051  501,000  478,630 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class F, 5.198s, 2045  334,000  307,915 
FRB Ser. 13-C13, Class D, 4.056s, 2046  233,000  211,704 
Ser. 13-C13, Class E, 3.986s, 2046  494,000  383,443 
Ser. 13-C10, Class E, 3 1/2s, 2047  354,000  281,253 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class G, 2.972s, 2045  366,000  269,193 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
Pass-Through Certificates 144A Ser. 01-C1, Class H,     
5.626s, 2035  511,160  520,902 

Key Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 07-SL1, Class A2, 5.629s, 2040  33,270  33,218 

LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-C6, Class D, 5.502s, 2039  640,000  636,627 
Ser. 07-C1, Class AJ, 5.484s, 2040  87,000  87,209 
FRB Ser. 06-C6, Class C, 5.482s, 2039  1,016,000  965,200 
FRB Ser. 07-C2, Class XW, IO, 0.539s, 2040  2,056,401  14,816 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-CKI1, Class B, 5.46s, 2037  476,000  475,334 
FRB Ser. 05-CIP1, Class C, 5.399s, 2038  351,000  322,109 
Ser. 04-KEY2, Class D, 5.046s, 2039  250,000  248,193 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 05-MCP1, Class XC,     
IO, 0.046s, 2043  903,830  10 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   37 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-3, Class AJ, 5.485s, 2046  $224,000  $224,634 
Ser. 06-4, Class AJ, 5.239s, 2049  238,000  238,309 

Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-C11, Class E, 4.414s, 2046  600,000  554,640 
FRB Ser. 13-C11, Class F, 4.414s, 2046  696,000  608,607 
Ser. 13-C13, Class F, 3.707s, 2046  1,285,000  984,920 

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust     
Ser. 07-HQ11, Class D, 5.587s, 2044  238,000  215,447 
Ser. 07-HQ11, Class C, 5.558s, 2044  861,000  860,768 
FRB Ser. 06-HQ8, Class C, 5.495s, 2044  950,000  947,233 
Ser. 06-HQ10, Class B, 5.448s, 2041  1,213,000  1,157,866 

Morgan Stanley Re-REMIC Trust 144A FRB Ser. 10-C30A,     
Class A3B, 5.246s, 2043  311,399  312,177 

UBS-Barclays Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 13-C6,     
Class D, 4.494s, 2046  83,000  77,880 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-C26, Class AJ, 6s, 2045  365,000  364,518 
FRB Ser. 06-C23, Class F, 5.6s, 2045  578,000  573,636 
FRB Ser. 06-C29, IO, 0.378s, 2048  35,885,233  105,503 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 05-C21, Class E, 5.281s, 2044  1,487,000  1,483,729 
FRB Ser. 07-C31, IO, 0.211s, 2047  59,412,066  148,530 

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 13-LC12, Class D, 4.299s, 2046  314,000  295,579 

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-C4, Class E, 5.265s, 2044  321,000  339,265 
Ser. 12-C6, Class E, 5s, 2045  412,000  380,824 
Ser. 11-C4, Class F, 5s, 2044  504,000  513,072 
Ser. 11-C3, Class E, 5s, 2044  367,000  347,692 
FRB Ser. 12-C10, Class E, 4.456s, 2045  316,000  261,589 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class D, 4.353s, 2048  172,000  162,313 
FRB Ser. 13-C13, Class E, 4.137s, 2045  343,000  288,189 
Ser. 13-C12, Class E, 3 1/2s, 2048  462,000  371,725 
Ser. 13-C14, Class E, 3 1/4s, 2046  307,000  239,273 

34,106,265 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) (2.2%)   
Banc of America Funding Trust FRB Ser. 06-G, Class 3A3,     
5 3/4s, 2036  239,247  229,677 

BCAP, LLC Trust     
FRB Ser. 15-RR5, Class 2A3, 1.268s, 2046  440,000  338,131 
FRB Ser. 12-RR5, Class 4A8, 0.364s, 2035  2,000,000  1,839,357 

BCAP, LLC Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 15-RR2, Class 26A2, 2.652s, 2036  253,000  223,052 
FRB Ser. 14-RR1, Class 2A2, 2.352s, 2036  350,000  295,078 
FRB Ser. 15-RR6, Class 3A2, 1.138s, 2046  239,000  204,030 
FRB Ser. 14-RR2, Class 4A3, 0.464s, 2036  525,000  386,190 

 

38   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) cont.     
Bear Stearns Alt-A Trust     
FRB Ser. 04-3, Class B, 3.122s, 2034  $236,838  $229,717 
FRB Ser. 04-6, Class M2, 1.922s, 2034  845,111  743,698 

Bear Stearns Asset Backed Securities I Trust FRB Ser. 06-HE2,     
Class M1, 0.597s, 2036 F   800,000  681,760 

Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 2A1, 1.572s, 2035  425,897  347,739 
FRB Ser. 06-OA7, Class 1A2, 1.162s, 2046  1,815,171  1,443,061 
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 1A6, 1.017s, 2035  602,462  469,921 
FRB Ser. 05-38, Class A3, 0.547s, 2035  2,028,620  1,753,742 
FRB Ser. 05-59, Class 1A1, 0.524s, 2035  695,948  553,921 
FRB Ser. 06-OC2, Class 2A3, 0.487s, 2036  213,786  191,339 
FRB Ser. 06-OA2, Class A1, 0.404s, 2046  538,905  404,179 
FRB Ser. 06-OC10, Class 2A2A, 0.377s, 2036  555,827  536,373 

Countrywide Asset-Backed Certificates Trust FRB Ser. 05-2,     
Class M4, 1.262s, 2035 F   1,898,000  1,651,260 

CSMC Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-6R, Class 3A7, 2.923s, 2036  750,000  398,746 
FRB Ser. 13-2R, Class 4A2, 2.451s, 2036  501,231  398,478 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DN1,     
Class B, 11.697s, 2025  964,888  1,119,945 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DNA1,     
Class B, 9.397s, 2027  260,000  294,737 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes Ser. 15-DNA2,     
Class B, 7.737s, 2027  554,000  535,718 

Federal National Mortgage Association Connecticut Avenue     
Securities FRB Ser. 15-C04, Class 1M2, 5.894s, 2028  282,000  287,076 

GSAA Home Equity Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-9, Class M3, 0.727s, 2035  1,154,000  816,314 
FRB Ser. 05-9, Class M1, 0.677s, 2035  725,000  590,875 

GSAMP Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-NC1, Class M1, 0.557s, 2036  325,000  230,750 
FRB Ser. 06-HE2, Class M1, 0.517s, 2046  500,000  407,500 

Nationstar HECM Loan Trust 144A Ser. 15-1A, Class A,     
3.844s, 2018  309,748  310,981 

Nomura Resecuritization Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 10-6RA, Class 1A6, 2.65s, 2036  116,256  107,101 
FRB Ser. 15-4R, Class 1A14, 0.404s, 2047  950,000  548,625 
FRB Ser. 15-1R, Class 6A9, 0.399s, 2047  1,503,232  932,004 

Structured Asset Mortgage Investments II Trust FRB     
Ser. 06-AR7, Class A11, 0.497s, 2036  911,235  403,123 

WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Trust     
FRB Ser. 04-AR13, Class A1B2, 1.177s, 2034  449,783  422,796 
FRB Ser. 05-AR11, Class A1C3, 0.707s, 2045 F   2,064,594  1,805,634 
FRB Ser. 05-AR13, Class A1C3, 0.687s, 2045  1,473,660  1,259,009 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   39 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (10.9%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) cont.     
WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-AR9, Class A1B, 0.577s, 2045  $1,010,665  $924,111 
FRB Ser. 05-AR13, Class A1B3, 0.557s, 2045  183,104  164,336 

Wells Fargo Mortgage Backed Securities Trust FRB Ser. 06-AR6,     
Class 7A2, 3.146s, 2036  519,731  501,594 

    24,981,678 
 
Total mortgage-backed securities (cost $123,691,473)    $123,438,170 
 
SENIOR LOANS (6.5%)* c  Principal amount  Value 

 
Basic materials (0.3%)     
AIlnex Luxembourg & CY SCA bank term loan FRN Ser. B1,     
4 1/2s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  $457,569  $457,283 

AIlnex Luxembourg & CY SCA bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
4 1/2s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  237,411  237,262 

Builders FirstSource, Inc. bank term loan FRN 6s, 2022  1,535,000  1,524,447 

Ineos US Finance, LLC bank term loan FRN 3 3/4s, 2018  415,858  410,399 

KP Germany Erste GmbH bank term loan FRN 5s,     
2020 (Germany)  698,847  698,847 

KP Germany Erste GmbH bank term loan FRN 5s,     
2020 (Germany)  298,653  298,653 

3,626,891 
Capital goods (0.2%)   
Gardner Denver, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/4s, 2020  700,700  656,030 

Generac Power Systems, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 1/2s, 2020  396,250  390,306 

Reynolds Group Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/2s, 2018  573,165  573,882 

TransDigm, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. C, 3 3/4s, 2020  435,695  429,976 

TransDigm, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. D, 3 3/4s, 2021  790,000  778,714 

2,828,908 
Communication services (0.7%)   
Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN 8 1/2s, 2021  480,000  430,920 

Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B1, 5s, 2019  726,697  693,087 

Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B2, 4 1/4s, 2020  977,500  910,541 

Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B4, 5s, 2022  882,788  833,351 

Intelsat Jackson Holdings SA bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
3 3/4s, 2019 (Bermuda)  1,419,814  1,374,114 

Level 3 Financing, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B1, 4s, 2020  1,000,000  998,281 

Numericable US, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B1, 4 1/2s,     
2020 (France)  768,932  758,479 

Numericable US, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B2, 4 1/2s,     
2020 (France)  665,231  656,188 

Virgin Media Investment Holdings, Ltd. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. F, 3 1/2s, 2023 (United Kingdom)  1,009,982  1,001,933 

7,656,894 
Consumer cyclicals (2.7%)   
Academy, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5s, 2022  1,885,411  1,878,341 

Amaya BV bank term loan FRN 5s, 2021 (Netherlands)  990,019  965,681 

American Casino & Entertainment Properties, LLC bank term     
loan FRN 5s, 2022  1,246,875  1,247,654 

Bass Pro Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2020  412,925  409,484 

 

40   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



SENIOR LOANS (6.5%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Consumer cyclicals cont.     
Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B6, 11s, 2017  $849,835  $774,412 

Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B7, 11 1/2s, 2017  562,175  499,984 

Caesars Growth Properties Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN     
6 1/4s, 2021  627,063  552,991 

CCM Merger, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2021  663,941  662,558 

Chrysler Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2017  324,851  324,005 

CityCenter Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/4s, 2020  886,533  885,979 

CPG International, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2020  1,203,858  1,191,819 

DBP Holding Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 1/4s, 2019  1,590,000  1,348,845 

Dollar Tree Stores, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/2s, 2022  276,640  276,788 

FCA US, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 1/4s, 2018  788,000  784,651 

Golden Nugget, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 1/2s, 2019  583,406  584,136 

Golden Nugget, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. DD, 5 1/2s, 2019  250,031  250,344 

Interactive Data Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2021  987,500  986,471 

JC Penney Corp., Inc. bank term loan FRN 5s, 2019  992,462  986,756 

Jeld-Wen, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5s, 2022  750,000  749,297 

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  609,802  588,459 

MGM Resorts International bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 1/2s, 2019  972,500  970,069 

Navistar, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 6 1/2s, 2020  1,000,000  966,667 

Neiman Marcus Group, Ltd., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
4 1/4s, 2020  1,254,456  1,222,667 

Petco Animal Supplies, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4s, 2017  952,500  949,325 

Realogy Group, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2020  1,462,697  1,460,412 

Sabre GLBL, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2019  1,215,625  1,214,409 

Scientific Games International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B2, 6s, 2021  1,488,750  1,453,392 

Station Casinos, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/4s, 2020  1,132,828  1,132,220 

Talbots, Inc. (The) bank term loan FRN 9 1/2s, 2021  500,000  488,750 

Talbots, Inc. (The) bank term loan FRN 5 1/2s, 2020  746,212  726,624 

Travelport Finance Sarl bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 3/4s,     
2021 (Luxembourg)  738,418  732,571 

Tribune Media Co. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2020  1,006,387  1,003,871 

Univision Communications, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4s, 2020  1,127,352  1,118,270 

Yonkers Racing Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 1/4s, 2019  1,335,794  1,295,163 

30,683,065 
Consumer staples (0.6%)   
CEC Entertainment, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2021  423,550  408,990 

Del Monte Foods, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4.263s, 2021  943,200  920,799 

Hostess Brands, LLC bank term loan FRN 8 1/2s, 2023  885,000  886,106 

Landry’s, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  1,239,433  1,239,046 

Libbey Glass, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2021  987,500  980,916 

Rite Aid Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 7/8s, 2021  1,000,000  1,000,938 

US Foods, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/2s, 2019  977,500  976,889 

    6,413,684 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   41 

 



SENIOR LOANS (6.5%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Energy (0.2%)     
American Energy-Marcellus, LLC bank term loan FRN 5 1/4s, 2020  $460,000  $212,367 

Fieldwood Energy, LLC bank term loan FRN 8 3/8s, 2020  1,060,000  385,310 

Offshore Group Investment, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5s,     
2017 (Cayman Islands)  886,342  249,653 

Seventy Seven Energy, Inc. bank term loan FRN 3 3/4s, 2021  994,962  821,673 

Tervita Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 6 1/4s, 2018 (Canada)  255,074  197,682 

1,866,685 
Financials (0.4%)   
HUB International, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2020  985,000  960,170 

iStar, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. A2, 7s, 2017 R   689,458  703,247 

USI, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/4s, 2019  1,458,975  1,441,194 

Vantiv, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s, 2021  253,393  253,617 

Walter Investment Management Corp. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2020  1,395,445  1,281,483 

4,639,711 
Health care (0.8%)   
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 3/4s, 2021  840,000  819,000 

Envision Healthcare Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  472,390  470,914 

Grifols Worldwide Operations USA, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
3.198s, 2021  1,640,025  1,634,729 

IASIS Healthcare, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2018  960,686  961,886 

Kinetic Concepts, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/2s, 2018  1,314,674  1,314,017 

MPH Acquisition Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 3/4s, 2021  912,182  899,069 

Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 3/4s, 2021  587,563  578,602 

Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC bank term loan FRN     
4 1/4s, 2022  1,596,000  1,573,389 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. E, 3 3/4s, 2020  462,718  428,940 

8,680,546 
Technology (0.5%)   
Avago Technologies, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3 3/4s,     
2020 (Cayman Islands)  1,227,679  1,226,827 

Avaya, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B6, 6 1/2s, 2018  977,137  812,655 

First Data Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 3.7s, 2018  1,500,000  1,489,062 

Infor US, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B5, 3 3/4s, 2020  865,318  841,040 

Informatica Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s, 2022  900,000  888,375 

Syniverse Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2019  950,228  862,332 

6,120,291 
Transportation (—%)   
Air Medical Group Holdings, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
4 1/2s, 2022  413,963  406,644 

406,644 
Utilities and power (0.1%)   
Energy Transfer Equity LP bank term loan FRN 3 1/4s, 2019  715,000  681,395 

Texas Competitive Electric Holdings Co., LLC bank term loan     
FRN 4.683s, 2017  710,555  240,256 

Texas Competitive Electric Holdings Co., LLC bank term loan     
FRN 4.683s, 2017  7,293  2,466 

    924,117 
 
Total senior loans (cost $77,239,280)    $73,847,436 

 

42   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (5.5%)*    Principal amount  Value 

 
Basic materials (1.0%)       
ArcelorMittal SA sr. unsec. bonds 10.6s, 2019 (France)    $405,000  $444,488 

ArcelorMittal SA sr. unsec. unsub. bonds 5 1/8s, 2020 (France)    1,000,000  952,500 

ArcelorMittal SA sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 1/8s, 2018 (France)    339,000  339,848 

Cemex SAB de CV 144A company guaranty sr. FRN 5.071s,       
2018 (Mexico)    1,500,000  1,533,750 

Corp Nacional del Cobre de Chile 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
3 7/8s, 2021 (Chile)    700,000  707,309 

HD Supply, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 7 1/2s, 2020    876,000  932,940 

HudBay Minerals, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
9 1/2s, 2020 (Canada)    1,000,000  872,500 

Mercer International, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
7 3/4s, 2022 (Canada)    1,500,000  1,567,500 

Novelis, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 8 3/4s, 2020    1,280,000  1,283,200 

Perstorp Holding AB 144A company guaranty sr. notes 8 3/4s,       
2017 (Sweden)    1,125,000  1,161,563 

Univar, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 3/4s, 2023    710,000  702,900 

Vale Overseas, Ltd. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 1/4s, 2017 (Brazil)    395,000  403,508 

10,902,006 
Capital goods (0.8%)     
American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. company guaranty sr.       
unsec. notes 6 1/4s, 2021    1,000,000  1,047,500 

ATS Automation Tooling Systems, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes       
6 1/2s, 2023 (Canada)    1,500,000  1,548,750 

Gates Global, LLC/Gates Global Co. 144A sr. unsec.       
notes 6s, 2022    1,210,000  968,000 

KION Finance SA 144A sr. unsub. notes 6 3/4s,       
2020 (Luxembourg)  EUR  145,000  167,023 

KLX, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
5 7/8s, 2022    $1,850,000  1,888,156 

Moog, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
5 1/4s, 2022    1,127,000  1,149,540 

Oshkosh Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 5 3/8s, 2022    1,000,000  1,022,500 

ZF North America Capital, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.       
unsec. unsub. notes 4s, 2020    1,500,000  1,515,000 

9,306,469 
Communication services (0.9%)     
Cequel Communications Holdings I, LLC/Cequel Capital Corp.       
144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/8s, 2021    1,215,000  1,167,299 

Crown Castle International Corp. sr. unsec. notes 5 1/4s, 2023 R     840,000  904,050 

Digicel, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2020 (Jamaica)    1,600,000  1,556,000 

DISH DBS Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
4 1/4s, 2018    1,500,000  1,498,125 

Intelsat Luxembourg SA company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds       
6 3/4s, 2018 (Luxembourg)    700,000  621,250 

Sprint Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2016    265,000  267,981 

Sprint Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
8 3/8s, 2017    770,000  786,363 

T-Mobile USA, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 1/4s, 2021    500,000  514,375 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   43 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (5.5%)* cont.    Principal amount  Value 

 
Communication services cont.       
Telenet Finance V Luxembourg SCA 144A sr. notes 6 3/4s,       
2024 (Luxembourg)  EUR  130,000  $157,422 

Telenet Finance V Luxembourg SCA 144A sr. notes 6 1/4s,       
2022 (Luxembourg)  EUR  185,000  219,710 

Virgin Media Secured Finance PLC 144A sr. notes 6s, 2021       
(United Kingdom)  GBP  477,000  776,051 

WideOpenWest Finance, LLC/WideOpenWest Capital Corp.       
company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 10 1/4s, 2019    $1,110,000  1,108,613 

9,577,239 
Consumer cyclicals (0.4%)     
Howard Hughes Corp. (The) 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 7/8s, 2021    1,500,000  1,560,000 

JC Penney Corp, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds       
8 1/8s, 2019    1,050,000  1,044,750 

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 1/8s, 2019    700,000  638,750 

Navistar International Corp. sr. notes 8 1/4s, 2021    1,000,000  780,000 

Owens Corning company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 9s, 2019    36,000  42,345 

Scientific Games Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes       
8 1/8s, 2018    575,000  523,250 

4,589,095 
Consumer staples (0.3%)     
BC ULC/New Red Finance, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.       
notes 4 5/8s, 2022 (Canada)    1,080,000  1,094,850 

BlueLine Rental Finance Corp. 144A sr. notes 7s, 2019    650,000  655,688 

Rite Aid Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
6 1/8s, 2023    1,000,000  1,077,500 

United Rentals North America, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec.       
notes 5 1/2s, 2025    1,000,000  997,500 

3,825,538 
Energy (0.6%)     
Chesapeake Energy Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. FRN       
3.571s, 2019    1,500,000  967,500 

Oasis Petroleum, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 7/8s, 2022    580,000  494,450 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
3 7/8s, 2016 (Brazil)    1,775,000  1,770,563 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.       
unsub. notes 6 1/4s, 2024 (Brazil)    390,000  312,983 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA sr. unsec. notes 5 1/8s,       
2016 (Venezuela)    2,352,000  1,764,000 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA 144A company guaranty sr. notes       
8 1/2s, 2017 (Venezuela)    666,666  406,666 

Whiting Petroleum Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.       
notes 5 3/4s, 2021    1,550,000  1,449,250 

7,165,412 
Financials (0.7%)     
CIT Group, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/4s, 2018    900,000  943,875 

Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (The) jr. unsec. sub. FRB       
8 1/8s, 2038    530,000  589,625 

Icahn Enterprises LP/Icahn Enterprises Finance Corp. company       
guaranty sr. unsec. notes 4 7/8s, 2019    1,070,000  1,094,396 

Russian Agricultural Bank OJSC Via RSHB Capital SA 144A sr.       
unsec. unsub. notes 5.298s, 2017 (Russia)    300,000  303,000 

 

44   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (5.5%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

 
Financials cont.     
Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. notes     
5.942s, 2023 (Russia)  $200,000  $190,905 

Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 6.902s, 2020 (Russia)  500,000  512,500 

Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 6.8s, 2025 (Russia)  250,000  245,000 

VTB Bank OJSC Via VTB Capital SA 144A sr. unsec. notes     
6 7/8s, 2018 (Russia)  1,600,000  1,678,800 

VTB Bank OJSC Via VTB Capital SA 144A unsec. sub. bonds     
6.95s, 2022 (Russia)  1,800,000  1,719,000 

7,277,101 
Health care (0.3%)   
CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
notes 5 1/8s, 2018  555,000  565,406 

Endo Limited/Endo Finance LLC/Endo Finco, Inc. 144A     
company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2023 (Ireland)  400,000  401,000 

HCA, Inc. sr. notes 6 1/2s, 2020  610,000  683,200 

Service Corporation International sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2017  170,000  183,280 

Tenet Healthcare Corp. company guaranty sr. notes 6 1/4s, 2018  665,000  709,888 

Tenet Healthcare Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. FRN     
3.837s, 2020  720,000  714,600 

3,257,374 
Technology (0.4%)   
CommScope, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. notes     
4 3/8s, 2020  1,000,000  1,020,000 

Infor US, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 1/2s, 2022  1,310,000  1,241,225 

Iron Mountain, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 6s, 2020 R   1,645,000  1,743,700 

SoftBank Corp. 144A sr. unsec. notes 4 1/2s, 2020 (Japan)  850,000  843,625 

4,848,550 
Utilities and power (0.1%)   
AES Corp./Virginia (The) sr. unsec. notes 5 1/2s, 2025  195,000  180,863 

NRG Energy, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 1/4s, 2022  1,000,000  920,000 

Texas-New Mexico Power Co. 144A 1st mtge. bonds Ser. A,     
9 1/2s, 2019  175,000  212,865 

    1,313,728 
 
Total corporate bonds and notes (cost $62,967,879)    $62,062,512 
 
COMMODITY LINKED NOTES (5.4%)* †††  Principal amount  Value 

 
Citigroup, Inc. sr. notes Ser. G, 1-month USD LIBOR less 0.18%, 2016     
(Indexed to the CVICF3F0 Index multiplied by 3)  $21,100,000  $21,122,683 

Deutsche Bank AG/London 144A notes, 1-month USD LIBOR less     
0.16%, 2016 (Indexed to the DB Commodity Backwardation Alpha     
22 USD Total Return Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  3,158,000  3,331,690 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2016     
(Indexed to the UBSIF3AT Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  6,821,364  6,887,941 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2016     
(Indexed to the S&P GSCI Commodity Index multiplied by 3)     
(United Kingdom)  16,403,000  14,889,823 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2015     
(Indexed to the UBSIF3AT Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  14,300,000  15,176,447 

Total commodity Linked Notes (cost $61,782,364)    $61,408,584 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   45 

 



INVESTMENT COMPANIES (5.0%)*  Shares  Value 

 
Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund  120,900  $9,789,273 

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund  190,200  9,487,176 

Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund  135,500  9,666,570 

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund  179,900  9,763,173 

Utility Select Sector SPDR Fund  417,100  18,248,125 

Total investment companies (cost $53,769,109)    $56,954,317 
 
FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
BONDS AND NOTES (1.2%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Argentina (Republic of) sr. unsec. bonds 7s, 2017 (Argentina)  $579,000  $574,658 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
10 7/8s, 2021 (Argentina)  3,070,000  3,231,175 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 9.95s,     
2021 (Argentina)  2,773,529  2,847,028 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 9 3/8s,     
2018 (Argentina)  1,040,000  1,037,400 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 1/4s,     
2017 (Croatia)  350,000  366,275 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 3/8s,     
2021 (Croatia)  240,000  258,300 

Russia (Federation of) 144A sr. notes 5 5/8s, 2042 (Russia)  900,000  897,750 

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) unsec. bonds 5 3/4s,     
2016 (Venezuela)  4,800,000  4,380,000 

Total foreign government and agency bonds and notes (cost $13,183,871)  $13,592,586 

 

WARRANTS (1.0%)* †  Expiration  Strike     
  date  price  Warrants  Value 

Bharat Petroleum Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/9/18  $0.00  117,157  $1,561,795 

Ceat, Ltd. 144A (India)  8/15/16  0.00  18,252  302,096 

Hindustan Zinc. Ltd. 144A (India)  10/27/17  0.00  513,279  1,234,399 

Indian Oil Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  8/25/17  0.00  243,686  1,490,756 

Infosys, Ltd. 144A (India)  10/10/16  0.00  64,687  1,124,016 

Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd. 144A (China)  4/13/16  0.00  30,277  1,024,410 

Power Finance Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/9/18  0.00  367,882  1,350,036 

Rural Electrification Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/6/17  0.00  316,440  1,208,714 

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co., Ltd.         
144A (China)  10/6/17  0.00  314,700  815,953 

Tata Chemicals, Ltd. 144A (India)  7/16/16  0.00  72,290  451,861 

Wipro, Ltd. 144A (India)  10/6/17  0.00  14,073  123,372 

YES Bank, Ltd. 144A (India)  8/15/16  0.00  82,864  962,044 

Total warrants (cost $12,436,401)        $11,649,452 

 

ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (0.4%)*  Principal amount  Value 

 
Station Place Securitization Trust     
FRB Ser. 15-4, Class A, 1.402s, 2017  $2,898,000  $2,898,000 
FRB Ser. 15-2, Class A, 1.235s, 2017  1,913,000  1,913,000 

Total asset-backed securities (cost $4,811,000)    $4,811,000 

 

46   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING (—%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

 
Bank of America N.A.       
(1.548)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.548  $25,260,500  $126 

Citibank, N.A.       
(2.087)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.087  9,189,700  3,125 

Credit Suisse International       
(2.915)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.915  174,000  10,200 

(3.315)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/3.315  174,000  5,640 

Goldman Sachs International       
2.0775/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.0775  7,700,000  48,818 

0.90/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.90  21,292,600  31,939 

(2.82)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jan-46  Jan-16/2.82  1,743,950  23,160 

1.36/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.36  17,081,300  17,935 

1.285/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.285  17,081,300  8,882 

(2.18625)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.18625  9,189,700  2,389 

(2.5025)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.5025  7,700,000  770 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(2.148)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.148  8,540,600  44,070 

0.98/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.98  8,143,800  19,138 

1.898/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/1.898  8,540,600  15,886 

Total purchased swap options outstanding (cost $494,479)    $232,078 
 
PURCHASED OPTIONS  Expiration date/  Contract   
OUTSTANDING (0.3%)*  strike price  amount  Value 

 
Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/$100.98  $1,000,000  $5,482 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.86  1,000,000  4,851 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.66  1,000,000  4,207 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.50  1,000,000  3,584 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Oct-16/173.00  193,586  1,070,531 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Sep-16/168.00  189,960  813,029 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Aug-16/165.00  192,198  629,635 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Jul-16/165.00  192,198  541,564 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Jun-16/165.00  192,198  470,887 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  May-16/163.00  191,616  367,903 

Total purchased options outstanding (cost $7,975,012)    $3,911,673 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (32.8%)*  Principal amount/shares  Value 

 
Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund 0.11% L   Shares   110,035,724  $110,035,724 

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.15% L   Shares   223,132,504  223,132,504 

SSgA Prime Money Market Fund Class N 0.09% P   Shares   1,170,000  1,170,000 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.07%, April 14, 2016 # ∆ § 

  $13,982,000  13,970,451 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.07%, April 7, 2016 # ∆ 

  4,569,000  4,565,811 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.15%, February 18, 2016 # ∆ § 

  5,890,000  5,888,698 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   47 

 



SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (32.8%)* cont.  Principal amount/shares  Value 

 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.15%, February 11, 2016 # ∆ § 

$6,766,000  $6,764,457 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.09%, January 14, 2016 # ∆ § 

5,202,000  5,201,142 

Total short-term investments (cost $370,735,224)    $370,728,787 
 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS     

Total investments (cost $1,394,689,488)    $1,396,835,549 

 

Key to holding’s currency abbreviations 
EUR  Euro 
GBP  British Pound 

 

Key to holding’s abbreviations 
ADR  American Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a 
  custodian bank 
bp  Basis Points 
ETF  Exchange Traded Fund 
FRB  Floating Rate Bonds: the rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period 
FRN  Floating Rate Notes: the rate shown is the current interest rate or yield at the close of the reporting period 
GDR  Global Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank 
IFB  Inverse Floating Rate Bonds, which are securities that pay interest rates that vary inversely to changes in the market interest rates. As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce less current income. The rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period.
IO  Interest Only 
NVDR Non-voting Depository Receipts 
OAO  Open Joint Stock Company 
OJSC  Open Joint Stock Company 
PJSC  Public Joint Stock Company 
PO  Principal Only 
SPDR  S&P Depository Receipts 
TBA  To Be Announced Commitments 

 

Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $1,130,162,494.

††† The value of the commodity linked notes, which are marked to market daily, may be based on a multiple of the performance of the index. The multiple (or leverage) will increase the volatility of the note’s value relative to the change in the underlying index.

† This security is non-income-producing.

# This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

∆ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on certain derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

§ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on the initial margin on certain centrally cleared derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

48   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



c Senior loans are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, but contain certain restrictions on resale and cannot be sold publicly. These loans pay interest at rates which adjust periodically. The interest rates shown for senior loans are the current interest rates at the close of the reporting period. Senior loans are also subject to mandatory and/or optional prepayment which cannot be predicted. As a result, the remaining maturity may be substantially less than the stated maturity shown (Notes 1 and 6).

F This security is valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities’ valuation inputs. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was also used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio (Note 1).

L Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

P This security was pledged, or purchased with cash that was pledged, to the fund for collateral on certain derivative contracts. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period (Note 1).

R Real Estate Investment Trust.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $505,359,398 to cover certain derivative contracts and delayed delivery securities.

Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.

Debt obligations are considered secured unless otherwise indicated.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding TBA commitments.

The dates shown on debt obligations are the original maturity dates.

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $102,242,842)   
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
  British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  $70,591  $70,111  $(480) 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  349,129  344,778  (4,351) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  1,794,755  1,847,988  53,233 

  Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  1,230,312  1,231,649  (1,337) 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,230,312  1,197,536  (32,776) 

  Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  873,574  846,859  26,715 

  New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  38,222  72,414  (34,192) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  155,748  147,269  8,479 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  996,535  1,006,617  10,082 

  Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  672,964  674,402  1,438 

Barclays Bank PLC           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  799,008  801,868  (2,860) 

  British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  2,718,074  2,699,354  18,720 

  Euro  Buy  12/16/15  320,106  340,449  (20,343) 

  Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  2,176,112  2,163,534  12,578 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  2,176,112  2,190,168  14,056 

  Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  1,040,728  1,007,773  32,955 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  487,379  453,902  33,477 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   49 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $102,242,842) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  $187,506  $204,665  $(17,159) 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  1,031,626  1,027,222  4,404 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  1,031,626  1,044,405  12,779 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  261,413  296,082  (34,669) 

Citibank, N.A.           
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  29,593  30,128  (535) 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  1,289,110  1,274,126  (14,984) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  2,563,165  2,638,398  75,233 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  1,680,172  1,635,451  44,721 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,680,172  1,681,981  1,809 

Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  1,268,441  1,232,391  36,050 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  628,450  648,216  (19,766) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  984,618  1,001,370  16,752 

Credit Suisse International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  5,328  5,261  67 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  1,050,855  1,043,579  7,276 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  546,437  540,756  5,681 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  1,245,544  1,283,985  38,441 

Indian Rupee  Buy  11/18/15  1,089,669  1,089,083  586 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  4,222,807  4,175,040  47,767 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  4,222,807  4,230,882  8,075 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  296,683  280,654  16,029 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  68,414  63,360  (5,054) 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  1,031,269  1,027,327  3,942 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  1,031,269  1,044,632  13,363 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  1,755,968  1,785,509  (29,541) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  528,048  524,382  (3,666) 

Czech Koruna  Sell  12/16/15  1,075,040  1,100,229  25,189 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  538,207  548,965  (10,758) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  1,964,267  1,966,440  (2,173) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,964,267  1,912,161  (52,106) 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  84,397  87,031  (2,634) 

Polish Zloty  Sell  12/16/15  1,127,647  1,139,280  11,633 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  1,371,037  1,394,827  23,790 

Goldman Sachs International           
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  1,003,383  996,552  6,831 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  312,053  316,220  (4,167) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  539,857  558,560  18,703 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  2,924,210  2,914,397  9,813 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  2,924,210  2,879,730  (44,480) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  519,778  535,968  16,190 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  520,224  525,226  (5,002) 

 

50   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $102,242,842) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

HSBC Bank USA, National Association         
British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  $203,451  $202,042  $(1,409) 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  2,064  2,040  (24) 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  688,301  708,523  (20,222) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  1,088,706  1,089,909  (1,203) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,088,706  1,059,912  (28,794) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  249,952  236,343  13,609 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  505,696  514,499  8,803 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  550,028  545,319  4,709 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  716,086  711,279  4,807 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  409,903  395,776  (14,127) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  49,848  31,472  (18,376) 

Indian Rupee  Buy  11/18/15  1,081,138  1,078,993  2,145 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  384,840  436,869  52,029 

Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  31,959  30,988  971 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  996,391  1,016,888  20,497 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  136,040  125,551  (10,489) 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  1,054,955  1,051,208  3,747 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  1,054,955  1,070,119  15,164 

South Korean Won  Buy  11/18/15  1,099,586  1,064,616  34,970 

South Korean Won  Sell  11/18/15  1,099,586  1,061,190  (38,396) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  304,132  287,438  16,694 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)           
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  255,393  246,226  9,167 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  764,767  776,056  (11,289) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  1,512,942  1,532,505  19,563 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  925,816  942,816  17,000 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  165,108  175,174  (10,066) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  115,152  118,406  3,254 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  790,485  783,150  7,335 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  790,485  802,346  11,861 

South Korean Won  Buy  11/18/15  1,100,536  1,056,567  43,969 

South Korean Won  Sell  11/18/15  1,100,536  1,064,839  (35,697) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  1,282,400  1,280,556  (1,844) 

State Street Bank and Trust Co.           
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  95,560  94,897  663 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  515,706  517,499  (1,793) 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  706,568  754,248  (47,680) 

Hungarian Forint  Buy  12/16/15  864,332  866,644  (2,312) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  1,351,337  1,337,418  13,919 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,351,337  1,352,516  1,179 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  1,245,269  1,284,187  38,918 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   51 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $102,242,842) cont.   
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

State Street Bank and Trust Co. cont.           
  Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  $1,578,045  $1,567,513  $10,532 

  Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  1,578,045  1,596,455  18,410 

  Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  171,381  174,358  2,977 

UBS AG             
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  533,406  550,719  (17,313) 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  528,075  554,910  (26,835) 

WestPac Banking Corp.           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  270,788  267,438  3,350 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  1,062,677  1,049,877  (12,800) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  660,021  679,414  19,393 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,767,047  1,754,984  (12,063) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  483,338  457,095  26,243 

  South Korean Won  Buy  11/18/15  1,088,567  1,053,351  35,216 

  South Korean Won  Sell  11/18/15  1,088,568  1,048,562  (40,006) 

Total            $422,180 

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15       
        Unrealized 
  Number of    Expiration  appreciation/ 
  contracts  Value  date  (depreciation) 
DAX Index (Long)  1  $297,442  Dec-15  $19,695 

Euro STOXX 50 Index (Long)  329  12,311,542  Dec-15  850,647 

Euro-CAC 40 Index (Short)  11  592,167  Nov-15  (35,109) 

FTSE 100 Index (Long)  13  1,266,578  Dec-15  51,971 

S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Short)  1,369  141,944,765  Dec-15  (7,318,751) 

S&P Mid Cap 400 Index         
E-Mini (Long)  232  33,440,480  Dec-15  954,490 

SPI 200 Index (Short)  15  1,400,172  Dec-15  (61,553) 

Tokyo Price Index (Long)  49  6,328,541  Dec-15  541,916 

U.S. Treasury Bond 30 yr (Long)  27  4,223,813  Dec-15  12,989 

U.S. Treasury Bond Ultra         
30 yr (Short)  62  9,904,500  Dec-15  (43,797) 

U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr (Short)  18  3,935,813  Dec-15  518 

U.S. Treasury Note 5 yr (Short)  261  31,260,867  Dec-15  (42,775) 

U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr (Long)  152  19,408,500  Dec-15  92,346 

U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr (Short)  14  1,787,625  Dec-15  (8,403) 

Total        $(4,985,816) 

 

52   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $1,528,440)     
Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Bank of America N.A.       
1.798/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.798  $25,260,500  $25 

1.278/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.278  6,315,125  316 

Citibank, N.A.       
2.587/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.587  9,189,700  643 

2.387/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.387  9,189,700  1,195 

Credit Suisse International       
2.515/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.515  174,000  16,709 

Goldman Sachs International       
2.58625/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.58625  18,379,400  1,287 

(1.885)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jan-46  Jan-16/1.885  1,743,950  3,941 

2.29/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.29  3,850,000  4,389 

(0.725)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.725  21,292,600  8,304 

(0.8125)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.8125  21,292,600  17,460 

(1.435)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.435  17,081,300  33,309 

(2.29)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.29  3,850,000  77,501 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(0.83)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.83  8,143,800  6,841 

(0.905)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.905  8,143,800  12,134 

(2.023)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.023  4,270,300  20,839 

2.023/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.023  4,270,300  47,144 

(6.00 Floor)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Mar-18  Mar-18/6.00  5,792,000  743,437 

Total      $995,474 

 

WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $240,470)     
  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/$99.98  $1,000,000  $2,071 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.92  1,000,000  1,927 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.86  1,000,000  1,791 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.77  1,000,000  1,604 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.19  1,000,000  787 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.03  1,000,000  645 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/98.98  1,000,000  607 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/98.86  1,000,000  516 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  Nov-15/215.00  171,647  46,345 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  Nov-15/215.00  171,647  39,479 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   53 

 



WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $240,470) cont.     
  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  Nov-15/$210.00  $173,880  $175,619 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  Nov-15/209.00  173,899  151,291 

Total      $422,682 

 

FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15     
Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/Floating rate index/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable) (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.         
2.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Purchased)  Nov-15/2.00  $8,540,600  $(34,162)  $2,562 

(2.238)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Purchased)  Nov-15/2.238  8,540,600  (34,162)  (10,078) 

2.119/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Written)  Nov-15/2.119  4,270,300  34,162  7,358 

(2.119)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Written)  Nov-15/2.119  4,270,300  34,162  (5,334) 

Citibank, N.A.         
1.475/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Purchased)  Nov-15/1.475  8,540,600  (22,633)  427 

1.399/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Purchased)  Nov-15/1.399  8,540,600  (12,811)  256 

(1.551)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Written)  Nov-15/1.551  8,540,600  35,443  (2,135) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
2.117/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.117  729,475  (17,874)  (139) 

2.035/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.035  729,475  (18,535)  (2,757) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  1,543,800  (10,208)  (4,074) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  3,087,500  (21,690)  (9,414) 

(3.035)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.035  729,475  (19,410)  (9,458) 

(3.117)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.117  729,475  (20,425)  (11,750) 

2.655/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.655  3,195,100  21,168  17,017 

2.56/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.56  3,195,100  20,425  15,496 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  6,175,100  19,760  2,100 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  3,087,500  9,454  710 

 

54   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/Floating rate index/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable)  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. cont.         
(1.56)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.56  $3,195,100  $18,395  $(4,984) 

(1.655)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.655  3,195,100  18,212  (8,466) 

Total      $(729)  $(22,663) 

 

TBA SALE COMMITMENTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (proceeds receivable $144,913,906)   
  Principal  Settlement   
Agency  amount  date  Value 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, 4 1/2s,       
November 1, 2045  $2,000,000  11/12/15  $2,162,812 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 5 1/2s,       
November 1, 2045  2,000,000  11/12/15  2,234,375 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 4s,       
November 1, 2045  4,000,000  11/12/15  4,258,438 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3 1/2s,       
November 1, 2045  5,000,000  11/12/15  5,204,297 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3s,       
December 1, 2045  1,000,000  12/10/15  1,008,672 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3s,       
November 1, 2045  128,000,000  11/12/15  129,390,003 

Total      $144,258,597 

 

CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15   
  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$1,765,000  $(9,191)  9/30/25  3 month USD-  2.1575%  $10,368 
      LIBOR-BBA     

1,765,000  24,168  9/30/25  2.3975%  3 month USD-  (34,731) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,765,000  (15,545)  9/30/25  3 month USD-  2.2775%  23,684 
      LIBOR-BBA     

7,700,000  (45,147)  10/9/25  3 month USD-  2.155%  33,404 
      LIBOR-BBA     

3,850,000  44,994  10/9/25  2.3225%  3 month USD-  (54,123) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

3,850,000  (25,534)  10/28/25  3 month USD-  2.055%  (26,795) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

1,925,000  24,530  10/28/25  2.235%  3 month USD-  (6,964) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

7,700,000  (55,542)  10/28/25  3 month USD-  2.0775%  (42,003) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

3,850,000  53,464  10/28/25  2.2625%  3 month USD-  (19,338) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   55 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.   
  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$3,850,000  $(25,076)  10/29/25  3 month USD-  2.12%  $(2,958) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

1,925,000  25,000  10/29/25  2.31%  3 month USD-  (19,987) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

5,775,000  (36,459)  10/27/25  3 month USD-  2.07125%  (29,284) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

2,887,500  36,344  10/27/25  2.25%  3 month USD-  (15,094) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

154,250,000 E  777,630  12/16/17  1.25%  3 month USD-  (240,114) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

14,614,000 E  88,546  12/16/25  2.35%  3 month USD-  (258,069) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

2,887,500  23,928  9/29/25  2.235%  3 month USD-  (28,863) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

962,500  19,217  9/29/45  2.703%  3 month USD-  (18,957) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

50,372,000 E  55,254  12/16/20  1.70%  3 month USD-  (312,110) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

13,181,000 E  14,933  12/16/45  3 month USD-  2.70%  459,949 
      LIBOR-BBA     

12,128,000  (160)  9/29/25  2.162%  3 month USD-  (139,690) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

5,823,000  (77)  9/30/25  2.07%  3 month USD-  (17,285) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

7,000,000  (92)  10/5/25  3 month USD-  2.021%  (14,095) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

1,738,500  (23)  10/28/25  2.013%  3 month USD-  7,316 
        LIBOR-BBA   

577,500  (8)  10/28/25  2.044%  3 month USD-  771 
        LIBOR-BBA   

Total  $975,154        $(744,968) 


E
Extended effective date.

 

 

OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15     
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
baskets   1,447,981 $—  5/31/16  (3 month USD-  A basket  $11,350,244 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (MLTRFCF6) of   
        0.10%)  common stocks   

units   34,350 —  5/31/16  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  (10,237,052) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Return Index   
7 bp     

units   2,675 —  5/31/16  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  (797,209) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Return Index   
        0.07%     

 

56   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC           
$231,054  $—  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $582 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

302,503  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  632 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,165,004  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,028) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,067,922  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,689 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

992,581  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,810 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,379,250  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  5,341 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,987,879  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (5,202) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

325,757  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  922 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

407,151  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  303 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

325,757  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  922 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

247,997  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  392 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,606,448  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (4,538) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,267,667  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  9,249 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,004,180  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  748 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

117,452  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  264 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

31,566  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  78 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   57 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
$200,666  $—  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $568 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,628,784  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  4,610 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,949,535  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (5,135) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,382,396  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,775 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,100,114  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,915) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,771,629  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  3,223 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,420,971  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,815 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

237,557  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  598 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

517,101  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  601 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

7,850,415  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  22,221 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,917,079  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,426 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

202,444  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  510 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

656,749  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,654 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

476,198  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,199 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,003,317  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (5,229) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,053,676  —  1/12/39  (6.00%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,877) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

58   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
$437,921  $—  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $(1,286) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

218,991  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (643) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

218,991  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (643) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

439,440  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,291) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,141,255  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (3,353) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

439,440  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,291) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

685,599  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,151 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

434,873  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  730 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

523,009  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,289 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

877,360  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,577) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

631,968  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (1,356) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

14,183  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (25) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

711,905  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,239) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

343,674  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  973 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,044,530  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (3,559) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

362,455  (2,322)  1/12/43  (3.50%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (696) 
      USD-LIBOR  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   59 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Citibank, N.A.           
   $792,892 $—  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $2,244 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

   387,651 —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,097 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

baskets   327 —  12/17/15  (3 month USD-  A basket  1,645,393 
      LIBOR-BBA plus  (CGPUTQL2) of   
      0.42%)  common stocks   

baskets   346,096 —  11/10/15  3 month USD-  A basket  (566,276) 
      LIBOR-BBA minus  (CGPUTS39) of   
      0.45%  common stocks   

units   43,989 —  3/18/16  3 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  (358,451) 
      LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
      0.15%     

units   31,135 —  10/17/16  3 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  230,894 
      LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
      0.30%     

units   7,096 —  12/17/15  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  (1,641,803) 
      LIBOR-BBA plus  Return Index   
      0.15%     

units   433 —  12/17/15  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  (100,183) 
      LIBOR-BBA plus  Return Index   
      0.15%     

Credit Suisse International         
   $651,514 —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,844 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

   1,067,388 —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,792 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

   1,103,664 —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (2,369) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

   885,733 —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (1,901) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

   2,228,348 —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  3,740 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

   206,693 —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  464 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

   1,839,354 —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,493 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

60   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Credit Suisse International cont.         
   $610,983 $—  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $828 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   302,689 —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  410 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,289,992 —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,958 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   40,793 —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  94 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,257,893 —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,885 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,554,812 —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,566 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   3,094,775 19,342  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  24,158 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,646,209 11,833  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  14,394 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

Deutsche Bank AG           
   738,798 —  1/12/34  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (2,048) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

baskets   313,665 —  8/8/16  3 month USD-  A basket  1,940,105 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  (DBCTPS9P) of   
        0.45%  common stocks   

baskets   313,665 —  8/8/16  (3 month USD-  A basket  (1,228,281) 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (DBCTPL9P) of   
        0.31%)  common stocks   

Goldman Sachs International         
   $801,772 —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,976 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   618,587 —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,524 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,990,728 —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,143 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,089,132 —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,684 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   61 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
$860,650  $—  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $2,436 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

750,297  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,567 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

750,297  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,567 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

907,327  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,580) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

340,828  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (593) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

738,798  —  1/12/34  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,048 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,906  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

772,054  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,219 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,242,884  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,164) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

58,300  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (101) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

155,447  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (271) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

32,570  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  80 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

878,710  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,166 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,800,447  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,760 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,163,203  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,429 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,442,484  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,278 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   


 

62   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
   $799,286 $—  1/12/41  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $2,005 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   52,989 —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  119 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,445,058 —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (3,102) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,234,778 —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,674 
        USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   40,415,713 —  10/5/25  (1.7211%)  USA Non Revised  191,732 
          Consumer Price   
          Index-Urban (CPI-U)   

   34,763,287 —  10/6/25  (1.72%)  USA Non Revised  170,097 
          Consumer Price   
          Index-Urban (CPI-U)   

   1,634,009 —  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,902 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,643,085 —  1/12/43  (3.50%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (3,768) 
        USD-LIBOR  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

baskets   1,200,680 —  12/15/20  (1 month USD-  A basket  331,760 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (GSCBPUR1) of   
        0.44%)  common stocks   

units   638,395 —  12/15/20  (0.45%)  Goldman Sachs  (277,970) 
          Volatility Carry US   
          Scaled 3x Excess   
          Return Strategy   

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
   $688,158 —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,545 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   2,478,561 —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  5,564 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,504,753 —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,378 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

   1,445,383 —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (3,102) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

baskets   1,158,381 —  10/28/16  3 month USD-  A basket  823,725 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  (JPCMPTSH) of   
        0.44%  common stocks   

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   63 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

UBS AG             
units  202,766    $—  8/19/15  1 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  $1,674,805 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.25%     

Total    $28,853        $3,268,958 

 

OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15       
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional   nation  (paid) by fund appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount   date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
CMBX NA  BBB–/P  $4,580  $67,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $3,714 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  8,798  146,000  5/11/63  300 bp  6,913 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  18,088  293,000  5/11/63  300 bp  14,304 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  17,271  303,000  5/11/63  300 bp  13,357 
BBB–/P Index             

Barclays Bank PLC             
CMBX NA  BBB–/P  26,163  236,000  5/11/63  300 bp  23,115 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  7,830  1,393,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (40,252) 
BBB–/P Index             

Credit Suisse International           
CMBX NA BB Index  —  (57,682)  3,268,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  (5,303) 

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  35,929  2,482,000  5/11/63  300 bp  3,869 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  76,727  5,842,000  5/11/63  300 bp  1,268 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  130,669  11,928,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (23,401) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  13,241  329,000  1/17/47  300 bp  1,885 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  26,848  462,000  1/17/47  300 bp  10,901 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  28,826  491,000  1/17/47  300 bp  11,878 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  290,287  8,463,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (1,828) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  1,069,890  30,060,000  1/17/47  300 bp  32,319 
BBB–/P Index             

Goldman Sachs International           
CMBX NA  BBB–/P  (408)  59,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (1,170) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  1,064  408,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (4,206) 
BBB–/P Index             

 

64   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.       
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional   nation  (paid) by fund appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount   date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.           
CMBX NA  BBB–/P  $(2,273)  $498,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $(8,706) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  1,445  338,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (10,222) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  1,205  338,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (10,462) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  1,205  338,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (10,462) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  1,570  440,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (13,617) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  1,577  442,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (13,679) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  4,720  474,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (11,640) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  31,577  1,171,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (8,842) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  6,904  1,760,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (53,845) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  1,985  1,838,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (61,456) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  15,376  1,975,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (52,795) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  24,994  2,949,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (76,796) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (10,683)  1,249,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  9,335 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (2,004)  189,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  1,025 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (1,239)  129,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  829 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  2,216  98,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  3,787 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  687  67,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  1,761 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  1,060  63,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  2,070 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  70  58,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  1,000 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (325)  163,000  1/17/47  (500 bp)  5,694 

CMBX NA  —  (4,439)  489,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  1,878 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  (48)  18,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (281) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  (1,113)  102,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (2,430) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  (1,614)  201,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (4,211) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  (1,881)  201,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (4,477) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  (2,016)  201,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (4,612) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  (2,016)  201,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (4,612) 
BBB–/P Index             

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   65 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.       
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
CMBX NA  BBB–/P  $(811)  $202,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $(3,420) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  1,211  203,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (1,411) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  2,467  216,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (323) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  (3,649)  219,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (6,478) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  6,998  332,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (4,461) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  14,817  489,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (2,062) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  17,722  2,301,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (61,701) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  34,808  4,521,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (121,242) 
BBB–/P Index             

JPMorgan Securities LLC           
CMBX NA  —  (15,643)  652,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (7,222) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  —  (8,400)  326,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (4,189) 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  18,037  326,000  1/17/47  300 bp  6,785 
BBB–/P Index             

CMBX NA  BBB–/P  34,390  652,000  1/17/47  300 bp  11,885 
BBB–/P Index             

Total    $1,867,008        $(472,242) 


*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index.

The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at October 31, 2015. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.” Securities rated by Fitch are indicated by “/F.”

66   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15     
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

NA HY Series  B+/P  $165,256  $216,748,000  12/20/20  500 bp  $8,004,913 
25 Index             

Total    $165,256        $8,004,913 


*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at October 31, 2015. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.” Securities rated by Fitch are indicated by “/F.”

Absolute Return 500 Fund   67 

 



ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:

    Valuation inputs 

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Common stocks*:       

Basic materials  $6,660,170  $3,623,451  $—­ 

Capital goods  20,630,056  590,277  —­ 

Communication services  7,258,559  5,089,238  —­ 

Conglomerates  —­  1,418,934  —­ 

Consumer cyclicals  33,794,077  7,689,689  —­ 

Consumer staples  31,282,112  6,463,373  —­ 

Energy  17,057,864  1,492,520  —­ 

Financials  47,510,070  23,287,248  —­ 

Health care  35,452,031  1,508,173  —­ 

Technology  48,661,856  9,656,369  —­ 

Transportation  5,421,819  3,784,972  —­ 

Utilities and power  8,245,258  4,678,506  —­ 

Total common stocks  261,973,872  69,282,750  —­ 
 
Asset-backed securities  —­  —­  4,811,000 

Commodity linked notes  —­  61,408,584  —­ 

Corporate bonds and notes  —­  62,062,512  —­ 

Foreign government and agency bonds and notes  —­  13,592,586  —­ 

Investment companies  56,954,317  —­  —­ 

Mortgage-backed securities  —­  114,055,470  9,382,700 

Purchased options outstanding  —­  3,911,673  —­ 

Purchased swap options outstanding  —­  232,078  —­ 

Senior loans  —­  73,847,436  —­ 

U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations  —­  282,942,332  —­ 

Warrants  —­  11,649,452  —­ 

Short-term investments  334,338,228  36,390,559  —­ 

Totals by level  $653,266,417  $729,375,432  $14,193,700 
 
    Valuation inputs 

Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Forward currency contracts  $—­  $422,180  $—­ 

Futures contracts  (4,985,816)  —­  —­ 

Written options outstanding  —­  (422,682)  —­ 

Written swap options outstanding  —­  (995,474)  —­ 

Forward premium swap option contracts  —­  (22,663)  —­ 

TBA sale commitments  —­  (144,258,597)  —­ 

Interest rate swap contracts  —­  (1,720,122)  —­ 

Total return swap contracts  —­  3,240,105  —­ 

Credit default contracts  —­  5,500,407  —­ 

Totals by level  $(4,985,816)  $(138,256,846)  $—­ 

 

68   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets as of the close of the reporting period:

      Change in net           
        unrealized      Total  Total   
  Balance  Accrued  appreciation/    Proceeds   transfers  transfers  Balance 
Investments  as of  discounts/  Realized   (deprecia-  Cost of  from   into  out of  as of 
in securities:  10/31/14  premiums  gain/(loss)  tion) #  purchases  sales   Level 3†   Level 3†  10/31/15 

Asset-backed                   
securities  $—­  $—­  $—­  $—­  $4,811,000  $—­  $—­  $—­  $4,811,000 

Mortgage-                   
backed                   
securities  $—­  (246,411)  —­  22,250  9,311,783  —­  295,078  —­  $9,382,700 

Totals  $— ­ $(246,411)  $—­  $22,250  $14,122,783  $—­  $295,078  $— ­  $14,193,700 


* Common stock classifications are presented at the sector level, which may differ from the fund’s portfolio presentation.

† Transfers during the reporting period are accounted for using the end of period market value and did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period.

# Includes $22,250 related to Level 3 securities still held at period end. Total change in unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) for securities (including Level 1 and Level 2) can be found in the Statement of operations.

During the reporting period, transfers between level 1 and level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, if any, (other than certain transfers involving non-U.S. equity securities as described in Note 1) did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using the end of period pricing valuation method.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 500 Fund   69 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities 10/31/15   
 
ASSETS   

Investment in securities, at value (Note 1):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $1,061,521,260)  $1,063,667,321 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $333,168,228) (Notes 1 and 5)  333,168,228 

Cash  148,306 

Foreign currency (cost $528,712) (Note 1)  424,642 

Dividends, interest and other receivables  4,052,508 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold  4,325,461 

Receivable for investments sold  5,065,268 

Receivable for sales of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  52,726,891 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)  1,462,216 

Unrealized appreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  45,926 

Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  1,117,951 

Unrealized appreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  18,711,637 

Premium paid on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  118,566 

Prepaid assets  35,842 

Total assets  1,485,070,763 
 
LIABILITIES   

Payable for investments purchased  7,140,989 

Payable for purchases of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  179,356,760 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  868,265 

Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)  558,423 

Payable for custodian fees (Note 2)  68,539 

Payable for investor servicing fees (Note 2)  225,185 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  89,531 

Payable for administrative services (Note 2)  3,614 

Payable for distribution fees (Note 2)  294,765 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)  524,297 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  15,914,921 

Premium received on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  2,014,427 

Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  695,771 

Unrealized depreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  68,589 

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums $1,768,910) (Notes 1 and 3)  1,418,156 

TBA sale commitments, at value (proceeds receivable $144,913,906) (Note 1)  144,258,597 

Collateral on certain derivative contracts, at value (Note 1)  1,170,000 

Other accrued expenses  237,440 

Total liabilities  354,908,269 
 
Net assets  $1,130,162,494 

 
(Continued on next page)   

 

70   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities (Continued)   
 
REPRESENTED BY   

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $1,070,742,537 

Undistributed net investment income (Note 1)  36,493,994 

Accumulated net realized gain on investments and foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  14,407,651 

Net unrealized appreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  8,518,312 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $1,130,162,494 
 
COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share   
($399,301,048 divided by 34,560,990 shares)  $11.55 

Offering price per class A share (100/94.25 of $11.55)*  $12.25 

Net asset value and offering price per class B share ($33,624,493 divided by 2,953,542 shares)**  $11.38 

Net asset value and offering price per class C share ($211,594,437 divided by 18,619,327 shares)**  $11.36 

Net asset value and redemption price per class M share ($9,246,101 divided by 808,272 shares)  $11.44 

Offering price per class M share (100/96.50 of $11.44)*  $11.85 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R share   
($590,596 divided by 51,694 shares)  $11.42 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R5 share   
($11,310 divided by 972 shares)†  $11.63 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R6 share   
($6,766,335 divided by 581,694 shares)  $11.63 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($469,028,174 divided by 40,417,674 shares)  $11.60 


*
On single retail sales of less than $50,000. On sales of $50,000 or more the offering price is reduced.

** Redemption price per share is equal to net asset value less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge.

† Net asset value may not recalculate due to rounding of fractional shares.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 500 Fund   71 

 



Statement of operations Year ended 10/31/15   
 
INVESTMENT INCOME   

Interest (net of foreign tax of $34) (including interest income of $302,727 from investments   
in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  $13,082,556 

Dividends (net of foreign tax of $248,874)  8,146,249 

Total investment income  21,228,805 
 
EXPENSES   

Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  6,544,570 

Investor servicing fees (Note 2)  1,248,049 

Custodian fees (Note 2)  154,377 

Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  45,442 

Distribution fees (Note 2)  3,279,823 

Administrative services (Note 2)  24,916 

Other  490,231 

Fees waived and reimbursed by Manager (Note 2)  (191,104) 

Total expenses  11,596,304 
 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (19,441) 

Net expenses  11,576,863 
 
Net investment income  9,651,942 

 
Net realized gain on investments (Notes 1 and 3)  24,882,193 

Net realized gain on swap contracts (Note 1)  20,886,329 

Net realized gain on futures contracts (Note 1)  9,367,756 

Net realized gain on foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  6,780,936 

Net realized loss on written options (Notes 1 and 3)  (1,052,443) 

Net unrealized depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies during the year  (3,265,678) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts, written options,   
and TBA sale commitments during the year  (38,821,733) 

Net gain on investments  18,777,360 
 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations  $28,429,302 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

72   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



Statement of changes in net assets     
 
INCREASE IN NET ASSETS  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Operations:     
Net investment income  $9,651,942  $10,122,939 

Net realized gain on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  60,864,771  34,337,803 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets     
and liabilities in foreign currencies  (42,087,411)  (13,653,181) 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations  28,429,302  30,807,561 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     

Class A  (3,087,169)  (5,337,860) 

Class B  (63,253)  (284,328) 

Class C  (396,314)  (1,414,424) 

Class M  (32,520)  (67,167) 

Class R  (46,438)  (90,436) 

Class R5  (133)  (182) 

Class R6  (56,130)  (79,768) 

Class Y  (3,514,058)  (3,993,527) 

From net realized long-term gain on investments     
Class A  (14,830,350)  — 

Class B  (1,566,157)  — 

Class C  (8,201,897)  — 

Class M  (314,962)  — 

Class R  (282,407)  — 

Class R5  (480)  — 

Class R6  (195,708)  — 

Class Y  (12,839,905)  — 

Increase from capital share transactions (Note 4)  269,429,535  23,450,117 

Total increase in net assets  252,430,956  42,989,986 
 
NET ASSETS     

Beginning of year  877,731,538  834,741,552 

End of year (including undistributed net investment income     
of $36,493,994 and distributions in excess of net investment     
income of $11,071,217, respectively)  $1,130,162,494  $877,731,538 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 500 Fund   73 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:          LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:          RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                      Ratio  Ratio of   
  Net asset    Net realized      From          of expenses  net investment   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  net realized    Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  income (loss)  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  gain on  Total  value, end  at net asset   end of period  net assets  to average  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a  on investments­  operations­  income­  investments­  distributions  of period­  value (%) b  (in thousands)  (%) c,d  net assets (%) d  (%) 

Class A­                           
October 31, 2015­  $11.81­  .13­  .24­  .37­  (.11)  (.52)  (.63)  $11.55­  3.25­  $399,301­  1.11­  1.09­  510­ e 
October 31, 2014­  11.54­  .15­  .29­  .44­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  11.81­  3.88­  345,053­  1.10­  1.32­  309 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.33­  .20­  .08­  .28­  (.07)  —­  (.07)  11.54­  2.49­  378,440­  1.11­  1.72­  189 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.89­  .18­  .59­  .77­  (.33)  —­  (.33)  11.33­  7.25­  376,219­  1.14­  1.67­  150 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.93­  .29­  (.05)  .24­  (.23)  (.05)  (.28)  10.89­  2.21­  411,424­  1.16­  2.68­  144 f 

Class B­                           
October 31, 2015­  $11.64­  .04­  .24­  .28­  (.02)  (.52)  (.54)  $11.38­  2.49­  $33,624­  1.86­  .33­  510 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.38­  .07­  .28­  .35­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  11.64­  3.08­  35,171­  1.85­  .57­  309 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.18­  .11­  .09­  .20­  —­  —­  —­  11.38­  1.79­  37,351­  1.86­  .97­  189 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.75­  .10­  .58­  .68­  (.25)  —­  (.25)  11.18­  6.47­  37,009­  1.89­  .91­  150 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.81­  .21­  (.05)  .16­  (.17)  (.05)  (.22)  10.75­  1.44­  33,914­  1.91­  1.94­  144 f 

Class C­                           
October 31, 2015­  $11.62­  .04­  .25­  .29­  (.03)  (.52)  (.55)  $11.36­  2.53­  $211,594­  1.86­  .33­  510 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.36­  .07­  .28­  .35­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  11.62­  3.08­  183,688­  1.85­  .57­  309­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.17­  .11­  .08­  .19­  —­  —­  —­  11.36­  1.70­  185,562­  1.86­  .97­  189 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.74­  .10­  .58­  .68­  (.25)  —­  (.25)  11.17­  6.52­  185,116­  1.89­  .91­  150 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.80­  .21­  (.05)  .16­  (.17)  (.05)  (.22)  10.74­  1.45­  184,129­  1.91­  1.91­  144 f 

Class M­                           
October 31, 2015­  $11.70­  .07­  .24­  .31­  (.05)  (.52)  (.57)  $11.44­  2.78­  $9,246­  1.61­  .58­  510­ e 
October 31, 2014­  11.43­  .09­  .29­  .38­  (.11)  —­  (.11)  11.70­  3.37­  7,096­  1.60­  .81­  309­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.23­  .14­  .08­  .22­  (.02)  —­  (.02)  11.43­  1.95­  7,029­  1.61­  1.22­  189 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.80­  .13­  .58­  .71­  (.28)  —­  (.28)  11.23­  6.72­  7,554­  1.64­  1.16­  150 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.84­  .24­  (.05)  .19­  (.18)  (.05)  (.23)  10.80­  1.75­  7,650­  1.66­  2.18­  144 f 

Class R­                           
October 31, 2015­  $11.68­  .09­  .26­  .35­  (.09)  (.52)  (.61)  $11.42­  3.07­  $591­  1.36­  .82­  510 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.47­  .12­  .28­  .40­  (.19)  —­  (.19)  11.68­  3.52­  6,271­  1.35­  1.06­  309 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.26­  .16­  .10­  .26­  (.05)  —­  (.05)  11.47­  2.30­  4,058­  1.36­  1.44­  189 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.83­  .15­  .58­  .73­  (.30)  —­  (.30)  11.26­  6.96­  1,812­  1.39­  1.40­  150 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.88­  .26­  (.05)  .21­  (.21)  (.05)  (.26)  10.83­  1.95­  1,432­  1.41­  2.41­  144 f 

Class R5­                           
October 31, 2015­  $11.89­  .16­  .25­  .41­  (.15)  (.52)  (.67)  $11.63­  3.54­  $11­  .86­  1.33­  510­ e 
October 31, 2014­  11.62­  .19­  .28­  .47­  (.20)  —­  (.20)  11.89­  4.12­  11­  .84­  1.59­  309­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.38­  .23­  .09­  .32­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  11.62­  2.84­  10­  .86­  1.97­  189 f 
October 31, 2012†  11.16­  .07­  .15­  .22­  —­  —­  —­  11.38­  1.97*  10­  .29*  .60*  150 f 

Class R6­                           
October 31, 2015­  $11.89­  .16­  .25­  .41­  (.15)  (.52)  (.67)  $11.63­  3.59­  $6,766­  .80­  1.41­  510 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.62­  .19­  .29­  .48­  (.21)  —­  (.21)  11.89­  4.23­  4,288­  .79­  1.63­  309 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.38­  .21­g  .12­  .33­  (.09)  —­  (.09)  11.62­  2.88­  4,411­  .80­  1.80­g  189 f 
October 31, 2012†  11.16­  .07­  .15­  .22­  —­  —­  —­  11.38­  1.97*  10­  .28*  .62*  150 f 

Class Y­                           
October 31, 2015­  $11.86­  .16­  .24­  .40­  (.14)  (.52)  (.66)  $11.60­  3.54­  $469,028­  .86­  1.34­  510­ e 
October 31, 2014­  11.60­  .18­  .29­  .47­  (.21)  —­  (.21)  11.86­  4.07­  296,153­  .85­  1.55­  309­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.38­  .23­  .09­  .32­  (.10)  —­  (.10)  11.60­  2.83­  217,880­  .86­  1.98­  189 f 
October 31, 2012­  10.94­  .21­  .58­  .79­  (.35)  —­  (.35)  11.38­  7.48­  220,855­  .89­  1.91­  150 f 
October 31, 2011­  10.97­  .32­  (.05)  .27­  (.25)  (.05)  (.30)  10.94­  2.49­  189,594­  .91­  2.93­  144 f 

 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

74   Absolute Return 500 Fund  Absolute Return 500 Fund   75 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

* Not annualized.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets (Note 2):

  10/31/15  10/31/14  10/31/13  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  0.02%  0.02%  0.02%  0.09%  0.12% 

Class B  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class C  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class M  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class R  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 

Class R5  0.01  —  0.03  0.02  — 

Class R6  —  —  —  —  — 

Class Y  0.02  0.02  0.02  0.09  0.12 


e
Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

f Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:

  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  415% 

October 31, 2012  454 

October 31, 2011  341 


g
The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period ending April 30, 2013 may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

76   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



Notes to financial statements 10/31/15

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015.

Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 500 basis points (or 5.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions. The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return by combining two independent investment strategies — a beta strategy, which provides broad exposure to investment markets, and an alpha strategy, which seeks returns from active trading. The beta strategy seeks to balance risk and to provide positive total return by investing, without limit, in many different asset classes, including U.S., international, and emerging markets equity securities (growth or value stocks or both) and fixed-income securities; mortgage- and asset-backed securities; below-investment-grade securities (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”); inflation-protected securities; commodities; and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The alpha strategy involves the potential use of active trading strategies designed to provide additional total return through active security selection, tactical asset allocation, currency transactions and options transactions. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, balanced portfolios with significant exposure to both stocks and bonds. Putnam Management may consider, among other factors, a company’s valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings, cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell equity investments, and, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks when deciding whether to buy or sell fixed-income investments. Putnam Management may also take into account general market conditions when making investment decisions.

The fund offers class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class R5, class R6 and class Y shares. Class A and class M shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75% and 3.50%, respectively, and generally do not pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Effective November 1, 2015, Class M shares will no longer pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Class B shares, which convert to class A shares after approximately eight years, do not pay a front-end sales charge and are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge if those shares are redeemed within six years of purchase. Class C shares have a one-year 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge and do not convert to class A shares. Class R shares, which are not available to all investors, are sold at net asset value. The expenses for class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares may differ based on the distribution fee of each class, which is identified in Note 2. Class R5, class R6 and class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, but do not bear a distribution fee and in the case of class R5 and class R6 shares, bear a lower investor servicing fee, which is identified in Note 2. Class R5, class R6 and class Y shares are not available to all investors.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

Absolute Return 500 Fund   77 

 



Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees. If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last reported sales price on their principal exchange, or official closing price for certain markets, and are classified as Level 1 securities under Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820). If no sales are reported, as in the case of some securities that are traded OTC, a security is valued at its last reported bid price and is generally categorized as a Level 2 security.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

Market quotations are not considered to be readily available for certain debt obligations and other investments; such investments are valued on the basis of valuations furnished by an independent pricing service approved by the Trustees or dealers selected by Putnam Management. Such services or dealers determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities (which consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings). These securities will generally be categorized as Level 2. Short-term securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value, and are classified as Level 2 securities.

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the close of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, on certain days, the fund will fair value foreign equity securities taking into account multiple factors including movements in the U.S. securities markets, currency valuations and comparisons to the valuation of American Depository Receipts, exchange-traded funds and futures contracts. These securities, which would generally be classified as Level 1 securities, will be transferred to Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy when they are valued at fair value. The number of days on which fair value prices will be used will depend on market activity and it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. Certain securities may be valued on the basis of a price provided by a single source. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over

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a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividend income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recognized on the ex-dividend date except that certain dividends from foreign securities, if any, are recognized as soon as the fund is informed of the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded at the fair value of the securities received. Dividends representing a return of capital or capital gains, if any, are reflected as a reduction of cost and/or as a realized gain.

All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

The fund earned certain fees in connection with its senior loan purchasing activities. These fees are treated as market discount and are amortized into income in the Statement of operations.

Securities purchased or sold on a delayed delivery basis may be settled at a future date beyond customary settlement time; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Losses may arise due to changes in the fair value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Stripped securities The fund may invest in stripped securities which represent a participation in securities that may be structured in classes with rights to receive different portions of the interest and principal. Interest-only securities receive all of the interest and principal-only securities receive all of the principal. If the interest-only securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, principal-only securities increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are slower than anticipated. The fair value of these securities is highly sensitive to changes in interest rates.

Foreign currency translation The accounting records of the fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The fair value of foreign securities, currency holdings, and other assets and liabilities is recorded in the books and records of the fund after translation to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates on that day. The cost of each security is determined using historical exchange rates. Income and withholding taxes are translated at prevailing exchange rates when earned or incurred. The fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. Such gains and losses are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net realized exchange gains or losses on closed forward currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains and losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized appreciation and depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts to hedge duration and convexity, to isolate prepayment risk, to gain exposure to interest rates, to hedge against changes in values of securities it owns, owned or expects to own, to hedge prepayment risk, to generate additional income for the portfolio, to enhance returns on securities owned and to gain exposure to securities and to manage downside risks.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums

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is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts to manage exposure to market risk, to hedge prepayment risk, to hedge interest rate risk, to gain exposure to interest rates and to equitize cash.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.”

Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Forward currency contracts The fund buys and sells forward currency contracts, which are agreements between two parties to buy and sell currencies at a set price on a future date. These contracts are used to hedge foreign exchange risk and to gain exposure to currencies.

The U.S. dollar value of forward currency contracts is determined using current forward currency exchange rates supplied by a quotation service. The fair value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. The fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed when the contract matures or by delivery of the currency. The fund could be exposed to risk if the value of the currency changes unfavorably, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the fund is unable to enter into a closing position. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Forward currency contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Interest rate swap contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, which are arrangements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on a notional principal amount, to hedge interest rate risk, to gain exposure on interest rates and to hedge prepayment risk.

An OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap can be purchased or sold with an upfront premium. For OTC interest rate swap contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss on OTC interest rate swaps. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared interest rate swaps are settled through a central clearing agent and are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Payments, including upfront premiums, received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or the closing of the contract. Certain OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract.

The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or if the counterparty defaults, in the case of OTC interest rate contracts, or the central clearing agency or a clearing member defaults, in the case of centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, on its respective obligation to perform under the contract. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk or central clearing risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC interest rate swap contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. There is minimal counterparty risk with respect to centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

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OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Total return swap contracts The fund entered into OTC total return swap contracts, which are arrangements to exchange a market-linked return for a periodic payment, both based on a notional principal amount, to hedge sector exposure, to manage exposure to specific sectors or industries, to manage exposure to specific securities, to gain exposure to a basket of securities, to gain exposure to specific markets or countries and to gain exposure to specific sectors or industries.

To the extent that the total return of the security, index or other financial measure underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the fund will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty. OTC total return swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers and the change, if any, is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Payments received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses. Certain OTC total return swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract. The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index, the possibility that there is no liquid market for these agreements or that the counterparty may default on its obligation to perform. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC total return swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Credit default contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared credit default contracts to hedge credit risk, to hedge market risk and to gain exposure on individual names and/or baskets of securities.

In OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts, the protection buyer typically makes a periodic stream of payments to a counterparty, the protection seller, in exchange for the right to receive a contingent payment upon the occurrence of a credit event on the reference obligation or all other equally ranked obligations of the reference entity. Credit events are contract specific but may include bankruptcy, failure to pay, restructuring and obligation acceleration. For OTC credit default contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. Centrally cleared credit default contracts provide the same rights to the protection buyer and seller except the payments between parties, including upfront premiums, are settled through a central clearing agent through variation margin payments. Upfront and periodic payments received or paid by the fund for OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or close of the contract. The OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change in value of OTC credit default contracts is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Upon the occurrence of a credit event, the difference between the par value and fair value of the reference obligation, net of any proportional amount of the upfront payment, is recorded as a realized gain or loss.

In addition to bearing the risk that the credit event will occur, the fund could be exposed to market risk due to unfavorable changes in interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index or the possibility that the fund may be unable to close out its position at the same time or at the same price as if it had purchased the underlying reference obligations. In certain circumstances, the fund may enter into offsetting OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts which would mitigate its risk of loss. Risks of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk, either as the protection seller or as the protection buyer, is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC credit default contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared credit default contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. Counterparty risk is further mitigated with respect to centrally cleared credit default swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Where the fund is a seller of protection, the maximum potential amount of future payments the fund may be required to make is equal to the notional amount.

OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

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TBA commitments The fund may enter into TBA (to be announced) commitments to purchase securities for a fixed unit price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Although the unit price and par amount have been established, the actual securities have not been specified. However, it is anticipated that the amount of the commitments will not significantly differ from the principal amount. The fund holds, and maintains until settlement date, cash or high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price, or the fund may enter into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. Income on the securities will not be earned until settlement date.

The fund may also enter into TBA sale commitments to hedge its portfolio positions, to sell mortgage-backed securities it owns under delayed delivery arrangements or to take a short position in mortgage-backed securities. Proceeds of TBA sale commitments are not received until the contractual settlement date. During the time a TBA sale commitment is outstanding, either equivalent deliverable securities or an offsetting TBA purchase commitment deliverable on or before the sale commitment date are held as “cover” for the transaction, or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value of the TBA sale commitment are segregated. If the TBA sale commitment is closed through the acquisition of an offsetting TBA purchase commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss. If the fund delivers securities under the commitment, the fund realizes a gain or a loss from the sale of the securities based upon the unit price established at the date the commitment was entered into.

TBA commitments, which are accounted for as purchase and sale transactions, may be considered securities themselves, and involve a risk of loss due to changes in the value of the security prior to the settlement date as well as the risk that the counterparty to the transaction will not perform its obligations. Counterparty risk is mitigated by having a master agreement between the fund and the counterparty.

Unsettled TBA commitments are valued at their fair value according to the procedures described under “Security valuation” above. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded by the fund as an unrealized gain or loss. Based on market circumstances, Putnam Management will determine whether to take delivery of the underlying securities or to dispose of the TBA commitments prior to settlement.

TBA purchase commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed within the fund’s portfolio and TBA sale commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts and Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements that govern transactions involving mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities that may result in delayed delivery (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, are presented in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral posted to the fund which cannot be sold or repledged totaled $2,786,862 at the close of the reporting period.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

With respect to ISDA Master Agreements, termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term or short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $1,751,756 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $8,892,873 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment

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policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million syndicated unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street ($292.5 million) and Northern Trust Company ($100 million) and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street. Prior to September 24, 2015, the fund participated in a $392.5 million unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street and a substantially similar unsecured uncommitted line of credit. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the overnight LIBOR (the Federal Funds rate prior to September 24, 2015) plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.16% (0.11% prior to September 24, 2015) per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund may also be subject to taxes imposed by governments of countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The fund accrues and applies such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. In some cases, the fund may be entitled to reclaim all or a portion of such taxes, and such reclaim amounts, if any, are reflected as an asset on the fund’s books. In many cases, however, the fund may not receive such amounts for an extended period of time, depending on the country of investment.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. These differences include temporary and/or permanent differences from foreign currency gains and losses, unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts, income on swap contracts and interest-only securities. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations. At the close of the reporting period, the fund reclassified $45,109,284 to decrease distributions in excess of net investment income, $13,968 to increase paid-in capital and $45,123,252 to decrease accumulated net realized gain.

The tax basis components of distributable earnings and the federal tax cost as of the close of the reporting period were as follows:

Unrealized appreciation  $38,134,839 
Unrealized depreciation  (37,235,037) 

Net unrealized appreciation  899,802 
Undistributed ordinary income  47,647,997 
Undistributed long-term gain  10,271,872 
Cost for federal income tax purposes  $1,395,934,171 

 

Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

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Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a management fee (base fee) (based on the fund’s average net assets and computed and paid monthly) at annual rates that may vary based on the average of the aggregate net assets of most open-end funds, as defined in the fund’s management contract, sponsored by Putnam Management. Such annual rates may vary as follows:

0.880%  of the first $5 billion,  0.680%  of the next $50 billion, 


0.830%  of the next $5 billion,  0.660%  of the next $50 billion, 


0.780%  of the next $10 billion,  0.650%  of the next $100 billion and 


0.730%  of the next $10 billion,  0.645%  of any excess thereafter. 


 

The applicable base fee is increased or decreased for each month by an amount based on the performance of the fund. The amount of the increase or decrease is calculated monthly based on a performance adjustment rate that is equal to 0.04 multiplied by the difference between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the fund’s class A shares) and the annualized performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 5.00% over the thirty-six month period then ended (the “performance period”). The maximum annualized performance adjustment rate is +/– 0.20%. Each month, the performance adjustment rate is multiplied by the fund’s average net assets over the performance period and the result is divided by twelve. The resulting dollar amount is added to, or subtracted from, the base fee for that month. The monthly base fee is determined based on the fund’s average net assets for the month, while the performance adjustment is determined based on the fund’s average net assets over the performance period of up to thirty-six months. This means it is possible that, if the fund underperforms significantly over the performance period, and the fund’s assets have declined significantly over that period, the negative performance adjustment may exceed the base fee. In this event, Putnam Management would make a payment to the fund.

Because the performance adjustment is based on the fund’s performance relative to its applicable benchmark index, and not its absolute performance, the performance adjustment could increase Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares lose value during the performance period provided that the fund outperformed its benchmark index, and could decrease Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares increase in value during the performance period provided that the fund underperformed its benchmark index.

For the reporting period, the base fee represented an effective rate (excluding the impact from any expense waivers in effect) of 0.717% of the fund’s average net assets before a decrease of $383,294 (0.040% of the fund’s average net assets) based on performance.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed to limit the fund’s total expenses through February 28, 2017, to the extent that the total expenses of the fund (before performance adjustments to the fund’s management fee and excluding brokerage, interest, taxes, investment related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s distribution plans) would exceed an annual rate of 0.90% of the fund’s average net assets. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $191,104 as a result of this limit.

Effective November 1, 2015, Putnam Management has contractually agreed to waive fees (and, to the extent necessary, bear other expenses) of the fund through February 28, 2017, to the extent that the total expenses of the fund (before any applicable performance-based upward or downward adjustments to the fund’s management fee and excluding payments under the fund’s distribution plans, brokerage, interest, taxes, investor servicing fees, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, and acquired fund fees and expenses) would exceed an annual rate of 0.77% of the fund’s average net assets.

Putnam Management has also contractually agreed, through February 28, 2017, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were not reduced as a result of this limit.

Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. Putnam Management pays a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

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The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL. Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, pays a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

The fund reimburses Putnam Management an allocated amount for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund. The aggregate amount of all such reimbursements is determined annually by the Trustees.

Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes.

Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing (except for class R5 and R6 shares) that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) for the portion of the fund’s fiscal year beginning after January 1, 2015, a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. Class R5 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R5 shares at an annual rate of 0.12%. Class R6 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R6 shares at an annual rate of 0.05%. During the reporting period, the expenses for each class of shares related to investor servicing fees were as follows:

Class A  $474,041  Class R5  13 


Class B  45,043  Class R6  2,479 


Class C  250,711  Class Y  457,778 


Class M  10,202  Total  $1,248,049 


Class R  7,782     

 

 

The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. The fund also reduced expenses through brokerage/service arrangements. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $3,283 under the expense offset arrangements and by $16,158 under the brokerage/ service arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $691, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees.

The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Pension expense for the fund is included in Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of operations. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003.

The fund has adopted distribution plans (the Plans) with respect to its class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plans is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plans provide for payments by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35%, 1.00%, 1.00%,

Absolute Return 500 Fund   85 

 



1.00% and 1.00% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. The Trustees have approved payment by the fund at an annual rate of 0.25%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 0.75% and 0.50% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. During the reporting period, the class specific expenses related to distribution fees were as follows:

Class A  $912,984  Class M  58,943 


Class B  346,876  Class R  29,879 


Class C  1,931,141  Total  $3,279,823 


 

For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received net commissions of $133,234 and $2,898 from the sale of class A and class M shares, respectively, and received $15,155 and $5,365 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of class B and class C shares, respectively.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% and 0.65% (no longer applicable effective November 1, 2015) is assessed on certain redemptions of class  A and class  M shares, respectively. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received $145 and no monies on class  A and class  M redemptions, respectively.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:

  Cost of purchases  Proceeds from sales 

Investments in securities, including TBA commitments     
(Long-term)  $4,064,928,948  $3,739,809,050 

U.S. government securities (Long-term)  —  — 

Total  $4,064,928,948  $3,739,809,050 

 

Written option transactions during the reporting period are summarized as follows:

  Written swap       
  option contract  Written swap  Written option  Written option 
  amounts  option premiums  contract amounts  premiums 

Written options outstanding         
at the beginning of the         
reporting period  $78,278,700  $1,585,565  $58,947,222  $587,998 

Options opened  613,307,850  3,587,299  187,228,959  6,784,589 
Options exercised  (68,608,950)  (663,859)  —  — 
Options expired  (110,857,425)  (709,747)  (87,283,835)  (3,766,415) 
Options closed  (304,756,900)  (2,270,818)  (150,201,273)  (3,365,702) 

Written options outstanding at         
the end of the reporting period  $207,363,275  $1,528,440  $8,691,073  $240,470 

 

Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  12,570,592  $144,943,375  8,412,647  $97,987,650 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,471,688  16,688,940  425,708  4,878,610 

  14,042,280  161,632,315  8,838,355  102,866,260 

Shares repurchased  (8,703,999)  (100,636,511)  (12,406,709)  (144,652,478) 

Net increase (decrease)  5,338,281  $60,995,804  (3,568,354)  $(41,786,218) 

 

86   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class B  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  244,936  $2,795,825  223,553  $2,573,791 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  136,386  1,534,338  23,433  266,437 

  381,322  4,330,163  246,986  2,840,228 

Shares repurchased  (449,199)  (5,128,730)  (507,752)  (5,849,110) 

Net decrease  (67,877)  $(798,567)  (260,766)  $(3,008,882) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class C  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  5,483,523  $62,387,590  3,006,059  $34,575,796 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  697,593  7,833,969  111,751  1,268,369 

  6,181,116  70,221,559  3,117,810  35,844,165 

Shares repurchased  (3,362,970)  (38,352,078)  (3,644,479)  (41,890,972) 

Net increase (decrease)  2,818,146  $31,869,481  (526,669)  $(6,046,807) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class M  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  238,446  $2,726,625  79,210  $915,663 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  30,733  346,671  5,854  66,740 

  269,179  3,073,296  85,064  982,403 

Shares repurchased  (67,498)  (773,945)  (93,315)  (1,077,658) 

Net increase (decrease)  201,681  $2,299,351  (8,251)  $(95,255) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  189,917  $2,171,478  289,596  $3,334,757 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  29,257  328,844  7,961  90,436 

  219,174  2,500,322  297,557  3,425,193 

Shares repurchased  (704,187)  (7,984,337)  (114,798)  (1,322,717) 

Net increase (decrease)  (485,013)  $(5,484,015)  182,759  $2,102,476 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R5  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  —  $—  —  $— 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  54  613  16  182 

  54  613  16  182 

Shares repurchased  —  —  —  — 

Net increase  54  $613  16  $182 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   87 

 



  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R6  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  277,207  $3,227,787  61,308  $714,894 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  22,110  251,838  6,930  79,768 

  299,317  3,479,625  68,238  794,662 

Shares repurchased  (78,305)  (912,262)  (87,060)  (1,018,694) 

Net increase (decrease)  221,012  $2,567,363  (18,822)  $(224,032) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  28,341,612  $327,498,448  13,607,214  $159,362,963 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,071,840  12,186,823  263,028  3,022,190 

  29,413,452  339,685,271  13,870,242  162,385,153 

Shares repurchased  (13,962,042)  (161,705,766)  (7,692,889)  (89,876,500) 

Net increase  15,451,410  $177,979,505  6,177,353  $72,508,653 

 

At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned the following shares of the fund:

  Shares owned  Percentage of ownership  Value 

Class R5  972  100%  $11,310 

Class R6  974  0.2  11,328 

 

Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which are under common ownership or control, were as follows:

  Fair value at the        Fair value at 
  beginning of        the end of 
  the reporting      Investment  the reporting 
Name of affiliate  period  Purchase cost  Sale proceeds  income  period 

Putnam Money Market           
Liquidity Fund*  $123,753,001  $183,843,708  $197,560,985  $103,710  $110,035,724 

Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund*  169,100,073  215,399,662  161,367,231  199,017  223,132,504 

Totals  $292,853,074  $399,243,370  $358,928,216  $302,727  $333,168,228 


* Management fees charged to Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

Note 6: Senior loan commitments

Senior loans are purchased or sold on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis and may be settled a month or more after the trade date, which from time to time can delay the actual investment of available cash balances; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Senior loans can be acquired through an agent, by assignment from another holder of the loan, or as a participation interest in another holder’s portion of the loan. When the fund invests in a loan or participation, the fund is subject to the risk that an intermediate participant between the fund and the borrower will fail to meet its obligations to the fund, in addition to the risk that the borrower under the loan may default on its obligations.

88   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 



Note 7: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks, including those related to economic instability, unfavorable political developments, and currency fluctuations. The fund may invest in higher-yielding, lower-rated bonds that may have a higher rate of default. The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securitized debt instruments, including mortgage-backed and asset-backed investments. The yields and values of these investments are sensitive to changes in interest rates, the rate of principal payments on the underlying assets and the market’s perception of the issuers. The market for these investments may be volatile and limited, which may make them difficult to buy or sell.

Note 8: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Purchased equity option contracts (contract amount)  $1,000,000 

Purchased TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount)  $21,800,000 

Purchased swap option contracts (contract amount)  $121,700,000 

Written equity option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $910,000 

Written TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $32,400,000 

Written swap option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $121,400,000 

Futures contracts (number of contracts)  3,000 

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)  $202,700,000 

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts (notional)  $452,100,000 

OTC total return swap contracts (notional)  $1,153,400,000 

OTC credit default contracts (notional)  $67,900,000 

Centrally cleared credit default contracts (notional)  $99,500,000 

Warrants (number of warrants)  1,600,000 

 

The following is a summary of the fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period:

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period

  Asset derivatives  Liability derivatives 

Derivatives not         
accounted for as  Statement of    Statement of   
hedging instruments  assets and    assets and   
under ASC 815  liabilities location  Fair value  liabilities location  Fair value 

Credit contracts  Receivables  $7,946,704*  Payables  $2,446,297 

Foreign exchange         
contracts  Receivables  1,117,951  Payables  695,771 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Equity contracts  appreciation  35,958,646*  depreciation  23,035,372* 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Interest rate contracts  appreciation  1,550,876*  depreciation  3,587,599* 

Total    $46,574,177    $29,765,039 


* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts and/or centrally cleared swaps as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.

 

 

Absolute Return 500 Fund   89 

 



The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments in the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not             
accounted for as        Forward     
hedging instruments        currency     
under ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $—  $(7,172,923)  $(7,172,923) 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  —  —  —  6,654,420  —  6,654,420 

Equity contracts  (322,306)  (5,521,167)  1,963,549  —  34,277,068  30,397,144 

Interest rate             
contracts  —  (924,752)  7,404,207  —  (6,217,816)  261,639 

Total  $(322,306)  $(6,445,919)  $9,367,756  $6,654,420  $20,886,329  $30,140,280 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not             
accounted for as        Forward     
hedging instruments        currency     
under ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $—  $7,242,763  $7,242,763 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  —  —  —  (2,672,135)  —  (2,672,135) 

Equity contracts  (786,949)  (691,393)  (7,250,545)  —  (8,407,102)  (17,135,989) 

Interest rate             
contracts  —  446,305  1,478,857  —  701,677  2,626,839 

Total  $(786,949)  $(245,088)  $(5,771,688)  $(2,672,135)  $(462,662)  $(9,938,522) 

 

90   Absolute Return 500 Fund 

 


 

 

 

 


 

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Absolute Return 500 Fund   91 

 



Note 9: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.

  Bank of America N.A. Barclays Bank PLC Barclays Capital Inc. (clearing broker) Citibank, N.A. Credit Suisse International Deutsche Bank AG Goldman Sachs International HSBC Bank USA, National Association JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. JPMorgan Securities LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) State Street Bank and Trust Co. UBS AG WestPac Banking Corp. Total

Assets:                                 

Centrally cleared interest rate                                 
swap contracts§  $—  $—  $317,234  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $317,234 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  11,350,244  75,901  —  1,879,628  28,451  1,940,105  729,170  —  834,212  —  —  —  —  1,674,805  —  18,512,516 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  —  —  —  —  52,379  —  42,036  —  —  12,632  —  —  —  —  —  107,047 

Centrally cleared credit default contracts§  —  —  258,264  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  258,264 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  886,718  —  —  —  —  886,718 

Forward currency contracts#  99,947  128,969  —  174,565  141,227  60,612  51,537  22,412  155,733  —  —  112,149  86,598  —  84,202  1,117,951 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  9,920  —  —  683  —  —  —  —  35,323  —  —  —  —  —  —  45,926 

Purchased swap options**#  126  —  —  3,125  15,840  —  133,893  —  79,094  —  —  —  —  —  —  232,078 

Purchased options**#  —  —  —  2,251,463  —  —  —  —  1,660,210  —  —  —  —  —  —  3,911,673 

Total Assets  $11,460,237  $204,870  $575,498  $4,309,464  $237,897  $2,000,717  $956,636  $22,412  $2,764,572  $12,632  $886,718  $112,149  $86,598  $1,674,805  $84,202  $25,389,407 

Liabilities:                                 

Centrally cleared interest rate                                 
swap contracts§  —  —  281,663  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  281,663 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  11,034,261  44,187  —  2,666,713  4,270  1,230,329  289,549  —  3,102  —  —  —  —  —  —  15,272,411 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  10,449  51,130  —  —  1,635,526  —  715,435  —  —  33,757  —  —  —  —  —  2,446,297 

Centrally cleared credit default contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  242,634  —  —  —  —  242,634 

Forward currency contracts#  73,136  75,031  —  35,285  34,595  71,337  53,649  51,652  81,388  —  —  58,896  51,785  44,148  64,869  695,771 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  15,412  —  —  2,135  —  —  —  —  51,042  —  —  —  —  —  —  68,589 

Written swap options#  341  —  —  1,838  16,709  —  146,191  —  830,395  —  —  —  —  —  —  995,474 

Written options#  —  —  —  326,910  —  —  —  —  95,772  —  —  —  —  —  —  422,682 

Total Liabilities  $11,133,599  $170,348  $281,663  $3,032,881  $1,691,100  $1,301,666  $1,204,824  $51,652  $1,061,699  $33,757  $242,634  $58,896  $51,785  $44,148  $64,869  $20,425,521 

Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets  $326,638  $34,522  $293,835  $1,276,583  $(1,453,203)  $699,051  $(248,188)  $(29,240)  $1,702,873  $(21,125)  $644,084  $53,253  $34,813  $1,630,657  $19,333  $4,963,886 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##  $326,638  $—  $—  $(3,478,157)   $(1,453,203) $540,000  $2,212,526  $—  $(3,648,659)  $—  $—  $—  $—  $574,336  $—   

Net amount  $—  $34,522  $293,835  $4,754,740  $—  $159,051  $(2,460,714)  $(29,240)  $5,351,532  $(21,125)  $644,084  $53,253  $34,813  $1,056,321  $19,333   


*
Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

** Included with Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

† Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

# Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§ Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.

92   Absolute Return 500 Fund  Absolute Return 500 Fund   93 

 



Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Trustees of Putnam Funds Trust and Shareholders of
Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund:

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio, 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 Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund (the “fund”) at October 31, 2015, and the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for each of the periods indicated, 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 investments owned at October 31, 2015 by correspondence with the custodian, brokers, and transfer agent, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
December 11, 2015

26    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



The fund’s portfolio 10/31/15

COMMON STOCKS (40.3%)*  Shares  Value 

Basic materials (1.3%)     
Airgas, Inc.  10,500  $1,009,680 

AP Thailand PCL NVDR (Thailand)  4,712,200  794,917 

Bemis Co., Inc.  19,500  892,710 

China Lesso Group Holdings, Ltd. (China)  2,194,000  1,776,744 

Hyosung Corp. (South Korea)  24,428  2,488,510 

Koza Altin Isletmeleri AS (Turkey)  140,227  788,122 

Lee & Man Paper Manufacturing, Ltd. (China)  465,000  289,181 

Mondi PLC (South Africa)  11,233  259,605 

PTT Global Chemical PCL (Thailand)  1,729,800  2,711,362 

Sherwin-Williams Co. (The)  5,800  1,547,614 

Soulbrain Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  25,672  892,933 

WestRock Co.  88,300  4,747,008 

 18,198,386 
Capital goods (2.6%)   
Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.  79,200  2,273,040 

Avery Dennison Corp.  37,800  2,455,866 

Boeing Co. (The)  32,300  4,782,661 

Deere & Co.  74,100  5,779,800 

General Dynamics Corp.  48,000  7,131,840 

Orbital ATK, Inc.  15,300  1,309,986 

S&T Motiv Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  16,648  1,058,025 

Staples, Inc.  407,000  5,286,930 

TransDigm Group, Inc. †  9,900  2,176,515 

Waste Management, Inc.  86,000  4,623,360 

 36,878,023 
Communication services (1.5%)   
AT&T, Inc.  92,300  3,092,973 

China Mobile, Ltd. (China)  544,500  6,477,445 

Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  229,000  701,736 

Globe Telecom, Inc. (Philippines)  39,930  1,936,598 

Mobile Telesystems OJSC ADR (Russia)  95,789  673,397 

Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (Russia) †  164,268  535,937 

SBA Communications Corp. Class A †  2,900  345,158 

Verizon Communications, Inc.  170,217  7,979,773 

 21,743,017 
Conglomerates (0.2%)   
Sistema JSFC GDR (Russia)  366,737  2,543,095 

 2,543,095 
Consumer cyclicals (5.0%)   
ANTA Sports Products, Ltd. (China)  547,000  1,525,832 

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.  88,000  7,655,120 

Barloworld, Ltd. (South Africa)  320,475  1,809,231 

Belle International Holdings, Ltd. (China)  1,768,000  1,715,479 

Carter’s, Inc.  10,700  972,416 

China Dongxiang Group Co., Ltd. (China)  2,738,000  693,754 

CJ E&M Corp. (South Korea) †  17,963  1,314,338 

Clorox Co. (The)  13,500  1,646,190 

CVC Brasil Operadora e Agencia de Viagens SA (Brazil)  131,300  497,071 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     27 

 



COMMON STOCKS (40.3%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

Consumer cyclicals cont.     
Cyfrowy Polsat SA (Poland) †  139,536  $898,933 

Discovery Communications, Inc. Class C †  44,600  1,227,392 

Dollar General Corp.  60,600  4,106,862 

FactSet Research Systems, Inc.  6,200  1,085,744 

Gartner, Inc. †  13,600  1,233,112 

Harley-Davidson, Inc.  6,800  336,260 

Lear Corp.  3,700  462,722 

Lewis Group, Ltd. (South Africa)  166,875  721,489 

LF Corp. (South Korea)  24,317  674,451 

Liberty Media Corp. †  5,800  227,070 

Macy’s, Inc.  72,900  3,716,442 

Morningstar, Inc.  3,100  254,541 

Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (South Africa) †  73,442  1,250,717 

NIKE, Inc. Class B  68,100  8,923,143 

Omnicom Group, Inc.  78,472  5,879,122 

PayPal Holdings, Inc. †  24,200  871,442 

Pier 1 Imports, Inc.  212,298  1,575,251 

Rollins, Inc.  21,000  563,220 

Scripps Networks Interactive Class A  55,995  3,364,180 

Target Corp.  90,900  7,015,662 

Thomson Reuters Corp. (Canada)  37,200  1,525,944 

Thor Industries, Inc.  16,200  876,096 

Tongaat Hulett, Ltd. (South Africa)  73,164  625,646 

Top Glove Corp. Bhd (Malaysia)  1,004,700  2,214,498 

Truworths International, Ltd. (South Africa)  235,328  1,589,943 

Vantiv, Inc. Class A †  25,700  1,288,855 

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.  39,000  2,232,360 

 72,570,528 
Consumer staples (4.6%)   
Altria Group, Inc.  150,331  9,090,516 

Amorepacific Group (South Korea)  18,570  2,600,876 

Arca Continental SAB de CV (Mexico)  266,323  1,701,179 

Bunge, Ltd.  25,000  1,824,000 

Colgate-Palmolive Co.  79,000  5,241,650 

ConAgra Foods, Inc.  59,800  2,424,890 

Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc.  69,700  2,886,277 

Grape King Bio, Ltd. (Taiwan)  405,000  2,215,520 

Gruma SAB de CV Class B (Mexico)  194,488  2,984,823 

JBS SA (Brazil)  650,751  2,404,533 

Kraft Heinz Co. (The)  89,800  7,001,706 

Kroger Co. (The)  178,800  6,758,640 

KT&G Corp. (South Korea)  34,493  3,447,096 

LG Household & Health Care, Ltd. (South Korea)  4,014  3,321,360 

McDonald’s Corp.  71,268  7,999,833 

New Oriental Education & Technology Group, Inc. ADR (China)  46,608  1,282,186 

Pinnacle Foods, Inc.  55,600  2,450,848 

Sao Martinho SA (Brazil)  44,401  511,529 

    66,147,462 

 

28     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (40.3%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

Energy (2.2%)     
Bangchak Petroleum PCL (The) (Thailand)  1,841,800  $1,864,196 

Columbia Pipeline Group, Inc.  118,400  2,459,168 

Exxon Mobil Corp.  163,431  13,522,281 

Occidental Petroleum Corp.  105,900  7,893,786 

Schlumberger, Ltd.  31,000  2,422,960 

Tambang Batubara Bukit Asam Persero Tbk PT (Indonesia)  2,268,200  1,202,588 

Thai Oil PCL (Thailand)  1,021,400  1,557,910 

Tupras Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS (Turkey) †  55,758  1,472,374 

 32,395,263 
Financials (8.6%)   
Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings AG  38,600  1,403,496 

American Capital Agency Corp. R   205,700  3,667,631 

American Financial Group, Inc.  13,700  989,003 

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. R   461,700  4,593,915 

Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. R   28,600  563,992 

Aspen Insurance Holdings, Ltd.  17,000  826,370 

Assurant, Inc.  31,700  2,584,501 

Banco Bradesco SA ADR (Brazil)  522,227  2,840,915 

Bank of Chongqing Co., Ltd. (China)  1,196,000  893,485 

Bank of Communications Co., Ltd. (China)  734,000  540,271 

Bank Tabungan Negara Persero Tbk PT (Indonesia)  8,361,500  719,702 

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. Class B †  58,934  8,016,203 

BS Financial Group, Inc. (South Korea)  109,851  1,343,733 

Capital One Financial Corp.  87,900  6,935,310 

CBOE Holdings, Inc.  25,000  1,676,000 

Chimera Investment Corp. R   78,800  1,109,504 

China Cinda Asset Management Co., Ltd. (China)  6,485,000  2,515,530 

China Construction Bank Corp. (China)  2,697,000  1,944,607 

China Merchants Bank Co., Ltd. (China)  1,315,000  3,429,777 

Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Co., Ltd. (China)  4,033,000  2,525,076 

CITIC, Ltd. (China)  931,000  1,731,707 

Citizens Financial Group, Inc.  33,200  806,760 

CTBC Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  5,364,000  2,934,453 

DAMAC Properties Dubai Co. PJSC (United Arab Emirates) †  3,509,590  2,835,687 

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC (United Arab Emirates)  540,122  950,461 

Endurance Specialty Holdings, Ltd.  11,300  713,369 

Everest Re Group, Ltd.  7,086  1,261,095 

First Niagara Financial Group, Inc.  106,900  1,106,415 

Fubon Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  482,000  776,147 

HCP, Inc. R   72,300  2,689,560 

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  63,556  1,891,174 

Itau Unibanco Holding SA ADR (Preference) (Brazil)  462,267  3,166,529 

JB Financial Group Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  157,680  819,280 

Krungthai Card PCL (Thailand)  345,000  967,562 

Liberty Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  234,727  2,293,243 

Macquarie Mexico Real Estate Management SA de CV (Mexico) R   496,048  686,511 

MFA Financial, Inc. R   103,400  715,528 

MMI Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  863,658  1,564,667 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    29 

 



COMMON STOCKS (40.3%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

Financials cont.     
Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS OAO (Russia) †  2,364,074  $3,326,611 

New York Community Bancorp, Inc.  149,000  2,461,480 

People’s Insurance Co. Group of China, Ltd. (China)  5,633,000  3,003,572 

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.  64,100  5,785,666 

Porto Seguro SA (Brazil)  50,751  425,453 

ProAssurance Corp.  10,600  561,376 

Rayonier, Inc. R   56,500  1,279,725 

RenaissanceRe Holdings, Ltd.  7,654  839,108 

RMB Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  143,771  700,139 

Sberbank PJSC ADR (Russia)  417,487  2,551,053 

Shin Kong Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  11,019,597  2,630,603 

SLM Corp. †  180,500  1,274,330 

Starwood Property Trust, Inc. R   87,400  1,755,866 

Taishin Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  6,595,000  2,573,572 

TFS Financial Corp.  15,300  268,668 

Turkiye Sinai Kalkinma Bankasi AS (Turkey)  1,079,318  569,998 

Two Harbors Investment Corp. R   21,300  180,198 

Valid Solucoes e Servicos de Seguranca em Meios de Pagamento     
e Identificacao SA (Brazil)  73,500  834,571 

Validus Holdings, Ltd.  23,200  1,027,760 

Wells Fargo & Co.  200,780  10,870,229 

XL Group PLC  120,000  4,569,600 

 124,518,747 
Health care (4.5%)   
AmerisourceBergen Corp.  63,700  6,147,687 

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. †  4,300  599,764 

C.R. Bard, Inc.  20,273  3,777,874 

Cardinal Health, Inc.  20,728  1,703,842 

DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc. †  42,900  3,325,179 

Eli Lilly & Co.  94,015  7,668,804 

Hologic, Inc. †  156,000  6,062,160 

Johnson & Johnson  114,985  11,616,935 

Mednax, Inc. †  15,800  1,113,426 

Merck & Co., Inc.  155,227  8,484,708 

Pfizer, Inc.  295,400  9,990,428 

Richter Gedeon Nyrt (Hungary)  162,042  2,703,041 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. †  11,542  1,082,293 

 64,276,141 
Technology (7.1%)   
Accenture PLC Class A  26,000  2,787,200 

Amdocs, Ltd.  30,300  1,804,971 

Analog Devices, Inc.  21,400  1,286,568 

Apple, Inc.  60,605  7,242,298 

Black Knight Financial Services, Inc. Class A †  13,200  475,596 

Cisco Systems, Inc.  323,100  9,321,435 

Computer Sciences Corp.  28,500  1,897,815 

DST Systems, Inc.  26,600  3,249,190 

eBay, Inc. †  245,700  6,855,030 

EMC Corp.  270,800  7,100,376 

 

30 Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (40.3%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

Technology cont.     
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc.  25,100  $1,830,292 

Fiserv, Inc. †  31,700  3,059,367 

Genpact, Ltd. †  29,100  721,098 

Gentex Corp.  58,800  963,732 

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  554,000  1,468,951 

Innolux Corp. (Taiwan)  7,432,000  2,486,750 

Intuit, Inc.  44,900  4,374,607 

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.  39,800  5,030,720 

Leidos Holdings, Inc.  17,000  893,690 

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.  171,000  7,007,580 

Microsoft Corp.  25,023  1,317,211 

Motorola Solutions, Inc.  3,600  251,892 

NetApp, Inc.  62,000  2,108,000 

NetEase, Inc. ADR (China)  21,599  3,121,703 

Paychex, Inc.  105,600  5,446,848 

Pegatron Corp. (Taiwan)  1,176,000  2,861,258 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  3,688  4,417,824 

Shanda Games, Ltd. ADR (China) †  72,095  496,735 

Shin Zu Shing Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  211,000  677,819 

Silicon Works Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  12,911  382,991 

SK Hynix, Inc. (South Korea)  109,306  2,920,035 

Synopsys, Inc. †  29,000  1,449,420 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR (Taiwan)  113,667  2,496,127 

Tencent Holdings, Ltd. (China)  111,400  2,090,663 

WNS Holdings, Ltd. ADR (India) †  63,422  2,160,788 

 102,056,580 
Transportation (1.1%)   
Bangkok Expressway PCL (Thailand)  680,800  689,079 

China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd. (China)  904,000  764,435 

Expeditors International of Washington, Inc.  10,100  502,879 

OHL Mexico SAB de CV (Mexico) †  454,815  601,086 

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS (Turkey)  62,779  492,965 

Turk Hava Yollari AO (Turkey) †  865,458  2,554,876 

United Parcel Service, Inc. Class B  74,499  7,674,887 

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, Ltd. (China)  3,344,800  2,971,872 

 16,252,079 
Utilities and power (1.6%)   
American Electric Power Co., Inc.  19,700  1,116,005 

American Water Works Co., Inc.  19,000  1,089,840 

Entergy Corp.  66,200  4,512,192 

Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc.  15,700  459,382 

Huadian Power International Corp., Ltd. (China)  2,946,000  2,152,333 

Huaneng Power International, Inc. (China)  2,460,000  2,664,237 

Korea Electric Power Corp. (South Korea)  79,278  3,569,328 

Southern Co. (The)  157,800  7,116,780 

    22,680,097 
 
Total common stocks (cost $567,316,776)    $580,259,418 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    31 

 



U.S. GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
MORTGAGE OBLIGATIONS (36.9%)*  Principal amount  Value 

U.S. Government Guaranteed Mortgage Obligations (1.1%)     
Government National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
4.687s, June 20, 2045  $185,100  $205,816 
4.654s, June 20, 2045  794,825  883,152 
4.554s, May 20, 2045  404,570  447,462 
4.524s, June 20, 2065  418,700  461,714 
4.516s, June 20, 2045  391,231  431,194 
4.468s, May 20, 2065  798,674  877,117 
4.413s, June 20, 2065  195,879  214,904 
3 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  12,000,000  12,576,563 

 16,097,922 
U.S. Government Agency Mortgage Obligations (35.8%)   
Federal National Mortgage Association Pass-Through Certificates     
5 1/2s, January 1, 2038  1,835,530  2,068,276 
5 1/2s, TBA, December 1, 2045  1,000,000  1,116,563 
5 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  1,000,000  1,117,188 
4 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  3,000,000  3,250,781 
4s, with due dates from May 1, 2044 to June 1, 2044  1,763,627  1,890,087 
3 1/2s, June 1, 2042  706,897  740,419 
3 1/2s, TBA, December 1, 2045  28,000,000  29,079,532 
3 1/2s, TBA, November 1, 2045  28,000,000  29,144,063 
3s, with due dates from January 1, 2043 to February 1, 2043  2,448,005  2,480,326 
3s, TBA, December 1, 2045  220,000,000  221,907,818 
3s, TBA, November 1, 2045  220,000,000  222,389,068 

    515,184,121 
   
Total U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations (cost $532,230,109)  $531,282,043 
 
MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.0%)*  Principal amount  Value 

Agency collateralized mortgage obligations (7.9%)     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
IFB Ser. 2990, Class LB, 16.445s, 2034  $341,624  $455,535 
IFB Ser. 3232, Class KS, IO, 6.104s, 2036  557,589  85,032 
IFB Ser. 4104, Class S, IO, 5.904s, 2042  803,892  182,701 
IFB Ser. 3116, Class AS, IO, 5.904s, 2034  401,749  15,565 
IFB Ser. 4087, Class SA, IO, 5.854s, 2039  7,508,773  927,289 
IFB Ser. 3852, Class NT, 5.804s, 2041  1,908,911  2,012,718 
Ser. 3687, Class CI, IO, 5s, 2038  1,446,463  202,447 
Ser. 4122, Class TI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2042  1,585,032  282,611 
Ser. 4462, IO, 4s, 2045  2,686,511  545,792 
Ser. 4462, Class KI, IO, 4s, 2045  7,146,138  1,296,881 
Ser. 4355, Class DI, IO, 4s, 2044  6,786,071  796,685 
Ser. 4193, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  3,715,360  588,892 
Ser. 4121, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2042  4,345,816  1,002,145 
Ser. 4116, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2042  3,811,697  720,921 
Ser. 4213, Class GI, IO, 4s, 2041  2,709,849  407,290 
Ser. 3996, Class IK, IO, 4s, 2039  5,092,590  655,473 
Ser. 4013, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2039  5,980,526  692,042 
Ser. 4305, Class KI, IO, 4s, 2038  9,571,906  1,004,380 

 

32    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
Ser. 304, Class C53, IO, 4s, 2032  $2,588,900  $410,315 
Ser. 4369, Class IA, IO, 3 1/2s, 2044  1,855,590  341,979 
Ser. 311, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,450,788  508,539 
Ser. 303, Class C18, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  4,997,838  1,004,351 
Ser. 303, Class C19, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,419,408  666,884 
Ser. 4150, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,912,946  790,263 
Ser. 304, Class C22, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  3,281,028  642,402 
Ser. 4141, Class IM, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  3,724,323  642,230 
Ser. 4141, Class IQ, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,844,914  313,185 
Ser. 4121, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  6,749,125  1,287,996 
Ser. 4122, Class CI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  5,877,818  772,375 
Ser. 4136, Class IW, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  3,771,413  536,213 
Ser. 4166, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  2,886,376  446,234 
Ser. 4097, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  5,040,443  633,785 
Ser. 304, IO, 3 1/2s, 2027  1,696,004  183,558 
Ser. 304, Class C37, IO, 3 1/2s, 2027  1,256,785  134,174 
Ser. 4150, Class DI, IO, 3s, 2043  3,357,186  427,517 
Ser. 4158, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  6,604,602  824,254 
Ser. 4165, Class TI, IO, 3s, 2042  7,500,064  890,258 
Ser. 4134, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2042  8,578,349  1,060,713 
Ser. 4183, Class MI, IO, 3s, 2042  2,506,761  296,048 
Ser. 4206, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2041  5,263,460  639,931 
Ser. 4433, Class DI, IO, 3s, 2032  8,032,264  860,737 
Ser. 4179, Class EI, IO, 3s, 2030  6,010,924  644,672 
Ser. 304, Class C45, IO, 3s, 2027  2,685,379  279,341 
Ser. 3939, Class EI, IO, 3s, 2026  5,297,724  441,566 
FRB Ser. T-8, Class A9, IO, 0.469s, 2028  178,778  2,458 
FRB Ser. T-59, Class 1AX, IO, 0.272s, 2043  427,387  5,125 
Ser. T-48, Class A2, IO, 0.212s, 2033  640,960  6,134 

Federal National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 05-74, Class NK, 26.515s, 2035  64,104  106,091 
IFB Ser. 05-122, Class SE, 22.411s, 2035  166,302  244,887 
IFB Ser. 11-4, Class CS, 12.506s, 2040  929,112  1,134,572 
IFB Ser. 13-81, Class QS, IO, 6.003s, 2041  2,527,123  376,206 
IFB Ser. 13-103, Class SK, IO, 5.723s, 2043  1,268,027  327,230 
IFB Ser. 13-101, Class SE, IO, 5.703s, 2043  4,015,982  989,739 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C03, Class 1M2,     
5.197s, 2025  1,198,000  1,186,020 
Ser. 397, Class 2, IO, 5s, 2039  46,991  8,529 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C01, Class 2M2,     
4.747s, 2025  253,000  248,598 
Ser. 15-4, Class IO, IO, 4 1/2s, 2045  2,820,451  571,706 
Ser. 12-75, Class AI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2027  1,869,016  223,516 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 1M2,     
4.197s, 2025  989,000  940,566 
Connecticut Avenue Securities FRB Ser. 15-C02, Class 2M2,     
4.197s, 2025  206,000  195,812 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    33 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Federal National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 421, Class C6, IO, 4s, 2045  $4,529,361  $872,156 
Ser. 14-47, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2044  8,902,879  1,156,395 
Ser. 418, Class C24, IO, 4s, 2043  4,552,251  932,785 
Ser. 13-44, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  1,227,993  182,472 
Ser. 12-124, Class UI, IO, 4s, 2042  4,776,029  916,998 
Ser. 12-118, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2042  4,596,667  858,819 
Ser. 13-11, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2042  4,828,744  827,458 
Ser. 12-96, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2041  1,194,582  187,084 
Ser. 12-40, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2041  2,894,729  451,459 
Ser. 12-22, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2041  4,215,477  641,958 
Ser. 12-62, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2041  3,797,137  558,354 
Ser. 409, Class C16, IO, 4s, 2040  560,888  101,254 
Ser. 14-95, Class TI, IO, 4s, 2039  5,824,325  757,162 
Ser. 12-104, Class HI, IO, 4s, 2027  5,617,544  746,945 
Ser. 15-10, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,237,820  321,150 
Ser. 418, Class C15, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  8,042,818  1,591,128 
Ser. 417, Class C24, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  2,911,456  607,097 
Ser. 12-118, Class IC, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  6,862,974  1,322,273 
Ser. 12-136, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  3,184,019  365,939 
Ser. 14-10, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  3,182,695  426,669 
Ser. 12-101, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  3,149,344  344,957 
Ser. 14-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  7,745,264  967,291 
Ser. 12-110, Class BI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  4,077,706  435,961 
Ser. 13-21, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2033  3,874,963  672,306 
Ser. 417, Class C19, IO, 3 1/2s, 2033  3,153,495  463,785 
Ser. 78, Class KI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2027  1,669,058  208,525 
Ser. 12-53, Class BI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2027  2,985,998  352,198 
Ser. 12-151, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2043  2,955,824  375,981 
Ser. 13-8, Class NI, IO, 3s, 2042  5,231,509  638,052 
Ser. 6, Class BI, IO, 3s, 2042  6,192,613  597,587 
Ser. 13-35, Class IP, IO, 3s, 2042  3,006,339  315,431 
Ser. 13-23, Class PI, IO, 3s, 2041  3,926,276  331,221 
Ser. 13-31, Class NI, IO, 3s, 2041  5,608,762  487,065 
Ser. 13-7, Class EI, IO, 3s, 2040  4,343,657  639,777 
Ser. 13-55, Class MI, IO, 3s, 2032  2,944,193  348,004 
FRB Ser. 03-W10, Class 1, IO, 0.804s, 2043  227,966  4,212 
Ser. 98-W2, Class X, IO, 0.694s, 2028  1,104,857  53,862 
Ser. 98-W5, Class X, IO, 0.603s, 2028  327,949  15,988 
Ser. 08-36, Class OV, PO, zero %, 2036  23,106  21,604 

Government National Mortgage Association     
IFB Ser. 11-81, Class SB, IO, 6.506s, 2036  1,687,682  227,364 
Ser. 09-79, Class IC, IO, 6s, 2039  5,183,698  1,027,357 
IFB Ser. 13-129, Class SN, IO, 5.956s, 2043  1,005,746  155,679 
IFB Ser. 13-99, Class VS, IO, 5.901s, 2043  1,183,456  207,424 
IFB Ser. 11-70, Class SH, IO, 5.691s, 2041  1,599,971  253,915 
Ser. 14-182, Class KI, IO, 5s, 2044  6,121,996  1,189,810 
Ser. 14-133, Class IP, IO, 5s, 2044  4,581,112  894,508 

 

34    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 14-122, Class IC, IO, 5s, 2044  $1,201,003  $232,394 
Ser. 14-163, Class NI, IO, 5s, 2044  3,637,577  731,917 
Ser. 14-25, Class QI, IO, 5s, 2044  4,391,994  938,086 
Ser. 14-2, Class IC, IO, 5s, 2044  1,887,938  437,379 
Ser. 13-3, Class IT, IO, 5s, 2043  1,174,036  226,542 
Ser. 11-116, Class IB, IO, 5s, 2040  986,879  49,490 
Ser. 10-35, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  1,683,344  321,761 
Ser. 10-20, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  1,755,273  311,456 
Ser. 10-9, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2040  4,888,571  941,715 
Ser. 09-121, Class UI, IO, 5s, 2039  3,716,834  699,062 
Ser. 14-3, Class IP, IO, 4 1/2s, 2043  2,399,824  439,432 
Ser. 14-108, Class IP, IO, 4 1/2s, 2042  1,271,286  202,033 
Ser. 11-18, Class PI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  187,385  24,948 
Ser. 10-35, Class AI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  2,452,250  421,419 
Ser. 10-35, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  1,172,241  205,198 
Ser. 13-151, Class IB, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  2,170,895  382,425 
Ser. 10-9, Class QI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2040  1,548,297  272,081 
Ser. 09-121, Class BI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2039  854,824  193,498 
Ser. 09-121, Class CI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2039  4,128,935  944,205 
Ser. 13-34, Class PI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2039  4,610,734  592,848 
Ser. 10-103, Class DI, IO, 4 1/2s, 2038  2,952,628  188,593 
Ser. 15-99, Class LI, IO, 4s, 2045  4,120,433  564,950 
Ser. 15-53, Class MI, IO, 4s, 2045  4,927,187  1,137,919 
Ser. 15-40, IO, 4s, 2045  1,402,700  336,802 
Ser. 15-40, Class KI, IO, 4s, 2044  3,637,429  717,483 
Ser. 14-149, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2044  5,539,754  965,694 
Ser. 14-63, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2043  2,087,223  322,685 
Ser. 13-24, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,734,160  272,801 
Ser. 12-138, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2042  3,103,690  734,339 
Ser. 12-106, Class QI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,030,124  164,233 
Ser. 12-47, Class CI, IO, 4s, 2042  1,905,318  319,552 
Ser. 14-104, IO, 4s, 2042  5,274,190  932,477 
Ser. 12-50, Class PI, IO, 4s, 2041  2,769,447  427,880 
Ser. 12-41, Class IP, IO, 4s, 2041  3,825,187  646,285 
Ser. 14-162, Class DI, IO, 4s, 2038  3,340,026  351,713 
Ser. 14-133, Class AI, IO, 4s, 2036  6,521,167  860,272 
Ser. 13-53, Class IA, IO, 4s, 2026  3,225,674  369,178 
Ser. 15-52, Class IK, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  6,903,304  1,340,898 
Ser. 15-20, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  4,949,973  775,453 
Ser. 15-24, Class CI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  1,767,001  409,538 
Ser. 15-24, Class IA, IO, 3 1/2s, 2045  2,087,157  384,267 
Ser. 13-102, Class IP, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,422,241  236,258 
Ser. 13-76, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  5,995,410  704,820 
Ser. 13-79, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  4,964,729  642,237 
Ser. 13-100, Class MI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  3,657,912  410,162 
Ser. 13-37, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2043  2,649,817  316,097 
Ser. 12-145, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,708,990  340,454 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     35 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Agency collateralized mortgage obligations cont.     
Government National Mortgage Association     
Ser. 13-14, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  $7,124,542  $810,132 
Ser. 13-27, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,413,972  172,674 
Ser. 12-92, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,985,663  252,795 
Ser. 13-37, Class LI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2042  1,880,140  236,371 
Ser. 12-141, Class WI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  3,310,548  351,051 
Ser. 15-36, Class GI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  2,674,622  372,307 
Ser. 12-71, Class JI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2041  2,574,990  215,035 
Ser. 13-157, Class IA, 3 1/2s, 2040  5,525,866  731,348 
Ser. 13-90, Class HI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2040  7,926,869  472,441 
Ser. 13-79, Class XI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  6,529,970  974,727 
Ser. 183, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  3,325,958  405,770 
Ser. 15-118, Class EI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  4,606,606  595,800 
Ser. 15-124, Class NI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  5,191,457  715,590 
Ser. 15-138, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  2,030,738  269,885 
Ser. 15-96, Class NI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2039  8,901,929  1,139,447 
Ser. 15-82, Class GI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2038  11,408,776  1,315,090 
Ser. 15-124, Class DI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2038  5,623,226  860,972 
Ser. 15-24, Class AI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2037  5,946,871  857,360 
Ser. 15-24, Class IC, IO, 3 1/2s, 2037  2,799,541  423,543 
Ser. 14-145, Class PI, IO, 3 1/2s, 2029  1,980,380  246,538 
Ser. 14-115, Class QI, IO, 3s, 2029  3,589,760  353,017 
Ser. 15-H20, Class CI, IO, 2.252s, 2065  9,964,090  1,215,930 
FRB Ser. 15-H16, Class XI, IO, 2.225s, 2065  9,078,418  1,134,802 
Ser. 15-H25, Class BI, IO, 2.224s, 2065  10,554,000  1,269,646 
Ser. 15-H24, Class HI, IO, 2.014s, 2065  16,003,000  1,395,462 
Ser. 15-H15, Class JI, IO, 1.931s, 2065  7,506,543  936,066 
Ser. 15-H09, Class AI, IO, 1.931s, 2065  8,487,761  949,780 
Ser. 15-H19, Class NI, IO, 1.904s, 2065  13,366,079  1,664,077 
Ser. 15-H25, Class EI, IO, 1.838s, 2065  9,336,000  998,952 
Ser. 15-H18, IO, 1.822s, 2065  6,948,808  715,519 
Ser. 15-H10, Class CI, IO, 1.801s, 2065  13,682,511  1,611,971 
Ser. 15-H26, Class GI, IO, 1.792s, 2065  7,613,000  913,560 
Ser. 15-H26, Class EI, IO, 1.715s, 2065  9,770,515  1,117,552 
Ser. 15-H09, Class BI, IO, 1.696s, 2065  12,527,853  1,279,094 
Ser. 15-H10, Class EI, IO, 1.636s, 2065  12,881,280  978,333 
Ser. 15-H25, Class AI, IO, 1.608s, 2065  11,648,000  1,084,429 
Ser. 15-H14, Class BI, IO, 1.593s, 2065  16,059,641  1,204,473 
Ser. 15-H24, Class BI, IO, 0.719s, 2065  14,531,000  1,028,795 

GSMPS Mortgage Loan Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 98-4, IO, 1.147s, 2026  62,193  — 
FRB Ser. 98-2, IO, 1.043s, 2027  39,532  — 
FRB Ser. 99-2, IO, 0.827s, 2027  87,399  765 
FRB Ser. 98-3, IO, zero %, 2027  45,433  — 

    113,888,555 

 

36     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Commercial mortgage-backed securities (2.5%)     
Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-1, Class B, 5.49s, 2045  $255,000  $251,991 
Ser. 06-6, Class A2, 5.309s, 2045  23,136  23,208 
FRB Ser. 07-1, Class XW, IO, 0.33s, 2049  2,282,274  12,955 

Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 08-1, Class C, 6.258s, 2051  584,000  579,965 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc.     
FRB Ser. 05-1, Class C, 5.338s, 2042  429,000  402,994 
FRB Ser. 05-5, Class D, 5.286s, 2045  426,000  425,916 
Ser. 05-4, Class C, 5.147s, 2045  495,000  495,000 
FRB Ser. 05-6, Class G, 5.147s, 2047 F   443,000  445,686 
Ser. 05-3, Class AJ, 4.767s, 2043  225,000  207,481 

Banc of America Merrill Lynch Commercial Mortgage, Inc. 144A     
FRB Ser. 04-4, Class XC, IO, 0.171s, 2042  593,734  475 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class AJ, 5.522s, 2039  332,000  332,830 
Ser. 05-PWR7, Class D, 5.304s, 2041  431,000  430,405 
Ser. 05-PWR7, Class C, 5.235s, 2041  489,000  490,418 
Ser. 05-PWR9, Class C, 5.055s, 2042  281,000  280,612 

Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class B, 5.522s, 2039  1,010,000  1,008,111 
FRB Ser. 06-PW11, Class C, 5.522s, 2039  384,000  383,267 

CD Mortgage Trust 144A FRB Ser. 07-CD5, Class E, 6.12s, 2044  262,000  252,812 

COMM Mortgage Trust FRB Ser. 07-C9, Class D, 5.796s, 2049  350,000  326,375 

COMM Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 12-LC4, Class E, 4 1/4s, 2044  604,000  542,407 
Ser. 13-LC13, Class E, 3.719s, 2046  391,000  297,390 
FRB Ser. 07-C9, Class AJFL, 0.885s, 2049  213,000  209,811 

Credit Suisse First Boston Mortgage Securities Corp. 144A FRB     
Ser. 03-C3, Class AX, IO, 1.955s, 2038  205,692  19 

GE Capital Commercial Mortgage Corp. Trust FRB Ser. 06-C1,     
Class AJ, 5.284s, 2044  1,793,108  1,795,349 

GMAC Commercial Mortgage Securities, Inc. Trust Ser. 04-C3,     
Class B, 4.965s, 2041  120,653  120,917 

GS Mortgage Securities Corp. II 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class D, 4.411s, 2046  336,000  310,494 
FRB Ser. 13-GC10, Class E, 4.411s, 2046  750,000  653,460 

GS Mortgage Securities Trust 144A FRB Ser. 06-GG8, Class X,     
IO, 0.571s, 2039  44,460,859  59,578 

JPMBB Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-C14, Class E, 4.562s, 2046  816,000  730,075 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class E, 4.086s, 2045  1,000,000  837,400 

JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class AJ, 6.076s, 2051  530,500  542,081 
FRB Ser. 06-LDP7, Class B, 5.911s, 2045  619,000  309,500 
Ser. 06-LDP6, Class AJ, 5.565s, 2043  44,000  43,956 
FRB Ser. 05-LDP2, Class E, 4.981s, 2042  463,000  455,592 
FRB Ser. 05-LDP2, Class D, 4.941s, 2042  1,000,000  1,017,990 
FRB Ser. 07-LDPX, Class X, IO, 0.281s, 2049  9,165,645  54,678 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     37 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
JPMorgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 07-CB20, Class C, 6.176s, 2051  $658,000  $628,620 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class F, 5.198s, 2045  432,000  398,261 
FRB Ser. 13-C13, Class D, 4.056s, 2046  161,000  146,285 
Ser. 13-C13, Class E, 3.986s, 2046  639,000  495,992 
Ser. 13-C10, Class E, 3 1/2s, 2047  553,000  439,359 
FRB Ser. 13-LC11, Class E, 3 1/4s, 2046  370,000  294,816 
FRB Ser. 12-C6, Class G, 2.972s, 2045  800,000  588,400 

Key Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 07-SL1, Class A2, 5.629s, 2040  39,182  39,121 

LB-UBS Commercial Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 06-C3, Class C, 5.756s, 2039  1,703,000  1,702,404 
Ser. 06-C6, Class D, 5.502s, 2039  1,187,000  1,180,745 
Ser. 07-C1, Class AJ, 5.484s, 2040  120,000  120,288 
FRB Ser. 06-C6, Class C, 5.482s, 2039  397,000  377,150 
FRB Ser. 07-C2, Class XW, IO, 0.539s, 2040  1,826,039  13,156 

Merrill Lynch Mortgage Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-CIP1, Class C, 5.399s, 2038  501,000  459,763 
FRB Ser. 05-CIP1, Class B, 5.369s, 2038  145,316  143,896 
Ser. 04-KEY2, Class D, 5.046s, 2039  263,000  261,099 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust     
Ser. 06-3, Class AJ, 5.485s, 2046  97,000  97,275 
Ser. 06-4, Class AJ, 5.239s, 2049  402,000  402,523 

ML-CFC Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 06-4, Class AJFX, 5.147s, 2049  295,000  293,333 
FRB Ser. 06-4, Class XC, IO, 0.612s, 2049  37,973,515  85,440 

Morgan Stanley Bank of America Merrill Lynch Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 13-C11, Class E, 4.414s, 2046  750,000  693,300 
FRB Ser. 13-C11, Class F, 4.414s, 2046  1,024,000  895,421 
Ser. 13-C13, Class F, 3.707s, 2046  1,547,000  1,185,736 

Morgan Stanley Capital I Trust     
Ser. 07-HQ11, Class D, 5.587s, 2044  2,100,000  1,901,005 
Ser. 07-HQ11, Class C, 5.558s, 2044  1,181,000  1,180,681 
FRB Ser. 06-HQ8, Class D, 5.495s, 2044  274,000  273,419 
Ser. 06-HQ10, Class B, 5.448s, 2041  1,795,000  1,713,413 

Wachovia Bank Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A FRB     
Ser. 05-C21, Class E, 5.281s, 2044  569,000  567,748 

Wells Fargo Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 12-LC5, Class E, 4.777s, 2045  333,000  297,103 
FRB Ser. 13-LC12, Class D, 4.299s, 2046  1,072,000  1,009,109 

WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-C4, Class E, 5.265s, 2044  305,000  322,355 
Ser. 12-C6, Class E, 5s, 2045  533,000  492,668 
Ser. 11-C4, Class F, 5s, 2044  851,000  866,318 
FRB Ser. 12-C10, Class E, 4.456s, 2045  381,000  315,397 
FRB Ser. 13-C12, Class D, 4.353s, 2048  185,000  174,581 
FRB Ser. 13-C13, Class E, 4.137s, 2045  429,000  360,446 

 

38    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Commercial mortgage-backed securities cont.     
WF-RBS Commercial Mortgage Trust 144A     
Ser. 13-C12, Class E, 3 1/2s, 2048  $570,000  $458,622 
Ser. 13-C14, Class E, 3 1/4s, 2046  360,000  280,580 

 35,487,026 
Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) (2.6%)   
Banc of America Funding Trust FRB Ser. 06-G, Class 3A3,     
5 3/4s, 2036  239,247  229,677 

BCAP, LLC Trust     
FRB Ser. 15-RR5, Class 2A3, 1.268s, 2046  460,000  353,501 
FRB Ser. 12-RR5, Class 4A8, 0.364s, 2035  2,600,000  2,391,164 

BCAP, LLC Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 15-RR2, Class 26A2, 2.652s, 2036  451,000  397,615 
FRB Ser. 14-RR1, Class 2A2, 2.352s, 2036  850,000  716,618 
FRB Ser. 15-RR6, Class 3A2, 1.138s, 2046  440,000  375,619 
FRB Ser. 14-RR2, Class 4A3, 0.464s, 2036  660,000  485,496 

Bear Stearns Alt-A Trust     
FRB Ser. 04-3, Class B, 3.122s, 2034  329,514  319,606 
FRB Ser. 04-6, Class M2, 1.922s, 2034  1,267,666  1,115,546 

Bellemeade Re Ltd. 144A FRB Ser. 15-1A, Class B1, 6.497s,     
2025 (Bermuda)  919,000  912,108 

Citigroup Mortgage Loan Trust 144A FRB Ser. 13-9, Class 1A2,     
2.58s, 2035  497,270  432,624 

Countrywide Alternative Loan Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 2A3, 1.782s, 2035  594,406  508,030 
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 1A2, 1.622s, 2035  682,953  614,819 
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 2A1, 1.572s, 2035  936,973  765,026 
FRB Ser. 06-OA7, Class 1A2, 1.162s, 2046  2,032,448  1,615,796 
FRB Ser. 05-27, Class 1A6, 1.017s, 2035  829,300  646,854 
FRB Ser. 05-38, Class A3, 0.547s, 2035  1,828,370  1,580,626 
FRB Ser. 05-59, Class 1A1, 0.524s, 2035  1,729,043  1,376,185 
FRB Ser. 06-OC2, Class 2A3, 0.487s, 2036  776,382  694,861 
FRB Ser. 06-OA2, Class A1, 0.404s, 2046  1,257,444  943,083 
FRB Ser. 06-OC10, Class 2A2A, 0.377s, 2036  992,548  957,809 
FRB Ser. 06-OC8, Class 2A2A, 0.317s, 2036  367,108  354,259 

Countrywide Asset-Backed Certificates Trust     
FRB Ser. 05-2, Class M4, 1.262s, 2035 F   2,568,000  2,234,160 
FRB Ser. 06-3, Class M1, 0.567s, 2036 F   875,000  649,950 

CSMC Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 11-6R, Class 3A7, 2.923s, 2036  2,500,000  1,329,154 
FRB Ser. 13-2R, Class 4A2, 2.451s, 2036  2,088,461  1,660,327 

Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation     
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DN1,     
Class B, 11.697s, 2025  1,160,662  1,347,180 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes FRB Ser. 15-DNA1,     
Class B, 9.397s, 2027  370,000  419,433 
Structured Agency Credit Risk Debt Notes Ser. 15-DNA2,     
Class B, 7.737s, 2027  969,000  937,023 

Federal National Mortgage Association Connecticut Avenue     
Securities FRB Ser. 15-C04, Class 1M2, 5.894s, 2028  455,000  463,190 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    39 

 



MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES (13.0%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Residential mortgage-backed securities (non-agency) cont.     
GSAA Home Equity Trust FRB Ser. 05-9, Class M3, 0.727s, 2035  $1,000,000  $707,378 

GSAMP Trust FRB Ser. 06-NC1, Class M1, 0.557s, 2036  2,425,000  1,721,750 

IndyMac INDX Mortgage Loan Trust FRB Ser. 07-FLX2,     
Class A1C, 0.387s, 2037  729,261  525,068 

Nomura Resecuritization Trust 144A     
FRB Ser. 10-6RA, Class 1A6, 2.65s, 2036  174,384  160,651 
FRB Ser. 15-1R, Class 6A9, 0.399s, 2047  1,000,000  620,000 

Structured Asset Mortgage Investments II Trust FRB     
Ser. 06-AR7, Class A11, 0.497s, 2036  1,822,470  806,246 

WaMu Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates Trust     
FRB Ser. 04-AR13, Class A1B2, 1.177s, 2034  546,165  513,395 
FRB Ser. 05-AR11, Class A1C3, 0.707s, 2045 F   1,144,761  1,001,175 
FRB Ser. 05-AR19, Class A1C3, 0.697s, 2045  831,689  731,886 
FRB Ser. 05-AR13, Class A1C3, 0.687s, 2045  2,628,028  2,245,233 
FRB Ser. 05-AR11, Class A1C4, 0.637s, 2045 F   692,088  610,732 
FRB Ser. 05-AR1, Class A1B, 0.587s, 2045  176,667  161,650 
FRB Ser. 05-AR9, Class A1B, 0.577s, 2045  1,286,302  1,176,141 
FRB Ser. 05-AR13, Class A1B3, 0.557s, 2045  199,026  178,626 

Wells Fargo Mortgage Backed Securities Trust FRB Ser. 06-AR6,     
Class 7A2, 3.146s, 2036  259,866  250,797 

    38,238,067 
 
Total mortgage-backed securities (cost $190,642,746)    $187,613,648 

 
CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (11.2%)*  Principal amount  Value 

Basic materials (2.0%)     
A Schulman, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 6 7/8s, 2023  $1,945,000  $1,930,413 

ArcelorMittal SA sr. unsec. bonds 10.6s, 2019 (France)  1,089,000  1,195,178 

ArcelorMittal SA sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 1/8s, 2018 (France)  85,000  85,213 

Cemex SAB de CV 144A company guaranty sr. notes 5.7s,     
2025 (Mexico)  3,585,000  3,343,013 

Chemours Co. (The) 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 5/8s, 2023  415,000  309,694 

Corp Nacional del Cobre de Chile (CODELCO) 144A sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 3 7/8s, 2021 (Chile)  950,000  959,919 

Coveris Holdings SA 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
7 7/8s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  500,000  470,000 

CPG Merger Sub, LLC 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 8s, 2021  875,000  890,313 

First Quantum Minerals, Ltd. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 7s, 2021 (Canada)  1,000,000  745,000 

HD Supply, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 7 1/2s, 2020  1,500,000  1,597,500 

HudBay Minerals, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
9 1/2s, 2020 (Canada)  2,461,000  2,147,223 

JMC Steel Group, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 1/4s, 2018  960,000  652,800 

Mercer International, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
7 3/4s, 2022 (Canada)  2,310,000  2,413,950 

Novelis, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 8 3/4s, 2020  3,560,000  3,568,900 

Perstorp Holding AB 144A company guaranty sr. notes 8 3/4s,     
2017 (Sweden)  1,325,000  1,368,063 

 

40    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (11.2%)* cont.    Principal amount  Value 

Basic materials cont.       
Platform Specialty Products Corp. 144A sr. unsec. notes       
6 1/2s, 2022    $316,000  $270,180 

PQ Corp. 144A sr. notes 8 3/4s, 2018    950,000  958,313 

Ryerson, Inc./Joseph T Ryerson & Son, Inc. company guaranty       
sr. notes 9s, 2017    1,500,000  1,308,750 

Steel Dynamics, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 3/8s, 2022    2,000,000  2,055,000 

TMS International Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.       
notes 7 5/8s, 2021    685,000  625,063 

Univar, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 3/4s, 2023    1,073,000  1,062,270 

Vale Overseas, Ltd. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 1/4s, 2017 (Brazil)    230,000  234,954 

 28,191,709 
Capital goods (1.0%)     
ADS Waste Holdings, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
8 1/4s, 2020    2,400,000  2,517,000 

American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. company guaranty sr.       
unsec. notes 7 3/4s, 2019    1,750,000  1,955,625 

ATS Automation Tooling Systems, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes       
6 1/2s, 2023 (Canada)    1,000,000  1,032,500 

DH Services Luxembourg Sarl 144A company guaranty sr.       
unsec. notes 7 3/4s, 2020 (Luxembourg)    500,000  515,000 

Gates Global, LLC/Gates Global Co. 144A sr. unsec.       
notes 6s, 2022    2,190,000  1,752,000 

KION Finance SA 144A sr. unsub. notes 6 3/4s,       
2020 (Luxembourg)  EUR  150,000  172,783 

KLX, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
5 7/8s, 2022    $2,540,000  2,592,388 

Manitowoc Co., Inc. (The) company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
8 1/2s, 2020    1,370,000  1,426,540 

Omega US Sub, LLC 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 3/4s, 2023    1,000,000  941,250 

TransDigm, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes       
6 1/2s, 2024    1,000,000  1,017,500 

 
Communication services (1.5%)      13,922,586 
Altice SA 144A company guaranty sr. notes 7 3/4s,       
2022 (Luxembourg)    2,500,000  2,406,250 

CenturyLink, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 5/8s, 2020    2,000,000  2,002,280 

Cequel Communications Holdings I, LLC/Cequel Capital Corp.       
144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 5 1/8s, 2021    3,000,000  2,882,220 

Digicel Group, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 1/4s, 2020 (Jamaica)    2,015,000  1,783,275 

Digicel, Ltd. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 3/4s,       
2023 (Jamaica)    200,000  180,000 

Digicel, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2020 (Jamaica)    500,000  486,250 

Frontier Communications Corp. 144A sr. unsec. notes       
8 7/8s, 2020    2,470,000  2,564,156 

Intelsat Luxembourg SA company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds       
7 3/4s, 2021 (Luxembourg)    1,505,000  887,950 

Intelsat Luxembourg SA company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds       
6 3/4s, 2018 (Luxembourg)    700,000  621,250 

Sprint Communications, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 7s, 2020    1,500,000  1,395,000 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    41 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (11.2%)* cont.    Principal amount  Value 

Communication services cont.       
T-Mobile USA, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes       
6 1/4s, 2021    $1,500,000  $1,543,125 

Telenet Finance V Luxembourg SCA 144A sr. notes 6 3/4s,       
2024 (Luxembourg)  EUR  115,000  139,258 

Telenet Finance V Luxembourg SCA 144A sr. notes 6 1/4s,       
2022 (Luxembourg)  EUR  165,000  195,958 

Virgin Media Secured Finance PLC 144A sr. notes 6s, 2021       
(United Kingdom)  GBP  486,000  790,694 

West Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes       
5 3/8s, 2022    $1,350,000  1,285,875 

WideOpenWest Finance, LLC/WideOpenWest Capital Corp.       
company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 10 1/4s, 2019    2,025,000  2,022,469 

Wind Acquisition Finance SA 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.       
bonds 7 3/8s, 2021 (Luxembourg)    1,000,000  1,007,500 

 22,193,510 
Consumer cyclicals (1.4%)     
American Tire Distributors, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. sub. notes       
10 1/4s, 2022    1,000,000  1,010,000 

Brookfield Residential Properties, Inc./Brookfield Residential       
US Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 1/8s,       
2022 (Canada)    2,500,000  2,437,500 

Eldorado Resorts, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2023    2,835,000  2,870,438 

Garda World Security Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.       
unsub. notes 7 1/4s, 2021 (Canada)    480,000  436,800 

Gibson Brands, Inc. 144A sr. notes 8 7/8s, 2018    437,000  382,375 

iHeartCommunications, Inc. company guaranty sr.       
notes 9s, 2019    885,000  748,931 

JC Penney Corp, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. bonds       
8 1/8s, 2019    700,000  696,500 

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 1/8s, 2019    2,435,000  2,221,938 

Mattamy Group Corp. 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 1/2s,       
2020 (Canada)    1,491,000  1,467,703 

Navistar International Corp. sr. notes 8 1/4s, 2021    1,994,000  1,555,320 

Neiman Marcus Group, Ltd. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.       
notes 8 3/4s, 2021 ‡‡    1,475,000  1,532,083 

Owens Corning company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 9s, 2019    47,000  55,283 

ROC Finance, LLC/ROC Finance 1 Corp. 144A notes       
12 1/8s, 2018    1,300,000  1,378,000 

Scientific Games Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. sub. notes       
8 1/8s, 2018    925,000  841,750 

Scientific Games International, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.       
notes 7s, 2022    530,000  532,650 

SugarHouse HSP Gaming Prop. Mezz LP/SugarHouse HSP       
Gaming Finance Corp. 144A sr. notes 6 3/8s, 2021    1,250,000  1,206,250 

Townsquare Media, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 1/2s, 2023    630,000  604,800 

 19,978,321 
Consumer staples (0.4%)     
BlueLine Rental Finance Corp. 144A sr. notes 7s, 2019    2,573,000  2,595,514 

Ceridian HCM Holding, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 11s, 2021    1,500,000  1,320,000 

Landry’s, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 9 3/8s, 2020    1,575,000  1,689,188 

      5,604,702 

 

42    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (11.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Energy (1.5%)     

Archrock Partners LP/EXLP Finance Corp. company guaranty     
sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2021  $600,000  $519,000 

California Resources Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 6s, 2024  695,000  472,600 

CHC Helicopter SA company guaranty sr. notes 9 1/4s,     
2020 (Canada)  1,575,000  897,750 

Chesapeake Energy Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
6 7/8s, 2020  530,000  359,075 

Chesapeake Energy Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
6 5/8s, 2020  1,602,000  1,085,355 

Concho Resources, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 5 1/2s, 2022  1,000,000  1,003,750 

Freeport-McMoran Oil & Gas, LLC/FCX Oil & Gas, Inc. company     
guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 3/4s, 2022  1,200,000  1,057,500 

Freeport-McMoran Oil & Gas, LLC/FCX Oil & Gas, Inc. company     
guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 7/8s, 2023  800,000  704,000 

Halcon Resources Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 8 7/8s, 2021  1,500,000  503,438 

Halcon Resources Corp. 144A company guaranty notes     
8 5/8s, 2020  1,405,000  1,211,813 

Laredo Petroleum, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
7 3/8s, 2022  943,000  931,213 

Lightstream Resources, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 5/8s,     
2020 (Canada)  510,000  132,600 

Linn Energy, LLC/Linn Energy Finance Corp. company guaranty     
sr. unsec. notes 6 1/2s, 2019  2,250,000  585,000 

Oasis Petroleum, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
6 7/8s, 2022  1,048,000  893,420 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
3 7/8s, 2016 (Brazil)  2,275,000  2,269,313 

Petrobras Global Finance BV company guaranty sr. unsec.     
unsub. notes 6 1/4s, 2024 (Brazil)  550,000  441,386 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
Ser. REGS, 8 1/2s, 2017 (Venezuela)  333,333  203,333 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA sr. unsec. notes 5 1/8s,     
2016 (Venezuela)  2,700,000  2,025,000 

Petroleos de Venezuela SA 144A company guaranty sr. notes     
8 1/2s, 2017 (Venezuela)  999,999  609,999 

Samson Investment Co. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 9 3/4s, 2020 (In default) †  2,500,000  6,250 

SandRidge Energy, Inc. 144A company guaranty notes     
8 3/4s, 2020  2,600,000  1,589,250 

Whiting Petroleum Corp. company guaranty sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 5 3/4s, 2021  1,982,000  1,853,170 

WPX Energy, Inc. sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6s, 2022  2,000,000  1,760,000 

 21,114,215 
Financials (1.5%)   
Ally Financial, Inc. company guaranty sr. notes 6 1/4s, 2017  1,000,000  1,067,500 

Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (The) jr. unsec. sub. FRB     
8 1/8s, 2038  645,000  717,563 

HUB International, Ltd. 144A sr. unsec. notes 7 7/8s, 2021  2,375,000  2,369,063 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    43 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (11.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Financials cont.     
Icahn Enterprises LP/Icahn Enterprises Finance Corp. company     
guaranty sr. unsec. notes 4 7/8s, 2019  $1,430,000  $1,462,604 

Lloyds Banking Group PLC 144A jr. unsec. sub. FRN 6.657s,     
perpetual maturity (United Kingdom)  200,000  224,000 

Nationstar Mortgage, LLC/Nationstar Capital Corp. company     
guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 1/2s, 2021  1,500,000  1,372,500 

Ocwen Financial Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
7 1/8s, 2019  900,000  821,250 

OneMain Financial Holdings, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 7 1/4s, 2021  1,000,000  1,045,000 

Provident Funding Associates LP/PFG Finance Corp. 144A     
company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6 3/4s, 2021  995,000  960,175 

Russian Agricultural Bank OJSC Via RSHB Capital SA 144A sr.     
unsec. unsub. notes 5.298s, 2017 (Russia)  600,000  606,000 

Sberbank of Russia Via SB Capital SA 144A unsec. sub. notes     
5 1/8s, 2022 (Russia)  750,000  705,000 

Stearns Holdings, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. notes     
9 3/8s, 2020  1,000,000  1,007,500 

TMX Finance, LLC/TitleMax Finance Corp. 144A sr. notes     
8 1/2s, 2018  1,000,000  785,000 

USI, Inc./NY 144A sr. unsec. notes 7 3/4s, 2021  1,151,000  1,151,000 

Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. notes     
5.942s, 2023 (Russia)  200,000  190,905 

Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 6.902s, 2020 (Russia)  800,000  820,000 

Vnesheconombank Via VEB Finance PLC 144A sr. unsec. unsub.     
notes 6.8s, 2025 (Russia)  250,000  245,000 

VTB Bank OJSC Via VTB Capital SA 144A sr. unsec. notes     
6 7/8s, 2018 (Russia)  1,500,000  1,573,875 

VTB Bank OJSC Via VTB Capital SA 144A unsec. sub. bonds     
6.95s, 2022 (Russia)  2,600,000  2,483,000 

Wayne Merger Sub, LLC 144A sr. unsec. notes 8 1/4s, 2023  2,370,000  2,355,188 

 21,962,123 
Health care (0.9%)   
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 7 7/8s, 2023  2,510,000  2,340,575 

CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc. company guaranty sr.     
notes 5 1/8s, 2018  555,000  565,406 

Concordia Healthcare Corp. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 7s, 2023 (Canada)  2,275,000  1,984,938 

Crimson Merger Sub, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 5/8s, 2022  1,250,000  1,082,813 

DPx Holdings BV 144A sr. unsec. notes 7 1/2s,     
2022 (Netherlands)  870,000  887,400 

Endo Limited/Endo Finance LLC/Endo Finco, Inc. 144A     
company guaranty sr. unsec. notes 6s, 2023 (Ireland)  1,875,000  1,879,688 

HCA, Inc. sr. notes 6 1/2s, 2020  610,000  683,200 

Kinetic Concepts, Inc./KCI USA, Inc. company guaranty notes     
10 1/2s, 2018  856,000  905,220 

Service Corporation International sr. unsec. notes 7s, 2017  185,000  199,452 

 

44    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



CORPORATE BONDS AND NOTES (11.2%)* cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Health care cont.     
Tenet Healthcare Corp. company guaranty sr. notes 6 1/4s, 2018  $665,000  $709,888 

Valeant Pharmaceuticals International 144A company guaranty     
sr. unsec. notes 6 3/8s, 2020  2,430,000  2,174,850 

 13,413,430 
Technology (0.6%)   
Avaya, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. notes 7s, 2019  1,000,000  812,500 

First Data Corp. 144A company guaranty notes 8 1/4s, 2021  675,000  707,906 

Infor US, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 1/2s, 2022  2,500,000  2,368,750 

Iron Mountain, Inc. 144A company guaranty sr. unsec.     
notes 6s, 2020 R   2,465,000  2,612,900 

Micron Technology, Inc. 144A sr. unsec. notes 5 1/4s, 2023  950,000  928,141 

Syniverse Holdings, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
9 1/8s, 2019  1,400,000  1,172,500 

 8,602,697 
Utilities and power (0.4%)   
AES Corp./Virginia (The) sr. unsec. notes 5 1/2s, 2025  1,834,000  1,701,035 

EP Energy, LLC/Everest Acquisition Finance, Inc. company     
guaranty sr. unsec. unsub. notes 7 3/4s, 2022  500,000  385,000 

EP Energy, LLC/Everest Acquisition Finance, Inc. sr. unsec.     
notes 9 3/8s, 2020  1,495,000  1,300,650 

NRG Energy, Inc. company guaranty sr. unsec. notes     
6 1/4s, 2022  3,000,000  2,760,000 

    6,146,685 
     
Total corporate bonds and notes (cost $174,964,254)    $161,129,978 
 
COMMODITY LINKED NOTES (7.7%)* †††  Principal amount  Value 

Citigroup, Inc. sr. notes Ser. G, 1-month USD LIBOR less 0.18%, 2016     
(Indexed to the CVICF3F0 Index multiplied by 3)  $45,230,000  $45,278,622 

Deutsche Bank AG/London 144A notes, 1-month USD LIBOR less     
0.16%, 2016 (Indexed to the DB Commodity Backwardation Alpha     
22 USD Total Return Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  5,880,000  6,203,400 

Deutsche Bank AG/London 144A sr. unsec. notes, 1-month USD     
LIBOR less 0.16%, 2016 (Indexed to the S&P GSCI Total Return Index     
multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  4,570,000  4,229,078 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2016     
(Indexed to the UBSIF3AT Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  12,962,592  13,089,107 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2016     
(Indexed to the S&P GSCI Commodity Index multiplied by 3)     
(United Kingdom)  24,670,000  22,394,193 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2016     
(Indexed to the UBSIF3AT Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  12,750,000  12,715,193 

UBS AG/London 144A sr. notes 1-month LIBOR less 0.10%, 2015     
(Indexed to the UBSIF3AT Index multiplied by 3) (United Kingdom)  6,700,000  7,110,643 

Total commodity Linked Notes (cost $112,762,592)    $111,020,236 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    45 

 



INVESTMENT COMPANIES (7.0%)*  Shares  Value 

Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund  213,600  $17,295,192 

Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund  336,200  16,769,656 

Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund  239,500  17,085,930 

Industrial Select Sector SPDR Fund  318,000  17,257,860 

Utility Select Sector SPDR Fund  729,700  31,924,375 

Total investment companies (cost $95,019,231)    $100,333,013 
 
SENIOR LOANS (3.4%)* c  Principal amount  Value 

Basic materials (0.3%)     
AIlnex Luxembourg & CY SCA bank term loan FRN Ser. B1,     
4 1/2s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  $610,093  $609,711 

AIlnex Luxembourg & CY SCA bank term loan FRN Ser. B2,     
4 1/2s, 2019 (Luxembourg)  316,548  316,350 

Builders FirstSource, Inc. bank term loan FRN 6s, 2022  2,522,000  2,504,661 

KP Germany Erste GmbH bank term loan FRN 5s,     
2020 (Germany)  698,847  698,847 

KP Germany Erste GmbH bank term loan FRN 5s,     
2020 (Germany)  298,653  298,653 

 4,428,222 
Communication services (0.2%)   
Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN 8 1/2s, 2021  2,090,000  1,876,298 

Asurion, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B2, 4 1/4s, 2020  651,993  607,331 

 
Consumer cyclicals (1.9%)    2,483,629 
Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B6, 11s, 2017  1,850,305  1,686,090 

Caesars Entertainment Operating Co., Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B7, 11 1/2s, 2017  1,393,000  1,238,899 

Caesars Growth Properties Holdings, LLC bank term loan FRN     
6 1/4s, 2021  834,438  735,870 

CBAC Borrower, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 8 1/4s, 2020  1,500,000  1,410,000 

DBP Holding Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 1/4s, 2019  2,900,000  2,460,157 

Getty Images, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2019  1,957,242  1,306,948 

Golden Nugget, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 1/2s, 2019  583,406  584,136 

Golden Nugget, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. DD, 5 1/2s, 2019  250,031  250,344 

iHeartCommunications, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. D,     
6.948s, 2019  1,617,000  1,352,506 

JC Penney Corp., Inc. bank term loan FRN 6s, 2018  982,412  978,482 

JC Penney Corp., Inc. bank term loan FRN 5s, 2019  1,748,052  1,738,001 

Jo-Ann Stores, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2018  543,489  524,467 

MGM Resorts International bank term loan FRN Ser. B,     
3 1/2s, 2019  972,500  970,069 

Navistar, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 6 1/2s, 2020  1,500,000  1,450,001 

ROC Finance, LLC bank term loan FRN 5s, 2019  2,060,109  1,936,502 

Sabre GLBL, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4s, 2019  1,701,875  1,700,173 

Scientific Games International, Inc. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B2, 6s, 2021  1,985,000  1,937,856 

Station Casinos, LLC bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/4s, 2020  1,132,828  1,132,220 

Talbots, Inc. (The) bank term loan FRN 9 1/2s, 2021  2,100,000  2,052,750 

 

46     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



SENIOR LOANS (3.4%)* c cont.  Principal amount  Value 

Consumer cyclicals cont.     
Travelport Finance Sarl bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5 3/4s,     
2021 (Luxembourg)  $753,280  $747,316 

Yonkers Racing Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 1/4s, 2019  941,215  912,586 

 27,105,373 
Consumer staples (0.3%)   
Del Monte Foods, Inc. bank term loan FRN 8 1/4s, 2021  1,000,000  900,000 

Hostess Brands, LLC bank term loan FRN 8 1/2s, 2023  1,995,000  1,997,494 

Rite Aid Corp. bank term loan FRN 4 7/8s, 2021  2,000,000  2,001,876 

 4,899,370 
Energy (0.1%)   
Fieldwood Energy, LLC bank term loan FRN 8 3/8s, 2020  1,060,000  385,310 

Offshore Group Investment, Ltd. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 5s,     
2017 (Cayman Islands)  886,342  249,653 

Tervita Corp. bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 6 1/4s, 2018 (Canada)  388,261  300,902 

 935,865 
Financials (0.4%)   
Altisource Solutions Sarl bank term loan FRN Ser. B, 4 1/2s,     
2020 (Luxembourg)  1,945,112  1,736,013 

Capital Automotive LP bank term loan FRN 6s, 2020  2,000,000  1,995,000 

Walter Investment Management Corp. bank term loan FRN     
Ser. B, 4 3/4s, 2020  1,395,445  1,281,483 

 5,012,496 
Health care (0.1%)   
Kinetic Concepts, Inc. bank term loan FRN 4 1/2s, 2018  1,314,674  1,314,017 

 1,314,017 
Technology (0.1%)   
Avaya, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B6, 6 1/2s, 2018  1,461,118  1,215,168 

Infor US, Inc. bank term loan FRN Ser. B5, 3 3/4s, 2020  594,900  578,210 

 1,793,378 
Transportation (—%)   
Livingston International, Inc. bank term loan FRN 9s,     
2020 (Canada)  341,087  306,978 

 306,978 
Utilities and power (—%)   
Texas Competitive Electric Holdings Co., LLC bank term loan     
FRN 4.683s, 2017  848,159  286,784 

Texas Competitive Electric Holdings Co., LLC bank term loan     
FRN 4.683s, 2017  8,705  2,943 

    289,727 
 
Total senior loans (cost $53,107,200)    $48,569,055 

 

WARRANTS (1.5%)* †  Expiration  Strike     
  date  price  Warrants  Value 

Bharat Petroleum Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/9/18  $0.00  209,975  $2,799,131 

Ceat, Ltd. 144A (India)  8/15/16  0.00  32,713  541,445 

Hindustan Zinc. Ltd. 144A (India)  10/27/17  0.00  919,925  2,212,352 

Indian Oil Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  8/25/17  0.00  436,747  2,671,813 

Infosys, Ltd. 144A (India)  10/10/16  0.00  115,936  2,014,531 

Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd. 144A (China)  4/13/16  0.00  54,265  1,836,034 

Power Finance Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/9/18  0.00  659,337  2,419,603 

Rural Electrification Corp., Ltd. 144A (India)  3/6/17  0.00  567,140  2,166,319 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     47 

 



WARRANTS (1.5%)* † cont.  Expiration  Strike     
  date  price  Warrants  Value 

Shanghai Pudong Development Bank Co., Ltd.         
144A (China)  10/6/17  $0.00  564,200  $1,462,856 

Tata Chemicals, Ltd. 144A (India)  7/16/16  0.00  129,562  809,849 

Wipro, Ltd. 144A (India)  10/6/17  0.00  25,224  221,127 

YES Bank, Ltd. 144A (India)  8/15/16  0.00  148,514  1,724,235 

Total warrants (cost $22,262,410)        $20,879,295 

 

FOREIGN GOVERNMENT AND AGENCY     
BONDS AND NOTES (1.0%)*  Principal amount  Value 

Argentina (Republic of) sr. unsec. bonds 7s, 2017 (Argentina)  $998,000  $990,515 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes     
10 7/8s, 2021 (Argentina)  1,155,000  1,215,638 

Buenos Aires (Province of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 9.95s,     
2021 (Argentina)  4,429,748  4,547,136 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. notes 6 1/4s,     
2017 (Croatia)  475,000  497,088 

Croatia (Republic of) 144A sr. unsec. unsub. notes 6 3/8s,     
2021 (Croatia)  220,000  236,775 

Russia (Federation of) 144A sr. notes 5 5/8s, 2042 (Russia)  1,200,000  1,197,000 

Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) unsec. bonds 5 3/4s,     
2016 (Venezuela)  5,900,000  5,383,750 

Total foreign government and agency bonds and notes (cost $13,639,080)  $14,067,902 

 

ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES (0.5%)*  Principal amount  Value 

Station Place Securitization Trust     
FRB Ser. 15-4, Class A, 1.402s, 2017  $3,855,000  $3,855,000 
FRB Ser. 15-2, Class A, 1.235s, 2017  2,622,000  2,622,000 

Total asset-backed securities (cost $6,477,000)    $6,477,000 

 

PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING (0.0%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Bank of America N.A.       
(1.548)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.548  $39,450,000  $197 

Citibank, N.A.       
(2.087)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.087  14,863,700  5,054 

Credit Suisse International       
(2.915)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.915  1,860,700  109,074 

(3.315)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/3.315  1,860,700  60,316 

Goldman Sachs International       
2.0775/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.0775  13,468,800  85,392 

0.90/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.90  35,061,700  52,593 

1.36/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.36  33,063,000  34,716 

(2.82)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jan-46  Jan-16/2.82  2,475,800  32,879 

1.285/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.285  33,063,000  17,193 

(2.18625)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.18625  14,863,700  3,865 

(2.5025)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.5025  13,468,800  1,347 

 

48      Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



PURCHASED SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING (0.0%)*       
Counterparty       
Fixed right % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date cont.  date/strike  amount  Value 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(2.148)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.148  $16,531,400  $85,302 

0.98/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.98  15,271,500  35,888 

1.898/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/1.898  16,531,400  30,748 

Total purchased swap options outstanding (cost $1,004,436)    $554,564 
 
PURCHASED OPTIONS  Expiration date/  Contract   
OUTSTANDING (0.5%)*  strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/$100.98  $1,000,000  $5,482 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.86  1,000,000  4,851 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.66  1,000,000  4,207 

Federal National Mortgage Association 30 yr 3.0s TBA     
commitments (Put)  Dec-15/100.50  1,000,000  3,584 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Oct-16/173.00  325,990  1,802,725 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Sep-16/168.00  339,558  1,453,308 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Aug-16/165.00  334,131  1,094,603 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Jul-16/165.00  334,131  941,494 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  Jun-16/165.00  334,131  818,624 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Put)  May-16/163.00  337,316  647,647 

Total purchased options outstanding (cost $13,832,568)    $6,776,525 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (12.7%)*  Principal amount/shares  Value 

Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund 0.11% L   Shares   1  $1 

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.15% L   Shares   115,794,966  115,794,966 

SSgA Prime Money Market Fund Class N 0.09% P   Shares   1,840,000  1,840,000 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.13%, April 21, 2016 Δ    $365,000  364,649 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.07%, April 14, 2016 # Δ §    14,350,000  14,338,147 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.07%, April 7, 2016 # Δ     9,946,000  9,939,058 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.12%, February 18, 2016 # Δ §    14,368,000  14,364,825 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.15%, February 11, 2016 # Δ §    11,676,000  11,673,338 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.03%, February 4, 2016 # Δ     4,438,000  4,436,775 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.09%, January 14, 2016 # Δ §    9,765,000  9,763,389 

Total short-term investments (cost $182,523,046)      $182,515,148 
 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS       

Total investments (cost $1,965,781,448)      $1,951,477,825 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     49 

 



Key to holding’s currency abbreviations 
EUR  Euro 
GBP  British Pound 
 
Key to holding’s abbreviations 
ADR  American Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a 
  custodian bank 
ETF  Exchange Traded Fund 
FRB  Floating Rate Bonds: the rate shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period 
FRN  Floating Rate Notes: the rate shown is the current interest rate or yield at the close of the reporting period 
GDR  Global Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank 
IFB  Inverse Floating Rate Bonds, which are securities that pay interest rates that vary inversely to changes 
  in the market interest rates. As interest rates rise, inverse floaters produce less current income. The rate 
  shown is the current interest rate at the close of the reporting period. 
IO  Interest Only 
NVDR Non-voting Depository Receipts  
OAO  Open Joint Stock Company 
OJSC  Open Joint Stock Company 
PJSC  Public Joint Stock Company 
PO  Principal Only 
REGS  Securities sold under Regulation S may not be offered, sold or delivered within the United States except 
  pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the 
  Securities Act of 1933. 
SPDR  S&P Depository Receipts 
TBA  To Be Announced Commitments 

Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $1,438,797,084.

††† The value of the commodity linked notes, which are marked to market daily, may be based on a multiple of the performance of the index. The multiple (or leverage) will increase the volatility of the note’s value relative to the change in the underlying index.

† This security is non-income-producing.

‡‡ Income may be received in cash or additional securities at the discretion of the issuer.

# This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

Δ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on certain derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

§ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on the initial margin on certain centrally cleared derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

c Senior loans are exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, but contain certain restrictions on resale and cannot be sold publicly. These loans pay interest at rates which adjust periodically. The interest rates shown for senior loans are the current interest rates at the close of the reporting period. Senior loans are also subject to mandatory and/or optional prepayment which cannot be predicted. As a result, the remaining maturity may be substantially less than the stated maturity shown (Notes 1 and 6).

F This security is valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities’ valuation inputs. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was also used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio (Note 1).

50     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



L Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

P This security was pledged, or purchased with cash that was pledged, to the fund for collateral on certain derivative contracts. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period (Note 1).

R Real Estate Investment Trust.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $949,999,457 to cover certain derivative contracts and delayed delivery securities .

Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.

Debt obligations are considered secured unless otherwise indicated.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding TBA commitments.

The dates shown on debt obligations are the original maturity dates.

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $170,374,273)   
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
  British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  $134,247  $133,333  $(914) 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  586,341  579,034  (7,307) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  2,504,515  2,578,799  74,284 

  Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  2,423,003  2,425,635  (2,632) 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  2,423,003  2,358,454  (64,549) 

  Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  1,741,784  1,688,518  53,266 

  New Taiwan Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  39,350  103,960  (64,610) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  135,413  128,040  7,373 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  1,833,073  1,851,028  17,955 

  Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  1,476,101  1,482,292  6,191 

Barclays Bank PLC           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  1,532,947  1,537,965  (5,018) 

  British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  5,017,840  4,983,282  34,558 

  Euro  Buy  12/16/15  278,952  308,124  (29,172) 

  Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  4,142,293  4,116,671  25,622 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  4,142,293  4,138,833  (3,460) 

  Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  1,972,255  1,909,802  62,453 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  844,328  785,395  58,933 

  Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  256,202  285,547  (29,345) 

  Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  2,257,234  2,248,106  9,128 

  Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  2,257,234  2,290,487  33,253 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  336,025  398,783  (62,758) 

Citibank, N.A.             
  British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  1,111,274  1,103,548  (7,726) 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  1,775,001  1,754,370  (20,631) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  3,108,744  3,199,991  91,247 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    51 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $170,374,273) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Citibank, N.A. cont.           
Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  $1,483,318  $1,443,837  $39,481 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,483,318  1,484,915  1,597 

Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  2,030,284  1,972,582  57,702 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  1,242,611  1,281,692  (39,081) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  1,983,133  2,016,873  33,740 

Credit Suisse International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  68,904  68,038  866 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  2,116,044  2,101,394  14,650 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  1,027,129  1,016,451  10,678 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  1,953,102  2,013,930  60,828 

Indian Rupee  Buy  11/18/15  2,035,996  2,034,902  1,094 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  5,646,055  5,617,472  28,583 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  5,646,055  5,658,683  12,628 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  447,785  423,593  24,192 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  921,757  936,790  15,033 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  1,991,765  1,984,151  7,614 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  1,991,765  2,018,550  26,785 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  3,293,571  3,348,979  (55,408) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  12,484  12,398  (86) 

Czech Koruna  Sell  12/16/15  2,015,134  2,062,349  47,215 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  393,173  395,251  (2,078) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  2,551,662  2,554,484  (2,822) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  2,551,662  2,483,974  (67,688) 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  261,789  269,960  (8,171) 

Polish Zloty  Sell  12/16/15  1,655,223  1,683,906  28,683 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  2,945,384  2,996,492  51,108 

Goldman Sachs International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  305,240  301,420  3,820 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  1,915,984  1,902,936  13,048 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  546,819  555,034  (8,215) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  745,852  773,093  27,241 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,374,595  1,337,964  (36,631) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  1,027,702  1,059,711  32,009 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  991,613  1,001,147  (9,534) 

HSBC Bank USA, National Association         
British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  1,236,427  1,227,863  (8,564) 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  188,592  186,369  (2,223) 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  143,602  147,821  (4,219) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  893,878  894,866  (988) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  893,878  870,237  (23,641) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  880,128  895,450  15,322 

 

52     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $170,374,273) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty   Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  $1,027,671  $1,018,872  $8,799 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  1,389,323  1,379,998  9,325 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  340,793  319,542  (21,251) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  979,578  970,918  (8,660) 

Indian Rupee  Buy  11/18/15  2,032,107  2,028,077  4,030 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  2,698,100  2,614,647  83,453 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  2,698,100  2,756,870  58,770 

Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  452,415  438,668  13,747 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  1,920,918  1,960,599  39,681 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  1,029,299  973,575  55,724 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  858,849  858,143  (706) 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  2,167,341  2,160,872  6,469 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  2,167,341  2,196,237  28,896 

South Korean Won  Buy  11/18/15  2,103,523  2,036,624  66,899 

South Korean Won  Sell  11/18/15  2,103,523  2,029,353  (74,170) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  525,871  493,729  32,142 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)           
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  720,247  701,223  19,024 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  1,183,843  1,208,284  (24,441) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  2,780,054  2,814,547  34,493 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  1,761,932  1,795,385  33,453 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  255,405  277,981  (22,576) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  19,500  20,051  551 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  1,012,220  999,507  12,713 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  1,012,220  1,027,042  14,822 

South Korean Won  Buy  11/18/15  2,103,855  2,020,169  83,686 

South Korean Won  Sell  11/18/15  2,103,855  2,034,912  (68,943) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  2,526,615  2,524,926  (1,689) 

State Street Bank and Trust Co.           
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  230,732  229,131  1,601 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  906,268  880,993  (25,275) 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  1,704,632  1,806,091  (101,459) 

Hungarian Forint  Buy  12/16/15  1,711,394  1,715,972  (4,578) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  11/18/15  2,251,806  2,233,772  18,034 

Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  2,251,806  2,253,771  1,965 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  1,525,781  1,573,466  47,685 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  11/18/15  3,092,951  3,072,631  20,320 

Singapore Dollar  Sell  11/18/15  3,092,951  3,138,679  45,728 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  776,552  790,042  (13,490) 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     53 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 10/31/15 (aggregate face value $170,374,273) cont.   
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

UBS AG             
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  $1,002,667  $1,035,211  $(32,544) 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  995,374  1,045,956  (50,582) 

WestPac Banking Corp.           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  328,682  324,616  4,066 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  680,294  672,099  (8,195) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  1,662,156  1,710,996  48,840 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  11/18/15  2,737,629  2,731,421  (6,208) 

  South Korean Won  Buy  11/18/15  2,108,302  2,042,162  66,140 

  South Korean Won  Sell  11/18/15  2,108,302  2,030,959  (77,343) 

Total            $779,655 
   

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15       
        Unrealized 
  Number of    Expiration  appreciation/ 
  contracts  Value  date  (depreciation) 

DAX Index (Long)  2  $594,883  Dec-15  $39,389 

Euro STOXX 50 Index (Long)  626  23,425,609  Dec-15  1,618,556 

Euro-CAC 40 Index (Short)  21  1,130,501  Nov-15  (67,026) 

FTSE 100 Index (Long)  23  2,240,869  Dec-15  91,948 

S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Long)  42  4,354,770  Dec-15  23,661 

S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Short)  2,525  261,804,625  Dec-15  (13,153,347) 

S&P Mid Cap 400 Index         
E-Mini (Long)  428  61,691,920  Dec-15  1,759,327 

SPI 200 Index (Short)  26  2,426,964  Dec-15  (106,692) 

Tokyo Price Index (Long)  85  10,978,081  Dec-15  940,058 

U.S. Treasury Bond 30 yr (Long)  11  1,720,813  Dec-15  916 

U.S. Treasury Bond Ultra         
30 yr (Short)  84  13,419,000  Dec-15  (59,338) 

U.S. Treasury Note 2 yr (Short)  28  6,122,375  Dec-15  806 

U.S. Treasury Note 5 yr (Short)  371  44,435,946  Dec-15  (60,802) 

U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr (Long)  292  37,284,750  Dec-15  177,401 

U.S. Treasury Note 10 yr (Short)  7  893,813  Dec-15  (4,201) 

Total        $(8,799,344) 
   

 

WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $2,771,131)     
Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Bank of America N.A.       
1.798/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.798  $39,450,000  $39 

1.278/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/1.278  9,862,500  493 

Citibank, N.A.       
2.587/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.587  14,863,700  1,040 

2.387/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/May-18  May-16/2.387  14,863,700  1,932 

 

54     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



WRITTEN SWAP OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $2,771,131) cont.     
Counterparty       
Fixed Obligation % to receive or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract   
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  Value 

Credit Suisse International       
2.515/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Apr-47  Apr-17/2.515  $1,860,700  $178,679 

Goldman Sachs International       
2.58625/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jun-18  Jun-16/2.58625  29,727,400  2,081 

(1.885)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Jan-46  Jan-16/1.885  2,475,800  5,595 

2.29/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.29  6,734,400  7,677 

(0.725)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.725  35,061,700  13,675 

(0.8125)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.8125  35,061,700  28,751 

(1.435)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-20  Nov-15/1.435  33,063,000  64,473 

(2.29)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.29  6,734,400  135,563 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.       
(0.83)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.83  15,271,500  12,828 

(0.905)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Dec-17  Dec-15/0.905  15,271,500  22,755 

(2.023)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.023  8,265,700  40,338 

2.023/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Nov-25  Nov-15/2.023  8,265,700  91,253 

(6.00 Floor)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/Mar-18  Mar-18/6.00  9,893,000  1,269,826 

Total      $1,876,998 
   

 

WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (premiums $375,089)     
  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/$99.98  $1,000,000  $2,071 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.92  1,000,000  1,928 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.86  1,000,000  1,791 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.77  1,000,000  1,604 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.19  1,000,000  787 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/99.03  1,000,000  645 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/98.98  1,000,000  607 

Federal National Mortgage Association       
30 yr 3.0s TBA commitments (Put)  Dec-15/98.86  1,000,000  516 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  Nov-15/215.00  301,030  81,278 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  Nov-15/215.00  301,030  69,237 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  Nov-15/210.00  301,842  304,860 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (Call)  Nov-15/209.00  281,712  245,089 

Total      $710,413 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund 55 

 



FORWARD PREMIUM SWAP OPTION CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15     
Counterparty         
Fixed right or obligation % to receive      Premium  Unrealized 
or (pay)/  Expiration  Contract  receivable/  appreciation/ 
Floating rate index/Maturity date  date/strike  amount  (payable)  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.         
2.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Purchased)  Nov-15/2.00  $16,531,400  $(66,126)  $4,959 

(2.238)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Purchased)  Nov-15/2.238  16,531,400  (66,126)  (19,507) 

2.119/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Written)  Nov-15/2.119  8,265,700  66,126  14,242 

(2.119)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-25 (Written)  Nov-15/2.119  8,265,700  66,126  (10,324) 

Citibank, N.A.         
1.475/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Purchased)  Nov-15/1.475  16,531,400  (43,808)  827 

1.399/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Purchased)  Nov-15/1.399  16,531,400  (24,797)  496 

(1.551)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Nov-20 (Written)  Nov-15/1.551  16,531,400  68,605  (4,133) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
2.117/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.117  1,313,825  (32,193)  (250) 

2.035/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/2.035  1,313,825  (33,383)  (4,966) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  2,816,100  (18,620)  (7,432) 

(3.035)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.035  1,313,825  (34,958)  (17,033) 

1.00/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-27 (Purchased)  Apr-17/1.00  5,632,100  (39,566)  (17,172) 

(3.117)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-27 (Purchased)  Feb-17/3.117  1,313,825  (36,787)  (21,162) 

2.655/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.655  5,754,600  38,124  30,649 

2.56/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/2.56  5,754,600  36,787  27,910 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  11,264,200  36,045  3,830 

(1.00)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Apr-19 (Written)  Apr-17/1.00  5,632,100  17,245  1,295 

(1.56)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.56  5,754,600  33,131  (8,977) 

(1.655)/3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA/         
Feb-19 (Written)  Feb-17/1.655  5,754,600  32,801  (15,250) 

Total      $(1,374)  $(41,998) 

 

56 Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



TBA SALE COMMITMENTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 (proceeds receivable $256,973,555)   
  Principal  Settlement   
Agency  amount  date  Value 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 5 1/2s,       
November 1, 2045  $1,000,000  11/12/15  $1,117,188 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 4s,       
November 1, 2045  1,000,000  11/12/15  1,064,609 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3 1/2s,       
November 1, 2045  28,000,000  11/12/15  29,144,063 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3s,       
December 1, 2045  2,000,000  12/10/15  2,017,344 

Federal National Mortgage Association, 3s,       
November 1, 2045  220,000,000  11/12/15  222,389,068 

Total      $255,732,272 

 

CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15   
  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$3,271,000  $(17,033)  9/30/25  3 month USD-  2.1575%  $19,215 
      LIBOR-BBA     

3,271,000  44,789  9/30/25  2.3975%  3 month USD-  (64,365) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

3,271,000  (28,808)  9/30/25  3 month USD-  2.2775%  43,892 
      LIBOR-BBA     

13,468,800  (78,970)  10/9/25  3 month USD-  2.155%  58,430 
      LIBOR-BBA     

6,734,400  78,704  10/9/25  2.3225%  3 month USD-  (94,672) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

6,734,400  (44,664)  10/28/25  3 month USD-  2.055%  (46,870) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

3,367,200  42,908  10/28/25  2.235%  3 month USD-  (12,181) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

13,468,800  (97,153)  10/28/25  3 month USD-  2.0775%  (73,472) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

6,734,400  93,519  10/28/25  2.2625%  3 month USD-  (33,826) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

6,734,400  (43,863)  10/29/25  3 month USD-  2.12%  (5,174) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

3,367,200  43,729  10/29/25  2.31%  3 month USD-  (34,960) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

10,101,600  (63,776)  10/27/25  3 month USD-  2.07125%  (51,224) 
      LIBOR-BBA     

5,050,800  63,573  10/27/25  2.25%  3 month USD-  (26,402) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

276,632,000 E  1,407,996  12/16/17  1.25%  3 month USD-  (417,221) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

20,289,000 E  122,931  12/16/25  2.35%  3 month USD-  (358,284) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

5,050,800  41,855  9/29/25  2.235%  3 month USD-  (50,488) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    57 

 



CENTRALLY CLEARED INTEREST RATE SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.   
  Upfront    Payments  Payments  Unrealized 
  premium  Termination  made by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  fund per annum  (depreciation) 

$1,683,600  $33,615  9/29/45  2.703%  3 month USD-  $(33,160) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

96,736,000 E  101,858  12/16/20  1.70%  3 month USD-  (603,638) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

23,255,000 E  25,197  12/16/45  3 month USD-  2.70%  810,332 
      LIBOR-BBA     

7,154,000  (94)  9/29/25  2.162%  3 month USD-  (82,400) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

3,639,000  (48)  9/30/25  2.07%  3 month USD-  (10,802) 
        LIBOR-BBA   

3,041,000  (40)  10/28/25  2.013%  3 month USD-  12,796 
        LIBOR-BBA   

1,010,200  (13)  10/28/25  2.044%  3 month USD-  1,348 
        LIBOR-BBA   

Total  $1,726,212        $(1,053,126) 

 

E Extended effective date.

OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15     
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
baskets  2,542,788  $—  5/31/16  (3 month USD-  A basket  $19,932,073 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (MLTRFCF6) of   
        0.10%)  common stocks   

units  63,936  —  5/31/16  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  (19,054,328) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Return Index   
7 bp

units  1,672  —  5/31/16  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  (498,293) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Return Index   
        0.07%     

Barclays Bank PLC           
  $275,054  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  693 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  605,890  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,265 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  970,460  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,690) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  889,538  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,240 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  826,771  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,340 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

 

58 Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
$2,242,040  $—  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $5,033 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,465,058  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (4,292) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

472,906  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  352 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

325,757  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  922 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

211,373  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  334 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,171,234  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (3,780) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,722,025  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  7,705 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

836,459  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  623 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

97,678  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  219 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

29,056  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  72 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

187,310  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  530 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,954,541  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,532 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,702,608  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (6,446) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,097,115  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  2,308 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

916,427  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,595) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

4,872,135  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,665 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     59 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
$3,228,152  $—  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $3,754 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

248,178  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  625 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

6,879  —  1/12/40  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  8 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

9,624,162  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  27,242 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

240,808  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  606 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

781,380  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,968 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

566,365  —  1/12/40  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,426 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,799,674  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (4,874) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

970,927  —  1/12/39  (6.00%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,651) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

408,207  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,199) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

204,104  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (600) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

204,104  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (600) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

409,605  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,203) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,063,903  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (3,125) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

409,605  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,203) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

873,344  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,466 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

 

60     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC cont.           
  $553,638  $—  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  $929 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
          Mae II pools   

  686,865  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,693 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  817,873  —  1/12/39  (5.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (2,403) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  923,847  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (1,983) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  608,295  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,059) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  320,219  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  906 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,886,008  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (3,284) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,415,046  (9,065)  1/12/43  (3.50%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (5,526) 
        USD-LIBOR  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

Citibank, N.A.           
  1,090,308  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  3,086 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  516,976  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  1,463 
        USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

baskets  590  —  12/17/15  (3 month USD-  A basket  2,968,752 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (CGPUTQL2) of   
        0.42%)  common stocks   

baskets  636,371  —  11/10/15  3 month USD-  A basket  (1,041,219) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  (CGPUTS39) of   
        0.45%  common stocks   

units  106,667  —  3/18/16  3 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  (869,192) 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.15%     

units  48,917  —  10/17/16  3 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  362,763 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.30%     

units  12,794  —  12/17/15  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  (2,960,151) 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  Return Index   
        0.15%     

units  790  —  12/17/15  3 month USD-  Russell 1000 Total  (182,783) 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  Return Index   
        0.15%     

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     61 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Credit Suisse International         
$651,514  $—  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $1,844 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,669,611  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,802 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

1,726,186  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (3,705) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,438,868  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (3,088) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,492,178  —  1/12/41  5.00% (1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  5,861 
      USD-LIBOR)  5.00% 30 year Ginnie   
        Mae II pools   

954,508  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,143 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,889,001  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,561 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

896,855  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,216 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,024,934  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,644 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,830,092  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  6,490 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

129,066  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  296 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,106,935  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,730 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

6,316,432  39,478  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  49,307 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

4,545,781  32,672  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  39,747 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

62    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
baskets  547,558  $—  8/8/16  3 month USD-  A basket  $3,385,409 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  (DBCTPS9P) of   
        0.45%  common stocks   

baskets  547,558  —  8/8/16  (3 month USD-  A basket  (2,144,182) 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (DBCTPL9P) of   
        0.31%)  common stocks   

Goldman Sachs International         
  $738,827  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,821 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  569,951  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,405 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,837,105  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,901 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,028,007  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,533 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,504,126  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,141 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,504,126  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  3,141 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  755,834  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,316) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  283,971  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (494) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  291,129  —  1/12/40  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  654 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  8,062  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  13 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  711,430  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,123 
        USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  1,035,412  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (1,803) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  53,719  —  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  (94) 
        USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund      63 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
$143,209  $—  1/12/38  (6.50%) 1 month  Synthetic MBX Index  $(249) 
      USD-LIBOR  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

18,890  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  47 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

809,679  —  1/12/38  6.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  1,995 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,455,797  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  5,128 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,275,179  —  1/12/42  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,751 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,334,735  —  1/12/39  6.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,107 
      USD-LIBOR)  6.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,126,431  —  1/12/41  4.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,826 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

156,862  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  352 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

2,501,161  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (5,368) 
      USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

6,869,929  —  1/12/43  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  15,755 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

3,444,885  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  4,670 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

1,909,021  —  1/12/44  3.50% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,588 
      USD-LIBOR)  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

72,698,717  —  10/5/25  (1.7211%)  USA Non Revised  344,881 
        Consumer Price   
        Index-Urban (CPI-U)   

62,531,283  —  10/6/25  (1.72%)  USA Non Revised  305,966 
        Consumer Price   
        Index-Urban (CPI-U)   

4,510,807  —  1/12/45  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  8,012 
      USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

4,536,707  —  1/12/43  (3.50%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (10,404) 
      USD-LIBOR  3.50% 30 year Fannie   
        Mae pools   

 

64     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.     
    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.         
baskets  2,079,410  $—  12/15/20  (1 month USD-  A basket  $574,562 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (GSCBPUR1) of   
        0.44%)  common stocks   

units  1,196,043  —  12/15/20  (0.45%)  Goldman Sachs  (520,781) 
          Volatility Carry US   
          Scaled 3x Excess   
          Return Strategy   

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.         
  $1,073,470  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  2,410 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  328,814  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  738 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,604,542  —  1/12/41  4.00% (1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  5,847 
        USD-LIBOR)  4.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

  2,501,487  —  1/12/41  (5.00%) 1 month  Synthetic TRS Index  (5,369) 
        USD-LIBOR  5.00% 30 year Fannie   
          Mae pools   

baskets  2,006,155  —  10/28/16  3 month USD-  A basket  1,426,577 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  (JPCMPTSH) of   
        0.44%  common stocks   

UBS AG             
units  342,704  —  8/19/15  1 month USD-  MSCI Emerging  2,830,649 
        LIBOR-BBA minus  Markets TR Net USD   
        0.25%     

Total    $63,085        $5,057,904 

 

OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15       
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 
 
Bank of America N.A.           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $4,785  $70,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $3,881 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  9,522  158,000  5/11/63  300 bp  7,481 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  19,446  315,000  5/11/63  300 bp  15,378 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  18,582  326,000  5/11/63  300 bp  14,371 
Index             

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund 65 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.       
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC             
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $31,595  $285,000  5/11/63  300 bp  $27,914 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  4,351  774,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (22,365) 
Index             

Credit Suisse International           
CMBX NA BB Index  —  (150,100)  8,504,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  (13,800) 

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  38,390  2,652,000  5/11/63  300 bp  4,135 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  87,247  6,643,000  5/11/63  300 bp  1,442 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  626,092  57,152,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (112,122) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  49,453  851,000  1/17/47  300 bp  20,079 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  41,173  1,023,000  1/17/47  300 bp  5,863 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  89,707  1,528,000  1/17/47  300 bp  36,966 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  339,954  9,911,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (2,141) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  2,443,449  68,652,000  1/17/47  300 bp  73,811 
Index             

Goldman Sachs International           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  5,113  1,961,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (20,216) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (13,031)  2,855,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (49,909) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  2,551  715,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (22,128) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  2,562  718,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (22,221) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  6,292  1,472,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (44,516) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  5,248  1,472,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (45,561) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  5,248  1,472,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (45,561) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  12,449  1,599,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (42,744) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  17,229  1,730,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (42,485) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  11,227  2,862,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (87,559) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  3,249  3,008,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (100,577) 
Index             

 

66     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.       
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International cont.           
CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  $162,227  $6,016,000  1/17/47  300 bp  $(45,425) 
Index             

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (16,690)  1,951,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  14,582 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  6,816  665,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  17,475 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  775  638,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  11,000 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  10,419  619,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  20,340 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (2,216)  209,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  1,134 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (1,441)  150,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  964 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  2,419  107,000  5/11/63  (500 bp)  4,134 

CMBX NA BB Index  —  (1,180)  592,000  1/17/47  (500 bp)  20,681 

CMBX NA BBB–  —  (13,825)  1,523,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  5,848 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (136)  51,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (795) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (1,407)  129,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (3,076) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (2,072)  258,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (5,405) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (2,423)  259,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (5,769) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (2,598)  259,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (5,943) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (2,598)  259,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (5,943) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (1,043)  260,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (4,402) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  1,557  261,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (1,814) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  (4,582)  275,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (8,134) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  4,501  394,000  5/11/63  300 bp  (588) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  17,485  584,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (2,673) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  21,796  1,034,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (13,894) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  46,148  1,523,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (6,421) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  11,822  1,535,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (41,161) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  67,933  2,132,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (5,656) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  30,674  3,984,000  1/17/47  300 bp  (106,841) 
Index             

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund    67 

 



OTC CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15 cont.       
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Securities LLC           
CMBX NA BBB–  —  $(48,754)  $2,032,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  $(22,507) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  —  (26,179)  1,016,000  5/11/63  (300 bp)  (13,056) 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  56,214  1,016,000  1/17/47  300 bp  21,145 
Index             

CMBX NA BBB–  BBB–/P  107,172  2,032,000  1/17/47  300 bp  37,034 
Index             

Total    $4,132,597        $(607,750) 

*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at October 31, 2015. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.” Securities rated by Fitch are indicated by “/F.”

CENTRALLY CLEARED CREDIT DEFAULT CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 10/31/15     
    Upfront      Payments   
    premium    Termi-  received  Unrealized 
    received  Notional  nation  (paid) by fund  appreciation/ 
Referenced debt*  Rating***  (paid)**  amount  date  per annum  (depreciation) 

NA HY Series 25  B+/P  $329,390  $398,355,000  12/20/20  500 bp  $14,737,672 
Index             

Total    $329,390        $14,737,672 

*Payments related to the referenced debt are made upon a credit default event.

**Upfront premium is based on the difference between the original spread on issue and the market spread on day of execution.

***Ratings are presented for credit default contracts in which the fund has sold protection on the underlying referenced debt. Ratings for an underlying index represent the average of the ratings of all the securities included in that index. The Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s or Fitch ratings are believed to be the most recent ratings available at October 31, 2015. Securities rated by Putnam are indicated by “/P.” Securities rated by Fitch are indicated by “/F.”

68    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:

  Valuation inputs 

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Common stocks*:       

Basic materials  $11,703,291  $6,495,095  $—­ 

Capital goods  35,819,998  1,058,025  —­ 

Communication services  12,627,238  9,115,779  —­ 

Conglomerates  —­  2,543,095  —­ 

Consumer cyclicals  58,786,934  13,783,594  —­ 

Consumer staples  54,562,610  11,584,852  —­ 

Energy  29,720,301  2,674,962  —­ 

Financials  82,780,810  41,737,937  —­ 

Health care  61,573,100  2,703,041  —­ 

Technology  84,750,289  17,306,291  —­ 

Transportation  9,467,931  6,784,148  —­ 

Utilities and power  14,294,199  8,385,898  —­ 

Total common stocks  456,086,701  124,172,717  —­ 
    
Asset-backed securities  $—­  $—­  $6,477,000 

Commodity linked notes  —­  111,020,236  —­ 

Corporate bonds and notes  —­  161,129,978  —­ 

Foreign government and agency bonds and notes  —  14,067,902  — 

Investment companies  100,333,013  —­  —­ 

Mortgage-backed securities  —­  173,270,480  14,343,168 

Purchased options outstanding  —­  6,776,525  —­ 

Purchased swap options outstanding  —­  554,564  —­ 

Senior loans  —­  48,569,055  —­ 

U.S. government and agency mortgage obligations  —­  531,282,043  —­ 

Warrants  —­  20,879,295  —­ 

Short-term investments  117,634,967  64,880,181  —­ 

Totals by level  $674,054,681  $1,256,602,976  $20,820,168 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     69 

 



  Valuation inputs

Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Forward currency contracts  $—­  $779,655  $—­ 

Futures contracts  (8,799,344)  —­  —­ 

Written options outstanding  —­  (710,413)  —­ 

Written swap options outstanding  —­  (1,876,998)  —­ 

Forward premium swap option contracts  —­  (41,998)  —­ 

TBA sale commitments  —­  (255,732,272)  —­ 

Interest rate swap contracts  —­  (2,779,338)  —­ 

Total return swap contracts  —­  4,994,819  —­ 

Credit default contracts  —­  9,667,935  —­ 

Totals by level  $(8,799,344)  $(245,698,610)  $—­ 

* Common stock classifications are presented at the sector level, which may differ from the fund’s portfolio presentation.

The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets as of the close of the reporting period:

      Change in net          
        unrealized     Total Total  
  Balance Accrued appreciation/   Proceeds transfers transfers Balance
Investments  as of  discounts/ Realized (deprecia- Cost of from into out of as of
in securities:  10/31/14 premiums gain/(loss) tion) # purchases sales Level 3† Level 3† 10/31/15

Asset-backed                   
securities  $—­  $—­  $—­  $—­  $6,477,000  $—­  $—­  $—­  $6,477,000 

Mortgage-                   
backed                   
securities  $—­  (454,488)  —­  (58,113)  14,139,151  —­  716,618  —­  $14,343,168 

Totals  $—­  $(454,488)  $—­  $(58,113)  $20,616,151  $—­  $716,618  $—­  $20,820,168 

 

† Transfers during the reporting period are accounted for using the end of period market value and include valuations provided by a single broker quote. Such valuations involve certain inputs and estimates that were unobservable at the end of the reporting period.

# Includes $58,113 related to Level 3 securities still held at period end. Total change in unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation) for securities (including Level 1 and Level 2) can be found in the Statement of operations.

During the reporting period, transfers between level 1 and level 2 within the fair value hierarchy, if any, (other certain transfers involving non-U.S. equity securities as described in Note 1) did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using end of period pricing valuation method.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

70    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities 10/31/15

ASSETS   

Investment in securities, at value (Note 1):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $1,849,986,481)  $1,835,682,858 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $115,794,967) (Notes 1 and 5)  115,794,967 

Cash  127,912 

Foreign currency (cost $965,743) (Note 1)  739,010 

Dividends, interest and other receivables  8,318,893 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold  8,306,492 

Receivable for investments sold  18,175,111 

Receivable for sales of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  81,349,258 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)  2,242,872 

Unrealized appreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  84,208 

Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  1,889,236 

Unrealized appreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  32,773,894 

Premium paid on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  299,340 

Prepaid assets  40,584 

Total assets  2,105,824,635 
 
LIABILITIES   

Payable for investments purchased  12,807,118 

Payable for purchases of delayed delivery securities (Note 1)  356,203,712 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  1,337,253 

Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)  933,730 

Payable for custodian fees (Note 2)  93,290 

Payable for investor servicing fees (Note 2)  278,972 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  89,916 

Payable for administrative services (Note 2)  4,770 

Payable for distribution fees (Note 2)  294,751 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)  475,837 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  28,323,740 

Premium received on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  4,495,022 

Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  1,109,581 

Unrealized depreciation on forward premium swap option contracts (Note 1)  126,206 

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums $3,146,220) (Notes 1 and 3)  2,587,411 

TBA sale commitments, at value (proceeds receivable $256,973,555) (Note 1)  255,732,272 

Collateral on certain derivative contracts, at value (Note 1)  1,840,000 

Other accrued expenses  293,970 

Total liabilities  667,027,551 
 
Net assets  $1,438,797,084 

 

(Continued on next page)

Absolute Return 700 Fund    71 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities (Continued)

REPRESENTED BY   

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $1,352,270,169 

Undistributed net investment income (Note 1)  68,190,173 

Accumulated net realized gain on investments and foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  20,994,052 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  (2,657,310) 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $1,438,797,084 
 
COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share   
($424,484,444 divided by 34,102,706 shares)  $12.45 

Offering price per class A share (100/94.25 of $12.45)*  $13.21 

Net asset value and offering price per class B share ($30,904,966 divided by 2,540,858 shares)**  $12.16 

Net asset value and offering price per class C share ($210,618,940 divided by 17,326,886 shares)**  $12.16 

Net asset value and redemption price per class M share ($7,146,222 divided by 583,602 shares)  $12.25 

Offering price per class M share (100/96.50 of $12.25)*  $12.69 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R share   
($1,564,385 divided by 127,123 shares)  $12.31 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R5 share   
($11,710 divided by 936 shares)  $12.51 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R6 share   
($8,236,761 divided by 658,321 shares)  $12.51 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($755,829,656 divided by 60,592,573 shares)  $12.47 

* On single retail sales of less than $50,000. On sales of $50,000 or more the offering price is reduced.

** Redemption price per share is equal to net asset value less any applicable contingent deferred sales charge.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

72    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



Statement of operations Year ended 10/31/15

INVESTMENT INCOME   

Interest (including interest income of $173,744 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  $21,374,829 

Dividends (net of foreign tax of $441,324)  14,540,128 

Total investment income  35,914,957 
 
EXPENSES   
Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  10,162,548 

Investor servicing fees (Note 2)  1,605,942 

Custodian fees (Note 2)  193,580 

Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  59,506 

Distribution fees (Note 2)  3,118,746 

Administrative services (Note 2)  32,582 

Other  590,555 

Total expenses  15,763,459 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (33,492) 

Net expenses  15,729,967 
 
Net investment income  20,184,990 

 
Net realized gain on investments (Notes 1 and 3)  37,612,031 

Net realized gain on swap contracts (Note 1)  38,856,755 

Net realized gain on futures contracts (Note 1)  19,581,115 

Net realized gain on foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  11,394,313 

Net realized loss on written options (Notes 1 and 3)  (1,778,639) 

Net unrealized depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies during the year  (5,436,420) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts, written options,   
and TBA sale commitments during the year  (75,524,824) 

Net gain on investments  24,704,331 
 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations  $44,889,321 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Absolute Return 700 Fund    73 

 



Statement of changes in net assets

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Operations:     
Net investment income  $20,184,990  $16,910,148 

Net realized gain on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  105,665,575  39,633,447 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments     
and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  (80,961,244)  451,455 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations  44,889,321  56,995,050 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     

Class A  (4,757,439)  (3,999,508) 

Class B  (215,484)  (127,876) 

Class C  (1,330,345)  (660,606) 

Class M  (55,120)  (30,942) 

Class R  (23,421)  (18,601) 

Class R5  (197)  (147) 

Class R6  (122,131)  (95,842) 

Class Y  (10,035,024)  (6,740,179) 

From net realized long-term gain on investments     
Class A  (14,604,207)  — 

Class B  (1,295,170)  — 

Class C  (7,440,380)  — 

Class M  (238,433)  — 

Class R  (84,957)  — 

Class R5  (502)  — 

Class R6  (303,202)  — 

Class Y  (25,810,809)  — 

Increase from capital share transactions (Note 4)  364,116,512  50,609,801 

Total increase in net assets  342,689,012  95,931,150 
 
NET ASSETS     

Beginning of year  1,096,108,072  1,000,176,922 

End of year (including undistributed net investment income     
of $68,190,173 and distributions in excess of net investment     
income of $16,422,869, respectively)  $1,438,797,084  $1,096,108,072 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

74    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 


 

 

 


 

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Absolute Return 700 Fund    75 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:        LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:          RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio  Ratio   
      Net realized      From            of expenses  of net investment   
  Net asset value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  net realized        Total return  Net assets,  to average  income (loss)  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  gain  Total  Redemption  Net asset value,  at net asset  end of period  net assets  to average  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a  on investments­  operations­  income­  on investments­  distributions  fees  end of period­  value (%) b  (in thousands)  (%) c  net assets (%)  (%) 

Class A­                             
October 31, 2015­  $12.71­  .20­  .30­  .50­  (.19)  (.57)  (.76)  —­  $12.45­  4.04­  $424,484­  1.26­  1.60­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  12.17­  .20­  .48­  .68­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  —­  12.71­  5.65­  328,250­  1.24­  1.63­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.78­  .24­  .16­  .40­  (.01)  —­  (.01)  —­  12.17­  3.42­  346,385­  1.25­  2.04­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.35­  .21­  .66­  .87­  (.44)  —­  (.44)  —­  11.78­  7.97­  331,370­  1.33­ d  1.82­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.45­  .33­  (.04)  .29­  (.34)  (.05)  (.39)  —­  11.35­  2.55­  364,714­  1.37 ­d  2.86­ d  174 f 

Class B­                             
October 31, 2015­  $12.44­  .10­  .29­  .39­  (.10)  (.57)  (.67)  —­  $12.16­  3.18­  $30,905­  2.01­  .85­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  11.91­  .11­  .47­  .58­  (.05)  —­  (.05)  —­  12.44­  4.92­  28,072­  1.99­  .88­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.60­  .15­  .16­  .31­  —­  —­  —­  —­  11.91­  2.67­  28,175­  2.00­  1.29­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.19­  .12­  .65­  .77­  (.36)  —­  (.36)  —­  11.60­  7.13­  26,015­  2.08­ d  1.06­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.31­  .24­  (.03)  .21­  (.28)  (.05)  (.33)  —­  11.19­  1.84­  22,984­  2.12­ d  2.14­ d  174 f 

Class C­                             
October 31, 2015­  $12.44­  .10­  .29­  .39­  (.10)  (.57)  (.67)  —­  $12.16­  3.24­  $210,619­  2.01­  .85­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  11.91­  .11­  .47­  .58­  (.05)  —­  (.05)  —­  12.44­  4.91­  160,682­  1.99­  .88­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.60­  .15­  .16­  .31­  —­  —­  —­  —­  11.91­  2.67­  148,531­  2.00­  1.29­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.19­  .12­  .65­  .77­  (.36)  —­  (.36)  —­  11.60­  7.16­  138,619­  2.08­ d  1.06­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.31­  .24­  (.04)  .20­  (.27)  (.05)  (.32)  —­  11.19­  1.79­  132,156­  2.12­ d 2.12­ d  174 f 

Class M­                             
October 31, 2015­  $12.52­  .14­  .29­  .43­  (.13)  (.57)  (.70)  —­  $12.25­  3.55­  $7,146­  1.76­  1.10­  563 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  11.99­  .14­  .47­  .61­  (.08)  —­  (.08)  —­  12.52­  5.12­  5,286­  1.74­  1.12­  313 ­e 
October 31, 2013­  11.65­  .18­  .16­  .34­  —­  —­  —­  —­  11.99­  2.92­  4,535­  1.75­  1.53­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.23­  .15­  .65­  .80­  (.38)  —­  (.38)  —­  11.65­  7.40­  4,105­  1.83­ d  1.31­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.32­  .27­  (.03)  .24­  (.28)  (.05)  (.33)  —­  11.23­  2.12­  3,830­  1.87­ d  2.34­ d  174 f 

Class R­                             
October 31, 2015­  $12.57­  .17­  .30­  .47­  (.16)  (.57)  (.73)  —­  $12.31­  3.84­  $1,564­  1.51­  1.34­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  12.04­  .17­  .48­  .65­  (.12)  —­  (.12)  —­  12.57­  5.40­  1,848­  1.49­  1.39­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.68­  .21­  .15­  .36­  —­g  —­  — f  —­  12.04­  3.11­  2,005­  1.50­  1.77­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.25­  .17­  .67­  .84­  (.41)  —­  (.41)  —­  11.68­  7.77­  1,235­  1.58­ d  1.52­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.37­  .30­  (.05)  .25­  (.32)  (.05)  (.37)  —­  11.25­  2.26­  643­  1.62­ d  2.60­ d  174 f 

Class R5­                             
October 31, 2015­  $12.78­  .24­  .28­  .52­  (.22)  (.57)  (.79)  —­  $12.51­  4.25­  $12­  1.01­  1.86­  563 ­e 
October 31, 2014­  12.22­  .24­  .49­  .73­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  —­  12.78­  6.03­  11­  .96­  1.90­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.81­  .28­  .15­  .43­  (.02)  —­  (.02)  —­  12.22­  3.66­  11­  1.02­  2.29­  199 f 
October 31, 2012†  11.56­  .07­  .18­  .25­  —­  —­  —­  —­  11.81­  2.16*  10­  .34* d  .54* d  164 f 

Class R6­                             
October 31, 2015­  $12.77­  .24­  .30­  .54­  (.23)  (.57)  (.80)  —­  $12.51­  4.39­  $8,237­  .93­  1.93­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  12.23­  .24­  .48­  .72­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  —­  12.77­  5.97­  6,678­  .91­  1.96­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.81­  .25­  .20­  .45­  (.03)  —­  (.03)  —­  12.23­  3.79­  6,500­  .92­  2.09­  199 f 
October 31, 2012†  11.56­  .07­  .18­  .25­  —­  —­  —­  —­  11.81­  2.16*  10­  .31* d  .58* d  164 f 

Class Y­                             
October 31, 2015­  $12.74­  .23­  .29­  .52­  (.22)  (.57)  (.79)  —­  $12.47­  4.25­  $755,830­  1.01­  1.85­  563­ e 
October 31, 2014­  12.20­  .23­  .49­  .72­  (.18)  —­  (.18)  —­  12.74­  5.93­  565,281­  .99­  1.88­  313­ e 
October 31, 2013­  11.81­  .27­  .16­  .43­  (.04)  —­  (.04)  —­  12.20­  3.67­  464,035­  1.00­  2.27­  199 f 
October 31, 2012­  11.37­  .23­  .67­  .90­  (.46)  —­  (.46)  —­  11.81­  8.31­  283,356­  1.08­ d  2.04­ d  164 f 
October 31, 2011­  11.47­  .36­  (.05)  .31­  (.36)  (.05)  (.41)  —­  11.37­  2.75­  195,030­  1.12­ d  3.13­ d  174 f 

See notes to financial highlights at the end of this section.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

76    Absolute Return 700 Fund  Absolute Return 700 Fund    77 

 



Financial highlights (Continued)

* Not annualized.

† For the period July 3, 2012 (commencement of operations) to October 31, 2012.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts as a percentage of average net assets (Note 2):

  10/31/12  10/31/11 

Class A  0.05%  0.08% 

Class B  0.05  0.08 

Class C  0.05  0.08 

Class M  0.05  0.08 

Class R  0.05  0.08 

Class R5  —  N/A 

Class R6  —  N/A 

Class Y  0.05  0.08 

e Portfolio turnover includes TBA purchase and sale commitments.

f Portfolio turnover excludes TBA purchase and sale commitments. Including TBA purchase and sale commitments to conform with current year presentation, the portfolio turnover would have been the following:

  Portfolio turnover % 

October 31, 2013  463% 

October 31, 2012  487 

October 31, 2011  407 

g Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

78     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



Notes to financial statements 10/31/15

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2015.

Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek to earn a positive total return that exceeds the return on U.S. Treasury bills by 700 basis points (or 7.00%) on an annualized basis over a reasonable period of time (generally at least three years or more) regardless of market conditions. The fund is designed to pursue a consistent absolute return by combining two independent investment strategies — a beta strategy, which provides broad exposure to investment markets, and an alpha strategy, which seeks returns from active trading. The beta strategy seeks to balance risk and to provide positive total return by investing, without limit, in many different asset classes, including U.S., international, and emerging markets equity securities (growth or value stocks or both) and fixed-income securities; mortgage- and asset-backed securities; below-investment-grade securities (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”); inflation-protected securities; commodities; and real estate investment trusts (REITs). The alpha strategy involves the potential use of active trading strategies designed to provide additional total return through active security selection, tactical asset allocation, currency transactions and options transactions. In pursuing a consistent absolute return, the fund’s strategies are also generally intended to produce lower volatility over a reasonable period of time than has been historically associated with traditional asset classes that have earned similar levels of return over long historical periods. These traditional asset classes might include, for example, equities or equity-like investments.

Putnam Management may consider, among other factors, a company’s valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings, cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell equity investments, and, among other factors, credit, interest rate and prepayment risks when deciding whether to buy or sell fixed-income investments. Putnam Management may also take into account general market conditions when making investment decisions. Putnam Management typically uses derivatives, such as futures, options, certain foreign currency transactions, warrants and swap contracts, to a significant extent for hedging purposes and to increase the fund’s exposure to the asset classes and strategies mentioned above, which may create investment leverage.

The fund offers class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class R5, class R6 and class Y shares. Class A and class M shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75% and 3.50%, respectively, and generally do not pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Effective November 1, 2015, Class M shares will no longer pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Class B shares, which convert to class A shares after approximately eight years, do not pay a front-end sales charge and are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge if those shares are redeemed within six years of purchase. Class C shares have a one-year 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge and do not convert to class A shares. Class R shares, which are not available to all investors, are sold at net asset value. The expenses for class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares may differ based on the distribution fee of each class, which is identified in Note 2. Class R5, class R6 and class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, but do not bear a distribution fee and in the case of class R5 and class R6 shares, bear a lower investor servicing fee, which is identified in Note 2. Class R5, class R6 and class Y shares are not available to all investors.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of

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increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees. If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last reported sales price on their principal exchange, or official closing price for certain markets, and are classified as Level 1 securities under Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820). If no sales are reported, as in the case of some securities that are traded OTC, a security is valued at its last reported bid price and is generally categorized as a Level 2 security.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

Market quotations are not considered to be readily available for certain debt obligations and other investments; such investments are valued on the basis of valuations furnished by an independent pricing service approved by the Trustees or dealers selected by Putnam Management. Such services or dealers determine valuations for normal institutional-size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships, generally recognized by institutional traders, between securities (which consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities and ratings). These securities will generally be categorized as Level 2. Short-term securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value, and are classified as Level 2 securities.

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the close of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, on certain days, the fund will fair value foreign equity securities taking into account multiple factors including movements in the U.S. securities markets, currency valuations and comparisons to the valuation of American Depository Receipts, exchange-traded funds and futures contracts. These securities, which would generally be classified as Level 1 securities, will be transferred to Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy when they are valued at fair value. The number of days on which fair value prices will be used will depend on market activity and it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio.

Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably

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available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. Certain securities may be valued on the basis of a price provided by a single source. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividend income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recognized on the ex-dividend date except that certain dividends from foreign securities, if any, are recognized as soon as the fund is informed of the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded at the fair value of the securities received. Dividends representing a return of capital or capital gains, if any, are reflected as a reduction of cost and/or as a realized gain.

All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

The fund earned certain fees in connection with its senior loan purchasing activities. These fees are treated as market discount and are amortized into income in the Statement of operations.

Securities purchased or sold on a delayed delivery basis may be settled at a future date beyond customary settlement time; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Losses may arise due to changes in the fair value of the underlying securities or if the counterparty does not perform under the contract.

Stripped securities The fund may invest in stripped securities which represent a participation in securities that may be structured in classes with rights to receive different portions of the interest and principal. Interest-only securi -ties receive all of the interest and principal-only securities receive all of the principal. If the interest-only securities experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, principal-only securities increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are slower than anticipated. The fair value of these securities is highly sensitive to changes in interest rates.

Foreign currency translation The accounting records of the fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The fair value of foreign securities, currency holdings, and other assets and liabilities is recorded in the books and records of the fund after translation to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates on that day. The cost of each security is determined using historical exchange rates. Income and withholding taxes are translated at prevailing exchange rates when earned or incurred. The fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. Such gains and losses are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net realized exchange gains or losses on closed forward currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains and losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized appreciation and depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts to hedge duration and convexity, to isolate prepayment risk, to gain exposure to interest rates, to hedge against changes in values of securities it owns, owned or expects to own, to hedge prepayment risk, to generate additional income for the portfolio, to enhance returns on securities owned, to enhance the return on a security owned, to gain exposure to securities and to manage downside risks.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

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Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts to manage exposure to market risk, to hedge prepayment risk, to hedge interest rate risk, to gain exposure to interest rates, for hedging treasury term structure risk, for yield curve positioning and to equitize cash.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.”

Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Forward currency contracts The fund buys and sells forward currency contracts, which are agreements between two parties to buy and sell currencies at a set price on a future date. These contracts are used to hedge foreign exchange risk and to gain exposure to currencies.

The U.S. dollar value of forward currency contracts is determined using current forward currency exchange rates supplied by a quotation service. The fair value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. The fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed when the contract matures or by delivery of the currency. The fund could be exposed to risk if the value of the currency changes unfavorably, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the fund is unable to enter into a closing position. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Forward currency contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Interest rate swap contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, which are arrangements between two parties to exchange cash flows based on a notional principal amount, to hedge interest rate risk, to gain exposure on interest rates, for hedging term structure risk, for yield curve positioning, for gaining exposure to rates in various countries and to hedge prepayment risk. .

An OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap can be purchased or sold with an upfront premium. For OTC interest rate swap contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss on OTC interest rate swaps. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared interest rate swaps are settled through a central clearing agent and are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Payments, including upfront premiums, received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or the closing of the contract. Certain OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract.

The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or if the counterparty defaults, in the case of OTC interest rate contracts, or the central clearing agency or a clearing member defaults, in the case of centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts, on its respective obligation to perform under the contract. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk or central clearing risk is the

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fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC interest rate swap contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. There is minimal counterparty risk with respect to centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC and centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Total return swap contracts The fund entered into OTC total return swap contracts, which are arrangements to exchange a market-linked return for a periodic payment, both based on a notional principal amount, to hedge sector exposure, to manage exposure to specific sectors or industries, to manage exposure to specific securities, to gain exposure to a basket of securities, to gain exposure to specific markets or countries, and to gain exposure to specific sectors or industries.

To the extent that the total return of the security, index or other financial measure underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the fund will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty. OTC total return swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers and the change, if any, is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Payments received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses. Certain OTC total return swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract. The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index, the possibility that there is no liquid market for these agreements or that the counterparty may default on its obligation to perform. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC total return swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Credit default contracts The fund entered into OTC and/or centrally cleared credit default contracts to hedge credit risk, to hedge market risk, and to gain exposure on individual names and/or baskets of securities.

In OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts, the protection buyer typically makes a periodic stream of payments to a counterparty, the protection seller, in exchange for the right to receive a contingent payment upon the occurrence of a credit event on the reference obligation or all other equally ranked obligations of the reference entity. Credit events are contract specific but may include bankruptcy, failure to pay, restructuring and obligation acceleration. For OTC credit default contracts, an upfront payment received by the fund is recorded as a liability on the fund’s books. An upfront payment made by the fund is recorded as an asset on the fund’s books. Centrally cleared credit default contracts provide the same rights to the protection buyer and seller except the payments between parties, including upfront premiums, are settled through a central clearing agent through variation margin payments. Upfront and periodic payments received or paid by the fund for OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded as realized gains or losses at the reset date or close of the contract. The OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers. Any change in value of OTC credit default contracts is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Daily fluctuations in the value of centrally cleared credit default contracts are recorded in variation margin on the Statement of assets and liabilities and recorded as unrealized gain or loss. Upon the occurrence of a credit event, the difference between the par value and fair value of the reference obligation, net of any proportional amount of the upfront payment, is recorded as a realized gain or loss.

In addition to bearing the risk that the credit event will occur, the fund could be exposed to market risk due to unfavorable changes in interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index or the possibility that the fund may be unable to close out its position at the same time or at the same price as if it had purchased the underlying reference obligations. In certain circumstances, the fund may enter into offsetting OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts which would mitigate its risk of loss. Risks of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk, either as the protection seller or as the protection buyer, is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated for OTC credit default contracts by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty and for centrally cleared credit default contracts through the daily exchange of variation margin. Counterparty risk is further mitigated with respect to centrally cleared credit default swap contracts due to the clearinghouse guarantee fund and other

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resources that are available in the event of a clearing member default. Where the fund is a seller of protection, the maximum potential amount of future payments the fund may be required to make is equal to the notional amount.

OTC and centrally cleared credit default contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

TBA commitments The fund may enter into TBA (to be announced) commitments to purchase securities for a fixed unit price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. Although the unit price and par amount have been established, the actual securities have not been specified. However, it is anticipated that the amount of the commitments will not significantly differ from the principal amount. The fund holds, and maintains until settlement date, cash or high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price, or the fund may enter into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. Income on the securities will not be earned until settlement date.

The fund may also enter into TBA sale commitments to hedge its portfolio positions, to sell mortgage-backed securities it owns under delayed delivery arrangements or to take a short position in mortgage-backed securities. Proceeds of TBA sale commitments are not received until the contractual settlement date. During the time a TBA sale commitment is outstanding, either equivalent deliverable securities or an offsetting TBA purchase commitment deliverable on or before the sale commitment date are held as “cover” for the transaction, or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value of the TBA sale commitment are segregated. If the TBA sale commitment is closed through the acquisition of an offsetting TBA purchase commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss. If the fund delivers securities under the commitment, the fund realizes a gain or a loss from the sale of the securities based upon the unit price established at the date the commitment was entered into.

TBA commitments, which are accounted for as purchase and sale transactions, may be considered securities themselves, and involve a risk of loss due to changes in the value of the security prior to the settlement date as well as the risk that the counterparty to the transaction will not perform its obligations. Counterparty risk is mitigated by having a master agreement between the fund and the counterparty.

Unsettled TBA commitments are valued at their fair value according to the procedures described under “Security valuation” above. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded by the fund as an unrealized gain or loss. Based on market circumstances, Putnam Management will determine whether to take delivery of the underlying securities or to dispose of the TBA commitments prior to settlement.

TBA purchase commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed within the fund’s portfolio and TBA sale commitments outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts and Master Securities Forward Transaction Agreements that govern transactions involving mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities that may result in delayed delivery (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, are presented in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral posted to the fund which cannot be sold or repledged totaled $4,849,455 at the close of the reporting period.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

With respect to ISDA Master Agreements, termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term or short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

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At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $3,809,785 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $15,326,494 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million syndicated unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street ($292.5 million) and Northern Trust Company ($100 million) and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street. Prior to September 24, 2015, the fund participated in a $392.5 million unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street and a substantially similar unsecured uncommitted line of credit. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the overnight LIBOR (the Federal Funds rate prior to September 24, 2015) plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.16% (0.11% prior to September 24, 2015) per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund may also be subject to taxes imposed by governments of countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The fund accrues and applies such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. In some cases, the fund may be entitled to reclaim all or a portion of such taxes, and such reclaim amounts, if any, are reflected as an asset on the fund’s books. In many cases, however, the fund may not receive such amounts for an extended period of time, depending on the country of investment.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. These differences include temporary and/or permanent differences from losses on wash sale transactions, from foreign currency gains and losses, from realized gains and losses on certain futures contracts, from unrealized gains and losses on certain futures contracts, income on swap contracts and from interest-only securities. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations. At the close of the reporting period, the fund reclassified $80,967,213 to increase undistributed net investment income, $210,565 to increase paid-in capital and $81,177,778 to decrease accumulated net realized gain.

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The tax basis components of distributable earnings and the federal tax cost as of the close of the reporting period were as follows:

Unrealized appreciation  $60,162,200 
Unrealized depreciation  (76,987,460) 

Net unrealized depreciation  (16,825,260) 
Undistributed ordinary income  87,992,049 
Undistributed long-term gain  14,036,165 
Cost for federal income tax purposes  $1,968,300,368 

Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a management fee (base fee) (based on the fund’s average net assets and computed and paid monthly) at annual rates that may vary based on the average of the aggregate net assets of most open-end funds, as defined in the fund’s management contract, sponsored by Putnam Management. Such annual rates may vary as follows:

1.030%  of the first $5 billion,  0.830%  of the next $50 billion, 


0.980%  of the next $5 billion,  0.810%  of the next $50 billion, 


0.930%  of the next $10 billion,  0.800%  of the next $100 billion and 


0.880%  of the next $10 billion,  0.795%  of any excess thereafter. 


The applicable base fee is increased or decreased for each month by an amount based on the performance of the fund. The amount of the increase or decrease is calculated monthly based on a performance adjustment rate that is equal to 0.04 multiplied by the difference between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the fund’s class A shares) and the annualized performance of the BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Treasury Bill Index plus 7.00% over the thirty-six month period then ended (the “performance period”). The maximum annualized performance adjustment rate is +/– 0.28%. Each month, the performance adjustment rate is multiplied by the fund’s average net assets over the performance period and the result is divided by twelve. The resulting dollar amount is added to, or subtracted from, the base fee for that month. The monthly base fee is determined based on the fund’s average net assets for the month, while the performance adjustment is determined based on the fund’s average net assets over the performance period of up to thirty-six months. This means it is possible that, if the fund underperforms significantly over the performance period, and the fund’s assets have declined significantly over that period, the negative performance adjustment may exceed the base fee. In this event, Putnam Management would make a payment to the fund.

Because the performance adjustment is based on the fund’s performance relative to its applicable benchmark index, and not its absolute performance, the performance adjustment could increase Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares lose value during the performance period provided that the fund outperformed its benchmark index, and could decrease Putnam Management’s fee even if the fund’s shares increase in value during the performance period provided that the fund underperformed its benchmark index.

For the reporting period, the base fee represented an effective rate (excluding the impact from any expense waivers in effect) of 0.867% of the fund’s average net assets before a decrease of $734,038 (0.058% of the fund’s average net assets) based on performance.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed to limit the fund’s total expenses through February 28, 2017, to the extent that the total expenses of the fund (before performance adjustments to the fund’s management fee and excluding brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s distribution plans) would exceed an annual rate of 1.10% of the fund’s average net assets. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were not reduced as a result of this limit.

Effective November 1, 2015, Putnam Management has contractually agreed to waive fees (and, to the extent necessary, bear other expenses) of the fund through February 28, 2017, to the extent that the total expenses of the fund (before any applicable performance-based upward or downward adjustment to the fund’s management fee

86     Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



and excluding payments under the fund’s distribution plans, brokerage, interest, taxes, investor servicing fees, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses) would exceed an annual rate of 0.97% of the fund’s average net assets.

Putnam Management has also contractually agreed, through February 28, 2017, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were not reduced as a result of this limit.

Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. Putnam Management pays a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL. Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, pays a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

The fund reimburses Putnam Management an allocated amount for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund. The aggregate amount of all such reimbursements is determined annually by the Trustees.

Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes.

Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing (except for class R5 and R6 shares) that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) for the portion of the fund’s fiscal year beginning after January 1, 2015, a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. Class R5 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R5 shares at an annual rate of 0.12%. Class R6 shares paid a monthly fee based on the average net assets of class R6 shares at an annual rate of 0.05%. During the reporting period, the expenses for each class of shares related to investor servicing fees were as follows:

Class A  $473,684  Class R5  14 


Class B  38,094  Class R6  3,633 


Class C  236,901  Class Y  843,389 


Class M  7,833  Total  $1,605,942 


Class R  2,394     

The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. The fund also reduced expenses through brokerage/service arrangements. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $4,485 under the expense offset arrangements and by $29,007 under the brokerage/ service arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $870, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees.

The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

Absolute Return 700 Fund     87 

 



The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Pension expense for the fund is included in Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of operations. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003.

The fund has adopted distribution plans (the Plans) with respect to its class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plans is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plans provide for payments by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 1.00% and 1.00% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. The Trustees have approved payment by the fund at an annual rate of 0.25%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 0.50% and 0.50% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. During the reporting period, the class specific expenses related to distribution fees were as follows:

Class A  $922,463  Class M  45,748 


Class B  296,611  Class R  9,339 


Class C  1,844,585  Total  $3,118,746 

 

For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received net commissions of $206,322 and $2,340 from the sale of class A and class M shares, respectively, and received $19,284 and $10,476 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of class B and class C shares, respectively.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% and 0.65% (no longer applicable effective November 1, 2015) is assessed on certain redemptions of class  A and class  M shares, respectively. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received $671 and no monies on class  A and class  M redemptions, respectively.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:

  Cost of purchases  Proceeds from sales 

Investments in securities, including TBA commitments     
(Long-term)  $7,589,876,894  $6,940,315,635 

U.S. government securities (Long-term)  —  — 

Total  $7,589,876,894  $6,940,315,635 

 

Written option transactions during the reporting period are summarized as follows:

  Written swap       
  option contract  Written swap  Written option  Written option 
  amounts  option premiums  contract amounts  premiums 

Written options outstanding at the beginning of the

reporting period  $110,319,300  $2,533,025  $87,635,997  $961,558 
Options opened  1,019,228,320  6,121,905  163,542,701  11,196,147 
Options exercised  (113,622,300)  (1,115,162)  —  — 
Options expired  (174,223,525)  (1,135,766)  (126,731,275)  (6,657,444) 
Options closed  (481,997,895)  (3,632,871)  (115,261,809)  (5,125,172) 
Written options outstanding at         
the end of the reporting period  $359,703,900  $2,771,131  $9,185,614  $375,089 

 

88    Absolute Return 700 Fund 

 



Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  14,651,151  $182,222,249  6,653,561  $82,804,806 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,467,086  17,883,782  299,439  3,641,187 

  16,118,237  200,106,031  6,953,000  86,445,993 

Shares repurchased  (7,843,842)  (97,635,567)  (9,595,180)  (119,560,403) 

Net increase (decrease)  8,274,395  $102,470,464  (2,642,180)  $(33,114,410) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class B  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  442,256  $5,403,665  271,121  $3,307,619 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  120,767  1,447,992  10,150  121,599 

  563,023  6,851,657  281,271  3,429,218 

Shares repurchased  (279,664)  (3,418,487)  (389,485)  (4,754,786) 

Net increase (decrease)  283,359  $3,433,170  (108,214)  $(1,325,568) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class C  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  6,221,011  $75,762,490  3,297,436  $40,293,927 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  643,103  7,704,376  47,345  567,189 

  6,864,114  83,466,866  3,344,781  40,861,116 

Shares repurchased  (2,458,918)  (29,986,816)  (2,895,365)  (35,335,371) 

Net increase  4,405,196  $53,480,050  449,416  $5,525,745 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class M  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  190,105  $2,330,574  113,895  $1,396,714 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  23,860  287,513  2,463  29,630 

  213,965  2,618,087  116,358  1,426,344 

Shares repurchased  (52,508)  (641,138)  (72,443)  (886,521) 

Net increase  161,457  $1,976,949  43,915  $539,823 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  67,626  $831,699  39,691  $488,699 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  8,972  108,378  1,542  18,601 

  76,598  940,077  41,233  507,300 

Shares repurchased  (96,445)  (1,179,424)  (60,755)  (745,697) 

Net decrease  (19,847)  $(239,347)  (19,522)  $(238,397) 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     89 

 



  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R5  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  —  $—  —  $— 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  57  698  12  147 

  57  698  12  147 

Shares repurchased  —  —  —  — 

Net increase  57  $698  12  $147 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class R6  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  221,045  $2,771,512  123,039  $1,536,117 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  34,806  425,333  7,862  95,842 

  255,851  3,196,845  130,901  1,631,959 

Shares repurchased  (120,331)  (1,507,936)  (139,598)  (1,736,634) 

Net increase (decrease)  135,520  $1,688,909  (8,697)  $(104,675) 

 
  Year ended 10/31/15  Year ended 10/31/14 

Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  41,212,501  $513,819,058  18,967,042  $236,701,531 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  2,564,915  31,266,314  470,609  5,722,600 

  43,777,416  545,085,372  19,437,651  242,424,131 

Shares repurchased  (27,560,325)  (343,779,753)  (13,103,798)  (163,096,995) 

Net increase  16,217,091  $201,305,619  6,333,853  $79,327,136 

 

At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned the following shares of the fund:

  Shares owned  Percentage of ownership  Value 

Class R5  936  100.0%  11,710 

Class R6  938  0.1  11,734 

Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which are under common ownership or control, were as follows:

  Fair value at the        Fair value at 
  beginning of        the end of 
  the reporting      Investment  the reporting 
Name of affiliate  period  Purchase cost  Sale proceeds  income  period 

Putnam Money Market           
Liquidity Fund*  $—  $74,967,046  $74,967,045  $6,970  $1 

Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund*  191,814,213  603,682,877  679,702,124  166,774  115,794,966 

Totals  $191,814,213  $678,649,923  $754,669,169  $173,744  $115,794,967 

* Management fees charged to Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

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Note 6: Senior loan commitments

Senior loans are purchased or sold on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis and may be settled a month or more after the trade date, which from time to time can delay the actual investment of available cash balances; interest income is accrued based on the terms of the securities. Senior loans can be acquired through an agent, by assignment from another holder of the loan, or as a participation interest in another holder’s portion of the loan. When the fund invests in a loan or participation, the fund is subject to the risk that an intermediate participant between the fund and the borrower will fail to meet its obligations to the fund, in addition to the risk that the borrower under the loan may default on its obligations.

Note 7: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default. Investments in foreign securities involve certain risks, including those related to economic instability, unfavorable political developments, and currency fluctuations. The fund may invest in higher-yielding, lower-rated bonds that may have a higher rate of default.

The fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in securitized debt instruments, including mortgage-backed and asset-backed investments. The yields and values of these investments are sensitive to changes in interest rates, the rate of principal payments on the underlying assets and the market’s perception of the issuers. The market for these investments may be volatile and limited, which may make them difficult to buy or sell.

Note 8: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Purchased equity option contracts (contract amount)  $1,800,000 

Purchased TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount)  $17,200,000 

Purchased swap option contracts (contract amount)  $196,300,000 

Written equity option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $1,600,000 

Written TBA commitment option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $29,900,000 

Written swap option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $201,200,000 

Futures contracts (number of contracts)  5,000 

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)  $378,100,000 

Centrally cleared interest rate swap contracts (notional)  $724,000,000 

OTC total return swap contracts (notional)  $1,977,400,000 

OTC credit default contracts (notional)  $167,800,000 

Centrally cleared credit default contracts (notional)  $182,900,000 

Warrants (number of warrants)  2,900,000 

 

Absolute Return 700 Fund     91 

 



The following is a summary of the fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period:

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period

  Asset derivatives  Liability derivatives 

Derivatives not         
accounted for as  Statement of    Statement of   
hedging instruments  assets and    assets and   
under ASC 815  liabilities location  Fair value  liabilities location  Fair value 

  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Credit contracts  appreciation  $14,695,033*  depreciation  $5,027,098 

Foreign exchange         
contracts  Receivables  1,889,236  Payables  1,109,581 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Equity contracts  appreciation  63,591,420*  depreciation  41,298,458* 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Interest rate contracts  appreciation  2,815,461*  depreciation  6,111,311* 

Total    $82,991,150    $53,546,448 

* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts and/or centrally cleared swaps as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.

The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments in the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives             
not accounted             
for as hedging        Forward     
instruments        currency     
under ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $—  $(12,221,884)   $(12,221,884) 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  —  —  —  11,159,416  —  11,159,416 

Equity contracts  (630,666)  (9,652,862)  6,405,947  —  60,998,264  57,120,683 

Interest rate             
contracts  —  (1,294,153)  13,175,168  —  (9,919,625)  1,961,390 

Total  $(630,666)  $(10,947,015)  $19,581,115  $11,159,416  $38,856,755  $58,019,605 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives             
not accounted             
for as hedging        Forward     
instruments        currency     
under ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Credit contracts  $—  $—  $—  $—  $13,784,126  $13,784,126 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  —  —  —  (4,349,479)  —  (4,349,479) 

Equity contracts  (1,383,115)  (1,253,885)  (13,311,195)  —  (14,842,123)  (30,790,318) 

Interest rate             
contracts  —  684,311  2,288,751  —  901,431  3,874,493 

Total  $(1,383,115)  $(569,574)  $(11,022,444)  $(4,349,479)  $(156,566)  $(17,481,178) 

 

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Note 9: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.

  Bank of America N.A. Barclays Bank PLC Barclays Capital Inc. (clearing broker) Citibank, N. A. Credit Suisse International Deutsche Bank AG Goldman Sachs International HSBC Bank USA, National Association JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. JPMorgan Securities LLC Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) State Street Bank and Trust Co. UBS AG WestPac Banking Corp. Total

Assets:                                 

Centrally cleared interest rate                                 
swap contracts§  $—  $—  $512,625  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $512,625 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  19,932,073  79,995  —  3,336,064  49,491  3,385,409  1,290,372  —  1,435,572  —  —  —  —  2,830,649  —  32,339,625 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  —  —  —  —  136,300  —  111,081  —  —  39,370  —  —  —  —  —  286,751 

Centrally cleared credit default contracts§  —  —  474,656  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  474,656 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  1,255,591  —  —  —  —  1,255,591 

Forward currency contracts#  159,069  223,947  —  223,767  202,951  127,006  76,118  15,322  407,935  —  —  198,742  135,333  —  119,046  1,889,236 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  19,201  —  —  1,323  —  —  —  —  63,684  —  —  —  —  —  —  84,208 

Purchased swap options**#  197  —  —  5,054  169,390  —  227,985  —  151,938  —  —  —  —  —  —  554,564 

Purchased options**#  —  —  —  3,903,680  —  —  —  —  2,872,845  —  —  —  —  —  —  6,776,525 

Total Assets  $20,110,540  $303,942  $987,281  $7,469,888  $558,132  $3,512,415  $1,705,556  $15,322  $4,931,974  $39,370  $1,255,591  $198,742  $135,333  $2,830,649  $119,046  $44,173,781 

Liabilities:                                 

Centrally cleared interest rate                                 
swap contracts§  —  —  403,881  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  403,881 

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  19,552,621  41,987  —  5,053,345  6,793  2,144,182  540,509  —  5,369  —  —  —  —  —  —  27,344,806 

OTC Credit default contracts*#  11,224  30,397  —  —  3,687,432  —  1,192,838  —  —  105,207  —  —  —  —  —  5,027,098 

Centrally cleared credit default contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  71,956  —  —  —  —  71,956 

Forward currency contracts#  140,012  129,753  —  67,438  55,408  80,845  54,380  39,635  104,787  —  —  117,649  144,802  83,126  91,746  1,109,581 

Forward premium swap option contracts#  29,831  —  —  4,133  —  —  —  —  92,242  —  —  —  —  —  —  126,206 

Written swap options#  532  —  —  2,972  178,679  —  257,815  —  1,437,000  —  —  —  —  —  —  1,876,998 

Written options#  —  —  —  549,949  —  —  —  —  160,464  —  —  —  —  —  —  710,413 

Total Liabilities  $19,734,220  $202,137  $403,881  $5,677,837  $3,928,312  $2,225,027  $2,045,542  $39,635  $1,799,862  $105,207  $71,956  $117,649  $144,802  $83,126  $91,746  $36,670,939 

Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets  $376,320  $101,805  $583,400  $1,792,051  $(3,370,180)   $1,287,388  $(339,986)  $(24,313)  $3,132,112  $(65,837)  $1,183,635  $81,093  $(9,469)  $2,747,523  $27,300  $7,502,842 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##  $376,320  $—  $—  $(6,447,743)  $(3,370,180)  $960,000  $3,889,493  $—  $(4,838,202)  $—  $—  $—  $—  $959,962  $—   

Net amount  $—  $101,805  $583,400  $8,239,794  $—  $327,388  $(4,229,479)  $(24,313)  $7,970,314  $(65,837)  $1,183,635  $81,093  $(9,469)  $1,787,561  $27,300   

* Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

** Included with Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

† Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

# Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§ Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.

94     Absolute Return 700 Fund  Absolute Return 700 Fund    95 

 



<R>   
Prospectus Supplement  August 30, 2016 
</R>   

 

Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund
Prospectus dated September 30, 2015

<R>

The fund will offer class P shares to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Investment Management, LLC or its affiliates beginning on August 30, 2016. The prospectus is supplemented as follows to add information about class P shares.

</R>

The front cover page is supplemented to add class P shares to the list of shares to which the prospectus relates, and to indicate that fund symbols for class P shares are pending.

The following information is added to Fund summary — Fees and expenses:

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

    Maximum deferred sales charge (load) 
  Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on  (as a percentage of original purchase 
Share class  purchases (as a percentage of offering price)  redemption proceeds, whichever is 
    lower) 

Class P  NONE  NONE 

 

The following information restates similar disclosure in Fund summary — Fees and expenses:

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

           
       
         Total annual fund 
  Distribution and service  Total annual fund  Expense  expenses after expense 
Share class  Management fees  (12b-1) fees  Other expenses  operating expenses  reimbursement*  reimbursement 
<R>             
Class A  0.59  0.00%**  0.92=  1.51%  (0.68%)  0.83% 
Class P  0.59  N/A  0.73<  1.32%  (0.68%)  0.64% 
Class Y  0.59  N/A  0.92=  1.51%  (0.68%)  0.83% 

 

</R>



* Reflects Putnam Investment Management, LLC’s contractual obligation to limit certain fund expenses through September 30, 2017. This obligation may be modified or discontinued only with approval of the Board of Trustees.

** Although the fund’s distribution and service (12b-1) plan provides for payments at annual rates (based on average net assets) of up to 0.35% on class A shares, no payments under the plan have been authorized by the Trustees. Should the Trustees decide in the future to approve payments under the plan, this prospectus will be revised.

< Other expenses are based on expenses of class A shares for the fund’s last fiscal year, adjusted to reflect the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class P shares.

<R>

= Restated to reflect current fees resulting from a change to the fund’s investor servicing arrangements effective September 1, 2016.

</R>

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Only the first year of each period in the example takes into account the expense reimbursement described above. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class  1 year  3 years  5 years  10 years 

<R>         
Class A  $655  $962  $1,291  $2,218 
Class P  $65  $351  $658  $1,531 
Class Y  $85  $410  $759  $1,743 
</R>         

 

The following information is added to Fund summary — Purchase and sale of fund shares:

<R>

Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Investment Management, LLC or its affiliates.

The last sentence under the Derivatives sub-section in the section What are the fund’s main investment strategies and related risks? is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:

For further information about additional types and risks of derivatives and the fund’s asset segregation policies, see Miscellaneous Investments, Investment Practices and Risks in the SAI.

</R>



The following information is added to How do I buy fund shares? — Opening an account:

Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates. Shares of the fund are sold at the NAV per share determined after confirmation of a purchase order by Putnam Investor Services.

The following information restates similar disclosure in How do I buy fund shares? — Which class of shares is best for me?:

This prospectus offers class A shares and certain investors described below may also choose class Y shares. Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates. Each share class represents investments in the same portfolio of securities, but each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, as set forth below.

The following information is added to How do I buy fund shares? — Here is a summary of the differences among the classes of shares:

Class P shares

Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates.

No initial sales charge; your entire investment goes to work immediately

No deferred sales charge

Lower annual expenses, and higher dividends, than class A shares because of no 12b-1 fees and lower investor servicing fees.

------------------------------------------------

The Financial Highlights section for the fund is revised as set forth below.

<R>

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the fund’s recent financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been derived from the financial statements provided in the fund’s annual report dated 5/30/16.

302501 8/16 

 

</R>



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:        RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments­   operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c,d  (%)d  (%) 

Class A­                           
May 31, 2016­  $12.19­  .14­  (.83)  (.69)  (.14)  (.31)  (0.45)  $11.05­  (5.69)  $16­  1.03­e  1.20­e  109­ 
May 31, 2015­  13.08­  .13­  1.26­  1.39­  (.20)  (2.08)  (2.28)  12.19­  11.69­  34­  1.03­  .96­  132­ 
May 31, 2014­  11.81­  .14­  2.14­  2.28­  (.10)  (.91)  (1.01)  13.08­  19.95­  39­  1.08­  1.08­  69­ 
May 31, 2013­  10.11­  .16­  2.60­  2.76­  (.13)  (.93)  (1.06)  11.81­  28.69­  33­  1.06­  1.42­  73­ 
May 31, 2012­  12.28­  .13­  (1.12)  (.99)  —­  (1.18)  (1.18)  10.11­  (7.40)  28­  1.07­  1.20­  82­ 

Class Y­                           
May 31, 2016­  $12.19­  .15­  (.84)  (.69)  (.14)  (.31)  (0.45)  $11.05­  (5.69)  $59,257­  1.03­e  1.33­e  109­ 
May 31, 2015­  13.09­  .13­  1.25­  1.38­  (.20)  (2.08)  (2.28)  12.19­  11.59­  47,361­  1.03­  1.04­  132­ 
May 31, 2014­  11.81­  .13­  2.16­  2.29­  (.10)  (.91)  (1.01)  13.09­  20.04­  27,902­  1.08­  1.08­  69­ 
May 31, 2013­  10.11­  .16­  2.60­  2.76­  (.13)  (.93)  (1.06)  11.81­  28.68­  24,993­  1.06­  1.43­  73­ 
May 31, 2012­  12.28­  .13­  (1.12)  (.99)  —­  (1.18)  (1.18)  10.11­  (7.41)  18,698­  1.07­  1.20­  82­ 

 

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts:

  Percentage of 
  average net assets 

May 31, 2016  0.33% 

May 31, 2015  0.50 

May 31, 2014  0.57 

May 31, 2013  0.76 

May 31, 2012  0.75 

 

e Reflects a voluntary waiver of certain fund expenses in effect during the period. As a result of such waivers, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of less than .01% as a percentage of average net assets per share for each class. (Note 2):

 



Prospectus Supplement  June 1, 2016 

 

Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund Prospectus dated September 30, 2015

The fund will offer class P shares to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Investment Management, LLC or its affiliates beginning on June 1, 2016. The prospectus is supplemented as follows to add information about class P shares.

The front cover page is supplemented to add class P shares to the list of shares to which the prospectus relates, and to indicate that fund symbols for class P shares are pending.

The following information is added to Fund summary — Fees and expenses :

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)   
 
 
    Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as 
  Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on  a percentage of original purchase price or 
Share class  purchases (as a percentage of offering price)  redemption proceeds, whichever is lower) 

Class P  NONE  NONE 

 

The following information restates similar disclosure in Fund summary — Fees and expenses :

Annual fund operating expenses           
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)       
 
            Total annual fund operating 
    Distribution and service    Total annual fund    expenses after expense 
Share class  Management fees  (12b-1) fees  Other expenses  operating expenses  Expense reimbursement*  reimbursement 
 
 
Class A  0.59  0.00%**  0.95  1.54  (0.68)  0.86 
Class P  0.59  N/A  0.73<  1.32  (0.68)  0.64 
Class Y  0.59  N/A  0.95  1.54  (0.68)  0.86 

 



* Reflects Putnam Investment Management, LLC’s contractual obligation to limit certain fund expenses through September 30, 2017. This obligation may be modified or discontinued only with approval of the Board of Trustees.

** Although the fund’s distribution and service (12b-1) plan provides for payments at annual rates (based on average net assets) of up to 0.35% on class A shares, no payments under the plan have been authorized by the Trustees. Should the Trustees decide in the future to approve payments under the plan, this prospectus will be revised.

< Other expenses are based on expenses of class A shares for the fund’s last fiscal year, adjusted to reflect the lower investor servicing fees applicable to class P shares.

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods. It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Only the first year of each period in the example takes into account the expense reimbursement described above. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Share class  1 year  3 years  5 years  10 years 

Class A  658  971  1,305  2,249 
Class P  65  351  658  1,531 
Class Y  88  420  775  1,777 

 

The following information is added to Fund summary — Purchase and sale of fund shares :

Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates.

The following information is added to How do I buy fund shares? — Opening an account :

Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates. Shares of the fund are sold at the NAV per share determined after confirmation of a purchase order by Putnam Investor Services.

The following information restates similar disclosure in How do I buy fund shares? — Which class of shares is best for me? :

This prospectus offers class A shares and certain investors described below may also choose class Y shares. Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates. Each share class represents investments in the same portfolio of securities, but each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, as set forth below.

The following information is added to How do I buy fund shares? — Here is a summary of the differences among the classes of shares :



Class P shares

Class P shares are only available to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates.

No initial sales charge; your entire investment goes to work immediately

No deferred sales charge

Lower annual expenses, and higher dividends, than class A shares because of no 12b-1 fees and lower investor servicing fees.

------------------------------------------------ 

 

The Financial Highlights section for the fund is revised as set forth below.

The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the fund’s recent financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been derived from the financial statements provided in the fund’s semiannual report dated 11/30/15, which for this period have not been audited.


Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:          LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:          RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a  on investments­ ­ operations  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b (in thousands)  (%) c,d  (%) d  (%) 

Class A­                           
November 30, 2015**  $12.19­  .06­  (.47)  (.41)  —­  —­  —­  $11.78­  (3.36)*   $33­  .51*  .54*  55* 
May 31, 2015­  13.08­  .13­  1.26­  1.39­  (.20)  (2.08)  (2.28)  12.19­  11.69­  34­  1.03­  .96­  132­ 
May 31, 2014­  11.81­  .14­  2.14­  2.28­  (.10)  (.91)  (1.01)  13.08­  19.95­  39­  1.08­  1.08­  69­ 
May 31, 2013­  10.11­  .16­  2.60­  2.76­  (.13)  (.93)  (1.06)  11.81­  28.69­  33­  1.06­  1.42­  73­ 
May 31, 2012­  12.28­  .13­  (1.12)  (.99)  —­  (1.18)  (1.18)  10.11­  (7.40)  28­  1.07­  1.20­  82­ 
May 31, 2011­  11.53­  .10­  2.79­  2.89­  (.30)  (1.84)  (2.14)  12.28­  26.57­  31­  1.06­  .86­  110­ 

Class Y­                           
November 30, 2015**  $12.19­  .06­  (.47)  (.41)  —­  —­  —­  $11.78­  (3.36)*   $51,096­  .51*  .55*  55* 
May 31, 2015­  13.09­  .13­  1.25­  1.38­  (.20)  (2.08)  (2.28)  12.19­  11.59­  47,361­  1.03­  1.04­  132­ 
May 31, 2014­  11.81­  .13­  2.16­  2.29­  (.10)  (.91)  (1.01)  13.09­  20.04­  27,902­  1.08­  1.08­  69­ 
May 31, 2013­  10.11­  .16­  2.60­  2.76­  (.13)  (.93)  (1.06)  11.81­  28.68­  24,993­  1.06­  1.43­  73­ 
May 31, 2012­  12.28­  .13­  (1.12)  (.99)  —­  (1.18)  (1.18)  10.11­  (7.41)  18,698­  1.07­  1.20­  82­ 
May 31, 2011­  11.53­  .11­  2.78­  2.89­  (.30)  (1.84)  (2.14)  12.28­  26.57­  33,597­  1.06­  .87­  110­ 


* Not annualized.

** Unaudited.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts (Note 2):

  Percentage of 
  average net assets 

November 30, 2015  0.16% 

May 31, 2015  0.50 

May 31, 2014  0.57 

May 31, 2013  0.76 

May 31, 2012  0.75 

May 31, 2011  0.49 

 

[   ] – [16] 

 



Prospectus Supplement   April 5, 2016 


SUPPLEMENT TO THE PROSPECTUSES OF ALL OPEN-END PUTNAM FUNDS, (excluding Putnam Global Sector Fund, Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund, Putnam RetirementReady® Funds and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund)

The first paragraph of the section How does the fund price its shares? or How do the funds price their shares? is replaced by the following:

The price of [the/each] fund’s shares is based on its NAV. The NAV per share of each class equals the total value of its assets, less its liabilities, divided by the number of its outstanding shares. Shares are only valued as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the NYSE each day the exchange is open.


300479 4/16 

 



Prospectus Supplement  November 30, 2015 

 

Supplement to the prospectus of each Putnam retail open-end fund and Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund

The following replaces similar disclosure in the section Distribution plans and payments to dealers:

Program servicing payments, which are paid in some instances to dealers in connection with investments in [the/a] fund through dealer platforms and other investment programs, are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.20% of the total assets in the program on an annual basis. These payments are made for program or platform services provided by the dealer, including shareholder recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, as well as services rendered in connection with dealer platform development and maintenance, fund/investment selection and monitoring, or other similar services.

Supplement to the prospectus of each Putnam retail open-end fund (excluding Putnam Global Sector Fund, Putnam Money Market Fund, Putnam Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 1, Putnam RetirementReady® Funds and Putnam Tax-Exempt Money Market Fund) and Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund

The following replaces similar disclosure in the section [How does the fund price its shares?/How do the funds price their shares?]

[The/Each] fund values its investments for which market quotations are readily available at market value. It values all other investments and assets at their fair value, which may differ from recent market prices.

Supplement to the prospectus of each Putnam retail open-end fund offering class Y shares

The following bullet point replaces similar disclosure regarding investors eligible to purchase class Y shares under the subsection Here is a summary of differences among the classes of shares in the section How do I buy fund shares?:

- current and retired Putnam employees and their immediate family members (including an employee’s spouse, domestic partner, fiancé(e), or other family members who are living in the same household) as well as, in each case, Putnam-offered health savings accounts, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and other similar tax-advantaged plans solely owned by the foregoing individuals; current and retired directors of Putnam Investments, LLC; current and retired Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company employees; and current and retired Trustees of the fund. Upon the departure of any member of this group of individuals from Putnam, Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company, or the fund’s Board of Trustees, the member’s class Y shares convert automatically to class A shares, unless the member’s departure is a retirement, as determined by Putnam in its discretion for employees and directors of Putnam and employees of Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company and by the Board of Trustees in its discretion for Trustees; provided that conversion will not take place with respect to class Y shares held by former Putnam employees and their immediate family members in health savings accounts where it is not operationally practicable due to platform or other limitations

Supplement to the prospectus of each Putnam retail open-end fund offering class Y shares, excluding Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund, Putnam Arizona Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Intermediate-Term Municipal Income Fund, Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Michigan Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam New York Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Pennsylvania Tax



Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund, Putnam Tax Exempt Income Fund and Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund

The following bullet point supplements disclosure regarding investors eligible to purchase class Y shares under the subsection Here is a summary of differences among the classes of shares in the section How do I buy fund shares?:

- personal and family member IRAs of registered representatives and other employees of broker-dealers and other financial institutions having a sales agreement with Putnam Retail Management, if (1) the registered representative or other employee is the broker of record or financial representative for the account, (2) the broker-dealer or other financial institution’s policies prohibit the use of class A shares or other classes of fund shares that pay 12b-1 fees in such accounts to avoid potential prohibited transactions under Internal Revenue Service rules due to the account owners’ status as “disqualified persons” under those rules, and (3) the broker-dealer or other financial institution has an agreement with Putnam Retail Management related to the use of class Y shares in these accounts.

298083 11/15 

 


<R>

 

frontcover.jpg

 

</R>





 

Fund summary

 

Goal

Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund seeks long-term growth.

Fees and expenses

<R>

The following table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 14 of the fund’s prospectus and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).

</R>

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Share class Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases (as a percentage of offering price) Maximum deferred sales charge (load) (as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption proceeds, whichever is lower)
Class A 5.75% 1.00%*
Class Y NONE NONE

Annual fund operating expenses
(expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

<R>
Share class Management Fee Distribution and service (12b-1) fees Other expenses Total annual fund operating expenses Expense reimbursement** Total annual fund operating expenses after expense reimbursement
Class A 0.59% 0.00%*** 0.95% 1.54% (0.50)% 1.04%
Class Y 0.59% N/A 0.95% 1.54% (0.50)% 1.04%

     *  Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.

    **  Reflects Putnam Investment Management, LLC’s contractual obligation to limit certain fund expenses through September 30, 2016. This obligation may be modified or discontinued only with approval of the Board of Trustees.

  ***  Although the fund’s distribution and service (12b-1) plan provides for payments at annual rates (based on average net assets) of up to 0.35% on class A shares, no payments under the plan have been authorized by the Trustees. Should the Trustees decide in the future to approve payments under the plan, this prospectus will be revised.

</R>

Example

The following hypothetical example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other funds. It assumes that you invest $10,000 in the fund for the time periods indicated and then, except as indicated, redeem all your shares at the end of those periods.



2          Prospectus







 

It assumes a 5% return on your investment each year and that the fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Only the first year of each period in the example takes into account the expense reimbursement described above. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

<R>
Share class 1 year 3 years 5 years 10 years
Class A $675 $987 $1,322 $2,264
Class Y $106 $437 $792 $1,792
</R>

Portfolio turnover

<R>

The fund pays transaction-related costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when the fund’s shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or the above example, affect fund performance. The fund’s turnover rate in the most recent fiscal year was 132%.

</R>

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

<R>

We invest mainly in common stocks (growth or value stocks or both) of large and midsize companies worldwide. While we typically allocate approximately 75% of the fund’s assets to investments in U.S. companies, and 25% of the fund’s assets to investments in international companies, these allocations may vary. We invest mainly in developed countries, but may invest in emerging markets. Under normal circumstances, we invest at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in common stocks. This policy may be changed only after 60 days’ notice to shareholders.

</R>

We may consider, among other factors, a company’s valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings, cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell investments. We may also use derivatives, such as futures, options, certain foreign currency transactions, warrants and swap contracts, for both hedging and non-hedging purposes.

Risks

It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.

The value of stocks in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including both general financial market conditions and factors related to a specific company or industry. Growth stocks may be more susceptible to earnings disappointments, and



Prospectus          3







 

value stocks may fail to rebound. These risks are generally greater for small and midsize companies.

The value of international investments traded in foreign currencies may be adversely impacted by fluctuations in exchange rates.

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International investments, particularly investments in emerging markets, may carry risks associated with potentially less stable economies or governments such as the risk of seizure by a foreign government, the imposition of currency or other restrictions, or high levels of inflation or deflation, and may be illiquid.

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Our use of derivatives may increase these risks by increasing investment exposure (which may be considered leverage) or, in the case of many over-the-counter instruments, because of the potential inability to terminate or sell derivatives positions and the potential failure of the other party to the instrument to meet its obligations.

The fund may not achieve its goal, and it is not intended to be a complete investment program. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Investor profile

The fund serves as an underlying equity investment of other funds that allocate their portfolios among the Putnam funds to obtain varying exposures to equity and fixed-income investments. The fund also is designed for investors seeking long-term growth and who are willing to wait out short-term market fluctuations.

Performance

The performance information below gives some indication of the risks associated with an investment in the fund by showing the fund’s performance year to year and over time. The bar chart does not reflect the impact of sales charges. If it did, performance would be lower. Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results.



4          Prospectus







 

 

 

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Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges

 

chartpage5.jpg


Average annual total returns after sales charges
(for periods ending 12/31/14)

Share class 1 year 5 years Since inception (1/23/09)
Class A before taxes 3.84% 11.84% 16.85%
Class A after taxes on distributions –1.13% 8.64% 12.88%
Class A after taxes on distributions and sale of fund shares 4.66% 8.84% 12.61%
Class Y before taxes 10.07% 13.16% 18.01%
Russell 3000 Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 12.56% 15.63% 19.58%
Putnam Equity Blended Index
no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes, other
than withholding taxes on reinvested dividends
in the case of MSCI EAFE Index (ND))
8.20% 12.86% 17.83%
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The Putnam Equity Blended Index is an unmanaged index administered by Putnam Management, 75% of which is the Russell 3000 Index, 19% of which is the MSCI EAFE Index (ND), and 6% of which is the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (GD).

After-tax returns reflect the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. After-tax returns are shown for class A shares only and will vary for other classes. These after-tax returns do not apply if you hold your fund shares through a 401(k) plan, an IRA, or another tax-advantaged arrangement.


Your fund’s management

Investment advisor

Putnam Investment Management, LLC

Portfolio managers

James Fetch, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2009

Robert Kea, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2009

Robert Schoen, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2009

Jason Vaillancourt, Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation, portfolio manager of the fund since 2009

Purchase and sale of fund shares

You can open an account, purchase and/or sell fund shares, or exchange them for shares of another Putnam fund by contacting your financial advisor or by calling Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581.

When opening an account, you must complete and mail a Putnam account application, along with a check made payable to the fund, to: Putnam Investor Services, P.O. Box 8383, Boston, MA 02266-8383. The minimum initial investment of $500 is currently waived, although Putnam reserves the right to reject initial investments under $500 at its discretion. There is no minimum for subsequent investments.



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You can sell your shares back to the fund or exchange them for shares of another Putnam fund any day the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open. Shares may be sold or exchanged by mail, by phone, or online at putnam.com. Some restrictions may apply.

Tax information

The fund’s distributions will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains unless you hold the shares through a tax-advantaged arrangement, in which case you will generally be taxed only upon withdrawal of monies from the arrangement.

Financial intermediary compensation

If you purchase the fund through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank or financial advisor), the fund and its related companies may pay that intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. Please bear in mind that these payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary to recommend the fund over another investment. Ask your advisor or visit your advisor’s website for more information.



6          Prospectus







 

What are the fund’s main investment strategies and related risks?

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This section contains greater detail on the fund’s main investment strategies and the related risks you would face as a fund shareholder. It is important to keep in mind that risk and reward generally go hand in hand; the higher the potential reward, the greater the risk.

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  • Common stocks. Common stock represents an ownership interest in a company. The value of a company’s stock may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services. A stock’s value may also fall because of factors affecting not just the company, but also other companies in the same industry or in a number of different industries, such as increases in production costs. From time to time, the fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in companies in one or more related industries or sectors, which would make the fund more vulnerable to adverse developments affecting those industries or sectors. The value of a company’s stock may also be affected by changes in financial markets that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. In addition, a company’s stock generally pays dividends only after the company invests in its own business and makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of a company’s stock will usually react more strongly than its bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects.

Growth stocks —Stocks of companies we believe are fast-growing may trade at a higher multiple of current earnings than other stocks. The values of these stocks may be more sensitive to changes in current or expected earnings than the values of other stocks. If our assessment of the prospects for a company’s earnings growth is wrong, or if our judgment of how other investors will value the company’s earnings growth is wrong, then the price of the company’s stock may fall or may not approach the value that we have placed on it.

Value stocks — Companies whose stocks we believe are undervalued by the market may have experienced adverse business developments or may be subject to special risks that have caused their stocks to be out of favor. If our



Prospectus          7







 

assessment of a company’s prospects is wrong, or if other investors do not similarly recognize the value of the company, then the price of the company’s stock may fall or may not approach the value that we have placed on it.

  • Small and midsize companies. These companies, some of which may have a market capitalization of less than $1 billion, are more likely than larger companies to have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or to depend on a small, inexperienced management group. Stocks of these companies often trade less frequently and in limited volume, and their prices may fluctuate more than stocks of larger companies. Stocks of small and midsize companies may therefore be more vulnerable to adverse developments than those of larger companies. Small companies in foreign countries could be relatively smaller than those in the United States.
  • Foreign investments. Foreign investments involve certain special risks, including:
  • Unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates: Foreign investments are typically issued and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, their values may be affected by changes in exchange rates between foreign currencies and the U.S. dollar.
  • Political and economic developments: Foreign investments may be subject to the risks of seizure by a foreign government, direct or indirect impact of sovereign debt default, imposition of economic sanctions or restrictions on the exchange or export of foreign currency, and tax increases.
  • Unreliable or untimely information: There may be less information publicly available about a foreign company than about most publicly-traded U.S. companies, and foreign companies are usually not subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices as stringent as those in the United States.
  • Limited legal recourse: Legal remedies for investors may be more limited than the remedies available in the United States.
  • Limited markets: Certain foreign investments may be less liquid (harder to buy and sell) and more volatile than most U.S. investments, which means we may at times be unable to sell these foreign investments at desirable prices. For the same reason, we may at times find it difficult to value the fund’s foreign investments.
  • Trading practices: Brokerage commissions and other fees are generally higher for foreign investments than for U.S. investments. The procedures and rules governing foreign transactions and custody may also involve delays in payment, delivery or recovery of money or investments.



8          Prospectus







 

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The risks of foreign investments are typically increased in countries with less developed markets, which are sometimes referred to as emerging markets. Emerging markets may have less developed economies and legal and regulatory systems, and may be susceptible to greater political and economic instability than developed foreign markets. Countries with emerging markets are also more likely to experience high levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluation, and investments in emerging markets may be more volatile and less liquid than investments in developed markets. For these and other reasons, investments in emerging markets are often considered speculative.

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Certain of these risks may also apply to some extent to U.S.-traded investments that are denominated in foreign currencies, investments in U.S. companies that are traded in foreign markets or investments in U.S. companies that have significant foreign operations.

  • Derivatives. We may engage in a variety of transactions involving derivatives, such as futures, options, certain foreign currency transactions, warrants and swap contracts. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of something else, such as one or more underlying investments, pools of investments, indexes or currencies. We may make use of “short” derivatives positions, the values of which typically move in the opposite direction from the price of the underlying investment, pool of investments, index or currency. We may use derivatives both for hedging and non-hedging purposes. For example, we may use foreign currency transactions to increase or decrease a fund’s exposure to a particular currency or group of currencies. We may also use derivatives as a substitute for a direct investment in the securities of one or more issuers. However, we may also choose not to use derivatives based on our evaluation of market conditions or the availability of suitable derivatives. Investments in derivatives may be applied toward meeting a requirement to invest in a particular kind of investment if the derivatives have economic characteristics similar to that investment.

Derivatives involve special risks and may result in losses. The successful use of derivatives depends on our ability to manage these sophisticated instruments. Some derivatives are “leveraged,” which means they provide the fund with investment exposure greater than the value of the fund’s investment in the derivatives. As a result, these derivatives may magnify or otherwise increase investment losses to the fund. The risk of loss from certain short derivatives positions is theoretically unlimited. The value of derivatives may move in unexpected ways due to the use of leverage or other factors, especially in unusual market conditions, and may result in increased volatility.



Prospectus          9







 

Other risks arise from the potential inability to terminate or sell derivatives positions. A liquid secondary market may not always exist for the fund’s derivatives positions. In fact, many over-the-counter instruments (investments not traded on an exchange) will not be liquid. Over-the-counter instruments also involve the risk that the other party to the derivatives transaction will not meet its obligations. For further information about the risks of derivatives, see Miscellaneous Investments, Investment Practices and Risks in the SAI.

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  • Other investments. In addition to the main investment strategies described above, the fund may make other types of investments, such as investments in preferred stocks, convertible securities, real estate investment trusts and debt instruments (including hybrid and structured bonds and notes, including those with terms determined by reference to a particular commodity or to all or portions of a commodities index) and investments in bank loans. The fund may also loan portfolio securities to earn income. These practices may be subject to other risks, as described under Miscellaneous Investments, Investment Practices and Risks in the SAI.
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  • Temporary defensive strategies. In response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, we may take temporary defensive positions, such as investing some or all of the fund’s assets in cash and cash equivalents, that differ from the fund’s usual investment strategies. However, we may choose not to use these temporary defensive strategies for a variety of reasons, even in very volatile market conditions. These strategies may cause the fund to miss out on investment opportunities, and may prevent the fund from achieving its goal. Additionally, while temporary defensive strategies are mainly designed to limit losses, such strategies may not work as intended.
  • Changes in policies. The Trustees may change the fund’s goal, investment strategies and other policies set forth in this prospectus without shareholder approval, except as otherwise provided.
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  • Portfolio turnover rate. The fund’s portfolio turnover rate measures how frequently the fund buys and sells investments. A portfolio turnover rate of 100%, for example, would mean that the fund sold and replaced securities valued at 100% of the fund’s assets within a one-year period. From time to time the fund may engage in frequent trading. Funds with high turnover may be more likely to realize capital gains that must be distributed to shareholders as taxable income. High turnover may also cause a fund to pay more brokerage commissions and other transaction costs, which may detract from performance. The fund’s portfolio turnover rate and the amount of brokerage commissions it pays will vary over time based on market conditions.
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10          Prospectus







 

  • Portfolio holdings. The SAI includes a description of the fund’s policies with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio holdings.

Who oversees and manages the fund?

The fund’s Trustees

As a shareholder of a mutual fund, you have certain rights and protections, including representation by a Board of Trustees. The Putnam Funds’ Board of Trustees oversees the general conduct of the fund’s business and represents the interests of the Putnam fund shareholders. At least 75% of the members of the Putnam Funds’ Board of Trustees are independent, which means they are not officers of the fund or affiliated with Putnam Investment Management, LLC (Putnam Management).

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The Trustees periodically review the fund’s investment performance and the quality of other services such as administration, custody, and investor services. At least annually, the Trustees review the fees paid to Putnam Management and its affiliates for providing or overseeing these services, as well as the overall level of the fund’s operating expenses. In carrying out their responsibilities, the Trustees are assisted by an administrative staff, auditors and legal counsel that are selected by the Trustees and are independent of Putnam Management and its affiliates.

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Contacting the fund’s Trustees
Address correspondence to:
The Putnam Funds Trustees
One Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109


The fund’s investment manager

The Trustees have retained Putnam Management, which has managed mutual funds since 1937, to be the fund’s investment manager, responsible for making investment decisions for the fund and managing the fund’s other affairs and business.

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The basis for the Trustees’ approval of the fund’s management contract and the sub-management and sub-advisory contracts described below is discussed in the fund’s semiannual report to shareholders dated November 30, 2014.

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The fund pays a monthly management fee to Putnam Management. The fee is calculated by applying a rate to the fund’s average net assets for the month. The rate is based on the monthly average of the aggregate net assets



Prospectus          11







 

of all open-end funds sponsored by Putnam Management (excluding fund assets that are invested in other Putnam funds), and generally declines as the aggregate net assets increase.

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The fund paid Putnam Management a management fee (after any applicable waivers) of 0.09% of average net assets for the fund’s last fiscal year.

Putnam Management’s address is One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

Putnam Management has retained its affiliate Putnam Investments Limited (PIL) to make investment decisions for such fund assets as may be designated from time to time for its management by Putnam Management. Putnam Management (and not the fund) will pay a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net asset value (NAV) of any fund assets managed by PIL. PIL, which provides a full range of international investment advisory services to institutional clients, is located at Cassini House, 57–59 St James’s Street, London, England, SW1A 1LD.

Putnam Management and PIL have retained their affiliate The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC) to make investment decisions for such fund assets as may be designated from time to time for its management by Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable. Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable (and not the fund), will pay a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average NAV of any fund assets managed by PAC. PAC, which provides financial services to institutions and individuals through separately-managed accounts and pooled investment vehicles, has its headquarters at One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109, with additional investment management personnel located in Singapore.

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Pursuant to these arrangements, Putnam investment professionals who are based in foreign jurisdictions may serve as portfolio managers of the fund or provide other investment services, consistent with local regulations.

  • Portfolio managers. The officers of Putnam Management identified below are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund’s portfolio.



12          Prospectus







 

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Portfolio managers Joined fund Employer Positions over past five years
James Fetch 2009 Putnam Management 1994 – Present Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation Previously, Investment Strategist
Robert Kea 2009 Putnam Management 1989 – Present Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation
Robert Schoen 2009 Putnam Management 1997 – Present Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation
Jason Vaillancourt 2009 Putnam Management 1999 – Present Co-Head of Global Asset Allocation Previously, Investment Strategist
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The SAI provides information about these individuals’ compensation, other accounts managed by these individuals and these individuals’ ownership of securities in the fund.

How does the fund price its shares?

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The price of the fund’s shares is based on its NAV. The NAV per share of each class equals the total value of its assets, less its liabilities, divided by the number of its outstanding shares. Shares are only valued as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE each day the exchange is open.

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The fund values its investments for which market quotations are readily available at market value. It values short-term investments that will mature within 60 days at amortized cost, which approximates market value. It values all other investments and assets at their fair value, which may differ from recent market prices. For example, the fund may value a stock at its fair value when the relevant exchange closes early or trading in the stock is suspended. It may also value a stock at fair value if recent transactions in the stock have been very limited or if, in the case of a security traded on a market that closes before the NYSE closes, material information about the issuer becomes available after the close of the relevant market.

The fund translates prices for its investments quoted in foreign currencies into U.S. dollars at current exchange rates, which are generally determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time each day the NYSE is open. As a result, changes in the value of those currencies in relation to the U.S. dollar may affect the fund’s NAV. Because foreign markets may be open at different times than the NYSE, the value of the fund’s shares may change on days when shareholders are not able to buy or sell them. Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close before the close of the NYSE, and, therefore, the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the close of the NYSE. As a result, the



Prospectus          13







 

fund has adopted fair value pricing procedures, which, among other things, require the fund to fair value foreign equity securities if there has been a movement in the U.S. market that exceeds a specified threshold. Although the threshold may be revised from time to time and the number of days on which fair value prices will be used will depend on market activity, it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. As noted above, the value determined for an investment using the fund’s fair value pricing procedures may differ from recent market prices for the investment.

How do I buy fund shares?

Opening an account

You can open a fund account by contacting your financial representative or Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581 and obtaining a Putnam account application. The completed application, along with a check made payable to the fund, must then be returned to Putnam Investor Services at the following address:

Putnam Investor Services
P.O. Box 8383
Boston, MA 02266-8383

You can open a fund account with as little as $500. The minimum investment is waived if you make regular investments weekly, semi-monthly or monthly through automatic deductions from your bank checking or savings account. Although Putnam is currently waiving the minimum, it reserves the right to reject initial investments under the minimum at its discretion.

The fund sells its shares at the offering price, which is the NAV plus any applicable sales charge (class A shares only). Your financial representative or Putnam Investor Services generally must receive your completed buy order before the close of regular trading on the NYSE for your shares to be bought at that day’s offering price.

If you participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan that offers the fund, please consult your employer for information on how to purchase shares of the fund through the plan, including any restrictions or limitations that may apply.

Mutual funds must obtain and verify information that identifies investors opening new accounts. If the fund is unable to collect the required information, Putnam Investor Services may not be able to open your account. Investors must provide their full name, residential or business address, Social Security or tax identification number, and date of birth. Entities, such as trusts, estates, corporations and partnerships, must also provide other identifying



14          Prospectus







 

information. Putnam Investor Services may share identifying information with third parties for the purpose of verification. If Putnam Investor Services cannot verify identifying information after opening your account, the fund reserves the right to close your account.

Also, the fund may periodically close to new purchases of shares or refuse any order to buy shares if the fund determines that doing so would be in the best interests of the fund and its shareholders.

Purchasing additional shares

Once you have an existing account, you can make additional investments at any time in any amount in the following ways:

  • Through a financial representative. Your representative will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to Putnam Investor Services and may charge you for his or her services.
  • Through Putnam’s Systematic Investing Program. You can make regular investments weekly, semi-monthly or monthly through automatic deductions from your bank checking or savings account.
  • Via the Internet or phone. If you have an existing Putnam fund account and you have completed and returned an Electronic Investment Authorization Form, you can buy additional shares online at putnam.com or by calling Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581.
  • By mail. You may also request a book of investment stubs for your account. Complete an investment stub and write a check for the amount you wish to invest, payable to the fund. Return the check and investment stub to Putnam Investor Services.
  • By wire transfer. You may buy fund shares by bank wire transfer of same-day funds. Please call Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581 for wiring instructions. Any commercial bank can transfer same-day funds by wire. The fund will normally accept wired funds for investment on the day received if they are received by the fund’s designated bank before the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Your bank may charge you for wiring same-day funds. Although the fund’s designated bank does not currently charge you for receiving same-day funds, it reserves the right to charge for this service. You cannot buy shares for employer-sponsored retirement plans by wire transfer.

Which class of shares is best for me?

This prospectus offers class A shares and certain investors described below may also choose class Y shares. Each share class represents investments in the same portfolio of securities, but each class has its own sales charge and expense structure, as set forth below.



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Here is a summary of the differences among the classes of shares

Class A shares

  • Initial sales charge of up to 5.75%
  • Lower sales charges available for investments of $50,000 or more
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  • No deferred sales charge (except that a deferred sales charge of 1.00% may be imposed on certain redemptions of shares bought without an initial sales charge).
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Class Y shares

Class Y shares are currently offered only to other Putnam funds and Putnam investment products.

  • No initial sales charge; your entire investment goes to work immediately
  • No deferred sales charge
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  • Lower annual expenses, and higher dividends, than class A shares because of no 12b-1 fees.
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Initial sales charges for class A shares

Amount of purchase at offering price ($) Class A sales charge as a percentage of*:
  Net amount invested Offering price**
Under 50,000 6.10% 5.75%
50,000 but under 100,000 4.71 4.50
100,000 but under 250,000 3.63 3.50
250,000 but under 500,000 2.56 2.50
500,000 but under 1,000,000 2.04 2.00
1,000,000 and above NONE NONE

     *  Because of rounding in the calculation of offering price and the number of shares purchased, actual sales charges you pay may be more or less than these percentages.

    **  Offering price includes sales charge.

Reducing your class A sales charge

The fund offers two principal ways for you to qualify for discounts on initial sales charges on class A shares, often referred to as “breakpoint discounts”:

  • Right of accumulation. You can add the amount of your current purchases of class A shares of the fund and other Putnam funds to the value of your existing accounts in the fund and other Putnam funds. Individuals can also include purchases by, and accounts owned by, their spouse and minor children, including accounts established through different financial representatives. For your current purchases, you will pay the initial sales charge applicable to the total value of the linked accounts and purchases, which may be lower than the sales charge otherwise applicable to each of your current purchases. Shares of Putnam money market funds, other than



16          Prospectus







 

money market fund shares acquired by exchange from other Putnam funds, are not included for purposes of the right of accumulation.

To calculate the total value of your existing accounts and any linked accounts, the fund will use the higher of (a) the current maximum public offering price of those shares or (b) if you purchased the shares after December 31, 2007, the initial value of the total purchases, or, if you held the shares on December 31, 2007, the market value at maximum public offering price on that date, in either case, less the market value on the applicable redemption date of any of those shares that you have redeemed.

  • Statement of intention. A statement of intention is a document in which you agree to make purchases of class A shares in a specified amount within a period of 13 months. For each purchase you make under the statement of intention, you will pay the initial sales charge applicable to the total amount you have agreed to purchase. While a statement of intention is not a binding obligation on you, if you do not purchase the full amount of shares within 13 months, the fund will redeem shares from your account in an amount equal to the difference between the higher initial sales charge you would have paid in the absence of the statement of intention and the initial sales charge you actually paid.

Account types that may be linked with each other to obtain breakpoint discounts using the methods described above include:

  • Individual accounts
  • Joint accounts
  • Accounts established as part of a retirement plan and IRA accounts (some restrictions may apply)
  • Shares of Putnam funds owned through accounts in the name of your dealer or other financial intermediary (with documentation identifying beneficial ownership of shares)
  • Accounts held as part of a Section 529 college savings plan managed by Putnam Management (some restrictions may apply)

In order to obtain a breakpoint discount, you should inform your financial representative at the time you purchase shares of the existence of other accounts or purchases that are eligible to be linked for the purpose of calculating the initial sales charge. The fund or your financial representative may ask you for records or other information about other shares held in your accounts and linked accounts, including accounts opened with a different financial representative. Restrictions may apply to certain accounts and transactions. Further details about breakpoint discounts can be found on Putnam Investments’ website at putnam.com/individual by selecting Mutual



Prospectus          17







 

Funds, then Pricing and performance, and then About fund costs, and in the SAI.

  • Additional reductions and waivers of sales charges. In addition to the breakpoint discount methods described above, sales charges may be reduced or waived under certain circumstances and for certain categories of investors. For instance, an employer-sponsored retirement plan is eligible to purchase class A shares without sales charges if its plan administrator or dealer of record has entered into an agreement with Putnam Retail Management. Information about reductions and waivers of sales charges, including deferred sales charges, is included in the SAI. You may consult your financial representative or Putnam Retail Management for assistance.

How do I sell or exchange fund shares?

You can sell your shares back to the fund or exchange them for shares of another Putnam fund any day the NYSE is open, either through your financial representative or directly to the fund.

If you redeem your shares shortly after purchasing them, your redemption payment for the shares may be delayed until the fund collects the purchase price of the shares, which may be up to 10 calendar days after the purchase date.

Regarding exchanges, not all Putnam funds offer all classes of shares or may be open to new investors. If you exchange shares otherwise subject to a deferred sales charge, the transaction will not be subject to the deferred sales charge. When you redeem the shares acquired through the exchange, however, the redemption may be subject to the deferred sales charge, depending upon when and from which fund you originally purchased the shares. The deferred sales charge will be computed using the schedule of any fund into or from which you have exchanged your shares that would result in your paying the highest deferred sales charge applicable to your class of shares. For purposes of computing the deferred sales charge, the length of time you have owned your shares will be measured from the date of original purchase, unless you originally purchased the shares from another Putnam fund that does not directly charge a deferred sales charge, in which case the length of time you have owned your shares will be measured from the date you exchange those shares for shares of another Putnam fund that does charge a deferred sales charge, and will not be affected by any subsequent exchanges among funds.

  • Selling or exchanging shares through your financial representative. Your representative must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the NYSE for you to receive that day’s NAV, less any



18          Prospectus







 

applicable deferred sales charge. Your representative will be responsible for furnishing all necessary documents to Putnam Investor Services on a timely basis and may charge you for his or her services.

  • Selling or exchanging shares directly with the fund. Putnam Investor Services must receive your request in proper form before the close of regular trading on the NYSE in order to receive that day’s NAV, less any applicable deferred sales charge.
  • By mail. Send a letter of instruction signed by all registered owners or their legal representatives to Putnam Investor Services.
  • By telephone. You may use Putnam’s telephone redemption privilege to redeem shares valued at less than $100,000 unless you have notified Putnam Investor Services of an address change within the preceding 15 days, in which case other requirements may apply. Unless you indicate otherwise on the account application, Putnam Investor Services will be authorized to accept redemption instructions received by telephone. A telephone exchange privilege is currently available for amounts up to $500,000. The telephone redemption and exchange privileges may be modified or terminated without notice.
  • Via the Internet. You may also exchange shares via the Internet at putnam.com/individual.
  • Shares held through your employer’s retirement plan. For information on how to sell or exchange shares of the fund that were purchased through your employer’s retirement plan, including any restrictions and charges that the plan may impose, please consult your employer.
  • Additional requirements. In certain situations, for example, if you sell shares with a value of $100,000 or more, the signatures of all registered owners or their legal representatives must be guaranteed by a bank, broker-dealer or certain other financial institutions. In addition, Putnam Investor Services usually requires additional documents for the sale of shares by a corporation, partnership, agent or fiduciary, or surviving joint owner. For more information concerning Putnam’s signature guarantee and documentation requirements, contact Putnam Investor Services.

The fund also reserves the right to revise or terminate the exchange privilege, limit the amount or number of exchanges or reject any exchange. The fund into which you would like to exchange may also reject your exchange. These actions may apply to all shareholders or only to those shareholders whose exchanges Putnam Management determines are likely to have a negative effect on the fund or other Putnam funds. Consult Putnam Investor Services before requesting an exchange. Ask your financial representative or Putnam



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Investor Services for prospectuses of other Putnam funds. Some Putnam funds are not available in all states.

Deferred sales charges for certain class A shares

Class A shares that are part of a purchase of $1 million or more (other than by an employer-sponsored retirement plan) will be subject to a 1.00% deferred sales charge if redeemed within nine months of purchase.

Deferred sales charges will be based on the lower of the shares’ cost and current NAV. Shares not subject to any charge will be redeemed first, followed by shares held longest. You may sell shares acquired by reinvestment of distributions without a charge at any time.

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  • Payment information. The fund generally sends you payment for your shares the business day after your request is received. Under unusual circumstances, the fund may suspend redemptions, or postpone payment for more than seven days, as permitted by federal securities law. You will not receive interest on uncashed redemption checks. Redemption proceeds may be paid in securities or other property rather than in cash.
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  • Redemption by the fund. If you own fewer shares than the minimum set by the Trustees (presently 20 shares), the fund may redeem your shares without your permission and send you the proceeds after providing you with at least 60 days’ notice to attain the minimum. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the fund may also redeem shares if you own more than a maximum amount set by the Trustees. There is presently no maximum, but the Trustees could set a maximum that would apply to both present and future shareholders.

Policy on excessive short-term trading

  • Risks of excessive short-term trading. Excessive short-term trading activity may reduce the fund’s performance and harm all fund shareholders by interfering with portfolio management, increasing the fund’s expenses and diluting the fund’s NAV. Depending on the size and frequency of short-term trades in the fund’s shares, the fund may experience increased cash volatility, which could require the fund to maintain undesirably large cash positions or buy or sell portfolio securities it would not have bought or sold otherwise. The need to execute additional portfolio transactions due to these cash flows may also increase the fund’s brokerage and administrative costs and, for investors in taxable accounts, may increase taxable distributions received from the fund.



20          Prospectus







 

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Because the fund invests in foreign securities, its performance may be adversely impacted and the interests of longer-term shareholders may be diluted as a result of time-zone arbitrage, a short-term trading practice that seeks to exploit changes in the value of the fund’s investments that result from events occurring after the close of the foreign markets on which the investments trade, but prior to the later close of trading on the NYSE, the time as of which the fund determines its NAV. If an arbitrageur is successful, he or she may dilute the interests of other shareholders by trading shares at prices that do not fully reflect their fair value.

Because the fund invests in securities that may trade infrequently or may be more difficult to value, such as securities of smaller companies, it may be susceptible to trading by short-term traders who seek to exploit perceived price inefficiencies in the fund’s investments. In addition, the market for securities of smaller companies may at times show “market momentum,” in which positive or negative performance may continue from one day to the next for reasons unrelated to the fundamentals of the issuer. Short-term traders may seek to capture this momentum by trading frequently in a fund’s shares, which will reduce the fund’s performance and may dilute the interests of other shareholders. Because securities of smaller companies may be less liquid than securities of larger companies, the fund may also be unable to buy or sell these securities at desirable prices when the need arises (for example, in response to volatile cash flows caused by short-term trading). Similar risks may apply if the fund holds other types of less liquid securities, including below-investment-grade bonds.

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  • Fund policies. In order to protect the interests of long-term shareholders of the fund, Putnam Management and the fund’s Trustees have adopted policies and procedures intended to discourage excessive short-term trading. The fund seeks to discourage excessive short-term trading by using fair value pricing procedures to value investments under some circumstances. In addition, Putnam Management monitors activity in those shareholder accounts about which it possesses the necessary information in order to detect excessive short-term trading patterns and takes steps to deter excessive short-term traders.
  • Account monitoring. Putnam Management’s Compliance Department currently uses multiple reporting tools to detect short-term trading activity occurring in accounts for investors held directly with the Putnam funds as well as within accounts held through certain financial intermediaries. Putnam Management measures excessive short-term trading in the fund by the number of “round trip” transactions above a specified dollar amount within a specified period of time. A “round trip” transaction is defined as a purchase



Prospectus          21







 

or exchange into a fund followed, or preceded by, a redemption or exchange out of the same fund. Generally, if an investor has been identified as having completed two “round trip” transactions with values above a specified amount within a rolling 90-day period, Putnam Management will issue the investor and/or his or her financial intermediary, if any, a written warning. Putnam Management’s practices for measuring excessive short-term trading activity and issuing warnings may change from time to time. Certain types of transactions are exempt from monitoring, such as those in connection with systematic investment or withdrawal plans and reinvestment of dividend and capital gain distributions.

  • Account restrictions. In addition to these monitoring practices, Putnam Management and the fund reserve the right to reject or restrict purchases or exchanges for any reason. Continued excessive short-term trading activity by an investor or intermediary following a warning may lead to the termination of the exchange privilege for that investor or intermediary. Putnam Management or the fund may determine that an investor’s trading activity is excessive or otherwise potentially harmful based on various factors, including an investor’s or financial intermediary’s trading history in the fund, other Putnam funds or other investment products, and may aggregate activity in multiple accounts in the fund or other Putnam funds under common ownership or control for purposes of determining whether the activity is excessive. If the fund identifies an investor or intermediary as a potential excessive trader, it may, among other things, require future trades to be submitted by mail rather than by phone or over the Internet, impose limitations on the amount, number, or frequency of future purchases or exchanges, or temporarily or permanently bar the investor or intermediary from investing in the fund or other Putnam funds. The fund may take these steps in its discretion even if the investor’s activity does not fall within the fund’s current monitoring parameters.
  • Limitations on the fund’s policies. There is no guarantee that the fund will be able to detect excessive short-term trading in all accounts. For example, Putnam Management currently does not have access to sufficient information to identify each investor’s trading history, and in certain circumstances there are operational or technological constraints on its ability to enforce the fund’s policies. In addition, even when Putnam Management has sufficient information, its detection methods may not capture all excessive short-term trading.

In particular, many purchase, redemption and exchange orders are received from financial intermediaries that hold omnibus accounts with the fund. Omnibus accounts, in which shares are held in the name of an intermediary on behalf of multiple beneficial owners, are a common form of holding shares among retirement plans and financial intermediaries such as brokers, advisers



22          Prospectus







 

and third-party administrators. The fund is generally not able to identify trading by a particular beneficial owner within an omnibus account, which makes it difficult or impossible to determine if a particular shareholder is engaging in excessive short-term trading. Putnam Management monitors aggregate cash flows in omnibus accounts on an ongoing basis. If high cash flows or other information indicate that excessive short-term trading may be taking place, Putnam Management will contact the financial intermediary, plan sponsor or recordkeeper that maintains accounts for the beneficial owner and attempt to identify and remedy any excessive trading. However, the fund’s ability to monitor and deter excessive short-term traders in omnibus accounts ultimately depends on the capabilities and cooperation of these third-party financial firms. A financial intermediary or plan sponsor may impose different or additional limits on short-term trading.

Distribution plan and payments to dealers

Putnam funds are distributed primarily through dealers (including any broker, dealer, bank, bank trust department, registered investment advisor, financial planner, retirement plan administrator, and any other institution having a selling, services, or any similar agreement with Putnam Retail Management or one of its affiliates). In order to pay for the marketing of fund shares and services provided to shareholders, the fund has adopted a distribution and service (12b-1) plan; however, no payments under the plan have been authorized by the Trustees. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates also make additional payments to dealers that do not increase your fund expenses, as described below.

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  • Distribution and service (12b-1) plan. The fund’s 12b-1 plan provides for payments at annual rates (based on average net assets) of up to 0.35% on class A shares. Should the Trustees decide in the future to approve payments under the plan, this prospectus will be revised.
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  • Payments to dealers. If you purchase your shares through a dealer, your dealer generally receives payments from Putnam Retail Management representing some or all of the sales charges and distribution and service (12b-1) fees, if any, shown in the tables under Fund summary — Fees and expenses at the front of this prospectus.

Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates also pay additional compensation to selected dealers in recognition of their marketing support and/or program servicing (each of which is described in more detail below). These payments may create an incentive for a dealer firm or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the fund or other Putnam funds to its customers. These additional payments are made by Putnam Retail



Prospectus          23







 

Management and its affiliates and do not increase the amount paid by you or the fund as shown under Fund summary — Fees and expenses.

The additional payments to dealers by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates are generally based on one or more of the following factors: average net assets of a fund attributable to that dealer, sales or net sales of a fund attributable to that dealer, or reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that a dealer firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in fund shares), or on the basis of a negotiated lump sum payment for services provided.

Marketing support payments are generally available to most dealers engaging in significant sales of Putnam fund shares. These payments are individually negotiated with each dealer firm, taking into account the marketing support services provided by the dealer, including business planning assistance, educating dealer personnel about the Putnam funds and shareholder financial planning needs, placement on the dealer’s preferred or recommended fund company list, and access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the dealer, as well as the size of the dealer’s relationship with Putnam Retail Management. Although the total amount of marketing support payments made to dealers in any year may vary, on average, the aggregate payments are not expected, on an annual basis, to exceed 0.085% of the average net assets of Putnam’s retail mutual funds attributable to the dealers.

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Program servicing payments, which are paid in some instances to dealers in connection with investments in the fund through retirement plans, dealer platforms, and other investment programs, are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.20% of the total assets in the program on an annual basis. These payments are made for program services provided by the dealer, including participant or shareholder recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, as well as services rendered in connection with dealer platform development and maintenance and services rendered in connection with retirement plans, such as fund/investment selection and monitoring, employee enrollment and education, plan balance rollover or separation, or other similar services.

You can find a list of all dealers to which Putnam made marketing support and/or program servicing payments in 2014 in the SAI, which is on file with the SEC and is also available on Putnam’s website at putnam.com. You can also find other details in the SAI about the payments made by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates and the services provided by your dealer. Your dealer may charge you fees or commissions in addition to those disclosed in this prospectus. You can also ask your dealer about any payments it receives



24          Prospectus







 

from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates and any services your dealer provides, as well as about fees and/or commissions it charges.

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  • Other payments. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates may make other payments (including payments in connection with educational seminars or conferences) or allow other promotional incentives to dealers to the extent permitted by SEC and NASD (as adopted by FINRA) rules and by other applicable laws and regulations. The fund’s transfer agent may also make payments to certain dealers in recognition of subaccounting or other services they provide to shareholders or plan participants who invest in the fund or other Putnam funds through their retirement plan. See the discussion in the SAI under Management — Investor Servicing Agent for more details.

Fund distributions and taxes

The fund normally distributes any net investment income and any net realized capital gains annually. You may choose to reinvest distributions from net investment income, capital gains or both in additional shares of your fund or other Putnam funds, or you may receive them in cash in the form of a check or an electronic deposit to your bank account. If you do not select an option when you open your account, all distributions will be reinvested. If you choose to receive distributions in cash, but correspondence from the fund or Putnam Investor Services is returned as “undeliverable,” the distribution option on your account may be converted to reinvest future distributions in the fund. You will not receive interest on uncashed distribution checks.

For shares purchased through your employer’s retirement plan, the terms of the plan will govern how the plan may receive distributions from the fund.

For federal income tax purposes, distributions of net investment income are generally taxable to you as ordinary income. Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the fund owned (or is deemed to have owned) the investments that generated them, rather than by how long you have owned (or are deemed to have owned) your shares. Distributions that the fund properly reports to you as gains from investments that the fund owned for more than one year are generally taxable to you as long-term capital gains includible in net capital gain and taxed to individuals at reduced rates. Distributions of gains from investments that the fund owned for one year or less are generally taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions that the fund properly reports to you as “qualified dividend income” are taxable at the reduced rates applicable to your net capital gain provided that both you and the fund meet certain holding period and other requirements. Distributions are taxable in the manner described in this paragraph whether



Prospectus          25







 

you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares of this fund or other Putnam funds.

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Distributions by the fund to retirement plans that qualify for tax-advantaged treatment under federal income tax laws will not be taxable. Special tax rules apply to investments through such plans. You should consult your tax advisor to determine the suitability of the fund as an investment through such a plan and the tax treatment of distributions (including distributions of amounts attributable to an investment in the fund) from such a plan.

Unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged retirement account (such as an IRA), you should consider avoiding a purchase of fund shares shortly before the fund makes a distribution because doing so may cost you money in taxes. Distributions are taxable to you even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the fund before your investment (and thus were included in the price you paid). Contact your financial representative or Putnam to find out the distribution schedule for your fund.

The fund’s investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding or other taxes. In that case, the fund’s return on those investments would be decreased. Shareholders generally will not be entitled to claim a credit or deduction with respect to these foreign taxes. In addition, the fund’s investments in foreign securities or foreign currencies may increase or accelerate the fund’s recognition of ordinary income and may affect the timing or amount of the fund’s distributions.

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The fund’s use of derivatives, if any, may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders and, therefore, may increase the amount of taxes payable by shareholders.

Any gain resulting from the sale or exchange of your shares generally also will be subject to tax.

The above is a general summary of the tax implications of investing in the fund. Please refer to the SAI for further details. You should consult your tax advisor for more information on your own tax situation, including possible foreign, state and local taxes.



26          Prospectus







 

Financial highlights

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The financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand the fund’s recent financial performance. Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. The total returns represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the fund, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions. This information has been derived from the fund’s financial statements, which have been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. The Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm’s report and the fund’s financial statements are included in the fund’s annual report to shareholders, which is available upon request.

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Prospectus          27







 

Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

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INVESTMENT OPERATIONS: LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:   RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Period ended Net asset value, beginning of period Net investment income (loss) a Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments Total from investment operations From net investment income From net realized gain on investments Total distributions Net asset value, end of period Total return at net asset value (%) b Net assets, end of period (in thousands) Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%) c,d Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%) d Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A                          
May 31, 2015      $13.08      .13      1.26      1.39      (.20)     (2.08)     (2.28)     $12.19      11.69      $34      1.03      .96      132     
May 31, 2014      11.81      .14      2.14      2.28      (.10)     (.91)     (1.01)     13.08      19.95      39      1.08      1.08      69     
May 31, 2013      10.11      .16      2.60      2.76      (.13)     (.93)     (1.06)     11.81      28.69      33      1.06      1.42      73     
May 31, 2012      12.28      .13      (1.12)     (.99)     —      (1.18)     (1.18)     10.11      (7.40)     28      1.07      1.20      82     
May 31, 2011      11.53      .10      2.79      2.89      (.30)     (1.84)     (2.14)     12.28      26.57      31      1.06      .86      110     
Class Y                          
May 31, 2015      $13.09      .13      1.25      1.38      (.20)     (2.08)     (2.28)     $12.19      11.59      $47,361      1.03      1.04      132     
May 31, 2014      11.81      .13      2.16      2.29      (.10)     (.91)     (1.01)     13.09      20.04      27,902      1.08      1.08      69     
May 31, 2013      10.11      .16      2.60      2.76      (.13)     (.93)     (1.06)     11.81      28.68      24,993      1.06      1.43      73     
May 31, 2012      12.28      .13      (1.12)     (.99)     —      (1.18)     (1.18)     10.11      (7.41)     18,698      1.07      1.20      82     
May 31, 2011      11.53      .11      2.78      2.89      (.30)     (1.84)     (2.14)     12.28      26.57      33,597      1.06      .87      110     
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      a  Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

      b  Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

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      c  Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any. Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

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      d  Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts:

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   Percentage of average net assets   
May 31, 2015    0.50% 
May 31, 2014    0.57   
May 31, 2013    0.76   
May 31, 2012    0.75   
May 31, 2011    0.49   
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28      Prospectus


Prospectus      29

 

 

 







 

Make the most of your Putnam privileges

As a Putnam mutual fund shareholder, you have access to a number of services that can help you build a more effective and flexible financial program. Here are some of the ways you can use these privileges to make the most of your Putnam mutual fund investment.

Systematic investment plan

Invest as much as you wish. The amount you choose will be automatically transferred weekly, semi-monthly or monthly from your checking or savings account.

Systematic withdrawal

Make regular withdrawals monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually from your Putnam mutual fund account.

Systematic exchange

Transfer assets automatically from one Putnam account to another on a regular, prearranged basis.

Exchange privilege

Exchange money between Putnam funds. The exchange privilege allows you to adjust your investments as your objectives change. A signature guarantee is required for exchanges of more than $500,000 and shares of all Putnam funds may not be available to all investors.

Investors may not maintain, within the same fund, simultaneous plans for systematic investment or exchange (into the fund) and systematic withdrawal or exchange (out of the fund). These privileges are subject to change or termination.



30          Prospectus







 

Dividends plus

Diversify your portfolio by investing dividends and other distributions from one Putnam fund automatically into another at net asset value.

Statement of intention

You may reduce a front-end sales charge by agreeing to invest a minimum dollar amount over 13 months. Depending on your fund, the minimum is $50,000 or $100,000. Whenever you make an investment under this arrangement, you or your financial representative should notify Putnam Investor Services that a Statement of Intention is in effect.

Many of these services can be accessed online at putnam.com.

For more information about any of these services and privileges, call your financial representative or a Putnam customer service representative toll free at 1-800-225-1581.



Prospectus          31







 

For more information about Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund

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The fund’s SAI and annual and semiannual reports to shareholders include additional information about the fund. The SAI is incorporated by reference into this prospectus, which means it is part of this prospectus for legal purposes. The fund’s annual report discusses the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the fund’s performance during its last fiscal year. These materials are not currently available on Putnam’s website since the fund is currently offered only to other Putnam funds and other accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates. You may get free copies of these materials, request other information about any Putnam fund, or make shareholder inquiries, by contacting your financial representative, or by calling Putnam toll-free at 1-800-225-1581.

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You may review and copy information about a fund, including its SAI, at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You may call the Commission at 1-202-551-8090 for information about the operation of the Public Reference Room. You may also access reports and other information about the fund on the EDGAR Database on the Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may get copies of this information, with payment of a duplication fee, by electronic request at the following E-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Commission’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549-1520. You may need to refer to the fund’s file number.

 

Putnam Investments
One Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109
1-800-225-1581

Address correspondence to:

Putnam Investor Services
P.O. Box 8383
Boston, MA 02266-8383

putnam.com

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File No. 811-07513                                           SP062 296539 9/15

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Statement of Additional Information Supplement August 30, 2016
   

 

 

 

Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund

Statement of Additional Information dated September 30, 2015

 

 

Appendix B is revised to include the following financial information derived from financial statements provided in the fund’s annual report dated 5/30/16.

 

 

 



Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Trustees of Putnam Funds Trust and Shareholders of
Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund:

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio, 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 Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund (the “fund”) at May 31, 2016, and the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for each of the periods indicated, 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 investments owned at May 31, 2016 by correspondence with the custodian, brokers and transfer agent, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
July 11, 2016

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  17 

 



The fund’s portfolio 5/31/16

COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)*  Shares  Value 

 
Advertising and marketing services (0.3%)     
Hakuhodo DY Holdings, Inc. (Japan)  1,000  $12,439 

Innocean Worldwide, Inc. (South Korea)  416  30,955 

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.  689  15,365 

WPP PLC (United Kingdom)  5,003  115,358 

  174,117 
Aerospace and defense (2.3%)   
B/E Aerospace, Inc.  2,002  95,375 

Bharat Electronics, Ltd. (India)  1,396  24,445 

Boeing Co. (The)  5,594  705,683 

Cubic Corp.  237  9,670 

General Dynamics Corp.  692  98,174 

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. †  2,937  12,277 

Northrop Grumman Corp.  134  28,498 

Orbital ATK, Inc.  1,158  100,781 

Raytheon Co.  1,477  191,523 

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. Class A †  1,965  91,923 

Thales SA (France)  151  13,081 

  1,371,430 
Agriculture (0.1%)   
Adecoagro SA (Argentina) †  2,106  23,966 

Golden Agri-Resources, Ltd. (Singapore)  36,100  10,209 

  34,175 
Airlines (1.1%)   
Allegiant Travel Co.  37  5,144 

ANA Holdings, Inc. (Japan)  16,000  46,585 

Delta Air Lines, Inc.  11,680  507,613 

easyJet PLC (United Kingdom)  469  10,413 

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (Spain)  5,731  44,796 

Qantas Airways, Ltd. (Australia)  8,914  19,829 

Ryanair Holdings PLC ADR (Ireland)  376  32,862 

  667,242 
Automotive (1.1%)   
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (Italy)  8,427  60,149 

Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan)  1,200  44,501 

Hino Motors, Ltd. (Japan)  1,400  14,204 

Kia Motors Corp. (South Korea)  607  23,722 

Lear Corp.  1,194  141,799 

Mazda Motor Corp. (Japan)  3,200  54,502 

Peugeot SA (France) †  1,918  30,186 

Renault SA (France)  711  66,721 

Tata Motors, Ltd. (India) †  6,134  41,833 

Valeo SA (France)  361  54,486 

Visteon Corp.  1,430  107,221 

Volkswagen AG (Preference) (Germany) †  134  20,031 

  659,355 
Banking (6.4%)   
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank PJSC (United Arab Emirates) †  18,563  30,120 

Access National Corp.  242  4,968 

Banc of California, Inc.  317  6,359 

 

18  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Banking cont.     
Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior SA Class E (Panama)  563  $15,021 

Banco Santander SA (Spain)  20,703  98,844 

Bank Hapoalim BM (Israel)  7,041  36,368 

Bank of China, Ltd. (China)  78,000  31,767 

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (The)  6,580  276,755 

BNP Paribas SA/New York, NY (France) †  2,736  151,495 

BofI Holding, Inc. † S   641  12,032 

Cardinal Financial Corp.  467  10,601 

Citigroup, Inc.  11,308  526,614 

Citizens & Northern Corp.  290  5,881 

Commercial International Bank Egypt SAE GDR (Egypt)  5,207  19,240 

Concordia Financial Group, Ltd. (Japan) †  5,000  23,312 

Credicorp, Ltd. (Peru)  257  36,031 

Customers Bancorp, Inc. †  728  19,576 

East West Bancorp, Inc.  476  18,374 

Farmers Capital Bank Corp.  224  6,091 

FCB Financial Holdings, Inc. Class A †  526  19,446 

Fidelity Southern Corp.  695  11,370 

Financial Institutions, Inc.  308  8,612 

First BanCorp. (Puerto Rico) †  4,766  20,065 

First Community Bancshares, Inc.  300  6,558 

FirstMerit Corp.  367  8,324 

Flagstar Bancorp, Inc. †  331  8,023 

Flushing Financial Corp.  327  6,821 

Franklin Financial Network, Inc. †  251  7,781 

Fukuoka Financial Group, Inc. (Japan)  5,000  18,035 

Great Southern Bancorp, Inc.  293  11,494 

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV (Mexico)  11,366  59,537 

Grupo Supervielle SA ADR (Argentina) †  2,081  23,703 

Hanmi Financial Corp.  638  15,529 

Heartland Financial USA, Inc.  199  6,985 

Hokuhoku Financial Group, Inc. (Japan)  13,000  15,826 

Horizon Bancorp  244  6,027 

JPMorgan Chase & Co.  15,698  1,024,608 

Lakeland Bancorp, Inc.  876  10,109 

MainSource Financial Group, Inc.  462  10,432 

Meta Financial Group, Inc.  174  8,674 

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (Japan)  23,000  113,446 

Moneta Money Bank AS (Czech Republic) †  9,842  30,901 

Opus Bank  290  10,921 

Pacific Premier Bancorp, Inc. †  308  7,700 

PacWest Bancorp  122  5,085 

Peoples Bancorp, Inc.  289  6,240 

Popular, Inc. (Puerto Rico)  2,692  84,367 

Raiffeisen Bank International AG (Austria) †  808  10,811 

Regions Financial Corp.  13,176  129,520 

Renasant Corp.  295  10,151 

Republic Bancorp, Inc. Class A  180  4,991 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  19 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Banking cont.     
Resona Holdings, Inc. (Japan)  17,100  $64,345 

Sberbank of Russia PJSC ADR (Russia)  8,890  75,921 

Societe Generale SA (France)  1,963  80,791 

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (Japan)  3,700  119,293 

Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings, Inc. (Japan)  7,000  24,070 

Talmer Bancorp, Inc. Class A  571  11,386 

TCF Financial Corp.  886  12,732 

Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS (Turkey)  9,263  23,722 

UniCredit SpA (Italy)  2,351  7,523 

United Community Banks, Inc.  318  6,401 

Wells Fargo & Co.  5,528  280,380 

Western Alliance Bancorp †  405  15,269 

Woori Bank (South Korea)  1,369  11,398 

Zions Bancorporation  354  9,919 

  3,794,691 
Beverage (2.6%)   
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ADR (Belgium)  221  27,895 

Coca-Cola Amatil, Ltd. (Australia)  16,372  104,872 

Coca-Cola European Partners PLC (United Kingdom)  4,539  176,159 

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.  5,370  490,818 

Fomento Economico Mexicano, SAB de CV ADR (Mexico)  255  23,123 

Grape King Bio, Ltd. (Taiwan)  4,000  25,211 

Heineken Holding NV (Netherlands)  304  24,942 

Heineken NV (Netherlands)  172  15,974 

PepsiCo, Inc.  5,864  593,261 

Vina Concha y Toro SA (Chile)  25,239  41,460 

  1,523,715 
Biotechnology (2.7%)   
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  526  11,277 

Amgen, Inc.  4,860  767,637 

ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  105  5,686 

Applied Genetic Technologies Corp. †  322  5,538 

Ardelyx, Inc. †  653  5,975 

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  665  5,885 

Dynavax Technologies Corp. †  461  7,648 

Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. †  404  17,728 

FivePrime Therapeutics, Inc. †  153  6,995 

Gilead Sciences, Inc.  8,083  703,706 

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. †  333  3,350 

Incyte Corp. †  246  20,765 

Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  56  6,697 

Medicines Co. (The) †  325  12,223 

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  763  5,089 

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. †  313  15,540 

Novavax, Inc. †  382  2,326 

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  153  2,266 

Prothena Corp. PLC (Ireland) †  326  15,824 

Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  703  1,814 

 

20  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Biotechnology cont.     
Sage Therapeutics, Inc. †  75  $2,468 

Tokai Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  184  1,334 

  1,627,771 
Broadcasting (1.8%)   
CJ E&M Corp. (South Korea)  507  32,013 

Cyfrowy Polsat SA (Poland) †  5,189  29,474 

Discovery Communications, Inc. Class A † S   18,609  518,261 

Entravision Communications Corp. Class A  847  6,115 

Gray Television, Inc. †  1,235  14,598 

ITV PLC (United Kingdom)  23,838  74,161 

Liberty SiriusXM Group Class A †  2,285  72,869 

MSG Networks, Inc. Class A †  1,365  23,628 

Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. Class A  166  8,835 

ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE (Germany) †  421  21,166 

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. Class A  346  10,944 

Sirius XM Holdings, Inc. † S   55,468  222,981 

Tribune Media Co. Class A  891  35,863 

Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Ltd. (India)  2,566  16,880 

  1,087,788 
Building materials (0.6%)   
Boral, Ltd. (Australia)  5,428  26,573 

CaesarStone Sdot-Yam, Ltd. (Israel) †  389  15,354 

Masco Corp.  8,746  285,469 

PGT, Inc. †  1,779  19,071 

  346,467 
Cable television (0.2%)   
Sky PLC (United Kingdom)  7,408  103,378 

  103,378 
Capital goods (0.1%)   
Dycom Industries, Inc. † S   484  41,087 

Stoneridge, Inc. †  724  11,881 

  52,968 
Chemicals (2.1%)   
Aceto Corp.  220  4,908 

American Vanguard Corp. †  955  12,511 

Asahi Kasei Corp. (Japan)  5,000  33,261 

Axalta Coating Systems, Ltd. †  3,366  94,753 

BASF SE (Germany)  2,059  159,060 

Braskem SA Class A (Preference) (Brazil)  2,488  14,459 

Cabot Corp.  730  33,368 

Cambrex Corp. †  326  15,945 

Chemtura Corp. †  364  9,712 

Daicel Corp. (Japan)  1,300  16,036 

Ems-Chemie Holding AG (Switzerland)  102  50,564 

Evonik Industries AG (Germany)  1,133  33,407 

Hitachi Chemical Co., Ltd. (Japan)  1,400  25,960 

Incitec Pivot, Ltd. (Australia)  7,217  17,930 

Innophos Holdings, Inc.  174  6,671 

Innospec, Inc.  246  11,946 

Koppers Holdings, Inc.  855  21,640 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  21 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Chemicals cont.     
Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. †  227  $6,172 

Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Japan)  1,800  23,753 

LSB Industries, Inc. †  368  4,839 

LyondellBasell Industries NV Class A  6,451  524,853 

Minerals Technologies, Inc.  258  14,861 

Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp. (Japan)  2,500  12,627 

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Inc. (Japan)  3,000  16,917 

Orion Engineered Carbons SA (Luxembourg)  635  10,077 

Yara International ASA (Norway)  1,777  64,086 

  1,240,316 
Commercial and consumer services (1.8%)   
Adecco Group AG (Switzerland)  77  4,667 

Brambles, Ltd. (Australia)  9,645  89,447 

Compass Group PLC (United Kingdom)  2,865  53,404 

Ctrip.com International, Ltd. ADR (China) †  710  32,490 

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (Japan)  9,000  91,402 

Deluxe Corp.  427  27,811 

Ennis, Inc.  387  7,067 

Flight Centre Travel Group, Ltd. (Australia)  1,582  36,084 

Global Payments, Inc.  3,940  306,099 

ICF International, Inc. †  572  23,326 

Industrivarden AB Class A (Sweden)  4,003  74,624 

Landauer, Inc.  174  6,896 

Pitney Bowes, Inc.  410  7,638 

Quanta Services, Inc. †  6,639  159,535 

RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. Class A  512  20,680 

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. †  2,132  81,528 

TransUnion †  700  23,170 

Travelport Worldwide, Ltd.  696  9,215 

  1,055,083 
Communications equipment (0.5%)   
Ciena Corp. †  263  4,592 

Cisco Systems, Inc.  4,500  130,725 

Motorola Solutions, Inc.  2,046  141,726 

Plantronics, Inc.  286  12,733 

  289,776 
Computers (2.8%)   
A10 Networks, Inc. †  747  4,826 

Amadeus IT Holding SA Class A (Spain)  907  42,017 

Apigee Corp. †  637  6,899 

Apple, Inc.  9,934  992,009 

Aspen Technology, Inc. †  197  7,510 

Blackbaud, Inc.  177  11,093 

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.  10,150  91,959 

Fujitsu, Ltd. (Japan)  4,000  16,037 

Gigamon, Inc. †  120  3,738 

Imprivata, Inc. †  637  8,657 

Infinera Corp. †  319  4,182 

Ixia †  825  8,382 

 

22  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Computers cont.     
MTS Systems Corp.  78  $3,728 

NCR Corp. †  3,054  94,308 

Netscout Systems, Inc. †  70  1,698 

Nuance Communications, Inc. †  4,223  70,609 

Otsuka Corp. (Japan)  100  4,721 

QAD, Inc. Class A  393  7,384 

Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. †  138  4,867 

TDK Corp. (Japan)  400  23,070 

VeriFone Systems, Inc. †  242  6,389 

Verint Systems, Inc. †  176  5,806 

Xerox Corp.  24,858  247,834 

  1,667,723 
Conglomerates (0.2%)   
Siemens AG (Germany)  1,201  129,340 

  129,340 
Construction (0.6%)   
Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. †  389  16,785 

Cemex SAB de CV ADR (Mexico)  4,883  31,056 

Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. NV  299  11,434 

China State Construction International Holdings, Ltd. (China)  18,000  22,987 

CIMIC Group, Ltd. (Australia)  878  23,655 

Continental Building Products, Inc. †  904  20,711 

IRB Infrastructure Developers, Ltd. (India)  7,436  24,359 

Patrick Industries, Inc. †  437  23,349 

Promotora y Operadora de Infraestructura SAB de CV (Mexico)  2,075  24,771 

Siam Cement PCL (The) (Thailand)  2,250  30,203 

Sika AG (Switzerland)  6  25,956 

Skanska AB (Sweden)  3,009  66,086 

Trex Co., Inc. †  96  4,336 

U.S. Concrete, Inc. †  267  17,125 

  342,813 
Consumer (0.6%)   
Basso Industry Corp. (Taiwan)  20,000  42,830 

Christian Dior SA (France)  79  12,882 

Clorox Co. (The)  1,857  238,699 

Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (The) Class A  593  41,214 

  335,625 
Consumer finance (1.1%)   
Cardtronics, Inc. †  334  13,123 

Encore Capital Group, Inc. †  213  5,728 

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp. Class C  226  8,152 

Housing Development Finance Corp., Ltd. (HDFC) (India)  3,518  64,615 

Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Co., Ltd. (Japan)  17,400  74,215 

Nelnet, Inc. Class A  379  13,902 

PennyMac Financial Services, Inc. Class A †  506  6,968 

Synchrony Financial †  14,841  463,039 

  649,742 
Consumer goods (1.2%)   
Amorepacific Group (South Korea)  312  43,586 

Edgewell Personal Care Co.  928  73,711 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  23 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Consumer goods cont.     
Energizer Holdings, Inc.  1,135  $53,720 

Estee Lauder Cos., Inc. (The) Class A  2,644  242,666 

Kao Corp. (Japan)  1,900  103,724 

LG Household & Health Care, Ltd. (South Korea)  72  63,479 

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC (United Kingdom)  541  53,870 

Svenska Cellulosa AB SCA Class B (Sweden)  563  18,021 

Unilever PLC (United Kingdom)  943  42,968 

  695,745 
Consumer services (0.1%)   
Ashtead Group PLC (United Kingdom)  1,133  16,016 

FTD Cos., Inc. †  589  16,044 

Geo Group, Inc. (The) R   366  12,173 

TrueBlue, Inc. †  266  5,269 

  49,502 
Containers (0.6%)   
Berry Plastics Group, Inc. †  219  8,578 

Crown Holdings, Inc. †  6,260  326,584 

Owens-Illinois, Inc. †  448  8,467 

  343,629 
Distribution (0.1%)   
ITOCHU Corp. (Japan)  2,800  34,891 

Jardine Cycle & Carriage, Ltd. (Singapore)  1,400  34,345 

SpartanNash Co.  453  13,459 

  82,695 
Electric utilities (2.8%)   
American Electric Power Co., Inc.  1,351  87,450 

Cia Paranaense de Energia-Copel (Preference) (Brazil)  1,800  11,795 

CLP Holdings, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  1,500  14,138 

E.ON SE (Germany)  8,205  80,657 

Edison International  2,750  196,983 

EDP — Energias do Brasil SA (Rights) (Brazil) † F   1,151  226 

EDP — Energias do Brasil SA (Brazil)  4,200  14,191 

Endesa SA (Spain)  2,807  57,717 

Enel SpA (Italy)  12,640  57,296 

Entergy Corp.  7,011  532,275 

Iberdrola SA (Spain)  19,411  131,659 

Korea Electric Power Corp. (South Korea)  934  49,224 

Pampa Energia SA ADR (Argentina) †  1,214  28,493 

Power Grid Corp. of India, Ltd. (India)  16,558  36,873 

PPL Corp.  8,111  312,598 

RWE AG (Germany) †  2,005  26,246 

Talen Energy Corp. †  379  4,359 

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (Malaysia)  8,800  29,795 

Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. (Japan) †  4,300  20,091 

  1,692,066 
Electrical equipment (0.3%)   
Allegion PLC (Ireland)  1,149  77,718 

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. †  732  7,723 

Hitachi High-Technologies Corp. (Japan)  500  14,431 

 

24  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Electrical equipment cont.     
Littelfuse, Inc.  122  $13,973 

OSRAM Licht AG (Germany)  780  41,510 

  155,355 
Electronics (3.1%)   
Agilent Technologies, Inc.  5,952  273,137 

Ambarella, Inc. †  120  4,961 

Casetek Holdings, Ltd. (Taiwan)  8,000  30,291 

Cavium, Inc. †  156  7,761 

CEVA, Inc. †  545  14,737 

Cirrus Logic, Inc. †  431  15,516 

DSP Group, Inc. †  1,209  12,658 

EnerSys  317  19,058 

GenMark Diagnostics, Inc. †  871  6,559 

Hoya Corp. (Japan)  1,600  55,871 

Intersil Corp. Class A  673  9,099 

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.  2,988  409,983 

Lattice Semiconductor Corp. †  2,813  16,372 

Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. (Israel) †  228  10,807 

Mentor Graphics Corp.  881  18,889 

Microsemi Corp. †  209  7,070 

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.  134  9,156 

NVIDIA Corp.  10,772  503,268 

ON Semiconductor Corp. †  1,568  15,319 

Plexus Corp. †  379  16,646 

QLogic Corp. †  1,421  19,695 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  217  234,541 

Sanmina Corp. †  366  9,805 

Semtech Corp. †  187  4,402 

Sensata Technologies Holding NV †  495  18,305 

Silicon Laboratories, Inc. †  79  3,930 

Skyworks Solutions, Inc.  132  8,812 

Skyworth Digital Holdings, Ltd. (China)  46,719  28,082 

Synaptics, Inc. †  113  7,665 

Tower Semiconductor, Ltd. (Israel) †  1,503  20,080 

Woodward, Inc.  427  24,313 

  1,836,788 
Energy (oil field) (1.2%)   
Ensco PLC Class A (United Kingdom)  3,274  32,380 

Halliburton Co.  7,529  317,573 

Schlumberger, Ltd.  4,695  358,229 

  708,182 
Energy (other) (0.2%)   
Vestas Wind Systems A/S (Denmark)  1,316  94,300 

  94,300 
Engineering and construction (0.5%)   
ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA (Spain)  1,270  41,897 

Argan, Inc.  454  15,754 

China Communications Construction Co., Ltd. (China)  25,000  28,173 

CTCI, Corp. (Taiwan)  18,000  25,882 

KBR, Inc.  1,574  22,902 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  25 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Engineering and construction cont.     
Matrix Service Co. †  367  $6,081 

Vinci SA (France)  1,982  149,054 

  289,743 
Entertainment (0.4%)   
Cedar Fair LP  230  13,807 

Harman International Industries, Inc.  183  14,318 

IMAX Corp. (Canada) †  245  8,168 

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. †  244  5,893 

Madison Square Garden Co. (The) Class A †  141  23,622 

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp.  163  9,878 

National CineMedia, Inc.  1,085  15,841 

Panasonic Corp. (Japan)  1,200  11,035 

Regal Entertainment Group Class A  854  17,960 

Six Flags Entertainment Corp.  1,646  94,958 

  215,480 
Environmental (0.1%)   
MSA Safety, Inc.  119  5,994 

Tetra Tech, Inc.  793  24,266 

  30,260 
Financial (1.9%)   
3i Group PLC (United Kingdom)  16,803  136,650 

AerCap Holdings NV (Ireland) †  400  15,636 

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.  903  57,964 

CoreLogic, Inc. †  1,130  42,115 

E.Sun Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  39,000  21,772 

HSBC Holdings PLC (United Kingdom)  24,619  158,691 

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (Japan)  73,700  114,716 

Morgan Stanley  14,576  398,945 

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS OAO (Russia) †  22,072  36,544 

ORIX Corp. (Japan)  5,900  81,179 

Shriram Transport Finance Co., Ltd. (India)  1,912  33,504 

UBS Group AG (Switzerland)  920  14,217 

WageWorks, Inc. †  133  7,455 

  1,119,388 
Food (1.0%)   
Aryzta AG (Switzerland)  339  13,492 

Bunge, Ltd.  886  59,424 

Campbell Soup Co.  3,556  215,387 

ConAgra Foods, Inc.  426  19,468 

Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (The) †  205  10,135 

Hormel Foods Corp.  589  20,267 

John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.  233  11,026 

Kwality, Ltd. (India) †  6,568  10,750 

Nestle SA (Switzerland)  1,459  107,737 

Sanderson Farms, Inc.  216  19,377 

Sao Martinho SA (Brazil)  2,607  38,828 

WH Group, Ltd. 144A (Hong Kong) †  67,500  51,820 

WM Morrison Supermarkets PLC (United Kingdom)  3,708  10,644 

X5 Retail Group NV GDR (Russia) †  1,256  24,555 

    612,910 

 

26  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Forest products and packaging (0.9%)     
Amcor, Ltd. (Australia)  4,931  $57,970 

Domtar Corp.  271  10,471 

Graphic Packaging Holding Co.  6,243  83,656 

KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp.  593  9,043 

Nine Dragons Paper Holdings, Ltd. (China)  37,000  26,662 

Sappi, Ltd. (South Africa) †  6,780  31,807 

Sealed Air Corp.  3,882  180,280 

Stora Enso OYJ Class R (Finland)  5,377  46,097 

Suzano Papel e Celulose SA Ser. A (Preference) (Brazil)  9,540  38,703 

UPM-Kymmene OYJ (Finland)  3,294  63,369 

  548,058 
Gaming and lottery (0.1%)   
Aristocrat Leisure, Ltd. (Australia)  3,027  28,079 

Boyd Gaming Corp. †  367  6,940 

Penn National Gaming, Inc. †  1,128  17,676 

TABCORP Holdings, Ltd. (Australia)  3,359  10,708 

William Hill PLC (United Kingdom)  5,186  23,367 

  86,770 
Health-care services (3.0%)   
AmerisourceBergen Corp.  6,088  456,478 

AmSurg Corp. †  199  14,883 

Anthem, Inc.  3,766  497,715 

Cardinal Health, Inc.  2,938  231,955 

Centene Corp. †  312  19,453 

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. †  1,361  116,951 

Chemed Corp.  244  31,820 

HealthEquity, Inc. †  319  8,233 

HealthSouth Corp.  409  16,491 

INC Research Holdings, Inc. Class A †  184  8,006 

Kindred Healthcare, Inc.  414  4,914 

McKesson Corp.  1,509  276,358 

Mediclinic International PLC (South Africa) †  1,701  21,659 

Medipal Holdings Corp. (Japan)  2,300  39,579 

Molina Healthcare, Inc. †  45  2,179 

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. R   289  9,225 

Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  93  2,556 

Select Medical Holdings Corp. †  1,083  13,722 

Triple-S Management Corp. Class B (Puerto Rico) †  280  6,434 

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. †  66  6,694 

  1,785,305 
Homebuilding (0.2%)   
Berkeley Group Holdings PLC (United Kingdom)  750  35,575 

LGI Homes, Inc. †  891  24,075 

Taylor Wimpey PLC (United Kingdom)  14,725  43,806 

Thor Industries, Inc.  423  27,495 

  130,951 
Household furniture and appliances (0.1%)   
Coway Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  329  28,411 

Electrolux AB (Sweden)  397  10,652 

Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc.  674  22,761 

    61,824 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  27 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Insurance (4.1%)     
Aegon NV (Netherlands)  3,179  $16,341 

Ageas (Belgium)  425  17,191 

AIA Group, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  7,200  41,944 

Allianz SE (Germany)  951  155,228 

Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings AG  1,598  59,254 

Allstate Corp. (The)  5,432  366,714 

American Equity Investment Life Holding Co.  1,225  19,857 

American Financial Group, Inc.  615  45,067 

Amtrust Financial Services, Inc.  632  16,761 

Aspen Insurance Holdings, Ltd.  737  35,265 

Aviva PLC (United Kingdom)  3,327  21,674 

AXA SA (France)  5,439  136,648 

CNO Financial Group, Inc.  634  12,864 

CNP Assurances (France)  3,286  55,757 

Dongbu Insurance Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  594  36,166 

Employers Holdings, Inc.  802  23,940 

Essent Group, Ltd. †  375  8,198 

Federated National Holding Co.  815  17,588 

Genworth Financial, Inc. Class A †  1,227  4,540 

HCI Group, Inc.  353  11,208 

Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc.  1,004  13,213 

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  1,278  33,838 

Lincoln National Corp.  4,418  202,565 

Maiden Holdings, Ltd. (Bermuda)  520  6,822 

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft     
AG in Muenchen (Germany)  671  126,061 

NN Group NV (Netherlands)  1,296  43,281 

Prudential Financial, Inc.  6,262  496,264 

Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.  600  59,484 

Swiss Life Holding AG (Switzerland)  259  67,147 

Swiss Re AG (Switzerland)  1,543  138,622 

United Insurance Holdings Corp.  1,173  20,598 

Voya Financial, Inc.  4,373  143,697 

  2,453,797 
Investment banking/Brokerage (1.1%)   
Ameriprise Financial, Inc.  2,141  217,675 

Daiwa Securities Group, Inc. (Japan)  2,000  11,559 

E*Trade Financial Corp. †  8,197  228,614 

Investor AB Class B (Sweden)  3,437  119,575 

Lazard, Ltd. Class A  340  11,961 

Nomura Holdings, Inc. (Japan)  4,200  17,994 

Oppenheimer Holdings, Inc. Class A  334  5,257 

Partners Group Holding AG (Switzerland)  27  11,381 

  624,016 
Leisure (—%)   
Brunswick Corp.  245  11,728 

Malibu Boats, Inc. Class A †  297  4,039 

MCBC Holdings, Inc. †  549  8,444 

    24,211 

 

28  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Lodging/Tourism (0.1%)     
Diamond Resorts International, Inc. † S   674  $15,455 

Marcus Corp. (The)  402  7,799 

MGM China Holdings, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  8,000  11,480 

SJM Holdings, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  22,000  14,120 

TUI AG (London Exchange) (Germany)  2,050  31,384 

  80,238 
Machinery (0.8%)   
Altra Industrial Motion Corp.  391  10,573 

BWX Technologies, Inc.  1,522  53,529 

H&E Equipment Services, Inc.  773  14,857 

Kadant, Inc.  266  13,236 

Kone OYJ Class B (Finland)  590  27,887 

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (Japan)  8,000  95,570 

NN, Inc.  625  10,413 

NSK, Ltd. (Japan)  1,300  11,426 

Roper Technologies, Inc.  523  89,475 

Schindler Holding AG (Switzerland)  219  40,561 

Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan)  3,000  14,395 

Xylem, Inc./NY  1,835  81,951 

  463,873 
Manufacturing (0.5%)   
AZZ, Inc.  146  8,617 

Carlisle Cos., Inc.  570  59,177 

Chase Corp.  117  6,873 

Fabrinet (Thailand) †  535  18,993 

Greenbrier Cos., Inc. (The)  347  9,959 

IDEX Corp.  647  53,921 

Leggett & Platt, Inc.  633  31,815 

MasTec, Inc. †  1,254  28,842 

Standex International Corp.  125  10,834 

Trinseo SA †  918  43,229 

  272,260 
Media (0.4%)   
Interpublic Group of Cos., Inc. (The)  821  19,622 

Lagardere SCA (France)  618  14,629 

Liberty Braves Group (Rights) †  5  11 

Liberty Braves Group Class A †  228  3,548 

Liberty Media Group Class A †  570  11,104 

Naspers, Ltd. Class N (South Africa)  639  93,985 

Viacom, Inc. Class B  2,305  102,273 

  245,172 
Medical technology (1.3%)   
Accuray, Inc. †  740  4,033 

AtriCure, Inc. †  289  4,188 

Bruker Corp.  1,739  45,910 

C.R. Bard, Inc.  1,420  311,037 

Conmed Corp.  250  9,955 

Entellus Medical, Inc. †  192  3,444 

Globus Medical, Inc. Class A †  312  7,563 

Greatbatch, Inc. †  502  15,843 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  29 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Medical technology cont.     
Hologic, Inc. †  4,995  $171,878 

ICU Medical, Inc. †  272  28,285 

Insulet Corp. †  233  6,995 

MiMedx Group, Inc. †  945  7,437 

Myriad Genetics, Inc. †  137  4,643 

OraSure Technologies, Inc. †  1,993  15,306 

RadNet, Inc. †  1,060  5,523 

Repligen Corp. †  228  5,463 

Rockwell Medical, Inc. †  894  8,573 

Spectranetics Corp. (The) †  337  6,174 

STAAR Surgical Co. †  507  2,753 

STERIS PLC (United Kingdom)  139  9,651 

Surgical Care Affiliates, Inc. †  442  19,788 

VCA, Inc. †  896  58,177 

VWR Corp. †  561  16,190 

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.  329  24,701 

Zeltiq Aesthetics, Inc. †  348  9,904 

  803,414 
Metals (0.4%)   
BHP Billiton, Ltd. (Australia)  1,631  22,000 

Boliden AB (Sweden)  453  8,016 

EVA Precision Industrial Holdings, Ltd. (China)  142,000  16,832 

Fortescue Metals Group, Ltd. (Australia)  10,901  23,256 

Glencore PLC (United Kingdom)  14,129  26,828 

Mitsubishi Materials Corp. (Japan)  13,000  37,185 

Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal Corp. (Japan)  1,500  30,697 

Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co.  899  66,841 

voestalpine AG (Austria)  699  23,943 

  255,598 
Natural gas utilities (0.7%)   
Centrica PLC (United Kingdom)  4,606  13,596 

NiSource, Inc.  3,289  78,476 

Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (Japan)  5,000  20,059 

UGI Corp.  6,141  263,572 

Vectren Corp.  544  27,026 

  402,729 
Oil and gas (3.9%)   
BP PLC (United Kingdom)  3,657  18,922 

Callon Petroleum Co. †  1,133  12,905 

Caltex Australia, Ltd. (Australia)  1,067  25,123 

CVR Energy, Inc.  923  18,128 

Diamondback Energy, Inc. †  65  5,912 

Exxon Mobil Corp.  1,082  96,320 

Gazprom Neft PAO ADR (Russia)  2,553  31,657 

Gulfport Energy Corp. †  164  5,041 

HollyFrontier Corp.  2,501  66,927 

Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. (Japan)  1,000  19,892 

Lukoil PJSC ADR (Russia)  1,497  57,260 

Nabors Industries, Ltd.  10,767  101,210 

 

30  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Oil and gas cont.     
Neste Oil OYJ (Finland)  1,191  $40,139 

Newfield Exploration Co. †  2,603  106,124 

Norsk Hydro ASA (Norway)  5,705  22,743 

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. †  1,255  5,472 

Occidental Petroleum Corp.  9,177  692,313 

OMV AG (Austria)  3,462  96,492 

Repsol YPF SA (Spain)  1,820  23,440 

Rowan Cos. PLC Class A S   5,545  93,877 

Royal Dutch Shell PLC Class A (United Kingdom)  1,055  25,327 

Royal Dutch Shell PLC Class B (United Kingdom)  2,840  68,302 

Technip SA (France)  127  6,971 

Tesoro Corp.  2,543  198,557 

Total SA (France)  3,887  188,889 

Tupras Turkiye Petrol Rafinerileri AS (Turkey)  830  18,725 

Valero Energy Corp.  4,005  219,074 

Whiting Petroleum Corp. †  143  1,766 

Woodside Petroleum, Ltd. (Australia)  1,901  37,417 

  2,304,925 
Pharmaceuticals (4.7%)   
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  328  11,621 

Actelion, Ltd. (Switzerland)  71  11,650 

Akorn, Inc. †  195  5,829 

Aralez Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Canada) †  1,902  7,608 

Astellas Pharma, Inc. (Japan)  4,800  65,206 

AstraZeneca PLC (United Kingdom)  1,724  100,577 

Aurobindo Pharma, Ltd. (India)  5,291  61,819 

Biospecifics Technologies Corp. †  128  4,804 

Cardiome Pharma Corp. (Canada) †  2,462  11,522 

Depomed, Inc. †  206  4,209 

DexCom, Inc. †  164  10,576 

Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  84  3,993 

Endo International PLC †  524  8,284 

GlaxoSmithKline PLC (United Kingdom)  9,310  194,846 

Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (United Kingdom)  560  18,639 

Horizon Pharma PLC †  980  16,885 

Hypermarcas SA (Brazil)  2,580  20,348 

Immune Design Corp. †  203  2,548 

Impax Laboratories, Inc. †  555  18,953 

Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corp. †  492  4,526 

Insys Therapeutics, Inc. †  199  3,114 

Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC †  346  52,440 

Johnson & Johnson  10,418  1,174,004 

Lannett Co., Inc. †  531  12,951 

Lonza Group AG (Switzerland)  198  34,182 

Novartis AG (Switzerland)  1,373  108,984 

Novo Nordisk A/S Class B (Denmark)  802  44,607 

Ophthotech Corp. †  170  9,129 

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  163  7,581 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  31 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Pharmaceuticals cont.     
PharMerica Corp. †  722  $19,184 

Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. †  205  11,078 

Richter Gedeon Nyrt (Hungary)  2,012  40,336 

Roche Holding AG (Switzerland)  558  146,461 

Sanofi (France)  1,981  162,425 

Shire PLC (United Kingdom)  534  32,948 

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Class A †  558  6,562 

Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  469  9,150 

TESARO, Inc. † S   282  13,057 

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. ADR (Israel)  829  43,000 

Trevena, Inc. †  406  2,972 

uniQure NV (Netherlands) †  212  2,872 

Zoetis, Inc.  5,658  268,302 

  2,789,782 
Power producers (0.1%)   
Concord New Energy Group, Ltd. (China)  660,000  35,991 

Dynegy, Inc. †  616  11,605 

  47,596 
Publishing (0.3%)   
News Corp. Class A  6,356  76,018 

Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (Japan)  6,000  54,002 

Wolters Kluwer NV (Netherlands)  1,278  50,942 

  180,962 
Railroads (0.2%)   
Aurizon Holdings, Ltd. (Australia)  5,796  18,890 

Central Japan Railway Co. (Japan)  700  123,051 

  141,941 
Real estate (3.7%)   
AG Mortgage Investment Trust, Inc. R   139  1,947 

Agree Realty Corp. R   267  11,366 

American Capital Agency Corp. R   6,587  124,428 

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. R   14,519  153,611 

Apartment Investment & Management Co. Class A R   1,654  70,543 

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. R   388  6,289 

Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. R   1,520  10,610 

Arlington Asset Investment Corp. Class A  167  2,221 

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. R   93  1,804 

Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. R   925  4,653 

Brandywine Realty Trust R   577  9,111 

Camden Property Trust R   914  77,882 

CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. R   353  3,396 

CBRE Group, Inc. Class A †  7,612  227,218 

Chimera Investment Corp. R   3,900  58,461 

Communications Sales & Leasing, Inc. R   956  23,881 

Community Healthcare Trust, Inc. R   417  7,781 

CYS Investments, Inc. R   475  3,881 

Dexus Property Group (Australia) R   5,278  32,978 

Duke Realty Corp. R   1,908  45,162 

Emaar Properties PJSC (United Arab Emirates)  22,804  38,802 

EPR Properties R   141  10,050 

 

32  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Real estate cont.     
Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. R   669  $49,038 

First Industrial Realty Trust R   299  7,403 

General Growth Properties R   5,205  139,858 

Hersha Hospitality Trust R   259  4,589 

Invesco Mortgage Capital, Inc. R   227  3,264 

Investors Real Estate Trust R   696  4,329 

Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.  350  41,251 

Kawasan Industri Jababeka Tbk PT (Indonesia)  1,335,147  24,606 

Kerry Properties, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  13,000  32,461 

Lend Lease Group (Australia)  3,295  31,906 

Lexington Realty Trust R   1,340  12,663 

LTC Properties, Inc. R   324  15,105 

Macquarie Mexico Real Estate Management SA de CV (Mexico) R   31,483  39,489 

Megaworld Corp. (Philippines)  444,000  42,641 

MFA Financial, Inc. R   7,617  54,919 

Mid-America Apartment Communities, Inc. R   721  74,256 

National Health Investors, Inc. R   339  23,672 

New World Development Co., Ltd. (Hong Kong)  55,000  52,013 

Nomura Real Estate Holdings, Inc. (Japan)  1,200  21,391 

One Liberty Properties, Inc. R   314  7,115 

Persimmon PLC (United Kingdom)  2,244  68,317 

Post Properties, Inc. R   115  6,966 

Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust R   387  6,970 

Realogy Holdings Corp. †  3,557  116,670 

Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. (Japan)  1,000  12,936 

Select Income REIT R   244  6,010 

Simon Property Group, Inc. R   407  80,439 

Starwood Property Trust, Inc. R   4,854  100,089 

Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. R   849  9,933 

Sun Hung Kai Properties, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  1,000  11,727 

Surya Semesta Internusa Tbk PT (Indonesia)  460,600  21,924 

Two Harbors Investment Corp. R   4,998  42,383 

Universal Health Realty Income Trust R   62  3,317 

Wharf Holdings, Ltd. (The) (Hong Kong)  2,000  10,810 

Wheelock and Co., Ltd. (Hong Kong)  18,000  80,905 

  2,187,440 
Regional Bells (—%)   
Frontier Communications Corp.  2,088  10,795 

  10,795 
Restaurants (0.7%)   
Brinker International, Inc.  294  13,221 

Cheesecake Factory, Inc. (The)  177  8,827 

Starbucks Corp.  7,625  418,536 

  440,584 
Retail (7.7%)   
Amazon.com, Inc. †  620  448,130 

Big Lots, Inc.  227  11,872 

Caleres, Inc.  477  11,667 

Delhaize Group (Belgium)  576  60,391 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  33 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Retail cont.     
DSW, Inc. Class A  367  $7,766 

Express, Inc. †  823  11,966 

Harvey Norman Holdings, Ltd. (Australia)  10,099  33,229 

Home Depot, Inc. (The)  6,710  886,525 

J Sainsbury PLC (United Kingdom)  10,247  39,849 

KAR Auction Services, Inc.  2,904  119,180 

Kingfisher PLC (United Kingdom)  19,291  102,596 

Koninklijke Ahold NV (Netherlands)  5,300  117,410 

Kroger Co. (The)  6,964  249,033 

Liberty Interactive Corp. Class A †  1,187  32,025 

Lowe’s Cos., Inc.  8,664  694,246 

Macy’s, Inc.  3,108  103,217 

Marks & Spencer Group PLC (United Kingdom)  10,367  57,012 

Matahari Department Store Tbk PT (Indonesia)  12,000  16,652 

METRO AG (Germany)  1,092  35,879 

NIKE, Inc. Class B  4,922  271,793 

Nutraceutical International Corp. †  205  4,856 

Omega Protein Corp. †  732  14,450 

Puregold Price Club, Inc. (Philippines)  17,900  16,068 

PVH Corp.  1,907  178,877 

Restoration Hardware Holdings, Inc. †  237  7,883 

Shimamura Co., Ltd. (Japan)  200  25,844 

Steven Madden, Ltd. †  295  10,121 

Takashimaya Co., Ltd. (Japan)  2,000  14,073 

Urban Outfitters, Inc. †  2,027  57,830 

Vista Outdoor, Inc. †  668  33,520 

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV (Mexico)  14,494  33,728 

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.  11,145  788,843 

Wolverine World Wide, Inc.  440  8,012 

Woolworths, Ltd. (Australia)  1,280  20,409 

World Fuel Services Corp.  708  32,547 

Yamada Denki Co., Ltd. (Japan)  2,400  11,271 

  4,568,770 
Schools (—%)   
Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc. †  78  5,054 

Grand Canyon Education, Inc. †  269  11,233 

  16,287 
Semiconductor (1.0%)   
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. †  812  30,994 

Applied Materials, Inc.  9,148  223,394 

Cypress Semiconductor Corp.  1,903  20,229 

Integrated Device Technology, Inc. †  199  4,647 

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.  5,966  226,469 

MKS Instruments, Inc.  371  15,204 

Power Integrations, Inc.  137  6,835 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  17,000  81,454 

Tessera Technologies, Inc.  483  15,586 

    624,812 

 

34  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Shipping (1.1%)     
Aegean Marine Petroleum Network, Inc. (Greece)  1,202  $8,005 

AP Moeller — Maersk A/S (Denmark)  57  73,417 

DHT Holdings, Inc. (Bermuda)  1,401  7,649 

Saia, Inc. †  346  9,020 

Scorpio Tankers, Inc.  1,047  6,156 

United Parcel Service, Inc. Class B  4,216  434,627 

Wabtec Corp.  137  10,601 

XPO Logistics, Inc. †  314  9,188 

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, Ltd. (China)  117,700  78,229 

  636,892 
Software (4.5%)   
Adobe Systems, Inc. †  5,018  499,140 

Amdocs, Ltd.  3,388  196,470 

GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. (Japan) S   14,800  42,664 

IntraLinks Holdings, Inc. †  431  3,379 

Intuit, Inc.  1,311  139,831 

Microsoft Corp.  25,265  1,339,042 

MobileIron, Inc. †  1,741  5,745 

Nexon Co., Ltd. (Japan)  2,100  34,273 

Proofpoint, Inc. †  217  12,721 

Red Hat, Inc. †  2,173  168,321 

Rovi Corp. †  407  6,842 

SYNNEX Corp.  155  14,121 

Tencent Holdings, Ltd. (China) †  7,700  171,944 

Veeva Systems, Inc. Class A †  304  10,017 

  2,644,510 
Staffing (0.1%)   
Kforce, Inc.  571  10,678 

On Assignment, Inc. †  468  17,630 

Paylocity Holding Corp. †  123  4,515 

Team Health Holdings, Inc. †  101  4,845 

  37,668 
Technology (0.1%)   
CACI International, Inc. Class A †  71  7,155 

SoftBank Corp. (Japan)  400  22,262 

Tech Data Corp. †  96  7,255 

  36,672 
Technology services (3.6%)   
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. ADR (China) †  1,381  113,242 

Alphabet, Inc. Class A †  973  728,631 

AtoS SE (France)  668  61,734 

AVG Technologies NV (Netherlands) †  507  9,745 

Computer Sciences Corp.  5,023  247,132 

CSG Systems International, Inc.  486  20,660 

CSRA, Inc.  1,859  46,047 

eBay, Inc. †  22,620  553,285 

j2 Global, Inc.  336  22,502 

Leidos Holdings, Inc.  3,767  186,090 

Mixi, Inc. (Japan)  500  19,174 

Mphasis, Ltd. (India)  2,598  20,227 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  35 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Technology services cont.     
NCSoft Corp. (South Korea)  104  $20,901 

PChome Online, Inc. (Taiwan)  2,000  23,717 

Perficient, Inc. †  483  10,119 

Seiko Epson Corp. (Japan)  600  10,715 

Tyler Technologies, Inc. †  123  18,855 

Web.com Group, Inc. †  853  14,475 

  2,127,251 
Telecommunications (1.4%)   
BT Group PLC (United Kingdom)  13,454  86,284 

CalAmp Corp. †  781  11,738 

China Mobile, Ltd. (China)  10,000  113,674 

Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc.  311  12,384 

Eutelsat Communications SA (France)  1,008  20,098 

Inteliquent, Inc.  741  12,390 

InterDigital, Inc./PA  232  13,526 

Juniper Networks, Inc.  12,914  302,317 

NeuStar, Inc. Class A †  273  6,429 

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (Japan)  3,100  77,407 

Orange SA (France)  5,004  86,940 

PCCW, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  11,000  7,172 

ShoreTel, Inc. †  889  5,867 

Telekomunikasi Indonesia Persero Tbk PT (Indonesia)  88,200  23,864 

Telenor ASA (Norway)  1,207  20,113 

Telstra Corp., Ltd. (Australia)  9,540  38,497 

Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. †  151  6,019 

  844,719 
Telephone (1.9%)   
IDT Corp. Class B  303  4,506 

KDDI Corp. (Japan)  1,900  55,196 

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (Japan)  2,100  91,650 

Telefonica Brasil SA ADR (Brazil)  2,130  24,538 

Verizon Communications, Inc.  18,830  958,447 

  1,134,337 
Textiles (0.4%)   
Carter’s, Inc.  2,126  213,748 

G-III Apparel Group, Ltd. †  214  8,372 

Oxford Industries, Inc.  137  8,682 

Welspun India, Ltd. (India)  13,440  20,794 

  251,596 
Tire and rubber (0.3%)   
Continental AG (Germany)  221  47,409 

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.  465  14,940 

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (The)  4,438  124,131 

  186,480 
Tobacco (1.6%)   
Altria Group, Inc.  9,822  625,072 

British American Tobacco PLC (United Kingdom)  2,703  164,347 

Imperial Brands PLC (United Kingdom)  2,827  153,994 

Vector Group, Ltd.  754  16,188 

    959,601 

 

36  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (94.8%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Transportation services (0.3%)     
CH Robinson Worldwide, Inc.  264  $19,795 

Deutsche Post AG (Germany)  2,363  68,924 

Matson, Inc.  221  7,366 

Royal Mail PLC (United Kingdom)  7,146  55,993 

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS (Turkey)  2,196  11,262 

  163,340 
Trucks and parts (0.6%)   
Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.  7,393  207,669 

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. †  730  12,169 

Cooper-Standard Holding, Inc. †  208  17,878 

Douglas Dynamics, Inc.  191  4,149 

JTEKT Corp (Japan)  1,300  17,783 

Nexteer Automotive Group, Ltd.  23,000  23,152 

S&T Motiv Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  358  21,514 

Tenneco, Inc. †  157  8,434 

Wabash National Corp. †  1,371  19,441 

  332,189 
Waste Management (0.3%)   
Waste Management, Inc.  3,044  185,532 

  185,532 
Water Utilities (0.1%)   
China Water Affairs Group, Ltd. (China)  68,000  35,305 

    35,305 
 
Total common stocks (cost $52,512,832)    $56,207,760 

 

INVESTMENT COMPANIES (2.1%)*  Shares  Value 

 
Hercules Capital, Inc.  539  $6,614 

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF S   3,951  130,897 

Medley Capital Corp.  1,164  7,566 

Solar Capital, Ltd.  462  8,505 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust  4,646  976,032 

SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust  494  134,289 

Total investment companies (cost $1,258,739)    $1,263,903 

 

WARRANTS (0.2%)* †  Expiration  Strike     
  date  price  Warrants  Value 

 
Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai         
144A (China) F   6/24/16  $0.00  7,200  $25,519 

Midea Group Co., Ltd. 144A (China) F   6/1/17  0.00  6,900  23,403 

Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd. 144A (China)  4/17/17  0.00  6,361  29,008 

Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co., Ltd. 144A (China)  6/30/16  0.00  8,532  25,395 

Total warrants (cost $101,982)        $103,325 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  37 

 



SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (4.9%)*  Principal amount/shares  Value 

 
Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC 0.61% d   Shares   980,739  $980,739 

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.41% L   Shares   1,793,425  1,793,425 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.25%, June 9, 2016 #    $59,000  58,998 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.18%, June 2, 2016 ∆    80,000  80,000 

Total short-term investments (cost $2,913,161)      $2,913,162 
 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS       

Total investments (cost $56,786,714)      $60,488,150 

 

Key to holding’s abbreviations

 

ADR  American Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank 
ETF  Exchange Traded Fund 
GDR  Global Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank 
OAO  Open Joint Stock Company 
PJSC  Public Joint Stock Company 
SPDR  S&P Depository Receipts 

 

Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from June 1, 2015 through May 31, 2016 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $59,272,910.

† This security is non-income-producing.

# This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

∆ This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the custodian for collateral on certain derivative contracts at the close of the reporting period.

d Affiliated company. See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding securities lending. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

F This security is valued by Putnam Management at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities’ valuation inputs. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was also used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio (Note 1).

L Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

R Real Estate Investment Trust.

S Security on loan, in part or in entirety, at the close of the reporting period (Note 1).

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $ 51,675 to cover certain derivative contracts.

Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.

Debt obligations are considered secured unless otherwise indicated.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

38  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



DIVERSIFICATION BY COUNTRY 

 

Distribution of investments by country of risk at the close of the reporting period, excluding collateral received, if any (as a percentage of Portfolio Value):

 

United States  75.5%  South Korea  1.1% 

 
United Kingdom  3.9  Spain  0.7 

 
Japan  3.9  India  0.6 

 
France  2.2  Hong Kong  0.6 

 
Germany  1.6  Sweden  0.5 

 
China  1.4  Netherlands  0.5 

 
Switzerland  1.3  Other  5.0 

 
Australia  1.2  Total  100.0% 

 

 

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 5/31/16 (aggregate face value $9,834,864)

 

            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  $83,113  $81,595  $1,518 

  British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  58,518  56,919  1,599 

  British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  58,518  57,135  (1,383) 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  48,653  49,789  1,136 

  Czech Koruna  Buy  6/15/16  53,984  54,715  (731) 

  Czech Koruna  Sell  6/15/16  53,984  52,956  (1,028) 

  Euro  Buy  6/15/16  28,162  30,246  (2,084) 

  Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  8/18/16  60,776  60,841  65 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  8/18/16  58,044  60,260  2,216 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  52,645  54,312  (1,667) 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  45,638  41,970  (3,668) 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  53,507  52,755  752 

  Swedish Krona  Sell  6/15/16  53,507  52,939  (568) 

Barclays Bank PLC           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  53,893  58,115  (4,222) 

  Australian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  54,687  57,659  2,972 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  56,812  57,780  968 

  Euro  Buy  6/15/16  418,203  417,416  787 

  Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  8/18/16  12,366  12,382  16 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  8/18/16  63,489  65,947  2,458 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  39,618  39,499  119 

  Norwegian Krone  Buy  6/15/16  58,260  60,816  (2,556) 

  Singapore Dollar  Buy  8/18/16  77,742  79,716  (1,974) 

  Swedish Krona  Sell  6/15/16  59,936  63,054  3,118 

Citibank, N.A.             
  Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  113,270  114,961  (1,691) 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  112,175  113,424  1,249 

  Danish Krone  Sell  6/15/16  33,015  32,641  (374) 

  Euro  Buy  6/15/16  75,470  76,576  (1,106) 

  Euro  Sell  6/15/16  75,470  75,616  146 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  101,780  103,766  (1,986) 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  39 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 5/31/16 (aggregate face value $9,834,864) cont.

          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Credit Suisse International           
Australian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  $69,621  $73,259  $3,638 

British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  23,030  21,507  1,523 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  31,189  31,205  16 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  2,226  4,737  (2,511) 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  8/18/16  56,319  56,381  62 

Japanese Yen  Buy  8/18/16  198,338  207,759  (9,421) 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  60,272  60,983  (711) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  160,103  159,730  (373) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  6/15/16  124,382  127,584  3,202 

Swiss Franc  Buy  6/15/16  135,791  136,812  (1,021) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
Australian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  28,065  28,227  162 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  58,885  58,912  27 

Japanese Yen  Sell  8/18/16  60,625  61,186  561 

Goldman Sachs International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  58,727  61,870  (3,143) 

British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  2,318  2,715  (397) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  52,846  50,609  2,237 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  32,392  29,488  2,904 

Japanese Yen  Sell  8/18/16  1,315  1,366  51 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  40,091  38,601  1,490 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  6/15/16  57,077  58,336  (1,259) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  57,077  57,626  549 

Swedish Krona  Sell  6/15/16  43,456  42,247  (1,209) 

HSBC Bank USA, National Association         
British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  205,681  199,373  6,308 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  22,725  22,739  14 

Euro  Buy  6/15/16  223,740  224,359  (619) 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  223,740  229,804  6,064 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  8/18/16  62,541  62,614  73 

Japanese Yen  Buy  8/18/16  69,128  71,822  (2,694) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  79,288  84,090  (4,802) 

British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  171,932  170,859  1,073 

British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  171,932  169,204  (2,728) 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  77,401  78,830  (1,429) 

Euro  Sell  6/15/16  794,331  772,980  (21,351) 

Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  8/18/16  48,551  48,604  53 

Japanese Yen  Sell  8/18/16  852,760  885,303  32,543 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  111,365  113,596  (2,231) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  7,878  3,196  (4,682) 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  8/18/16  31,111  31,915  (804) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  6/15/16  176,018  183,773  7,755 

 

40  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 5/31/16 (aggregate face value $9,834,864) cont.

            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)           
  Australian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  $34,197  $30,129  $(4,068) 

  British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  110,807  108,860  1,947 

  British Pound  Sell  6/15/16  110,807  109,247  (1,560) 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  151,905  154,460  2,555 

  Euro  Buy  6/15/16  5,565  7,026  (1,461) 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  8/18/16  5,084  5,280  196 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  18,494  16,987  1,507 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  6/15/16  60,651  54,286  (6,365) 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  6/15/16  213,933  215,994  (2,061) 

  Swedish Krona  Sell  6/15/16  213,933  215,916  1,983 

State Street Bank and Trust Co.           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  53,893  58,099  (4,206) 

  Australian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  55,480  56,146  666 

  Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  64,819  67,308  (2,489) 

  Euro  Buy  6/15/16  80,034  82,020  (1,986) 

  Euro  Sell  6/15/16  80,034  79,030  (1,004) 

UBS AG             
  Australian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  304,530  317,202  (12,672) 

  British Pound  Buy  6/15/16  54,028  53,447  581 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  7/21/16  189,577  190,362  785 

  Euro  Buy  6/15/16  488,665  481,943  6,722 

  Japanese Yen  Buy  8/18/16  172,333  179,260  (6,927) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  47,718  48,269  (551) 

WestPac Banking Corp.           
  Canadian Dollar  Buy  7/21/16  54,372  54,405  (33) 

  Euro  Buy  6/15/16  62,558  61,195  1,363 

  Euro  Sell  6/15/16  62,558  62,889  331 

  Japanese Yen  Buy  8/18/16  255,270  265,103  (9,833) 

Total            $(33,579) 

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 5/31/16

 

        Unrealized 
  Number of    Expiration  appreciation/ 
  contracts  Value  date  (depreciation) 

S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Long)  4  $418,980  Jun-16  $23,044 

Total         

 

WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 5/31/16 (premiums $2,249)

 

  Expiration  Contract   
  date/strike price  amount  Value 

CEMEX SAB de CV ADR (Call)  Aug-16/$7.74  $2,442  $292 

Sberbank of Russia ADR PJSC (Call)  Aug-16/8.37  4,424  2,419 

Total      $2,711 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  41 

 



OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 5/31/16

    Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount    received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International         
baskets  2,056  $—  12/15/20  (1 month USD-  A basket  $(106) 
        LIBOR-BBA plus  (GSEHPKPA) of   
        1.00%)  common stocks   

shares  5,000  —  12/15/20  (1 month USD-  Engro Corp., Ltd.  363 
        LIBOR-BBA plus     
        1.00%)     

shares  500  —  12/15/20  1 month USD-  Engro Corp., Ltd.  37 
        LIBOR-BBA     

Total    $—        $294 

 

42  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:

    Valuation inputs   

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Common stocks*:       

Basic materials  $1,948,461  $472,499  $—­ 

Capital goods  3,220,468  276,771  —­ 

Communication services  1,685,769  407,460  —­ 

Conglomerates  129,340  —­  —­ 

Consumer cyclicals  8,295,461  853,151  —­ 

Consumer staples  4,467,897  493,087  —­ 

Energy  3,024,975  82,432  —­ 

Financials  9,523,094  1,305,980  —­ 

Health care  6,839,668  166,604  —­ 

Technology  8,387,588  839,944  —­ 

Transportation  1,322,831  286,584  —­ 

Utilities and power  1,935,994  241,702  —­ 

Total common stocks  50,781,546  5,426,214  —­ 
 
Investment companies  1,263,903  —­  —­ 

Warrants  —­  103,325  —­ 

Short-term investments  1,793,425  1,119,737  —­ 

Totals by level  $53,838,874  $6,649,276  $—­ 
 
    Valuation inputs   

Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Forward currency contracts  $—­  $(33,579)  $—­ 

Futures contracts  23,044  —­  —­ 

Written options outstanding  —­  (2,711)  —­ 

Total return swap contracts  —­  294  —­ 

Totals by level  $23,044  $(35,996)  $—­ 

 

* Common stock classifications are presented at the sector level, which may differ from the fund’s portfolio presentation.

During the reporting period, transfers within the fair value hierarchy, if any (other than certain transfers involving non-U.S. equity securities as described in Note 1), did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using the end of period pricing valuation method.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  43 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities 5/31/16

ASSETS   

Investment in securities, at value, including $956,712 of securities on loan (Note 1):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $54,012,550)  $57,713,986 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $2,774,164) (Notes 1 and 5)  2,774,164 

Foreign currency (cost $64,424) (Note 1)  61,380 

Dividends, interest and other receivables  159,871 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold  539,156 

Receivable for investments sold  171,271 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)  10,595 

Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  108,060 

Unrealized appreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  400 

Prepaid assets  6,647 

Total assets  61,545,530 
 
LIABILITIES   

Payable for investments purchased  554,487 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  387,311 

Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)  18,079 

Payable for custodian fees (Note 2)  66,696 

Payable for investor servicing fees (Note 2)  21,738 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  4,895 

Payable for administrative services (Note 2)  194 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)  11,392 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  106 

Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  141,639 

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums $2,249) (Notes 1 and 3)  2,711 

Collateral on securities loaned, at value (Note 1)  980,739 

Other accrued expenses  82,633 

Total liabilities  2,272,620 
 
Net assets  $59,272,910 

 
REPRESENTED BY   

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $56,655,605 

Undistributed net investment income (Note 1)  451,138 

Accumulated net realized loss on investments and foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  (1,520,386) 

Net unrealized appreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  3,686,553 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $59,272,910 
 
COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share ($15,660 divided by 1,417 shares)  $11.05 

Offering price per class A share (100/94.25 of $11.05)*  $11.72 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($59,257,250 divided by 5,361,366 shares)  $11.05 

 

* On single retail sales of less than $50,000. On sales of $50,000 or more the offering price is reduced.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

44  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



Statement of operations Year ended 5/31/16

INVESTMENT INCOME   

Dividends (net of foreign tax of $32,694)  $1,197,760 

Interest (including interest income of $4,690 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  4,610 

Securities lending (Note 1)  6,172 

Total investment income  1,208,542 
 
EXPENSES   

Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  304,892 

Investor servicing fees (Note 2)  123,128 

Custodian fees (Note 2)  137,238 

Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  3,398 

Administrative services (Note 2)  1,416 

Auditing and tax fees  89,094 

Other  42,845 

Fees waived and reimbursed by Manager (Note 2)  (172,531) 

Total expenses  529,480 
 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (3,026) 

Net expenses  526,454 
 
Net investment income  682,088 

 
Net realized loss on investments (Notes 1 and 3)  (1,335,880) 

Net realized loss on swap contracts (Note 1)  (1,613) 

Net realized loss on futures contracts (Note 1)  (61,657) 

Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  (33,463) 

Net realized gain on written options (Notes 1 and 3)  12,576 

Net unrealized depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies during the year  (83,048) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts, written options,   
and TBA sale commitments during the year  (2,129,368) 

Net loss on investments  (3,632,453) 
 
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations  $(2,950,365) 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  45 

 



Statement of changes in net assets

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS  Year ended 5/31/16  Year ended 5/31/15 

Operations:     
Net investment income  $682,088  $358,875 

Net realized gain (loss) on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  (1,420,037)  4,238,329 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets     
and liabilities in foreign currencies  (2,212,416)  (800,053) 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting     
from operations  (2,950,365)  3,797,151 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     

Class A  (388)  (611) 

Class Y  (617,686)  (491,345) 

Net realized short-term gain on investments     

Class A  (196)  (1,154) 

Class Y  (310,762)  (1,417,444) 

From net realized long-term gain on investments     
Class A  (657)  (2,914) 

Class Y  (1,044,921)  (3,578,504) 

Increase from capital share transactions (Note 4)  16,803,235  21,147,943 

Total increase in net assets  11,878,260  19,453,122 
 
NET ASSETS     

Beginning of year  47,394,650  27,941,528 

End of year (including undistributed net investment income     
of $451,138 and $416,726, respectively)  $59,272,910  $47,394,650 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

46  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



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Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  47 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:        RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments­   operations­  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  (%)c,d  (%)d  (%) 

Class A­                           
May 31, 2016­  $12.19­  .14­  (.83)  (.69)  (.14)  (.31)  (0.45)  $11.05­  (5.69)  $16­  1.03­e  1.20­e  109­ 
May 31, 2015­  13.08­  .13­  1.26­  1.39­  (.20)  (2.08)  (2.28)  12.19­  11.69­  34­  1.03­  .96­  132­ 
May 31, 2014­  11.81­  .14­  2.14­  2.28­  (.10)  (.91)  (1.01)  13.08­  19.95­  39­  1.08­  1.08­  69­ 
May 31, 2013­  10.11­  .16­  2.60­  2.76­  (.13)  (.93)  (1.06)  11.81­  28.69­  33­  1.06­  1.42­  73­ 
May 31, 2012­  12.28­  .13­  (1.12)  (.99)  —­  (1.18)  (1.18)  10.11­  (7.40)  28­  1.07­  1.20­  82­ 

Class Y­                           
May 31, 2016­  $12.19­  .15­  (.84)  (.69)  (.14)  (.31)  (0.45)  $11.05­  (5.69)  $59,257­  1.03­e  1.33­e  109­ 
May 31, 2015­  13.09­  .13­  1.25­  1.38­  (.20)  (2.08)  (2.28)  12.19­  11.59­  47,361­  1.03­  1.04­  132­ 
May 31, 2014­  11.81­  .13­  2.16­  2.29­  (.10)  (.91)  (1.01)  13.09­  20.04­  27,902­  1.08­  1.08­  69­ 
May 31, 2013­  10.11­  .16­  2.60­  2.76­  (.13)  (.93)  (1.06)  11.81­  28.68­  24,993­  1.06­  1.43­  73­ 
May 31, 2012­  12.28­  .13­  (1.12)  (.99)  —­  (1.18)  (1.18)  10.11­  (7.41)  18,698­  1.07­  1.20­  82­ 

 

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts (Note 2):

  Percentage of 
  average net assets 

May 31, 2016  0.33% 

May 31, 2015  0.50 

May 31, 2014  0.57 

May 31, 2013  0.76 

May 31, 2012  0.75 

 

e Reflects a voluntary waiver of certain fund expenses in effect during the period. As a result of such waivers, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of less than .01% as a percentage of average net assets per share for each class. (Note 2):

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

48  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  49 

 



Notes to financial statements 5/31/16

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from June 1, 2015 through May 31, 2016.

Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek long-term growth. The fund invests mainly in common stocks (growth or value stocks or both) of large and midsize companies worldwide. While Putnam Management typically allocates approximately 75% of the fund’s assets to investments in U.S. companies, and 25% of the fund’s assets to investments in international companies, these allocations may vary. The fund invests mainly in developed countries, but may invest in emerging markets. Under normal circumstances, Putnam Management invests at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in common stocks. This policy may be changed only after 60 days’ notice to shareholders. Putnam Management may consider, among other factors, a company’s valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell investments.

The fund offers class A and class Y shares. Class A shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75%, and generally do not pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, but do not bear a distribution fee. Class Y shares are generally only available to corporate and institutional clients and clients in other approved programs. As of the end of the reporting period, all of the Class Y shares are held by the Putnam RetirementReady Funds.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with an investment adviser, administrator, distributor, shareholder servicing agent, and custodian who each provide services to the fund. Unless expressly stated otherwise, shareholders are not parties to, or intended beneficiaries of these contractual arrangements, and these contractual arrangements are not intended to create any shareholder right to enforce them against the service providers or to seek any remedy under them against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the fund.

Under the fund’s Declaration of Trust, any claims asserted against or on behalf of the Putnam Funds, including claims against Trustees and Officers must be brought in state and federal courts located within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees. If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to

50  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last reported sales price on their principal exchange, or official closing price for certain markets, and are classified as Level 1 securities under Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820). If no sales are reported, as in the case of some securities that are traded OTC, a security is valued at its last reported bid price and is generally categorized as a Level 2 security.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the scheduled close of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, on certain days, the fund will fair value foreign equity securities taking into account multiple factors including movements in the U.S. securities markets, currency valuations and comparisons to the valuation of American Depository Receipts, exchange-traded funds and futures contracts. These securities, which would generally be classified as Level 1 securities, will be transferred to Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy when they are valued at fair value. The number of days on which fair value prices will be used will depend on market activity and it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Short-term securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less are valued using an independent pricing service approved by the Trustees, and are classified as Level 2 securities.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividend income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recognized on the ex-dividend date except that certain dividends from foreign securities, if any, are recognized as soon as the fund is informed of the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded at the fair value of the securities received. Dividends representing a return of capital or capital gains, if any, are reflected as a reduction of cost and/or as a realized gain. All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

Foreign currency translation The accounting records of the fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The fair value of foreign securities, currency holdings, and other assets and liabilities is recorded in the books and records of the fund after translation to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates on that day. The cost of each security is determined using historical exchange rates. Income and withholding taxes are translated at prevailing exchange rates when earned or incurred. The fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in the market

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  51 

 



prices of the securities. Such gains and losses are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net realized exchange gains or losses on closed forward currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains and losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized appreciation and depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts to enhance returns on securities owned, to gain exposure to securities and to manage downside risks.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts to manage exposure to market risk, and to equitize cash.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.”

Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Forward currency contracts The fund buys and sells forward currency contracts, which are agreements between two parties to buy and sell currencies at a set price on a future date. These contracts are used to hedge foreign exchange risk.

The U.S. dollar value of forward currency contracts is determined using current forward currency exchange rates supplied by a quotation service. The fair value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. The fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed when the contract matures or by delivery of the currency. The fund could be exposed to risk if the value of the currency changes unfavorably, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the fund is unable to enter into a closing position. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Forward currency contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

52  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



Total return swap contracts The fund entered into OTC total return swap contracts, which are arrangements to exchange a market-linked return for a periodic payment, both based on a notional principal amount, to manage exposure to specific securities, and to gain exposure to a basket of securities.

To the extent that the total return of the security, index or other financial measure underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the fund will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty. OTC total return swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers and the change, if any, is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Payments received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses. Certain OTC total return swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract. The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index, the possibility that there is no liquid market for these agreements or that the counterparty may default on its obligation to perform. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC total return swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, is presented in the fund’s portfolio.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

Termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term and short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $52,492 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $10,000 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

Securities lending The fund may lend securities, through its agent, to qualified borrowers in order to earn additional income. The loans are collateralized by cash in an amount at least equal to the fair value of the securities loaned. The fair value of securities loaned is determined daily and any additional required collateral is allocated to the fund on the next business day. The remaining maturities of the securities lending transactions are considered overnight and continuous. The risk of borrower default will be borne by the fund’s agent; the fund will bear the risk of loss with respect to the investment of the cash collateral. Income from securities lending is included in investment income on the Statement of operations. Cash collateral is invested in Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC, a limited liability company managed by an affiliate of Putnam Management. Investments in Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC are valued at its closing net asset value each business day. There are no management fees charged to Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC. At the close of the reporting period, the fund received cash collateral of $980,739 and the value of securities loaned amounted to $956,712.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  53 

 



Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million syndicated unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street ($292.5 million) and Northern Trust Company ($100 million) and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the overnight LIBOR plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.16% per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund may also be subject to taxes imposed by governments of countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The fund accrues and applies such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. In some cases, the fund may be entitled to reclaim all or a portion of such taxes, and such reclaim amounts, if any, are reflected as an asset on the fund’s books. In many cases, however, the fund may not receive such amounts for an extended period of time, depending on the country of investment.

Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, the fund will be permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred for an unlimited period and the carry forwards will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses. At May 31, 2016, the fund had the following capital loss carryovers available, to the extent allowed by the Code, to offset future net capital gain, if any:

Loss carryover 

Short-term  Long-term  Total 

$195,807  $—  $195,807 

 

Pursuant to federal income tax regulations applicable to regulated investment companies, the fund has elected to defer certain capital losses of $1,014,211 recognized during the period between November 1, 2015 and May 31, 2016 to its fiscal year ending May 31, 2017.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. Actual results may vary. Any non-taxable return of capital cannot be determined until final tax calculations are completed after the end of the fund’s fiscal year. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations.

These differences include temporary and/or permanent differences from losses on wash sale transactions, from foreign currency gains and losses, from late year loss deferrals, from realized gains and losses on certain futures contracts, and from a redesignation of taxable income. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations. At the close of the reporting period, the fund reclassified $29,602 to decrease undistributed net investment income, $15 to decrease paid-in capital and $29,617 to decrease accumulated net realized loss.

54  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



The tax basis components of distributable earnings and the federal tax cost as of the close of the reporting period were as follows:

Unrealized appreciation  $5,763,326 
Unrealized depreciation  (2,347,835) 

Net unrealized appreciation  3,415,491 
Undistributed ordinary income  419,496 
Post-October capital loss deferral  (1,014,211) 
Capital loss carryforward  (195,807) 
Cost for federal income tax purposes  $57,072,659 

 

Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a management fee (based on the fund’s average net assets and computed and paid monthly) at annual rates that may vary based on the average of the aggregate net assets of all open-end funds sponsored by Putnam Management (excluding net assets of funds that are invested in, or that are invested in by, other Putnam funds to the extent necessary to avoid “double counting” of those assets). Such annual rates may vary as follows:

0.750%  of the first $5 billion,  0.550%  of the next $50 billion, 

 
0.700%  of the next $5 billion,  0.530%  of the next $50 billion, 

 
0.650%  of the next $10 billion,  0.520%  of the next $100 billion and 

 
0.600%  of the next $10 billion,  0.515%  of any excess thereafter. 

 

 

For the reporting period, the management fee represented an effective rate (excluding the impact from any expense waivers in effect) of 0.592% of the fund’s average net assets.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed, through September 30, 2016, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $172,101 as a result of this limit.

Putnam Management may from time to time voluntarily undertake to waive fees and/or reimburse certain fund expenses. Any such waiver or reimbursement would be voluntary and may be modified or discontinued by Putnam Management at any time without notice. For the reporting period, Putnam Management voluntarily waived $430.

Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. PIL did not manage any portion of the assets of the fund during the reporting period. If Putnam Management were to engage the services of PIL, Putnam Management would pay a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL. PAC did not manage any portion of the assets of the fund during the reporting period. If Putnam Management or PIL were to engage the services of PAC, Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, would pay a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

The fund reimburses Putnam Management an allocated amount for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund. The aggregate amount of all such reimbursements is determined annually by the Trustees.

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  55 

 



Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes.

Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. During the reporting period, the expenses for each class of shares related to investor servicing fees were as follows:

Class A  $69 

Class Y  123,059 

Total  $123,128 

 

The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. The fund also reduced expenses through brokerage/service arrangements. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $532 under the expense offset arrangements and by $2,494 under the brokerage/service arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $41, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees.

The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Pension expense for the fund is included in Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of operations. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003.

The fund has adopted a distribution plan (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plan is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plan provides for payment by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35% of the average net assets attributable to class A shares. The Trustees currently have not approved payments under the Plan.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of class A shares. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received no money on class A redemptions.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:

  Cost of purchases  Proceeds from sales 

Investments in securities (Long-term)  $70,010,944  $54,330,196 

U.S. government securities (Long-term)  —  — 

Total  $70,010,944  $54,330,196 

 

56  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



The fund may purchase or sell investments from or to other Putnam funds in the ordinary course of business, which can reduce the fund’s transaction costs, at prices determined in accordance with SEC requirements and policies approved by the Trustees. During the reporting period, purchases or sales from or to other Putnam funds, if any, did not represent more than 5% of the fund’s total cost of purchases and/or total proceeds from sales.

Written option transactions during the reporting period are summarized as follows:

  Written option  Written option 
  contract amounts  premiums 
Written options outstanding at the     
beginning of the reporting period  $31,032  $12,576 

Options opened  6,866  2,249 
Options exercised  —  — 
Options expired  (31,032)  (12,576) 
Options closed  —  — 

Written options outstanding at the     
end of the reporting period  $6,866  $2,249 

 

Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

  Year ended 5/31/16  Year ended 5/31/15 

Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  —  $—  2,694  $36,426 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  113  1,241  410  4,679 

  113  1,241  3,104  41,105 

Shares repurchased  (1,485)  (15,844)  (3,311)  (43,930) 

Net decrease  (1,372)  $(14,603)  (207)  $(2,825) 

 
  Year ended 5/31/16  Year ended 5/31/15 

Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  8,187,649  $91,826,243  5,506,528  $68,448,082 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  179,234  1,973,368  477,156  5,487,293 

  8,366,883  93,799,611  5,983,684  73,935,375 

Shares repurchased  (6,890,324)  (76,981,773)  (4,231,047)  (52,784,607) 

Net increase  1,476,559  $16,817,838  1,752,637  $21,150,768 

 

At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned 933 class A shares of the fund (65.8% of class A shares outstanding), valued at $10,310.

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  57 

 



Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which is under common ownership and control, were as follows:

  Fair value at the        Fair value at 
  beginning of        the end of 
  the reporting      Investment  the reporting 
Name of affiliate  period  Purchase cost  Sale proceeds  income  period 

Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund*  $1,617,817  $23,333,268  $23,157,660  $4,690  $1,793,425 

 

* Management fees charged to Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

Note 6: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default.

Note 7: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Purchased equity option contracts (contract amount)  $2,000 

Written equity option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $4,000 

Futures contracts (number of contracts)  20 

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)  $16,700,000 

OTC total return swap contracts (notional)  $25,000 

Warrants (number of warrants)  32,000 

 

The following is a summary of the fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period:

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period

  Asset derivatives  Liability derivatives 

Derivatives not         
accounted for as  Statement of    Statement of   
hedging instruments  assets and    assets and   
under ASC 815  liabilities location  Fair value  liabilities location  Fair value 

Foreign exchange         
contracts  Receivables  108,060  Payables  141,639 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Equity contracts  appreciation  126,769*  depreciation  2,817 

Total    $234,829    $144,456 

 

* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.

 

58  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments in the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives             
not accounted             
for as hedging        Forward     
instruments under        currency     
ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  $—  $—  $—  $(30,319)  $—  $(30,319) 

Equity contracts  29,734  (6,294)  (61,657)  —  (1,613)  $(39,830) 

Total  $29,734  $(6,294)  $(61,657)  $(30,319)  $(1,613)  $(70,149) 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

 

Derivatives             
not accounted             
for as hedging        Forward     
instruments under        currency     
ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  $—  $—  $—  $(80,085)  $—  $(80,085) 

Equity contracts  (1,477)  6,016  12,427  —  817  17,783 

Total  $(1,477)  $6,016  $12,427  $(80,085)  $817  $(62,302) 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  59 

 



Note 8: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.

  Bank of America N.A. Barclays Bank PLC Citibank, N.A. Credit Suisse International Deutsche Bank AG Goldman Sachs International HSBC Bank USA, National Association JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) State Street Bank and Trust Co. UBS AG WestPac Banking Corp. Total

Assets:                             

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $400  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $400 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  10,595  —  —  —  —  10,595 

Forward currency contracts#  7,286  10,438  1,395  8,441  750  7,231  12,459  41,424  —  8,188  666  8,088  1,694  108,060 

Purchased options**#  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  — 

Total Assets  $7,286  $10,438  $1,395  $8,441  $750  $7,631  $12,459  $41,424  $10,595  $8,188  $666  $8,088  $1,694  $119,055 

Liabilities:                             

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  —  —  —  —  —  106  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  106 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  11,392  —  —  —  —  11,392 

Forward currency contracts#  11,129  8,752  5,157  14,037  —  6,008  3,313  38,027  —  15,515  9,685  20,150  9,866  141,639 

Written options#  —  —  2,711  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  2,711 

Total Liabilities  $11,129  $8,752  $7,868  $14,037  $—  $6,114  $3,313  $38,027  $11,392  $15,515  $9,685  $20,150  $9,866  $155,848 

Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets  $(3,843)  $1,686  $(6,473)  $(5,596)  $750  $1,517  $9,146  $3,397  $(797)  $(7,327)  $(9,019)  $(12,062)  $(8,172)  $(36,793) 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $(10,000)  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—   

Net amount  $(3,843)  $1,686  $(6,473)  $(5,596)  $750  $1,517  $9,146  $13,397  $(797)  $(7,327)  $(9,019)  $(12,062)  $(8,172)   

 

* Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

** Included with Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

† Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

# Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§ Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.

60  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  61 

 



Statement of Additional Information Supplement  August 1, 2016 

 

SUPPLEMENT TO THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF ALL PUTNAM RETAIL OPEN-END FUNDS

The section “Investor Servicing Agent” is replaced with the following:

Investor Servicing Agent

Putnam Investor Services, located at One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109, is the fund’s investor servicing agent (transfer, plan and dividend disbursing agent), for which it receives fees that are paid monthly by the fund.

Effective September 1, 2016, the fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to assets attributable to non-defined contribution plan accounts (which include accounts maintained directly with the fund, accounts underlying omnibus accounts maintained by financial intermediaries with the fund, accounts of Section 529 college savings plans that are allocated to the fund and accounts of certain funds that operate as funds-of-funds (other than the Putnam RetirementReady Funds) that are allocated to the fund (collectively “retail accounts”)) holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class T and class Y shares, subject to certain limitations, is an annual fee that includes (1) a per account fee for each retail account of the fund that is applicable to the funds in its specified product category, and (2) a fee based on a specified rate of each fund’s average daily net assets that is based on the rate applicable to the funds in its specified product category. The fund categories used for purposes of calculating the per account fee described above are based on product type. The accounts of 529 plans and certain funds-of-funds (other than the Putnam RetirementReady Funds) are included in the determination of the number of accounts at the underlying fund level in proportion to the percentage of the investing fund’s net assets that are invested in the particular underlying fund.

For the Putnam RetirementReady Funds, the fees paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to assets attributable to retail accounts holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R and class Y shares, are based on a specified rate of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to such retail accounts.

The fees paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to defined contribution plan accounts holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class T and class Y shares are based on a specified rate of the average of the net assets attributable to such defined contribution plan accounts invested in a fund as of the end of the month and the end of the prior month.

Putnam Investor Services has agreed, through August 31, 2018, that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution plan accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.250% of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to such accounts.

The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class R5 shares is based on an annual rate of 0.15% of each fund’s average daily net assets attributable to class R5 shares, except that an annual rate of 0.12% of each fund’s average daily net assets attributable to class R5 shares applies to Putnam American Government Income Fund, Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Conservative Fund, Putnam Global Income Trust and Putnam Income Fund.

The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class R6 shares is based on an annual rate of 0.05% of each fund’s average daily net assets attributable to class R6 shares.



The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class I, class G and class P shares is based on an annual rate of 0.01% of each fund’s average daily net assets attributable to class I shares, class G and class P shares, respectively.

For the period from September 1, 2015 through August 31, 2016, the fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to assets attributable to non-defined contribution plan accounts (which include accounts maintained directly with the fund, accounts underlying omnibus accounts maintained by financial intermediaries with the fund, accounts of Section 529 college savings plans that were allocated to the fund and accounts of certain funds that operate as funds-of-funds (including Putnam RetirementReady Funds) that were allocated to the fund (collectively “previously defined retail accounts”)) holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class T and class Y shares, subject to certain limitations, was an annual fee that included (1) a per account fee for each previously defined retail account of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated among each of the funds in the category based on the average daily net assets of each fund, and (2) a fee based on a specified rate of each fund’s average daily net assets. The fund categories used for purposes of calculating the per account fee described above were based on product type. The accounts of 529 plans and certain funds-of-funds (including Putnam RetirementReady Funds) were included in the determination of the number of accounts at the underlying fund level in proportion to the percentage of the investing fund’s assets that were invested in the particular underlying fund.

Financial intermediaries (including brokers, dealers, banks, bank trust departments, registered investment advisers, financial planners, and retirement plan administrators) may own shares of the fund for the benefit of their customers in an omnibus account (including retirement plans). In these circumstances, the financial intermediaries or other third parties may provide certain sub-accounting and similar recordkeeping services for their customers’ accounts.

In recognition of these services, Putnam Investor Services may make payments to these financial intermediaries or other third parties. Payments may be based on the number of underlying accounts in an omnibus account or the assets or share class held in an account. Putnam Investor Services also makes payments to financial intermediaries that charge networking fees for certain services provided in connection with the maintenance of shareholder accounts. These payments are described above under the heading “Distribution Plans – Additional Dealer Payments.”



Statement of Additional Information Supplement  June 1, 2016 

 

SUPPLEMENT TO THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION —
PUTNAM DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION EQUITY FUND

The second and third sentences under "Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Financial Statements" are deleted.

Appendix B is revised to include only the following financial information derived from financial statements
provided in the fund’s semiannual report dated 11/30/15, which for this period have not been audited.



The fund’s portfolio 11/30/15 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)*  Shares  Value 

 
Advertising and marketing services (0.1%)     
Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.  456  $15,477 

Publicis Groupe SA (France)  555  35,019 

50,496 
Aerospace and defense (2.4%)   
Airbus Group SE (France)  265  19,162 

BAE Systems PLC (United Kingdom)  8,082  62,870 

Bharat Electronics, Ltd. (India)  1,183  22,212 

Cubic Corp.  368  17,870 

General Dynamics Corp.  3,459  506,605 

Northrop Grumman Corp.  2,452  456,955 

Orbital ATK, Inc.  460  39,519 

Safran SA (France)  375  27,687 

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. Class A †  1,560  81,822 

Thales SA (France)  118  8,786 

Triumph Group, Inc.  188  7,529 

1,251,017 
Agriculture (—%)   
Andersons, Inc. (The)  172  5,929 

 
Airlines (1.3%)    5,929 
ANA Holdings, Inc. (Japan)  25,000  70,439 

Delta Air Lines, Inc.  9,411  437,235 

International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (Spain) †  5,188  44,218 

Qantas Airways, Ltd. (Australia)  7,816  20,500 

Ryanair Holdings PLC ADR (Ireland)  1,103  84,821 

Turk Hava Yollari AO (Turkey) †  7,312  19,226 

Virgin America, Inc. †  373  13,573 

690,012 
Automotive (1.1%)   
CAR, Inc. (China) †  14,000  26,261 

Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan)  2,500  103,513 

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Japan)  300  9,803 

Kia Motors Corp. (South Korea)  918  41,477 

Lear Corp.  1,753  220,703 

Mazda Motor Corp. (Japan)  1,100  22,894 

Peugeot SA (France) †  2,635  47,078 

Tata Motors, Ltd. (India) †  5,017  31,759 

Valeo SA (France)  267  41,342 

Visteon Corp. †  142  17,027 

561,857 
Banking (8.0%)   
Access National Corp.  217  4,741 

Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones SA Class E (Panama)  501  13,908 

Banco Santander SA (Spain)  6,777  37,004 

Bank Hapoalim BM (Israel)  2,658  13,745 

Bank of America Corp.  43,597  759,896 

Bank of China, Ltd. (China)  48,000  21,246 

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (The)  7,138  312,930 

Barclays PLC (United Kingdom)  4,247  14,277 

 

20   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Banking cont.     
BNP Paribas SA/New York, NY (France)  2,238  $132,675 

BofI Holding, Inc. †  344  6,890 

Cardinal Financial Corp.  417  10,258 

China Construction Bank Corp. (China)  70,000  48,007 

Citizens & Northern Corp.  259  5,317 

Credit Agricole SA (France)  5,049  60,920 

Credit Suisse Group AG (rights) (Switzerland) †  928  568 

Credit Suisse Group AG (Switzerland)  928  19,952 

Customers Bancorp, Inc. †  633  19,623 

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC (United Arab Emirates)  12,699  22,130 

East West Bancorp, Inc.  158  6,854 

Farmers Capital Bank Corp. †  200  5,402 

FCB Financial Holdings, Inc. Class A †  456  17,761 

Financial Institutions, Inc.  275  7,499 

First BanCorp. (Puerto Rico) †  4,115  15,431 

First Community Bancshares, Inc.  268  5,467 

First NBC Bank Holding Co. †  326  13,803 

FirstMerit Corp.  328  6,635 

Flushing Financial Corp.  293  6,672 

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV (Mexico)  6,894  36,969 

Hanmi Financial Corp.  567  14,799 

Heartland Financial USA, Inc.  179  6,822 

Horizon Bancorp  219  6,029 

Itau Unibanco Holding SA ADR (Preference) (Brazil)  3,814  27,003 

JPMorgan Chase & Co.  12,825  855,171 

King’s Town Bank Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  20,000  14,140 

MainSource Financial Group, Inc.  412  9,484 

Meta Financial Group, Inc.  157  7,065 

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (Japan)  60,500  122,247 

Opus Bank  259  10,199 

Pacific Premier Bancorp, Inc. †  275  6,443 

PacWest Bancorp  110  5,172 

Peoples Bancorp, Inc.  258  5,320 

Popular, Inc. (Puerto Rico)  2,051  60,935 

Regions Financial Corp.  17,954  182,054 

Renasant Corp.  248  9,059 

Republic Bancorp, Inc. Class A  163  4,372 

Resona Holdings, Inc. (Japan)  18,600  90,902 

Sberbank of Russia PJSC ADR (Russia)  6,444  43,181 

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (Sweden)  4,343  46,185 

Societe Generale SA (France)  1,280  61,101 

State Street Corp.  6,890  500,076 

Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (Japan)  3,000  114,585 

Talmer Bancorp, Inc. Class A  508  9,281 

United Community Banks, Inc.  284  5,930 

Wells Fargo & Co.  3,607  198,746 

Woori Bank (South Korea)  1,062  8,694 

YES Bank, Ltd. (India)  2,357  27,078 

    4,078,653 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   21 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Basic materials (0.1%)     
Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (Japan)  3,000  $33,860 

 33,860 
Beverage (1.8%)   
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ADR (Belgium)  191  24,536 

Coca-Cola Amatil, Ltd. (Australia)  2,835  18,543 

Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.  2,483  124,895 

Coca-Cola HBC AG (Switzerland)  962  23,341 

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.  4,244  380,899 

Fomento Economico Mexicano SAB de CV (FEMSA) ADR (Mexico)  217  20,914 

Grape King Bio, Ltd. (Taiwan)  5,000  31,783 

PepsiCo, Inc.  3,029  303,385 

928,296 
Biotechnology (3.3%)   
AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  685  18,235 

Amgen, Inc.  3,012  485,233 

Applied Genetic Technologies Corp. †  204  3,476 

Ardelyx, Inc. †  567  11,091 

Biogen, Inc. †  776  222,603 

Celldex Therapeutics, Inc. †  257  4,629 

Dyax Corp. †  194  6,530 

Dynavax Technologies Corp. †  387  10,793 

Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. †  352  13,260 

FivePrime Therapeutics, Inc. †  159  6,114 

Gilead Sciences, Inc.  6,399  678,038 

Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. †  174  3,097 

Infinity Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  256  2,258 

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  68  4,151 

Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  50  5,354 

Medicines Co. (The) †  79  3,319 

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. † S   639  6,013 

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. †  264  14,354 

Novavax, Inc. †  320  2,739 

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  130  2,971 

Prothena Corp. PLC (Ireland) †  274  19,328 

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. †  199  5,978 

Repligen Corp. †  383  10,889 

Sage Therapeutics, Inc. †  65  3,115 

United Therapeutics Corp. †  852  130,041 

1,673,609 
Broadcasting (1.8%)   
Cyfrowy Polsat SA (Poland) †  3,769  22,440 

Discovery Communications, Inc. Class A † S   15,907  495,344 

Gray Television, Inc. †  1,520  25,460 

ITV PLC (United Kingdom)  24,127  98,475 

Liberty Media Corp. Class A †  1,799  72,877 

Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. Class A  125  7,324 

ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE (Germany)  250  13,128 

Sirius XM Holdings, Inc. †  44,632  183,438 

Zee Entertainment Enterprises, Ltd. (India)  3,006  18,389 

    936,875 

 

22   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Building materials (0.1%)     
CaesarStone Sdot-Yam, Ltd. (Israel)  340  $13,899 

PGT, Inc. †  1,532  17,036 

30,935 
Cable television (0.2%)   
Sky PLC (United Kingdom)  6,026  100,378 

100,378 
Capital goods (—%)   
Stoneridge, Inc. †  645  9,436 

9,436 
Chemicals (2.4%)   
Aceto Corp.  197  5,557 

American Vanguard Corp.  825  13,002 

BASF SE (Germany)  1,706  141,206 

Braskem SA Class A (Preference) (Brazil)  4,600  31,174 

Cabot Corp.  137  5,965 

Cambrex Corp. †  283  15,177 

EMS-Chemie Holding AG (Switzerland)  87  35,473 

Evonik Industries AG (Germany)  931  31,811 

Innophos Holdings, Inc.  154  4,577 

Innospec, Inc.  208  12,147 

Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. †  203  4,517 

Kuraray Co., Ltd. (Japan)  1,600  20,385 

LG Chemical, Ltd. (South Korea)  131  35,883 

LG Hausys, Ltd. (South Korea)  178  26,368 

Lotte Chemical Corp. (South Korea)  81  16,764 

LSB Industries, Inc. †  321  2,282 

LyondellBasell Industries NV Class A  3,243  310,744 

Minerals Technologies, Inc.  226  13,908 

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Co., Inc. (Japan)  2,000  10,846 

Nitto Denko Corp. (Japan)  800  53,976 

Orion Engineered Carbons SA (Luxembourg)  510  6,416 

PhosAgro OAO GDR (Russia)  1,731  22,590 

PTT Global Chemical PCL (Thailand)  14,700  21,738 

Sherwin-Williams Co. (The)  1,298  358,339 

Yara International ASA (Norway)  243  11,249 

1,212,094 
Commercial and consumer services (1.2%)   
Adecco SA (Switzerland)  861  58,915 

CEB, Inc.  67  5,177 

Ctrip.com International, Ltd. ADR (China) †  161  17,229 

Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. (Japan)  9,000  88,075 

Deluxe Corp.  381  22,346 

Ennis, Inc.  345  6,897 

Equinix, Inc.  957  106,706 

Everi Holdings, Inc. †  843  3,220 

Flight Centre Travel Group, Ltd. (Australia)  1,061  27,679 

Heartland Payment Systems, Inc.  102  8,093 

Industrivarden AB Class A (Sweden)  1,326  25,511 

Landauer, Inc.  298  12,144 

LifeLock, Inc. †  285  4,115 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   23 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Commercial and consumer services cont.     
Modetour Network, Inc. (South Korea)  702  $19,875 

Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (South Africa) †  802  12,134 

Pitney Bowes, Inc.  366  7,906 

RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. Class A  443  16,617 

Securitas AB Class B (Sweden)  3,940  60,127 

ServiceMaster Global Holdings, Inc. †  1,268  47,525 

Verisk Analytics, Inc. Class A †  1,185  88,816 

639,107 
Computers (4.7%)   
A10 Networks, Inc. †  1,241  9,568 

Apigee Corp. †  357  2,542 

Apple, Inc.  13,102  1,549,947 

Aspen Technology, Inc. †  167  7,340 

AVG Technologies NV (Netherlands) †  573  12,085 

Blackbaud, Inc.  150  9,267 

Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc. †  164  5,889 

EMC Corp.  9,960  252,386 

Fortinet, Inc. †  338  12,175 

Fujitsu, Ltd. (Japan)  6,000  30,337 

Gigamon, Inc. †  103  2,790 

HCL Technologies, Ltd. (India)  2,426  31,659 

Imprivata, Inc. †  533  6,353 

inContact, Inc. †  833  8,222 

Infinera Corp. †  267  6,013 

Ixia †  713  9,312 

Lexmark International, Inc. Class A  137  4,705 

MTS Systems Corp.  67  4,263 

Netscout Systems, Inc. †  60  1,986 

Nimble Storage, Inc. †  145  1,518 

Otsuka Corp. (Japan)  200  10,033 

QAD, Inc. Class A  331  7,683 

Qualys, Inc. †  86  3,308 

Quantum Corp. †  3,319  2,924 

Rackspace Hosting, Inc. †  235  6,726 

SolarWinds, Inc. †  2,562  149,698 

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.  120  8,628 

Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. †  158  6,220 

VeriFone Systems, Inc. †  204  5,851 

Verint Systems, Inc. †  149  6,981 

Xerox Corp.  19,825  209,154 

2,385,563 
Conglomerates (0.1%)   
Siemens AG (Germany)  385  39,921 

39,921 
Construction (0.4%)   
Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. †  340  14,542 

Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. NV  264  11,286 

China State Construction International Holdings, Ltd. (China)  16,000  24,148 

Continental Building Products, Inc. †  780  14,227 

 

24   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Construction cont.     
Mota-Engil Africa NV (Angola)  488  $3,114 

Mota-Engil SGPS SA (Portugal) S   7,895  17,225 

Patrick Industries, Inc. †  380  15,743 

Promotora y Operadora de Infraestructura SAB de CV (Mexico) †  1,952  23,655 

Royal Boskalis Westminster NV (Netherlands)  597  26,568 

Siam Cement PCL (The) (Thailand)  1,200  14,976 

Siam Cement PCL (The) NVDR (Thailand)  750  9,399 

Total Bangun Persada Tbk PT (Indonesia)  261,400  11,712 

Trex Co., Inc. †  83  3,594 

US Concrete, Inc. †  225  13,214 

203,403 
Consumer (0.8%)   
Basso Industry Corp. (Taiwan)  13,000  25,531 

Kimberly-Clark Corp.  3,088  367,935 

Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (The) Class A  241  16,819 

Tumi Holdings, Inc. †  304  5,369 

415,654 
Consumer finance (0.2%)   
Cardtronics, Inc. †  292  10,982 

Encore Capital Group, Inc. †  188  6,198 

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp. Class C  202  6,054 

Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Co., Ltd. (Japan)  10,500  55,237 

Nelnet, Inc. Class A  338  11,154 

PRA Group, Inc. †  165  6,816 

96,441 
Consumer goods (0.7%)   
Amorepacific Group (South Korea)  219  28,959 

Avon Products, Inc.  551  1,901 

Colgate-Palmolive Co.  813  53,398 

Coty, Inc. Class A  474  13,168 

Kao Corp. (Japan)  1,600  82,104 

LG Household & Health Care, Ltd. (South Korea)  63  54,750 

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC (United Kingdom)  496  46,540 

Unilever NV ADR (Netherlands)  1,080  47,383 

Unilever PLC (United Kingdom)  787  33,591 

361,794 
Consumer services (0.3%)   
Avis Budget Group, Inc. †  348  13,012 

JD.com, Inc. ADR (China) †  755  23,163 

Liberty Ventures Ser. A †  2,775  119,353 

Shutterfly, Inc. †  51  2,341 

TrueBlue, Inc. †  233  6,825 

164,694 
Containers (0.5%)   
Crown Holdings, Inc. †  5,073  263,339 

263,339 
Distribution (0.1%)   
ITOCHU Corp. (Japan)  1,900  23,211 

SpartanNash Co.  404  8,734 

    31,945 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   25 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Electric utilities (2.2%)     
AES Corp.  4,982  $49,770 

American Electric Power Co., Inc.  6,293  352,471 

E.ON SE (Germany)  2,397  22,783 

Endesa SA (Spain)  1,688  34,920 

Enel SpA (Italy)  10,731  47,324 

Entergy Corp.  5,885  392,118 

Glow Energy PCL (Thailand)  6,300  14,502 

Iberdrola SA (Spain)  13,020  91,218 

Korea Electric Power Corp. (South Korea)  935  39,543 

RWE AG (Germany)  2,406  27,683 

Talen Energy Corp. †  720  5,609 

Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (Japan) †  3,700  22,688 

1,100,629 
Electrical equipment (0.2%)   
ABB, Ltd. (Switzerland)  2,517  47,730 

Boer Power Holdings, Ltd. (China)  15,000  29,181 

OSRAM Licht AG (Germany)  649  27,401 

104,312 
Electronics (2.6%)   
Agilent Technologies, Inc.  4,783  200,025 

Ambarella, Inc. †  103  6,469 

Analog Devices, Inc.  2,665  164,244 

Applied Micro Circuits Corp. †  1,301  9,523 

Casetek Holdings, Ltd. (Taiwan)  8,000  39,328 

Cavium, Inc. †  102  6,845 

Ceva, Inc. †  459  11,654 

Cirrus Logic, Inc. †  204  6,744 

DSP Group, Inc. †  1,043  10,878 

EnerSys  276  16,256 

Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  15,000  38,528 

Hoya Corp. (Japan)  2,400  97,394 

Ibiden Co., Ltd. (Japan) S   1,300  20,399 

Infineon Technologies AG (Germany)  4,572  67,773 

Intersil Corp. Class A  583  8,442 

Jabil Circuit, Inc.  464  11,874 

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.  2,428  297,211 

Lattice Semiconductor Corp. †  2,425  15,253 

Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. (Israel) †  151  6,786 

Mentor Graphics Corp.  762  14,272 

Microsemi Corp. †  177  6,374 

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.  100  6,833 

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Japan)  300  46,626 

ON Semiconductor Corp. †  1,348  14,774 

Plexus Corp. †  332  12,350 

QLogic Corp. †  1,548  19,969 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  68  75,282 

Sanmina Corp. †  327  7,413 

Semtech Corp. †  165  3,317 

Silicon Laboratories, Inc. †  68  3,679 

 

26   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Electronics cont.     
Skyworth Digital Holdings, Ltd. (China)  36,719  $24,134 

Synaptics, Inc. †  183  16,428 

Wasion Group Holdings, Ltd. (China)  22,000  25,091 

Woodward, Inc.  372  18,760 

Zhen Ding Technology Holding, Ltd. (Taiwan)  5,000  14,177 

1,345,105 
Energy (oil field) (2.0%)   
Cameron International Corp. †  4,183  285,657 

Schlumberger, Ltd.  7,883  608,173 

Superior Energy Services, Inc.  6,910  108,280 

1,002,110 
Energy (other) (0.2%)   
Pacific Ethanol, Inc. †  785  3,917 

REX American Resources Corp. †  177  11,124 

Vestas Wind Systems A/S (Denmark)  1,490  97,215 

112,256 
Engineering and construction (0.3%)   
ACS Actividades de Construccion y Servicios SA (Spain)  783  25,538 

Argan, Inc.  394  15,488 

KBR, Inc.  5,627  109,389 

Matrix Service Co. †  580  13,334 

163,749 
Entertainment (0.4%)   
Carmike Cinemas, Inc. †  494  10,794 

Cedar Fair LP  203  11,433 

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. †  436  11,070 

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp.  147  8,942 

National CineMedia, Inc.  943  14,965 

Panasonic Corp. (Japan)  5,700  64,781 

Regal Entertainment Group Class A  738  13,838 

Six Flags Entertainment Corp.  1,199  62,228 

198,051 
Environmental (0.1%)   
MSA Safety, Inc.  102  4,784 

Sound Global, Ltd. (China) † F S   25,000  21,320 

Tetra Tech, Inc.  694  19,286 

45,390 
Financial (2.1%)   
3i Group PLC (United Kingdom)  11,557  87,465 

Bolsa Mexicana de Valores SAB de CV (Mexico)  16,266  23,450 

Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.  729  40,080 

CoreLogic, Inc. †  932  34,354 

E.Sun Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  56,000  33,735 

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)  162  30,783 

HSBC Holdings PLC (United Kingdom)  12,328  98,313 

JSE, Ltd. (South Africa)  1,350  12,171 

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (MUFG) (Japan)  9,900  63,634 

Morgan Stanley  12,020  412,286 

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS OAO (Russia) †  23,702  33,913 

ORIX Corp. (Japan)  4,800  69,073 

SBI Holdings, Inc. (Japan)  3,300  37,441 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   27 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Financial cont.     
UBS Group AG (Switzerland)  2,917  $55,995 

Unifin Financiera SAPI de CV SOFOM ENR (Mexico) †  10,605  33,526 

WageWorks, Inc. †  85  3,616 

1,069,835 
Food (1.9%)   
Bunge, Ltd.  5,078  338,246 

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.  204  11,120 

ConAgra Foods, Inc.  3,762  153,979 

Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentacion SA (Spain)  3,820  24,148 

Farmer Bros. Co. †  147  4,297 

Gruma SAB de CV Class B (Mexico)  2,935  42,709 

John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.  374  21,524 

Mondelez International, Inc. Class A  1,642  71,690 

Nestle SA (Switzerland)  1,282  95,136 

Pinnacle Foods, Inc.  1,943  84,598 

Sanderson Farms, Inc.  121  9,052 

Uni-President Enterprises Corp. (Taiwan)  11,000  18,134 

WH Group, Ltd. 144A (Hong Kong) †  92,500  47,627 

X5 Retail Group NV GDR (Russia) †  1,832  41,403 

963,663 
Forest products and packaging (0.8%)   
Amcor, Ltd. (Australia)  5,017  48,968 

Domtar Corp. (Canada)  243  9,985 

Graphic Packaging Holding Co.  5,068  69,280 

KapStone Paper and Packaging Corp.  451  10,946 

Mondi PLC (South Africa)  907  21,092 

Sealed Air Corp.  3,099  140,571 

Suzano Papel e Celulose SA Ser. A (Preference) (Brazil)  3,458  16,982 

UPM-Kymmene OYJ (Finland)  2,852  54,450 

Weyerhaeuser Co. R   751  24,160 

396,434 
Gaming and lottery (0.1%)   
Aristocrat Leisure, Ltd. (Australia)  3,698  25,435 

Penn National Gaming, Inc. †  575  9,171 

TABCORP Holdings, Ltd. (Australia)  2,604  8,627 

43,233 
Health-care services (3.6%)   
Aetna, Inc.  1,398  143,645 

AmerisourceBergen Corp.  4,709  464,496 

AmSurg Corp. †  175  14,711 

Anthem, Inc.  3,110  405,482 

Cardinal Health, Inc.  3,062  265,935 

Centene Corp. †  2,691  155,405 

Charles River Laboratories International, Inc. †  844  64,625 

Chemed Corp.  214  33,061 

Health Net, Inc. †  263  16,637 

HealthEquity, Inc. †  262  8,646 

HealthSouth Corp.  354  12,457 

Kindred Healthcare, Inc.  369  4,926 

Mediclinic International, Ltd. (South Africa)  2,367  18,830 

 

28   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Health-care services cont.     
Medipal Holdings Corp. (Japan)  5,700  $99,969 

Molina Healthcare, Inc. †  40  2,410 

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. R   475  16,359 

Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  80  3,969 

Providence Service Corp. (The) †  207  10,023 

Select Medical Holdings Corp.  936  11,298 

Suzuken Co., Ltd. (Japan)  1,700  66,413 

Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  700  2,443 

Triple-S Management Corp. Class B (Puerto Rico) †  250  6,610 

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. †  57  4,701 

1,833,051 
Homebuilding (0.1%)   
Taylor Wimpey PLC (United Kingdom)  8,076  23,670 

Thor Industries, Inc.  411  23,805 

47,475 
Household furniture and appliances (0.1%)   
Conn’s, Inc. †  297  7,921 

Coway Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  232  16,935 

Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc.  584  16,562 

41,418 
Insurance (3.6%)   
Ageas (Belgium)  1,490  65,182 

AIA Group, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  5,600  33,452 

Allianz SE (Germany)  496  87,857 

Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings AG  1,268  46,054 

Allstate Corp. (The)  4,331  271,814 

American Equity Investment Life Holding Co.  530  14,209 

American Financial Group, Inc.  374  27,676 

American International Group, Inc.  316  20,091 

Amtrust Financial Services, Inc.  274  17,128 

Aspen Insurance Holdings, Ltd.  543  27,432 

AXA SA (France)  2,871  77,684 

BB Seguridade Participacoes SA (Brazil)  3,700  24,836 

Cathay Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  12,000  16,751 

CNO Financial Group, Inc.  565  11,430 

CNP Assurances (France)  4,024  56,036 

Dongbu Insurance Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  436  23,380 

Employers Holdings, Inc.  716  19,626 

Essent Group, Ltd. †  198  4,895 

Federated National Holding Co.  707  20,213 

Genworth Financial, Inc. Class A †  12,226  61,741 

HCI Group, Inc.  307  12,013 

Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. †  713  16,014 

Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  904  26,449 

Maiden Holdings, Ltd. (Bermuda)  463  7,135 

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft     
AG in Muenchen (Germany)  164  33,052 

NN Group NV (Netherlands)  1,082  36,959 

Prudential Financial, Inc.  5,143  445,127 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   29 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Insurance cont.     
Reinsurance Group of America, Inc.  410  $37,671 

Swiss Life Holding AG (Switzerland)  173  43,635 

Swiss Re AG (Switzerland)  1,277  121,699 

United Insurance Holdings Corp.  1,014  19,205 

Validus Holdings, Ltd.  629  29,676 

Voya Financial, Inc.  2,478  100,855 

1,856,977 
Investment banking/Brokerage (0.2%)   
Alexander Forbes Group Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)  18,246  8,267 

Daiwa Securities Group, Inc. (Japan)  2,000  12,949 

Deutsche Bank AG (Germany)  1,112  28,556 

Investor AB Class B (Sweden)  1,671  63,684 

Oppenheimer Holdings, Inc. Class A  298  5,334 

118,790 
Leisure (0.1%)   
Brunswick Corp.  214  11,263 

Malibu Boats, Inc. Class A †  541  8,396 

MCBC Holdings, Inc. †  476  6,831 

Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. †  878  16,103 

42,593 
Lodging/Tourism (0.8%)   
Central Plaza Hotel PCL (Thailand)  14,100  17,802 

Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc.  12,677  294,360 

Marcus Corp.  348  6,925 

SJM Holdings, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  19,000  14,053 

Wyndham Worldwide Corp.  1,285  97,557 

430,697 
Machinery (1.2%)   
AGCO Corp.  1,540  77,400 

Altra Industrial Motion Corp.  340  9,527 

Hyster-Yale Materials Holdings, Inc.  73  4,222 

Kadant, Inc.  233  10,091 

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (Japan)  7,000  77,594 

Roper Technologies, Inc.  1,775  343,445 

Sandvik AB (Sweden)  5,985  61,999 

THK Co., Ltd. (Japan)  1,700  33,923 

618,201 
Manufacturing (0.9%)   
AZZ, Inc.  124  7,383 

Carlisle Cos., Inc.  449  39,714 

Chase Corp.  105  4,662 

Fabrinet (Thailand) †  1,207  28,884 

Greenbrier Cos., Inc. (The)  205  6,945 

IDEX Corp.  1,268  99,918 

Ingersoll-Rand PLC  1,708  100,208 

Leggett & Platt, Inc.  1,722  80,245 

MasTec, Inc. †  1,084  22,146 

Samchuly Bicycle Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  1,152  17,431 

Standex International Corp.  107  9,563 

Trinseo SA † S   805  22,991 

    440,090 

 

30   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Media (0.7%)     
Lagardere SCA (France)  2,185  $64,478 

Naspers, Ltd. Class N (South Africa)  457  68,121 

Viacom, Inc. Class B  4,046  201,450 

334,049 
Medical technology (0.9%)   
Accuray, Inc. †  621  4,372 

Alere, Inc. †  526  21,708 

AtriCure, Inc. †  250  5,370 

C.R. Bard, Inc.  1,139  212,788 

Cepheid †  68  2,444 

CHC Healthcare Group (Taiwan)  9,000  17,957 

Conmed Corp.  218  9,265 

Entellus Medical, Inc. †  162  2,825 

Globus Medical, Inc. Class A †  263  7,135 

Greatbatch, Inc. †  329  19,095 

Hologic, Inc. †  937  37,808 

ICU Medical, Inc. †  238  26,999 

Insulet Corp. †  197  7,208 

MiMedx Group, Inc. †  586  5,251 

Myriad Genetics, Inc. †  116  5,046 

OraSure Technologies, Inc. †  1,716  10,725 

RadNet, Inc. †  888  5,506 

Rockwell Medical, Inc. † S   1,109  13,452 

Spectranetics Corp. (The) †  284  3,928 

STAAR Surgical Co. †  443  3,717 

STERIS PLC (United Kingdom)  79  6,034 

Surgical Care Affiliates, Inc. †  384  14,273 

TransEnterix, Inc. †  1,791  4,710 

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.  286  18,032 

Zeltiq Aesthetics, Inc. †  292  8,871 

474,519 
Metals (0.5%)   
ArcelorMittal SA (France)  2,901  14,228 

Catcher Technology Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  3,000  28,954 

EVA Precision Industrial Holdings, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  118,000  25,883 

Fortescue Metals Group, Ltd. (Australia) S   15,372  21,689 

Glencore PLC (United Kingdom)  11,641  16,956 

Mitsubishi Materials Corp. (Japan)  12,000  42,450 

NN, Inc.  557  9,497 

Rio Tinto PLC (United Kingdom)  763  25,379 

ThyssenKrupp AG (Germany)  2,831  60,256 

voestalpine AG (Austria)  562  18,288 

263,580 
Miscellaneous (—%)   
Orica, Ltd. (Australia)  775  8,836 

8,836 
Natural gas utilities (0.6%)   
AGL Resources, Inc.  756  47,303 

Centrica PLC (United Kingdom)  8,906  29,254 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   31 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Natural gas utilities cont.     
ENI SpA (Italy)  4,170  $67,938 

UGI Corp.  5,079  176,089 

320,584 
Office equipment and supplies (0.1%)   
Avery Dennison Corp.  1,022  67,411 

67,411 
Oil and gas (4.0%)   
Bharat Petroleum Corp., Ltd. (India)  1,696  22,928 

BP PLC (United Kingdom)  20,479  118,824 

Callon Petroleum Co. †  1,901  18,040 

CVR Energy, Inc. S   910  43,453 

Delek US Holdings, Inc.  294  8,141 

Diamondback Energy, Inc. †  56  4,369 

EP Energy Corp. Class A †  664  3,758 

Exxon Mobil Corp.  215  17,557 

Gulfport Energy Corp. †  144  3,660 

Hess Corp.  295  17,405 

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. † S   1,117  5,730 

Occidental Petroleum Corp.  7,693  581,514 

OMV AG (Austria)  3,626  103,496 

Questar Corp.  1,047  19,841 

Repsol YPF SA (Spain)  2,202  28,721 

Royal Dutch Shell PLC Class A (United Kingdom)  2,573  63,669 

Royal Dutch Shell PLC Class B (United Kingdom)  2,345  58,345 

SM Energy Co.  172  5,052 

Statoil ASA (Norway)  6,330  97,894 

Stone Energy Corp. †  242  1,764 

Tesoro Corp.  1,043  120,122 

Total SA (France)  1,687  83,773 

Valero Energy Corp.  8,353  600,247 

Whiting Petroleum Corp. †  129  2,130 

Woodside Petroleum, Ltd. (Australia)  1,692  36,962 

2,067,395 
Pharmaceuticals (4.3%)   
ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  218  8,273 

Akorn, Inc. †  165  5,495 

Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  49  5,720 

Astellas Pharma, Inc. (Japan)  3,900  54,969 

AstraZeneca PLC (United Kingdom)  1,407  95,412 

Aurobindo Pharma, Ltd. (India)  3,154  38,280 

Biospecifics Technologies Corp. †  109  5,281 

Carbylan Therapeutics, Inc. †  369  1,472 

Cardiome Pharma Corp. (Canada) †  2,158  19,185 

Catalent, Inc. †  192  5,347 

Chimerix, Inc. †  79  3,192 

Depomed, Inc. †  174  3,383 

DexCom, Inc. †  140  11,903 

Eagle Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  76  6,965 

GlaxoSmithKline PLC (United Kingdom)  3,856  78,721 

 

32   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Pharmaceuticals cont.     
Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC (United Kingdom)  409  $13,336 

Hua Han Bio-Pharmaceutical Holdings, Ltd. (China) S   80,000  11,393 

Immune Design Corp. †  172  3,600 

Impax Laboratories, Inc. †  80  3,525 

Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corp. †  413  4,952 

Insys Therapeutics, Inc. †  265  8,443 

Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC †  307  45,003 

Lannett Co., Inc. †  460  17,002 

Merck KGaA (Germany)  345  35,336 

Novartis AG (Switzerland)  1,114  95,229 

Novo Nordisk A/S Class B (Denmark)  1,519  83,683 

Ophthotech Corp. †  144  9,154 

OPKO Health, Inc. † S   7,184  78,593 

Otsuka Holdings Company, Ltd. (Japan)  300  9,954 

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  139  9,000 

Pfizer, Inc.  23,133  758,068 

POZEN, Inc. †  1,640  12,448 

Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. †  173  8,804 

Richter Gedeon Nyrt (Hungary)  1,139  21,639 

Roche Holding AG-Genusschein (Switzerland)  462  123,712 

Sanofi (France)  1,692  150,845 

Shionogi & Co., Ltd. (Japan)  500  22,057 

Shire PLC (United Kingdom)  441  30,858 

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Class A †  468  8,026 

Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †  279  4,509 

TESARO, Inc. †  205  10,463 

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. ADR (Israel)  729  45,876 

Trevena, Inc. †  341  4,293 

uniQure NV (Netherlands) †  178  3,343 

Zoetis, Inc.  4,482  209,309 

2,186,051 
Power producers (0.1%)   
Concord New Energy Group, Ltd. (China)  410,000  26,387 

26,387 
Publishing (0.3%)   
News Corp. Class A  3,618  51,918 

Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. (Japan)  5,000  43,899 

Wolters Kluwer NV (Netherlands)  1,074  37,111 

132,928 
Railroads (0.1%)   
Aurizon Holdings, Ltd. (Australia)  5,083  20,431 

Central Japan Railway Co. (Japan)  200  35,753 

56,184 
Real estate (3.5%)   
AG Mortgage Investment Trust, Inc. R   125  1,848 

Agree Realty Corp. R   239  8,016 

American Capital Agency Corp. R   3,555  63,812 

Annaly Capital Management, Inc. R   12,362  118,428 

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. R   346  6,072 

Apollo Residential Mortgage, Inc. R   579  7,515 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   33 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Real estate cont.     
Arbor Realty Trust, Inc. R   1,351  $9,295 

Arlington Asset Investment Corp. Class A  150  2,088 

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. R   84  1,775 

Ashford Hospitality Prime, Inc. R   32  454 

Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. R   822  5,779 

Brandywine Realty Trust R   514  7,073 

Brixmor Property Group, Inc. R   1,214  30,484 

Campus Crest Communities, Inc. R   1,099  7,363 

CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. R   315  4,117 

CBRE Group, Inc. Class A †  10,424  390,587 

Chimera Investment Corp. R   1,857  26,165 

China Overseas Land & Investment, Ltd. (China)  10,000  33,049 

China Vanke Co., Ltd. (China)  12,800  31,905 

Communications Sales & Leasing, Inc. R   826  16,066 

Community Healthcare Trust, Inc. R   372  6,964 

CYS Investments, Inc. R   424  3,214 

Dexus Property Group (Australia) R   6,753  37,595 

Emaar Properties PJSC (United Arab Emirates)  11,144  17,508 

EPR Properties R   127  7,117 

Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. R   401  25,014 

First Industrial Realty Trust R   267  6,101 

General Growth Properties R   10,605  270,109 

Hersha Hospitality Trust R   232  5,478 

Invesco Mortgage Capital, Inc. R   203  2,724 

Investors Real Estate Trust R   620  5,065 

Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.  922  153,163 

Kawasan Industri Jababeka Tbk PT (Indonesia)  921,347  13,889 

Kerry Properties, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  12,000  33,823 

KWG Property Holding, Ltd. (China)  26,000  18,534 

Lexington Realty Trust R   1,191  10,231 

LTC Properties, Inc. R   290  12,363 

Macquarie Mexico Real Estate Management SA de CV (Mexico) R   16,071  21,269 

MFA Financial, Inc. R   6,005  41,915 

National Health Investors, Inc. R   298  17,996 

New World Development Co., Ltd. (Hong Kong)  46,000  46,120 

Nomura Real Estate Holdings, Inc. (Japan)  500  9,802 

One Liberty Properties, Inc. R   281  6,278 

Persimmon PLC (United Kingdom)  1,652  47,647 

Post Properties, Inc. R   104  6,132 

Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust R   345  5,820 

Scentre Group (Australia) R   5,394  15,565 

Select Income REIT R   219  4,498 

Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. R   756  10,077 

Two Harbors Investment Corp. R   8,221  69,879 

Universal Health Realty Income Trust R   58  3,056 

Wheelock and Co., Ltd. (Hong Kong)  15,000  64,828 

    1,771,665 

 

34   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Regional Bells (—%)     
Cincinnati Bell, Inc. †  2,986  $11,257 

Frontier Communications Corp.  1,856  9,261 

20,518 
Restaurants (0.1%)   
Brinker International, Inc.  257  11,724 

Papa John’s International, Inc.  127  7,300 

Sonic Corp.  380  11,043 

30,067 
Retail (7.4%)   
Amazon.com, Inc. †  357  237,334 

Ascena Retail Group, Inc. †  777  8,803 

BGF retail Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  240  36,938 

Big Lots, Inc.  300  13,497 

Caleres, Inc.  411  11,549 

Children’s Place, Inc. (The)  139  6,716 

Coach, Inc.  275  8,737 

CVS Health Corp.  6,146  578,277 

DSW, Inc. Class A  320  7,347 

Express, Inc. †  609  10,195 

GNC Holdings, Inc. Class A  274  8,168 

Harvey Norman Holdings, Ltd. (Australia)  10,432  30,871 

Home Depot, Inc. (The)  6,155  824,031 

Hyundai Department Store Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  150  16,361 

Industria de Diseno Textil SA (Inditex) (Spain)  1,427  51,352 

J Sainsbury PLC (United Kingdom)  8,498  32,483 

KAR Auction Services, Inc.  2,341  88,794 

Kingfisher PLC (United Kingdom)  17,192  91,505 

Koninklijke Ahold NV (Netherlands)  4,343  94,479 

Kroger Co. (The)  5,406  203,590 

Liberty Interactive Corp. Class A †  4,150  109,892 

Lowe’s Cos., Inc.  6,277  480,818 

Macy’s, Inc.  3,066  119,819 

Marks & Spencer Group PLC (United Kingdom)  8,619  65,230 

Men’s Wearhouse, Inc. (The)  271  5,417 

METRO AG (Germany)  648  21,607 

Next PLC (United Kingdom)  132  15,745 

NIKE, Inc. Class B  3,817  504,913 

Nutraceutical International Corp. †  173  4,322 

Poya International Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  3,000  30,009 

Puregold Price Club, Inc. (Philippines)  22,200  16,158 

Shimamura Co., Ltd. (Japan)  200  24,409 

Steven Madden, Ltd. †  130  4,147 

Truworths International, Ltd. (South Africa)  2,467  16,129 

Vista Outdoor, Inc. †  98  4,317 

Wolverine World Wide, Inc.  384  6,985 

Woolworths, Ltd. (Australia)  619  10,627 

    3,801,571 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   35 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Schools (—%)     
Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc. †  139  $9,220 

Grand Canyon Education, Inc. †  322  12,758 

ITT Educational Services, Inc. †  179  618 

22,596 
Semiconductor (0.8%)   
Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. †  590  17,210 

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. †  1,641  17,756 

Integrated Device Technology, Inc. †  169  4,739 

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.  4,523  175,357 

Power Integrations, Inc.  116  5,997 

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)  20,000  85,873 

Teradyne, Inc.  5,575  115,849 

422,781 
Shipping (1.3%)   
Aegean Marine Petroleum Network, Inc. (Greece)  1,069  10,070 

AP Moeller — Maersk A/S (Denmark)  49  74,808 

DHT Holdings, Inc. (Bermuda)  686  5,145 

Scorpio Tankers, Inc.  931  8,053 

Swift Transportation Co. †  741  11,834 

United Parcel Service, Inc. Class B  4,491  462,618 

Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Holdings, Ltd. (China)  99,500  77,331 

649,859 
Software (2.8%)   
2U, Inc. †  251  6,054 

Amdocs, Ltd.  2,694  152,400 

Glu Mobile, Inc. †  1,738  5,874 

GungHo Online Entertainment, Inc. (Japan) S   12,200  37,727 

IntraLinks Holdings, Inc. †  363  3,713 

Intuit, Inc.  2,658  266,332 

Manhattan Associates, Inc. †  125  9,575 

Microsoft Corp.  2,151  116,907 

MobileIron, Inc. †  539  2,339 

NetEase, Inc. ADR (China)  170  28,332 

Nexon Co., Ltd. (Japan)  1,700  27,012 

Oracle Corp.  11,893  463,470 

Proofpoint, Inc. †  158  11,583 

PROS Holdings, Inc. †  186  4,574 

Qlik Technologies, Inc. †  145  4,612 

Rovi Corp. †  363  4,287 

Symantec Corp.  9,083  177,845 

SYNNEX Corp.  137  12,915 

Tencent Holdings, Ltd. (China)  4,900  97,288 

Veeva Systems, Inc. Class A †  217  6,263 

1,439,102 
Staffing (0.1%)   
Barrett Business Services, Inc.  81  3,617 

Kforce, Inc.  496  13,362 

Korn/Ferry International  256  9,421 

Monster Worldwide, Inc. †  2,515  16,197 

On Assignment, Inc. †  215  10,036 

 

36   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Staffing cont.     
Paylocity Holding Corp. †  106  $4,658 

Team Health Holdings, Inc. †  87  4,797 

62,088 
Technology (—%)   
CACI International, Inc. Class A †  65  6,517 

Tech Data Corp. †  87  5,886 

12,403 
Technology services (4.1%)   
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. ADR (China) †  418  35,145 

Alphabet, Inc. Class A †  1,173  894,823 

AtoS (France)  166  13,591 

Barracuda Networks, Inc. †  226  4,301 

Computer Sciences Corp.  3,937  123,346 

CSG Systems International, Inc.  390  13,935 

CSRA, Inc. †  3,937  124,055 

Dun & Bradstreet Corp. (The)  133  14,336 

eBay, Inc. †  19,072  564,340 

Engility Holdings, Inc.  404  13,978 

Genpact, Ltd. †  838  21,118 

Leidos Holdings, Inc.  3,076  178,193 

MAXIMUS, Inc.  89  5,051 

NCSoft Corp. (South Korea)  145  27,822 

Perficient, Inc. †  430  7,516 

Tyler Technologies, Inc. †  64  11,420 

Web.com Group, Inc. †  605  14,647 

Yandex NV Class A (Russia) †  1,475  24,529 

2,092,146 
Telecommunications (2.0%)   
Bharti Infratel, Ltd. (India)  2,618  15,080 

BT Group PLC (United Kingdom)  11,560  86,434 

CalAmp Corp. †  654  12,086 

China Mobile, Ltd. (China)  8,500  97,547 

Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc.  262  8,793 

Idea Cellular, Ltd. (India)  12,778  27,056 

Inteliquent, Inc.  530  10,181 

Iridium Communications, Inc. †  624  5,098 

Juniper Networks, Inc.  10,400  313,352 

NeuStar, Inc. Class A †  238  5,998 

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (Japan)  3,000  56,998 

Orange SA (France)  3,140  54,275 

SBA Communications Corp. Class A †  1,941  204,116 

ShoreTel, Inc. †  745  7,644 

Spok Holdings, Inc.  309  5,707 

Telenor ASA (Norway)  1,761  30,699 

Telstra Corp., Ltd. (Australia)  11,995  46,600 

Ubiquiti Networks, Inc. †  128  4,466 

Vodafone Group PLC (United Kingdom)  8,010  27,053 

    1,019,183 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   37 

 



COMMON STOCKS (92.2%)* cont.  Shares  Value 

 
Telephone (1.1%)     
Deutsche Telekom AG (Germany)  3,641  $67,148 

IDT Corp. Class B  256  3,197 

KDDI Corp. (Japan)  1,200  29,835 

Nippon Telegraph & Telephone (NTT) Corp. (Japan)  1,500  55,746 

Verizon Communications, Inc.  8,848  402,142 

558,068 
Textiles (0.5%)   
Carter’s, Inc.  1,695  146,160 

G&K Services, Inc. Class A  144  9,600 

Oxford Industries, Inc.  123  8,357 

Taiwan Paiho, Ltd. (Taiwan)  10,000  22,416 

Top Glove Corp. Bhd (Malaysia)  13,000  29,585 

Welspun India, Ltd. (India)  1,344  17,548 

233,666 
Tire and rubber (0.4%)   
Cie Generale des Etablissements Michelin (France)  735  73,696 

Continental AG (Germany)  457  110,426 

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.  405  17,006 

201,128 
Tobacco (0.5%)   
Altria Group, Inc.  1,369  78,854 

British American Tobacco PLC (United Kingdom)  810  47,187 

Imperial Tobacco Group PLC (United Kingdom)  1,318  71,223 

Japan Tobacco, Inc. (Japan)  700  25,108 

Swedish Match AB (Sweden)  1,574  54,303 

276,675 
Transportation services (0.3%)   
ComfortDelgro Corp., Ltd. (Singapore)  24,100  49,963 

Deutsche Post AG (Germany)  1,267  37,034 

Matson, Inc.  105  5,430 

Royal Mail PLC (United Kingdom)  6,590  48,246 

TAV Havalimanlari Holding AS (Turkey)  1,944  14,040 

Universal Truckload Services, Inc.  36  585 

XPO Logistics, Inc. †  161  4,911 

160,209 
Trucks and parts (0.5%)   
Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.  5,959  166,614 

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. †  632  14,384 

Cooper-Standard Holding, Inc. †  182  13,457 

Douglas Dynamics, Inc.  171  3,977 

Miller Industries, Inc.  282  6,190 

S&T Motiv Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  304  20,723 

Wabash National Corp. †  1,182  15,331 

240,676 
Water Utilities (0.1%)   
China Water Affairs Group, Ltd. (China)  50,000  25,773 

    25,773 
 
Total common stocks (cost $43,258,109)    $47,117,465 

 

38   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



INVESTMENT COMPANIES (3.6%)*  Shares  Value 

 
Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc.  481  $5,565 

Medley Capital Corp.  1,036  7,791 

Solar Capital, Ltd.  412  7,498 

SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust  7,585  1,582,914 

SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF Trust S   810  215,638 

Total investment companies (cost $1,753,788)    $1,819,406 

 

WARRANTS (0.2%)* †  Expiration  Strike     
date  price  Warrants  Value 

 
Al Tayyar Travel Group Holding Co. 144A         
(Saudi Arabia)  5/24/18  $0.00  1,183  $20,054 

Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai         
144A (China)  6/24/16  0.00  6,300  18,049 

Kweichow Moutai Co., Ltd. 144A (China)  4/13/16  0.00  500  16,748 

Qingdao Haier Co., Ltd. 144A (China)  3/16/17  0.00  8,700  13,615 

Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd. 144A (China)  4/15/16  0.00  4,300  16,150 

Zhengzhou Yutong Bus Co., Ltd. 144A (China)  6/29/17  0.00  7,407  24,404 

Total warrants (cost $125,142)        $109,020 

 

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (6.0%)*  Principal amount/shares  Value 

Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC 0.27% d   Shares   831,603  $831,603 

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.16% L   Shares   2,065,151  2,065,151 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.07%, April 7, 2016 #    $136,000  135,968 

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.03%, February 4, 2016    30,000  29,998 

Total short-term investments (cost $3,062,720)      $3,062,720 
 
TOTAL INVESTMENTS       

Total investments (cost $48,199,759)      $52,108,611 

 

Key to holding’s abbreviations 
ADR  American Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank
ETF  Exchange Traded Fund 
GDR  Global Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank 
NVDR Non-voting Depository Receipts 
OAO  Open Joint Stock Company 
PJSC  Public Joint Stock Company 
SPDR  S&P Depository Receipts 

 

Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from June 1, 2015 through November 30, 2015 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $51,128,735.

† This security is non-income-producing.

# This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   39 

 



d Affiliated company. See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding securities lending. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

F This security is valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities’ valuation inputs. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was also used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio (Note 1).

L Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

R Real Estate Investment Trust.

S Security on loan, in part or in entirety, at the close of the reporting period (Note 1).

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $87,637 to cover certain derivative contracts.

Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.

DIVERSIFICATION BY COUNTRY 


Distribution of investments by country of risk at the close of the reporting period, excluding collateral received, if any (as a percentage of Portfolio Value):

United States  76.5%  Australia  0.7% 


Japan  4.2  Spain  0.7 


United Kingdom  3.2  Sweden  0.6 


France  2.0  Denmark  0.5 


Germany  1.7  Hong Kong  0.5 


China  1.6  India  0.5 


Switzerland  1.4  Netherlands  0.5 


South Korea  1.0  Other  3.6 


Taiwan  0.8  Total  100.0% 

 

 

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 11/30/15 (aggregate face value $11,652,593) (Unaudited)   
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Bank of America N.A.           
  British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  $24,851  $25,139  $(288) 

  British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  24,851  24,925  74 

  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  21,266  21,440  174 

  Euro  Buy  12/16/15  266,982  286,206  (19,224) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  266,982  267,874  892 

  Japanese Yen  Sell  2/17/16  24,593  25,108  515 

  Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  53,213  51,656  1,557 

  New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  2/17/16  5,923  5,933  10 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  24,538  24,146  392 

  Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  43,774  44,321  (547) 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  43,774  45,264  1,490 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  57,204  59,328  (2,124) 

  Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  57,204  58,896  1,692 

 

40   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 11/30/15 (aggregate face value $11,652,593) (Unaudited) cont.   
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Barclays Bank PLC           
  Australian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  $1,659  $1,115  $(544) 

  British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  36,448  37,042  (594) 

  British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  36,448  36,467  19 

  Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  24,261  24,749  (488) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  156,849  152,161  (4,688) 

  Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  2/17/16  12,387  12,391  4 

  Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  31,495  30,539  956 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  37,594  36,190  1,404 

  Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  44,314  47,145  (2,831) 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  44,314  46,586  2,272 

  Singapore Dollar  Sell  2/17/16  55,574  55,951  377 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  70,120  74,159  (4,039) 

  Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  70,120  71,394  1,274 

  Swiss Franc  Buy  12/16/15  162,658  172,349  (9,691) 

  Swiss Franc  Sell  12/16/15  162,658  163,395  737 

Citibank, N.A.             
  British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  6,024  6,028  (4) 

  British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  6,024  6,122  98 

  Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  24,785  24,935  (150) 

  Danish Krone  Sell  12/16/15  31,258  32,932  1,674 

  Euro  Buy  12/16/15  76,205  76,728  (523) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  76,205  78,445  2,240 

  Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/16  101  263  (162) 

  Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  50,056  48,700  1,356 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  24,734  24,724  10 

  Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  14,507  15,297  (790) 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  14,507  14,547  40 

  Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  46,100  45,907  193 

  Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  46,100  47,891  1,791 

Credit Suisse International           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  16,015  15,572  443 

  British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  137,060  139,059  (1,999) 

  Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  22,314  22,544  (230) 

  Chinese Yuan           
  (Offshore)  Sell  2/17/16  121,714  123,206  1,492 

  Euro  Buy  12/16/15  144,800  145,295  (495) 

  Euro  Sell  12/16/15  144,800  153,925  9,125 

  Indian Rupee  Sell  2/17/16  3,621  3,303  (318) 

  Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/16  229,548  234,367  (4,819) 

  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  6,495  6,306  189 

  Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  33,086  34,562  1,476 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   41 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 11/30/15 (aggregate face value $11,652,593) (Unaudited) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

Credit Suisse International cont.           
Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  $109,280  $112,514  $(3,234) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  109,280  108,819  (461) 

Swiss Franc  Buy  12/16/15  131,235  141,085  (9,850) 

Deutsche Bank AG           
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  15,362  15,612  (250) 

British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  15,362  15,370  8 

Czech Koruna  Sell  12/16/15  44,365  47,177  2,812 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  294,462  314,676  (20,214) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  294,462  299,146  4,684 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  3,267  3,444  (177) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  3,267  3,277  10 

Polish Zloty  Buy  12/16/15  47,372  49,290  (1,918) 

Polish Zloty  Sell  12/16/15  47,372  50,292  2,920 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  32,037  31,903  134 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  32,037  33,293  1,256 

Goldman Sachs International           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  4,977  4,840  137 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  40,063  40,719  (656) 

British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  40,063  40,078  15 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  33,921  34,550  (629) 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  150,507  151,803  (1,296) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  150,507  161,437  10,930 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  21,536  23,416  1,880 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  25,407  26,202  (795) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  25,407  25,298  (109) 

HSBC Bank USA, National Association         
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  198,356  198,270  86 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  634  680  (46) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  634  636  2 

Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/16  62,163  63,469  (1,306) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  72,678  73,493  (815) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  72,678  75,530  2,852 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
Australian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  1,298  1,329  31 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  96,241  97,420  (1,179) 

British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  96,241  96,703  462 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  150  239  89 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  827,528  884,555  57,027 

Indian Rupee  Buy  2/17/16  43,681  44,201  (520) 

Japanese Yen  Sell  2/17/16  666,692  680,871  14,179 

Mexican Peso  Buy  1/20/16  12,909  12,904  5 

New Taiwan Dollar  Sell  2/17/16  47,609  47,685  76 

New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  34,182  33,183  999 

 

42   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 11/30/15 (aggregate face value $11,652,593) (Unaudited) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. cont.           
Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  $72,166  $75,901  $(3,735) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  72,166  75,791  3,625 

Singapore Dollar  Buy  2/17/16  30,332  30,528  (196) 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  64,958  65,776  (818) 

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)           
Australian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  25,464  25,321  (143) 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  59,341  59,797  (456) 

British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  59,341  59,889  548 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  43,131  44,672  (1,541) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  88,360  92,437  4,077 

Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/16  48,647  49,431  (784) 

New Zealand Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  50,190  48,879  (1,311) 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  9,871  9,899  (28) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  9,871  10,376  505 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  5,082  5,648  566 

State Street Bank and Trust Co.           
British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  31,779  31,792  (13) 

British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  31,779  32,296  517 

Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  33,846  34,477  (631) 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  577,404  585,669  (8,265) 

Euro  Sell  12/16/15  577,404  614,509  37,105 

Hungarian Forint  Buy  12/16/15  48,758  50,879  (2,121) 

Hungarian Forint  Sell  12/16/15  48,758  49,704  946 

Japanese Yen  Sell  2/17/16  121,999  124,564  2,565 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  12,885  12,925  (40) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  12,885  13,584  699 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  22,746  22,656  90 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  22,746  23,638  892 

UBS AG           
Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/16  261,066  254,255  6,811 

British Pound  Buy  12/16/15  166,577  169,282  (2,705) 

British Pound  Sell  12/16/15  166,577  166,656  79 

Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/16  143,096  144,827  1,731 

Euro  Buy  12/16/15  359,992  383,174  (23,182) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/16  249,039  254,056  (5,017) 

Norwegian Krone  Buy  12/16/15  18,004  18,968  (964) 

Norwegian Krone  Sell  12/16/15  18,004  18,053  49 

Swedish Krona  Buy  12/16/15  24,100  25,733  (1,633) 

Swedish Krona  Sell  12/16/15  24,100  25,025  925 

Swiss Franc  Buy  12/16/15  184,255  185,097  (842) 

Swiss Franc  Sell  12/16/15  184,255  195,330  11,075 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   43 

 



FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 11/30/15 (aggregate face value $11,652,593) (Unaudited) cont.   
          Unrealized 
  Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 

WestPac Banking Corp.           
Euro  Buy  12/16/15  $59,400  $78,791  $(19,391) 

Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/16  229,549  234,372  (4,823) 

Total          $30,723 

 

FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 11/30/15 (Unaudited)     
        Unrealized 
  Number of    Expiration  appreciation/ 
  contracts  Value  date  (depreciation) 

Euro STOXX 50 Index (Long)  9  $333,289  Dec-15  $32,057 

S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Long)  4  415,960  Dec-15  29,332 

S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Short)  3  311,963  Dec-15  (22,017) 

Total        $39,372 

 

OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 11/30/15 (Unaudited)   
  Upfront    Payments  Total return  Unrealized 
Swap counterparty/  premium  Termination  received (paid) by  received by  appreciation/ 
Notional amount  received (paid)  date  fund per annum  or paid by fund  (depreciation) 

Goldman Sachs International         
shares   5,000 $—  12/15/20  (1 month USD-  Engro Corp., Ltd.  $(1,030) 
      LIBOR-BBA plus     
      1.00%)     

shares   500 —  12/15/20  (1 month USD-  Engro Corp., Ltd.  (103) 
      LIBOR-BBA plus     
      1.00%)     

Total  $—        $(1,133) 

 

44   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:

    Valuation inputs  

Investments in securities:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Common stocks*:       

Basic materials  $1,689,039  $426,261  $—­ 

Capital goods  2,981,237  222,384  — 

Communication services  1,369,285  328,862  — 

Conglomerates  39,921  —  — 

Consumer cyclicals  6,383,067  813,281  — 

Consumer staples  3,446,357  340,846  — 

Energy  3,121,871  59,890  — 

Financials  7,868,251  1,124,110  — 

Health care  5,846,238  320,992  — 

Miscellaneous  —  8,836  — 

Technology  6,968,390  728,710  — 

Transportation  1,281,847  274,417  — 

Utilities and power  1,358,982  114,391  — 

Total common stocks  42,354,485  4,762,980  — 
 
Investment companies  $1,819,406  $—­  $—­ 

Warrants  —  109,020  — 

Short-term investments  2,065,151  997,569  — 

Totals by level  $46,239,042  $5,869,569  $—­ 
 
    Valuation inputs  

Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 

Forward currency contracts  $—­  $30,723  $—­ 

Futures contracts  39,372  —  — 

Total return swap contracts  —  (1,133)  — 

Totals by level  $39,372  $29,590  $—­ 


* Common stock classifications are presented at the sector level, which may differ from the fund’s portfolio presentation.

During the reporting period, transfers within the fair value hierarchy, if any, (other than certain transfers involving non-U.S. equity securities as described in Note 1) did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using the end of period pricing valuation method.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   45 

 



Statement of assets and liabilities 11/30/15 (Unaudited)

ASSETS   

Investment in securities, at value, including $809,075 of securities on loan (Note 1):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $45,303,005)  $49,211,857 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $2,896,754) (Notes 1 and 5)  2,896,754 

Cash  26 

Foreign currency (cost $25,644) (Note 1)  24,873 

Dividends, interest and other receivables  102,576 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold  292,176 

Receivable for investments sold  73,964 

Receivable from Manager (Note 2)  21,566 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)  13,636 

Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  207,365 

Prepaid assets  4,422 

Total assets  52,849,215 
 
LIABILITIES   

Payable for investments purchased  382,660 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  180,521 

Payable for custodian fees (Note 2)  66,799 

Payable for investor servicing fees (Note 2)  17,999 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  4,177 

Payable for administrative services (Note 2)  170 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)  12,932 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)  1,133 

Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  176,642 

Collateral on securities loaned, at value (Note 1)  831,603 

Other accrued expenses  45,844 

Total liabilities  1,720,480 
 
Net assets  $51,128,735 

 
REPRESENTED BY   

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $45,695,705 

Undistributed net investment income (Note 1)  693,427 

Accumulated net realized gain on investments and foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  764,264 

Net unrealized appreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  3,975,339 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $51,128,735 
 
COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share ($32,859 divided by 2,789 shares)  $11.78 

Offering price per class A share (100/94.25 of $11.78)*  $12.50 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($51,095,876 divided by 4,336,303 shares)  $11.78 


*
On single retail sales of less than $50,000. On sales of $50,000 or more the offering price is reduced.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

46   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



Statement of operations Six months ended 11/30/15 (Unaudited)

INVESTMENT INCOME   

Dividends (net of foreign tax of $11,106)  $527,978 

Interest (including interest income of $1,063 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  1,095 

Securities lending (Note 1)  1,966 

Total investment income  531,039 
 
EXPENSES   

Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  147,865 

Investor servicing fees (Note 2)  59,343 

Custodian fees (Note 2)  65,793 

Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  1,555 

Administrative services (Note 2)  525 

Auditing and tax fees  39,482 

Other  20,462 

Fees waived and reimbursed by Manager (Note 2)  (79,045) 

Total expenses  255,980 
 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (1,642) 

Net expenses  254,338 
 
Net investment income  276,701 

 
Net realized loss on investments (Notes 1 and 3)  (444,210) 

Net realized loss on swap contracts (Note 1)  (7,115) 

Net realized loss on futures contracts (Note 1)  (43,069) 

Net realized gain on foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  19,512 

Net realized gain on written options (Notes 1 and 3)  12,576 

Net unrealized depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies during the period  (17,041) 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts, and written   
options during the period  (1,906,589) 

Net loss on investments  (2,385,936) 
 
Net decrease in net assets resulting from operations  $(2,109,235) 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   47 

 



Statement of changes in net assets

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS  Six months ended 11/30/15*  Year ended 5/31/15 

Operations:     
Net investment income  $276,701  $358,875 

Net realized gain (loss) on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  (462,306)  4,238,329 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments and assets     
and liabilities in foreign currencies  (1,923,630)  (800,053) 

Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting     
from operations  (2,109,235)  3,797,151 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     

Class A  —  (611) 

Class Y  —  (491,345) 

Net realized short-term gain on investments     

Class A  —  (1,154) 

Class Y  —  (1,417,444) 

From net realized long-term gain on investments     
Class A  —  (2,914) 

Class Y  —  (3,578,504) 

Increase from capital share transactions (Note 4)  5,843,320  21,147,943 

Total increase in net assets  3,734,085  19,453,122 
 
NET ASSETS     

Beginning of period  47,394,650  27,941,528 

End of period (including undistributed net investment     
income of $693,427 and $416,726, respectively)  $51,128,735  $47,394,650 


*
Unaudited.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

48   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 


 

 

 

 


 

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Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   49 

 



Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:          LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:          RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:   

                        Ratio of net   
                      Ratio  investment   
  Net asset    Net realized                of expenses  income (loss)   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From  From  Total  Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  to average  to average  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  net investment  net realized gain  distribu-  value, end  at net asset  end of period  net assets  net assets  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss) a  on investments­ ­ operations  income­  on investments­  tions­  of period­  value (%) b (in thousands)  (%) c,d  (%) d  (%) 

Class A­                           
November 30, 2015**  $12.19­  .06­  (.47)  (.41)  —­  —­  —­  $11.78­  (3.36)*   $33­  .51*  .54*  55* 
May 31, 2015­  13.08­  .13­  1.26­  1.39­  (.20)  (2.08)  (2.28)  12.19­  11.69­  34­  1.03­  .96­  132­ 
May 31, 2014­  11.81­  .14­  2.14­  2.28­  (.10)  (.91)  (1.01)  13.08­  19.95­  39­  1.08­  1.08­  69­ 
May 31, 2013­  10.11­  .16­  2.60­  2.76­  (.13)  (.93)  (1.06)  11.81­  28.69­  33­  1.06­  1.42­  73­ 
May 31, 2012­  12.28­  .13­  (1.12)  (.99)  —­  (1.18)  (1.18)  10.11­  (7.40)  28­  1.07­  1.20­  82­ 
May 31, 2011­  11.53­  .10­  2.79­  2.89­  (.30)  (1.84)  (2.14)  12.28­  26.57­  31­  1.06­  .86­  110­ 

Class Y­                           
November 30, 2015**  $12.19­  .06­  (.47)  (.41)  —­  —­  —­  $11.78­  (3.36)*   $51,096­  .51*  .55*  55* 
May 31, 2015­  13.09­  .13­  1.25­  1.38­  (.20)  (2.08)  (2.28)  12.19­  11.59­  47,361­  1.03­  1.04­  132­ 
May 31, 2014­  11.81­  .13­  2.16­  2.29­  (.10)  (.91)  (1.01)  13.09­  20.04­  27,902­  1.08­  1.08­  69­ 
May 31, 2013­  10.11­  .16­  2.60­  2.76­  (.13)  (.93)  (1.06)  11.81­  28.68­  24,993­  1.06­  1.43­  73­ 
May 31, 2012­  12.28­  .13­  (1.12)  (.99)  —­  (1.18)  (1.18)  10.11­  (7.41)  18,698­  1.07­  1.20­  82­ 
May 31, 2011­  11.53­  .11­  2.78­  2.89­  (.30)  (1.84)  (2.14)  12.28­  26.57­  33,597­  1.06­  .87­  110­ 


* Not annualized.

** Unaudited.

a Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts (Note 2):

  Percentage of 
  average net assets 

November 30, 2015  0.16% 

May 31, 2015  0.50 

May 31, 2014  0.57 

May 31, 2013  0.76 

May 31, 2012  0.75 

May 31, 2011  0.49 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

50   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   51 

 



Notes to financial statements 11/30/15 (Unaudited)

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from June 1, 2015 through November 30, 2015.

Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek long-term growth. The fund invests mainly in common stocks (growth or value stocks or both) of large and midsize companies worldwide. While Putnam Management typically allocates approximately 75% of the fund’s assets to investments in U.S. companies, and 25% of the fund’s assets to investments in international companies, these allocations may vary. The fund invests mainly in developed countries, but may invest in emerging markets. Under normal circumstances, Putnam Management invests at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in common stocks. This policy may be changed only after 60 days’ notice to shareholders. Putnam Management may consider, among other factors, a company’s valuation, financial strength, growth potential, competitive position in its industry, projected future earnings, cash flows and dividends when deciding whether to buy or sell investments. Putnam Management may also use derivatives, such as futures, options, certain foreign currency transactions, warrants and swap contracts, for both hedging and non-hedging purposes.

The fund offers class A and class Y shares. Class A shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75%, and generally do not pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, but do not bear a distribution fee. Class Y shares are generally only available to corporate and institutional clients and clients in other approved programs. As of the end of the reporting period, all of the Class Y shares are held by the Putnam RetirementReady Funds.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees. If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last reported sales price on their principal exchange, or official closing price for certain markets, and are classified as Level 1 securities under Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820). If no sales are

52   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



reported, as in the case of some securities that are traded OTC, a security is valued at its last reported bid price and is generally categorized as a Level 2 security.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the close of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, on certain days, the fund will fair value foreign equity securities taking into account multiple factors including movements in the U.S. securities markets, currency valuations and comparisons to the valuation of American Depository Receipts, exchange-traded funds and futures contracts. These securities, which would generally be classified as Level 1 securities, will be transferred to Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy when they are valued at fair value. The number of days on which fair value prices will be used will depend on market activity and it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Short-term securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value, and are classified as Level 2 securities.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividend income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recognized on the ex-dividend date except that certain dividends from foreign securities, if any, are recognized as soon as the fund is informed of the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded at the fair value of the securities received. Dividends representing a return of capital or capital gains, if any, are reflected as a reduction of cost and/or as a realized gain. All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

Foreign currency translation The accounting records of the fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The fair value of foreign securities, currency holdings, and other assets and liabilities is recorded in the books and records of the fund after translation to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates on that day. The cost of each security is determined using historical exchange rates. Income and withholding taxes are translated at prevailing exchange rates when earned or incurred. The fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. Such gains and losses are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net realized exchange gains or losses on closed forward currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains and losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized appreciation and depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   53 

 



currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts to enhance returns on securities owned, to gain exposure to securities and to manage downside risks.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts to manage exposure to market risk, and to equitize cash.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.” Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Forward currency contracts The fund buys and sells forward currency contracts, which are agreements between two parties to buy and sell currencies at a set price on a future date. These contracts are used to hedge foreign exchange risk.

The U.S. dollar value of forward currency contracts is determined using current forward currency exchange rates supplied by a quotation service. The fair value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. The fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed when the contract matures or by delivery of the currency. The fund could be exposed to risk if the value of the currency changes unfavorably, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the fund is unable to enter into a closing position. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Forward currency contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Total return swap contracts The fund entered into OTC total return swap contracts, which are arrangements to exchange a market-linked return for a periodic payment, both based on a notional principal amount, to manage exposure to specific securities, and to gain exposure to a basket of securities.

To the extent that the total return of the security, index or other financial measure underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the fund will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty. OTC total return swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers and the change, if any, is recorded as an unrealized gain or

54   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



loss. Payments received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses. Certain OTC total return swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract. The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index, the possibility that there is no liquid market for these agreements or that the counterparty may default on its obligation to perform. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated by having a master netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC total return swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, is presented in the fund’s portfolio.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

Termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term and short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $88,522 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. There was no collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements.

Securities lending The fund may lend securities, through its agent, to qualified borrowers in order to earn additional income. The loans are collateralized by cash in an amount at least equal to the fair value of the securities loaned. The fair value of securities loaned is determined daily and any additional required collateral is allocated to the fund on the next business day. The risk of borrower default will be borne by the fund’s agent; the fund will bear the risk of loss with respect to the investment of the cash collateral. Income from securities lending is included in investment income on the Statement of operations. Cash collateral is invested in Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC, a limited liability company managed by an affiliate of Putnam Management. Investments in Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC are valued at its closing net asset value each business day. There are no management fees charged to Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC. At the close of the reporting period, the fund received cash collateral of $831,603 and the value of securities loaned amounted to $809,075.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million syndicated unsecured committed line of credit provided by State Street ($292.5 million) and Northern Trust Company ($100 million) and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit provided by State Street. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the overnight LIBOR plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.16%

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   55 

 



per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund may also be subject to taxes imposed by governments of countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The fund accrues and applies such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. In some cases, the fund may be entitled to reclaim all or a portion of such taxes, and such reclaim amounts, if any, are reflected as an asset on the fund’s books. In many cases, however, the fund may not receive such amounts for an extended period of time, depending on the country of investment.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. Dividend sources are estimated at the time of declaration. Actual results may vary. Any non-taxable return of capital cannot be determined until final tax calculations are completed after the end of the fund’s fiscal year. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations.

Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a management fee (based on the fund’s average net assets and computed and paid monthly) at annual rates that may vary based on the average of the aggregate net assets of most open-end funds, as defined in the fund’s management contract, sponsored by Putnam Management. Such annual rates may vary as follows:

0.750%  of the first $5 billion,  0.550%  of the next $50 billion, 


0.700%  of the next $5 billion,  0.530%  of the next $50 billion, 


0.650%  of the next $10 billion,  0.520%  of the next $100 billion and 


0.600%  of the next $10 billion,  0.515%  of any excess thereafter. 


 

Putnam Management has contractually agreed, through September 30, 2016, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $79,045 as a result of this limit.

Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. Putnam Management pays a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

56   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL. Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, pays a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

The fund reimburses Putnam Management an allocated amount for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund. The aggregate amount of all such reimbursements is determined annually by the Trustees.

Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes.

Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. During the reporting period, the expenses for each class of shares related to investor servicing fees were as follows:

Class A  $39 

Class Y  59,304 

Total  $59,343 

 

The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. The fund also reduced expenses through brokerage/service arrangements. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $336 under the expense offset arrangements and by $1,306 under the brokerage/ service arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $34, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees.

The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Pension expense for the fund is included in Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of operations. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003.

The fund has adopted a distribution plan (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plan is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plan provides for payment by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35% of the average net assets attributable to class A shares. The Trustees currently have not approved payments under the Plan.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of class A shares. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received no money on class A redemptions.

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   57 

 



Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:

  Cost of purchases  Proceeds from sales 

Investments in securities (Long-term)  $32,450,536  $26,534,974 

U.S. government securities (Long-term)  —  — 

Total  $32,450,536  $26,534,974 

 

  Written option  Written option 
  contract amounts  premiums 

Written options outstanding at the     
beginning of the reporting period  $31,032  $12,576 

Options expired  (31,032)  (12,576) 

Written options outstanding at the     
end of the reporting period  $—  $— 

 

Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

  Six months ended 11/30/15  Year ended 5/31/15 

Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  —  $—  2,694  $36,426 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  —  —  410  4,679 

  —  —  3,104  41,105 

Shares repurchased  —  —  (3,311)  (43,930) 

Net decrease  —  $—  (207)  $(2,825) 

 
  Six months ended 11/30/15  Year ended 5/31/15 

Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 

Shares sold  4,407,806  $51,498,224  5,506,528  $68,448,082 

Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  —  —  477,156  5,487,293 

  4,407,806  51,498,224  5,983,684  73,935,375 

Shares repurchased  (3,956,310)  (45,654,904)  (4,231,047)  (52,784,607) 

Net increase  451,496  $5,843,320  1,752,637  $21,150,768 

 

At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned 2,325 class A shares of the fund (83.4% of class A shares outstanding), valued at $27,389.

58   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 

 



Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which is under common ownership and control, were as follows:

  Fair value at the        Fair value at 
  beginning of        the end of 
  the reporting      Investment  the reporting 
Name of affiliate  period  Purchase cost  Sale proceeds  income  period 

Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund*  $1,617,817  $13,916,734  $13,469,400  $1,063  $2,065,151 


* Management fees charged to Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

Note 6: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default.

Note 7: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Purchased equity option contracts (contract amount)  $4,000 

Written equity option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)  $4,000 

Futures contracts (number of contracts)  20 

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)  $17,700,000 

OTC total return swap contracts (notional)  $6,000 

Warrants (number of warrants)  35,000 

 

The following is a summary of the fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period:

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period

  Asset derivatives Liability derivatives

Derivatives not         
accounted for as  Statement of    Statement of   
hedging instruments  assets and    assets and   
under ASC 815  liabilities location  Fair value  liabilities location  Fair value 

Foreign exchange         
contracts  Receivables  $207,365  Payables  $176,642 

  Investments,       
  Receivables, Net    Payables, Net   
  assets — Unrealized    assets — Unrealized   
Equity contracts  appreciation  170,409*  depreciation  23,150* 

Total    $377,774    $199,792 


* Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.

 

 

 

 

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   59 

 



The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments in the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not             
accounted for as        Forward     
hedging instruments        currency     
under ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  $—  $—  $—  $20,825  $—  $20,825 

Equity contracts  (21,132)  (6,294)  (43,069)  —  (7,115)  (77,610) 

Total  $(21,132)  $(6,294)  $(43,069)  $20,825  $(7,115)  $(56,785) 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not             
accounted for as        Forward     
hedging instruments        currency     
under ASC 815  Warrants  Options  Futures  contracts  Swaps  Total 

Foreign exchange             
contracts  $—  $—  $—  $(15,783)  $—  $(15,783) 

Equity contracts  (18,942)  6,478  28,755  —  (610)  15,681 

Total  $(18,942)  $6,478  $28,755  $(15,783)  $(610)  $(102) 

 

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Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   61 

 



Note 8: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.

  Bank of America N.A. Barclays Bank PLC Citibank, N.A. Credit Suisse International Deutsche Bank AG Goldman Sachs International HSBC Bank USA, National Association JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The) State Street Bank and Trust Co. UBS AG WestPac Banking Corp. Total

Assets:                             

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $— 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  13,636  —  —  —  —  13,636 

Forward currency contracts#  6,796  7,043  7,402  12,725  11,824  12,962  2,940  76,493  —  5,696  42,814  20,670  —  207,365 

Total Assets  $6,796  $7,043  $7,402  $12,725  $11,824  $12,962  $2,940  $76,493  $13,636  $5,696  $42,814  $20,670  $—  $221,001 

Liabilities:                             

OTC Total return swap contracts*#  —  —  —  —  —  1,133  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  1,133 

Futures contracts§  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  —  12,932  —  —  —  —  12,932 

Forward currency contracts#  22,183  22,875  1,629  21,406  22,559  3,485  2,167  6,448  —  4,263  11,070  34,343  24,214  176,642 

Total Liabilities  $22,183  $22,875  $1,629  $21,406  $22,559  $4,618  $2,167  $6,448  $12,932  $4,263  $11,070  $34,343  $24,214  $190,707 

Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets  $(15,387)  $(15,832)  $5,773  $(8,681)  $(10,735)  $8,344  $773  $70,045  $704  $1,433  $31,744  $(13,673)  $(24,214)  $30,294 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—   

Net amount  $(15,387)  $(15,832)  $5,773  $(8,681)  $(10,735)  $8,344  $773  $70,045  $704  $1,433  $31,744  $(13,673)  $(24,214)   


*
Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

† Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

# Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§ Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.

62   Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund  Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund   63 

 


Putnam Investments  [   ] 16 

 



Statement of Additional Information Supplement  November 30, 2015 

 

SUPPLEMENT TO THE STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF ALL PUTNAM RETAIL OPEN-END FUNDS AND PUTNAM DYNAMIC ASSET ALLOCATION EQUITY FUND, PUTNAM MONEY MARKET LIQUIDITY FUND, AND PUTNAM MORTGAGE OPPORTUNITIES FUND

The following replaces similar disclosure in the sub-section “Sales without sales charges or contingent deferred sales charges” under the heading “HOW TO BUY SHARES”:

(ii) clients of administrators or other service providers of employer-sponsored retirement plans which have entered into agreements with Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services, Inc. or an affiliate (for purposes of this waiver, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs or SARSEPs) (not applicable to tax-exempt funds);

The sub-section “Additional Dealer Payments” under the heading “DISTRIBUTION PLANS” is revised as follows:

The seventh paragraph is replaced with the following:

Program Servicing Payments. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates also make payments to certain dealers that sell Putnam fund shares through dealer platforms and other investment programs to compensate dealers for a variety of services they provide. A dealer may perform program services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform program services. In addition to shareholder recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, program services may include services rendered in connection with dealer platform development and maintenance, fund/investment selection and monitoring, or other similar services. Payments by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates for program servicing support to any one dealer are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.20% of the total assets in the program on an annual basis. In addition, Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates make one-time or annual payments to selected dealers receiving program servicing payments in reimbursement of printing costs for literature for shareholders, account maintenance fees or fees for establishment of Putnam funds on the dealer’s system. The amounts of these payments may, but will not normally (except in cases where the aggregate assets in the program are small), cause the aggregate amount of the program servicing payments to such dealer on an annual basis to exceed the amounts set forth above.

The ninth paragraph is replaced with the following:

As noted above, this list of program servicing recipients above is for the year ended December 31, 2014. Subsequent to that date, Putnam changed its reporting approach for certain firms that provide administrative services, which may result in fewer firms being listed for 2015. Additional or different dealers may also receive program servicing payments in 2015 and in future years. Any additions, modifications or deletions to the list of dealers identified above that have occurred since December 31, 2014 are not reflected. You can ask your dealer about any payments it receives from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates.

The eleventh paragraph is replaced with the following:

Sub-accounting payments. Certain dealers or other financial intermediaries also receive payments from Putnam Investor Services or its affiliates in recognition of sub-accounting or other services they provide to shareholders or plan participants who invest in the fund or other Putnam funds through



their retirement plan. The amount paid for these services varies depending on the share class selected and by dealer or other financial intermediary, and may also take into account the extent to which the services provided by the dealer replace services that Putnam Investor Services or its affiliates would otherwise have to provide. There are no such payments in respect of class R6 shares, and payments in respect of class R5 shares are generally made at an annual rate of up to 0.10% of a fund’s average net assets attributable to class R5 shares held by a dealer or other financial intermediary, except that an annual rate of up to 0.07% of a fund’s average net assets attributable to class R5 shares held by a dealer or other financial intermediary applies to Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund, Putnam American Government Income Fund, Putnam Diversified Income Trust, Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Conservative Fund, Putnam Global Income Trust, Putnam Income Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund. Payments for other classes vary. See the discussion under the heading “MANAGEMENT – Investor Servicing Agent” for more details.

The thirteenth paragraph is deleted in its entirety.

The second paragraph under the heading “DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE” is replaced with the following:

Assets of money market funds are valued at amortized cost pursuant to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act. For other funds, securities and other assets (“Securities”) for which market quotations are readily available are valued at prices which, in the opinion of Putnam Management, most nearly represent the market values of such Securities. Currently, prices for these Securities are determined using the last reported sale price (or official closing price for Securities listed on certain markets) or, if no sales are reported (as in the case of some Securities traded over-the-counter), the last reported bid price, except that certain Securities are valued at the mean between the last reported bid and ask prices. All other Securities are valued by Putnam Management or other parties at their fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees.

     11/15 

 



FUND SYMBOLS  CLASS A  CLASS Y 
  --  -- 

 

Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 
 
A Series of Putnam Funds Trust 
 
FORM N-1A 
 
PART B 
 
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (SAI) 
<R>   
9/30/15 

 

This SAI is not a prospectus. If the fund has more than one form of current prospectus, each reference to the prospectus in this SAI includes all of the fund's prospectuses, unless otherwise noted. The SAI should be read together with the applicable prospectus. For a free copy of the fund's annual report or a prospectus dated 9/30/15, as revised from time to time, call Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581 or write Putnam Investor Services, P.O. Box 8383, Boston, MA 02266-8383.

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Part I of this SAI contains specific information about the fund. Part II includes information about the fund and the other Putnam funds.

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</R>

I-1 

 



Table of Contents   
 
 
PART I   
 
<R>   
FUND ORGANIZATION AND CLASSIFICATION  I-3 
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS  I-3 
CHARGES AND EXPENSES  I-5 
PORTFOLIO MANAGERS  I-12 
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS I-13 
</R>   
 
PART II   
 
<R>   
HOW TO BUY SHARES  II-1 
DISTRIBUTION PLANS  II-11 
MISCELLANEOUS INVESTMENTS, INVESTMENT PRACTICES AND RISKS  II-19 
TAXES  II-56 
MANAGEMENT  II-71 
DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE  II-90 
INVESTOR SERVICES  II-92 
SIGNATURE GUARANTEES  II-96 
REDEMPTIONS  II-96 
POLICY ON EXCESSIVE SHORT-TERM TRADING  II-97 
SHAREHOLDER LIABILITY  II-97 
DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO INFORMATION  II-97 
PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES  II-99 
SECURITIES RATINGS  II-100 
APPENDIX A - PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES OF THE PUTNAM FUNDS  II-106 
APPENDIX B - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS  II-130 

 

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I-2 

 



SAI
 
PART I 

 

FUND ORGANIZATION AND CLASSIFICATION

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Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust, a Massachusetts business trust organized on January 22, 1996 (the "Trust"). A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, which is governed by Massachusetts law, is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Prior to September 30, 2011, the fund was known as Putnam Asset Allocation Equity Portfolio.

The Trust is an open-end management investment company with an unlimited number of authorized shares of beneficial interest. The Trustees may, without shareholder approval, create two or more series of shares representing separate investment portfolios. Any such series of shares may be divided without shareholder approval into two or more classes of shares having such preferences and special or relative rights and privileges as the Trustees determine. The fund offers classes of shares with different sales charges and expenses.

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Each share has one vote, with fractional shares voting proportionally. Shares of all series and classes will vote together as a single class on all matters except (i) when required by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or when the Trustees have determined that a matter affects one or more series or classes materially differently, shares are voted by individual series or class; and (ii) when the Trustees determine that such a matter affects only the interests of a particular series or class, then only shareholders of such series or class shall be entitled to vote thereon. Shares are freely transferable, are entitled to dividends as declared by the Trustees, and, if the fund were liquidated, would receive the net assets of the fund.

The fund may suspend the sale of shares at any time and may refuse any order to purchase shares. Although the fund is not required to hold annual meetings of its shareholders, shareholders holding at least 10% of the outstanding shares entitled to vote have the right to call a meeting to elect or remove Trustees, or to take other actions as provided in the Agreement and Declaration of Trust.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

As fundamental investment restrictions, which may not be changed without a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a fund created under the Trust, the fund may not and will not:

(1) Borrow money in excess of 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets (not including the amount borrowed) at the time the borrowing is made.

I-3 

 



(2) Underwrite securities issued by other persons except to the extent that, in connection with the disposition of its portfolio investments, it may be deemed to be an underwriter under certain federal securities laws.

(3) Purchase or sell real estate, although it may purchase securities of issuers which deal in real estate, securities which are secured by interests in real estate, and securities which represent interests in real estate, and it may acquire and dispose of real estate or interests in real estate acquired through the exercise of its rights as a holder of debt obligations secured by real estate or interests therein.

(4) Purchase or sell commodities, except as permitted by applicable law.

(5) Make loans, except by purchase of debt obligations in which the fund may invest consistent with its investment policies (including without limitation debt obligations issued by other Putnam funds), by entering into repurchase agreements, or by lending its portfolio securities.

(6) With respect to 75% of its total assets, invest in securities of any issuer if, immediately after such investment, more than 5% of the total assets of the fund (taken at current value) would be invested in the securities of such issuer; provided that this limitation does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed as to interest or principal by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities or to securities issued by other investment companies.

(7) With respect to 75% of its total assets, acquire more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any issuer.

(8) Purchase securities (other than securities of the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result of such purchase, more than 25% of the fund's total assets would be invested in any one industry.

(9) Issue any class of securities which is senior to the fund’s shares of beneficial interest, except for permitted borrowings.

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The Investment Company Act of 1940 provides that a "vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities" of the fund means the affirmative vote of the lesser of (1) more than 50% of the outstanding fund shares, or (2) 67% or more of the shares present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding fund shares are represented at the meeting in person or by proxy.

For purposes of the fund’s fundamental policy on industry concentration (#8 above), Putnam Investment Management, LLC (Putnam Management), the fund's investment manager, determines the appropriate industry categories and assigns issuers to them, informed by a variety of considerations, including relevant third party categorization systems. Industry categories and issuer assignments may change over time as industry sectors and issuers evolve. Portfolio allocations shown in shareholder reports and other communications may use broader investment sectors or narrower sub-industry categories.

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</R>

The following non-fundamental investment policies may be changed by the Trustees without shareholder approval:

(1) The fund will not invest in (a) securities which are not readily marketable, (b) securities restricted as to resale (excluding securities determined by the Trustees of the fund (or the person designated by the Trustees of the fund to make such determinations) to be readily marketable), and (c) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, if, as a result, more than 15% of the fund's net assets (taken at current value) would be invested in securities described in (a), (b) and (c).

(2) The fund will not acquire any securities of registered open-end investment companies or registered unit investment trusts in reliance on Sections 12(d)(1)(F) or (G) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

All percentage limitations on investments (other than pursuant to non-fundamental restriction (1)) will apply at the time of the making of an investment and shall not be considered violated unless an excess or deficiency occurs or exists immediately after and as a result of such investment.

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If, as a result of a change in values or net assets or other circumstances, greater than 15% of the fund’s net assets are invested in securities described in (a), (b) and (c) in non-fundamental policy (1) above, the fund will take such steps as are deemed advisable to protect the fund’s liquidity.

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The Trust has filed an election under Rule 18f-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 committing each fund that is a series of the Trust to pay all redemptions of fund shares by a single shareholder during any 90-day period in cash, up to the lesser of (i) $250,000 or (ii) 1% of such fund’s net assets measured as of the beginning of such 90-day period.

CHARGES AND EXPENSES

<R>

Shareholders of your fund approved a new management contract with Putnam Management effective February 27, 2014 (the "Management Contract"). The substantive terms of the Management Contract, including terms relating to fees, are identical to the terms of your fund’s prior management contracts dated July 1, 2013 and January 1, 2010. Shareholders were asked to approve the Management Contract following the death on October 8, 2013 of The Honourable Paul G. Desmarais, who had controlled directly and indirectly a majority of the voting shares of Power Corporation of Canada, the ultimate parent company of Putnam Management.

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I-5 

 



Between October 8, 2013 and the date of the Management Contract, Putnam Management managed the fund's investment portfolio and other affairs and business under an interim management contract, which was substantively identical to the fund's prior management contracts dated July 1, 2013 and January 1, 2010. Putnam Management has entered into sub-management and sub-advisory contracts for your fund effective as of the time the Management Contract became effective. Please see “Management—The Sub-Manager” in Part II of this SAI for information about the sub-management contract and “Management — The Sub-Adviser” in Part II of this SAI for information about the sub-advisory contract.

Management fees

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Under the Management Contract, the fund pays a monthly fee to Putnam Management. The fee is calculated by applying a rate to the fund’s average net assets for the month. The rate is based on the monthly average of the aggregate net assets of all open-end funds sponsored by Putnam Management (excluding fund assets that are invested in other Putnam funds) (“Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets”), as determined at the close of each business day during the month as set forth below:

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0.750% of the first $5 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;

0.700% of the next $5 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;

0.650% of the next $10 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;

0.600% of the next $10 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;

0.550% of the next $50 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;

0.530% of the next $50 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets;

0.520% of the next $100 billion of Total Open-End Mutual Fund Average Net Assets; and

0.515% of any excess thereafter.

For the past three fiscal years, pursuant to the applicable management contract, the fund incurred the following fees:

I-6 

 



      Amount 
      management 
      fee would 
    Amount of  have been 
  Management management  without 
 Fiscal year fee paid  fee waived  waivers 
<R>       
2015  $29,786  $171,017  $200,803 
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2014  $6,804  $147,139  $153,943 
2013  $0  $129,537  $129,537 
<R>
</R>
 
     

 

The amount of management fee waived for the most recent fiscal year resulted from arrangements set forth in "General expense limitation" under "Management - The Management Contract" in Part II of this SAI.

Brokerage commissions

The following table shows brokerage commissions paid during the fiscal years indicated:

  Brokerage 
Fiscal year  commissions 
<R>   
2015  $45,195 
</R>   
2014  $20,013 
2013  $24,203 

 

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The brokerage commissions for the fund’s 2015 fiscal year were higher than the brokerage commissions for the fund’s 2014 and 2013 fiscal years due to increased trading within the fund’s equity allocation.

Portfolio turnover for fiscal 2015 was higher than that for fiscal 2014 and 2013 primarily due to a change in calculation methodology in respect of TBA purchase and sale commitments.


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I-7 

 



The following table shows transactions placed with brokers and dealers during the most recent fiscal year to recognize research services received by Putnam Management and its affiliates:

Dollar     
value of  Percentage   
these  of total  Amount of 
transactions transactions  commissions
<R>     
$99,808,309  66.58%  $39,476 

 

At the end of fiscal 2015, the fund held the following securities of its regular broker-dealers (or affiliates of such broker-dealers):

</R>

Broker-dealers or affiliates   Value of securities held 
<R>   
Bank of America Corp.  $706,151 
Barclays PLC  $19,907 
Credit Suisse Group AG  $21,946 
Deutsche Bank AG  $32,398 
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)  $479,392 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.  $804,555 
Morgan Stanley  $264,955 
UBS AG  $55,270 
</R>   

 

Administrative expense reimbursement

<R>

The fund reimbursed Putnam Management for administrative services during fiscal 2015, including compensation of certain Trust officers and contributions to the Putnam Retirement Plan for their benefit, as follows:

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  Portion of total 
  reimbursement 
  for 
  compensation 
Total  and 
reimbursement  contributions 
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I-8 

 



$885  $605 

 

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Trustee responsibilities and fees

The Trustees are responsible for generally overseeing the conduct of fund business. Subject to such policies as the Trustees may determine, Putnam Management furnishes a continuing investment program for the fund and makes investment decisions on its behalf. Subject to the control of the Trustees, Putnam Management also manages the fund's other affairs and business.

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The table below shows the value of each Trustee's holdings in the fund and in all of the Putnam Funds as of December 31, 2014.

</R>

  Dollar range of  Aggregate dollar 
  Putnam Dynamic  range of shares held 
Name of Trustee  Asset Allocation  in all of the Putnam 
  Equity Fund shares  funds overseen by 
  owned  Trustee 

Liaquat Ahamed  N/A  over $100,000 

Ravi Akhoury  $1-$10,000  over $100,000 

Barbara M.     
Baumann  N/A  over $100,000 

Jameson A. Baxter  N/A  over $100,000 

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</R>     

Robert J. Darretta  N/A  over $100,000 

Katinka Domotorffy  N/A  over $100,000 

John A. Hill  N/A  over $100,000 

Paul L. Joskow  N/A  over $100,000 

Kenneth R. Leibler  N/A  over $100,000 

Robert E. Patterson  N/A  over $100,000 

George Putnam, III  N/A  over $100,000 

W. Thomas     
Stephens  N/A  over $100,000 

* Robert L.     
Reynolds  $1-$10,000  over $100,000 

 

* Trustee who is an "interested person" (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the fund and Putnam Management. Mr. Reynolds is deemed an "interested person" by virtue of his positions as an officer of the fund and Putnam Management. Mr. Reynolds is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments, LLC and President of your fund and each of the other Putnam funds. None of the other Trustees is an "interested person".

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual retainer fee and an additional fee for each Trustee meeting attended. Independent Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees. All of the current Independent Trustees of the fund are Trustees of all the Putnam funds and receive fees for their services.

I-9 

 



<R>

The Trustees periodically review their fees to ensure that such fees continue to be appropriate in light of their responsibilities as well as in relation to fees paid to trustees of other mutual fund complexes. The Board Policy and Nominating Committee, which consists solely of Independent Trustees of the fund, estimates that committee and Trustee meeting time, together with the appropriate preparation, requires the equivalent of at least four business days per regular Trustee meeting. The standing committees of the Board of Trustees, and the number of times each committee met during your fund’s most recently completed fiscal year, are shown in the table below:

Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee*  12 

Board Policy and Nominating Committee  3 

Brokerage Committee  3 

Contract Committee  9 

</R>   

Executive Committee  1 

<R>   

Investment Oversight Committees   
Investment Oversight Committee A  6 
Investment Oversight Committee B  6 

Pricing Committee  5 

 

*Effective August 10, 2015, the Audit and Compliance Committee assumed the duties of the Distributions Committee and was redesignated as the Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee. The number of meetings of the Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee reported in the table above excludes the meetings of the Distributions Committee that were held during the funds’ fiscal year. The Distributions Committee met 7 times during the funds’ most recently completed fiscal year.

The following table shows the year each Trustee was first elected a Trustee of the Putnam funds, the fees paid to each Trustee by the fund for fiscal 2015, and the fees paid to each Trustee by all of the Putnam funds for services rendered during calendar year 2014:

</R>

I-10 

 



COMPENSATION TABLE
 
    Pension or  Estimated annual  Total 
  Aggregate  retirement benefits  benefits from all  compensation from 
Trustees/Year  compensation from accrued as part of  Putnam funds upon  all Putnam 
  the fund  fund expenses  retirement(1)  funds(2) 

<R>         

Liaquat Ahamed/2012(3)  $107  N/A  N/A  $285,000 

Ravi Akhoury/2009  $107  N/A  N/A  $285,000 

Barbara M. Baumann/2010(3)  $107  N/A  N/A  $285,000 

Jameson A. Baxter/1994(3)(4)  $155  $0  $110,500  $435,625 

Charles B. Curtis/2001 (5)  $107  $0  $113,900  $285,000 

Robert J. Darretta/2007(3)  $103  N/A  N/A  $273,000 

Katinka Domotorffy /2012(3)  $107  N/A  N/A  $285,000 

John A. Hill/1985(3)  $107  $0  $161,700  $285,000 

Paul L. Joskow/1997(3)  $107  $0  $113,400  $285,000 

Kenneth R. Leibler/2006  $116  N/A  N/A  $310,000 

Robert E. Patterson/1984  $116  $0  $106,500  $310,000 

George Putnam, III/1984  $107  $0  $130,300  $285,000 

W. Thomas Stephens/1997(6)  $107  $0  $107,100  $285,000 

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Robert L. Reynolds/2008(7)  N/A  N/A  N/A  N/A 

 

(1) Estimated benefits for each Trustee are based on Trustee fee rates for calendar years 2003, 2004 and 2005.

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(2) As of December 31, 2014, there were 116 funds in the Putnam family.

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(3) Certain Trustees are also owed compensation deferred pursuant to a Trustee Compensation Deferral Plan.

<R>

As of May 31, 2015, the total amounts of deferred compensation payable by the fund, including income earned on such amounts, to these Trustees were: Mr. Ahamed - $61; Ms. Baumann - $70; Ms. Baxter - $338; Mr. Darretta - $209; Ms. Domotorffy - $27; Mr. Hill - $752; and Dr. Joskow - $254.

(4) Includes additional compensation to Ms. Baxter for service as Chair of the Trustees of the Putnam funds.

(5) Mr. Curtis retired from the Board of Trustees of the Putnam funds on June 30, 2015.

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(6) Mr. Stephens retired from the Board of Trustees of the Putnam funds on March 31, 2008. Upon his retirement in 2008, Mr. Stephens became entitled to receive annual retirement benefit payments from the funds commencing on January 15, 2009. Mr. Stephens was re-appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Putnam funds effective May 14, 2009, and in connection with his reappointment, Mr. Stephens has agreed to suspend the balance of his retirement benefit payments for the duration of his service as a Trustee.

(7) Mr. Reynolds is an "interested person" of the fund and Putnam Management.

Under a Retirement Plan for Trustees of the Putnam funds (the Plan), each Trustee who retires with at least five years of service as a Trustee of the funds is entitled to receive an annual retirement benefit equal to one-half of the average annual attendance and retainer fees paid to such Trustee for calendar years 2003, 2004 and 2005. This retirement benefit is payable during a

I-11 

 



Trustee's lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. A death benefit, also available under the Plan, ensures that the Trustee and his or her beneficiaries will receive benefit payments for the lesser of an aggregate period of (i) ten years, or (ii) such Trustee's total years of service.

The Plan Administrator (currently the Board Policy and Nominating Committee) may terminate or amend the Plan at any time, but no termination or amendment will result in a reduction in the amount of benefits (i) currently being paid to a Trustee at the time of such termination or amendment, or (ii) to which a current Trustee would have been entitled had he or she retired immediately prior to such termination or amendment. The Trustees have terminated the Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected to the Board after 2003.

For additional information concerning the Trustees, see "Management" in Part II of this SAI.

Share ownership

In light of its share ownership noted below, Putnam Investment Holdings, LLC may be deemed to "control" the fund. Putnam Investment Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, is owned through a series of subsidiaries by Great-West Lifeco Inc., a Canadian corporation. The address of Putnam Investment Holdings is One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

<R>

At August 31, 2015, the officers and Trustees of the fund as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each class of the fund, except class A, of which they owned 16.67%, and, except as noted below, no person owned of record or to the knowledge of the fund beneficially 5% or more of any class of shares of the fund.

Class A  Putnam LLC  83.33% 
  One Post Office Square   
  Boston, MA 02109   

Class A  Robert Reynolds  8.33% 
  153 Garfield Road   
  Concord, MA 01742-4905   

Class A  Ravi Akhoury  8.33% 
  6 Pine Valley Way   
  Florham Park, NJ 07932-2700   

Class Y*  Putnam Retirement Ready 2040 Fund – Class A shares  22.49% 

Class Y*  Putnam Retirement Ready 2050 Fund – Class A shares  21.48% 

Class Y*  Putnam Retirement Ready 2045 Fund – Class A shares  17.83% 

Class Y*  Putnam Retirement Ready 2050 Fund – Class R shares  6.33% 

Class Y*  Putnam Retirement Ready 2045 Fund – Class Y shares  5.23% 

 

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*The address for the name listed is: c/o Putnam Investments, One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

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Distribution fees

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During the 2015 fiscal year, the fund paid no 12b-1 fees to Putnam Retail Management.

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Class A sales charges and contingent deferred sales charges

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During the 2013, 2014 and 2015 fiscal years, Putnam Retail Management received no sales charges with respect to class A shares.

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Investor servicing fees

<R>

During the 2015 fiscal year, the fund incurred $79,357 in fees for investor servicing provided by Putnam Investor Services, Inc.

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PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

Other accounts managed

The following table shows the number and approximate assets of other investment accounts (or portions of investment accounts) that the fund's portfolio managers managed as of the fund's most recent fiscal year-end. The other accounts may include accounts for which the individuals were not designated as a portfolio manager. Unless noted, none of the other accounts pays a fee based on the account's performance.

          Other accounts (including 
          separate accounts, managed 
      Other accounts that pool  account programs and 
Portfolio  Other SEC-registered open-end  assets from more than one  single-sponsor defined 
managers  and closed-end funds  client  contribution plan offerings) 

  Number of    Number of    Number of   
  accounts  Assets  accounts  Assets  accounts  Assets 

<R>             

James Fetch  23*  $8,426,600,000  54**  $2,366,100,000  1  $100,000 

Robert Kea  23*  $8,426,600,000  54**  $2,366,100,000  1  $1,400,000 

Robert Schoen  25***  $8,487,500,000  59**  $2,552,600,000  1  $700,000 

Jason Vaillancourt  23*  $8,426,600,000  54**  $2,366,100,000  1  $700,000 


* 3 accounts, with total assets of $2,304,100,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.

** 1 account, with total assets of $234,000,000, pays an advisory fee based on account performance.

*** 4 accounts, with total assets of $2,314,000,000, pay an advisory fee based on account performance.

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I-13 

 



See “Management—Portfolio Transactions—Potential conflicts of interest in managing multiple accounts” in Part II of this SAI for information on how Putnam Management addresses potential conflicts of interest resulting from an individual’s management of more than one account.

Compensation of portfolio managers

<R>

Putnam’s goal for its products and investors is to deliver strong performance versus peers or performance ahead of the applicable benchmark, depending on the product, over a rolling 3-year period. Portfolio managers are evaluated and compensated, in part, based on their performance relative to this goal across the products they manage. In addition to their individual performance, evaluations take into account the performance of their group and a subjective component.

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Each portfolio manager is assigned an industry competitive incentive compensation target consistent with this goal and evaluation framework. Actual incentive compensation may be higher or lower than the target, based on individual, group, and subjective performance, and may also reflect the performance of Putnam as a firm. Typically, performance is measured over the lesser of three years or the length of time a portfolio manager has managed a product.

Incentive compensation includes a cash bonus and may also include grants of deferred cash, stock or options. In addition to incentive compensation, portfolio managers receive fixed annual salaries typically based on level of responsibility and experience.

<R>

For this fund, Putnam evaluates performance based on the fund's peer ranking in the fund’s Lipper category or categories, as applicable, over the 3-year period. This peer ranking is based on pre-tax performance.

</R>

Ownership of securities

<R>

The dollar range of shares of the fund owned by each portfolio manager at the end of the fund’s last fiscal year, including investments by immediate family members and amounts invested through retirement and deferred compensation plans, was $0.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ("PwC"), 125 High Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110, is the fund's independent registered public accounting firm providing audit services, tax return review and other tax consulting services and assistance and consultation in connection with the review of various Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, financial highlights and financial statements included in the fund's Annual Report for the fund's most recent fiscal year are included as Appendix B to this SAI. The

I-14 

 



financial highlights included in the prospectus and this SAI and the financial statements included in this SAI (which is incorporated by reference into the prospectus) have been so included in reliance upon the Report of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, given on their authority as experts in auditing and accounting.

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I-15 

 




THE PUTNAM FUNDS
STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (“SAI”) 
PART II

 

HOW TO BUY SHARES

Each prospectus describes briefly how investors may buy shares of the fund and identifies the share classes offered by that prospectus. Because of different sales charges and expenses, the investment performance of the classes will vary. This section of the SAI contains more information on how to buy shares. For more information, including your eligibility to purchase certain classes of shares, contact your investment dealer or Putnam Investor Services, Inc., the funds’ investor servicing agent (“Putnam Investor Services”), at 1-800-225-1581. Investors who purchase shares at net asset value through employer-sponsored retirement plans (including, for example, 401(k) plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, and 457 plans) should also consult their employer for information about the extent to which the matters described in this section and in the sections that follow apply to them.

Except as set forth below, the fund does not accept new accounts or additional investments (including by way of exchange from another fund) into existing accounts held in the name of persons or entities that do not have both a residential or business address within the United States (including APO/FPO addresses) and a valid U.S. tax identification number. Any existing account that is updated to reflect a non-U.S. address will also be restricted from making additional investments. Non-U.S. institutional clients may invest in a fund, provided that the client is acting for its own account and is not a financial institution (e.g., a broker-dealer purchasing shares on behalf of its customers), and has provided Putnam with documentation (i) that is appropriate to the type of entity seeking to establish the account and (ii) sufficient to enable Putnam Investor Services to determine that the investment would not violate any applicable securities laws or regulations, including non-U.S. laws and regulations.

In addition, Class M shares of Putnam Diversified Income Trust, Putnam Europe Equity Fund, Putnam Global Income Trust, Putnam High Yield Advantage Fund, Putnam Income Fund, and Putnam U.S. Government Income Trust are available for public offering in Japan through certain Japanese registered broker-dealers with whom Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership has an agreement.

In addition, the fund does not accept new accounts or additional investments (including by way of exchange from another fund) into existing accounts by entities that Putnam Investor Services has reason to believe are involved in the sale or distribution of marijuana, even if such sale or distribution is licensed by a state.

General Information

The fund is currently making a continuous offering of its shares. The fund receives the entire net asset value of shares sold. The fund will accept unconditional orders for shares to be executed at the public offering price based on the net asset value per share next determined after the order is placed. In the case of class A shares and class M shares, the public offering price is the net asset value plus the applicable sales charge, if any. (The public offering price is thus calculable by dividing the net asset value by 100% minus the sales charge, expressed as a percentage.) No sales charge is included in the public offering price of other classes of shares. In the case of orders for purchase of shares placed through dealers, the public offering price will be based on the net asset value determined on the day the order is placed, but only if the dealer or a registered transfer agent or registered clearing agent receives the order, together with all required identifying information, before the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”). If the dealer or registered transfer agent or registered clearing agent receives the order after the close of the NYSE, the price will be based on the net asset value next determined. If funds for the purchase of shares are sent directly to Putnam Investor Services, they will be invested at the public offering price based on the net asset value next determined after all required identifying

August 31, 2015  II-1 

 



information has been collected. Payment for shares of the fund must be in U.S. dollars; if made by check, the check must be drawn on a U.S. bank.

Initial purchases are subject to the minimums stated in the prospectus, except that (i) individual investments under certain employer-sponsored retirement plans or Tax Qualified Retirement Plans may be lower, and (ii) the minimum investment is waived for investors participating in systematic investment plans or military allotment plans. Information about these plans is available from investment dealers or Putnam Investor Services. Currently Putnam is waiving the minimum for all initial purchases, but reserves the right to reject initial purchases under the minimum in the future, except as noted in the first sentence of this paragraph.

Systematic investment plan. As a convenience to investors, shares may be purchased through a systematic investment plan. Pre-authorized monthly, semi-monthly, or weekly bank drafts for a fixed amount ($200,000 or less) are used to purchase fund shares at the applicable public offering price next determined after Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership (“Putnam Retail Management”) receives the proceeds from the draft. A shareholder may choose any date or dates in the month for these drafts, but if the date falls on a weekend or holiday, the draft will be processed on the next business day. Further information and application forms are available from the investment dealers or from Putnam Retail Management.

Reinvestment of distributions. Distributions to be reinvested are reinvested without a sales charge in shares of any Putnam fund the shareholder is eligible to invest in under the shareholder's account as of the ex-dividend date using the net asset value determined on that date, and are credited to a shareholder's account on the payment date. Dividends for Putnam money market funds are credited to a shareholder's account on the payment date. Distributions for all other funds that declare a distribution daily are reinvested without a sales charge as of the last day of the period for which distributions are paid using the net asset value determined on that date, and are credited to a shareholder's account on the payment date.

Purchasing shares with securities (“in-kind” purchases). In addition to cash, the fund will consider accepting securities as payment for fund shares at the applicable net asset value. Generally, the fund will only consider accepting securities to increase its holdings in a portfolio security, or if Putnam Investment Management, LLC (“Putnam Management”) determines that the offered securities are a suitable investment for the fund and in a sufficient amount for efficient management.

While no minimum has been established, it is expected that the fund would not accept securities with a value of less than $100,000 per issue as payment for shares. The fund may reject in whole or in part any or all offers to pay for purchases of fund shares with securities, may require partial payment in cash for such purchases to provide funds for applicable sales charges, and may discontinue accepting securities as payment for fund shares at any time without notice. The fund will value accepted securities in the manner described in the section "Determination of Net Asset Value" for valuing shares of the fund. The fund will only accept securities that are delivered in proper form. The fund will not accept certain securities, for example, options or restricted securities, as payment for shares. The acceptance of securities by certain funds in exchange for fund shares is subject to additional requirements. For federal income tax purposes, a purchase of fund shares with securities will be treated as a sale or exchange of such securities on which the investor will generally realize a taxable gain or loss. The processing of a purchase of fund shares with securities involves certain delays while the fund considers the suitability of such securities and while other requirements are satisfied. For information regarding procedures for payment in securities, contact Putnam Retail Management. Investors should not send securities to the fund except when authorized to do so and in accordance with specific instructions received from Putnam Retail Management.

August 31, 2015  II-2 

 



Sales Charges and Other Share Class Features—Retail Investors

This section describes certain key features of share classes offered to retail investors and retirement plans that do not purchase shares at net asset value. Much of this information addresses the sales charges, including initial sales charges and contingent deferred sales charges (“CDSCs”) imposed on the different share classes and various commission payments made by Putnam to dealers and other financial intermediaries facilitating shareholders’ investments. This information supplements the descriptions of these share classes and payments included in the prospectus.

Initial sales charges, dealer commissions and CDSCs on shares sold outside the United States may differ from those applied to U.S. sales.

Initial sales charges for class A and class M shares. The public offering price of class A and class M shares is the net asset value plus a sales charge that varies depending on the size of your purchase (calculable as described above). The fund receives the net asset value. The tables below indicate the sales charges applicable to purchases of class A and class M shares of the funds by style category. The variations in sales charges reflect the varying efforts required to sell shares to different categories of purchasers.

The sales charge is allocated between your investment dealer and Putnam Retail Management as shown in the tables below, except when Putnam Retail Management, in its discretion, allocates the entire amount to your investment dealer.

The underwriter's commission, or dealer reallowance, is the sales charge shown in the prospectus less any applicable dealer discount. Putnam Retail Management will give dealers ten days' notice of any changes in the dealer discount. Putnam Retail Management retains the entire sales charge on any retail sales made by it.

For purchases of class A shares by retail investors that qualify for the highest sales charge breakpoint described in the prospectus, Putnam Retail Management pays commissions on sales during the one-year period beginning with the date of the initial purchase qualifying for that breakpoint. Each subsequent one-year measuring period for these purposes begins with the first qualifying purchase following the end of the prior period. These commissions are paid at the rate of 1.00% of the amount of qualifying purchases up to $4 million, 0.50% of the next $46 million of qualifying purchases and 0.25% of qualifying purchases thereafter.

For Growth Funds, Blend Funds, Value Funds, Asset Allocation Funds (excluding funds in the Retirement Income Lifestyle suite), Global Sector Funds and RetirementReady® Funds only:

  CLASS A  CLASS M 
    Amount of sales    Amount of sales 
    charge    charge 
    reallowed to    reallowed to 
  Sales charge as  dealers as a  Sales charge as  dealers as a 
Amount of transaction at  a percentage of  percentage of  a percentage of  percentage of 
offering price ($)  offering price  offering price  offering price  offering price 
 
Under 50,000  5.75%  5.00%  3.50%  3.00% 
50,000 but under 100,000  4.50  3.75  2.50  2.00 
100,000 but under 250,000  3.50  2.75  1.50  1.00 
250,000 but under 500,000  2.50  2.00  1.00  1.00 
500,000 but under 1,000,000  2.00  1.75  1.00  1.00 
1,000,000 and above  NONE  NONE  N/A*  N/A* 

 

August 31, 2015  II-3 

 



For Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund and Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund only:   
 
  CLASS A  CLASS M 
    Amount of sales    Amount of sales 
    charge    charge 
    reallowed to    reallowed to 
  Sales charge as  dealers as a  Sales charge as  dealers as a 
Amount of transaction at  a percentage of  percentage of  a percentage of  percentage of 
offering price ($)  offering price  offering price  offering price  offering price 
 
Under 50,000  5.75%  5.00%  3.50%  3.00% 
50,000 but under 100,000  4.50  3.75  2.50  2.00 
100,000 but under 250,000  3.50  2.75  1.50  1.00 
250,000 but under 500,000  2.50  2.00  1.00  1.00 
500,000 and above  NONE  NONE  N/A**  N/A** 

 

For funds in the Retirement Income Lifestyle suite, taxable Income Funds and Tax-Exempt Funds (except for Money Market Funds, Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund, Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund, and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund):

  CLASS A  CLASS M 
    Amount of sales    Amount of sales 
    charge    charge 
    reallowed to    reallowed to 
  Sales charge as  dealers as a  Sales charge as  dealers as a 
Amount of transaction at  a percentage of  percentage of  a percentage of  percentage of 
offering price ($)  offering price  offering price  offering price  offering price 
 
Under 50,000  4.00%  3.50%  3.25%  3.00% 
50,000 but under 100,000  4.00  3.50  2.25  2.00 
100,000 but under 250,000  3.25  2.75  1.25  1.00 
250,000 but under 500,000  2.50  2.00  1.00  1.00 
500,000 and above  NONE  NONE  N/A**  N/A** 

 

For Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Short-Term Municipal 
Income Fund and Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund only:     
 
  CLASS A  CLASS M 
    Amount of sales    Amount of sales 
    charge    charge 
    reallowed to    reallowed to 
  Sales charge as  dealers as a  Sales charge as  dealers as a 
Amount of transaction at  a percentage of  percentage of  a percentage of  percentage of 
offering price ($)  offering price  offering price  offering price  offering price 
 
Under 500,000  1.00%  1.00%  0.75%  0.75% 
500,000 and above  NONE  NONE  N/A**  N/A** 

 

August 31, 2015  II-4 

 



*The funds will not accept purchase orders for class M shares (other than by employer-sponsored retirement plans) where the total of the current purchase, plus existing account balances that are eligible to be linked under a right of accumulation (as described below) is $1 million or more.

**The funds will not accept purchase orders for class M shares (other than by employer-sponsored retirement plans) where the total of the current purchase, plus existing account balances that are eligible to be linked under a right of accumulation (as described below) is $500,000 or more.

Purchases of class A and class T shares without an initial sales charge. Class A shares of any Putnam fund (other than Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund, and Putnam Money Market Fund) purchased by retail investors that are not subject to an initial sales charge (in accordance with the schedules stated above) are subject to a CDSC of 1.00% if redeemed before the first day of the month in which the nine-month anniversary of that purchase falls. Class A shares of Putnam Short Duration Income Fund and Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund and class A and class T shares of Putnam Money Market Fund purchased by retail investors by exchanging shares from another Putnam fund that were not subject to an initial sales charge (in accordance with the schedules stated above) are subject to a CDSC of 1.00% if redeemed before the first day of the month in which the nine-month anniversary of the original purchase falls.

The CDSC assessed on redemptions of fewer than all of an investor's class A shares (and, for Putnam Money Market Fund, class T shares) subject to a CDSC will be based on the amount of the redemption minus the amount of any appreciation on the investor's CDSC-subject shares since the purchase of such shares. The CDSC assessed on full redemptions of CDSC-subject shares will be based on the lower of the shares' cost and current NAV. Putnam Retail Management will retain any CDSC imposed on redemptions of such shares to compensate it for the up-front commissions paid to financial intermediaries for such share sales.

Purchases of class A shares for rollover IRAs. Purchases of class A shares for a Putnam Rollover IRA or a rollover IRA of a Putnam affiliate, from a retirement plan for which an affiliate of Putnam Management or a business partner of such affiliate is the administrator, including subsequent contributions, are not subject to an initial sales charge or CDSC. Putnam Retail Management may pay commissions or finders’ fees of up to 1.00% of the proceeds for such Putnam Rollover IRA purchases to the dealer of record or other third party.

Contingent sales charges for class M shares (rollover IRAs). Purchases of class M shares for a Putnam Rollover IRA with proceeds in any amount from a retirement plan for which an affiliate of Putnam Management or a business partner of such affiliate is the administrator are not subject to an initial sales charge but may be subject to a CDSC on shares redeemed within one year of purchase at the rates set forth below, which are equal to commissions Putnam Retail Management pays to the dealer of record at the time of the sale of class M shares.

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  Class M CDSC and dealer commission 
 
All Growth, Blend, Value, Global Sector and Asset   
Allocation Funds (excluding funds in the Retirement Income   
Lifestyle suite), Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund and  0.65% 
Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund:   
 
All taxable Income funds (except Putnam Floating Rate   
Income Fund and Putnam Money Market Fund) and funds in  0.40% 
the Retirement Income Lifestyle suite:   
 
Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return   
300 Fund and Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund:  0.30% 
 
Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Short Duration  0.15% 
Income Fund:   

 

Commission payments and CDSCs for class B and class C shares. Except in the case of Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund as noted below, Putnam Retail Management will pay a 4% commission on sales of class B shares of the fund only to those financial intermediaries who have entered into service agreements with Putnam Retail Management. For tax-exempt funds, this commission includes a 0.20% pre-paid service fee (except for Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund and Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund, each of which has a 0.25% pre-paid service fee). For Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund and Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund, Putnam Retail Management will pay a 1.00% commission to financial intermediaries selling class B shares of the fund.

Except in the case of Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, Putnam Retail Management pays financial intermediaries a 1.00% commission on sales of class C shares of a fund.

Putnam Retail Management will retain any CDSC imposed on redemptions of class B and class C shares to compensate it for the cost of paying the up-front commissions paid to financial intermediaries for class B or class C share sales.

Conversion of class B shares into class A shares. Class B shares will automatically convert to class A shares on or around the end of the month eight years after the purchase date (for Putnam Small Cap Value Fund, on or around the end of the month six years after the purchase date, and for Putnam Multi-Cap Value Fund, on or around the end of the month five years after the purchase date). Class B shares acquired by exchanging class B shares of another Putnam fund will convert to class A shares based on the time of the initial purchase. The conversion period of the acquired fund will apply, unless the initial fund’s CDSC schedule is higher than that of the acquired fund. In that case, the conversion period and CDSC schedule of the initial fund will apply. Class B shares acquired through reinvestment of distributions will convert to class A shares based on the date of the initial purchase to which such shares relate. For this purpose, class B shares acquired through reinvestment of distributions will be attributed to particular purchases of class B shares in accordance with such procedures as the Trustees may determine from time to time. The conversion of class B shares to class A shares is subject to the condition that such conversions will not constitute taxable events for Federal tax purposes. Shareholders should consult with their tax advisers regarding the state and local tax consequences of the conversion of class B shares to class A shares, or any other exchange or conversion of shares. Average annual total return performance information for class B shares shown in the fund's prospectus assumes conversion to class A shares after the applicable period described in the fund’s prospectus.

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Sales without sales charges or contingent deferred sales charges

The fund may sell shares without a sales charge or CDSC to the following categories of investors:

(i) current and former Trustees of the fund, their family members, business and personal associates; current and former employees of Putnam Management and certain current and former corporate affiliates, their family members, business and personal associates; employer-sponsored retirement plans for the foregoing; and partnerships, trusts or other entities in which any of the foregoing has a substantial interest;

(ii) clients of administrators or other service providers of employer-sponsored retirement plans which have entered into agreements with Putnam Retail Management (not applicable to tax-exempt funds);

(iii) registered representatives and other employees of broker-dealers having sales agreements with Putnam Retail Management; employees of financial institutions having sales agreements with Putnam Retail Management or otherwise having an arrangement with any such broker-dealer or financial institution with respect to sales of fund shares; and their immediate family members (spouses and children under age 21, including step-children and adopted children);

(iv) a trust department of any financial institution purchasing shares of the fund in its capacity as trustee of any trust (other than a tax-qualified retirement plan trust), through an arrangement approved by Putnam Retail Management, if the value of the shares of the fund and other Putnam funds purchased or held by all such trusts exceeds $1 million in the aggregate;

(v) clients of (i) broker-dealers, financial institutions, financial intermediaries or registered investment advisors that are approved by Putnam Retail Management and charge a fee for advisory or investment services or (ii) broker-dealers, financial institutions, or financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with Putnam Retail Management to offer shares through a fund “supermarket” or retail self directed brokerage account with or without the imposition of a transaction fee; and

(vi) college savings plans that qualify for tax-exempt treatment under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”).

(vii) Shareholders reinvesting the proceeds from a Putnam Corporate IRA Plan distribution into a non-retirement plan account.

In the case of paragraph (i) and (vii) above, the availability of shares at NAV has been determined to be appropriate because involvement by Putnam Retail Management and other brokers in purchases by these investors is typically minimal.

In addition to the categories enumerated above, in connection with settlements reached between certain firms and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and/or Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) regarding sales of class B and class C shares in excess of certain dollar thresholds, the fund will permit shareholders who are clients of these firms (and applicable affiliates of such firms) to redeem class B and class C shares of the fund and concurrently purchase class A shares (in an amount to be determined by the dealer of record and Putnam Retail Management in accordance with the terms of the applicable settlement) without paying a sales charge.

The fund may issue its shares at net asset value without an initial sales charge or a CDSC in connection with the acquisition of substantially all of the securities owned by other investment companies or personal holding companies. The CDSC will be waived on redemptions to pay premiums for insurance under Putnam’s insured investor program.

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Application of CDSC to Systematic Withdrawal Plans (“SWP”). Investors who set up a SWP for a share account (see "INVESTOR SERVICES — Plans Available to Shareholders -- Systematic Withdrawal Plan") may withdraw through the SWP up to 12% of the net asset value of the account (calculated as set forth below) each year without incurring any CDSC. Shares not subject to a CDSC (such as shares representing reinvestment of distributions) will be redeemed first and will count toward the 12% limitation. If there are insufficient shares not subject to a CDSC, shares subject to the lowest CDSC liability will be redeemed next until the 12% limit is reached. The 12% figure is calculated on a pro rata basis at the time of the first payment made pursuant to an SWP and recalculated thereafter on a pro rata basis at the time of each SWP payment. Therefore, shareholders who have chosen an SWP based on a percentage of the net asset value of their account of up to 12% will be able to receive SWP payments without incurring a CDSC. However, shareholders who have chosen a specific dollar amount (for example, $100 per month from the fund that pays income distributions monthly) for their periodic SWP payment should be aware that the amount of that payment not subject to a CDSC may vary over time depending on the net asset value of their account. For example, if the net asset value of the account is $10,000 at the time of payment, the shareholder will receive $100 free of the CDSC (12% of $10,000 divided by 12 monthly payments). However, if at the time of the next payment the net asset value of the account has fallen to $9,400, the shareholder will receive $94 free of any CDSC (12% of $9,400 divided by 12 monthly payments) and $6 subject to the lowest applicable CDSC. This SWP privilege may be revised or terminated at any time.

Other exceptions to application of CDSC. No CDSC is imposed on the redemption of shares of any class subject to a CDSC to the extent that the shares redeemed (i) are no longer subject to the holding period therefor, (ii) resulted from reinvestment of distributions, or (iii) were exchanged for shares of another Putnam fund, provided that the shares acquired in such exchange or subsequent exchanges (including shares of a Putnam money market fund or Putnam Short Duration Income Fund) will continue to remain subject to the CDSC, if applicable, until the applicable holding period expires. In determining whether the CDSC applies to each redemption, shares not subject to a CDSC are redeemed first.

The fund will waive any CDSC on redemptions, in the case of individual, joint or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts, in the event of death or post-purchase disability of a shareholder, for the purpose of paying benefits pursuant to tax-qualified retirement plans ("Benefit Payments"), or, in the case of living trust accounts, in the event of the death or post-purchase disability of the settlor of the trust. Benefit Payments currently include, without limitation, (1) distributions from an IRA due to death or post-purchase disability, (2) a return of excess contributions to an IRA or 401(k) plan, and (3) distributions from retirement plans qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code or from a 403(b) plan due to death, disability, retirement or separation from service. These waivers may be changed at any time.

Ways to Reduce Initial Sales Charges—Class A and Class M Shares

There are several ways in which an investor may obtain reduced sales charges on purchases of class A shares and class M shares. The variations in sales charges reflect the varying efforts required to sell shares to separate categories of purchasers. These provisions may be altered or discontinued at any time.

Right of accumulation. A purchaser of class A shares or class M shares may qualify for a right of accumulation discount by combining all current purchases by such person with the value of certain other shares of any class of Putnam funds already owned. The applicable sales charge is based on the total of:

(i) the investor's current purchase(s); and

(ii) the higher of (x) the maximum public offering price (at the close of business on the previous day) or (y) the initial value of total purchases (less the value of shares redeemed on the applicable redemption date) of:

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(a) all shares held in accounts registered to the investor and other accounts eligible to be linked to the investor’s accounts (as described below) in all of the Putnam funds (except closed-end and money market funds and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, unless acquired as described in (b) below); and

(b) any shares of money market funds or Putnam Short Duration Income Fund acquired by exchange from other Putnam funds.

For shares held on December 31, 2007, the initial value will be the value of those shares at the maximum public offering price on that date.

The following persons may qualify for a right of accumulation discount:

(i) an individual, or a "company" as defined in Section 2(a)(8) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) (which includes corporations which are corporate affiliates of each other);

(ii) an individual, his or her spouse and their children under age 21, purchasing for his, her or their own account;

(iii) a trustee or other fiduciary purchasing for a single trust estate or single fiduciary account (including a pension, profit-sharing, or other employee benefit trust created pursuant to a plan qualified under Section 401 of the Code and Simplified Employer Pension Plans (SEPs) created pursuant to Section 408(k) of the Code);

(iv) tax-exempt organizations qualifying under Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, (not including tax-exempt organizations qualifying under Section 403(b)(7) (a "403(b) plan") of the Code; and

(v) employer-sponsored retirement plans of a single employer or of affiliated employers, other than 403(b) plans.

A combined purchase currently may also include shares of any class of other continuously offered Putnam funds (other than money market funds and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund) purchased at the same time, if the dealer places the order for such shares directly with Putnam Retail Management.

For individual investors, Putnam Investor Services automatically links accounts the registrations of which are under the same last name and address. Account types eligible to be linked for the purpose of qualifying for a right of accumulation discount include the following (in each case as registered to the investor, his or her spouse and his or her children under the age of 21):

(i) individual accounts;

(ii) joint accounts;

(iii) accounts established as part of a plan established pursuant to Section 403(b) of the Code (“403(b) plans”) or an IRA other than a SIMPLE IRA, SARSEP or SEP IRA;

(iv) shares owned through accounts in the name of the investor’s (or spouse’s or minor child’s) dealer or other financial intermediary (with documentation identifying to the satisfaction of Putnam Investor Services the beneficial ownership of such shares); and

(v) accounts established as part of a Section 529 college savings plan managed by Putnam Management.

Shares owned by a plan participant as part of an employer-sponsored retirement plan of a single employer or of affiliated employers (other than 403(b) plans) or a single fiduciary account opened by a trustee or other fiduciary

August 31, 2015  II-9 

 



(including a pension, profit-sharing, or other employee benefit trust created pursuant to a plan qualified under Section 401 of the Code) are not eligible for linking to other accounts attributable to such person to qualify for the right of accumulation discount, although all current purchases made by each such plan may be combined with existing aggregate balances of such plan in Putnam funds for purposes of determining the sales charge applicable to shares purchased at such time by the plan.

To obtain the right of accumulation discount on a purchase through an investment dealer, when each purchase is made the investor or dealer must provide Putnam Retail Management with sufficient information to verify that the purchase qualifies for the privilege or discount. The shareholder must furnish this information to Putnam Investor Services when making direct cash investments. Sales charge discounts under a right of accumulation apply only to current purchases. No credit for right of accumulation purposes is given for any higher sales charge paid with respect to previous purchases for the investor’s account or any linked accounts.

Statement of Intention. Investors may also obtain the reduced sales charges for class A shares or class M shares shown in the prospectus for investments of a particular amount by means of a written Statement of Intention (also referred to as a Letter of Intention), which expresses the investor's intention to invest that amount (including certain "credits," as described below) within a period of 13 months in shares of any class of the fund or any other continuously offered Putnam fund (excluding Putnam money market funds and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund), including through an account established as part of a Section 529 college savings plan managed by Putnam Management. Each purchase of class A shares or class M shares under a Statement of Intention will be made at the lesser of (i) the public offering price applicable at the time of such purchase and (ii) the public offering price applicable on the date the Statement of Intention is executed to a single transaction of the total dollar amount indicated in the Statement of Intention.

An investor may receive a credit toward the amount indicated in the Statement of Intention equal to the maximum public offering price as of the close of business on the previous day of all shares he or she owns, or which are eligible to be linked for purposes of the right of accumulation described above, on the date of the Statement of Intention which are eligible for purchase under a Statement of Intention (plus any shares of money market funds and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund acquired by exchange of such eligible shares). Investors do not receive credit for shares purchased by the reinvestment of distributions. Investors qualifying for the "combined purchase privilege" (see above) may purchase shares under a single Statement of Intention.

The Statement of Intention is not a binding obligation upon the investor to purchase the full amount indicated. The minimum initial investment under a Statement of Intention is 5% of such amount, and must be invested immediately. Class A shares or class M shares purchased with the first 5% of such amount will be held in escrow to secure payment of the higher sales charge applicable to the shares actually purchased if the full amount indicated is not purchased. When the full amount indicated has been purchased, the escrow will be released. If an investor desires to redeem escrowed shares before the full amount has been purchased, the shares will be released from escrow only if the investor pays the sales charge that, without regard to the Statement of Intention, would apply to the total investment made to date.

If an investor purchases more than the dollar amount indicated on the Statement of Intention and qualifies for a further reduced sales charge, the sales charge will be adjusted for the entire amount purchased at the end of the 13-month period, upon recovery by Putnam Retail Management from the investor's dealer of its portion of the sales charge adjustment. Once received from the dealer, which may take a period of time or may never occur, the sales charge adjustment will be used to purchase additional shares at the then current offering price applicable to the actual amount of the aggregate purchases. These additional shares will not be considered as part of the total investment for the purpose of determining the applicable sales charge pursuant to the Statement of Intention. No sales charge adjustment will be made unless and until the investor's dealer returns to Putnam Retail Management any excess commissions previously received.

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If an investor purchases less than the dollar amount indicated on the Statement of Intention within the 13-month period, the sales charge will be adjusted upward for the entire amount purchased at the end of the 13-month period. This adjustment will be made by redeeming shares from the account to cover the additional sales charge, the proceeds of which will be paid to the investor's dealer and Putnam Retail Management. Putnam Retail Management will make a corresponding downward adjustment to the amount of the reallowance payable to the dealer with respect to purchases made prior to the investor’s failure to fulfill the conditions of the Statement of Intention. If the account exceeds an amount that would otherwise qualify for a reduced sales charge, that reduced sales charge will be applied. Adjustments to sales charges and dealer reallowances will not be made in the case of the shareholder’s death prior to the expiration of the 13-month period.

Statements of Intention are not available for certain employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Statement of Intention forms may be obtained from Putnam Retail Management or from investment dealers. In addition, shareholders may complete the applicable portion of the fund’s standard account application. Interested investors should read the Statement of Intention carefully.

Commissions on Sales to Employee Retirement Plans

Purchases of class A and class R shares. On sales of class A shares at net asset value to certain employer-sponsored retirement plans and health reimbursement accounts and sales of class R shares, Putnam Retail Management may, at its discretion, pay commissions to the dealer of record on net monthly purchases up to the following rates: 1.00% of the first $1 million, 0.75% of the next $1 million and 0.50% thereafter.

For commission payments made by Putnam Retail Management to dealers and other financial intermediaries with respect to other classes of shares offered to employer-sponsored retirement plans and other tax-favored plan investors, see the corresponding sub-heading under “—Sales Charges and Other Share Class Features—Retail Investors.”

DISTRIBUTION PLANS

If the fund or a class of shares of the fund has adopted a distribution (12b-1) plan, the prospectus describes the principal features of the plan. This SAI contains additional information which may be of interest to investors.

Continuance of a plan is subject to annual approval by a vote of the Trustees, including a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of the fund and who have no direct or indirect interest in the plan or related arrangements (the "Qualified Trustees"), cast in person at a meeting called for that purpose. All material amendments to a plan must be likewise approved by the Trustees and the Qualified Trustees. No plan may be amended in order to increase materially the costs which the fund may bear for distribution pursuant to such plan without also being approved by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund or the relevant class of the fund, as the case may be. A plan terminates automatically in the event of its assignment and may be terminated without penalty, at any time, by a vote of a majority of the Qualified Trustees or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the fund or the relevant class of the fund, as the case may be.

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The fund makes payments under each plan to Putnam Retail Management to compensate Putnam Retail Management for services provided and expenses incurred by it for purposes of promoting the sale of the relevant class of shares, reducing redemptions of shares or maintaining or improving services provided to shareholders by Putnam Retail Management and investment dealers.

Putnam Retail Management compensates qualifying dealers (including, for this purpose, certain financial institutions) for sales of shares and the maintenance of shareholder accounts.

Putnam Retail Management may suspend or modify its payments to dealers. The payments are also subject to the continuation of the relevant distribution plan, the terms of the service agreements between the dealers and Putnam Retail Management and any applicable limits imposed by FINRA. Unless noted below or where Putnam Retail Management and the applicable dealer have agreed otherwise, these payments commence in the first year after purchase.

Financial institutions receiving payments from Putnam Retail Management as described above may be required to comply with various state and federal regulatory requirements, including among others those regulating the activities of securities brokers or dealers.

Except as otherwise agreed between Putnam Retail Management and a dealer, for purposes of determining the amounts payable to dealers for shareholder accounts for which such dealers are designated as the dealer of record, "average net asset value" means the product of (i) the average daily share balance in such account(s) and (ii) the average daily net asset value of the relevant class of shares over the quarter.

Class A shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at up to the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class A shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record) except as described below. No payments are made during the first year after purchase on shares purchased at net asset value by shareholders that invest at least $1 million, or, in the case of dealers of record for an employer-sponsored retirement plan investing at least $1 million, where such dealer has agreed to a reduced sales commission.

Rate*  Fund 

0.25%  All funds currently making payments under a class A 
  distribution plan, except for those listed below 

0.20% for shares purchased before 3/21/05;  Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 3/21/05**   

0.20% for shares purchased before 4/1/05;  Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05   

 

August 31, 2015  II-12 

 



Rate*  Fund 

0.20% for shares purchased on or before 12/31/89;  Putnam Convertible Securities Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased after 12/31/89  George Putnam Balanced Fund 
  Putnam Global Equity Fund 
  Putnam Global Natural Resources Fund 
  Putnam Global Health Care Fund 
  The Putnam Fund for Growth and Income 
  Putnam Investors Fund 
  Putnam Voyager Fund 

0.20% for shares purchased on or before 3/31/90;  Putnam High Yield Trust 
0.25% for shares purchased after 3/31/90  Putnam U.S. Government Income Trust 

0.20% for shares purchased on or before 1/1/90;  Putnam Equity Income Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased after 1/1/90   

0.20% for shares purchased on or before 3/31/91;  Putnam Income Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased after 3/31/91;   

0.10%  Putnam Short Duration Income Fund 

0.15% for shares purchased on or before 3/6/92;  Putnam Michigan Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% for shares purchased after 3/6/92 but before  Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund 
4/1/05;  Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05   

0.15% for shares purchased on or before 5/11/92;  Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% for shares purchased after 5/11/92 but before   
4/1/05;   
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05   

0.15% for shares purchased on or before 12/31/92;  Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% for shares purchased after 12/31/92 but  Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund 
before 4/1/05;  Putnam New York Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05  Putnam Tax Exempt Income Fund 

0.15% for shares purchased on or before 3/5/93;  Putnam Arizona Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% for shares purchased after 3/5/93 but before   
4/1/05;   
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05   

0.15% for shares purchased on or before 7/8/93;  Putnam Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% for shares purchased after 7/8/93 but before   
4/1/05;   
0.25% for shares purchased on or after 4/1/05   

0.00%  Putnam Money Market Fund 
  Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund 


*For purposes of this table, shares are deemed to be purchased on date of settlement (
i.e., once purchased and paid for). Shares issued in connection with dividend reinvestments are considered to be purchased on the date of their issuance, not the issuance of the original shares.

 

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**Shares of Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund issued in connection with the merger of Putnam Municipal Income Fund into that fund pay a commission at the annual rate of 0.20% or 0.25%, based on the date of the original purchase of the shareholder’s corresponding shares of Putnam Municipal Income Fund, as set forth below: 0.20% for shares purchased on or before 5/7/92; 0.25% for shares purchased after 5/7/92.

Class B shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class B shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record).

Rate  Fund 

0.25%  All funds currently making payments under a class B 
  distribution plan, except for those listed below 

0.25%, except that the first year's service fees of  Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund 
0.25% are prepaid at time of sale  Putnam Tax-Free High Yield Fund 

0.20%, except that the first year’s service fees of  Putnam Arizona Tax Exempt Income Fund 
0.20% are prepaid at time of sale  Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Michigan Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam New York Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund 
  Putnam Tax Exempt Income Fund 

0.00%  Putnam Money Market Fund 
  Putnam Short Duration Income Fund 

 

Class C shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class C shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record). No payments are made during the first year after purchase unless the shares were initially purchased without a CDSC, except that payments for Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund will be made beginning in the first year.

Rate  Fund 

1.00%  All funds currently making payments under a class C 
  distribution plan, except for those listed below 

0.50%  Putnam Money Market Fund 
  Putnam Short Duration Income Fund 

 

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Different rates may apply to shares sold outside the United States.

Class M shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class M shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record), except as follows. No payments are made during the first year after purchase on shares purchased at net asset value for Putnam Rollover IRAs.

Rate  Fund 

0.65%  All Growth, Blend, Value, Global Sector and Asset 
  Allocation Funds (excluding funds in the Retirement 
  Income Lifestyle suite) currently making payments 
  under a class M distribution plan, and Putnam 
  Absolute Return 500 Fund and Putnam Absolute 
  Return 700 Fund. 

0.40%  All Income funds currently making payments under a 
  class M distribution plan (except for Putnam Floating 
  Rate Income Fund, Putnam Money Market Fund, 
  Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund and 
  Putnam Short Duration Income Fund) and funds in the 
  Retirement Income Lifestyle suite. 

0.30%  Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute 
  Return 300 Fund, Putnam Short-Term Municipal 
  Income Fund and Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund 

0.15%  Putnam Money Market Fund 
  Putnam Short Duration Income Fund 

 

Putnam Retail Management’s payments to dealers for plans investing in class M shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record may equal up to the annual rate of 0.75% of the average net asset value of such class M shares for Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund and Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund as well as all Growth, Blend, Value, Global Sector and Asset Allocation Funds currently making payments under a class M distribution plan and up to the annual rate of 0.50% of the average net asset value of such class M shares for all Income funds currently making payments under a class M distribution plan (except for Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund, Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund, Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund).

Different rates may apply to shares sold outside the United States.

Class R shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at up to the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class R shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record). No payments are made to dealers during the first year after purchase unless Putnam Retail Management did not pay a commission to the dealer at purchase.

August 31, 2015  II-15 

 



Rate  Fund 

0.50%  All funds currently making payments under a class R 
  distribution plan 

 

A portion of the class R distribution fee payable to dealers may be paid to third parties who provide services to plans investing in class R shares and participants in such plans.

Class T shares:

Putnam Retail Management makes quarterly (or in certain cases monthly) payments to dealers at the annual rates set forth below (as a percentage of the average net asset value of class T shares for which such dealers are designated the dealer of record).

Rate  Fund 

0.25%  Putnam Money Market Fund 

 

Additional Dealer Payments

As described earlier in this section, dealers may receive different commissions, sales charge reallowances and other payments with respect to sales of different classes of shares of the funds. These payments may include servicing payments to retirement plan administrators and other institutions up to the same levels as described above. For purposes of this section the term “dealer” includes any broker, dealer, bank, bank trust department, registered investment advisor, financial planner, retirement plan administrator and any other institution having a selling, services, or any similar agreement with Putnam Retail Management or one of its affiliates.

Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates pay additional compensation to selected dealers under the categories described below. These categories are not mutually exclusive, and a single dealer may receive payments under all categories. These payments may create an incentive for a dealer firm or its representatives to recommend or offer shares of the fund or other Putnam funds to its customers. These additional payments are made pursuant to agreements with dealers and do not change the price paid by investors for the purchase of a share or the amount a fund will receive as proceeds from such sales or the distribution (12b-1) fees and the expenses paid by the fund as shown under the heading “Fees and Expenses” in the prospectus.

Marketing Support Payments. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates make payments to certain dealers for marketing support services. These payments are individually negotiated with each dealer firm, taking into account the marketing support services provided by the dealer, including business planning assistance, educating dealer personnel about the Putnam funds and shareholder financial planning needs, placement on the dealer’s preferred or recommended fund company list, and access to sales meetings, sales representatives and management representatives of the dealer, as well as the size of the dealer’s relationship with Putnam Retail Management. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates compensate dealers differently depending upon, among other factors, the level and/or type of marketing support provided by the dealer. Payments are generally based on one or more of the following factors: average net assets of Putnam’s retail mutual funds attributable to that dealer, gross or net sales of Putnam’s retail mutual funds attributable to that dealer, reimbursement of ticket charges (fees that a dealer firm charges its representatives for effecting transactions in fund shares) or a negotiated lump sum payment for services rendered. In addition, payments typically apply to retail sales and assets, but may not, in certain situations, apply to other specific types of sales or assets, such as to retirement plans or fee-based advisory programs.

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Although the total of marketing support payments made to dealers in any year may vary, on average, the aggregate payments are not expected, on an annual basis, to exceed 0.085% of the average assets of Putnam’s retail mutual funds attributable to the dealers.

The following dealers (and such dealers’ respective affiliates) received marketing support payments from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates during the calendar year ended December 31, 2014:

American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc.  MetLife Securities, Inc. 

Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC 

AXA Advisors, LLC  National Planning Corporation 

BancWest Investment Services, Inc.  M&T Securities, Inc. 

Cadaret, Grant & Co. Inc.  Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. 

CCO Investment Services Corp.  New England Securities Corporation 

Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.  NFP Securities, Inc. 

Cetera Advisors, LLC  Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC 

Cetera Advisors Networks, LLC  Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. 

Cetera Financial Specialists, LLC  PNC Investments LLC 

Cetera Investment Services, LLC  Raymond James & Associates, Inc. 

Commonwealth Equity Services  Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. 

CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc.  RBC Capital Markets, LLC 

CUSO Financial Services, L.P.  Royal Alliance Associates 

First Allied Securities, Inc.  Sagepoint Financial, Inc. 

FSC Securities Corporation  Santander Securities, LLC 

HD Vest Investment Securities, Inc.  Securities America, Inc. 

Independent Financial Group, LLC  SII Investments 

Investacorp, Inc.  Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated 

INVEST Financial Corporation  SunTrust Bank, Inc. 

Investment Centers of America, Inc.  SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. 

Janney Montgomery Scott LLC  TD Ameritrade, Inc. 

J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC  TD Ameritrade Clearing, Inc. 

Legend Equities Corporation  Triad Advisors, Inc. 

Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp.  U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc. 

Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation  UBS Financial Services Inc. 

Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc.  Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. 

LPL Financial LLC  Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC 

MMC Securities Corp.  Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. 

 

Additional dealers may receive marketing support payments in 2015 and in future years. Any additions, modifications or deletions to the list of dealers identified above that have occurred since December 31, 2014 are not reflected. You can ask your dealer about any payments it receives from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates.

Program Servicing Payments. Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates also make payments to certain dealers that sell Putnam fund shares through retirement plans, dealer platforms, and other investment programs to compensate dealers for a variety of services they provide. A dealer may perform program services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform program services. In addition to participant or shareholder recordkeeping, reporting, or transaction processing, program services may include services rendered in

August 31, 2015  II-17 

 



connection with dealer platform development and maintenance and services rendered in connection with retirement plans, such as fund/investment selection and monitoring, employee enrollment and education, plan balance rollover or separation, or other similar services. Payments by Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates for program servicing support to any one dealer are not expected, with certain limited exceptions, to exceed 0.20% of the total assets in the program on an annual basis. In addition, Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates make one-time or annual payments to selected dealers receiving program servicing payments in reimbursement of printing costs for literature for participants or shareholders, account maintenance fees or fees for establishment of Putnam funds on the dealer’s system. The amounts of these payments may, but will not normally (except in cases where the aggregate assets in the program are small), cause the aggregate amount of the program servicing payments to such dealer on an annual basis to exceed the amounts set forth above.

The following dealers (and such dealers’ respective affiliates) received program servicing payments from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates during the calendar year ended December 31, 2014:

ADP Broker-Dealer, Inc.  MSCS Financial Services, LLC 

Ascensus, Inc.  National Financial Services LLC 

Benefit Plans Administrators  Nationwide Investment Services Corporation 

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.  Nationwide Life Insurance Company 

Charles Schwab Bank  Newport Retirement Services, Inc. 

City National Bank  NYLIFE Distributors LLC 

Correll Co.  Paychex Securities Corporation 

CPI Qualified Plan Consultants, Inc.  Pershing LLC 

DailyAccess Corporation  Plan Administrators, Inc. 

Digital Retirement Solutions  Principal Life Insurance Co. 

Dyatech, LLC  Raymond James & Associates, Inc. 

ExpertPlan, Inc.  Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. 

Fidelity Investments Institutional Operations Company, Inc.  Reliance Trust Company 

Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Co.  Standard Retirement Services, Inc. 

Genworth Life Insurance Co of New York  Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America 

Great-West Financial Retirement Plan Services, LLC  TD Ameritrade Trust Company 

Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company  The Prudential Insurance Company of America 

Hartford Life Insurance Company  The Vanguard Group Inc. 

Hartford Securities Distribution Company, Inc.  Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company 

July Business Services  Transamerica Advisors Life Insurance Company of New York 

Lincoln Retirement Services Company, LLC  Trust Company of America 

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.  VALIC Retirement Services Company 

Mercer HR Services LLC  Voya Institutional Plan Services, LLC 

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.  Voya Retirement Insurance & Annuity Company 

MidAtlantic Capital Corporation  Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. 

Milliman, Inc.  Wilmington Trust Retirement & Institutional Services Co. 

Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC   

 

Additional dealers may receive program servicing payments in 2015 and in future years. Any additions, modifications or deletions to the list of dealers identified above that have occurred since December 31, 2014 are not reflected. You can ask your dealer about any payments it receives from Putnam Retail Management and its affiliates.

Other Payments. From time to time, Putnam Retail Management, at its expense, may provide additional compensation to dealers which sell or arrange for the sale of shares of the fund to the extent not prohibited by laws or the rules of any self-regulatory agency, such as FINRA. Such compensation provided by Putnam Retail Management may include financial assistance to dealers that enables Putnam Retail Management to participate in and/or present at dealer-sponsored conferences or seminars, sales or training programs for invited registered

August 31, 2015  II-18 

 



representatives and other dealer employees, dealer entertainment, and other dealer-sponsored events, and travel expenses, including lodging incurred by registered representatives and other employees in connection with prospecting, retention and due diligence trips. Putnam Retail Management makes payments for entertainment events it deems appropriate, subject to Putnam Retail Management’s internal guidelines and applicable law. These payments may vary upon the nature of the event.

Certain dealers also receive payments from Putnam Investor Services or its affiliates in recognition of sub-accounting or other services they provide to shareholders or plan participants who invest in the fund or other Putnam funds through their retirement plan. The amount paid for these services varies depending on the share class selected and by dealer, and may also take into account the extent to which the services provided by the dealer replace services that Putnam Investor Services or its affiliates would otherwise have to provide. There are no such payments in respect of class R6 shares, and payments in respect of class R5 shares are generally made at an annual rate of up to 0.10% of a fund’s average net assets attributable to class R5 shares held by a dealer, except that an annual rate of up to 0.07% of a fund’s average net assets attributable to class R5 shares held by a dealer applies to Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund, Putnam American Government Income Fund, Putnam Diversified Income Trust, Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Conservative Fund, Putnam Global Income Trust, Putnam Income Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund. See the discussion under the heading “MANAGEMENT – Investor Servicing Agent” for more details.

You can ask your dealer for information about payments it receives from Putnam Retail Management or its affiliates and the services it provides for those payments.

In addition to payments to dealers described above, Putnam Investor Services or Putnam Retail Management may, at the direction of a retirement plan’s sponsor, reimburse or pay direct expenses of the plan that would otherwise be payable by the plan. Putnam Investor Services also, at its expense, may make payments to financial intermediaries for introducing to Putnam Investor Services, and/or assisting Putnam Investor Services in the provision of services to, certain retirement plans administered by Putnam Investor Services. Such payments to any one financial intermediary are not expected to exceed an annual rate of 0.05% of a plan’s average net assets.

MISCELLANEOUS INVESTMENTS, INVESTMENT PRACTICES AND RISKS

As noted in the prospectus, in addition to the main investment strategies and the principal risks described in the prospectus, the fund may employ other investment practices and may be subject to other risks, which are described below. Because the following is a combined description of investment strategies of all of the Putnam funds, certain matters described herein may not apply to your fund. Unless a strategy or policy described below is specifically prohibited or limited by the investment restrictions discussed in the fund’s prospectus or in this SAI, or by applicable law, the fund may engage in each of the practices described below without limit. This section contains information on the investments and investment practices listed below. With respect to funds for which Putnam Investments Limited (“PIL”) and/or The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (“PAC”) serves as sub-investment manager (as described in the fund’s prospectus), references to Putnam Management in this section include PIL and/or PAC, as appropriate.

August 31, 2015  II-19 

 



Temporary Defensive Strategies  Money Market Instruments 

Bank Loans  Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed Securities 

Borrowing and Other Forms of Leverage  Options on Securities 

Derivatives  Preferred Stocks and Convertible Securities 

Exchange-Traded Notes  Private Placements and Restricted Securities 

Floating Rate and Variable Rate Demand Notes  Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) 

Foreign Currency Transactions  Redeemable Securities 

Foreign Investments and Related Risks  Repurchase Agreements 

Forward Commitments and Dollar Rolls  Securities Loans 

Futures Contracts and Related Options  Securities of Other Investment Companies 

Hybrid Instruments  Short Sales 

Inflation-Protected Securities  Short-Term Trading 

Initial Public Offerings (IPOs)  Special Purpose Acquisition Companies 

Interfund Borrowing and Lending  Structured Investments 

Inverse Floaters  Swap Agreements 

Investment Ratings  Tax-exempt Securities 

Legal and Regulatory Risk Relating to Investment Strategy  Warrants 

Lower-rated Securities  Zero-coupon and Payment-in-kind Bonds 

 

Temporary Defensive Strategies

In response to adverse market, economic, political or other conditions, Putnam Management may take temporary defensive positions that differ from the fund’s usual investment strategies. In implementing these temporary defensive strategies, the fund may invest primarily in, among other things, debt securities, preferred stocks, U.S. Government and agency obligations, cash or money market instruments (including, to the extent permitted by law or applicable exemptive relief, money market funds), or any other securities Putnam Management considers consistent with such defensive strategies. While temporary defensive strategies are mainly designed to limit losses, such strategies may not work as intended.

Bank Loans

The fund may invest in bank loans. By purchasing a loan, the fund acquires some or all of the interest of a bank or other lending institution in a loan to a particular borrower. The fund may act as part of a lending syndicate, and in such cases would be purchasing a “participation” in the loan. The fund may also purchase loans by assignment from another lender. Many loans are secured by the assets of the borrower, and most impose restrictive covenants which must be met by the borrower. These loans are typically made by a syndicate of banks, represented by an agent bank which has negotiated and structured the loan and which is responsible generally for collecting interest, principal, and other amounts from the borrower on its own behalf and on behalf of the other lending institutions in the syndicate, and for enforcing its and their other rights against the borrower. Each of the lending institutions, including the agent bank, lends to the borrower a portion of the total amount of the loan, and retains the corresponding interest in the loan.

The fund’s ability to receive payments of principal and interest and other amounts in connection with loan participations held by it will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower (and, in some cases, the lending institution from which it purchases the loan). The value of collateral, if any, securing a loan can decline, or may be insufficient to meet the borrower’s obligations or difficult to liquidate. In addition, the fund’s access to collateral may be limited by bankruptcy or other insolvency laws. The failure by the fund to receive scheduled interest or principal payments on a loan would adversely affect the income of the fund and would likely reduce the value of its assets, which would be reflected in a reduction in the fund's net asset value. Banks and other lending institutions generally perform a credit analysis of the borrower before originating a loan or participating

August 31, 2015  II-20 

 



in a lending syndicate. In selecting the loans in which the fund will invest, however, Putnam Management will not rely solely on that credit analysis, but will perform its own investment analysis of the borrowers. Putnam Management's analysis may include consideration of the borrower's financial strength and managerial experience, debt coverage, additional borrowing requirements or debt maturity schedules, changing financial conditions, and responsiveness to changes in business conditions and interest rates. Putnam Management will generally not have access to non-public information to which other investors in syndicated loans may have access. Because loans in which the fund may invest are not generally rated by independent credit rating agencies, a decision by the fund to invest in a particular loan will depend almost exclusively on Putnam Management's, and the original lending institution's, credit analysis of the borrower. Investments in loans may be of any quality, including “distressed” loans, and will be subject to the fund’s credit quality policy. The loans in which the fund may invest include those that pay fixed rates of interest and those that pay floating rates – i.e., rates that adjust periodically based on a known lending rate, such as a bank’s prime rate.

Loans may be structured in different forms, including novations, assignments and participating interests. In a novation, the fund assumes all of the rights of a lending institution in a loan, including the right to receive payments of principal and interest and other amounts directly from the borrower and to enforce its rights as a lender directly against the borrower. The fund assumes the position of a co-lender with other syndicate members. As an alternative, the fund may purchase an assignment of a portion of a lender's interest in a loan. In this case, the fund may be required generally to rely upon the assigning bank to demand payment and enforce its rights against the borrower, but would otherwise be entitled to all of such bank's rights in the loan. The fund may also purchase a participating interest in a portion of the rights of a lending institution in a loan. In such case, it will be entitled to receive payments of principal, interest and premium, if any, but will not generally be entitled to enforce its rights directly against the agent bank or the borrower, and must rely for that purpose on the lending institution. The fund may also acquire a loan interest directly by acting as a member of the original lending syndicate.

The fund will in many cases be required to rely upon the lending institution from which it purchases the loan to collect and pass on to the fund such payments and to enforce the fund's rights under the loan. As a result, an insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the lending institution may delay or prevent the fund from receiving principal, interest and other amounts with respect to the underlying loan. When the fund is required to rely upon a lending institution to pay to the fund principal, interest and other amounts received by it, Putnam Management will also evaluate the creditworthiness of the lending institution.

The borrower of a loan in which the fund holds an interest may, either at its own election or pursuant to terms of the loan documentation, prepay amounts of the loan from time to time. There is no assurance that the fund will be able to reinvest the proceeds of any loan prepayment at the same interest rate or on the same terms as those of the original loan.

Corporate loans in which the fund may invest are generally made to finance internal growth, mergers, acquisitions, stock repurchases, leveraged buy-outs and other corporate activities. A significant portion of the corporate loans purchased by the fund may represent interests in loans made to finance highly leveraged corporate acquisitions, known as "leveraged buy-out" transactions, leveraged recapitalization loans and other types of acquisition financing. The highly leveraged capital structure of the borrowers in such transactions may make such loans especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. In addition, loans generally are subject to restrictions on transfer, and only limited opportunities may exist to sell such participations in secondary markets. As a result, the fund may be unable to sell loans at a time when it may otherwise be desirable to do so or may be able to sell them only at a price that is less than their fair market value. The fund may hold investments in loans for a very short period of time when opportunities to resell the investments that Putnam Management believes are attractive arise.

Certain of the loans acquired by the fund may involve revolving credit facilities under which a borrower may from time to time borrow and repay amounts up to the maximum amount of the facility. In such cases, the fund

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would have an obligation to advance its portion of such additional borrowings upon the terms specified in the loan participation. To the extent that the fund is committed to make additional loans under such a participation, it will at all times set aside on its books liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments. Certain of the loan participations acquired by the fund may also involve loans made in foreign (i.e., non-U.S.) currencies. The fund's investment in such participations would involve the risks of currency fluctuations described in this SAI with respect to investments in the foreign securities.

With respect to its management of investments in bank loans, Putnam Management will normally seek to avoid receiving material, non-public information (“Confidential Information”) about the issuers of bank loans being considered for acquisition by the fund or held in the fund’s portfolio. In many instances, borrowers may offer to furnish Confidential Information to prospective investors, and to holders, of the issuer’s loans. Putnam Management’s decision not to receive Confidential Information may place Putnam Management at a disadvantage relative to other investors in loans (which could have an adverse effect on the price the fund pays or receives when buying or selling loans). Also, in instances where holders of loans are asked to grant amendments, waivers or consent, Putnam Management’s ability to assess their significance or desirability may be adversely affected. For these and other reasons, it is possible that Putnam Management’s decision not to receive Confidential Information under normal circumstances could adversely affect the fund’s investment performance.

Notwithstanding its intention generally not to receive material, non-public information with respect to its management of investments in loans, Putnam Management may from time to time come into possession of material, non-public information about the issuers of loans that may be held in the fund’s portfolio. Possession of such information may in some instances occur despite Putnam Management’s efforts to avoid such possession, but in other instances Putnam Management may choose to receive such information (for example, in connection with participation in a creditors’ committee with respect to a financially distressed issuer). As, and to the extent, required by applicable law, Putnam Management's ability to trade in these loans for the account of the fund could potentially be limited by its possession of such information. Such limitations on Putnam Management's ability to trade could have an adverse effect on the fund by, for example, preventing the fund from selling a loan that is experiencing a material decline in value. In some instances, these trading restrictions could continue in effect for a substantial period of time.

In some instances, other accounts managed by Putnam Management or an affiliate may hold other securities issued by borrowers whose loans may be held in the fund’s portfolio. These other securities may include, for example, debt securities that are subordinate to the loans held in the fund’s portfolio, convertible debt or common or preferred equity securities. In certain circumstances, such as if the credit quality of the issuer deteriorates, the interests of holders of these other securities may conflict with the interests of the holders of the issuer’s loans. In such cases, Putnam Management may owe conflicting fiduciary duties to the fund and other client accounts. Putnam Management will endeavor to carry out its obligations to all of its clients to the fullest extent possible, recognizing that in some cases certain clients may achieve a lower economic return, as a result of these conflicting client interests, than if Putnam Management's client accounts collectively held only a single category of the issuer’s securities.

Borrowing and Other Forms of Leverage

The fund may borrow money to the extent permitted by its investment policies and restrictions and applicable law. When the fund borrows money or otherwise leverages its portfolio, the value of an investment in the fund will be more volatile and other investment risks will tend to be compounded. This is because leverage tends to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of the fund’s holdings. In addition to borrowing money from banks, the fund may engage in certain other investment transactions that may be viewed as forms of financial leverage – for example, using dollar rolls, investing collateral from loans of portfolio securities, entering into when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment transactions or using derivatives such as swaps, futures, forwards, and options. Because the fund either (1) sets aside cash (or other assets

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determined to be liquid by Putnam Management in accordance with procedures established by the Trustees) on its books in respect of such transactions during the period in which the transactions are open or (2) otherwise “covers” its obligations under the transactions, such as by holding offsetting investments, the fund does not consider these transactions to be borrowings for purposes of its investment restrictions or “senior securities” for purposes of the 1940 Act. In some cases (e.g., with respect to futures and forwards that are contractually required to “cash-settle”), the fund is permitted under relevant guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) or SEC staff to set aside assets with respect to an investment transaction in the amount of its net (marked-to-market) obligations thereunder, rather than the full notional amount of the transaction. By setting aside assets equal only to its net obligations, the fund will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if it set aside assets equal to the notional amount of the transaction, which may increase the risk associated with such investments.

Each Putnam fund (other than Putnam RetirementReady® Funds, Putnam Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 1, Putnam Global Sector Fund, Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short-Term Investment Fund) participates in committed and uncommitted lines of credit with State Street Bank and Trust Company. These lines of credit are intended to provide a temporary source of cash in extraordinary or emergency circumstances, such as unexpected shareholder redemption requests. The fund may pay a commitment or other fee to maintain a line of credit, in addition to the stated interest rate.

Derivatives

Certain of the instruments in which the fund may invest, such as futures contracts, options, hybrid instruments, forward contracts, swap agreements and structured investments, are considered to be "derivatives." Derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value or other attributes of an underlying asset, such as a security or an index. Further information about these instruments and the risks involved in their use is included elsewhere in the prospectus and in this SAI. The fund’s use of derivatives may cause the fund to recognize higher amounts of short-term capital gains, which are generally taxed to individual shareholders at ordinary income tax rates, and higher amounts of ordinary income, and more generally may affect the timing, character and amount of a fund’s distributions to shareholders. The fund’s use of commodity-linked derivatives can bear on or be limited by the fund’s intention to qualify as a “regulated investment company” under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code), as discussed in “Taxes” below. Investments in derivatives may be applied toward meeting a requirement to invest in a particular kind of investment if the derivatives have economic characteristics similar to that investment. The fund’s use of certain derivatives may in some cases involve forms of financial leverage, which involves risk and may increase the volatility of the fund’s net asset value. See “—Borrowing and Other Forms of Leverage.” In its use of derivatives, the fund may take both long positions (the values of which move in the same direction as the prices of the underlying investments, pools of investments, indexes or currencies), and short positions (the values of which move in the opposite direction from the prices of the underlying investments, pools of investments indexes or currencies).

Short positions may involve greater risks than long positions, as the risk of loss may be theoretically unlimited (unlike a long position, in which the risk of loss may be limited to the amount invested). The fund may use derivatives that combine “long” and “short” positions in order to capture the difference between underlying investments, pools of investments, indices or currencies.

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Exchange-Traded Notes

The fund may invest in exchange traded notes (“ETNs”). ETNs are typically senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities whose returns are linked to the performance of a particular market index less applicable fees and expenses. ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. The fund may hold the ETN until maturity, at which time the issuer is obligated to pay a return linked to the performance of the relevant market index. ETNs do not make periodic interest payments and principal is not protected.

The market value of an ETN may be influenced by, among other things, time to maturity, level of supply and demand of the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in the underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, the current performance of the market index to which the ETN is linked, and the credit rating of the ETN issuer. The market value of an ETN may differ from the performance of the applicable market index and there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities underlying the market index that the ETN seeks to track. A change in the issuer’s credit rating may also impact the value of an ETN despite the underlying market index remaining unchanged. ETNs are also subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) will accept, or a court will uphold, how the fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes.

An ETN that is tied to a specific market index may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market index. ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable market index, and the fund would bear a proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN in which it invests.

The fund’s decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN. Some ETNs that use leverage in an effort to amplify the returns of an underlying market index can, at times, be relatively illiquid and may therefore be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs may offer the potential for greater return, but the potential for loss and speed at which losses can be realized also are greater. The extent of the fund’s investment in commodity-linked ETNs, if any, is limited by tax considerations. For more information regarding the tax treatment of commodity-linked ETNs, please see “Taxes” below.

ETNs are generally similar to structured investments and hybrid instruments. For discussion of these investments and the risks generally associated with them, see “Hybrid Instruments” and “Structured Investments” in this SAI.

Floating Rate and Variable Rate Demand Notes

The fund may purchase taxable or tax-exempt floating rate and variable rate demand notes for short-term cash management or other investment purposes. Floating rate and variable rate demand notes and bonds may have a stated maturity in excess of one year, but may have features that permit a holder to demand payment of principal plus accrued interest upon a specified number of days notice. Frequently, such obligations are secured by letters of credit or other credit support arrangements provided by banks. The issuer has a corresponding right, after a given period, to prepay in its discretion the outstanding principal of the obligation plus accrued interest upon a specific number of days notice to the holders. The interest rate of a floating rate instrument may be based on a known lending rate, such as a bank's prime rate, and is reset whenever such rate is adjusted. The interest rate on a variable rate demand note is reset at specified intervals at a market rate.

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Foreign Currency Transactions

To manage its exposure to foreign currencies, the fund may engage in foreign currency exchange transactions, including purchasing and selling foreign currency, foreign currency options, foreign currency forward contracts and foreign currency futures contracts and related options. In addition, the fund may engage in these transactions for the purpose of increasing its return. Foreign currency transactions involve costs, and, if unsuccessful, may reduce the fund’s return.

Generally, the fund may engage in both "transaction hedging" and "position hedging." The fund may also engage in foreign currency transactions for non-hedging purposes, subject to applicable law. When it engages in transaction hedging, the fund enters into foreign currency transactions with respect to specific receivables or payables, generally arising in connection with the purchase or sale of portfolio securities. The fund will engage in transaction hedging when it desires to "lock in" the U.S. dollar price of a security it has agreed to purchase or sell, or the U.S. dollar equivalent of a dividend or interest payment in a foreign currency. By transaction hedging the fund will attempt to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the applicable foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the dividend or interest payment is earned, and the date on which such payments are made or received. The fund may also engage in position hedging to protect against a decline in the value relative to the U.S. dollar of the currencies in which its portfolio securities are denominated or quoted (or an increase in the value of the currency in which securities the fund intends to buy are denominated or quoted).

The fund may purchase or sell a foreign currency on a spot (or cash) basis at the prevailing spot rate in connection with the settlement of transactions in portfolio securities denominated in that foreign currency or for other hedging or non-hedging purposes. If conditions warrant, for hedging or non-hedging purposes, the fund may also enter into contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date ("forward contracts") and purchase and sell foreign currency futures contracts. The fund may also purchase or sell exchange-listed and over-the-counter call and put options on foreign currency futures contracts and on foreign currencies.

A foreign currency futures contract is a standardized exchange-traded contract for the future delivery of a specified amount of a foreign currency at a price set at the time of the contract. Foreign currency futures contracts traded in the United States are designed by and traded on exchanges regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the "CFTC"), such as the New York Mercantile Exchange, and have margin requirements.

A foreign currency forward contract is a negotiated agreement to exchange currency at a future time, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract as agreed by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract. The contract price may be higher or lower than the current spot rate. In the case of a cancelable forward contract, the holder has the unilateral right to cancel the contract at maturity by paying a specified fee. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts differ from foreign currency futures contracts in certain respects. For example, the maturity date of a forward contract may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract agreed upon by the parties, rather than a predetermined date in a given month. Forward contracts may be in any amount agreed upon by the parties rather than predetermined amounts. In addition, forward contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers, so that no intermediary is required. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades.

At the maturity of a forward or futures contract, the fund either may accept or make delivery of the currency specified in the contract, or at or prior to maturity enter into a closing transaction involving the purchase or sale of an offsetting contract. Closing transactions with respect to forward contracts are usually effected with the currency trader who is a party to the original forward contract. Closing transactions with respect to futures contracts may be effected only on a commodities exchange or board of trade which provides a secondary market in such contracts; a clearing corporation associated with the exchange assumes responsibility for closing out such contracts.

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Although the fund intends to purchase or sell foreign currency futures contracts only on exchanges or boards of trade where there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a secondary market on an exchange or board of trade will exist for any particular contract or at any particular time. In such event, it may not be possible to close a futures position and, in the event of adverse price movements, the fund would continue to be required to make daily cash payments of variation margin.

It is impossible to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration or maturity of a forward or futures contract. Accordingly, it may be necessary for the fund to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security or securities being hedged is less than the amount of foreign currency the fund is obligated to deliver and a decision is made to sell the security or securities and make delivery of the foreign currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received upon the sale of the portfolio security or securities if the market value of such security or securities exceeds the amount of foreign currency the fund is obligated to deliver.

As noted above, the fund may purchase or sell exchange-listed and over-the-counter call and put options on foreign currency futures contracts and on foreign currencies. A put option on a futures contract gives the fund the right to assume a short position in the futures contract until the expiration of the option. A put option on a currency gives the fund the right to sell the currency at an exercise price until the expiration of the option. A call option on a futures contract gives the fund the right to assume a long position in the futures contract until the expiration of the option. A call option on a currency gives the fund the right to purchase the currency at the exercise price until the expiration of the option.

Foreign currency options are traded primarily in the over-the-counter market, although options on foreign currencies are also listed on several exchanges. Options are traded not only on the currencies of individual nations, but also on the euro, the joint currency of most countries in the European Union.

The fund will only purchase or write foreign currency options when Putnam Management believes that a liquid secondary market exists for such options. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for a particular option at any specific time. Options on foreign currencies may be affected by all of those factors which influence foreign exchange rates and investments generally.

The fund's currency hedging transactions may call for the delivery of one foreign currency in exchange for another foreign currency and may at times not involve currencies in which its portfolio securities are then denominated. Putnam Management will engage in such "cross hedging" activities when it believes that such transactions provide significant hedging opportunities for the fund. Cross hedging transactions by the fund involve the risk of imperfect correlation between changes in the values of the currencies to which such transactions relate and changes in the value of the currency or other asset or liability which is the subject of the hedge.

Transaction and position hedging do not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities that the fund owns or intends to purchase or sell. They simply establish a rate of exchange which one can achieve at some future point in time. Additionally, although these techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency, they involve costs to the fund and tend to limit any potential gain which might result from the increase in value of such currency.

The fund may also engage in non-hedging currency transactions. For example, Putnam Management may believe that exposure to a currency is in the fund's best interest but that securities denominated in that currency are unattractive. In this situation, the fund may purchase a currency forward contract or option in order to increase its exposure to the currency. In accordance with SEC regulations, the fund will set aside liquid assets on its books to cover forward contracts used for non-hedging purposes.

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In addition, the fund may seek to increase its current return or to offset some of the costs of hedging against fluctuations in current exchange rates by writing covered call options and covered put options on foreign currencies. The fund receives a premium from writing a call or put option, which increases the fund's current return if the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a net profit. The fund may terminate an option that it has written prior to its expiration by entering into a closing purchase transaction in which it purchases an option having the same terms as the option written.

The value of any currency, including U.S. dollars and foreign currencies, may be affected by complex political and economic factors applicable to the issuing country. In addition, the exchange rates of foreign currencies (and therefore the values of foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts) may be affected significantly, fixed, or supported directly or indirectly by U.S. and foreign government actions. Government intervention may increase risks involved in purchasing or selling foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts, since exchange rates may not be free to fluctuate in response to other market forces.

The value of a foreign currency option, forward contract or futures contract reflects the value of an exchange rate, which in turn reflects relative values of two currencies -- the U.S. dollar and the foreign currency in question. Although foreign exchange dealers do not charge a fee for currency conversion, they do realize a profit based on the difference (the "spread") between prices at which they are buying and selling various currencies. Thus, a dealer may offer to sell a foreign currency to the fund at one rate, while offering a lesser rate of exchange should the fund desire to resell that currency to the dealer. Because foreign currency transactions occurring in the interbank market involve substantially larger amounts than those that may be involved in the exercise of foreign currency options, forward contracts and futures contracts, investors may be disadvantaged by having to deal in an odd-lot market for the underlying foreign currencies in connection with options at prices that are less favorable than for round lots. Foreign governmental restrictions or taxes could result in adverse changes in the cost of acquiring or disposing of foreign currencies.

There is no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies and there is no regulatory requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or revised on a timely basis. Available quotation information is generally representative of very large round-lot transactions in the interbank market and thus may not reflect exchange rates for smaller odd-lot transactions (less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable. The interbank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent that options markets are closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, significant price and rate movements may take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets.

The decision as to whether and to what extent the fund will engage in foreign currency exchange transactions will depend on a number of factors, including prevailing market conditions, the composition of the fund's portfolio and the availability of suitable transactions. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the fund will engage in foreign currency exchange transactions at any given time or from time to time.

Foreign Investments and Related Risks

Foreign securities are normally denominated and traded in foreign currencies. As a result, the value of the fund's foreign investments and the value of its shares may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. dollar. In addition, the fund is required to compute and distribute its income in U.S. dollars. Therefore, if the exchange rate for a foreign currency declines after a fund's income has been earned and translated into U.S. dollars (but before payment), the fund could be required to liquidate portfolio securities to make such distributions. Similarly, if an exchange rate declines between the time a fund incurs expenses in U.S. dollars and the time such expenses are paid, the amount of such currency required to be converted into U.S. dollars in order to pay such expenses in U.S. dollars will be greater than the equivalent amount in any such currency of such expenses at the time they were incurred.

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There may be less information publicly available about a foreign issuer than about a U.S. issuer, and foreign issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and practices comparable to those in the United States. In addition, there may be less (or less effective) regulation of exchanges, brokers and listed companies in some foreign countries. The securities of some foreign issuers are less liquid and at times more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. issuers. Foreign brokerage commissions, custodial expenses and other fees are also generally higher than in the United States.

Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations may be more complex and involve certain risks (such as delay in payment or delivery of securities or in the recovery of the fund's assets held abroad) and expenses not present in the settlement of investments in U.S. markets. For example, settlement of transactions involving foreign securities or foreign currencies (see below) may occur within a foreign country, and the fund may accept or make delivery of the underlying securities or currency in conformity with any applicable U.S. or foreign restrictions or regulations, and may pay fees, taxes or charges associated with such delivery. Such investments may also involve the risk that an entity involved in the settlement may not meet its obligations.

In addition, foreign securities may be subject to the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets, imposition of sanctions (whether imposed by the local sovereign or by the United States government), currency exchange controls, foreign withholding taxes or restrictions on the repatriation of foreign currency, confiscatory taxation, political, social or financial instability and diplomatic developments which could affect the value of the fund's investments in certain foreign countries. Dividends or interest on, or proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, and special U.S. tax considerations may apply.

Note on MSCI indices. MSCI, Inc. (MSCI) publishes two versions of its indices reflecting the reinvestment of dividends using two different methodologies: gross dividends and net dividends. While both versions reflect reinvested dividends, they differ with respect to the manner in which taxes associated with dividend payments are treated. In calculating the net dividends version, MSCI incorporates reinvested dividends applying the withholding tax rate applicable to foreign non-resident institutional investors that do not benefit from double taxation treaties. Putnam Management believes that the net dividends version of MSCI indices better reflects the returns U.S. investors might expect were they to invest directly in the component securities of an MSCI index.

Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be more limited than those available with respect to investments in the United States or in other foreign countries.

The laws of some foreign countries may limit the fund's ability to invest in securities of certain issuers organized under the laws of those foreign countries. These restrictions may take the form of prior governmental approval requirements, limits on the amount or type of securities held by foreigners and limits on the types of companies in which foreigners may invest (e.g., limits on investment in certain industries). Some countries also limit the investment of foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of an issuer that may have less advantageous terms or rights or preferences than securities of the issuer available for purchase by domestic parties, or may directly limit foreign investors’ rights (such as voting rights). Although securities subject to such restrictions may be marketable abroad, they may be less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such restrictions. Foreign laws may also impact the availability of derivatives or hedging techniques relating to a foreign country’s government securities. In each of these situations, the funds’ ability to invest significantly in desired issuers, or the terms of such investments, could be negatively impacted as a result of the relevant legal restriction. Sanctions imposed by the United States government on other countries or persons or issuers operating in such countries could restrict the fund’s ability to buy affected securities or to sell any affected securities it has previously purchased, which may subject the fund to greater risk of loss in those securities.

For purposes of some foreign holding limits or disclosure thresholds, all positions owned or controlled by the same person or entity, even if in different accounts, may be aggregated for purposes of determining whether the applicable limits or thresholds have been exceeded. Thus, even if the fund does not intend to exceed applicable

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limits, it is possible that different clients managed by Putnam Management and its affiliates (including separate affiliates owned by Power Corporation of Canada outside the Putnam Investments group) may be aggregated for this purpose. These limits may adversely affect the fund’s ability to invest in the applicable security.

The risks described above, including the risks of nationalization or expropriation of assets, typically are increased in connection with investments in developing countries, also known as "emerging markets." For example, political and economic structures in these countries may be in their infancy and developing rapidly, and such countries may lack the social, political and economic stability characteristic of more developed countries. Certain of these countries have in the past failed to recognize private property rights and have at times nationalized and expropriated the assets of private companies. High rates of inflation or currency devaluations may adversely affect the economies and securities markets of such countries. Investments in emerging markets may be considered speculative.

The currencies of certain emerging market countries have experienced devaluations relative to the U.S. dollar, and future devaluations may adversely affect the value of assets denominated in such currencies. Many emerging market countries have experienced substantial, and in some periods extremely high, rates of inflation or deflation for many years, and future inflation may adversely affect the economies and securities markets of such countries.

In addition, unanticipated political or social developments may affect the value of investments in emerging markets and the availability of additional investments in these markets. The small size, limited trading volume and relative inexperience of the securities markets in these countries may make investments in securities traded in emerging markets illiquid and more volatile than investments in securities traded in more developed countries, and the fund may be required to establish special custodial or other arrangements before making investments in securities traded in emerging markets. There may be little financial or accounting information available with respect to issuers of emerging market securities, and it may be difficult as a result to assess the value or prospects of an investment in such securities.

American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”) as well as other “hybrid” forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts (“EDRs”) and Global Depositary Receipts (“GDRs”), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer’s home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing in foreign securities.

Certain of the foregoing risks may also apply to some extent to securities of U.S. issuers that are denominated in foreign currencies or that are traded in foreign markets, or securities of U.S. issuers having significant foreign operations.

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Forward Commitments and Dollar Rolls

The fund may enter into contracts to purchase securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time ("forward commitments") if the fund sets aside on its books liquid assets in an amount sufficient to meet the purchase price, or if the fund enters into offsetting contracts for the forward sale of other securities it owns. In the case of to-be-announced ("TBA") purchase commitments, the unit price and the estimated principal amount are established when the fund enters into a contract, with the actual principal amount being within a specified range of the estimate. Forward commitments may be considered securities in themselves, and involve a risk of loss if the value of the security to be purchased declines prior to the settlement date, which risk is in addition to the risk of decline in the value of the fund's other assets. Where such purchases are made through dealers, the fund relies on the dealer to consummate the sale. The dealer's failure to do so may result in the loss to the fund of an advantageous yield or price. Although the fund will generally enter into forward commitments with the intention of acquiring securities for its portfolio or for delivery pursuant to options contracts it has entered into, the fund may dispose of a commitment prior to settlement if Putnam Management deems it appropriate to do so. The fund may realize short-term profits or losses upon the sale of forward commitments.

The fund may enter into TBA sale commitments to hedge its portfolio positions, to sell securities it owns under delayed delivery arrangements, or to take a short position in mortgage-backed securities. Proceeds of TBA sale commitments are not received until the contractual settlement date. During the time a TBA sale commitment is outstanding, either equivalent deliverable securities or an offsetting TBA purchase commitment deliverable on or before the sale commitment date are held as "cover" for the transaction, or other liquid assets in an amount equal to the notional value of the TBA sale commitment are segregated. Where the fund purchases or sells an option, which is to be settled in cash, to buy or sell a TBA sale commitment, the fund will segregate cash or liquid assets in an amount equal to the current “mark-to-market” value of the option. Unsettled TBA sale commitments are valued at current market value of the underlying securities. If the TBA sale commitment is closed through the acquisition of an offsetting purchase commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss on the commitment without regard to any unrealized gain or loss on the underlying security. If the fund delivers securities under the commitment, the fund realizes a gain or loss from the sale of the securities based upon the unit price established at the date the commitment was entered into.

The fund may enter into dollar roll transactions (generally using TBAs) in which it sells a fixed income security for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to purchase similar securities (for example, same type, coupon and maturity) at an agreed upon future time. By engaging in a dollar roll transaction, the fund foregoes principal and interest paid on the security that is sold, but receives the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase. The fund would also be able to earn interest on the proceeds of the sale before they are reinvested. The fund accounts for dollar rolls as purchases and sales. Because cash (or other assets determined to be liquid by Putnam Management in accordance with procedures established by the Trustees) in the amount of the fund’s commitment under a dollar roll is set aside on the fund’s books, the fund does not consider these transactions to be borrowings for purposes of its investment restrictions.

The obligation to purchase securities on a specified future date involves the risk that the market value of the securities that the fund is obligated to purchase may decline below the purchase price. In addition, in the event the other party to the transaction files for bankruptcy, becomes insolvent or defaults on its obligation, the fund may be adversely affected.

Futures Contracts and Related Options

Subject to applicable law, the fund may invest without limit in futures contracts and related options for hedging and non-hedging purposes, such as to manage the effective duration of the fund's portfolio or as a substitute for direct investment. A financial futures contract sale creates an obligation by the seller to deliver the type of financial instrument called for in the contract in a specified delivery month for a stated price. A financial futures contract purchase creates an obligation by the purchaser to take delivery of the type of financial instrument called

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for in the contract in a specified delivery month at a stated price. The specific instruments delivered or taken, respectively, at settlement date are not determined until on or near that date. The determination is made in accordance with the rules of the exchange on which the futures contract sale or purchase was made. Futures contracts are traded in the United States only on commodity exchanges or boards of trade -- known as "contract markets" -- approved for such trading by the CFTC, and must be executed through a futures commission merchant or brokerage firm which is a member of the relevant contract market. Examples of futures contracts that the fund may use (which may include single-security futures) include, without limitation, U.S. Treasury security futures, index futures, corporate or municipal bond futures, Government National Mortgage Association certificate futures, interest rate swap futures, and Eurodollar futures. In addition, as described elsewhere in this SAI, the fund may use foreign currency futures.

Although futures contracts (other than index futures and futures based on the volatility or variance experienced by an index) by their terms call for actual delivery or acceptance of commodities or securities, in most cases the contracts are closed out before the settlement date without the making or taking of delivery. Index futures and futures based on the volatility or variance experienced by an index do not call for actual delivery or acceptance of commodities or securities, but instead require cash settlement of the futures contract on the settlement date specified in the contract. Such contracts may also be closed out before the settlement date. Closing out a futures contract sale is effected by purchasing a futures contract for the same aggregate amount of the specific type of financial instrument or commodity with the same delivery date. If the price of the initial sale of the futures contract exceeds the price of the offsetting purchase, the seller is paid the difference and realizes a gain. Conversely, if the price of the offsetting purchase exceeds the price of the initial sale, the seller realizes a loss. If the fund is unable to enter into a closing transaction, the amount of the fund's potential loss is unlimited. The closing out of a futures contract purchase is effected by the purchaser's entering into a futures contract sale. If the offsetting sale price exceeds the purchase price, the purchaser realizes a gain, and if the purchase price exceeds the offsetting sale price, he realizes a loss.

Unlike when the fund purchases or sells a security, no price is paid or received by the fund upon the purchase or sale of a futures contract. Instead, upon entering into a contract, the fund is required to deliver to the futures broker an amount of liquid assets. This amount is known as "initial margin." The nature of initial margin in futures transactions is different from that of margin in security transactions in that futures contract margin does not involve the borrowing of funds to finance the transactions. Rather, initial margin is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit which is returned to the fund upon termination of the futures contract, assuming all contractual obligations have been satisfied. Futures contracts also involve brokerage costs.

Subsequent payments, called "variation margin" or "maintenance margin," to and from the broker are made on a daily basis as the price of the underlying security or commodity fluctuates, making the long and short positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as "marking to the market." For example, when the fund has purchased a futures contract on a security and the price of the underlying security has risen, that position will have increased in value and the fund will receive from the broker a variation margin payment based on that increase in value. Conversely, when the fund has purchased a security futures contract and the price of the underlying security has declined, the position would be less valuable and the fund would be required to make a variation margin payment to the broker.

The fund may elect to close some or all of its futures positions at any time prior to their expiration in order to reduce or eliminate a position then currently held by the fund. The fund may close its positions by taking opposite positions which will operate to terminate the fund's position in the futures contracts. Final determinations of variation margin are then made, additional cash is required to be paid by or released to the fund, and the fund realizes a loss or a gain. Such closing transactions involve additional commission costs.

The fund does not intend to purchase or sell futures or related options for other than hedging purposes, if, as a result, the sum of the initial margin deposits on the fund's existing futures and related options positions and premiums paid for outstanding options on futures contracts would exceed 5% of the fund's net assets.

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Each Putnam fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” under the CEA pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA (the “exclusion”) promulgated by the CFTC. Accordingly, neither these funds nor Putnam Management are subject to registration or regulation as a “commodity pool operator” under the CEA. To remain eligible for the exclusion, each fund will be limited in its ability to use certain financial instruments regulated under the CEA (“commodity interests”), including futures and options on futures and certain swaps transactions. In the event that a fund’s investments in commodity interests are not within the thresholds set forth in the exclusion, Putnam Management may be required to register as a “commodity pool operator” and/or “commodity trading advisor” with the CFTC with respect to that fund. Putnam Management’s eligibility to claim the exclusion with respect to a fund will be based upon, among other things, the level and scope of the fund’s investment in commodity interests, the purposes of such investments and the manner in which the fund holds out its use of commodity interests. A fund’s ability to invest in commodity interests (including, but not limited to, futures and swaps on broad-based securities indexes and interest rates) is limited by Putnam Management's intention to operate the fund in a manner that would permit Putnam Management to continue to claim the exclusion under Rule 4.5, which may adversely affect the fund’s total return. In the event the fund’s investments in commodity interests require Putnam Management to register with the CFTC as a commodity pool operator with respect to a fund, the fund’s expenses may increase, adversely affecting that fund’s total return.

Index futures. An index futures contract is a contract to buy or sell units of an index at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. Entering into a contract to buy units of an index is commonly referred to as buying or purchasing a contract or holding a long position in the index. Entering into a contract to sell units of an index is commonly referred to as selling a contract or holding a short position. A unit is the current value of the index. The fund may enter into stock index futures contracts, debt index futures contracts, or other index futures contracts appropriate to its objective(s). The fund may also purchase and sell options on index futures contracts.

For example, the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index ("S&P 500") is composed of 500 selected U.S. common stocks. The S&P 500 assigns relative weightings to the common stocks included in the Index, and the value fluctuates with changes in the market values of those common stocks. In the case of the S&P 500, contracts are currently to buy or sell 250 units. Thus, if the value of the S&P 500 were $150, one contract would be worth $37,500 (250 units x $150). The stock index futures contract specifies that no delivery of the actual stocks making up the index will take place. Instead, settlement in cash must occur upon the termination of the contract, with the settlement being the difference between the contract price and the actual level of the stock index at the expiration of the contract. For example, if the fund enters into a futures contract to buy 250 units of the S&P 500 at a specified future date at a contract price of $150 and the S&P 500 is at $154 on that future date, the fund will gain $1,000 (250 units x gain of $4). If the fund enters into a futures contract to sell 250 units of the stock index at a specified future date at a contract price of $150 and the S&P 500 is at $152 on that future date, the fund will lose $500 (250 units x loss of $2).

Options on futures contracts. The fund may purchase and write call and put options on futures contracts it may buy or sell and enter into closing transactions with respect to such options to terminate existing positions. In return for the premium paid, options on futures contracts give the purchaser the right to assume a position in a futures contract at the specified option exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Upon exercise of the option, the delivery of the futures position by the writer of the option to the holder of the option will be accompanied by delivery of the accumulated balance in the writer's futures margin account which represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract, at exercise, exceeds (in the case of a call) or is less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option on the future. If an option is exercised on the last trading day prior to its expiration date, the settlement will be made entirely in cash equal to the difference between the exercise price of the option and the closing level of the underlying asset on which the future is based on the expiration date. Purchasers of options who fail to exercise their options prior to the exercise date suffer a loss of the premium paid.

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The fund may use options on futures contracts in lieu of writing or buying options directly on the underlying securities or indices or purchasing and selling the underlying futures contracts. For example, to hedge against a possible decrease in the value of its portfolio securities, the fund may purchase put options or write call options on futures contracts rather than selling futures contracts. Similarly, the fund may purchase call options or write put options on futures contracts as a substitute for the purchase of futures contracts to hedge against a possible increase in the price of securities which the fund expects to purchase. Such options generally operate in the same manner, and involve the same risks, as options purchased or written directly on the underlying investments. In addition, the fund will be required to deposit initial margin and maintenance margin with respect to put and call options on futures contracts written by it pursuant to brokers' requirements similar to those described above in connection with the discussion of futures contracts. The writing of an option on a futures contract involves risks similar to those relating to the sale of futures contracts.

Compared to the purchase or sale of futures contracts, the purchase of call or put options on futures contracts generally involves less potential risk to the fund because the maximum amount at risk is the premium paid for the options (plus transaction costs). However, there may be circumstances when the purchase of a call or put option on a futures contract would result in a loss to the fund when the purchase or sale of a futures contract would not, such as when there is no movement in the prices of the hedged investments.

As an alternative to purchasing call and put options on index futures, the fund may purchase and sell call and put options on the underlying indices themselves. Such options would be used in a manner identical to the use of options on index futures.

Risks of transactions in futures contracts and related options. Successful use of futures contracts by the fund is subject to Putnam Management's ability to predict movements in various factors affecting securities markets, including interest rates and market movements, and, in the case of index futures and futures based on the volatility or variance experienced by an index, Putnam Management’s ability to predict the future level of the index or the future volatility or variance experienced by an index. For example, it is possible that, where the fund has sold futures to hedge its portfolio against a decline in the market, the index on which the futures are written may advance and the value of securities held in the fund's portfolio, which may differ from those that comprise the index, may decline. If this occurred, the fund would lose money on the futures and also experience a decline in value in its portfolio securities. It is also possible that, if the fund has hedged against the possibility of a decline in the market adversely affecting securities held in its portfolio and securities prices increase instead, the fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of those securities it has hedged because it will have offsetting losses in its futures positions. In addition, in such situations, if the fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities to meet daily variation margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so.

The use of options and futures strategies also involves the risk of imperfect correlation among movements in the prices of the securities or other assets underlying the futures and options purchased and sold by the fund, of the options and futures contracts themselves, and, in the case of hedging transactions, of the securities which are the subject of a hedge. In addition to the possibility that there may be an imperfect correlation, or no correlation at all, between movements in the futures used by the fund and the portion of the portfolio being hedged, the prices of futures may not correlate perfectly with movements in the underlying asset due to certain market distortions. First, all participants in the futures market are subject to margin deposit and maintenance requirements. Rather than meeting additional margin deposit requirements, investors may close futures contracts through offsetting transactions which could distort the expected relationship between the underlying asset and futures markets. Second, margin requirements in the futures market are less onerous than margin requirements in the securities market, and as a result the futures market may attract more speculators than the securities market does. Increased participation by speculators in the futures market may also cause temporary price distortions. Due to the possibility of price distortions in the futures market and also because of the imperfect correlation between movements in the underlying asset and movements in the prices of related futures, even a correct forecast of general market trends by Putnam Management may still not result in a profitable position.

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There is no assurance that higher than anticipated trading activity or other unforeseen events might not, at times, render certain market clearing facilities inadequate, and thereby result in the institution by exchanges of special procedures which may interfere with the timely execution of customer orders.

To reduce or eliminate a position held by the fund, the fund may seek to close out such position. The ability to establish and close out positions will be subject to the development and maintenance of a liquid secondary market. It is not certain that this market will develop or continue to exist for a particular futures contract or option. Reasons for the absence of a liquid secondary market on an exchange include the following: (i) there may be insufficient trading interest in certain contracts or options; (ii) restrictions may be imposed by an exchange on opening transactions or closing transactions or both; (iii) trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions may be imposed with respect to particular classes or series of contracts or options, or underlying securities; (iv) unusual or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations on an exchange; (v) the facilities of an exchange or a clearing corporation may not at all times be adequate to handle current trading volume; or (vi) one or more exchanges could, for economic or other reasons, decide or be compelled at some future date to discontinue the trading of contracts or options (or a particular class or series of contracts or options), in which event the secondary market on that exchange for such contracts or options (or in the class or series of contracts or options) would cease to exist, although outstanding contracts or options on the exchange that had been issued by a clearing corporation as a result of trades on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

Hybrid Instruments

These instruments are generally considered derivatives and include indexed or structured securities, and combine the elements of futures contracts or options with those of debt, preferred equity or a depository instrument. A hybrid instrument may be a debt security, preferred stock, warrant, convertible security, certificate of deposit or other evidence of indebtedness on which a portion of or all interest payments, and/or the principal or stated amount payable at maturity, redemption or retirement is determined by reference to prices, changes in prices, or differences between prices, of securities, currencies, intangibles, goods, articles or commodities (collectively, “underlying assets”), or by another objective index, economic factor or other measure, including interest rates, currency exchange rates, or commodities or securities indices (collectively, “benchmarks”).

The risks of investing in hybrid instruments reflect a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures and currencies. An investment in a hybrid instrument may entail significant risks that are not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt instrument that has a fixed principal amount, is denominated in U.S. dollars or pays interest either at a fixed rate or a floating rate determined by reference to a common, nationally published benchmark. The risks of a particular hybrid instrument will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include the possibility of significant changes in the benchmark(s) or the prices of the underlying assets to which the instrument is linked. Such risks generally depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid instrument, which may not be foreseen by the purchaser, such as economic and political events, the supply and demand of the underlying assets and interest rate movements. Hybrid instruments may be highly volatile and their use by the fund may not be successful. Hybrid instruments may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Alternatively, hybrid instruments may bear interest at above market rates but bear an increased risk of principal loss (or gain). The latter scenario may result if “leverage” is used to structure the hybrid instrument. Leverage risk occurs when the hybrid instrument is structured so that a given change in a benchmark or underlying asset is multiplied to produce a greater value change in the hybrid instrument, thereby magnifying the risk of loss as well as the potential for gain.

Hybrid instruments can be an efficient means of creating exposure to a particular market, or segment of a market, with the objective of enhancing total return. For example, a fund may wish to take advantage of expected declines in interest rates in several European countries, but avoid the transaction costs associated with buying

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and currency-hedging the foreign bond positions. One solution would be to purchase a U.S. dollar-denominated hybrid instrument whose redemption price is linked to the average three year interest rate in a designated group of countries. The redemption price formula would provide for payoffs of less than par if rates were above the specified level. Furthermore, a fund could limit the downside risk of the security by establishing a minimum redemption price so that the principal paid at maturity could not be below a predetermined minimum level if interest rates were to rise significantly. The purpose of this arrangement, known as a structured security with an embedded put option, would be to give the fund the desired European bond exposure while avoiding currency risk, limiting downside market risk, and lowering transaction costs. Of course, there is no guarantee that the strategy will be successful and the fund could lose money if, for example, interest rates do not move as anticipated or credit problems develop with the issuer of the hybrid instrument.

Hybrid instruments are potentially more volatile and carry greater market risks than traditional debt instruments. Depending on the structure of the particular hybrid instrument, changes in a benchmark may be magnified by the terms of the hybrid instrument and have an even more dramatic and substantial effect upon the value of the hybrid instrument. Also, the prices of the hybrid instrument and the benchmark or underlying asset may not move in the same direction or at the same time.

Hybrid instruments may also carry liquidity risk since the instruments are often “customized” to meet the portfolio needs of a particular investor, and therefore, the number of investors that are willing and able to buy such instruments in the secondary market may be smaller than that for more traditional debt securities. Under certain conditions, the redemption value of such an investment could be zero. In addition, because the purchase and sale of hybrid investments could take place in an over-the-counter market without the guarantee of a central clearing organization, or in a transaction between the fund and the issuer of the hybrid instrument, the creditworthiness of the counterparty of the issuer of the hybrid instrument would be an additional risk factor the fund would have to consider and monitor. In addition, uncertainty regarding the tax treatment of hybrid instruments may reduce demand for such instruments. Tax considerations may also limit the extent of the fund’s investments in certain hybrid instruments. Hybrid instruments also may not be subject to regulation by the CFTC, which generally regulates the trading of commodity futures by U.S. persons, the SEC, which regulates the offer and sale of securities by and to U.S. persons, or any other governmental regulatory authority.

Inflation-Protected Securities

The fund may invest in U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (“U.S. TIPS”), which are fixed income securities issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury, the principal amounts of which are adjusted daily based upon changes in the rate of inflation. The fund may also invest in other inflation-protected securities issued by non-U.S. governments or by private issuers. U.S. TIPS pay interest on a semi-annual basis, equal to a fixed percentage of the inflation-adjusted principal amount. The interest rate on these bonds is fixed at issuance, but over the life of the bond this interest may be paid on an increasing or decreasing principal value that has been adjusted for inflation.

Repayment of the original bond principal upon maturity (as adjusted for inflation) is guaranteed for U.S. TIPS, even during a period of deflation. However, because the principal amount of U.S. TIPS would be adjusted downward during a period of deflation, the fund will be subject to deflation risk with respect to its investments in these securities. In addition, the current market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate. If the fund purchases U.S. TIPS in the secondary market whose principal values have been adjusted upward due to inflation since issuance, the fund may experience a loss if there is a subsequent period of deflation. The fund may also invest in other inflation-related bonds which may or may not provide a guarantee of principal. If a guarantee of principal is not provided, the adjusted principal value of the bond repaid at maturity may be less than the original principal amount.

The periodic adjustment of U.S. TIPS is currently tied to the CPI-U, which is calculated by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The CPI-U is a measurement of changes in the cost of living, made up of components such as

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housing, food, transportation and energy. Inflation-protected bonds issued by a non-U.S. government are generally adjusted to reflect a comparable inflation index, calculated by that government. There can no assurance that the CPI-U or any non-U.S. inflation index will accurately measure the real rate of inflation in the prices of goods and services. If interest rates rise due to reasons other than inflation (for example, due to changes in currency exchange rates), investors in these securities may not be protected to the extent that the increase is not reflected in the bond's inflation measure. In addition, there can be no assurance that the rate of inflation in a non-U.S. country will be correlated to the rate of inflation in the United States.

In general, the value of inflation-protected bonds is expected to fluctuate in response to changes in real interest rates, which are in turn tied to the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. Therefore, if inflation were to rise at a faster rate than nominal interest rates, real interest rates might decline, leading to an increase in value of inflation-protected bonds. In contrast, if nominal interest rates increased at a faster rate than inflation, real interest rates might rise, leading to a decrease in value of inflation-protected bonds. If inflation is lower than expected during the period the fund holds the security, the fund may earn less on the security than on a conventional bond. Any increase in principal value is taxable in the year the increase occurs, even though holders do not receive cash representing the increase at that time. As a result, when the fund invests in inflation-protected securities, it could be required at times to liquidate other investments, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements as a regulated investment company and to eliminate any fund-level income tax liability under the Code.

The U.S. Treasury began issuing inflation-protected bonds in 1997. Certain non-U.S. governments, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, have a longer history of issuing inflation-protected bonds, and there may be a more liquid market in certain of these countries for these securities.

Initial Public Offerings

The fund may purchase debt or equity securities in initial public offerings (“IPOs”). These securities, which are often issued by unseasoned companies, may be subject to many of the same risks of investing in companies with smaller market capitalizations. Securities issued in IPOs have no trading history, and information about the companies may be available for very limited periods. Securities issued in an IPO frequently are very volatile in price, and the fund may hold securities purchased in an IPO for a very short period of time. As a result, the fund’s investments in IPOs may increase portfolio turnover, which increases brokerage and administrative costs and may result in taxable distributions to shareholders.

At any particular time or from time to time the fund may not be able to invest in securities issued in IPOs, or invest to the extent desired because, for example, only a small portion (if any) of the securities being offered in an IPO may be made available to the fund. In addition, under certain market conditions a relatively small number of companies may issue securities in IPOs. Similarly, as the number of Putnam funds to which IPO securities are allocated increases, the number of securities issued to any one fund may decrease. The investment performance of the fund during periods when it is unable to invest significantly or at all in IPOs may be lower than during periods when the fund is able to do so. In addition, as the fund increases in size, the impact of IPOs on the fund’s performance will generally decrease.

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Interfund Borrowing and Lending

To satisfy redemption requests or to cover unanticipated cash shortfalls, the fund has entered into a Master Interfund Lending Agreement by and among each Putnam fund and Putnam Management (the “Interfund Lending Agreement”) under which the fund would lend or borrow money for temporary purposes directly to or from another Putnam fund (an “Interfund Loan”), subject to meeting the conditions of an SEC exemptive order granted to the fund permitting such Interfund Loans. All Interfund Loans would consist only of uninvested cash reserves that the lending fund otherwise would invest in short-term repurchase agreements or other short-term instruments. At this time, Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short-Term Investment Fund are the only Putnam funds expected to make their uninvested cash reserves available for Interfund Loans.

If the fund has outstanding borrowings, any Interfund Loans to the fund (a) would be at an interest rate equal to or lower than that of any outstanding bank loan, (b) would be secured at least on an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding bank loan that requires collateral, and (c) would have a maturity no longer than any outstanding bank loan (and in any event not over seven days). In addition, if an event of default were to occur under any agreement evidencing an outstanding bank loan to the fund, the event of default would automatically (without need for action or notice by the lending fund) constitute an immediate event of default under the Interfund Lending Agreement entitling the lending fund to call the Interfund Loan (and exercise all rights with respect to any collateral) and such a call would be deemed made if the lending bank exercises its right to call its loan under its agreement with the borrowing fund.

The fund may make an unsecured borrowing under the Interfund Lending Agreement if its outstanding borrowings from all sources immediately after the interfund borrowing total 10% or less of its total assets; provided, that if the fund has a secured loan outstanding from any other lender, including but not limited to another Putnam fund, the fund’s Interfund Loan would be secured on at least an equal priority basis with at least an equivalent percentage of collateral to loan value as any outstanding loan secured by collateral. If the fund’s total outstanding borrowings immediately after an interfund borrowing would be greater than 10% of its total assets, the fund may borrow through the credit facility on a secured basis only. All secured Interfund Loans would be secured by the pledge of segregated collateral with a market value equal to at least 102% of the outstanding principal value of the Interfund Loan. The fund may not borrow from any source if its total outstanding borrowings immediately after the borrowing would exceed the limits imposed by Section 18 of the 1940 Act or the fund’s fundamental investment restrictions.

The fund may not lend to another Putnam fund under the Interfund Lending Agreement if the Interfund Loan would cause its aggregate outstanding Interfund Loans to exceed 15% of the fund’s current net assets at the time of the Interfund Loan. The fund’s Interfund Loans to any one fund may not exceed 5% of the lending fund’s net assets. The duration of Interfund Loans would be limited to the time required to receive payment for securities sold, but in no event may the duration exceed seven days. Interfund Loans effected within seven days of each other would be treated as separate loan transactions for purposes of this condition. Each Interfund Loan may be called on one business day’s notice by a lending fund and may be repaid on any day by a borrowing fund.

The limitations detailed above and the other conditions of the SEC exemptive order permitting interfund lending are designed to minimize the risks associated with interfund lending for both the lending fund and the borrowing fund. However, no borrowing or lending activity is without risk. If the fund borrows money from another fund, there is a risk that the Interfund Loan could be called on one day’s notice or not renewed, in which case the fund may have to borrow from a bank at higher rates if an Interfund Loan were not available from another fund. A delay in repayment to a lending fund could result in a lost opportunity or additional lending costs, and interfund loans are subject to the risk that the borrowing fund could be unable to repay the loan when due.

Inverse Floaters

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These securities have variable interest rates that typically move in the opposite direction from movements in prevailing short-term interest rate levels – rising when prevailing short-term interest rate fall, and vice versa. The prices of inverse floaters can be considerably more volatile than the prices of bonds with comparable maturities.

Investment Ratings

The securities in which money market funds invest must be rated in one of the two highest short-term rating categories (without regard for gradations or subcategories) by one or more Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organizations (NRSROs) or be deemed by Putnam Management to be of comparable quality to securities having such ratings. Money market funds will rely on the two highest ratings given to a security by the NRSROs for purposes of complying with this requirement. If one or both of the two highest ratings are in the second highest short-term rating category, the security is treated as a Second Tier Security. Generally, Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act prohibits a money market fund from investing more than 3% of its assets in Second Tier Securities. Money market funds comply with these rating requirements at the time a security is acquired. If a security is downgraded to Second Tier after its acquisition, the money market funds may continue to hold the security even if the portfolio exceeds Rule 2a-7’s limits on Second Tier Securities. Other factors, such as substantial redemptions, may cause a money market fund’s portfolio to exceed Rule 2a-7 limits on the acquisition of securities. A money market fund may continue to hold securities in excess of these limits, even if the fund has the right to tender the security for purchase for its amortized cost value.

Legal and Regulatory Risks Relating to Investment Strategy

The fund may be adversely affected by new (or revised) laws or regulations that may be imposed by the CFTC, the SEC, the U.S. Federal Reserve or other banking regulators, or other governmental regulatory authorities or self-regulatory organizations that supervise the financial markets. These agencies are empowered to promulgate a variety of rules pursuant to financial reform legislation in the United States. The fund may also be adversely affected by changes in the enforcement or interpretation of existing statutes and rules. The regulatory environment for private funds is evolving, and changes in the regulation of private funds may adversely affect the value of the investments held by the fund and the ability of the fund to execute its investment strategy. In addition, the securities and futures markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations and margin requirements. The CFTC, the SEC, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, other regulators and self-regulatory organizations and exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of market emergencies. The regulation of derivatives transactions and funds that engage in such transactions is an evolving area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action.

The U.S. government recently enacted legislation that provides for new regulation of the derivatives market, including new clearing, margin, reporting and registration requirements. Because the legislation leaves much to rule making, its ultimate impact remains unclear. New regulations could, among other things, adversely affect the value of the investments held by the fund, restrict the fund’s ability to engage in derivatives transactions (for example, by making certain types of derivatives transactions no longer available to the fund) and/or increase the costs of such derivatives transactions (for example, by increasing margin or capital requirements), and the fund may be unable to execute its investment strategy as a result. It is unclear how the regulatory changes will affect counterparty risk.

The CFTC and certain futures exchanges have established limits, referred to as “position limits,” on the maximum net long or net short positions which any person may hold or control in particular options and futures contracts. All positions owned or controlled by the same person or entity, even if in different accounts, may be aggregated for purposes of determining whether the applicable position limits have been exceeded. Thus, even if the fund does not intend to exceed applicable position limits, it is possible that different clients managed by Putnam Management and its affiliates may be aggregated for this purpose. Any modification of trading

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decisions or elimination of open positions that may be required to avoid exceeding such limits may adversely affect the profitability of the fund.

The SEC has in the past adopted interim rules requiring reporting of all short positions above a certain threshold and is expected to adopt rules requiring monthly public disclosure in the future. In addition, other non-U.S. jurisdictions where the fund may trade have adopted reporting requirements. If the fund’s short positions or its strategy become generally known, the fund’s ability to implement its investment strategy could be adversely affected. In particular, other investors could cause a “short squeeze” in the securities held short by the fund forcing the fund to cover its positions at a loss. Such reporting requirements may also limit the fund’s ability to access management and other personnel at certain companies where the fund seeks to take a short position. In addition, if other investors engage in copycat behavior by taking positions in the same issuers as the fund, the cost of borrowing securities to sell short could increase drastically and the availability of such securities to the fund could decrease drastically. In addition, the SEC recently proposed additional restrictions on short sales, which could restrict the fund’s ability to engage in short sales in certain circumstances. The SEC and regulatory authorities in other jurisdictions may adopt (and in certain cases, have adopted) bans on short sales of certain securities in response to market events. Bans on short selling may make it impossible for the fund to execute certain investment strategies.

Recently enacted federal legislation requires the adoption of regulations that will require any creditor that makes a loan and any securitizer of a loan to retain at least 5% of the credit risk on any loan that is transferred, sold or conveyed by such creditor or securitizer. It is currently unclear how these requirements will apply to loan participations, syndicated loans, and loan assignments. Investors, such as the fund, that seek or hold investments in loans could be adversely affected by the regulation.

In July 2014, the SEC adopted amendments to the rules governing money market funds, which may affect the fund’s operations. Under the rule amendments, non-government money market funds will be required to use a floating net asset value, so that the value of a money market fund’s shares will change over time with the market values of the fund’s portfolio investments, unless they have policies and procedures reasonably designed to limit all beneficial owners of the fund’s shares to natural persons. Money market funds that are subject to the floating net asset value requirements will be required to cease using the amortized cost method to value their shares and to effect transactions in fund shares at a net asset value per share calculated out to the fourth decimal point (e.g., $1.0004 or $0.9998 instead of $1.00). The amendments also permit the board of trustees of a money market fund to impose a liquidity fee of up to 2% of a shareholder's redemption request and/or to suspend redemptions for a period of up to ten business days if less than 30% of the fund’s total assets are invested in “weekly liquid assets,” which includes cash, certain government securities and securities with a remaining maturity of, or subject to a demand feature that is exercisable and payable within, five business days. Non-government money market funds will be required to impose a redemption fee if less than 10% of the fund’s total assets are invested in weekly liquid assets, unless the fund’s board of directors determines that imposing such a fee is not in the best interests of the fund. Full compliance with the rule amendments is currently required by October 2016.

Lower-rated Securities

The fund may invest in lower-rated fixed-income securities (commonly known as "junk bonds"). The lower ratings reflect a greater possibility that adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer or in general economic conditions, or both, or an unanticipated rise in interest rates, may impair the ability of the issuer to make payments of interest and principal. The inability (or perceived inability) of issuers to make timely payment of interest and principal would likely make the values of securities held by the fund more volatile and could limit the fund's ability to sell its securities at prices approximating the values the fund had placed on such securities. In the absence of a liquid trading market for securities held by it, the fund at times may be unable to establish the fair value of such securities.

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Securities ratings are based largely on the issuer's historical financial condition and the rating agencies' analysis at the time of rating. Consequently, the rating assigned to any particular security is not necessarily a reflection of the issuer's current financial condition, which may be better or worse than the rating would indicate. In addition, the rating assigned to a security by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor's (or by any other nationally recognized securities rating agency) does not reflect an assessment of the volatility of the security's market value or the liquidity of an investment in the security. See "SECURITIES RATINGS."

Like those of other fixed-income securities, the values of lower-rated securities fluctuate in response to changes in interest rates. A decrease in interest rates will generally result in an increase in the value of the fund's fixed-income assets. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, the value of the fund's fixed-income assets will generally decline. The values of lower-rated securities may often be affected to a greater extent by changes in general economic conditions and business conditions affecting the issuers of such securities and their industries. Negative publicity or investor perceptions may also adversely affect the values of lower-rated securities. Changes by nationally recognized securities rating agencies in their ratings of any fixed-income security and changes in the ability of an issuer to make payments of interest and principal may also affect the value of these investments. Changes in the value of portfolio securities generally will not affect income derived from these securities, but will affect the fund's net asset value. The fund will not necessarily dispose of a security when its rating is reduced below its rating at the time of purchase. However, Putnam Management will monitor the investment to determine whether its retention will assist in meeting the fund's goal(s).

Issuers of lower-rated securities are often highly leveraged, so that their ability to service their debt obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired. Such issuers may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them and may be unable to repay outstanding obligations at maturity by refinancing. The risk of loss due to default in payment of interest or repayment of principal by such issuers is significantly greater because such securities frequently are unsecured and subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness.

At times, a substantial portion of the fund's assets may be invested in an issue of which the fund, by itself or together with other funds and accounts managed by Putnam Management or its affiliates, holds all or a major portion. Although Putnam Management generally considers such securities to be liquid because of the availability of an institutional market for such securities, it is possible that, under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the fund could find it more difficult to sell these securities when Putnam Management believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell the securities only at prices lower than if they were more widely held. Under these circumstances, it may also be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the fund's net asset value. In order to enforce its rights in the event of a default, the fund may be required to participate in various legal proceedings or take possession of and manage assets securing the issuer's obligations on such securities. This could increase the fund's operating expenses and adversely affect the fund's net asset value. In the case of tax-exempt funds, any income derived from the fund's ownership or operation of such assets would not be tax-exempt. The ability of a holder of a tax-exempt security to enforce the terms of that security in a bankruptcy proceeding may be more limited than would be the case with respect to securities of private issuers. In addition, the fund's intention to qualify as a "regulated investment company" under the Code may limit the extent to which the fund may exercise its rights by taking possession of such assets.

To the extent the fund invests in securities in the lower rating categories, the achievement of the fund's goals is more dependent on Putnam Management's investment analysis than would be the case if the fund were investing in securities in the higher rating categories.

Money Market Instruments

Money market instruments, or short-term debt instruments, consist of obligations such as commercial paper, bank obligations (i.e., certificates of deposit and bankers’ acceptances), repurchase agreements and various

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government obligations, such as Treasury bills. These instruments have a remaining maturity of one year or less and are generally of high credit quality. Money market instruments may be structured to be, or may employ a trust or other form so that they are, eligible investments for money market funds. For example, put features can be used to modify the maturity of a security or interest rate adjustment features can be used to enhance price stability. If a structure fails to function as intended, adverse tax or investment consequences may result. Neither the IRS nor any other regulatory authority has ruled definitively on certain legal issues presented by certain structured securities. Future tax or other regulatory determinations could adversely affect the value, liquidity, or tax treatment of the income received from these securities or the nature and timing of distributions made by the funds.

Commercial paper is a money market instrument issued by banks or companies to raise money for short-term purposes. Unlike some other debt obligations, commercial paper is typically unsecured. Commercial paper may be issued as an asset-backed security (that is, backed by a pool of assets representing the obligations of a number of different issuers), in which case certain of the risks discussed in “Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed securities” would apply. Commercial paper is traded primarily among institutions.

Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund may invest in bankers’ acceptances issued by banks with deposits in excess of $2 billion (or the foreign currency equivalent) at the close of the last calendar year. If the Trustees change this minimum deposit requirement, shareholders would be notified. Other Putnam funds may invest in bankers’ acceptances without regard to this requirement.

In accordance with rules issued by the SEC, the fund may from time to time invest all or a portion of its cash balances in money market and/or short-term bond funds advised by Putnam Management. In connection with such investments, Putnam Management may waive a portion of the advisory fees otherwise payable by the fund. See “Charges and expenses” in Part I of this SAI for the amount, if any, waived by Putnam Management in connection with such investments.

Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed Securities

Mortgage-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations ("CMOs") and certain stripped mortgage-backed securities, represent a participation in, or are secured by, mortgage loans. Asset-backed securities are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property and receivables from credit card agreements.

Mortgage-backed securities have yield and maturity characteristics corresponding to the underlying assets. Unlike traditional debt securities, which may pay a fixed rate of interest until maturity, when the entire principal amount comes due, payments on certain mortgage-backed securities include both interest and a partial repayment of principal. Besides the scheduled repayment of principal, repayments of principal may result from the voluntary prepayment, refinancing or foreclosure of the underlying mortgage loans. If property owners make unscheduled prepayments of their mortgage loans, these prepayments will result in early payment of the applicable mortgage-backed securities. In that event the fund may be unable to invest the proceeds from the early payment of the mortgage-backed securities in an investment that provides as high a yield as the mortgage-backed securities. Consequently, early payment associated with mortgage-backed securities may cause these securities to experience significantly greater price and yield volatility than that experienced by traditional fixed-income securities. The occurrence of mortgage prepayments is affected by factors including the level of interest rates, general economic conditions, the location and age of the mortgage and other social and demographic conditions. During periods of falling interest rates, the rate of mortgage prepayments tends to increase, thereby tending to decrease the life of mortgage-backed securities. During periods of rising interest rates, the rate of mortgage prepayments usually decreases, thereby tending to increase the life of mortgage-backed securities. If the life of a mortgage-backed security is inaccurately predicted, the fund may not be able to realize the rate of return it expected.

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Adjustable rate mortgage securities (“ARMs”), like traditional mortgage-backed securities, are interests in pools of mortgage loans that provide investors with payments consisting of both principal and interest as mortgage loans in the underlying mortgage pool are paid off by the borrowers. Unlike fixed-rate mortgage-backed securities, ARMs are collateralized by or represent interests in mortgage loans with variable rates of interest. These interest rates are reset at periodic intervals, usually by reference to an interest rate index or market interest rate. Although the rate adjustment feature may act as a buffer to reduce sharp changes in the value of adjustable rate securities, these securities are still subject to changes in value based on, among other things, changes in market interest rates or changes in the issuer’s creditworthiness. If rates increase due to a reset, the risk of default by underlying borrowers may increase. Because the interest rates are reset only periodically, changes in the interest rate on ARMs may lag changes in prevailing market interest rates. Also, some ARMs (or the underlying mortgages) are subject to caps or floors that limit the maximum change in the interest rate during a specified period or over the life of the security. As a result, changes in the interest rate on an ARM may not fully reflect changes in prevailing market interest rates during certain periods. The fund may also invest in “hybrid” ARMs, whose underlying mortgages combine fixed-rate and adjustable rate features.

Mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities are less effective than other types of securities as a means of "locking in" attractive long-term interest rates. One reason is the need to reinvest prepayments of principal; another is the possibility of significant unscheduled prepayments resulting from declines in interest rates. These prepayments would have to be reinvested at lower rates. The automatic interest rate adjustment feature of mortgages underlying ARMs likewise reduces the ability to lock-in attractive rates. As a result, mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities may have less potential for capital appreciation during periods of declining interest rates than other securities of comparable maturities, although they may have a similar risk of decline in market value during periods of rising interest rates. Prepayments may also significantly shorten the effective maturities of these securities, especially during periods of declining interest rates. Conversely, during periods of rising interest rates, a reduction in prepayments may increase the effective maturities of these securities, subjecting them to a greater risk of decline in market value in response to rising interest rates than traditional debt securities, and, therefore, potentially increasing the volatility of the fund. In certain circumstances, the mishandling of related documentation may also affect the rights of the security holders in and to the underlying collateral.

At times, some mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities will have higher than market interest rates and therefore will be purchased at a premium above their par value. Prepayments may cause losses on securities purchased at a premium.

CMOs may be issued by a U.S. government agency or instrumentality or by a private issuer. Although payment of the principal of, and interest on, the underlying collateral securing privately issued CMOs may be guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, these CMOs represent obligations solely of the private issuer and are not insured or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities or any other person or entity.

Prepayments could cause early retirement of CMOs. CMOs are designed to reduce the risk of prepayment for investors by issuing multiple classes of securities, each having different maturities, interest rates and payment schedules, and with the principal and interest on the underlying mortgages allocated among the several classes in various ways. Payment of interest or principal on some classes or series of CMOs may be subject to contingencies or some classes or series may bear some or all of the risk of default on the underlying mortgages. CMOs of different classes or series are generally retired in sequence as the underlying mortgage loans in the mortgage pool are repaid. If enough mortgages are repaid ahead of schedule, the classes or series of a CMO with the earliest maturities generally will be retired prior to their maturities. Thus, the early retirement of particular classes or series of a CMO would have the same effect as the prepayment of mortgages underlying other mortgage-backed securities. Conversely, slower than anticipated prepayments can extend the effective

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maturities of CMOs, subjecting them to a greater risk of decline in market value in response to rising interest rates than traditional debt securities, and, therefore, potentially increasing their volatility.

Prepayments could result in losses on stripped mortgage-backed securities. Stripped mortgage-backed securities are usually structured with two classes that receive different portions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage loans. The yield to maturity on an interest only or “IO” class of stripped mortgage-backed securities is extremely sensitive not only to changes in prevailing interest rates but also to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the underlying assets. A rapid rate of principal prepayments may have a measurable adverse effect on the fund's yield to maturity to the extent it invests in IOs. If the assets underlying the IO experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to recoup fully its initial investment in these securities. Conversely, principal only or “POs” tend to increase in value if prepayments are greater than anticipated and decline if prepayments are slower than anticipated. The secondary market for stripped mortgage-backed securities may be more volatile and less liquid than that for other mortgage-backed securities, potentially limiting the fund's ability to buy or sell those securities at any particular time.

The risks associated with other asset-backed securities (including in particular the risks of issuer default and of early prepayment) are generally similar to those described above for CMOs. In addition, because asset-backed securities generally do not have the benefit of a security interest in the underlying assets that is comparable to a mortgage, asset-backed securities present certain additional risks that are not present with mortgage-backed securities. The ability of an issuer of asset-backed securities to enforce its security interest in the underlying assets may be limited. For example, revolving credit receivables are generally unsecured and the debtors on such receivables are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which give debtors the right to set-off certain amounts owed, thereby reducing the balance due. Automobile receivables generally are secured, but by automobiles, rather than by real property.

Asset-backed securities may be collateralized by the fees earned by service providers. The value of asset-backed securities may be substantially dependent on the servicing of the underlying asset and are therefore subject to risks associated with negligence by, or defalcation of, their servicers. In certain circumstances, the mishandling of related documentation may also affect the rights of the security holders in and to the underlying collateral. The insolvency of entities that generate receivables or that utilize the assets may result in added costs and delays in addition to losses associated with a decline in the value of the underlying assets.

Options on Securities

Writing covered options. The fund may write covered call options and covered put options on optionable securities held in its portfolio or that it has an absolute and immediate right to acquire without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or other assets determined to be liquid by Putnam Management in accordance with procedures established by the Trustees, in such amount as are set aside on the fund’s books), when in the opinion of Putnam Management such transactions are consistent with the fund's goal(s) and policies. Call options written by the fund give the purchaser the right to buy the underlying securities from the fund at a stated exercise price; put options give the purchaser the right to sell the underlying securities to the fund at a stated price.

The fund may write only covered options, which means that, so long as the fund is obligated as the writer of a call option, it will own the underlying securities subject to the option (or comparable securities satisfying the cover requirements of securities exchanges) or have an absolute and immediate right to acquire without additional cash consideration (or, if additional cash consideration is required, cash or other assets determined to be liquid by Putnam Management in accordance with procedures established by the Trustees, in such amount as are set aside on the fund’s books). In the case of put options, the fund will set aside on its books assets determined to be liquid by Putnam Management in accordance with procedures established by the Trustees and equal in value to the price to be paid if the option is exercised. In addition, the fund will be considered to have covered a put or call

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option if and to the extent that it holds an option that offsets some or all of the risk of the option it has written. The fund may write combinations of covered puts and calls on the same underlying security.

The fund will receive a premium from writing a put or call option, which increases the fund's return in the event the option expires unexercised or is closed out at a profit. The amount of the premium reflects, among other things, the relationship between the exercise price and the current market value of the underlying security, the volatility of the underlying security, the amount of time remaining until expiration, current interest rates, and the effect of supply and demand in the options market and in the market for the underlying security. By writing a call option, if the fund holds the security, the fund limits its opportunity to profit from any increase in the market value of the underlying security above the exercise price of the option but continues to bear the risk of a decline in the value of the underlying security. If the fund does not hold the underlying security, the fund bears the risk that, if the market price exceeds the option strike price, the fund will suffer a loss equal to the difference at the time of exercise. By writing a put option, the fund assumes the risk that it may be required to purchase the underlying security for an exercise price higher than its then-current market value, resulting in a potential capital loss unless the security subsequently appreciates in value.

The fund may terminate an option that it has written prior to its expiration by entering into a closing purchase transaction, in which it purchases an offsetting option. The fund realizes a profit or loss from a closing transaction if the cost of the transaction (option premium plus transaction costs) is less or more than the premium received from writing the option. If the fund writes a call option but does not own the underlying security, and when it writes a put option, the fund may be required to deposit cash or securities with its broker as "margin," or collateral, for its obligation to buy or sell the underlying security. As the value of the underlying security varies, the fund may have to deposit additional margin with the broker. Margin requirements are complex and are fixed by individual brokers, subject to minimum requirements currently imposed by the Federal Reserve Board and by stock exchanges and other self-regulatory organizations.

Purchasing put options. The fund may purchase put options to protect its portfolio holdings in an underlying security against a decline in market value. Such protection is provided during the life of the put option since the fund, as holder of the option, is able to sell the underlying security at the put exercise price regardless of any decline in the underlying security's market price. In order for a put option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must decline sufficiently below the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. By using put options in this manner, the fund will reduce any profit it might otherwise have realized from appreciation of the underlying security by the premium paid for the put option and by transaction costs. The fund may also purchase put options for other investment purposes, including to take a short position in the security underlying the put option.

Purchasing call options. The fund may purchase call options to hedge against an increase in the price of securities that the fund wants ultimately to buy. Such hedge protection is provided during the life of the call option since the fund, as holder of the call option, is able to buy the underlying security at the exercise price regardless of any increase in the underlying security's market price. In order for a call option to be profitable, the market price of the underlying security must rise sufficiently above the exercise price to cover the premium and transaction costs. The fund may also purchase call options for other investment purposes.

Risk factors in options transactions. The successful use of the fund's options strategies depends on the ability of Putnam Management to forecast correctly interest rate and market movements. For example, if the fund were to write a call option based on Putnam Management's expectation that the price of the underlying security would fall, but the price were to rise instead, the fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if the fund were to write a put option based on Putnam Management's expectation that the price of the underlying security would rise, but the price were to fall instead, the fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price.

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When the fund purchases an option, it runs the risk that it will lose its entire investment in the option in a relatively short period of time, unless the fund exercises the option or enters into a closing sale transaction before the option's expiration. If the price of the underlying security does not rise (in the case of a call) or fall (in the case of a put) to an extent sufficient to cover the option premium and transaction costs, the fund will lose part or all of its investment in the option. This contrasts with an investment by the fund in the underlying security, since the fund will not realize a loss if the security's price does not change.

The effective use of options also depends on the fund's ability to terminate option positions at times when Putnam Management deems it desirable to do so. There is no assurance that the fund will be able to effect closing transactions at any particular time or at an acceptable price. If a secondary market in options were to become unavailable, the fund could no longer engage in closing transactions. Lack of investor interest might adversely affect the liquidity of the market for particular options or series of options. A market may discontinue trading of a particular option or options generally. In addition, a market could become temporarily unavailable if unusual events -- such as volume in excess of trading or clearing capability -- were to interrupt its normal operations.

A market may at times find it necessary to impose restrictions on particular types of options transactions, such as opening transactions. For example, if an underlying security ceases to meet qualifications imposed by the market or the Options Clearing Corporation, new series of options on that security will no longer be opened to replace expiring series, and opening transactions in existing series may be prohibited. If an options market were to become unavailable, the fund as a holder of an option would be able to realize profits or limit losses only by exercising the option, and the fund, as option writer, would remain obligated under the option until expiration or exercise.

Disruptions in the markets for the securities underlying options purchased or sold by the fund could result in losses on the options. For example, if a fund is unable to purchase a security underlying a put option it had purchased, the fund may be unable to exercise the put option. If trading is interrupted in an underlying security, the trading of options on that security is normally halted as well. As a result, the fund as purchaser or writer of an option will be unable to close out its positions until options trading resumes, and it may be faced with considerable losses if trading in the security reopens at a substantially different price. In addition, the Options Clearing Corporation or other options markets may impose exercise restrictions. If a prohibition on exercise is imposed at the time when trading in the option has also been halted, the fund as purchaser or writer of an option will be locked into its position until one of the two restrictions has been lifted. If the Options Clearing Corporation were to determine that the available supply of an underlying security appears insufficient to permit delivery by the writers of all outstanding calls in the event of exercise, it may prohibit indefinitely the exercise of put options. The fund, as holder of such a put option, could lose its entire investment if it is unable to exercise the put option prior to its expiration.

Foreign-traded options are subject to many of the same risks presented by internationally-traded securities. In addition, because of time differences between the United States and various foreign countries, and because different holidays are observed in different countries, foreign options markets may be open for trading during hours or on days when U.S. markets are closed. As a result, option premiums may not reflect the current prices of the underlying interest in the United States.

Over-the-counter ("OTC") options purchased by the fund and assets held to cover OTC options written by the fund may, under certain circumstances, be considered illiquid securities for purposes of any limitation on the fund's ability to invest in illiquid securities. The fund may use both European-style options, which are only exercisable immediately prior to their expiration, and American-style options, which are exercisable at any time prior to the expiration date.

In addition to options on securities and futures, the fund may also enter into options on futures, swaps, or other instruments as described elsewhere in this SAI.

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Preferred Stocks and Convertible Securities

The fund may invest in preferred stocks or convertible securities. A preferred stock generally pays dividends at a specified rate and has preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and the liquidation of an issuer's assets but is junior to the debt securities of the issuer in those same respects. The market prices of preferred stocks are subject to changes in interest rates and are more sensitive to changes in an issuer's creditworthiness than are the prices of debt securities. Shareholders of preferred stock may suffer a loss of value if dividends are not paid. Under ordinary circumstances, preferred stock does not carry voting rights. In addition, many preferred stocks may be called or redeemed prior to their maturity by the issuer under certain conditions.

Convertible securities include bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks and other securities that may be converted into or exchanged for, at a specific price or formula within a particular period of time, a prescribed amount of common stock or other equity securities of the same or a different issuer. Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest paid or accrued on debt or dividends paid or accrued on preferred stock until the security matures or is redeemed, converted or exchanged.

The market value of a convertible security is a function of its "investment value" and its "conversion value." A security's "investment value" represents the value of the security without its conversion feature (i.e., a nonconvertible fixed income security). The investment value may be determined by reference to its credit quality and the current value of its yield to maturity or probable call date. At any given time, investment value is dependent upon such factors as the general level of interest rates, the yield of similar nonconvertible securities, the financial strength of the issuer and the seniority of the security in the issuer's capital structure. A security's "conversion value" is determined by multiplying the number of shares the holder is entitled to receive upon conversion or exchange by the current price of the underlying security.

If the conversion value of a convertible security is significantly below its investment value, the convertible security will trade like nonconvertible debt or preferred stock and its market value will not be influenced greatly by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying security. Conversely, if the conversion value of a convertible security is near or above its investment value, the market value of the convertible security will be more heavily influenced by fluctuations in the market price of the underlying security. Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain than common stocks.

The fund's investments in convertible securities may at times include securities that have a mandatory conversion feature, pursuant to which the securities convert automatically into common stock or other equity securities at a specified date and a specified conversion ratio, or that are convertible at the option of the issuer. Because conversion of the security is not at the option of the holder, the fund may be required to convert the security into the underlying common stock even at times when the value of the underlying common stock or other equity security has declined substantially.

The fund's investments in preferred stocks and convertible securities, particularly securities that are convertible into securities of an issuer other than the issuer of the convertible security, may be illiquid. The fund may not be able to dispose of such securities in a timely fashion or for a fair price, which could result in losses to the fund.

Private Placements and Restricted Securities

The fund may invest in securities that are purchased in private placements and, accordingly, are subject to restrictions on resale as a matter of contract or under federal securities laws. Because there may be relatively few potential purchasers for such investments, especially under adverse market or economic conditions or in the event of adverse changes in the financial condition of the issuer, the fund could find it more difficult to sell such securities when Putnam Management believes it advisable to do so or may be able to sell such securities only at

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prices lower than if such securities were more widely held. At times, it may also be more difficult to determine the fair value of such securities for purposes of computing the fund's net asset value.

While such private placements may offer attractive opportunities for investment not otherwise available on the open market, the securities so purchased are often "restricted securities," i.e., securities which cannot be sold to the public without registration under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) or the availability of an exemption from registration (such as Rules 144 or 144A), or which are "not readily marketable" because they are subject to other legal or contractual delays in or restrictions on resale.

The absence of a trading market can make it difficult to ascertain a market value for illiquid investments. Disposing of illiquid investments may involve time-consuming negotiation and legal expenses, and it may be difficult or impossible for the fund to sell them promptly at an acceptable price. The fund may have to bear the extra expense of registering such securities for resale and the risk of substantial delay in effecting such registration. In addition, market quotations are less readily available. The judgment of Putnam Management may at times play a greater role in valuing these securities than in the case of publicly traded securities. Generally speaking, restricted securities may be sold only to qualified institutional buyers, or in a privately negotiated transaction to a limited number of purchasers, or in limited quantities after they have been held for a specified period of time and other conditions are met pursuant to an exemption from registration, or in a public offering for which a registration statement is in effect under the Securities Act. The fund may be deemed to be an "underwriter" for purposes of the Securities Act when selling restricted securities to the public, and in such event the fund may be liable to purchasers of such securities if the registration statement prepared by the issuer, or the prospectus forming a part of it, is materially inaccurate or misleading. The SEC Staff currently takes the view that any delegation by the Trustees of the authority to determine that a restricted security is readily marketable (as described in the investment restrictions of the funds) must be pursuant to written procedures established by the Trustees and the Trustees have delegated such authority to Putnam Management.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

The fund may invest in REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles that invest primarily in either real estate or real estate related loans. Like regulated investment companies such as the fund, REITs are not taxed on income distributed to shareholders provided that they comply with certain requirements under the Code. The fund will indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by REITs in which it invests in addition to the fund’s own expenses.

REITs involve certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general (such as possible declines in the value of real estate, lack of availability of mortgage funds, or extended vacancies of property). REITs are generally classified as equity REITs, mortgage REITs or a combination of equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs invest the majority of their assets directly in real property and derive income primarily from the collection of rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains by selling properties that have appreciated in value. Mortgage REITs invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages and derive income from the collection of interest payments. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the risk of borrower default, the likelihood of which is increased for mortgage REITs that invest in sub-prime mortgages. REITs, and mortgage REITs in particular, are also subject to interest rate risk. REITs are dependent upon their operators’ management skills, are generally not diversified (except to the extent the Code requires), and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency and the risk of default by borrowers. REITs are also subject to the possibility of failing to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Code or failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than more widely held securities.

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The fund's investment in a REIT may require the fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received or may result in the fund making distributions that constitute a return of capital to fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes or may require the fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. In addition, distributions by a fund from REITs will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction, or, generally, for treatment as qualified dividend income.

Redeemable Securities

Certain securities held by the fund may permit the issuer at its option to "call" or redeem its securities. If an issuer were to redeem securities held by the fund during a time of declining interest rates, the fund may not be able to reinvest the proceeds in securities providing the same investment return as the securities redeemed.

Repurchase Agreements

Each fund may enter into repurchase agreements amounting to not more than 25% of its total assets, except that this 25% limitation does not apply to repurchase agreements entered into in connection with short sales and to investments by a money market fund and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund. Money market funds and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund may invest without limit in repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is a contract under which the fund, the buyer under the contract, acquires a security subject to the obligation of the seller (or repurchase agreement counterparty) to repurchase, and the fund to resell, the security at a fixed time and price, which represents the fund's cost plus interest (or, for repurchase agreements under which the fund acquires a security and then sells it short, the fund’s cost of “borrowing” the security). A repurchase agreement with a stated maturity of longer than one week is considered an illiquid investment. It is the fund's present intention to enter into repurchase agreements only with banks and registered broker-dealers. The fund may enter into repurchase agreements, including with respect to securities it wishes to sell short. See “Short Sales” in this SAI. Certain of the repurchase agreements related to securities sold short may provide that, at the option of the fund, settlement may be made by delivery of cash equal to the difference between (a) the sum of (i) the market value of the securities sold short at the time the repurchase agreement is closed out and (ii) transaction costs associated with the acquisition in the market by the repurchase agreement counterparty of the securities sold short and (b) the repurchase price specified in the repurchase agreement.

The fund may be exposed to the credit risk of the repurchase agreement counterparty (or seller) in the event that the counterparty is unable to close out the repurchase agreement in accordance with its terms. If the seller defaults, the fund could realize a loss on the sale of the underlying security to the extent that the proceeds of the sale including accrued interest are less than the resale price provided in the agreement including interest. In addition, if the seller should be involved in bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings, the fund may incur delay and costs in selling the underlying security or may suffer a loss of principal and interest if the fund is treated as an unsecured creditor and required to return the underlying collateral to the seller's estate.

Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC, the fund may transfer uninvested cash balances into a joint account, along with cash of other Putnam funds and certain other accounts. These balances may be invested in one or more repurchase agreements and/or short-term money market instruments.

The fund may also enter into reverse repurchase agreements. Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the fund sells portfolio assets subject to an agreement by the fund to repurchase the same assets at an agreed upon price and date. The fund can use the proceeds received from entering into a reverse repurchase agreement to make additional investments, which generally causes the fund’s portfolio to behave as if it were leveraged. If the buyer in a reverse repurchase agreement files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the fund may be unable to recover the securities it sold and as a result would realize a loss equal to the difference between the value of those securities and the payment it received for them. The size of this loss will depend upon the difference between what the buyer paid for the securities the fund sold to it and the value of those securities (e.g., a buyer may pay $95 for a bond with a market value of $100). In the event of a buyer’s bankruptcy or insolvency, the fund’s use of

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proceeds from the sale of its securities may be restricted while the other party or its trustee or receiver determines whether to honor the fund’s right to repurchase the securities. The fund’s use of reverse repurchase agreements also subjects the fund to interest costs based on the difference between the sale and repurchase price of a security involved in such a transaction. Additionally, reverse repurchase agreements entail the same risks as over-the-counter derivatives. These include the risk that the counterparty to the reverse repurchase agreement may not be able to fulfill its obligations, as discussed above, that the parties may disagree as to the meaning or application of contractual terms, or that the instrument may not perform as expected.

Securities Loans

The fund may make secured loans of its portfolio securities, on either a short-term or long-term basis, amounting to not more than 25% of its total assets, thereby realizing additional income. The risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of credit, consist of possible delay in recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially. If a borrower defaults, the value of the collateral may decline before the fund can dispose of it. As a matter of policy, securities loans are made to broker-dealers pursuant to agreements requiring that the loans be continuously secured by collateral consisting of cash or short-term debt obligations at least equal at all times to the value of the securities on loan, "marked-to-market" daily. The borrower pays to the fund an amount equal to any dividends or interest received on securities lent. The fund retains all or a portion of the interest received on investment of the cash collateral or receives a fee from the borrower. Although voting rights, or rights to consent, with respect to the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, the fund retains the right to call the loans at any time on reasonable notice, and it will do so to enable the fund to exercise voting rights on any matters materially affecting the investment. The fund may also call such loans in order to sell the securities. The fund may pay fees in connection with arranging loans of its portfolio securities.

Securities of Other Investment Companies

Securities of other investment companies, including shares of open- and closed-end investment companies and unit investment trusts (which may include exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”)), represent interests in collective investment portfolios that, in turn, invest directly in underlying instruments. The fund may invest in other investment companies when it has more uninvested cash than Putnam Management believes is advisable, when it receives cash collateral from securities lending arrangements, when there is a shortage of direct investments available, or when Putnam Management believes that investment companies offer attractive values.

Investment companies may be structured to perform in a similar fashion to a broad-based securities index or may focus on a particular strategy or class of assets. ETFs typically seek to track the performance or dividend yield of specific indexes or companies in related industries. These indexes may be broad-based, sector-based or international. Investing in investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but also involves expenses at the investment company-level, such as portfolio management fees and operating expenses. These expenses are in addition to the fees and expenses of the fund itself, which may lead to duplication of expenses while the fund owns another investment company’s shares. In addition, investing in investment companies involves the risk that they will not perform in exactly the same fashion, or in response to the same factors, as the underlying instruments or index. To the extent the fund invests in other investment companies that are professionally managed, its performance will also depend on the investment and research abilities of investment managers other than Putnam Management.

Open-end investment companies typically offer their shares continuously at net asset value plus any applicable sales charge and stand ready to redeem shares upon shareholder request. The shares of certain other types of investment companies, such as ETFs and closed-end investment companies, typically trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their net asset value. In the case of closed-end investment companies, the number of shares is typically fixed. The securities of closed-end investment companies and ETFs carry the risk that the price the fund pays or receives may be higher or lower than the investment

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company’s net asset value. ETFs and closed-end investment companies are also subject to certain additional risks, including the risks of illiquidity and of possible trading halts due to market conditions or other reasons, based on the policies of the relevant exchange. The shares of investment companies, particularly closed-end investment companies, may also be leveraged, which would increase the volatility of the fund’s net asset value.

The extent to which the fund can invest in securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, is generally limited by federal securities laws. For more information regarding the tax treatment of ETFs, please see “Taxes” below.

Short Sales

The fund may engage in short sales of securities either as a hedge against potential declines in value of a portfolio security or to realize appreciation when a security that the fund does not own declines in value. Short sales are transactions in which the fund sells a security it does not own to a third party by borrowing the security in anticipation of purchasing the same security at the market price on a later date to close out the short position. The fund may also engage in short sales by entering into a repurchase agreement with respect to the security it wishes to sell short. See “– Repurchase Agreements” in this SAI. The fund will incur a gain if the price of the security declines between the date of the short sale and the date on which the fund replaces the borrowed security (or closes out the related repurchase agreement); and the fund will incur a loss if the price of the security increases between those dates. Such a loss is theoretically unlimited since the potential increase in the market price of the security sold short is not limited. Until the security is replaced, the fund must pay the lender (or repurchase agreement counterparty) any dividends or interest that accrues during the period of the loan (or repurchase agreement). To borrow (or enter into a repurchase agreement with respect to) the security, the fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The fund’s successful use of short sales is subject to Putnam Management’s ability to accurately predict movements in the market price of the security sold short. Short selling may involve financial leverage because the fund is exposed both to changes in the market price of the security sold short and to changes in the value of securities purchased with the proceeds of the short sale, effectively leveraging its assets. Under adverse market conditions, a fund may have difficulty purchasing securities to meet its short sale delivery obligations, and may be required to close out its short position at a time when the fund would not choose to do so, and may therefore have to sell portfolio securities to raise the capital necessary to meet its short sale obligations at a time when fundamental investment considerations may not favor such sales. While the fund has an open short position, it will segregate, by appropriate notation on its books or the books of its custodian, cash or liquid assets at least equal in value to the market value of the securities sold short. The segregated amount will be “marked-to-market” daily. Because of this segregation, the fund does not consider these transactions to be “senior securities” for purposes of the 1940 Act. In connection with short sale transactions, the fund may be required to pledge certain additional assets for the benefit of the securities lender (or repurchase agreement counterparty) and the fund may, while such assets remain pledged, be limited in its ability to invest those assets in accordance with the fund’s investment strategies.

Certain of the repurchase agreements related to securities sold short may provide that, at the option of the fund, in lieu of delivering the securities sold short, settlement may be made by delivery of cash equal to the difference between (a) the sum of (i) the market value of the securities sold short at the time the repurchase agreement is closed out and (ii) transaction costs associated with the acquisition in the market by the repurchase agreement counterparty of the securities sold short and (b) the repurchase price specified in the repurchase agreement. Because that cash amount represents the fund’s maximum loss in the event of the insolvency of the counterparty, the fund will, except where the local market practice for foreign securities to be sold short requires payment prior to delivery of such securities, treat such amount, rather than the full notional amount of the repurchase agreement, as its “investment” in securities of the counterparty for purposes of all applicable investment restrictions, including its fundamental policy with respect to diversification.

Short-term Trading

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In seeking the fund's objective(s), Putnam Management will buy or sell portfolio securities whenever Putnam Management believes it appropriate to do so. From time to time the fund will buy securities intending to seek short-term trading profits. A change in the securities held by the fund is known as "portfolio turnover" and generally involves some expense to the fund. This expense may include brokerage commissions or dealer markups and other transaction costs on both the sale of securities and the reinvestment of the proceeds in other securities. If sales of portfolio securities cause the fund to realize net short-term capital gains, such gains will be taxable as ordinary income when distributed to taxable individual shareholders. As a result of the fund's investment policies, under certain market conditions the fund's portfolio turnover rate may be higher than that of other mutual funds. Portfolio turnover rate for a fiscal year is the ratio of the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities to the monthly average of the value of portfolio securities -- excluding securities whose maturities at acquisition were one year or less. The fund's portfolio turnover rate is not a limiting factor when Putnam Management considers a change in the fund's portfolio.

Special Purpose Acquisition Companies

The fund may invest in stock, warrants, and other securities of special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”) or similar special purpose entities that pool funds to seek potential acquisition opportunities. Unless and until an acquisition is completed, a SPAC generally invests its assets (less a portion retained to cover expenses) in U.S. Government securities, money market securities and cash; if an acquisition that meets the requirements for the SPAC is not completed within a pre-established period of time, the invested funds are returned to the entity’s shareholders. Because SPACs and similar entities are in essence blank check companies without an operating history or ongoing business other than seeking acquisitions, the value of their securities is particularly dependent on the ability of the entity’s management to identify and complete a profitable acquisition. Some SPACs may pursue acquisitions only within certain industries or regions, which may increase the volatility of their prices. In addition, these securities, which are typically traded in the over-the-counter market, may be considered illiquid and/or be subject to restrictions on resale.

Structured Investments

A structured investment is a security having a return tied to an underlying index or other security or asset class. Structured investments generally are individually negotiated agreements and may be traded over-the-counter. Structured investments are organized and operated to restructure the investment characteristics of the underlying security. This restructuring involves the deposit with or purchase by an entity, such as a corporation or trust, or specified instruments (such as commercial bank loans) and the issuance by that entity or one or more classes of securities (“structured securities”) backed by, or representing interests in, the underlying instruments. The cash flow on the underlying instruments may be apportioned among the newly issued structured securities to create securities with different investment characteristics, such as varying maturities, payment priorities and interest rate provisions, and the extent of such payments made with respect to structured securities is dependent on the extent of the cash flow on the underlying instruments. Because structured securities typically involve no credit enhancement, their credit risk generally will be equivalent to that of the underlying instruments. Investments in structured securities are generally of a class of structured securities that is either subordinated or unsubordinated to the right of payment of another class. Subordinated structured securities typically have higher yields and present greater risks than unsubordinated structured securities. Structured securities are typically sold in private placement transactions, and there currently is no active trading market for structured securities. Investments in government and government-related and restructured debt instruments are subject to special risks, including the inability or unwillingness to repay principal and interest, requests to reschedule or restructure outstanding debt and requests to extend additional loan amounts.

Swap Agreements

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The fund may enter into swap agreements and other types of over-the-counter transactions such as caps, floors and collars with broker-dealers or other financial institutions for hedging or investment purposes. A swap involves the exchange by the fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive cash flows, e.g., an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed-rate payments. The purchase of a cap entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index or other underlying financial measure exceeds a predetermined value on a predetermined date or dates, to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling the cap. The purchase of a floor entitles the purchaser, to the extent that a specified index or other underlying financial measure falls or other underlying measure below a predetermined value on a predetermined date or dates, to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling the floor. A collar combines elements of a cap and a floor.

Swap agreements and similar transactions can be individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors. Depending on their structures, swap agreements may increase or decrease the fund's exposure to long-or short-term interest rates (in the United States or abroad), foreign currency values, mortgage securities, mortgage rates, corporate borrowing rates, or other factors such as security prices, inflation rates or the volatility of an index or one or more securities. For example, if the fund agrees to exchange payments in U.S. dollars for payments in a non-U.S. currency, the swap agreement would tend to decrease the fund's exposure to U.S. interest rates and increase its exposure to that non-U.S. currency and interest rates. The fund may also engage in total return swaps, in which payments made by the fund or the counterparty are based on the total return of a particular reference asset or assets (such as an equity or fixed-income security, a combination of such securities, or an index). A swap agreement may be structured with reference to an index of securities that is created and maintained by the swap counterparty. The fund may also enter into swap agreements on futures contracts including, but not limited to, index futures contracts. Swap agreements on futures contracts are generally subject to the same risks involved in the fund’s use of futures contracts, in addition to the risks involved in the fund’s use of swap agreements. See “—Futures Contracts and Related Options.” A total return swap, or a swap on a futures contract, may add leverage to a portfolio by providing investment exposure to an underlying asset or market where the fund does not own or take physical custody of such asset or invest directly in such market.

The fund’s ability to realize a profit from such transactions will depend on the ability of the financial institutions with which it enters into the transactions to meet their obligations to the fund. If a counterparty's creditworthiness declines, the value of the agreement would be likely to decline, potentially resulting in losses. If a default occurs by the other party to such transaction, the fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction, which may be limited by applicable law in the case of a counterparty's insolvency. If the returns of an index upon which a swap is based are unavailable or cannot be calculated (including where the index is created and maintained by the swap counterparty), the fund may experience difficulty in valuing the swap or in determining the amounts owed to or by the counterparty, regardless of whether the counterparty has defaulted. Under certain circumstances, suitable transactions may not be available to the fund, or the fund may be unable to close out its position under such transactions at the same time, or at the same price, as if it had purchased comparable publicly traded securities.

The fund may also enter into options on swap agreements ("swaptions"). A swaption is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The fund may write (sell) and purchase put and call swaptions to the same extent it may make use of standard options on securities or other instruments. Swaptions are generally subject to the same risks involved in the fund’s use of options. See “—Options on Securities.”

A credit default swap is an agreement between the fund and a counterparty that enables the fund to buy or sell protection against a credit event related to a particular issuer. One party, acting as a “protection buyer,” makes periodic payments to the other party, a “protection seller,” in exchange for a promise by the protection seller to

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make a payment to the protection buyer if a negative credit event (such as a delinquent payment or default) occurs with respect to a referenced bond or group of bonds. Credit default swaps may also be structured based on the debt of a basket of issuers, rather than a single issuer, and may be customized with respect to the default event that triggers purchase or other factors (for example, the Nth default within a basket, or defaults by a particular combination of issuers within the basket, may trigger a payment obligation). The fund may enter into credit default swap contracts for investment purposes. As a credit protection seller in a credit default swap contract, the fund would be required to pay the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation to the counterparty in the event of a default by a third party, such as a U.S. or non-U.S. corporate issuer, on the debt obligation. In return for its obligation, the fund would receive from the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default has occurred. If no default occurs, the fund would keep the stream of payments and would have no payment obligations. As the seller, the fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap.

The fund may also purchase credit default swap contracts in order to hedge against the risk of default of the debt of a particular issuer or basket of issuers or profit from changes in the creditworthiness of the particular issuer(s) (also known as “buying credit protection”). In these cases, the fund would function as the counterparty referenced in the preceding paragraph. This would involve the risk that the investment may expire worthless and would only generate income in the event of an actual default by the issuer(s) of the underlying obligation(s) (or, as applicable, a credit downgrade or other indication of financial instability). It would also involve the risk that the seller may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to the fund in the event of a default. The purchase of credit default swaps involves costs, which will reduce the fund’s return.

Tax-exempt Securities

General description. As used in this SAI, the term "Tax-exempt Securities" includes debt obligations issued by a state, its political subdivisions (for example, counties, cities, towns, villages, districts and authorities) and their agencies, instrumentalities or other governmental units, the interest from which is, in the opinion of bond counsel, exempt from federal income tax and (if applicable) the corresponding state’s personal income tax. Such obligations are issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities, such as airports, bridges, highways, housing, hospitals, mass transportation, schools, streets and water and sewer works. Other public purposes for which Tax-exempt Securities may be issued include the refunding of outstanding obligations or the payment of general operating expenses.

Short-term Tax-exempt Securities are generally issued by state and local governments and public authorities as interim financing in anticipation of tax collections, revenue receipts or bond sales to finance such public purposes.

In addition, certain types of "private activity" bonds may be issued by public authorities to finance projects such as privately operated housing facilities; certain local facilities for supplying water, gas or electricity; sewage or solid waste disposal facilities; student loans; or public or private institutions for the construction of educational, hospital, housing and other facilities. Such obligations are included within the term Tax-exempt Securities if the interest paid thereon is, in the opinion of bond counsel, exempt from federal income tax and (if applicable) state personal income tax (such interest may, however, be subject to federal alternative minimum tax). Other types of private activity bonds, the proceeds of which are used for the construction, repair or improvement of, or to obtain equipment for, privately operated industrial or commercial facilities, may also constitute Tax-exempt Securities, although the current federal tax laws place substantial limitations on the size of such issues.

Tax-exempt Securities share many of the structural features and risks of other bonds, as described elsewhere in this SAI. For example, the fund may purchase callable Tax-exempt Securities, zero-coupon Tax-exempt Securities, or “stripped” Tax-exempt Securities, which entail additional risks. The fund may also purchase structured or asset-backed Tax-exempt Securities, such as the securities (including preferred stock) of special purpose entities that hold interests in the Tax-exempt Securities of one or more issuers and issue “tranched”

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securities that are entitled to receive payments based on the cash flows from those underlying securities. See “—Redeemable securities,” “—Zero-coupon and Payment-in-kind Bonds,” “—Structured investments,” and “—Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed Securities” in this SAI. Structured Tax-exempt Securities may involve increased risk that the interest received by the fund may not be exempt from federal or state income tax, or that such interest may result in liability for the alternative minimum tax for shareholders of the fund. For example, in certain cases, the issuers of certain securities held by a special purpose entity may not have received an unqualified opinion of bond counsel that the interest from the securities will be exempt from federal income tax and (if applicable) the corresponding state’s personal income tax.

The amount of information about the financial condition of an issuer of Tax-exempt Securities may not be as extensive as that which is made available by corporations whose securities are publicly traded. As a result, the achievement of the fund's goals is more dependent on Putnam Management's investment analysis than would be the case if the fund were investing in securities of better-known issuers.

Escrow-secured or pre-refunded bonds. These securities are created when an issuer uses the proceeds from a new bond issue to buy high grade, interest-bearing debt securities, generally direct obligations of the U.S. government, in order to redeem (or “pre-refund”), before maturity, an outstanding bond issue that is not immediately callable. These securities are then deposited in an irrevocable escrow account held by a trustee bank to secure all future payments of principal and interest on the pre-refunded bond until that bond’s call date. Pre-refunded bonds often receive an ‘AAA’ or equivalent rating. Because pre-refunded bonds still bear the same interest rate, and have a very high credit quality, their price may increase. However, as the original bond approaches its call date, the bond's price will fall to its call price.

Residual interest bonds. The fund may invest in residual interest bonds, which are created by depositing municipal securities in a trust and dividing the income stream of an underlying municipal bond in two parts, one, a variable rate security and the other, a residual interest bond. The interest rate for the variable rate security is determined by an index or a periodic auction process, while the residual interest bond holder receives the balance of the income from the underlying municipal bond less an auction fee. The market prices of residual interest bonds may be highly sensitive to changes in market rates and may decrease significantly when market rates increase.

Tobacco Settlement Revenue Bonds. The fund may invest in tobacco settlement revenue bonds, which are secured by an issuing state’s proportionate share of payments under the Master Settlement Agreement (“MSA”). The MSA is an agreement that was reached out of court in November 1998 between 46 states and six U.S. jurisdictions and tobacco manufacturers representing an overwhelming majority of U.S. market share. The MSA provides for annual payments by the manufacturers to the states and jurisdictions in perpetuity in exchange for releasing all claims against the manufacturers and a pledge of no further litigation. The MSA established a base payment schedule and a formula for adjusting payments each year. Tobacco manufacturers pay into a master escrow trust based on their market share, and each state receives a fixed percentage of the payment as set forth in the MSA. Within some states, certain localities may in turn be allocated a specific portion of the state’s MSA payment pursuant to an arrangement with the state.

A number of state and local governments have securitized the future flow of payments under the MSA by selling bonds pursuant to indentures, some through distinct governmental entities created for such purpose. The bonds are backed by the future revenue flow that is used for principal and interest payments on the bonds. Annual payments on the bonds, and thus risk to the fund, are dependent on the receipt of future settlement payments by the state or its instrumentality. The actual amount of future settlement payments may vary based on, among other things, annual domestic cigarette shipments, inflation, the financial capability of participating tobacco companies, and certain offsets for disputed payments. Payments made by tobacco manufacturers could be reduced if cigarette shipments continue to decline below the base levels used in establishing manufacturers’ payment obligations under the MSA. Demand for cigarettes in the U.S. could continue to decline based on many factors, including, without limitation, anti-smoking campaigns, tax increases, price increases implemented to

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recoup the cost of payments by tobacco companies under the MSA, reduced ability to advertise, enforcement of laws prohibiting sales to minors, elimination of certain sales venues such as vending machines, and the spread of local ordinances restricting smoking in public places.

Because tobacco settlement bonds are backed by payments from the tobacco manufacturers, and generally not by the credit of the state or local government issuing the bonds, their creditworthiness depends on the ability of tobacco manufacturers to meet their obligations. The bankruptcy of an MSA-participating manufacturer could cause delays or reductions in bond payments, which would affect the fund’s net asset value. Under the MSA, a market share loss by MSA-participating tobacco manufacturers to non-MSA participating manufacturers would also cause a downward adjustment in the payment amounts under some circumstances.

The MSA and tobacco manufacturers have been and continue to be subject to various legal claims, including, among others, claims that the MSA violates federal antitrust law. In addition, the United States Department of Justice has alleged in a civil lawsuit that the major tobacco companies defrauded and misled the American public about the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes. An adverse outcome to this lawsuit or to any other litigation matters or regulatory actions relating to the MSA or affecting tobacco manufacturers could adversely affect the payment streams associated with the MSA or cause delays or reductions in bond payments by tobacco manufacturers.

In addition to the risks described above, tobacco settlement revenue bonds are subject to other risks described in this SAI, including the risks of asset-backed securities discussed under “Mortgage-backed and Asset-backed Securities.”

Participation interests (Money Market Funds only). The money market funds may invest in Tax-exempt Securities either by purchasing them directly or by purchasing certificates of accrual or similar instruments evidencing direct ownership of interest payments or principal payments, or both, on Tax-exempt Securities, provided that, in the opinion of counsel, any discount accruing on a certificate or instrument that is purchased at a yield not greater than the coupon rate of interest on the related Tax-exempt Securities will be exempt from federal income tax to the same extent as interest on the Tax-exempt Securities. The money market funds may also invest in Tax-exempt Securities by purchasing from banks participation interests in all or part of specific holdings of Tax-exempt Securities. These participations may be backed in whole or in part by an irrevocable letter of credit or guarantee of the selling bank. The selling bank may receive a fee from the money market funds in connection with the arrangement. The money market funds will not purchase such participation interests unless it receives an opinion of counsel or a ruling of the IRS that interest earned by it on Tax-exempt Securities in which it holds such participation interests is exempt from federal income tax. No money market fund expects to invest more than 5% of its assets in participation interests.

Stand-by commitments. When the fund purchases Tax-exempt Securities, it has the authority to acquire stand-by commitments from banks and broker-dealers with respect to those Tax-exempt Securities. A stand-by commitment may be considered a security independent of the Tax-exempt security to which it relates. The amount payable by a bank or dealer during the time a stand-by commitment is exercisable, absent unusual circumstances, would be substantially the same as the market value of the underlying Tax-exempt security to a third party at any time. The fund expects that stand-by commitments generally will be available without the payment of direct or indirect consideration. The fund does not expect to assign any value to stand-by commitments.

Yields. The yields on Tax-exempt Securities depend on a variety of factors, including general money market conditions, effective marginal tax rates, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the Tax-exempt security market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation and the rating of the issue. The ratings of nationally recognized securities rating agencies represent their opinions as to the credit quality of the Tax-exempt Securities which they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, Tax-exempt Securities with the

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same maturity and interest rate but with different ratings may have the same yield. Yield disparities may occur for reasons not directly related to the investment quality of particular issues or the general movement of interest rates and may be due to such factors as changes in the overall demand or supply of various types of Tax-exempt Securities or changes in the investment objectives of investors. Subsequent to purchase by the fund, an issue of Tax-exempt Securities or other investments may cease to be rated, or its rating may be reduced below the minimum rating required for purchase by the fund. Putnam Management will consider such an event in its determination of whether the fund should continue to hold an investment in its portfolio. Downgrades of Tax-exempt Securities held by a money market fund may require the fund to sell such securities, potentially at a loss.

"Moral obligation" bonds. The fund may invest in so-called “moral obligation” bonds, where repayment of the bond is backed by a moral (but not legally binding) commitment of an entity other than the issuer, such as a state legislature, to pay. Such a commitment may be in addition to the legal commitment of the issuer to repay the bond or may represent the only payment obligation with respect to the bond (where, for example, no amount has yet been specifically appropriated to pay the bond. See “—Municipal leases” below.)

Municipal leases. The fund may acquire participations in lease obligations or installment purchase contract obligations (collectively, “lease obligations”) of municipal authorities or entities. Lease obligations do not constitute general obligations of the municipality for which the municipality’s taxing power is pledged. Certain of these lease obligations contain “non-appropriation” clauses, which provide that the municipality has no obligation to make lease or installment purchase payments in future years unless money is appropriated for such purpose on a yearly basis. In the case of a “non-appropriation” lease, the fund’s ability to recover under the lease in the event of non-appropriation or default will be limited solely to the repossession of the leased property, and in any event, foreclosure of that property might prove difficult.

Additional risks. Securities in which the fund may invest, including Tax-exempt Securities, are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the federal Bankruptcy Code (including special provisions related to municipalities and other public entities), and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest, or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. There is also the possibility that, as a result of litigation or other conditions, the power, ability or willingness of issuers to meet their obligations for the payment of interest and principal on their Tax-exempt Securities may be materially affected.

From time to time, legislation may be introduced or litigation may arise that may restrict or eliminate the federal income tax exemption for interest on debt obligations issued by states and their political subdivisions. Federal tax laws limit the types and amounts of tax-exempt bonds issuable for certain purposes, especially industrial development bonds and private activity bonds. Such limits may affect the future supply and yields of these types of Tax-exempt Securities. Further proposals limiting the issuance of Tax-exempt Securities may well be introduced in the future. If it appeared that the availability of Tax-exempt Securities for investment by the fund and the value of the fund's portfolio could be materially affected by such changes in law, the Trustees of the fund would reevaluate its goal and policies and consider changes in the structure of the fund or its dissolution. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers for the current law on tax-exempt bonds and securities.

Warrants

The fund may invest in warrants, which are instruments that give the fund the right to purchase certain securities from an issuer at a specific price (the “strike price”) for a limited period of time. The strike price of warrants typically is much lower than the current market price of the underlying securities, yet they are subject to similar price fluctuations. As a result, warrants may be more volatile investments than the underlying securities and may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants do not entitle a holder to dividends or voting rights with respect to the underlying securities and do not represent any rights in the assets of

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the issuing company. Also, the value of the warrant does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities and a warrant ceases to have value if it is not exercised prior to the expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

In addition to warrants on securities, the fund may purchase put warrants and call warrants whose values vary depending on the change in the value of one or more specified securities indices ("index warrants"). Index warrants are generally issued by banks or other financial institutions and give the holder the right, at any time during the term of the warrant, to receive upon exercise of the warrant a cash payment from the issuer based on the value of the underlying index at the time of exercise. In general, if the value of the underlying index rises above the exercise price of the index warrant, the holder of a call warrant will be entitled to receive a cash payment from the issuer upon exercise based on the difference between the value of the index and the exercise price of the warrant; if the value of the underlying index falls, the holder of a put warrant will be entitled to receive a cash payment from the issuer upon exercise based on the difference between the exercise price of the warrant and the value of the index. The holder of a warrant would not be entitled to any payments from the issuer at any time when, in the case of a call warrant, the exercise price is greater than the value of the underlying index, or, in the case of a put warrant, the exercise price is less than the value of the underlying index. If the fund were not to exercise an index warrant prior to its expiration, then the fund would lose the amount of the purchase price paid by it for the warrant.

The fund will normally use index warrants in a manner similar to its use of options on securities indices. The risks of the fund's use of index warrants are generally similar to those relating to its use of index options. Unlike most index options, however, index warrants are issued in limited amounts and are not obligations of a regulated clearing agency, but are backed only by the credit of the bank or other institution which issues the warrant. Also, index warrants generally have longer terms than index options. Index warrants are not likely to be as liquid as certain index options backed by a recognized clearing agency. In addition, the terms of index warrants may limit the fund's ability to exercise the warrants at such time, or in such quantities, as the fund would otherwise wish to do.

Zero-coupon and Payment-in-kind Bonds

The fund may invest without limit in so-called "zero-coupon" bonds and "payment-in-kind" bonds. Zero-coupon bonds are issued at a significant discount from their principal amount in lieu of paying interest periodically. Payment-in-kind bonds allow the issuer, at its option, to make current interest payments on the bonds either in cash or in additional bonds. Because zero-coupon and payment-in-kind bonds do not pay current interest in cash, their value is subject to greater fluctuation in response to changes in market interest rates than bonds that pay interest currently. Both zero-coupon and payment-in-kind bonds allow an issuer to avoid the need to generate cash to meet current interest payments. Accordingly, such bonds may involve greater credit risks than bonds paying interest currently in cash. The fund is required to accrue interest income on such investments and to distribute such amounts at least annually to shareholders even though such bonds do not pay current interest in cash. Thus, it may be necessary at times for the fund to liquidate investments, including when it is not advantageous to do so, in order to satisfy its distribution requirements under the Code.

TAXES

The following discussion of U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on the Code, existing U.S. Treasury regulations, and other applicable authority, as of the date of this SAI. These authorities are subject to change by legislative or administrative action, possibly with retroactive effect. The following discussion is only a summary of some of the important U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to investments in the fund. There may be other tax considerations applicable to particular shareholders. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their particular situation and the possible application of foreign, state and local tax laws.

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Taxation of the fund. The fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under Subchapter M of the Code. In order to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded regulated investment companies and their shareholders, the fund must, among other things:

(a) derive at least 90% of its gross income for each taxable year from (i) dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures, or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies, and (ii) net income from interests in “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (as defined below);

(b) diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the fund’s taxable year, (i) at least 50% of the market value of the fund’s total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. Government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and other securities limited in respect of any one issuer to a value not greater than 5% of the value of the fund’s total assets and not more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, and (ii) not more than 25% of the value of the fund’s total assets is invested (x) in the securities (other than those of the U.S. Government or other regulated investment companies) of any one issuer or of two or more issuers which the fund controls and which are engaged in the same, similar, or related trades or businesses, or (y) in the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (as defined below); and

(c) distribute with respect to each taxable year at least 90% of the sum of its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code without regard to the deduction for dividends paid—generally, taxable ordinary income and the excess, if any, of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses) and net tax-exempt interest income, for such year.

In general, for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described in paragraph (a) above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership which would be qualifying income if realized by the regulated investment company. However, 100% of the net income of a regulated investment company derived from an interest in a “qualified publicly traded partnership” (defined as a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, and (ii) that derives less than 90% of its income from the qualifying income described in paragraph (a)(i) above) will be treated as qualifying income. In general, such entities will be treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes because they meet the passive income requirement under Code section 7704(c)(2). In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to regulated investment companies, such rules do apply to a regulated investment company with respect to items attributable to an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

For purposes of the diversification test in paragraph (b) above, identification of the issuer (or, in some cases, issuers) of a particular fund investment will depend on the terms and conditions of that investment. In some cases, identification of the issuer (or issuers) is uncertain under current law, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to issuer identification for a particular type of investment may adversely affect the fund’s ability to meet the diversification test in (b) above. Also, for the purposes of the diversification test in paragraph (b) above, the term “outstanding voting securities of such issuer” will include the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership.

If the fund qualifies as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment, the fund will not be subject to federal income tax on income distributed in a timely manner to its shareholders in the form of dividends (including Capital Gain Dividends, as defined below).

If the fund were to fail to meet the income, diversification or distribution test described above, the fund could in some cases cure such failure, including by paying a fund-level tax, paying interest, making additional distributions, or disposing of certain assets. If the fund were ineligible to or otherwise did not cure such failure

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for any year, or were otherwise to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company accorded special tax treatment in any taxable year, the fund would be subject to tax on its taxable income at corporate rates, and all distributions from earnings and profits, including any distributions of net tax-exempt income and net long-term capital gains, would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Some portions of such distributions may be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate shareholders, and may be eligible to be treated as “qualified dividend income” in the case of shareholders taxed as individuals, provided, in both cases, that the shareholder meets certain holding period and other requirements in respect of the fund’s shares (as described below). In addition, the fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment.

The fund intends to distribute at least annually to its shareholders all or substantially all of its investment company taxable income (computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction) and its net tax-exempt income (if any). The fund may distribute its net capital gain. Investment company taxable income (which is retained by the fund) will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates. The fund may also retain for investment its net capital gain. If the fund retains any net capital gain, it will be subject to tax at regular corporate rates on the amount retained, but may designate the retained amount as undistributed capital gains in a notice to its shareholders who will be (i) required to include in income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as long-term capital gain, their shares of such undistributed amount, and (ii) entitled to credit their proportionate shares of the tax paid by the fund on such undistributed amount against their federal income tax liabilities, if any, and to claim refunds on a properly-filed U.S. tax return to the extent the credit exceeds such liabilities. If the fund makes this designation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the tax basis of shares owned by a shareholder of the fund will be increased by an amount equal under current law to the difference between the amount of undistributed capital gains included in the shareholder’s gross income under clause (i) of the preceding sentence and the tax deemed paid by the shareholder under clause (ii) of the preceding sentence. The fund is not required to, and there can be no assurance the fund will, make this designation if it retains all or a portion of its net capital gain in a taxable year.

In determining its net capital gain, including in connection with determining the amount available to support a Capital Gain Dividend (as defined below), its taxable income and its earnings and profits, a regulated investment company may also elect to treat part or all of any post-October capital loss (defined as any net capital loss attributable to the portion of the taxable year after October 31 or, if there is no such loss, the net long-term capital loss or net short-term capital loss attributable to such portion of the taxable year) or late-year ordinary loss (generally, the sum of its (i) net ordinary loss from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of property, attributable to the portion of the taxable year after October 31, and its (ii) other net ordinary loss attributable to the portion of the taxable year after December 31) as if incurred in the succeeding taxable year.

If the fund fails to distribute in a calendar year at least an amount generally equal to the sum of 98% of its ordinary income for such year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 of such year, plus any retained amount from the prior year, the fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. For these purposes, ordinary gains and losses from the sale, exchange, or other taxable disposition of property that would otherwise be properly taken into account after October 31 are treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year. For purposes of the excise tax, the fund will be treated as having distributed any amount on which it has been subject to corporate income tax in the taxable year ending within the calendar year. A dividend paid to shareholders in January of a year generally is deemed to have been paid by the fund on December 31 of the preceding year, if the dividend was declared and payable to shareholders of record on a date in October, November or December of that preceding year. The fund intends generally to make distributions sufficient to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax, although there can be no assurance that it will be able to do so.

The fund distributes its net investment income and capital gains to shareholders as dividends at least annually to the extent required to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Code and generally to avoid federal

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income or excise tax. Under current law, provided it is not treated as a “personal holding company” for federal income tax purposes, the fund is permitted to treat the portion of redemption proceeds paid to redeeming shareholders that represents the redeeming shareholders’ portion of the fund’s accumulated earnings and profits as a dividend on the fund’s tax return. This practice, which involves the use of tax equalization, will have the effect of reducing the amount of income and gains that the fund is required to distribute as dividends to shareholders in order for the fund to avoid federal income tax and excise tax. This practice may also reduce the amount of distributions required to be made to non-redeeming shareholders and the amount of any undistributed income will be reflected in the value of the shares of the fund; the total return on a shareholder’s investment will not be reduced as a result of this distribution policy.

Fund distributions. Distributions from the fund (other than exempt-interest dividends, as discussed below) will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income to the extent derived from the fund’s investment income and net short-term capital gains. Distributions are taxable whether shareholders receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares of the fund or other Putnam funds.

Taxes on distributions of capital gains are determined by how long the fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned his or her shares. In general, the fund will recognize long-term capital gain or loss on investments it has owned for more than one year, and short-term capital gain or loss on investments it has owned for one year or less. Tax rules can alter the fund’s holding period in investments and thereby affect the tax treatment of gain or loss on such investments. Distributions of net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss, in each case determined with reference to any loss carryforwards) that are properly reported by the fund as capital gain dividends (“Capital Gain Dividends”) will be treated as long-term capital gains includible in net capital gain and taxed to individuals at reduced rates. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryforwards. Distributions of net short-term capital gain (as reduced by any net long-term capital loss for the taxable year) will be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Investors who purchase shares shortly before the record date of a distribution will pay the full price for the shares and then receive some portion of the price back as a taxable distribution.

Section 1411 of the Code generally imposes a 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on the net investment income of certain individuals, trusts and estates to the extent their income exceeds certain threshold amounts. The details of the implementation of this tax remain subject to future guidance. For these purposes, “net investment income” generally includes, among other things, (i) distributions paid by the fund of net investment income and capital gains (other than exempt-interest dividends) as described herein, and (ii) any net gain from the sale, exchange or other taxable disposition of fund shares. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisers regarding the possible implications of this additional tax on their investment in the fund.

Distributions of investment income reported by the fund as “qualified dividend income” received by an individual will be taxed at the reduced rates applicable to net capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a fund shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the fund’s shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the fund or shareholder level) (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date which is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, on the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date), (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property, (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment interest, or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company. Each fund, other than

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fixed-income and money market funds, generally expects to report eligible dividends as qualified dividend income.

In general, distributions of investment income reported by the fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to such fund’s shares. In any event, if the aggregate qualified dividends received by the fund during any taxable year are 95% or more of its gross income (excluding net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), then 100% of the fund’s dividends (other than dividends properly reported as Capital Gain Dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income.

In general, fixed-income and money market funds receive interest, rather than dividends, from their portfolio securities. As a result, it is not currently expected that any significant portion of such funds’ distributions to shareholders will be derived from qualified dividend income. For information regarding qualified dividend income received from underlying funds, see “Funds of funds” below.

In general, dividends of net investment income received by corporate shareholders of the fund will qualify for the 70% dividends-received deduction generally available to corporations only to the extent of the amount of eligible dividends received by the fund from domestic corporations for the taxable year. A dividend received by the fund will not be treated as a dividend eligible for the dividends-received deduction (1) if it has been received with respect to any share of stock that the fund has held for less than 46 days (91 days in the case of certain preferred stock) during the 91-day period beginning on the date which is 45 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date in the case of certain preferred stock) or (2) to the extent that the fund is under an obligation (pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property. Moreover, the dividends received deduction may otherwise be disallowed or reduced (1) if the corporate shareholder fails to satisfy the foregoing requirements with respect to its shares of the fund or (2) by application of various provisions of the Code (for instance, the dividends-received deduction is reduced in the case of a dividend received on debt-financed portfolio stock (generally, stock acquired with borrowed funds)). For information regarding eligibility for the dividends-received deduction of dividend income derived from an underlying fund, see “Funds of funds” below.

Exempt-interest dividends. A fund will be qualified to pay exempt-interest dividends to its shareholders if, at the close of each quarter of the fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of the total value of the fund’s assets consists of obligations the interest on which is exempt from federal income tax under Section 103(a) of the Code. In some cases, the fund may also pass through to its shareholders the tax-exempt character of any exempt-interest dividends it receives from underlying funds in which it invests (see “Funds of funds,” below). Distributions that the fund reports as exempt-interest dividends are treated as interest excludable from shareholders’ gross income for federal income tax purposes but may be taxable for federal alternative minimum tax (“AMT”) purposes and for state and local purposes. If the fund intends to qualify to pay exempt-interest dividends, the fund may be limited in its ability to enter into taxable transactions involving forward commitments, repurchase agreements, financial futures and options contracts on financial futures, tax-exempt bond indices and other assets.

Part or all of the interest on indebtedness, if any, incurred or continued by a shareholder to purchase or carry shares of the fund paying exempt-interest dividends is not deductible. The portion of interest that is not deductible is equal to the total interest paid or accrued on the indebtedness, multiplied by the percentage of the fund’s total distributions (not including distributions from net long-term capital gains) paid to the shareholder that are exempt-interest dividends. Under rules used by the IRS to determine when borrowed funds are considered used for the purpose of purchasing or carrying particular assets, the purchase of shares may be considered to have been made with borrowed funds even though such funds are not directly traceable to the purchase of shares.

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In general, exempt-interest dividends, if any, attributable to interest received on certain private activity obligations and certain industrial development bonds will not be tax-exempt to any shareholders who are “substantial users” of the facilities financed by such obligations or bonds or who are “related persons” of such substantial users.

A fund that is qualified to pay exempt-interest dividends will notify its shareholders in a written statement of the portion of distributions for the taxable year that constitutes exempt-interest dividends.

Exempt-interest dividends may be taxable for purposes of the federal AMT. For individual shareholders, exempt-interest dividends that are derived from interest on private activity bonds that are issued after August 7, 1986 (other than a “qualified 501(c)(3) bond,” as such term is defined in the Code) generally must be included in an individual’s tax base for purposes of calculating the shareholder’s liability for federal AMT. Corporate shareholders will be required to include all exempt-interest dividends in determining their federal AMT. The AMT calculation for corporations is based, in part, on a corporation’s earnings and profits for the year. A corporation must include all exempt-interest dividends in calculating its earnings and profits for the year. Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund intends to distribute exempt-interest dividends that will not be taxable for federal AMT purposes for individuals. It intends to make such distributions by investing in Tax-exempt Securities other than private activity bonds that are issued after August 7, 1986 (other than “qualified 501(c)(3) bonds,” as such term is defined in the Code). Because corporate shareholders are required to include all exempt-interest dividends in determining their federal AMT, exempt-interest dividends distributed by Putnam AMT-Free Municipal Fund will be taxable for purposes of the federal AMT.

Funds of funds. If the fund invests in shares of underlying funds, a portion of its distributable income and gains will consist of distributions from the underlying funds and gains and losses on the disposition of shares of the underlying funds. To the extent that an underlying fund realizes net losses on its investments for a given taxable year, the fund will not be able to recognize its share of those losses (so as to offset distributions of net income or capital gains from other underlying funds) until it disposes of shares of the underlying fund or those losses reduce distributions required to be made by the underlying fund. Moreover, even when the fund does make such a disposition, a portion of its loss may be recognized as a long-term capital loss, which will not be treated as favorably for federal income tax purposes as a short-term capital loss or an ordinary deduction. In particular, the fund will not be able to offset any capital losses from its dispositions of underlying fund shares against its ordinary income (including distributions of any net short-term capital gains realized by an underlying fund). As a result of the foregoing rules, and certain other special rules, the amounts of net investment income and net capital gains that the fund will be required to distribute to shareholders may be greater than such amounts would have been had the fund invested directly in the securities held by the underlying funds, rather than investing in shares of the underlying funds. For similar reasons, the amount or timing of distributions from the fund qualifying for treatment as being of a particular character (e.g., as long-term capital gain, exempt interest, eligible for dividends-received deduction, etc.) will not necessarily be the same as it would have been had the fund invested directly in the securities held by the underlying funds. In addition, in certain circumstances, the “wash sale” rules under Section 1091 of the Code may apply to the fund’s sales of underlying fund shares that have generated losses. A wash sale occurs if shares of an underlying fund are sold by the fund at a loss and the fund acquires additional shares of that same underlying fund 30 days before or after the date of the sale. The wash-sale rules could defer losses in the fund’s hands on sales of underlying fund shares (to the extent such sales are wash sales) for extended (and, in certain cases, potentially indefinite) periods of time.

If the fund receives dividends from an underlying fund that qualifies as a regulated investment company, and the underlying fund reports such dividends as “qualified dividend income,” then the fund may, in turn, report a portion of its distributions as “qualified dividend income” as well, provided the fund meets the holding period and other requirements with respect to shares of the underlying fund.

If the fund receives dividends from an underlying fund and the underlying fund reports such dividends as eligible for the dividends-received deduction, then the fund is permitted, in turn, to designate a portion of its distributions

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as eligible for the dividends-received deduction, provided the fund meets the holding period and other requirements with respect to shares of the underlying fund.

If, at the close of each quarter of the fund’s taxable year, at least 50% of its total assets consists of interests in other regulated investment companies (such fund, a “qualified fund of funds”), the fund will be permitted to distribute exempt-interest dividends and thereby pass through to its shareholders the tax-exempt character of any exempt-interest dividends it receives from underlying funds in which it invests, or interest on any tax-exempt obligations in which it directly invests, if any. For further information regarding exempt-interest dividends, see “Exempt-interest dividends,” above.

If the fund is a qualified fund of funds, the fund will be entitled to elect to pass through to its shareholders a credit or deduction for foreign taxes (if any) borne in respect of foreign securities income earned by the fund, or by any underlying funds and passed through to the fund. If the fund so elects, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes, if any, treated as paid by the fund. Even if the fund is eligible to make such an election for a given year, it may determine not to do so. If the fund elects to pass through to its shareholders foreign tax credits or deductions, tax-exempt shareholders and those who invest in the fund through tax-advantaged accounts such as IRAs will not benefit from any such tax credit or deduction. See “Foreign taxes” below for more information.

Derivatives, hedging and related transactions; certain exposure to commodities. In general, option premiums received by the fund are not immediately included in the income of the fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If a call option written by the fund is exercised and the fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) the sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the fund’s basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by the fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the fund generally will subtract the premium received for purposes of computing its cost basis in the securities purchased. Gain or loss arising in respect of a termination of the fund’s obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by the fund expires unexercised, the fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.

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Certain covered call writing activities of the fund may trigger the U.S. federal income tax straddle rules contained primarily in Section 1092 of the Code. Very generally, where applicable, Section 1092 requires (i) that losses be deferred on positions deemed to be offsetting positions with respect to “substantially similar or related property,” to the extent of unrealized gain in the latter, and (ii) that the holding period of such a straddle position that has not already been held for the long-term holding period be terminated and begin anew once the position is no longer part of a straddle. Options on single stocks that are not “deep in the money” may constitute qualified covered calls, which generally are not subject to the straddle rules; the holding period on stock underlying qualified covered calls that are “in the money” although not “deep in the money” will be suspended during the period that such calls are outstanding. Thus, the straddle rules and the rules governing qualified covered calls could cause gains that would otherwise constitute long-term capital gains to be treated as short-term capital gains, and distributions that would otherwise constitute “qualified dividend income” or qualify for the dividends-received deduction to fail to satisfy the holding period requirements and therefore to be taxed as ordinary income or to fail to qualify for the 70% dividends-received deduction, as the case may be.

In general, 40% of the gain or loss arising from the closing out of a futures contract traded on an exchange approved by the Commodities Futures Trading Commission is treated as short-term gain or loss, and 60% is treated as long-term gain or loss, although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, such contracts held by the Fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Code) are “marked to market” with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable.

In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures transactions, the fund’s derivative transactions, including transactions in options, futures contracts, straddles, securities loan and other similar transactions, including for hedging purposes, will be subject to special tax rules (including constructive sale, mark-to-market, straddle, wash sale, and short sale rules), the effect of which may be to accelerate income to the fund, defer losses to the fund, cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities, convert long-term capital gains into short-term capital gains, short-term capital losses into long-term capital losses, or capital gains into ordinary income. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. The fund may make any applicable elections pertaining to such transactions consistent with the interests of the fund.

Because these and other tax rules applicable to these types of transactions are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether the fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid a fund-level tax.

A fund’s use of commodity-linked derivatives can be limited by the fund’s intention to qualify as a regulated investment company and can bear on its ability to so qualify. Income and gains from certain commodity-linked derivatives does not constitute qualifying income to a regulated investment company for purposes of the 90% gross income test described above. The tax treatment of certain other commodity-linked derivative instruments in which the fund might invest is not certain, in particular with respect to whether income or gains from such instruments constitute qualifying income to a regulated investment company. If the fund were to treat income or gain from a particular instrument as qualifying income and the income or gain were later determined not to constitute qualifying income and, together with any other nonqualifying income, caused the fund’s nonqualifying income to exceed 10% of its gross income in any taxable year, the fund would fail to qualify as a regulated investment company unless it is eligible to and does pay a tax at the fund level.

The tax rules are uncertain with respect to the treatment of income or gains arising in respect of commodity-linked exchange-traded notes (“ETNs”) and certain commodity-linked structured notes; also, the timing and character of income or gains arising from ETNs can be uncertain. An adverse determination or future

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guidance by the IRS (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect the fund’s ability to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company and to avoid a fund-level tax.

To the extent that, in order to achieve exposure to commodities, the fund invests in entities that are treated as pass-through vehicles for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including, for instance, certain ETFs (e.g., ETFs investing in gold bullion) and partnerships other than qualified publicly traded partnerships (as defined earlier), all or a portion of any income and gains from such entities could constitute non-qualifying income to the fund for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement described above. In such a case, the fund’s investments in such entities could be limited by its intention to qualify as a regulated investment company and could bear on its ability to so qualify. Certain commodities-related ETFs may qualify as qualified publicly traded partnerships. In such cases, the net income derived from such investments will constitute qualifying income for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement. If, however, such a vehicle were to fail to qualify as a qualified publicly traded partnership in a particular year, a portion of the gross income derived from it in such year could constitute non-qualifying income to the fund for purposes of the 90% gross income requirement and thus could adversely affect the fund’s ability to qualify as a regulated investment company for a particular year. In addition, the diversification requirement described above for regulated investment company qualification will limit the fund’s investments in one or more vehicles that are qualified publicly traded partnerships to 25% of the fund’s total assets as of the close of each quarter of the fund’s taxable year.

Certain of the fund’s investments in derivative instruments and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and any of the fund's transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, are likely to produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If such a difference arises, and the fund’s book income is less than its taxable income (or, for tax-exempt funds, the sum of its net tax-exempt and taxable income), the fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company that is accorded special tax treatment and to eliminate fund-level income tax. In the alternative, if the fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and tax-exempt income, the distribution (if any) of such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income), (ii) thereafter as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.

Investments in REITs. If the fund invests in equity securities of real estate investment trusts qualifying as such under Subchapter M (“REITs”), such investments may require the fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. In order to generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, the fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio that it otherwise would have continued to hold. The fund’s investment in REIT equity securities may at other times result in the fund’s receipt of cash in excess of the REIT’s earnings. If the fund distributes such amounts, such distribution could constitute a return of capital to the fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. Dividends received by the fund from a REIT generally will not constitute qualified dividend income and will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction.

The fund may invest in REITs, including REITs that hold residual interests in real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”) (including by investing in residual interests in collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) with respect to which an election to be treated as a REMIC is in effect), REITs that are themselves taxable mortgage pools (“TMPs”) or REITs that invest in TMPs. Under a notice issued by the IRS in the fall of 2006 and Treasury regulations that have not yet been issued, but apply retroactively, a portion of the fund’s income from a REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a REMIC or TMP (referred to in the Code as an “excess inclusion”) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. This notice also provides, and the regulations are expected to provide, that excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as the fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC or TMP residual interest directly. As a result, a fund investing in such interests may not be a suitable investment for charitable remainder trusts, as noted below.

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In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to entities (including a qualified pension plan, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan, a Keogh plan or other tax-exempt entity) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a non-U.S. shareholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. A shareholder will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on such inclusions notwithstanding any exemption from such income tax otherwise available under the Code. Any investment in residual interests of CMO that has elected to be treated as a REMIC can create complex tax problems, especially if the fund has state or local governments or other tax-exempt organizations as shareholders.

Under current law, a fund serves to block UBTI from being realized by its tax-exempt shareholders. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a tax-exempt shareholder will recognize UBTI by virtue of its investment in the fund if shares in the fund constitute debt-financed property in the hands of the tax-exempt shareholder within the meaning of Code Section 514(b). Furthermore, a tax-exempt shareholder may recognize UBTI if the fund recognizes excess inclusion income derived from direct or indirect investments in REMIC residual interests or TMPs if the amount of such income recognized by the fund exceeds the fund's investment company taxable income (after taking into account deductions for dividends paid by the fund).

Under legislation enacted in December 2006, a charitable remainder trust (“CRT”), as defined in Section 664 of the Code, that realizes UBTI for a taxable year must pay an excise tax annually of an amount equal to such UBTI. Under IRS guidance issued in the fall of 2006, a CRT will not recognize UBTI solely as a result of investing in a fund that recognizes excess inclusion income. Rather, if at any time during any taxable year a CRT (or one of certain other tax-exempt shareholders, such as the United States, a state or political subdivision, or an agency or instrumentality thereof, and certain energy cooperatives) is a record holder of a share in a fund that recognizes excess inclusion income, then the fund will be subject to a tax on that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to such shareholders at the highest federal corporate income tax rate. The extent to which this IRS guidance remains applicable in light of the December 2006 legislation is unclear. To the extent permitted under the 1940 Act, the fund may elect to specially allocate any such tax to the applicable CRT, or other shareholder, and thus reduce such shareholder’s distributions for the year by the amount of the tax that relates to such shareholder’s interest in the fund. CRTs and other tax-exempt investors are urged to consult their tax advisors concerning the consequences of investing in the fund.

Return of capital distributions. If the fund makes a distribution in and with respect to any taxable year to a shareholder in excess of the fund’s current and accumulated “earnings and profits,” the excess distribution will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of such shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as capital gain. A return of capital is not taxable, but it reduces a shareholder’s tax basis in its shares, thus reducing any loss or increasing any gain on a subsequent taxable disposition by the shareholder of its shares.

Dividends and distributions on the fund’s shares are generally subject to federal income tax as described herein to the extent they do not exceed the fund’s realized income and gains, even though such dividends and distributions may economically represent a return of a particular shareholder’s investment. Such distributions are likely to occur in respect of shares purchased at a time when the fund’s net asset value reflects gains that are either unrealized, or realized but not distributed. Such realized income and gains may be required to be distributed even when the fund’s net asset value also reflects unrealized losses. Distributions are taxable to a shareholder even if they are paid from income or gains earned by the fund prior to the shareholder’s investment (and thus included in the price paid by the shareholder).

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Securities issued or purchased at a discount. Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance (and zero-coupon debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance) that are acquired by the fund will be treated as debt obligations that are issued originally at a discount. Generally, the amount of the original issue discount (“OID”) is treated as interest income and is included in the fund’s income (and required to be distributed by the fund) over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. In addition, payment-in-kind securities will give rise to income which is required to be distributed and is taxable even though the fund holding the security receives no interest payment in cash on the security during the year.

Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of more than one year from the date of issuance that are acquired by the fund in the secondary market may be treated as having “market discount.” Very generally, market discount is the excess of the stated redemption price of a debt obligation (or in the case of an obligation issued with OID, its “revised issue price”) over the purchase price of such obligation. Generally, any gain recognized on the disposition of, and any partial payment of principal on, a debt security having market discount is treated as ordinary income to the extent the gain, or principal payment, does not exceed the “accrued market discount” on such debt security. Alternatively, the fund may elect to accrue market discount currently, in which case the fund will be required to include the accrued market discount in the fund's income (as ordinary income) and thus distribute it over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, upon partial or full repayment or disposition of the debt security. The rate at which the market discount accrues, and thus is included in the fund's income, will depend upon which of the permitted accrual methods the Fund elects.

Some debt obligations with a fixed maturity date of one year or less from the date of issuance that are acquired by the fund may be treated as having “acquisition discount” (very generally, the excess of the stated redemption price over the purchase price) or OID. The fund will be required to include the acquisition discount or OID in income over the term of the debt security, even though payment of that amount is not received until a later time, usually when the debt security matures. The fund may make one or more of the elections applicable to debt obligations having acquisition discount or OID, which could affect the character and timing of recognition of income.

If the fund holds the foregoing kinds of securities, it may be required to pay out as an income distribution each year an amount which is greater than the total amount of cash interest the fund actually received. Such distributions may be made from the cash assets of the fund or, if necessary, by disposition of portfolio securities including at a time when it may not be advantageous to do so. These dispositions may cause the fund to realize higher amounts of short-term capital gains (generally taxed to shareholders at ordinary income tax rates) and, in the event the fund realizes net capital gains from such transactions, its shareholders may receive a larger capital gain distribution than if the fund had not held such securities.

Securities purchased at a premium. Very generally, where the fund purchases a bond at a price that exceeds the redemption price at maturity (i.e., a premium), the premium is amortizable over the remaining term of the bond. In the case of a taxable bond, if the fund makes an election applicable to all such bonds it purchases, which election is irrevocable without consent of the IRS, the fund reduces the current taxable income from the bond by the amortized premium and reduces its tax basis in the bond by the amount of such offset; upon the disposition or maturity of such bonds acquired on or after January 4, 2013, the fund is permitted to deduct any remaining premium allocable to a prior period. In the case of a tax-exempt bond, tax rules require the fund to reduce its tax basis by the amount of amortized premium.

Higher-Risk Securities. The fund may invest to a significant extent in debt obligations that are in the lowest rating categories or are unrated, including debt obligations of issuers not currently paying interest or who are in default. Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default, present special tax issues for the fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether the fund should recognize market discount on a debt

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obligation and, if so, the amount of market discount the fund should recognize, when the fund may cease to accrue interest, OID or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities and how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by the fund when, as and if it invests in such securities, in order to seek to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company and does not become subject to U.S. federal income or excise tax.

Capital loss carryforward. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryforwards. Capital loss carryforwards are reduced to the extent they offset current-year net realized capital gains, whether the fund retains or distributes such gains. If a fund incurs or has incurred net capital losses in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 (“post-2010 losses”), those losses will be carried forward to one or more subsequent taxable years; any such carryforward losses will retain their character as short-term or long-term. If the fund incurred net capital losses in a taxable year beginning on or before December 22, 2010 (“pre-2011 losses”), the fund is permitted to carry such losses forward for eight taxable years; in the year to which they are carried forward, such losses are treated as short-term capital losses that first offset any short-term capital gains, and then offset long-term capital gains. The fund must use any post 2010 losses, which will not expire, before it uses any pre-2011 losses. This increases the likelihood that pre-2011 losses will expire unused at the conclusion of the eight-year carryforward period. The amounts and expiration dates, if any, of any capital loss carryovers available to the fund are shown in Note 1 (Federal income taxes) to the financial statements included in this Part II of the SAI or incorporated by reference into this SAI.

Foreign taxes. If more than 50% of the fund’s assets at year end consists of the securities of foreign corporations, the fund may elect to permit shareholders to claim a credit or deduction on their income tax returns for their pro rata portion of qualified taxes paid by the fund to foreign countries in respect of foreign securities the fund has held for at least the minimum period specified in the Code. A qualified fund of funds also may elect to pass through to its shareholders foreign taxes it has paid or foreign taxes passed through to it by any underlying fund that itself elected to pass through such taxes to shareholders (see “Funds of funds” above). In such a case, shareholders will include in gross income from foreign sources their pro rata shares of such taxes. A shareholder’s ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by the fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, as a result of which a shareholder may not get a full credit or deduction for the amount of such taxes. In particular, shareholders must hold their fund shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such foreign taxes. Even if the fund is eligible to make such an election for a given year, it may determine not to do so. However, even if the fund elects to pass through to its shareholders foreign tax credits or deductions, tax-exempt shareholders and those who invest in the fund through tax-advantaged accounts such as IRAs will not benefit from any such tax credit or deduction.

Passive Foreign Investment Companies. Investments treated as equity for federal income tax purposes in certain “passive foreign investment companies” (“PFICs”) could subject the fund to a U.S. federal income tax (including interest charges) on distributions received from the company or on the proceeds from the disposition of its investment in such a company. This tax cannot be eliminated by making distributions to fund shareholders; however, this tax can be avoided by making an election to mark such investments to market annually or to treat the passive foreign investment company as a “qualified electing fund.” The QEF and mark-to-market elections may have the effect of accelerating the recognition of income (without the receipt of cash) and increasing the amount required to be distributed by the fund to avoid taxation. Making either of these elections therefore may require the fund to liquidate other investments to meet its distribution requirement, which may also accelerate the recognition of gain and affect the fund’s total return. Dividends paid by PFICs will not be eligible to be treated as “qualified dividend income.” If the fund indirectly invests in PFICs by virtue of the fund’s investments in

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other funds, it may not make such PFIC elections; rather, the underlying funds directly investing in the PFICs would decide whether to make such elections.

Because it is not always possible to identify a foreign corporation as a PFIC, the fund may incur tax and interest charges in some instances.

A PFIC is any foreign corporation: (i) 75 percent or more of the income of which for the taxable year is passive income, or (ii) the average percentage of the assets of which (generally by value, but by adjusted tax basis in certain cases) that produce or are held for the production of passive income is at least 50 percent. Generally, passive income for this purpose means dividends, interest (including income equivalent to interest), royalties, rents, annuities, the excess of gains over losses from certain property transactions and commodities transactions, and foreign currency gains. Passive income for this purpose does not include rents and royalties received by the foreign corporation from active business and certain income received from related persons.

Foreign currency-denominated securities and related hedging transactions. The fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt securities and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. Any such net gains could require a larger dividend toward the end of the calendar year. Any such net losses will generally reduce and potentially require the recharacterization of prior ordinary income distributions. Such ordinary income treatment may accelerate fund distributions to shareholders and increase the distributions taxed to shareholders as ordinary income. Any net ordinary losses so created cannot be carried forward by the fund to offset income or gains earned in subsequent taxable years.

Sale or redemption of shares. The sale, exchange or redemption of fund shares may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months. Otherwise the gain or loss on the sale, exchange or redemption of fund shares will be treated as short-term capital gain or loss. However, if a shareholder sells shares at a loss within six months of purchase, any loss generally will be disallowed for federal income tax purposes to the extent of any exempt-interest dividends received on such shares. This loss disallowance, however, does not apply with respect to redemptions of fund shares held for six months or less with respect to a regular exempt-interest dividend paid by the fund if such fund declares substantially all of its net tax-exempt income as exempt-interest dividends on a daily basis, and pays such dividends at least on a monthly basis. In addition, any loss (not already disallowed as provided in the preceding sentences) realized upon a taxable disposition of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term, rather than short-term, to the extent of any Capital Gain Dividends received (or deemed received) by the shareholder with respect to the shares. All or a portion of any loss realized upon a taxable disposition of fund shares will be disallowed if other shares of the same fund are purchased within 30 days before or after the disposition. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

Cost basis reporting. Upon the redemption or exchange of a shareholder’s shares in the fund, the fund, or, if such shareholder’s shares are then held through a financial intermediary, the financial intermediary, will be required to provide the shareholder and the IRS with cost basis and certain other related tax information about the fund shares the shareholder redeemed or exchanged. This cost basis reporting requirement is effective for shares purchased, including through dividend reinvestment, on or after January 1, 2012. Shareholders can visit www.putnam.com/costbasis, or call the fund at 1-800-225-1581, or consult their financial representatives, as appropriate, for more information regarding available methods for cost basis reporting and how to select a particular method. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine which available cost basis method is best for them.

Shares purchased through tax-qualified plans. Special tax rules apply to investments through employer-sponsored retirement plans and other tax-qualified plans. Shareholders should consult their tax

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advisors to determine the suitability of shares of the fund as an investment through such plans and the precise effect of an investment on their particular tax situation.

Backup withholding. The fund generally is required to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable dividends and other distributions paid to any individual shareholder who fails to furnish the fund with a correct taxpayer identification number (TIN), who has under-reported dividends or interest income, or who fails to certify to the fund that he or she is not subject to such withholding. The backup withholding rules may also apply to distributions that are properly reported as exempt-interest dividends. The back-up withholding tax rate is 28%. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.

In order for a foreign investor to qualify for exemption from the back-up withholding tax rates and for reduced withholding tax rates under income tax treaties, the foreign investor must comply with special certification and filing requirements. Foreign investors in a fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.

Tax shelter reporting regulations. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss on disposition of fund shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a regulated investment company are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all regulated investment companies. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

Non-U.S. shareholders. In general, dividends (other than Capital Gain Dividends or exempt-interest dividends) paid by the fund to a shareholder that is not a “U.S. person” within the meaning of the Code (a “foreign person”) are subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a rate of 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) even if they are funded by income or gains (such as portfolio interest, short-term capital gains, or foreign-source dividend and interest income) that, if paid to a foreign person directly, would not be subject to withholding.

However, effective for distributions with respect to taxable years of the fund beginning before January 1, 2015, the fund is not required to withhold any amounts (i) with respect to distributions (other than distributions to a foreign person (w) that have not provided a satisfactory statement that the beneficial owner is not a U.S. person, (x) to the extent that the dividend is attributable to certain interest on an obligation if the foreign person is the issuer or is a 10% shareholder of the issuer, (y) that is within certain foreign countries that have inadequate information exchange with the United States, or (z) to the extent the dividend is attributable to interest paid by a person that is a related person of the foreign person and the foreign person is a controlled foreign corporation) from U.S.-source interest income that would not be subject to U.S. federal income tax if earned directly by an individual foreign person, to the extent such distributions are properly reported by the fund (an “interest-related dividend”), and (ii) with respect to distributions (other than (a) distributions to an individual foreign person who is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the distribution and (b) distributions subject to special rules regarding the disposition of U.S. real property interests as described below) of net short-term capital gains in excess of net long-term capital losses, to the extent such distributions are properly reported by the fund (a “short-term capital gain dividend”). The fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as interest-related and/or short-term capital gain dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so. These exemptions have expired for distributions with respect to taxable years of the fund beginning on or after January 1, 2015. It is currently unclear whether Congress will extend these exemptions for distributions with respect to taxable years of the Fund beginning on or after January 1, 2015, and what the terms of such an extension would be, including whether such extension would have retroactive effect.

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The fact that the fund achieves its goals by investing in underlying funds generally does not adversely affect the fund’s ability to pass on to foreign shareholders the full benefit of the interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends that it receives from its underlying investments in the funds, except possibly to the extent that (1) interest-related dividends received by the fund are offset by deductions allocable to the fund’s qualified interest income or (2) short-term capital gain dividends received by the fund are offset by the fund’s net short- or long-term capital losses, in which case the amount of a distribution from the fund to a foreign shareholder that is properly reported as either an interest-related dividend or a short-term capital gain dividend, respectively, may be less than the amount that such shareholder would have received had they invested directly in the underlying funds.

Under U.S. federal tax law, a beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person is not, in general, subject to U.S. federal income tax on gains (and is not allowed a deduction for losses) realized on the sale of shares of the fund or on Capital Gain Dividends, unless (i) such gain or Capital Gain Dividend is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business carried on by such holder within the United States; (ii) in the case of an individual holder, the holder is present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the year of the sale or Capital Gain Dividend and certain other conditions are met; or (iii) the special rules relating to gain attributable to the sale or exchange of “U.S. real property interests” (“USRPIs”) apply to the foreign shareholder's sale of shares of the fund or to the Capital Gain Dividend the foreign shareholder received (as described below).

If a beneficial holder who is a foreign person has a trade or business in the United States, and the dividends are effectively connected with the conduct by the beneficial holder of a trade or business in the United States, the dividend will be subject to U.S. federal net income taxation at regular income tax rates and, in the case of a foreign corporation, may also be subject to a branch profits tax. If a foreign shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the shareholder in the United States. More generally, foreign shareholders who are residents in a country with an income tax treaty with the United States may obtain different tax results than those described herein, and are urged to consult their tax advisors.

Special rules would apply if the fund were either a “U.S. real property holding corporation” (“USRPHC”) or would be a USRPHC but for the operation of certain exceptions to the definition thereof. Very generally, a USRPHC is a domestic corporation that holds USRPIs the fair market value of which equals or exceeds 50% of the sum of the fair market values of the corporation’s USRPIs, interests in real property located outside the United States, and other trade or business assets. USRPIs are generally defined as any interest in U.S. real property and any interest (other than solely as a creditor) in a USRPHC or, very generally, an entity that has been a USRPHC in the last five years. If an interest in the fund were a USRPI, the Fund would be required to withhold U.S. tax on the proceeds of a share redemption by a greater-than-5% foreign shareholder, in which case such foreign shareholder generally would also be required to file U.S. tax returns and pay any additional taxes due in connection with the redemption.

If the fund were a USRPHC or would be a USRPHC but for the exceptions referred to above, under a special “look-through” rule, any distributions by the fund to a foreign shareholder (including, in certain cases, distributions made by the fund in redemption of its shares) attributable directly or indirectly to distributions received by the fund from a lower-tier REIT that the fund is required to treat as USRPI gain in its hands, generally would be subject to U.S. tax withholding. In addition, such distributions could result in the foreign shareholder being required to file a U.S. tax return and pay tax on the distributions at regular U.S. federal income tax rates. The consequences to a foreign shareholder, including the rate of such withholding and character of such distributions (e.g., as ordinary income or USRPI gain), would vary depending upon the extent of the foreign shareholder’s current and past ownership of the fund. Prior to January 1, 2015, the special “look-through” rule described above for distributions by the fund to foreign shareholders also applied to distributions attributable to (i) gains realized on the disposition of USRPIs by the fund and (ii) distributions received by the fund from a lower-tier registered investment company that the fund was required to treat as USRPI gain in its hands. It is

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currently unclear whether Congress will extend these former “look-through” provisions to distributions made on or after January 1, 2015, and what the terms of any such extension would be, including whether any such extension would have retroactive effect.

Foreign shareholders should consult their tax advisers and, if holding shares through intermediaries, their intermediaries, concerning the application of these rules to their investment in the fund.

Other reporting and withholding requirements. Sections 1471-1474 of the Code and the U.S. Treasury and IRS guidance issued thereunder (collectively, “FATCA”) generally require a Fund to obtain information sufficient to identify the status of each of its shareholders under FATCA or under an applicable intergovernmental agreement (an “IGA”) between the United States and a foreign government. If a shareholder fails to provide the requested information or otherwise fails to comply with FATCA or an IGA, the fund may be required to withhold under FATCA at a rate of 30% with respect to that shareholder on ordinary dividends it pays after June 30, 2014 (or, in certain cases, after later dates), and 30% of the gross proceeds of share redemptions or exchanges and certain capital gain dividends it pays after December 31, 2016. If a payment by the fund is subject to FATCA withholding, the fund is required to withhold even if such payment would otherwise be exempt from withholding under the rules applicable to foreign shareholders described above (e.g., Capital Gain Dividends). Each prospective investor is urged to consult its tax advisor regarding the applicability of FATCA and any other reporting requirements with respect to the prospective investor’s own situation, including investments through an intermediary.

General Considerations. The federal income tax discussion set forth above is for general information only. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisers regarding the specific federal tax consequences of purchasing, holding, and disposing of shares of the fund, as well as the effects of state, local and foreign tax law and any proposed tax law changes.

MANAGEMENT

Trustees

Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal   
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During   
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years  Other Directorships Held by Trustee 

Liaquat Ahamed (Born  Author; won Pulitzer  Trustee of the Brookings Institution (a nonprofit 
1952), Trustee since 2012  Prize for Lords of  public policy organization).Mr. Ahamed is also a 
  Finance: The Bankers  director of the Rohatyn Group, an emerging-market 
  Who Broke the World.  fund complex that manages money for institutions. 
  Director of Aspen  Mr. Ahamed has 25 years experience in the 
  Insurance Co., a New  management of fixed income portfolios and was 
  York Stock Exchange  previously the Chief Executive Officer of Fischer 
  company and Chair of  Francis Trees & Watts, Inc., a fixed-income 
  the Aspen Board’s  investment management subsidiary of BNP Paribas. 
  Investment Committee.  Mr. Ahamed holds a B.A. in economics from Trinity 
    College, Cambridge University and an M.A. in 
    economics from Harvard University. 

 

August 31, 2015  II-72 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal   
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During   
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years  Other Directorships Held by Trustee 

Ravi Akhoury (Born 1947),  Served as Chairman and  Director of RAGE Frameworks, Inc. and English 
Trustee since 2009  CEO of MacKay Shields  Helper, Inc. (each a private software company). Mr. 
  (a multi-product  Akhoury previously served as Director of Jacob 
  investment management  Ballas Capital India (a non-banking finance company 
  firm) from 1992 to 2007.  focused on private equity advisory services) and a 
    member of its Compensation Committee. He also 
    served as Director and on the Compensation 
    Committee of MaxIndia/New York Life Insurance 
    Company in India. Mr. Akhoury is also a Trustee of 
    the Rubin Museum, serving on the Investment 
    Committee, and of American India Foundation. Mr. 
    Akhoury is a former Vice President and Investment 
    Policy Committee member of Fischer, Francis, Trees 
    and Watts (a fixed-income investment management 
    subsidiary of BNP Paribas). He previously served on 
    the Board of Bharti Telecom (an Indian 
    telecommunications company) and was a member of 
    its Audit and Compensation Committees. He also 
    served on the Board of Thompson Press (a publishing 
    company) and was a member of its Audit Committee. 
    Mr. Akhoury graduated from the Indian Institute of 
    Technology with a BS in Engineering and obtained 
    an MS in Quantitative Methods from SUNY at Stony 
    Brook. 

 

August 31, 2015  II-73 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal   
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During   
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years  Other Directorships Held by Trustee 

Barbara M. Baumann (Born  President of Cross Creek  Director of Buckeye Partners, L.P. (a publicly traded 
1955), Trustee since 2010  Energy Corporation, a  master limited partnership focused on pipeline 
  strategic consultant to  transport, storage and distribution of petroleum 
  domestic energy firms  products) and Devon Energy Corporation (a leading 
  and direct investor in  independent natural gas and oil exploration and 
  energy projects.  production company). She serves on the board of The 
    Denver Foundation, is a former Chair of the Board, 
    and a current Board member, of Girls Inc. of Metro 
    Denver (a nonprofit organization benefitting young 
    women), and serves on the Finance Committee of the 
    Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Until September 
    2014, Ms. Baumann was a director of UNS Energy 
    Corporation (a publicly held electric and gas utility in 
    Arizona). Until May 2014, Ms. Baumann was a 
    Director of SM Energy Corporation (a publicly held 
    U.S. exploration and production company). Until 
    May 2012, Ms. Baumann was a Director of CVR 
    Energy, Inc. (a publicly held petroleum refiner and 
    fertilizer manufacturer). Prior to 2003, she was 
    Executive Vice President of Associated Energy 
    Managers, LLC (a domestic private equity firm). 
    From 1981 until 2000 she held a variety of financial 
    and operational management positions with the 
    global energy company Amoco Corporation and its 
    successor, BP. Ms. Baumann holds a B.A. from 
    Mount Holyoke College and an MBA from The 
    Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 

Jameson A. Baxter (Born  President of Baxter  Chair of the Mutual Fund Directors Forum; Director 
1943), Trustee since 1994,  Associates, Inc., (a  of the Adirondack Land Trust; and Trustee of the The 
Vice Chair from 2005 to 2011  private investment firm).  Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Chapter. Until 
and Chair since 2011    2011, Ms. Baxter was a Director of ASHTA 
    Chemicals Inc. Until 2007, Ms. Baxter was a 
    Director of Banta Corporation (a printing and supply 
    chain management company), Ryerson, Inc. (a 
    metals service company) and Advocate Health Care. 
    She has also served as a director on a number of other 
    boards including BoardSource (formerly the 
    National Center for Nonprofit Boards), Intermatic 
    Corporation (a manufacturer of energy control 
    products) and MB Financial. She is Chairman 
    Emeritus of the Board of Trustees, Mount Holyoke 
    College. Ms. Baxter is also a graduate of Mount 
    Holyoke College. 

 

August 31, 2015  II-74 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal   
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During   
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years  Other Directorships Held by Trustee 

Robert J. Darretta (Born  Mr. Darretta serves as a  Until April, 2007, Mr. Darretta was Vice Chairman 
1946), Trustee since 2007  director of the United  of the Board of Directors of Johnson & Johnson (a 
  Health Group. From  diversified health care conglomerate). Mr. Darretta 
  2009-2012, Mr. Darretta  received a B.S. in Economics from Villanova 
  served as the Health Care  University. 
  Industry Advisor to   
  Permira, (a global private   
  equity firm). Prior to   
  2007, Mr. Darretta was   
  the Chief Financial   
  Officer of Johnson &   
  Johnson.   

Katinka Domotorffy (Born  Voting member of the  Director of Reach Out and Read of Greater New 
1975), Trustee since 2012  Investment Committees  York, an organization dedicated to promoting 
  of the Anne Ray  childhood literacy; Great Lakes Science Center. Ms. 
  Charitable Trust and  Domotorffy holds a BSc in Economics from the 
  Margaret A. Cargill  University of Pennsylvania and an MSc in 
  Foundation, part of the  Accounting and Finance from the London School of 
  Margaret A. Cargill  Economics. 
  Philanthropies. Prior to   
  2012, Ms. Domotorffy   
  was Partner, Chief   
  Investment Officer, and   
  Global Head of   
  Quantitative Investment   
  Strategies at Goldman   
  Sachs Asset   
  Management   

John A. Hill (Born 1942),  Vice Chairman, First  Director of Devon Energy Corporation and various 
Trustee since 1985 and  Reserve Corporation (a  private companies owned by First Reserve 
Chairman from 2000 to 2011  private equity buyout  Corporation. He is also Chairman of The Board of 
  firm that specializes in  Trustees of Sarah Lawrence College and a member 
  energy investments in the  of the Advisory Board of the Millstein Center for 
  diversified world-wide  Global Markets and Corporate Ownership at the 
  energy industry).  Columbia University Law School. Mr. Hill received 
    a B.A in Economics from Southern Methodist 
    University and pursued graduate studies as a 
    Woodrow Wilson Fellow. 

 

August 31, 2015  II-75 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal   
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During   
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years  Other Directorships Held by Trustee 

Paul L. Joskow (Born 1947),  President of the Alfred P.  Trustee of Yale University; a Director of Exelon 
Trustee since 1997  Sloan Foundation (a  Corporation (an energy company focused on power 
  philanthropic institution  services); and a Member of the Board of Overseers of 
  focused primarily on  the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Prior to April 2013, 
  research and education  he served as Director of TransCanada Corporation 
  on issues related to  and TransCanada Pipelines Ltd. (energy companies 
  science, technology and  focused on natural gas transmission, oil pipelines, 
  economic performance).  and power services.) Prior to August 2007, he served 
  He is the Elizabeth and  as a Director of National Grid (a U.K.-based holding 
  James Killian Professor  company with interests in electric and gas 
  of Economics, Emeritus  transmission and distribution and 
  at the Massachusetts  telecommunications infrastructure). Prior to July, 
  Institute of Technology  2006, he served as President of the Yale University 
  (“MIT”).  Council. Prior to February 2005, he served on the 
  Prior to 2007, he was the  board of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical 
  Director of the Center for  Research (a non-profit research institution). Prior to 
  Energy and  February 2002, he was a Director of State Farm 
  Environmental Policy  Indemnity Company (an automobile insurance 
  Research at MIT.  company), and prior to March 2000, he was a 
    Director of New England Electric System (a public 
    utility holding company). Dr. Joskow holds a Ph.D. 
    and a M.Phil. from Yale University and a B.A. from 
    Cornell University. 

Kenneth R. Leibler (Born  A founder and former  Until November 2010, Mr. Leibler was a Director of 
1949), Trustee since 2006  Chairman of the Boston  Ruder Finn Group (a global communications and 
  Options Exchange (an  advertising firm). Prior to December 2006, Mr. 
  electronic market place  Leibler served as a Director of the Optimum Funds 
  for the trading of listed  Group. Prior to October 2006, he served as a Director 
  derivatives securities).  of ISO New England (the organization responsible 
  He currently serves on  for the operation of the electric generation system in 
  the Board of Trustees of  the New England states). Prior to 2000, he was a 
  Beth Israel Deaconess  Director of the Investment Company Institute in 
  Hospital in Boston and as  Washington, D.C. Prior to January 2005, Mr. Leibler 
  a Director of Beth Israel  served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 
  Deaconess Care  the Boston Stock Exchange. Prior to January 2000, 
  Organization, an  he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of 
  accountable care group  Liberty Financial Companies (a publicly traded 
  jointly owned by the  diversified asset management organization). Prior to 
  medical center and its  June 1990, he served as President and Chief 
  affiliated physicians  Operating Officer of the American Stock Exchange 
  network. He is also  (AMEX). Prior to serving as AMEX President, he 
  Director of Eversource  held the position of Chief Financial Officer, and 
  Corporation, which  headed its management and marketing operations. 
  operates New England’s  Mr. Leibler graduated with a B.A in Economics from 
  largest energy delivery  Syracuse University. 
  system.   

 

August 31, 2015  II-76 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal   
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During   
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years  Other Directorships Held by Trustee 

Robert E. Patterson (Born  Co-Chairman of Cabot  Mr. Patterson is past Chairman and served as a 
1945), Trustee since 1984  Properties, Inc. (a private  Trustee of the Joslin Diabetes Center. Prior to 
  equity firm investing in  December 2001, Mr. Patterson served as the 
  commercial real estate)  President and as a Trustee of Cabot Industrial Trust 
  and Chairman of the  (a publicly-traded real estate investment trust). He 
  Investment Committee  has also served as a Trustee of the Sea Education 
  of Cabot Properties.  Association. Prior to 1998, he was Executive Vice 
    President and Director of Acquisitions of Cabot 
    Partners Limited Partnership (a registered investment 
    adviser involved in institutional real estate 
    investments). Prior to 1990, he served as Executive 
    Vice President of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes Realty 
    Advisers, Inc. (the predecessor company of Cabot 
    Partners). Mr. Patterson practiced law and held 
    various positions in state government, and was the 
    founding Executive Director of the Massachusetts 
    Industrial Finance Agency. Mr. Patterson is a 
    graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law 
    School. 

George Putnam, III (Born  Chairman of New  Director of The Boston Family Office, LLC (a 
1951), Trustee since 1984  Generation Research,  registered investment advisor), a Trustee of 
  Inc. (a publisher of  Epiphany School and a Trustee of the Marine 
  financial advisory and  Biological Laboratory. Until 2010, Mr. Putnam was a 
  other research services)  Trustee of St. Mark’s School. Until 2006, Mr. 
  and President of New  Putnam was a Trustee of Shore Country Day School. 
  Generation Advisors,  Until 2002, he was a Trustee of the Sea Education 
  LLC (a registered  Association. Mr. Putnam is a graduate of Harvard 
  investment adviser to  College, Harvard Business School and Harvard Law 
  private funds), which are  School. 
  firms he founded in   
  1986. Prior to June 2007,   
  Mr. Putnam was   
  President of the Putnam   
  Funds.   

W. Thomas Stephens (Born  Prior to 2009, Mr.  Until 2014, Mr. Stephens was a Director of 
1942), Trustee from  Stephens was Chairman  TransCanadaPipelines Ltd (an energy infrastructure 
1997-2008, and since 2009  and Chief Executive  company). Until 2010, Mr. Stephens was a Director 
  Officer of Boise  of Boise Inc. (a manufacturer of paper and packaging 
  Cascade, LLC (a paper,  products). Until 2004, Mr. Stephens was a Director 
  forest product and  of Xcel Energy Incorporated (a public utility 
  timberland assets  company), Qwest Communications and Norske 
  company).  Canada, Inc. (a paper manufacturer). Until 2003, Mr. 
    Stephens was a Director of Mail-Well, Inc. (a 
    diversified printing company). Prior to July 2001, 
    Mr. Stephens was Chairman of Mail-Well. Mr. 
    Stephens holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from the 
    University of Arkansas. 

 

August 31, 2015  II-77 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of     
Birth, Position(s) Held with  Principal   
Fund and Length of Service  Occupation(s) During   
as a Putnam Fund Trustee2  Past 5 Years  Other Directorships Held by Trustee 

 
Interested Trustees     

*Robert L. Reynolds (Born  President and Chief  Director of several not-for-profit boards, including 
1952), Trustee since 2008  Executive Officer of  West Virginia University Foundation, the Concord 
  Putnam Investments  Museum, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Boston 
  since 2008 and, since  Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Chief 
  2014, President and  Executives Club of Boston, the National 
  Chief Executive Officer  Innovation Initiative, and the Council on 
  of Great-West Financial,  Competitiveness, and he is a former President of the 
  a financial services  Commercial Club of Boston. Prior to 2008, he 
  company that provides  served as a Director of FMR Corporation, Fidelity 
  retirement savings plans,  Investments Insurance Ltd., Fidelity Investments 
  life insurance, and  Canada Ltd., and Fidelity Management Trust 
  annuity and executive  Company and as a Trustee of the Fidelity Family of 
  benefits products, and of  Funds. Mr. Reynolds received a B.S. in Business 
  Great-West Lifeco U.S.  Administration with a major in Finance from West 
  Inc., a holding company  Virginia University. 
  that owns Putnam   
  Investments and   
  Great-West Financial.   
  Member of Putnam   
  Investments’ and   
  Great-West Financial’s   
  Board of Directors. Prior   
  to joining Putnam   
  Investments in 2008, Mr.   
  Reynolds was Vice   
  Chairman and Chief   
  Operating Officer of   
  Fidelity Investments   
  from 2000 to 2007.   


1
The address of each Trustee is One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109. As of December 31, 2014, there were 116 Putnam Funds.

2 Each Trustee serves for an indefinite term, until his or her resignation, retirement at age 75, death or removal.

*Trustee who is an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the fund and Putnam Management. Mr. Reynolds is deemed an “interested person” by virtue of his positions as an officer of the fund and Putnam Management. Mr. Reynolds is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments, LLC and President of your fund and each of the other Putnam funds.

Trustee Qualifications

Each of the fund’s Trustees was most recently elected by shareholders of the fund during 2014, although most of the Trustees have served on the Board for many years. The Board Policy and Nominating Committee is responsible for recommending proposed nominees for election to the full Board of Trustees for its approval. As

August 31, 2015  II-78 

 



part of its deliberative process, the Committee considers the experience, qualifications, attributes and skills that it determines would benefit the Putnam funds at the time.

In recommending the election of the current board members as Trustees, the Committee generally considered the educational, business and professional experience of each Trustee in determining his or her qualifications to serve as a Trustee of the fund, including the Trustee's record of service as a director or trustee of public and private organizations. (This included, but was not limited to, consideration of the specific experience noted in the preceding table.) In the case of most members of the Board, the Committee considered his or her previous service as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Putnam funds, which demonstrated a high level of diligence and commitment to the interests of fund shareholders and an ability to work effectively and collegially with other members of the Board.

The Committee also considered, among other factors, the particular attributes described below with respect to the various individual Trustees and considered the attributes as indicative of the person’s ability to deal effectively with the types of financial, regulatory, and/or investment matters that typically arise in the course of a Trustee’s work:

Liaquat Ahamed -- Mr. Ahamed’s experience as Chief Executive Officer of a major investment management organization and as head of the investment division at the World Bank, as well as his experience as an author of economic literature.

Ravi Akhoury -- Mr. Akhoury's experience as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of a major investment management organization.

Barbara M. Baumann -- Ms. Baumann’s experience in the energy industry as a consultant, an investor, and in both financial and operational management positions at a global energy company, and her service as a director of multiple NYSE companies.

Jameson A. Baxter -- Ms. Baxter's experience in corporate finance acquired in the course of her career at a major investment bank, her experience as a director and audit committee chair of two NYSE companies and her role as Chair of the Mutual Fund Directors Forum.

Robert J. Darretta -- Mr. Darretta's experience as the Chief Financial Officer and Vice Chairman of the board of a major NYSE health products company.

Katinka Domotorffy -- Ms. Domotorffy’s experience as Chief Investment Officer and Global Head of Quantitative Investment Strategies at a major asset management organization.

John A. Hill -- Mr. Hill's experience as founder and chairman of an open-end mutual fund and as a founder and lead managing partner of one of the largest private equity firms in the United States.

Paul L. Joskow -- Dr. Joskow's education and experience as a professional economist familiar with financial economics and related issues and his service on multiple for-profit boards.

Kenneth R. Leibler -- Mr. Leibler's extensive experience in the financial services industry, including as Chief Executive Officer of a major asset management organization, and his service as a director of various public and private companies.

Robert E. Patterson -- Mr. Patterson’s training and experience as an attorney and his experience as president of a NYSE company.

August 31, 2015  II-79 

 



George Putnam, III -- Mr. Putnam’s training and experience as an attorney, his experience as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of an investment management firm and his experience as an author of various publications on the subject of investments.

W. Thomas Stephens -- Mr. Stephens's extensive business experience, including his service as Chief Executive Officer of four public companies, as non-executive chairman of two public companies and as a director of numerous other public companies.

Interested Trustee

Robert L. Reynolds -- Mr. Reynolds’s extensive experience as a senior executive of one of the largest mutual fund organizations in the United States and his current role as President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments.

Officers

In addition to Robert L. Reynolds, the fund’s President, the other officers of the fund are shown below. All of the officers of your fund are employees of Putnam Management or its affiliates or are members of the Trustees’ independent administrative staff.

Name, Address1 , Year of Birth,  Length of Service with  Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years and 
Position(s) Held with Fund  the Putnam Funds2  Position(s) with Fund’s Investment Adviser and 
    Distributor3 

Jonathan S. Horwitz4 (Born 1955)  Since 2004  Executive Vice President, Principal Executive 
Executive Vice President, Principal    Officer, and Compliance Liaison, The Putnam Funds. 
Executive Officer, and Compliance     
Liaison     

Steven D. Krichmar (Born 1958)  Since 2002  Chief of Operations, Putnam Investments and 
Vice President and Principal Financial    Putnam Management. 
Officer     

Robert T. Burns (Born 1961)  Since 2011  General Counsel, Putnam Investments, Putnam 
Vice President and Chief Legal    Management and Putnam Retail Management. 
Officer     

Robert R. Leveille (Born 1969)  Since 2007  Chief Compliance Officer, Putnam Investments, 
Vice President and Chief Compliance    Putnam Management and Putnam Retail 
Officer    Management. 

Michael J. Higgins4 (Born 1976)  Since 2010  Manager of Finance, Dunkin’ Brands (2008-2010); 
Vice President, Treasurer, and Clerk    Senior Financial Analyst, Old Mutual Asset 
    Management (2007-2008); Senior Financial Analyst, 
    Putnam Investments (1999-2007). 

Janet C. Smith (Born 1965)  Since 2007  Director of Fund Administration Services, Putnam 
Vice President, Principal Accounting    Investments and Putnam Management. 
Officer, and Assistant Treasurer     

Susan G. Malloy (Born 1957)  Since 2007  Director of Accounting and Control Services, Putnam 
Vice President and Assistant    Management. 
Treasurer     

James P. Pappas (Born 1953)  Since 2004  Director of Trustee Relations, Putnam Investments 
Vice President    and Putnam Management. 

Mark C. Trenchard (Born 1962)  Since 2002  Director of Operational Compliance, Putnam 
Vice President and BSA Compliance    Investments, Putnam Retail Management 
Officer     

 

August 31, 2015  II-80 

 



Name, Address1 , Year of Birth,  Length of Service with  Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years and 
Position(s) Held with Fund  the Putnam Funds2  Position(s) with Fund’s Investment Adviser and 
    Distributor3 

Nancy E. Florek4 (Born 1957)  Since 2000  Vice President, Director of Proxy Voting and 
Vice President, Director of Proxy    Corporate Governance, Assistant Clerk, and 
Voting and Corporate Governance,    Associate Treasurer, The Putnam Funds. 
Assistant Clerk, and Associate     
Treasurer     


1
The address of each Officer is One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

2Each officer serves for an indefinite term, until his or her resignation, retirement, death or removal.

3Prior positions and/or officer appointments with the fund or the fund’s investment adviser and distributor have been omitted.

4Officers of the fund indicated are members of the Trustees’ independent administrative staff. Compensation for these individuals is fixed by the Trustees and reimbursed to Putnam Management by the funds.

Except as stated above, the principal occupations of the officers and Trustees for the last five years have been with the employers as shown above, although in some cases they have held different positions with such employers.

Leadership Structure and Standing Committees of the Board of Trustees

For details regarding the number of times the standing committees of the Board of Trustees met during a fund's last fiscal year, see "Trustee responsibilities and fees" in Part I of this SAI.

Board Leadership Structure. Currently, 12 of the 13 Trustees of your fund are Independent Trustees, meaning that they are not considered "interested persons" of your fund or its investment manager. These Independent Trustees must vote separately to approve all financial arrangements and other agreements with your fund’s investment manager and other affiliated parties. The role of independent trustees has been characterized as that of a “watchdog” charged with oversight to protect shareholders’ interests against overreaching and abuse by those who are in a position to control or influence a fund. Your fund’s Independent Trustees meet regularly as a group in executive session (i.e., without representatives of your fund’s investment manager or its affiliates present). An Independent Trustee currently serves as chair of the Board.

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Taking into account the number, the diversity and the complexity of the funds overseen by the Board and the aggregate amount of assets under management, your fund’s Trustees have determined that the efficient conduct of the Board's affairs makes it desirable to delegate responsibility for certain specific matters to committees of the Board. The Executive Committee, Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee, and Board Policy and Nominating Committee are authorized to take action on certain matters as specified in their charters or in policies and procedures relating to the governance of the funds; with respect to other matters, these committees review and evaluate and make recommendations to the Trustees as they deem appropriate. The other committees also review and evaluate matters specified in their charters and make recommendations to the Trustees as they deem appropriate. Each committee may utilize the resources of your fund’s independent staff, counsel and auditors as well as other experts. The committees meet as often as appropriate, either in conjunction with regular meetings of the Trustees or otherwise. The membership and chair of each committee are appointed by the Trustees upon recommendation of the Board Policy and Nominating Committee. Each committee is chaired by an Independent Trustee and, except as noted below, the membership and chairs of each committee consist exclusively of Independent Trustees.

August 31, 2015  II-81 

 



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The Trustees have determined that this committee structure also allows the Board to focus more effectively on the oversight of risk as part of its broader oversight of the fund's affairs. While risk management is the primary responsibility of the fund's investment manager, the Trustees receive reports regarding investment risks, compliance risks and other risks. The Board's committee structure allows separate committees to focus on different aspects of these risks and their potential impact on some or all of the funds and to discuss with the fund's investment manager how it monitors and controls such risks.

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Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee. The Audit, Compliance and Distributions Committee provides oversight on matters relating to the preparation of the funds’ financial statements, compliance matters, internal audit functions, and Codes of Ethics issues. This oversight is discharged by regularly meeting with management and the funds’ independent auditors and keeping current on industry developments. Duties of this Committee also include the review and evaluation of all matters and relationships pertaining to the funds’ independent auditors, including their independence. The Committee also oversees all dividends and distributions by the funds. The Committee makes recommendations to the Trustees of the funds regarding the amount and timing of distributions paid by the funds, and determines such matters when the Trustees are not in session. The Committee also oversees the policies and procedures pursuant to which Putnam Management prepares recommendations for distributions, and meets regularly with representatives of Putnam Management to review the implementation of these policies and procedures. The Committee reports to the Trustees and makes recommendations to the Trustees regarding these matters. The members of the Committee include only Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the funds or Putnam Management. Each member of the Committee also is “independent,” as that term is interpreted for purposes of Rule 10A-3(b)(1) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) and the listing standards of the NYSE. The Board of Trustees has adopted a written charter for the Committee, a current copy of which is available at putnam.com/individual. The Committee currently consists of Messrs. Darretta (Chairperson), Akhoury, Hill and Patterson, and Mses. Baumann and Domotorffy.

Board Policy and Nominating Committee. The Board Policy and Nominating Committee reviews matters pertaining to the operations of the Board of Trustees and its Committees, the compensation of the Trustees and their staff, and the conduct of legal affairs for the funds. The Committee evaluates and recommends all candidates for election as Trustees and recommends the appointment of members and chairs of each board committee. The Committee will consider nominees for Trustee recommended by shareholders of a fund provided that such recommendations are submitted by the date disclosed in the fund’s proxy statement and otherwise comply with applicable securities laws, including Rule 14a-8 under the Exchange Act. The Committee also reviews policy matters affecting the operation of the Board and its independent staff. In addition, the Committee oversees the voting of proxies associated with portfolio investments of the funds with the goal of ensuring that these proxies are voted in the best interest of the funds’ shareholders. The Committee reports to the Trustees and makes recommendations to the Trustees regarding these matters. The Committee generally believes that the Board benefits from diversity of background, experience and views among its members, and considers this as a factor in evaluating the composition of the Board, but has not adopted any specific policy in this regard. The Committee is composed entirely of Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the funds or Putnam Management and currently consists of Messrs. Hill (Chairperson), Leibler, Patterson and Putnam, Dr. Joskow and Ms. Baxter.

Brokerage Committee. The Brokerage Committee reviews the funds' policies regarding the execution of portfolio trades and Putnam Management's practices and procedures relating to the implementation of those policies. The Committee reviews periodic reports on the cost and quality of execution of portfolio transactions and the extent to which brokerage commissions have been used (i) by Putnam Management to obtain brokerage and research services generally useful to it in managing the portfolios of the funds and of its other clients, and (ii) by the funds to pay for certain fund expenses. The Committee reports to the Trustees and makes

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recommendations to the Trustees regarding these matters. The Committee currently consists of Dr. Joskow (Chairperson), Ms. Baxter, and Messrs. Ahamed, Leibler, Putnam and Stephens.

Contract Committee. The Contract Committee reviews and evaluates at least annually all arrangements pertaining to (i) the engagement of Putnam Management and its affiliates to provide services to the funds, (ii) the expenditure of the funds' assets for distribution purposes pursuant to Distribution Plans of the funds, and (iii) the engagement of other persons to provide material services to the funds, including in particular those instances where the cost of services is shared between the funds and Putnam Management and its affiliates or where Putnam Management or its affiliates have a material interest. The Committee also reviews the proposed organization of new fund products, proposed structural changes to existing funds and matters relating to closed-end funds. The Committee reports and makes recommendations to the Trustees regarding these matters. The Committee currently consists of Messrs. Putnam (Chairperson), Ahamed, , Leibler and Stephens, Dr. Joskow and Ms. Baxter.

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Executive Committee. The functions of the Executive Committee are twofold. The first is to ensure that the funds’ business may be conducted at times when it is not feasible to convene a meeting of the Trustees or for the Trustees to act by written consent. The Committee may exercise any or all of the power and authority of the Trustees when the Trustees are not in session. The second is to review annual and ongoing goals, objectives and priorities for the Board of Trustees and to facilitate coordination of all efforts between the Trustees and Putnam Management on behalf of the shareholders of the funds. The Committee currently consists of Ms. Baxter (Chairperson), and Messrs. Hill, Leibler, Patterson and Putnam.

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Investment Oversight Committees. The Investment Oversight Committees regularly meet with investment personnel of Putnam Management to review the investment performance and strategies of the funds in light of their stated goals and policies. The Committees seek to identify any compliance issues that are unique to the applicable categories of funds and work with the appropriate Board committees to ensure that any such issues are properly addressed. Investment Oversight Committee A currently consists of Ms. Domotorffy (Chairperson) and Messrs. Ahamed, Leibler, Putnam and Stephens, Dr. Joskow, and Ms. Baumann. Investment Oversight Committee B currently consists of Messrs. Akhoury (Chairperson), Darretta, Hill, Patterson and Reynolds, and Ms. Baxter.

Pricing Committee. The Pricing Committee oversees the valuation of assets of the Putnam funds and reviews the funds’ policies and procedures for achieving accurate and timely pricing of fund shares. The Committee also oversees implementation of these policies, including fair value determinations of individual securities made by Putnam Management or other designated agents of the funds. The Committee also oversees compliance by money market funds with Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act and the correction of occasional pricing errors. The Committee also reviews matters related to the liquidity of portfolio holdings. The Committee reports to the Trustees and makes recommendations to the Trustees regarding these matters. The Committee currently consists of Mses. Baumann (Chairperson) and Domotorffy, and Messrs. Akhoury, Darretta, Hill and Patterson.

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Indemnification of Trustees

The Agreement and Declaration of Trust of each fund provides that the fund will indemnify its Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred in connection with litigation in which they may be involved because of their offices with the fund, except if it has been finally adjudicated that (a) they have not acted in good faith, (b) they have not acted in the reasonable belief that their actions were (i) in the best interests of the fund or (ii) at least were not opposed to the best interests of the fund, (c) in the case of a criminal proceeding, they had

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reasonable cause to believe the action was unlawful or (d) they were liable to the fund or its shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties. The fund, at its expense, provides liability insurance for the benefit of its Trustees and officers.

For details of Trustees’ fees paid by the fund and information concerning retirement guidelines for the Trustees, see “Charges and expenses” in Part I of this SAI.

Putnam Management and its Affiliates

Putnam Management is one of America’s oldest and largest money management firms. Putnam Management’s staff of experienced portfolio managers and research analysts selects securities and constantly supervises the fund’s portfolio. By pooling an investor’s money with that of other investors, a greater variety of securities can be purchased than would be the case individually; the resulting diversification helps reduce investment risk. Putnam Management has been managing mutual funds since 1937.

Putnam Management is a subsidiary of Putnam Investments. Great-West Lifeco Inc., a financial services holding company with operations in Canada, the United States and Europe and a member of the Power Financial Corporation group of companies, owns a majority interest in Putnam Investments. Power Financial Corporation, a diversified management and holding company with direct and indirect interests in the financial services sector in Canada, the United States and Europe, is a subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada, a diversified international management and holding company with interests in companies in the financial services, communications and other business sectors. The Desmarais Family Residuary Trust, a trust established pursuant to the Last Will and Testament of the Honourable Paul G. Desmarais, directly and indirectly controls a majority of the voting shares of Power Corporation of Canada.

Trustees and officers of the fund who are also officers of Putnam Management or its affiliates or who are stockholders of Putnam Investments or its parent companies will benefit from the advisory fees, sales commissions, distribution fees and transfer agency fees paid or allowed by the fund.

The Management Contract

Under a Management Contract between the fund and Putnam Management, subject to such policies as the Trustees may determine, Putnam Management, at its expense, furnishes continuously an investment program for the fund and makes investment decisions on behalf of the fund. Subject to the control of the Trustees, Putnam Management also manages, supervises and conducts the other affairs and business of the fund, furnishes office space and equipment, provides bookkeeping and clerical services (including determination of the fund’s net asset value, but excluding shareholder accounting services) and places all orders for the purchase and sale of the fund’s portfolio securities. Putnam Management may place fund portfolio transactions with broker-dealers that furnish Putnam Management, without cost to it, certain research, statistical and quotation services of value to Putnam Management and its affiliates in advising the fund and other clients. In so doing, Putnam Management may cause the fund to pay greater brokerage commissions than it might otherwise pay.

For details of Putnam Management’s compensation under the Management Contract, see “Charges and expenses” in Part I of this SAI. Putnam Management’s compensation under the Management Contract may be reduced in any year if the fund’s expenses exceed the limits on investment company expenses imposed by any statute or regulatory authority of any jurisdiction in which shares of the fund are qualified for offer or sale. The term “expenses” is defined in the statutes or regulations of such jurisdictions, and generally excludes brokerage commissions, taxes, interest, extraordinary expenses and, if the fund has a distribution plan, payments made under such plan.

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Fund-specific expense limitation. Under the Management Contract, Putnam Management may reduce its compensation to the extent that the fund’s expenses exceed such lower expense limitation as Putnam Management may, by notice to the fund, declare to be effective. For the purpose of determining any such limitation on Putnam Management’s compensation, expenses of the fund shall not reflect the application of commissions or cash management credits that may reduce designated fund expenses. The terms of any such expense limitation specific to a particular fund are described in the prospectus and/or Part I of this SAI.

General expense limitation. Through the expiration of the one-year period following the effective date of the annual update of each fund’s Registration Statement, Putnam Management will reimburse expenses or waive fees of the fund to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, excluding brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, any upward or downward adjustments to a fund’s base management fee, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis, to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period.

In addition to the fee paid to Putnam Management, the fund reimburses Putnam Management for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their assistants who provide certain administrative services for the fund and the other Putnam funds, each of which bears an allocated share of the foregoing costs. The aggregate amount of all such payments and reimbursements is determined annually by the Trustees.

The amount of this reimbursement for the fund’s most recent fiscal year is included in “Charges and expenses” in Part I of this SAI. Putnam Management pays all other salaries of officers of the fund. The fund pays all expenses not assumed by Putnam Management including, without limitation, auditing, legal, custodial, investor servicing and shareholder reporting expenses. The fund pays the cost of typesetting for its prospectuses and the cost of printing and mailing any prospectuses sent to its shareholders. Putnam Retail Management pays the cost of printing and distributing all other prospectuses.

The Management Contract provides that Putnam Management shall not be subject to any liability to the fund or to any shareholder of the fund for any act or omission in the course of or connected with rendering services to the fund in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its duties on the part of Putnam Management.

The Management Contract may be terminated without penalty by vote of the Trustees or the shareholders of the fund, or by Putnam Management, on 30 days’ written notice. It may be amended only by a vote of the shareholders of the fund. The Management Contract also terminates without payment of any penalty in the event of its assignment. The Management Contract provides that it will continue in effect only so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by vote of either the Trustees or the shareholders, and, in either case, by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of Putnam Management or the fund. In each of the foregoing cases, the vote of the shareholders is the affirmative vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act.

Putnam Management has entered into a Master Sub-Accounting Services Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company ("State Street"), under which Putnam Management has delegated to State Street responsibility for providing certain administrative, pricing, and bookkeeping services for the fund. Putnam Management pays State Street a fee, monthly, based on a combination of fixed annual charges and charges based on the fund's assets and the number and types of securities held by the fund, and reimburses State Street for certain out-of-pocket expenses.

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The Sub-Manager

If so disclosed in the fund’s prospectus, PIL, an affiliate of Putnam Management, has been retained as the sub-manager for a portion of the assets of the fund, as determined by Putnam Management from time to time, pursuant to a sub-management agreement between Putnam Management and PIL. Under the terms of the sub-management contract, PIL, at its own expense, furnishes continuously an investment program for that portion of each such fund that is allocated to PIL from time to time by Putnam Management and makes investment decisions on behalf of such portion of the fund, subject to the supervision of Putnam Management. Putnam Management may also, at its discretion, request PIL to provide assistance with purchasing and selling securities for the fund, including placement of orders with certain broker-dealers. PIL, at its expense, furnishes all necessary investment and management facilities, including salaries of personnel, required for it to execute its duties.

The sub-management contract provides that PIL shall not be subject to any liability to Putnam Management, the fund or any shareholder of the fund for any act or omission in the course of or connected with rendering services to the fund in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties on the part of PIL.

The sub-management contract may be terminated with respect to a fund without penalty by vote of the Trustees or the shareholders of the fund, or by PIL or Putnam Management, on 30 days’ written notice. The sub-management contract also terminates without payment of any penalty in the event of its assignment. Subject to applicable law, it may be amended by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of Putnam Management or the fund. The sub-management contract provides that it will continue in effect only so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by vote of either the Trustees or the shareholders, and, in either case, by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of Putnam Management or the fund. In each of the foregoing cases, the vote of the shareholders is the affirmative vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act.

The Sub-Adviser

If so disclosed in the fund’s prospectus, The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (“PAC”), an affiliate of Putnam Management, has been retained as a sub-adviser for a portion of the assets of the fund, as determined from time to time by Putnam Management or, with respect to portions of a fund’s assets for which PIL acts as sub-manager as described above, by PIL pursuant to a sub-advisory contract among Putnam Management, PIL and PAC. Under certain terms of the sub-advisory contract, PAC, at its own expense, furnishes continuously an investment program for that portion of each such fund that is allocated to PAC from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable and makes investment decisions on behalf of such portion of the fund, subject to the supervision of Putnam Management or PIL, as the case may be. Putnam Management or PIL, as the case may be, may also, at its discretion, request PAC to provide assistance with purchasing and selling securities for the fund, including placement of orders with certain broker-dealers.

PAC, at its expense, furnishes all necessary investment and management facilities, including salaries of personnel, required for it to execute its duties. The sub-advisory contract provides that PAC shall not be subject to any liability to Putnam Management, PIL, the fund or any shareholder of the fund for any act or omission in the course of or connected with rendering services to the fund in the absence of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of its obligations and duties on the part of PAC.

The sub-advisory contract may be terminated with respect to a fund without penalty by vote of the Trustees or the shareholders of the fund, or by PAC, PIL or Putnam Management, on 30 days’ written notice. The sub-advisory contract also terminates without payment of any penalty in the event of its assignment. Subject to

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applicable law, it may be amended by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of Putnam Management or the fund. The sub-advisory contract provides that it will continue in effect only so long as such continuance is approved at least annually by vote of either the Trustees or the shareholders, and, in either case, by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” of Putnam Management or the fund. In each of the foregoing cases, the vote of the shareholders is the affirmative vote of a “majority of the outstanding voting securities” as defined in the 1940 Act.

Portfolio Transactions

Potential conflicts of interest in managing multiple accounts. Like other investment professionals with multiple clients, the fund’s Portfolio Manager(s) may face certain potential conflicts of interest in connection with managing both the fund and the other accounts listed under “PORTFOLIO MANAGER(S)” “Other accounts managed” at the same time. The paragraphs below describe some of these potential conflicts, which Putnam Management believes are faced by investment professionals at most major financial firms. As described below, Putnam Management and the Trustees of the Putnam funds have adopted compliance policies and procedures that attempt to address certain of these potential conflicts.

The management of accounts with different advisory fee rates and/or fee structures, including accounts that pay advisory fees based on account performance (“performance fee accounts”), may raise potential conflicts of interest by creating an incentive to favor higher-fee accounts. These potential conflicts may include, among others:

• The most attractive investments could be allocated to higher-fee accounts or performance fee accounts.

• The trading of higher-fee accounts could be favored as to timing and/or execution price. For example, higher-fee accounts could be permitted to sell securities earlier than other accounts when a prompt sale is desirable or to buy securities at an earlier and more opportune time.

• The trading of other accounts could be used to benefit higher-fee accounts (front- running).

• The investment management team could focus their time and efforts primarily on higher-fee accounts due to a personal stake in compensation.

Putnam Management attempts to address these potential conflicts of interest relating to higher-fee accounts through various compliance policies that are generally intended to place all accounts, regardless of fee structure, on the same footing for investment management purposes. For example, under Putnam Management’s policies:

• Performance fee accounts must be included in all standard trading and allocation procedures with all other accounts.

• All accounts must be allocated to a specific category of account and trade in parallel with allocations of similar accounts based on the procedures generally applicable to all accounts in those groups (e.g., based on relative risk budgets of accounts).

• All trading must be effected through Putnam’s trading desks and normal queues and procedures must be followed (i.e., no special treatment is permitted for performance fee accounts or higher-fee accounts based on account fee structure).

• Front running is strictly prohibited.

• The fund’s Portfolio Manager(s) may not be guaranteed or specifically allocated any portion of a performance fee.

As part of these policies, Putnam Management has also implemented trade oversight and review procedures in order to monitor whether particular accounts (including higher-fee accounts or performance fee accounts) are being favored over time.

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Potential conflicts of interest may also arise when the Portfolio Manager(s) have personal investments in other accounts that may create an incentive to favor those accounts. As a general matter and subject to limited exceptions, Putnam Management’s investment professionals do not have the opportunity to invest in client accounts, other than the Putnam funds. However, in the ordinary course of business, Putnam Management or related persons may from time to time establish “pilot” or “incubator” funds for the purpose of testing proposed investment strategies and products prior to offering them to clients. These pilot accounts may be in the form of registered investment companies, private funds such as partnerships or separate accounts established by Putnam Management or an affiliate. Putnam Management or an affiliate supplies the funding for these accounts. Putnam employees, including the fund’s Portfolio Manager(s), may also invest in certain pilot accounts. Putnam Management, and to the extent applicable, the Portfolio Manager(s) will benefit from the favorable investment performance of those funds and accounts. Pilot funds and accounts may, and frequently do, invest in the same securities as the client accounts. Putnam Management’s policy is to treat pilot accounts in the same manner as client accounts for purposes of trading allocation – neither favoring nor disfavoring them except as is legally required. For example, pilot accounts are normally included in Putnam Management’s daily block trades to the same extent as client accounts (except that pilot accounts do not participate in initial public offerings).

A potential conflict of interest may arise when the fund and other accounts purchase or sell the same securities. On occasions when the Portfolio Manager(s) consider the purchase or sale of a security to be in the best interests of the fund as well as other accounts, Putnam Management’s trading desk may, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, aggregate the securities to be sold or purchased in order to obtain the best execution and lower brokerage commissions, if any. Aggregation of trades may create the potential for unfairness to the fund or another account if one account is favored over another in allocating the securities purchased or sold – for example, by allocating a disproportionate amount of a security that is likely to increase in value to a favored account. Putnam Management’s trade allocation policies generally provide that each day’s transactions in securities that are purchased or sold by multiple accounts are, insofar as possible, averaged as to price and allocated between such accounts (including the fund) in a manner which in Putnam Management’s opinion is equitable to each account and in accordance with the amount being purchased or sold by each account. Certain exceptions exist for specialty, regional or sector accounts. Trade allocations are reviewed on a periodic basis as part of Putnam Management’s trade oversight procedures in an attempt to ensure fairness over time across accounts.

“Cross trades,” in which one Putnam account sells a particular security to another account (potentially saving transaction costs for both accounts), may also pose a potential conflict of interest. Cross trades may be seen to involve a potential conflict of interest if, for example, one account is permitted to sell a security to another account at a higher price than an independent third party would pay, or if such trades result in more attractive investments being allocated to higher-fee accounts. Putnam Management and the fund’s Trustees have adopted compliance procedures that provide that any transactions between the fund and another Putnam-advised account are to be made at an independent current market price, as required by law.

Another potential conflict of interest may arise based on the different goals and strategies of the fund and other accounts. For example, another account may have a shorter-term investment horizon or different goals, policies or restrictions than the fund. Depending on goals or other factors, the Portfolio Manager(s) may give advice and make decisions for another account that may differ from advice given, or the timing or nature of decisions made, with respect to the fund. In addition, investment decisions are the product of many factors in addition to basic suitability for the particular account involved. Thus, a particular security may be bought or sold for certain accounts even though it could have been bought or sold for other accounts at the same time. More rarely, a particular security may be bought for one or more accounts managed by the Portfolio Manager(s) when one or more other accounts are selling the security (including short sales). There may be circumstances when purchases or sales of portfolio securities for one or more accounts may have an adverse effect on other accounts. As noted above, Putnam Management has implemented trade oversight and review procedures to monitor whether any account is systematically favored over time.

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Under federal securities laws, a short sale of a security by another client of Putnam Management or its affiliates (other than another registered investment company) within five business days prior to a public offering of the same securities (the timing of which is generally not known to Putnam in advance) may prohibit the fund from participating in the public offering, which could cause the fund to miss an otherwise favorable investment opportunity or to pay a higher price for the securities in the secondary markets.

The fund’s Portfolio Manager(s) may also face other potential conflicts of interest in managing the fund, and the description above is not a complete description of every conflict that could be deemed to exist in managing both the fund and other accounts. For information on restrictions imposed on personal securities transactions of the fund’s Portfolio Manager(s), please see “- Personal Investments by Employees of Putnam Management and Putnam Retail Management and Officers and Trustees of the Fund.”

For information about other funds and accounts managed by the fund’s Portfolio Manager(s), please refer to “Who oversees and manages the fund(s)?” in the prospectus and “PORTFOLIO MANAGER(S)” “Other accounts managed” in Part I of the SAI.

Brokerage and research services.

Transactions on stock exchanges, commodities markets and futures markets and other agency transactions involve the payment by the fund of negotiated brokerage commissions. Such commissions may vary among different brokers. A particular broker may charge different commissions according to such factors as execution venue and exchange. Although the fund does not typically pay commissions for principal transactions in the over-the-counter markets, such as the markets for most fixed income securities and certain derivatives, an undisclosed amount of profit or “mark-up” is included in the price the fund pays. In underwritten offerings, the price paid by the fund includes a disclosed, fixed commission or discount retained by the underwriter or dealer.

See "Charges and expenses" in Part I of this SAI for information concerning commissions paid by the fund.

It has for many years been a common practice in the investment advisory business for broker-dealers that execute portfolio transactions for the clients of advisers of investment companies and other institutional investors to provide those advisers with brokerage and research services, as defined in Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act. Consistent with this practice, Putnam Management receives brokerage and research services from broker-dealers with which Putnam Management places the fund's portfolio transactions. The services that broker-dealers may provide to Putnam Management’s managers and analysts include, among others, brokerage and trading systems, economic analysis, investment research, industry and company reviews, statistical information, market data, evaluations of investments, recommendations as to the purchase and sale of investments and performance measurement services. Some of these services are of value to Putnam Management and its affiliates in advising various of their clients (including the fund), although not all of these services are necessarily useful and of value in managing the fund. Research services provided by broker-dealers are supplemental to Putnam Management’s own research efforts and relieve Putnam Management of expenses it might otherwise have borne in generating such research. The management fee paid by the fund is not reduced because Putnam Management and its affiliates receive brokerage and research services even though Putnam Management might otherwise be required to purchase some of these services for cash. Putnam Management may also use portfolio transactions to generate “soft dollar” credits to pay for “mixed-use” services (i.e., products or services that may be used both for investment- and non-investment-related purposes), but in such instances Putnam Management uses its own resources to pay for that portion of the mixed-use product or service that in its good-faith judgment does not relate to investment or brokerage purposes. Putnam Management may also allocate trades to generate soft dollar credits for third-party investment research reports and related fundamental research.

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Putnam Management places all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio investments for the funds, and buys and sells investments for the funds, through a substantial number of brokers and dealers. In selecting broker-dealers to execute the funds’ portfolio transactions, Putnam Management uses its best efforts to obtain for each fund the most favorable price and execution reasonably available under the circumstances, except to the extent it may be permitted to pay higher brokerage commissions as described below. In seeking the most favorable price and execution and in considering the overall reasonableness of the brokerage commissions paid, Putnam Management, having in mind the fund's best interests, considers all factors it deems relevant, including, in no particular order of importance, and by way of illustration, the price, size and type of the transaction, the nature of the market for the security or other investment, the amount of the commission, the timing of the transaction taking into account market prices and trends, the reputation, experience and financial stability of the broker-dealer involved and the quality of service rendered by the broker-dealer in other transactions.

Putnam Management may cause the fund to pay a broker-dealer that provides "brokerage and research services" (as defined in the Exchange Act and as described above) to Putnam Management an amount of disclosed commission for effecting securities transactions on stock exchanges and other transactions for the fund on an agency basis in excess of the commission another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction. Putnam Management may also instruct an executing broker to “step out” a portion of the trades placed with a broker to other brokers that provide brokerage and research services to Putnam Management. Putnam Management's authority to cause the fund to pay any such greater commissions or to instruct a broker to “step out” a portion of a trade is subject to the requirements of applicable law and such policies as the Trustees may adopt from time to time. It is the position of the staff of the SEC that Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act does not apply to the payment of such greater commissions in "principal" transactions. Accordingly, Putnam Management will use its best effort to obtain the most favorable price and execution available with respect to such transactions, as described above.

The Trustees of the funds have directed Putnam Management, subject to seeking most favorable pricing and execution, to use its best efforts to allocate a portion of overall fund trades to trading programs which generate commission credits to pay fund expenses such as shareholder servicing and custody charges. The extent of any commission credits generated for this purpose may vary significantly from time to time and from fund to fund depending on, among other things, the nature of each fund's trading activities and market conditions.

The Management Contract provides that commissions, fees, brokerage or similar payments received by Putnam Management or an affiliate in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio investments of the fund, less any direct expenses approved by the Trustees, shall be recaptured by the fund through a reduction of the fee payable by the fund under the Management Contract. Putnam Management seeks to recapture for the fund soliciting dealer fees on the tender of the fund's portfolio securities in tender or exchange offers. Any such fees which may be recaptured are likely to be minor in amount.

Principal Underwriter

Putnam Retail Management, located at One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109, is the principal underwriter of shares of the fund and the other continuously offered Putnam funds. Putnam Retail Management is not obligated to sell any specific amount of shares of the fund and will purchase shares for resale only against orders for shares. See “Charges and expenses” in Part I of this SAI for information on sales charges and other payments received by Putnam Retail Management.

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Personal Investments by Employees of Putnam Management and Putnam Retail Management and Officers and Trustees of the Fund

Employees of Putnam Management, PIL, PAC and Putnam Retail Management and officers and Trustees of the fund are subject to significant restrictions on engaging in personal securities transactions. These restrictions are set forth in the Codes of Ethics adopted by Putnam Management, PIL, PAC and Putnam Retail Management (the “Putnam Investments Code of Ethics”) and by the fund (the “Putnam Funds Code of Ethics”). The Putnam Investments Code of Ethics and the Putnam Funds Code of Ethics, in accordance with Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, contain provisions and requirements designed to identify and address certain conflicts of interest between personal investment activities and the interests of the fund.

The Putnam Investments Code of Ethics does not prohibit personnel from investing in securities that may be purchased or held by the fund. However, the Putnam Investments Code of Ethics, consistent with standards recommended by the Investment Company Institute’s Advisory Group on Personal Investing and requirements established by Rule 17j-1 and rules adopted under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, among other things, prohibits personal securities investments without pre-clearance, imposes time periods during which personal transactions may not be made in certain securities by employees with access to investment information, and requires the timely submission of broker confirmations and quarterly reporting of personal securities transactions. Additional restrictions apply to portfolio managers, traders, research analysts and others involved in the investment advisory process.

The Putnam Funds Code of Ethics incorporates and applies the restrictions of the Putnam Investments Code of Ethics to officers and Trustees of the fund who are affiliated with Putnam Investments. The Putnam Funds Code of Ethics does not prohibit unaffiliated officers and Trustees from investing in securities that may be held by the fund; however, the Putnam Funds Code of Ethics regulates the personal securities transactions of unaffiliated Trustees of the fund, including limiting the time periods during which they may personally buy and sell certain securities and requiring them to submit reports of personal securities transactions under certain circumstances.

The fund’s Trustees, in compliance with Rule 17j-1, approved the Putnam Investments and the Putnam Funds Codes of Ethics and are required to approve any material changes to these Codes. The Trustees also provide continued oversight of personal investment policies and annually evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of the Codes of Ethics.

Investor Servicing Agent

Putnam Investor Services, located at One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109, is the fund’s investor servicing agent (transfer, plan and dividend disbursing agent), for which it receives fees that are paid monthly by the fund. Effective January 1, 2015, the fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to assets attributable to non-defined contribution plan accounts (which include accounts maintained directly with the fund, accounts underlying omnibus accounts maintained by financial intermediaries with the fund, accounts of Section 529 college savings plans that are allocated to the fund and accounts of certain funds that operate as funds-of-funds that are allocated to the fund (collectively “retail accounts”)) holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class T and class Y shares, subject to certain limitations, is an annual fee that includes (1) a per account fee for each retail account of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which is totaled and then allocated among each of the funds in the category based on the average daily net assets of each fund, and (2) a fee based on a specified rate of each fund’s average daily net assets. The fund categories used for purposes of calculating the per account fee described above are based on asset classes. The accounts of 529 plans and certain funds-of-funds are included in the determination of the number of accounts at the underlying fund level in proportion to the percentage of the investing fund’s assets that are invested in the particular underlying fund.

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The fees paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to defined contribution plan accounts holding class A, class B, class C, class M, class R, class T and class Y shares are based on a specified rate of the fund’s average daily net assets attributable to such defined contribution plan accounts.

Putnam Investor Services has agreed, through December 31, 2015, that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution plan accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts.

The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class R5 shares is based on an annual rate of 0.15% of each fund’s average assets attributable to class R5 shares, except that an annual rate of 0.12% of each fund’s average assets attributable to class R5 shares applies to Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund, Putnam American Government Income Fund, Putnam Diversified Income Trust, Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Conservative Fund, Putnam Global Income Trust, Putnam Income Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund.

The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class R6 shares is based on an annual rate of 0.05% of each fund’s average assets attributable to class R6 shares.

The fee paid to Putnam Investor Services with respect to class I and class P shares is based on an annual rate of 0.01% of each fund’s average assets attributable to class I shares and class P shares, respectively.

Financial intermediaries (including brokers, dealers, banks, bank trust departments, registered investment advisers, financial planners, and retirement plan administrators) may own shares of the fund for the benefit of their customers in an omnibus account (including retirement plans). In these circumstances, the financial intermediaries or other third parties may provide certain sub-accounting and similar recordkeeping services for their customers’ accounts.

In recognition of these services, Putnam Investor Services may make payments to these financial intermediaries or other third parties. Payments may be based on the number of underlying accounts in an omnibus account or the assets or share class held in an account. Putnam Investor Services also makes payments to financial intermediaries that charge networking fees for certain services provided in connection with the maintenance of shareholder accounts. These payments are described above under the heading “Distribution Plans – Additional Dealer Payments.”

Custodian

State Street Bank and Trust Company, located at 2 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, is the fund’s custodian. State Street is responsible for safeguarding and controlling the fund’s cash and securities, handling the receipt and delivery of securities, collecting interest and dividends on the fund’s investments, serving as the fund’s foreign custody manager, providing reports on foreign securities depositaries, making payments covering the expenses of the fund and performing other administrative duties. State Street does not determine the investment policies of the fund or decide which securities the fund will buy or sell. State Street has a lien on the fund’s assets to secure charges and advances made by it. The fund may from time to time enter into brokerage arrangements that reduce or recapture fund expenses, including custody expenses. The fund also has an offset arrangement that may reduce the fund’s custody fee based on the amount of cash maintained by its custodian.

Counsel to the Fund and the Independent Trustees

Ropes & Gray LLP serves as counsel to the fund and the Independent Trustees, and is located at Prudential Tower, 800 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02199.

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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

The fund determines the net asset value per share of each class of shares once each day the NYSE is open. Currently, the NYSE is closed Saturdays, Sundays and the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The fund determines net asset value as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The net asset value per share of each class equals the total value of its assets, less its liabilities, divided by the number of its outstanding shares.

Assets of money market funds are valued at amortized cost pursuant to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act. For other funds, securities and other assets (“Securities”) for which market quotations are readily available are valued at prices which, in the opinion of Putnam Management, most nearly represent the market values of such Securities. Currently, prices for these Securities are determined using the last reported sale price (or official closing price for Securities listed on certain markets) or, if no sales are reported (as in the case of some Securities traded over-the-counter), the last reported bid price, except that certain Securities are valued at the mean between the last reported bid and ask prices. Short-term investments having remaining maturities of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. All other Securities are valued by Putnam Management or other parties at their fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees.

Reliable market quotations are not considered to be readily available for, among other Securities, long-term corporate bonds and notes, certain preferred stocks, tax-exempt securities, and certain foreign securities. These investments are valued at fair value, generally on the basis of valuations furnished by approved pricing services, which determine valuations for normal, institutional-size trading units of such securities using methods based on market transactions for comparable securities and various relationships between securities that are generally recognized by institutional traders. Other Securities, such as various types of options, are valued at fair value on the basis of valuations furnished by broker-dealers or other market intermediaries.

Putnam Management values all other Securities at fair value using its internal resources. The valuation procedures applied in any specific instance are likely to vary from case to case. However, consideration is generally given to the financial position of the issuer and other fundamental analytical data relating to the investment and to the nature of the restrictions on disposition of the Securities (including any registration expenses that might be borne by the fund in connection with such disposition). In addition, specific factors are also generally considered, such as the cost of the investment, the market value of any unrestricted Securities of the same class, the size of the holding, the prices of any recent transactions or offers with respect to such Securities and any available analysts’ reports regarding the issuer. In the case of Securities that are restricted as to resale, Putnam Management determines fair value based on the inherent worth of the Security without regard to the restrictive feature, adjusted for any diminution in value resulting from the restrictive feature.

Generally, trading in certain Securities (such as foreign securities) is substantially completed each day at various times before the close of the NYSE. The closing prices for these Securities in markets or on exchanges outside the U.S. that close before the close of the NYSE may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the close of the NYSE. As a result, the fund has adopted fair value pricing procedures, which, among other things, require the fund to fair value foreign equity securities if there has been a movement in the U.S. market that exceeds a specified threshold. Although the threshold may be revised from time to time and the number of days on which fair value prices will be used will vary, it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. In addition, Securities held by some of the funds may be traded in foreign markets that are open for business on days that the fund is not, and the trading of such Securities on those days may have an impact on the value of a shareholder’s investment at a time when the shareholder cannot buy and sell shares of the fund.

Currency exchange rates used in valuing Securities are normally determined as of 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

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Occasionally, events affecting such exchange rates may occur between the time of the determination of exchange rates and the close of the NYSE, which, in the absence of fair valuation, would not be reflected in the computation of the fund’s net asset value. If events materially affecting the currency exchange rates occur during such period, then the exchange rates used in valuing affected Securities will be valued by Putnam Management at their fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees.

In addition, because of the amount of time required to collect and process trading information as to large numbers of securities issues, the values of certain Securities (such as convertible bonds, U.S. government securities and tax-exempt securities) are determined based on market quotations collected before the close of the NYSE. Occasionally, events affecting the value of such Securities may occur between the time of the determination of value and the close of the NYSE, which, in the absence of fair value prices, would not be reflected in the computation of the fund’s net asset value. If events materially affecting the value of such Securities occur during such period, then these Securities will be valued by Putnam Management at their fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. It is expected that any such instance would be very rare.

The fair value of Securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such Securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a Security at a given point in time and does not reflect an actual market price.

The fund may also value its Securities at fair value under other circumstances pursuant to procedures approved by the Trustees.

Money Market Funds

Money market funds generally value their portfolio securities at amortized cost according to Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act.

Since the net income of a money market fund is declared as a dividend each time it is determined, the net asset value per share of a money market fund typically remains at $1.00 per share immediately after such determination and dividend declaration. Any increase in the value of a shareholder’s investment in a money market fund representing the reinvestment of dividend income is reflected by an increase in the number of shares of that fund in the shareholder’s account on the last business day of each month. It is expected that a money market fund’s net income will normally be positive each time it is determined. However, if because of realized losses on sales of portfolio investments, a sudden rise in interest rates, or for any other reason the net income of a fund determined at any time is a negative amount, a money market fund may offset such amount allocable to each then shareholder’s account from dividends accrued during the month with respect to such account. If, at the time of payment of a dividend, such negative amount exceeds a shareholder’s accrued dividends, a money market fund may reduce the number of outstanding shares by treating the shareholder as having contributed to the capital of the fund that number of full and fractional shares which represent the amount of the excess. Each shareholder is deemed to have agreed to such contribution in these circumstances by his or her investment in a money market fund.

INVESTOR SERVICES

Shareholder Information

Each time shareholders buy or sell shares, a statement confirming the transaction and listing their current share balance will be made available for viewing electronically or delivered via mail. (Under certain investment plans, a statement may only be sent quarterly.) The fund also sends annual and semiannual reports that keep shareholders informed about its portfolio and performance, and year-end tax information to simplify their recordkeeping. To help shareholders take full advantage of their Putnam investment, publications covering many

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topics of interest to investors are available on our website or from Putnam Investor Services. Shareholders may call Putnam Investor Services toll-free weekdays at 1-800-225-1581 between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time for more information, including account balances. Shareholders can also visit the Putnam website at http://www.putnam.com.

Your Investing Account

The following information provides more detail concerning the operation of a Putnam Investing Account. For further information or assistance, investors should consult Putnam Investor Services. Shareholders who purchase shares through an employer-sponsored retirement plan should note that not all of the services or features described below may be available to them, and they should contact their employer for details.

A shareholder may reinvest a cash distribution without a front-end sales charge or without the reinvested shares being subject to a CDSC, as the case may be, by delivering to Putnam Investor Services the uncashed distribution check. Putnam Investor Services must receive the properly endorsed check within 1 year after the date of the check.

The Investing Account also provides a way to accumulate shares of the fund. In most cases, after an initial investment, a shareholder may send checks to Putnam Investor Services, made payable to the fund, to purchase additional shares at the applicable public offering price next determined after Putnam Investor Services receives the check. Checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank and must be payable in U.S. dollars.

Putnam Investor Services acts as the shareholder's agent whenever it receives instructions to carry out a transaction on the shareholder's account. Upon receipt of instructions that shares are to be purchased for a shareholder's account, shares will be purchased through the investment dealer designated by the shareholder. Shareholders may change investment dealers at any time by written notice to Putnam Investor Services, provided the new dealer has a sales agreement with Putnam Retail Management.

Shares credited to an account are transferable upon written instructions in good order to Putnam Investor Services and may be sold to the fund as described under "How do I sell or exchange fund shares?" in the prospectus. Putnam funds no longer issue share certificates. A shareholder may send to Putnam Investor Services any certificates which have been previously issued to enable more convenient maintenance of the account as a book-entry account.

Putnam Retail Management, at its expense, may provide certain additional reports and administrative material to qualifying institutional investors with fiduciary responsibilities to assist these investors in discharging their responsibilities. Institutions seeking further information about this service should contact Putnam Retail Management, which may modify or terminate this service at any time.

The fund pays Putnam Investor Services' fees for maintaining Investing Accounts.

Checkwriting Privilege. For those funds that allow shareholders, as disclosed in the prospectus, to redeem shares by check, Putnam is currently waiving the minimum per-check amount stated in the prospectus.

Reinstatement Privilege

An investor who has redeemed shares of the fund may reinvest within 90 days of such redemption the proceeds of such redemption in shares of the same class of the fund, or may reinvest within 90 days of such redemption the proceeds in shares of the same class of one of the other continuously offered Putnam funds (through the exchange privilege described in the prospectus), including, in the case of shares subject to a CDSC, the amount of CDSC charged on the redemption. Any such reinvestment would be at the net asset value of the shares of the fund(s) the investor selects, next determined after Putnam Retail Management receives a Reinstatement

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Authorization. The time that the previous investment was held will be included in determining any applicable CDSC due upon redemptions and, in the case of class B shares, the eight-year period for conversion to class A shares. Reinstatements into class B, class C or class M shares may be permitted even if the resulting purchase would otherwise be rejected for causing a shareholder’s investments in such class to exceed the applicable investment maximum. Shareholders will receive from Putnam Retail Management the amount of any CDSC paid at the time of redemption as part of the reinstated investment, which may be treated as capital gains to the shareholder for tax purposes.

Exercise of the Reinstatement Privilege does not alter the federal income tax treatment of any capital gains realized on a sale of fund shares, but to the extent that any shares are sold at a loss and the proceeds are reinvested in shares of the fund, some or all of the loss may be disallowed as a deduction. Consult your tax adviser. Investors who desire to exercise the Reinstatement Privilege should contact their investment dealer or Putnam Investor Services.

Exchange Privilege

Except as otherwise set forth in this section, by calling Putnam Investor Services, investors may exchange shares valued in the aggregate up to $500,000 between accounts with identical registrations, provided that no certificates are outstanding for such shares. During periods of unusual market changes and shareholder activity, shareholders may experience delays in contacting Putnam Investor Services by telephone to exercise the telephone exchange privilege.

Putnam Investor Services also makes exchanges promptly after receiving a properly completed Exchange Authorization Form and, if issued, share certificates. If the shareholder is a corporation, partnership, agent, or surviving joint owner, Putnam Investor Services will require additional documentation of a customary nature. Because an exchange of shares involves the redemption of fund shares and reinvestment of the proceeds in shares of another Putnam fund, completion of an exchange may be delayed under unusual circumstances if the fund were to suspend redemptions or postpone payment for the fund shares being exchanged, in accordance with federal securities laws. Exchange Authorization Forms and prospectuses of the other Putnam funds are available from Putnam Retail Management or investment dealers having sales contracts with Putnam Retail Management. The prospectus of each fund describes its goal(s) and policies, and shareholders should obtain a prospectus and consider these objectives and policies carefully before requesting an exchange. Shares of certain Putnam funds are not available to residents of all states. The fund reserves the right to change or suspend the exchange privilege at any time. Shareholders would be notified of any change or suspension. Additional information is available from Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581.

Shareholders of other Putnam funds may also exchange their shares at net asset value for shares of the fund, as set forth in the current prospectus of each fund. Exchanges from Putnam Money Market Fund, Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund or Putnam Short Duration Income Fund into another Putnam fund may be subject to an initial sales charge.

For federal income tax purposes, an exchange is a sale on which the investor generally will realize a capital gain or loss depending on whether the net asset value at the time of the exchange is more or less than the investor's basis.

Same-Fund Exchange Privilege. Class A shareholders who are eligible to purchase class Y, class R5 or class R6 shares may exchange their class A shares for class Y, class R5, or class R6 shares of the same fund, provided that such shares are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state, that the class A shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and, in the case of class R5 and class R6 shares, the shares are available through the relevant retirement plan.

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Class C shareholders who are eligible to purchase class A shares without a sales charge because the shareholders are (i) clients of broker-dealers, financial institutions, financial intermediaries or registered investment advisors that are approved by Putnam Retail Management and charge a fee for advisory or investment services or (ii) clients of broker-dealers, financial institutions, or financial intermediaries that have entered into an agreement with Putnam Retail Management to offer shares through a fund ‘supermarket’ or retail self-directed brokerage account (with or without the imposition of a transaction fee) may exchange their class C shares for class A shares of the same fund, provided that (i) the class C shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and (ii) class A shares of such fund are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state.

Class C shareholders who are eligible to purchase class Y shares may exchange their class C shares for class Y shares of the same fund, provided that the class C shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and class Y shares of such fund are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state.

Class M shareholders who are eligible to purchase class Y shares may exchange their Class M shares for class Y shares of the same fund, provided that class Y shares of such fund are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state.

Class R shareholders who are eligible to purchase class R5 or class R6 shares may exchange their class R shares for class R5 or class R6 shares of the same fund, provided that such shares are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state and are available through the relevant retirement plan.

Class R5 shareholders who are eligible to purchase class A, class R, class R6 or class Y shares may exchange their class R5 shares for class A, class R, class R6 or class Y shares of the same fund, provided that such shares are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state and are available through the relevant retirement plan.

Class R6 shareholders who are eligible to purchase class A, class R, class R5 or class Y shares may exchange their class R6 shares for class A, class R, class R5 or class Y shares of the same fund, provided that such shares are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state and are available through the relevant retirement plan.

Class Y shareholders who are eligible to purchase class A, class C, class R5 or class R6 shares may exchange their class Y shares for class A, class C, class R5 or class R6 shares of the same fund, provided that such shares are offered to residents of the shareholder’s state and, in the case of class R5 and class R6 shares, the shares are available through the relevant retirement plan. Class Y shareholders should be aware that the financial institution or intermediary through which they hold class Y shares may have the authority under its account or similar agreement to exchange class Y shares for class A or class C shares under certain circumstances, and none of the Putnam Funds, Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services are responsible for any actions taken by a shareholder’s financial institution or intermediary in this regard.

No sales charges or other charges will apply to any such exchange. For federal income tax purposes, a same-fund exchange is not expected to result in the realization by the investor of a capital gain or loss. Shareholders should be aware that (i) the same-fund exchange privilege may be effected only if permitted by a shareholder’s dealer of record, (ii) the same-fund exchange privilege may not be available for all accounts and may not be offered by all dealers, financial institutions and other intermediaries through which a shareholder may hold shares, and (iii) the dealer of record through whom a shareholder holds shares may be authorized (e.g., under its account or similar agreement with a shareholder) to reject any same-fund exchange. None of the Putnam funds, Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services are responsible for any determinations made, or any actions taken, by a shareholder’s dealer of record in respect of same-fund exchanges. To exchange shares under the same-fund exchange privilege, please contact your investment dealer or Putnam Investor Services.

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Dividends PLUS

Shareholders may invest the fund's distributions of net investment income or distributions combining net investment income and short-term capital gains in shares of the same class of another continuously offered Putnam fund (the "receiving fund") using the net asset value per share of the receiving fund determined on the date the fund's distribution is payable. No sales charge or CDSC will apply to the purchased shares. The prospectus of each fund describes its goal(s) and policies, and shareholders should obtain a prospectus and consider these goal(s) and policies carefully before investing their distributions in the receiving fund. Shares of certain Putnam funds are not available to residents of all states.

Shareholders of other Putnam funds may also use their distributions to purchase shares of the fund at net asset value.

For federal tax purposes, distributions from the fund which are reinvested in another fund are treated as paid by the fund to the shareholder and invested by the shareholder in the receiving fund and thus, to the extent composed of taxable income and deemed paid to a taxable shareholder, are taxable.

The Dividends PLUS program may be revised or terminated at any time.

Plans Available to Shareholders

The plans described below are fully voluntary and may be terminated at any time without the imposition by the fund or Putnam Investor Services of any penalty. All plans provide for automatic reinvestment of all distributions in additional shares of the fund at net asset value. The fund, Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services may modify or cease offering these plans at any time.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan ("SWP"). An investor who owns or buys shares of the fund valued at $5,000 or more at the current public offering price may open a SWP plan and have a designated sum of money ($50 or more) paid monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually to the investor or another person. (Payments from the fund can be combined with payments from other Putnam funds into a single check through a designated payment plan.) Shares are deposited in a plan account, and all distributions are reinvested in additional shares of the fund at net asset value (except where the plan is utilized in connection with a charitable remainder trust). Shares in a plan account are then redeemed at net asset value to make each withdrawal payment. Payment will be made to any person the investor designates; however, if shares are registered in the name of a trustee or other fiduciary, payment will be made only to the fiduciary, except in the case of a profit-sharing or pension plan where payment will be made to a designee. As withdrawal payments may include a return of principal, they cannot be considered a guaranteed annuity or actual yield of income to the investor. The redemption of shares in connection with a plan generally will result in a gain or loss for tax purposes. Some or all of the losses realized upon redemption may be disallowed pursuant to the so-called wash sale rules if shares of the same fund from which shares were redeemed are purchased (including through the reinvestment of fund distributions) within a period beginning 30 days before, and ending 30 days after, such redemption. In such a case, the basis of the replacement shares will be increased to reflect the disallowed loss. Continued withdrawals in excess of income will reduce and possibly exhaust invested principal, especially in the event of a market decline. The cost of administering these plans for the benefit of those shareholders participating in them is borne by the fund as an expense of all shareholders. The fund, Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services may terminate or change the terms of the plan at any time. A plan will be terminated if communications mailed to the shareholder are returned as undeliverable.

Investors should consider carefully with their own financial advisers whether the plan and the specified amounts to be withdrawn are appropriate in their circumstances. The fund and Putnam Investor Services make no recommendations or representations in this regard.

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Tax-favored plans. (Not offered by funds investing primarily in Tax-exempt Securities.) Investors may purchase shares of the fund through the following Tax Qualified Retirement Plans, available to qualified individuals or organizations:

Standard and variable profit-sharing (including 401(k)) and money purchase pension plans; and Individual Retirement Account Plans (IRAs), including SIMPLE IRAs, Roth IRAs, SEP IRAs; and Coverdell Education savings plans.

Forms and further information on these Plans are available from investment dealers or from Putnam Retail Management. In addition, plan administration arrangements are available on an optional basis; contact Putnam Investor Services at 1-866-207-7261.

Consultation with a competent financial and tax adviser regarding these Plans and consideration of the suitability of fund shares as an investment under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or otherwise, is recommended.

Automatic Rebalancing Arrangements. Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services may enter into arrangements with certain dealers which provide for automatic periodic rebalancing of shareholders’ accounts in Putnam funds. For more information about these arrangements, please contact Putnam Retail Management or Putnam Investor Services.

SIGNATURE GUARANTEES

Requests to redeem shares having a net asset value of $100,000 or more, or to transfer shares or make redemption proceeds payable to anyone other than the registered account owners, must be signed by all registered owners or their legal representatives and must be guaranteed by a bank, broker/dealer, municipal securities dealer or broker, credit union, national securities exchange, registered securities association, clearing agency, savings association or trust company, provided such institution is authorized and acceptable under and conforms with Putnam Investor Services’ signature guarantee procedures. A copy of such procedures is available upon request. In certain situations, for example, if you want your redemption proceeds sent to an address other than your address as it appears on Putnam’s records, you may also need to provide a signature guarantee. Putnam Investor Services usually requires additional documentation for the sale of shares by a corporation, partnership, agent or fiduciary, or a surviving joint owner. Contact Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581 for more information on Putnam’s signature guarantee and documentation requirements.

REDEMPTIONS

Suspension of redemptions. The fund may not suspend shareholders’ right of redemption, or postpone payment for more than seven days, unless the Exchange is closed for other than customary weekends or holidays, or if permitted by the rules of the SEC during periods when trading on the Exchange is restricted or during any emergency which makes it impracticable for the fund to dispose of its securities or to determine fairly the value of its net assets, or during any other period permitted by order of the Commission for protection of investors.

In-kind redemptions. To the extent consistent with applicable laws and regulations, the fund will consider satisfying all or a portion of a redemption request by distributing securities or other property in lieu of cash (“in-kind” redemptions). Any transaction costs or other expenses involved in liquidating securities received in an in-kind redemption will be borne by the redeeming investor. For information regarding procedures for in-kind redemptions, please contact Putnam Retail Management.

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POLICY ON EXCESSIVE SHORT-TERM TRADING

As disclosed in the prospectus of each fund other than Putnam Money Market Fund, Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund, Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund and Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, Putnam Management and the fund’s Trustees have adopted policies and procedures intended to discourage excessive short-term trading. Putnam Management’s Compliance Department currently uses multiple reporting tools in an attempt to detect short-term trading activity occurring in shareholder accounts. Putnam Management measures excessive short-term trading in the fund by the number of “round trip” transactions, as defined in the prospectus, above a specified dollar amount within a specified period of time. Generally, if an investor has been identified as having completed two “round trip” transactions with values of at least $25,000 within a rolling 90-day period, Putnam Management will issue the investor and/or his or her financial intermediary, if any, a written warning. To the extent that short-term trading activity continues, additional measures may be taken. Putnam Management’s practices for measuring excessive short-term trading activity and issuing warnings may change from time to time.

SHAREHOLDER LIABILITY

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for the obligations of the fund. However, the Agreement and Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the fund and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation, or instrument entered into or executed by the fund or the Trustees. The Agreement and Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of fund property for all loss and expense of any shareholder held personally liable for the obligations of the fund. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the fund would be unable to meet its obligations. The likelihood of such circumstances appears to be remote.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO INFORMATION

The Trustees of the Putnam funds have adopted policies with respect to the disclosure of the fund’s portfolio holdings by the fund, Putnam Management, or their affiliates. These policies provide that information about the fund’s portfolio generally may not be released to any party prior to (i) the day after the posting of such information on the Putnam Investments website, (ii) the filing of the information with the SEC in a required filing, or (iii) the dissemination of such information to all shareholders simultaneously. Certain limited exceptions pursuant to the fund’s policies are described below. The Trustees will periodically receive reports from the fund’s Chief Compliance Officer regarding the operation of these policies and procedures, including any arrangements to make non-public disclosures of the fund’s portfolio information to third parties. Putnam Management and its affiliates are not permitted to receive compensation or other consideration in connection with disclosing information about the fund’s portfolio holdings to third parties.

Public Disclosures

The fund’s portfolio holdings are currently disclosed to the public through filings with the SEC and postings on the Putnam Investments website. The fund files its portfolio holdings with the SEC for each fiscal quarter on Form N-CSR (with respect to each annual period and semi-annual period) and Form N-Q (with respect to the first and third quarters of the fund’s fiscal year). In addition, money market funds file monthly reports of portfolio holdings on form N-MFP (with respect to the prior month). Shareholders may obtain the Form N-CSR, N-MFP and N-Q filings on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. In addition, Form N-CSR and N-Q filings may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Form N-CSR and N-Q filings are available upon filing and form N-MFP filings are available 60 days after each calendar month end. You may call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for information about the SEC’s website or the operation of the Public Reference Room.

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For Putnam Money Market Fund and Putnam Tax Exempt Money Market Fund, the following information is publicly available on the Putnam Investments website, www.putnam.com/individual, as disclosed in the following table. This information will remain available on the website for six months thereafter, after which the information can be found on the SEC’s website.

Information  Frequency of Disclosure  Date of Web Posting 

Full Portfolio Holdings  Monthly  5 business days after the end of 
    each month. 

 

For Putnam Short Duration Income Fund, Putnam Management makes the fund’s portfolio information publicly available on the Putnam Investments website, www.putnam.com/individual, as disclosed in the following table.

Information  Frequency of Disclosure  Date of Web Posting 

Full Portfolio Holdings  Monthly  On or after 5 business days after 
    the end of each month. 

 

For all other funds, Putnam Management also currently makes the fund’s portfolio information publicly available on the Putnam Investments website, www.putnam.com/individual, as disclosed in the following table.

Information(1)  Frequency of Disclosure  Date of Web Posting 

Full Portfolio Holdings  Quarterly  Last business day of the month 
    following the end of each 
    calendar quarter 

Top 10 Portfolio Holdings and  Monthly  Approximately 15 days after the 
other portfolio statistics    end of each month 

 

(1) Putnam mutual funds that are not currently offered to the general public (“incubated” funds) do not post portfolio holdings on the Web, except to the extent required by applicable regulations. Full portfolio holdings for the Putnam RetirementReady® Funds, Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 1, and Putnam Global Sector Fund, which invest solely in other Putnam funds, are posted on www.putnam.com/individual approximately 15 days after the end of each month. Please see these funds’ prospectuses for their target allocations.

The scope of the information relating to the fund’s portfolio that is made available on the website may change from time to time without notice. In addition, the posting of fund holdings may be delayed in some instances for technical reasons.

Putnam Management or its affiliates may include fund portfolio information that has already been made public through a Web posting or SEC filing in marketing literature and other communications to shareholders, advisors or other parties, provided that, in the case of information made public through the Web, the information is disclosed no earlier than the day after the date of posting to the website.

Other Disclosures

In order to address potential conflicts between the interest of fund shareholders, on the one hand, and those of Putnam Management, Putnam Retail Management or any affiliated person of those entities or of the fund, on the other hand, the fund’s policies require that non-public disclosures of information regarding the fund’s portfolio may be made only if there is a legitimate business purpose consistent with fiduciary duties to all shareholders of the fund. In addition, the party receiving the non-public information must sign a non-disclosure agreement unless otherwise approved by the Chief Compliance Officer of the fund. Arrangements to make non-public disclosures of the fund’s portfolio information must be approved by the Chief Compliance Officer of the fund.

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The Chief Compliance Officer will report on an ongoing basis to a committee of the fund’s Board of Trustees consisting only of Trustees who are not “interested persons” of the fund or Putnam Management regarding any such arrangement that the fund may enter into with third parties other than service providers to the fund.

The fund periodically discloses its portfolio information on a confidential basis to various service providers that require such information in order to assist the fund with its day-to-day business affairs. In addition to Putnam Management and its affiliates, including Putnam Investor Services and PRM, these service providers include the fund’s custodian (State Street Bank and Trust Company) and any sub-custodians (including one or more sub-custodians for each non-U.S. market in which the fund purchases securities), pricing services (including IDC, Reuters, Markit, Statpro, Standard & Poors, Bloomberg, ICE ClearCredit, LCH Swapclear, PriceServ and CME Group), independent registered public accounting firm (KPMG LLP or PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP), legal counsel (Ropes & Gray LLP and, for funds sold in Japan, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto), financial printer and filing agent (McMunn Associates, Inc., Newsfile Corp.), proxy voting service (Glass, Lewis & Co) and securities lending agent (Goldman Sachs Bank USA). These service providers are required to keep such information confidential, and are prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the fund.

The fund may also periodically provide non-public information about its portfolio holdings to rating and ranking organizations and other providers of industry data, such as Lipper Inc,. Morningstar Inc., Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters, in connection with those firms’ research on and classification of the fund and in order to gather information about how the fund’s attributes (such as volatility, turnover, and expenses) compare with those of peer funds. The fund may also periodically provide non-public information about its portfolio holdings to consultants that provide portfolio analysis services or other investment research or trading analytics. Such recipients of portfolio holdings include Barclays, Factset, ITG, Bloomberg and Credit Suisse. Any such rating, ranking, or consulting or other firm would be required to keep the fund’s portfolio information confidential and would be prohibited from trading based on the information or otherwise using the information except as necessary in providing services to the fund. Such firms may receive portfolio holdings information only from certain funds (such as equity funds or fixed income funds) and such information may be provided in greater or lesser detail depending on the nature of the services provided by the relevant firm.

PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

The Trustees of the Putnam funds have established proxy voting guidelines and procedures that govern the voting of proxies for the securities held in the funds’ portfolios. The proxy voting guidelines summarize the funds’ positions on various issues of concern to investors, and provide direction to the proxy voting service used by the funds as to how fund portfolio securities should be voted on proposals dealing with particular issues. The proxy voting procedures explain the role of the Trustees, Putnam Management, the proxy voting service and the funds’ proxy manager in the proxy voting process, describe the procedures for referring matters involving investment considerations to the investment personnel of Putnam Management and describe the procedures for handling potential conflicts of interest. The Putnam funds’ proxy voting guidelines and procedures are included in this SAI as Appendix A. Information regarding how the funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30, 2014 is available on the Putnam Individual Investor website, www.putnam.com/individual, and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. If you have questions about finding forms on the SEC’s website, you may call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You may also obtain the Putnam funds’ proxy voting guidelines and procedures by calling Putnam’s Shareholder Services at 1-800-225-1581.

SECURITIES RATINGS

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The ratings of securities in which the fund may invest will be measured at the time of purchase and, to the extent a security is assigned a different rating by one or more of the various rating agencies, Putnam Management may use the highest rating assigned by any agency. Putnam Management will not necessarily sell an investment if its rating is reduced. Below are descriptions of ratings, as provided by the rating agencies, which represent opinions as to the quality of various debt instruments.

Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.

Global Long-Term Rating Scale (original maturity of 1 year or more)

Aaa – Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

Aa – Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

A – Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

Baa – Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Ba – Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

B – Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

Caa – Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

Ca – Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

C – Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms.

By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.

Global Short-Term Rating Scale (original maturity of 13 months or less)

P-1 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-2 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-3 – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

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NP – Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

U.S. Municipal Short-Term Obligation Ratings

MIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

MIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

MIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

SG – This designation denotes speculative grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

U.S. Municipal Demand Obligation Ratings

VMIG 1 – This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

VMIG 2 – This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

VMIG 3 – This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections that ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

SG – This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have an investment grade short-term rating or may lack the structural and/or legal protections necessary to ensure the timely payment of purchase price upon demand.

Standard & Poor’s

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings (original maturity of one year or more)

AAA – An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

AA – An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

A – An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

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BBB – An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the lowest degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.

BB – An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B – An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CCC – An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CC – An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but Standard & Poor’s expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

C – An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher.

D – An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

NR – This indicates that no rating has been requested, or that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that Standard & Poor’s does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

Note: The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings (original maturity of 365 days or less)

A-1 – A short-term obligation rated’A-1’ is rated in the highest category by Standard & Poor’s. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

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A-2 – A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.

A-3 – A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B – A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

C – A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

D – A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the due date, unless Standard & Poor’s believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings (original maturity of 3 years or less)

SP-1 – Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

SP-2 – Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

SP-3 – Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

Fitch Ratings

Long-Term Rating Scales

AAA – Highest credit quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote the lowest expectation of default risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

AA – Very high credit quality. ‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low default risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A – High credit quality. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low default risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

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BBB – Good credit quality. ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of default risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

BB – Speculative. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to default risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial flexibility exists which supports the servicing of financial commitments.

B – Highly speculative. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material default risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is vulnerable to deterioration in the business and economic environment.

CCC – Substantial credit risk. Default is a real possibility.

CC – Very high levels of credit risk. Default of some kind appears probable.

C – Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. Default is imminent or inevitable, or the issuer is in standstill.

Conditions that are indicative of a ‘C’ category rating for an issuer include:

a. the issuer has entered into a grace or cure period following non-payment of a material financial obligation;

b. the issuer has entered into a temporary negotiated waiver or standstill agreement following a payment default on a material financial obligation; or

c. Fitch Ratings otherwise believes a condition of ‘RD’ or ‘D’ to be imminent or inevitable, including through the formal announcement of a distressed debt exchange.

RD – Restricted default. ‘RD’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has experienced an uncured payment default on a bond, loan or other material financial obligation but which has not entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, and which has not otherwise ceased operating. This would include:

a. the selective payment default on a specific class or currency of debt;

b. the uncured expiry of any applicable grace period, cure period or default forbearance period following a payment default on a bank loan, capital markets security or other material financial obligation;

c. the extension of multiple waivers or forbearance periods upon a payment default on one or more material financial obligations, either in series or in parallel; or

d. execution of a distressed debt exchange on one or more material financial obligations.

D – Default. ‘D’ ratings indicate an issuer that in Fitch Ratings’ opinion has entered into bankruptcy filings, administration, receivership, liquidation or other formal winding-up procedure, or which has otherwise ceased business.

Default ratings are not assigned prospectively to entities or their obligations; within this context, non-payment on an instrument that contains a deferral feature or grace period will generally not be considered a default until after the expiration of the deferral or grace period, unless a default is otherwise driven by bankruptcy or other similar circumstance, or by a distressed debt exchange.

“Imminent” default typically refers to the occasion where a payment default has been intimated by the issuer, and is all but inevitable. This may, for example, be where an issuer has missed a scheduled payment, but (as is typical) has a grace period during which it may cure the payment default. Another alternative would be where an issuer has formally announced a distressed debt exchange, but the date of the exchange still lies several days or weeks in the immediate future.

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In all cases, the assignment of a default rating reflects the agency’s opinion as to the most appropriate rating category consistent with the rest of its universe of ratings, and may differ from the definition of default under the terms of an issuer’s financial obligations or local commercial practice.

Note: The modifiers “+” or “-” may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA’ Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) category, or to Long-Term IDR categories below ‘B’.

Short-Term Ratings

F1 – Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added “+” to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

F2 – Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

F3 – Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

B – Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

C – High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

RD – Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

D – Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

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Appendix A

Proxy voting guidelines of the Putnam funds 

 

The proxy voting guidelines below summarize the funds’ positions on various issues of concern to investors, and give a general indication of how fund portfolio securities will be voted on proposals dealing with particular issues. The funds’ proxy voting service is instructed to vote all proxies relating to fund portfolio securities in accordance with these guidelines, except as otherwise instructed by the Director of Proxy Voting and Corporate Governance (“Proxy Voting Director”), a member of the Office of the Trustees who is appointed to assist in the coordination and voting of the funds’ proxies.

The proxy voting guidelines are just that – guidelines. The guidelines are not exhaustive and do not address all potential voting issues. Because the circumstances of individual companies are so varied, there may be instances when the funds do not vote in strict adherence to these guidelines. For example, the proxy voting service is expected to bring to the Proxy Voting Director’s attention proxy questions that are company-specific and of a non-routine nature and that, even if covered by the guidelines, may be more appropriately handled on a case-by-case basis.

Similarly, Putnam Management’s investment professionals, as part of their ongoing review and analysis of all fund portfolio holdings, are responsible for monitoring significant corporate developments, including proxy proposals submitted to shareholders, and notifying the Proxy Voting Director of circumstances where the interests of fund shareholders may warrant a vote contrary to these guidelines. In such instances, the investment professionals submit a written recommendation to the Proxy Voting Director and the person or persons designated by Putnam Management’s Legal and Compliance Department to assist in processing referral items under the funds’ “Proxy Voting Procedures.” The Proxy Voting Director, in consultation with a senior member of the Office of the Trustees and/or the Chair of the Board Policy and Nominating Committee, as appropriate, will determine how the funds’ proxies will be voted. When indicated, the Chair of the Board Policy and Nominating Committee may consult with other members of the Committee or the full Board of Trustees.

The following guidelines are grouped according to the types of proposals generally presented to shareholders. Part I deals with proposals submitted by management and approved and recommended by a company’s board of directors. Part II deals with proposals submitted by shareholders. Part III addresses unique considerations pertaining to non-U.S. issuers.

The Trustees of the Putnam funds are committed to promoting strong corporate governance practices and encouraging corporate actions that enhance shareholder value through the judicious voting of the funds’ proxies. It is the funds’ policy to vote their proxies at all shareholder meetings where it is practicable to do so. In furtherance of this, the funds’ have requested that their securities lending agent recall each domestic issuer’s voting securities that are on loan, in advance of the record date for the issuer’s shareholder meetings, so that the funds may vote at the meetings.

The Putnam funds will disclose their proxy votes not later than August 31 of each year for the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, in accordance with the timetable established by SEC rules.

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I. BOARD-APPROVED PROPOSALS

The vast majority of matters presented to shareholders for a vote involve proposals made by a company itself (sometimes referred to as “management proposals”), which have been approved and recommended by its board of directors. In view of the enhanced corporate governance practices currently being implemented in public companies and of the funds’ intent to hold corporate boards accountable for their actions in promoting shareholder interests, the funds’ proxies generally will be voted for the decisions reached by majority independent boards of directors, except as otherwise indicated in these guidelines. Accordingly, the funds’ proxies will be voted for board-approved proposals, except as follows:

Matters relating to the Board of Directors 

 

Uncontested Election of Directors

The funds’ proxies will be voted for the election of a company’s nominees for the board of directors, except as follows:

➢ The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

•  the board does not have a majority of independent directors,

•  the board has not established independent nominating, audit, and compensation committees,

•  the board has more than 19 members or fewer than five members, absent special circumstances,

•  the board has not acted to implement a policy requested in a shareholder proposal that received the support of a majority of the shares of the company cast at its previous two annual meetings, or

•  the board has adopted or renewed a shareholder rights plan (commonly referred to as a “poison pill”) without shareholder approval during the current or prior calendar year.

➢ The funds will on a case-by-case basis withhold votes from the entire board of directors, or from particular directors as may be appropriate, if the board has approved compensation arrangements for one or more company executives that the funds determine are unreasonably excessive relative to the company’s performance or has otherwise failed to observe good corporate governance practices.

➢ The funds will withhold votes from any nominee for director:

•  who is considered an independent director by the company and who has received compensation within the last three years from the company other than for service as a director (e.g., investment banking, consulting, legal, or financial advisory fees),

•  who attends less than 75% of board and committee meetings without valid reasons for the absences (e.g., illness, personal emergency, etc.),

•  of a public company (Company A) who is employed as a senior executive of another company (Company B), if a director of Company B serves as a senior executive of Company A

(commonly referred to as an “interlocking directorate”),

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•  who serves on more than five unaffiliated public company boards (for the purpose of this guideline, boards of affiliated registered investment companies will count as one board), or

•  who is a member of the governance or other responsible committee, if the company has adopted without shareholder approval a bylaw provision shifting legal fees and costs to unsuccessful plaintiffs in intra-corporate litigation.

Commentary:

Board independence: Unless otherwise indicated, for the purposes of determining whether a board has a majority of independent directors and independent nominating, audit, and compensation committees, an “independent director” is a director who (1) meets all requirements to serve as an independent director of a company under the NYSE Corporate Governance Rules (e.g., no material business relationships with the company and no present or recent employment relationship with the company including employment of an immediate family member as an executive officer), and (2) has not within the last three years accepted directly or indirectly any consulting, advisory, or other compensatory fee from the company other than in his or her capacity as a member of the board of directors or any board committee. The funds’ Trustees believe that the recent (i.e., within the last three years) receipt of any amount of compensation for services other than service as a director raises significant independence issues.

Board size: The funds’ Trustees believe that the size of the board of directors can have a direct impact on the ability of the board to govern effectively. Boards that have too many members can be unwieldy and ultimately inhibit their ability to oversee management performance. Boards that have too few members can stifle innovation and lead to excessive influence by management.

Time commitment: Being a director of a company requires a significant time commitment to adequately prepare for and attend the company’s board and committee meetings. Directors must be able to commit the time and attention necessary to perform their fiduciary duties in proper fashion, particularly in times of crisis. The funds’ Trustees are concerned about over-committed directors. In some cases, directors may serve on too many boards to make a meaningful contribution. This may be particularly true for senior executives of public companies (or other directors with substantially full-time employment) who serve on more than a few outside boards. The funds may withhold votes from such directors on a case-by-case basis where it appears that they may be unable to discharge their duties properly because of excessive commitments.

Interlocking directorships: The funds’ Trustees believe that interlocking directorships are inconsistent with the degree of independence required for outside directors of public companies.

Corporate governance practices: Board independence depends not only on its members’ individual relationships, but also on the board’s overall attitude toward management and shareholders. Independent boards are committed to good corporate governance practices and, by providing objective independent judgment, enhancing shareholder value. The funds may withhold votes on a case-by-case basis from some or all directors who, through their lack of independence or otherwise, have failed to observe good corporate governance practices or, through specific corporate action, have demonstrated a disregard for the interests of shareholders. Such instances may include cases where a board of directors has approved compensation arrangements for one or more members of management that, in the judgment of the funds’ Trustees, are excessive by reasonable corporate standards relative to the company’s record of performance. It may also represent a disregard for the interests of shareholders if a board of directors fails to register an appropriate response when a director who fails to win the support of a majority of shareholders in an election

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(sometimes referred to as a “rejected director”) continues to serve on the board. While the Trustees recognize that it may in some circumstances be appropriate for a rejected director to continue his or her service on the board, steps should be taken to address the concerns reflected by the shareholders’ lack of support for the rejected director. Adopting a fee-shifting bylaw provision without shareholder approval, which may discourage legitimate shareholders lawsuits as well as frivolous ones, is another example of disregard for shareholder interests.

Contested Elections of Directors

➢The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis in contested elections of directors.

Classified Boards

➢ The funds will vote against proposals to classify a board, absent special circumstances indicating that shareholder interests would be better served by this structure.

Commentary: Under a typical classified board structure, the directors are divided into three classes, with each class serving a three-year term. The classified board structure results in directors serving staggered terms, with usually only a third of the directors up for re-election at any given annual meeting. The funds’ Trustees generally believe that it is appropriate for directors to stand for election each year, but recognize that, in special circumstances, shareholder interests may be better served under a classified board structure.

Other Board-Related Proposals

The funds will generally vote for proposals that have been approved by a majority independent board, and on a case-by-case basis on proposals that have been approved by a board that fails to meet the guidelines’ basic independence standards (i.e., majority of independent directors and independent nominating, audit, and compensation committees).

Executive Compensation 

 

The funds generally favor compensation programs that relate executive compensation to a company’s long-term performance. The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on board-approved proposals relating to executive compensation, except as follows:

➢ Except where the funds are otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors, the funds will vote for stock option and restricted stock plans that will result in an average annual dilution of 1.67% or less (based on the disclosed term of the plan and including all equity-based plans).

➢ The funds will vote against stock option and restricted stock plans that will result in an average annual dilution of greater than 1.67% (based on the disclosed term of the plan and including all equity-based plans).

➢ The funds will vote against any stock option or restricted stock plan where the company’s actual grants of stock options and restricted stock under all equity-based compensation plans during the prior three (3) fiscal years have resulted in an average annual dilution of greater than 1.67%.

➢ The funds will vote against stock option plans that permit the replacing or repricing of underwater options (and against any proposal to authorize a replacement or repricing of underwater options).

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➢ The funds will vote against stock option plans that permit issuance of options with an exercise price below the stock’s current market price.

➢ Except where the funds are otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors, the funds will vote for an employee stock purchase plan that has the following features: (1) the shares purchased under the plan are acquired for no less than 85% of their market value; (2) the offering period under the plan is 27 months or less; and (3) dilution is 10% or less.

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to approve a company’s executive compensation program (i.e., “say on pay” proposals in which the company’s board proposes that shareholders indicate their support for the company’s compensation philosophy, policies, and practices), except that the funds will vote against the proposal if the company is assigned to the lowest category, through independent third party benchmarking performed by the funds’ proxy voting service, for the correlation of the company’s executive compensation program with its performance.

➢ The funds will vote for bonus plans under which payments are treated as performance-based compensation that is deductible under Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, except that the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis if any of the following circumstances exist:

the amount per employee under the plan is unlimited, or

the plan’s performance criteria is undisclosed, or

the company is assigned to the lowest category, through independent third party benchmarking performed by the funds’ proxy voting service, for the correlation of the company’s executive compensation program with its performance.

Commentary: Companies should have compensation programs that are reasonable and that align shareholder and management interests over the longer term. Further, disclosure of compensation programs should provide absolute transparency to shareholders regarding the sources and amounts of, and the factors influencing, executive compensation. Appropriately designed equity-based compensation plans can be an effective way to align the interests of long-term shareholders with the interests of management. However, the funds may vote against these or other executive compensation proposals on a case-by-case basis where compensation is excessive by reasonable corporate standards, where a company fails to provide transparent disclosure of executive compensation, or, in some instances, where independent third-party benchmarking indicates that compensation is inadequately correlated with performance, relative to peer companies. (Examples of excessive executive compensation may include, but are not limited to, equity incentive plans that exceed the dilution criteria noted above, excessive perquisites, performance-based compensation programs that do not properly correlate reward and performance, “golden parachutes” or other severance arrangements that present conflicts between management’s interests and the interests of shareholders, and “golden coffins” or unearned death benefits). In voting on a proposal relating to executive compensation, the funds will consider whether the proposal has been approved by an independent compensation committee of the board.

Capitalization 

 

Many proxy proposals involve changes in a company’s capitalization, including the authorization of additional stock, the issuance of stock, the repurchase of outstanding stock, or the approval of a stock split. The management of a company’s capital structure involves a number of important issues, including cash flow, financing needs, and market conditions that are unique to the circumstances of the company. As a

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result, the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on board-approved proposals involving changes to a company’s capitalization, except that where the funds are not otherwise withholding votes from the entire board of directors:

➢ The funds will vote for proposals relating to the authorization and issuance of additional common stock (except where such proposals relate to a specific transaction).

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to effect stock splits (excluding reverse stock splits).

➢ The funds will vote for proposals authorizing share repurchase programs.

Commentary: A company may decide to authorize additional shares of common stock for reasons relating to executive compensation or for routine business purposes. For the most part, these decisions are best left to the board of directors and senior management. The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis, however, on other proposals to change a company’s capitalization, including the authorization of common stock with special voting rights, the authorization or issuance of common stock in connection with a specific transaction (e.g., an acquisition, merger or reorganization), or the authorization or issuance of preferred stock. Actions such as these involve a number of considerations that may affect a shareholder’s investment and that warrant a case-by-case determination.

Acquisitions, Mergers, Reincorporations, Reorganizations and Other Transactions 

 

Shareholders may be confronted with a number of different types of transactions, including acquisitions, mergers, reorganizations involving business combinations, liquidations, and the sale of all or substantially all of a company’s assets, which may require their consent. Voting on such proposals involves considerations unique to each transaction. As a result, the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on board-approved proposals to effect these types of transactions, except as follows:

➢ The funds will vote for mergers and reorganizations involving business combinations designed solely to reincorporate a company in Delaware.

Commentary: A company may reincorporate into another state through a merger or reorganization by setting up a “shell” company in a different state and then merging the company into the new company. While reincorporation into states with extensive and established corporate laws – notably Delaware –provides companies and shareholders with a more well-defined legal framework, shareholders must carefully consider the reasons for a reincorporation into another jurisdiction, including especially an offshore jurisdiction.

Anti-Takeover Measures 

 

Some proxy proposals involve efforts by management to make it more difficult for an outside party to take control of the company without the approval of the company’s board of directors. These include the adoption of a shareholder rights plan, requiring supermajority voting on particular issues, the adoption of fair price provisions, the issuance of blank check preferred stock, and the creation of a separate class of stock with disparate voting rights. Such proposals may adversely affect shareholder rights, lead to management entrenchment, or create conflicts of interest. As a result, the funds will vote against board-approved proposals to adopt such anti-takeover measures, except as follows:

➢ The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on proposals to ratify or approve shareholder rights plans; and

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➢ The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on proposals to adopt fair price provisions.

Commentary: The funds’ Trustees recognize that poison pills and fair price provisions may enhance or protect shareholder value under certain circumstances. For instance, where a company has incurred significant operating losses, a shareholder rights plan may be appropriately tailored to protect shareholder value by preserving a company’s net operating losses. Thus, the funds will consider proposals to approve such matters on a case-by-case basis.

Other Business Matters 

 

Many proxies involve approval of routine business matters, such as changing a company’s name, ratifying the appointment of auditors, and procedural matters relating to the shareholder meeting. For the most part, these routine matters do not materially affect shareholder interests and are best left to the board of directors and senior management of the company. The funds will vote for board-approved proposals approving such matters, except as follows:

➢ The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on proposals to amend a company’s charter or bylaws (except for charter amendments necessary to effect stock splits, to change a company’s name or to authorize additional shares of common stock).

➢ The funds will vote against authorization to transact other unidentified, substantive business at the meeting.

➢ The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on proposals to ratify the selection of independent auditors if there is evidence that the audit firm’s independence or the integrity of an audit is compromised.

➢ The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on other business matters where the funds are otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors.

Commentary: Charter and bylaw amendments and the transaction of other unidentified, substantive business at a shareholder meeting may directly affect shareholder rights and have a significant impact on shareholder value. As a result, the funds do not view these items as routine business matters. Putnam Management’s investment professionals and the funds’ proxy voting service may also bring to the Proxy Voting Director’s attention company-specific items that they believe to be non-routine and warranting special consideration. Under these circumstances, the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis.

The fund’s proxy voting service may identify circumstances that call into question an audit firm’s independence or the integrity of an audit. These circumstances may include recent material restatements of financials, unusual audit fees, egregious contractual relationships, and aggressive accounting policies. The funds will consider proposals to ratify the selection of auditors in these circumstances on a case-by-case basis. In all other cases, given the existence of rules that enhance the independence of audit committees and auditors by, for example, prohibiting auditors from performing a range of non-audit services for audit clients, the funds will vote for the ratification of independent auditors.

II. SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS

SEC regulations permit shareholders to submit proposals for inclusion in a company’s proxy statement.

These proposals generally seek to change some aspect of the company’s corporate governance structure or

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to change some aspect of its business operations. The funds generally will vote in accordance with the recommendation of the company’s board of directors on all shareholder proposals, except as follows:

➢ The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by someone other than the chief executive officer.

➢ The funds will vote for shareholder proposals asking that director nominees receive support from holders of a majority of votes cast or a majority of shares outstanding in order to be (re)elected.

➢ The funds will vote for shareholder proposals to declassify a board, absent special circumstances which would indicate that shareholder interests are better served by a classified board structure.

➢ The funds will vote for shareholder proposals to eliminate supermajority vote requirements in the company’s charter documents.

➢ The funds will vote for shareholder proposals to require shareholder approval of shareholder rights plans.

➢ The funds will vote for shareholder proposals to amend a company’s charter documents to permit shareholders to call special meetings, but only if both of the following conditions are met:

•  the proposed amendment limits the right to call special meetings to shareholders holding at least 15% of the company’s outstanding shares, and

•  applicable state law does not otherwise provide shareholders with the right to call special meetings.

➢ The funds will vote for shareholder proposals requiring companies to make cash payments under management severance agreements only if both of the following conditions are met:

• the company undergoes a change in control, and

•  the change in control results in the termination of employment for the person receiving the severance payment.

The funds will vote for shareholder proposals requiring companies to accelerate vesting of equity awards under management severance agreements only if both of the following conditions are met:

•  the company undergoes a change in control, and

•  the change in control results in the termination of employment for the person receiving the severance payment.

➢ The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals to limit a company’s ability to make excise tax gross-up payments under management severance agreements.

➢ The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals requesting that the board adopt a policy to recoup, in the event of a significant restatement of financial results or significant extraordinary write-off, to the fullest extent practicable, for the benefit of the company, all performance-based bonuses or awards that were paid to senior executives based on the company having

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met or exceeded specific performance targets to the extent that the specific performance targets were not, in fact, met.

➢The funds will vote for shareholder proposals calling for the company to obtain shareholder approval for any future golden coffins or unearned death benefits (payments or awards of unearned salary or bonus, accelerated vesting or the continuation of unvested equity awards, perquisites or other payments or awards in respect of an executive following his or her death), and for shareholder proposals calling for the company to cease providing golden coffins or unearned death benefits.

➢The funds will vote for shareholder proposals requiring a company to report on its executive retirement benefits (e.g., deferred compensation, split-dollar life insurance, SERPs and pension benefits).

➢ The funds will vote for shareholder proposals requiring a company to disclose its relationships with executive compensation consultants (e.g., whether the company, the board or the compensation committee retained the consultant, the types of services provided by the consultant over the past five years, and a list of the consultant’s clients on which any of the company’s executives serve as a director).

➢ The funds will vote for shareholder proposals that are consistent with the funds’ proxy voting guidelines for board-approved proposals.

➢ The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on other shareholder proposals where the funds are otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors.

Commentary: The funds’ Trustees believe that effective corporate reforms should be promoted by holding boards of directors – and in particular their independent directors – accountable for their actions, rather than by imposing additional legal restrictions on board governance through piecemeal proposals. As stated above, the funds’ Trustees believe that boards of directors and management are responsible for ensuring that their businesses are operating in accordance with high legal and ethical standards and should be held accountable for resulting corporate behavior. Accordingly, the funds will generally support the recommendations of boards that meet the basic independence and governance standards established in these guidelines. Where boards fail to meet these standards, the funds will generally evaluate shareholder proposals on a case-by-case basis. The funds will also consider proposals requiring that the chairman’s position be filled by someone other than the company’s chief executive officer on a case-by-case basis, recognizing that in some cases this separation may advance the company’s corporate governance while in other cases it may be less necessary to the sound governance of the company. The funds will take into account the level of independent leadership on a company’s board in evaluating these proposals.

However, the funds generally support shareholder proposals to implement majority voting for directors, observing that majority voting is an emerging standard intended to encourage directors to be attentive to shareholders’ interests. The funds also generally support shareholder proposals to declassify a board, to eliminate supermajority vote requirements, or to require shareholder approval of shareholder rights plans. The funds’ Trustees believe that these shareholder proposals further the goals of reducing management entrenchment and conflicts of interest, and aligning management’s interests with shareholders’ interests in evaluating proposed acquisitions of the company. The Trustees also believe that shareholder proposals to limit severance payments may further these goals in some instances. In general, the funds favor arrangements in which severance payments are made to an executive only when there is a change in control and the executive loses his or her job as a result. Arrangements in which an executive receives a payment

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upon a change of control even if the executive retains employment introduce potential conflicts of interest and may distract management focus from the long term success of the company.

In evaluating shareholder proposals that address severance payments, the funds distinguish between cash and equity payments. The funds generally do not favor cash payments to executives upon a change in control transaction if the executive retains employment. However, the funds recognize that accelerated vesting of equity incentives, even without termination of employment, may help to align management and shareholder interests in some instances, and will evaluate shareholder proposals addressing accelerated vesting of equity incentive payments on a case-by-case basis.

When severance payments exceed a certain amount based on the executive’s previous compensation, the payments may be subject to an excise tax. Some compensation arrangements provide for full excise tax gross-ups, which means that the company pays the executive sufficient additional amounts to cover the cost of the excise tax. The funds are concerned that the benefits of providing full excise tax gross-ups to executives may be outweighed by the cost to the company of the gross-up payments. Accordingly, the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on shareholder proposals to curtail excise tax gross-up payments. The funds generally favor arrangements in which severance payments do not trigger an excise tax or in which the company’s obligations with respect to gross-up payments are limited in a reasonable manner.

The funds’ Trustees believe that performance-based compensation can be an effective tool for aligning management and shareholder interests. However, to fulfill its purpose, performance compensation should only be paid to executives if the performance targets are actually met. A significant restatement of financial results or a significant extraordinary write-off may reveal that executives who were previously paid performance compensation did not actually deliver the required business performance to earn that compensation. In these circumstances, it may be appropriate for the company to recoup this performance compensation. The funds will consider on a case-by-case basis shareholder proposals requesting that the board adopt a policy to recoup, in the event of a significant restatement of financial results or significant extraordinary write-off, performance-based bonuses or awards paid to senior executives based on the company having met or exceeded specific performance targets to the extent that the specific performance targets were not, in fact, met. The funds do not believe that such a policy should necessarily disadvantage a company in recruiting executives, as executives should understand that they are only entitled to performance compensation based on the actual performance they deliver.

The funds’ Trustees disfavor golden coffins or unearned death benefits, and the funds will generally support shareholder proposals to restrict or terminate these practices. The Trustees will also consider whether a company’s overall compensation arrangements, taking all of the pertinent circumstances into account, constitute excessive compensation or otherwise reflect poorly on the corporate governance practices of the company. As the Trustees evaluate these matters, they will be mindful of evolving practices and legislation relevant to executive compensation and corporate governance.

The funds’ Trustees also believe that shareholder proposals that are intended to increase transparency, particularly with respect to executive compensation, without establishing rigid restrictions upon a company’s ability to attract and motivate talented executives, are generally beneficial to sound corporate governance without imposing undue burdens. The funds will generally support shareholder proposals calling for reasonable disclosure.

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III. VOTING SHARES OF NON-U.S. ISSUERS

Many of the Putnam funds invest on a global basis, and, as a result, they may hold, and have an opportunity to vote, shares in non-U.S. issuers – i.e., issuers that are incorporated under the laws of foreign jurisdictions and whose shares are not listed on a U.S. securities exchange or the NASDAQ stock market.

In many non-U.S. markets, shareholders who vote proxies of a non-U.S. issuer are not able to trade in that company’s stock on or around the shareholder meeting date. This practice is known as “share blocking.” In countries where share blocking is practiced, the funds will vote proxies only with direction from Putnam Management’s investment professionals.

In addition, some non-U.S. markets require that a company’s shares be re-registered out of the name of the local custodian or nominee into the name of the shareholder for the shareholder to be able to vote at the meeting. This practice is known as “share re-registration.” As a result, shareholders, including the funds, are not able to trade in that company’s stock until the shares are re-registered back in the name of the local custodian or nominee following the meeting. In countries where share re-registration is practiced, the funds will generally not vote proxies.

Protection for shareholders of non-U.S. issuers may vary significantly from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Laws governing non-U.S. issuers may, in some cases, provide substantially less protection for shareholders than do U.S. laws. As a result, the guidelines applicable to U.S. issuers, which are premised on the existence of a sound corporate governance and disclosure framework, may not be appropriate under some circumstances for non-U.S. issuers. However, the funds will vote proxies of non-U.S. issuers in accordance with the guidelines applicable to U.S. issuers, except as follows:

Uncontested Board Elections 

 

China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand

➢ The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

•  fewer than one-third of the directors are independent directors, or

•  the board has not established audit, compensation and nominating committees each composed of a majority of independent directors.

Commentary: Whether a director is considered “independent” or not will be determined by reference to local corporate law or listing standards.

Europe ex-United Kingdom

➢ The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

•  the board has not established audit and compensation committees each composed of a majority of independent, non-executive directors, or

•  the board has not established a nominating committee composed of a majority of independent directors.

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Commentary: An “independent director” under the European Commission’s guidelines is one who is free of any business, family or other relationship, with the company, its controlling shareholder or the management of either, that creates a conflict of interest such as to impair his judgment. A “non-executive director” is one who is not engaged in the daily management of the company.

Germany

➢ For companies subject to “co-determination,” the funds will vote for the election of nominees to the supervisory board, except that the funds will vote on a case-by-case basis for any nominee who is either an employee of the company or who is otherwise affiliated with the company (as determined by the funds’ proxy voting service).

➢ The funds will withhold votes for the election of a former member of the company’s managerial board to chair of the supervisory board.

Commentary: German corporate governance is characterized by a two-tier board system—a managerial board composed of the company’s executive officers, and a supervisory board. The supervisory board appoints the members of the managerial board. Shareholders elect members of the supervisory board, except that in the case of companies with a large number of employees, company employees are allowed to elect some of the supervisory board members (one-half of supervisory board members are elected by company employees at companies with more than 2,000 employees; one-third of the supervisory board members are elected by company employees at companies with more than 500 employees but fewer than 2,000). This “co-determination” practice may increase the chances that the supervisory board of a large German company does not contain a majority of independent members. In this situation, under the Fund’s proxy voting guidelines applicable to U.S. issuers, the funds would vote against all nominees. However, in the case of companies subject to “co-determination” and with the goal of supporting independent nominees, the Funds will vote for supervisory board members who are neither employees of the company nor otherwise affiliated with the company.

Consistent with the funds’ belief that the interests of shareholders are best protected by boards with strong, independent leadership, the funds will withhold votes for the election of former chairs of the managerial board to chair of the supervisory board.

Hong Kong

➢ The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

•  fewer than one-third of the directors are independent directors, or

•  the board has not established audit, compensation and nominating committees each with at least a majority of its members being independent directors, or

•  the chair of the audit, compensation or nominating committee is not an independent director.

Commentary. For purposes of these guidelines, an “independent director” is a director that has no material, financial or other current relationships with the company. In determining whether a director is independent, the funds will apply the standards included in the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited Section 3.13.

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Italy

➢ The funds will withhold votes from any director not identified in the proxy materials.

Commentary: In Italy, companies have the right to nominate co-opted directors for election to the board at the next annual general meeting, but do not have to indicate, until the day of the annual meeting, whether or not they are nominating a co-opted director for election. When a company does not explicitly state in its proxy materials that co-opted directors are standing for election, shareholders will not know for sure who the board nominees are until the actual meeting occurs. The funds will withhold support from any such co-opted director on the grounds that there was insufficient information for evaluation before the meeting.

Japan

➢ For companies that have established a U.S.-style corporate governance structure, the funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

•  the board does not have a majority of outside directors,

•  the board has not established nominating and compensation committees composed of a majority of outside directors, or

•  the board has not established an audit committee composed of a majority of independent directors.

➢ The funds will withhold votes for the appointment of members of a company’s board of statutory auditors if a majority of the members of the board of statutory auditors is not independent.

Commentary:

Board structure: Recent amendments to the Japanese Commercial Code give companies the option to adopt a U.S.-style corporate governance structure (i.e., a board of directors and audit, nominating, and compensation committees). The funds will vote for proposals to amend a company’s articles of incorporation to adopt the U.S.-style corporate structure.

Definition of outside director and independent director: Corporate governance principles in Japan focus on the distinction between outside directors and independent directors. Under these principles, an outside director is a director who is not and has never been a director, executive, or employee of the company or its parent company, subsidiaries or affiliates. An outside director is “independent” if that person can make decisions completely independent from the managers of the company, its parent, subsidiaries, or affiliates and does not have a material relationship with the company (i.e., major client, trading partner, or other business relationship; familial relationship with current director or executive; etc.). The guidelines have incorporated these definitions in applying the board independence standards above.

Korea

➢ The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

  fewer than half of the directors are outside directors,

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•  the board has not established a nominating committee with at least half of the members being outside directors, or

•  the board has not established an audit committee composed of at least three members and in which at least two-thirds of its members are outside directors.

➢ The funds will vote withhold votes from nominees to the audit committee if the board has not established an audit committee composed of (or proposed to be composed of) at least three members, and of which at least two-thirds of its members are (or will be) outside directors.

Commentary: For purposes of these guidelines, an “outside director” is a director that is independent from the management or controlling shareholders of the company, and holds no interests that might impair the performance his or her duties impartially with respect to the company, management or controlling shareholder. In determining whether a director is an outside director, the funds will also apply the standards included in Article 415-2(2) of the Korean Commercial Code (i.e., no employment relationship with the company for a period of two years before serving on the committee, no director or employment relationship with the company’s largest shareholder, etc.) and may consider other business relationships that would affect the independence of an outside director.

Malaysia

➢ The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

•  in the case of a board with an independent director serving as chair, fewer than one-third of the directors are independent directors; or, in the case of a board not chaired by an independent director, less than a majority of the directors are independent directors,

•  the board has not established audit and nominating committees with at least a majority of the members being independent directors and all of the members being non-executive directors, or

•  the board has not established a compensation committee with at least a majority of the members being non-executive directors.

Commentary. For purposes of these guidelines, an “independent director” is a director who has no material, financial or other current relationships with the company. In determining whether a director is independent, the funds will apply the standards included in the Malaysia Code of Corporate Governance, Commentary to Recommendation 3.1. A “non-executive director” is a director who does not take on primary responsibility for leadership of the company.

Russia

➢ The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis for the election of nominees to the board of directors.

Commentary: In Russia, director elections are typically handled through a cumulative voting process. Cumulative voting allows shareholders to cast all of their votes for a single nominee for the board of directors, or to allocate their votes among nominees in any other way. In contrast, in “regular” voting, shareholders may not give more than one vote per share to any single nominee. Cumulative voting can help to strengthen the ability of minority shareholders to elect a director.

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In Russia, as in some other emerging markets, standards of corporate governance are usually behind those in developed markets. Rather than vote against the entire board of directors, as the funds generally would in the case of a company whose board fails to meet the funds’ standards for independence, the funds may, on a case by case basis, cast all of their votes for one or more independent director nominees. The funds believe that it is important to increase the number of independent directors on the boards of Russian companies to mitigate the risks associated with dominant shareholders.

Singapore

➢ The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

•  in the case of a board with an independent director serving as chair, fewer than one-third of the directors are independent directors; or, in the case of a board not chaired by an independent director, fewer than half of the directors are independent directors,

•  the board has not established audit and compensation committees, each with an independent director serving as chair, with at least a majority of the members being independent directors, and with all of the directors being non-executive directors, or

•  the board has not established a nominating committee, with an independent director serving as chair, and with at least a majority of the members being independent directors.

Commentary: For purposes of these guidelines, an “independent director” is a director that has no material, financial or other current relationships with the company. In determining whether a director is independent, the funds will apply the standards included in the Singapore Code of Corporate Governance, Guideline 2.3. A “non-executive director” is a director who is not employed with the company.

United Kingdom

➢ The funds will withhold votes from the entire board of directors if

•  fewer than half of the directors are independent non-executive directors,

•  the board has not established a nomination committee composed of a majority of independent non-executive directors, or

•  the board has not established compensation and audit committees composed of (1) at least three directors (in the case of smaller companies, two directors) and (2) solely independent non-executive directors, provided that, to the extent permitted under the United Kingdom’s Combined Code on Corporate Governance, the company chairman may serve on (but not serve as chairman of) the compensation and audit committees if the chairman was considered independent upon his or her appointment as chairman.

➢ The funds will withhold votes from any nominee for director who is considered an independent director by the company and who has received compensation within the last three years from the company other than for service as a director, such as investment banking, consulting, legal, or financial advisory fees.

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➢The funds will vote for proposals to amend a company’s articles of association to authorize boards to approve situations that might be interpreted to present potential conflicts of interest affecting a director.

Commentary:

Application of guidelines: Although the United Kingdom’s Combined Code on Corporate Governance (“Combined Code”) has adopted the “comply and explain” approach to corporate governance, the funds’ Trustees believe that the guidelines discussed above with respect to board independence standards are integral to the protection of investors in U.K. companies. As a result, these guidelines will generally be applied in a prescriptive manner.

Definition of independence: For the purposes of these guidelines, a non-executive director shall be considered independent if the director meets the independence standards in section A.3.1 of the Combined Code (i.e., no material business or employment relationships with the company, no remuneration from the company for non-board services, no close family ties with senior employees or directors of the company, etc.), except that the funds do not view service on the board for more than nine years as affecting a director’s independence. Company chairmen in the U.K. are generally considered affiliated upon appointment as chairman due to the nature of the position of chairman. Consistent with the Combined Code, a company chairman who was considered independent upon appointment as chairman: may serve as a member of, but not as the chairman of, the compensation (remuneration) committee; and, in the case of smaller companies, may serve as a member of, but not as the chairman of, the audit committee.

Smaller companies: A smaller company is one that is below the FTSE 350 throughout the year immediately prior to the reporting year.

Conflicts of interest: The Companies Act 2006 requires a director to avoid a situation in which he or she has, or can have, a direct or indirect interest that conflicts, or possibly may conflict, with the interests of the company. This broadly written requirement could be construed to prevent a director from becoming a trustee or director of another organization. Provided there are reasonable safeguards, such as the exclusion of the relevant director from deliberations, the funds believe that the board may approve this type of potential conflict of interest in its discretion.

All other jurisdictions

➢The funds will vote for supervisory board nominees when the supervisory board meets the funds’ independence standards, otherwise the funds will vote against supervisory board nominees.

Commentary: Companies in many jurisdictions operate under the oversight of supervisory boards. In the absence of jurisdiction-specific guidelines, the funds will generally hold supervisory boards to the same standards of independence as it applies to boards of directors in the United States.

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Contested Board Elections 

 

Italy

➢ The funds will vote for the management- or board-sponsored slate of nominees if the board meets the funds’ independence standards, and against the management- or board-sponsored slate of nominees if the board does not meet the funds’ independence standards; the funds will not vote on shareholder-proposed slates of nominees.

Commentary: Contested elections in Italy may involve a variety of competing slates of nominees. In these circumstances, the funds will focus their analysis on the board- or management-sponsored slate.

Corporate Governance 

 

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to change the size of a board if the board meets the funds’ independence standards, and against proposals to change the size of a board if the board does not meet the funds’ independence standards.

➢The funds will vote for shareholder proposals calling for a majority of a company’s directors to be independent of management.

➢ The funds will vote for shareholder proposals seeking to increase the independence of board nominating, audit, and compensation committees.

➢The funds will vote for shareholder proposals that implement corporate governance standards similar to those established under U.S. federal law and the listing requirements of U.S. stock exchanges, and that do not otherwise violate the laws of the jurisdiction under which the company is incorporated.

Australia

➢The funds will vote on a case-by-case basis on board spill resolutions.

Commentary: The Corporations Amendment (Improving Accountability on Director and Executive Compensation) Bill 2011 provides that, if a company’s remuneration report receives a “no” vote of 25% or more of all votes cast at two consecutive annual general meetings, at the second annual general meeting, a spill resolution must be proposed. If the spill resolution is approved (by simple majority), then a further meeting to elect a new board (excluding the managing director) must be held within 90 days. The funds will consider board spill resolutions on a case-by-case basis.

Europe

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to ratify board acts, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

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Taiwan

➢The funds will vote against proposals to release directors from their non-competition obligations (their obligations not to engage in any business that is competitive with the company), unless the proposal is narrowly drafted to permit directors to engage in a business that is competitive with the company only on behalf of a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company.

Compensation 

 

➢The funds will vote for proposals to approve annual directors’ fees, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis in each case in which the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against such a proposal.

➢ The funds will vote for non-binding proposals to approve remuneration reports, except that the funds will vote against proposals to approve remuneration reports that indicate that awards under a long-term incentive plan are not linked to performance targets.

Commentary: Since proposals relating to directors’ fees for non-U.S. issuers generally address relatively modest fees paid to non-executive directors, the funds generally support these proposals, provided that the fees are consistent with directors’ fees paid by the company’s peers and do not otherwise appear unwarranted. Consistent with the approach taken for U.S. issuers, the funds generally favor compensation programs that relate executive compensation to a company’s long-term performance and will support non-binding remuneration reports unless such a correlation is not made.

Europe and Asia ex-Japan

➢In the case of proposals that do not include sufficient information for determining average annual dilution, the funds will will vote for stock option and restricted stock plans that will result in an average gross potential dilution of 5% or less.

Commentary: Asia ex-Japan means China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. In these markets, companies may not disclose the life of the plan and there may not be a specific number of shares requested; therefore, it may not be possible to determine the average annual dilution related to the plan and apply the funds’ standard dilution test.

France

➢ The funds will vote for an employee stock purchase plan or share save scheme that has the following features: (1) the shares purchased under the plan are acquired for no less than 70% of their market value; (2) the vesting period is greater than or equal to 10 years; (3) the offering period under the plan is 27 months or less; and (4) dilution is 10% or less.

Commentary: To conform to local market practice, the funds support plans or schemes at French issuers that permit the purchase of shares at up to a 30% discount (i.e., shares may be purchased for no less than 70% of their market value). By comparison, for U.S. issuers, the funds do not support employee stock purchase plans that permit shares to be acquired at more than a 15% discount (i.e., for less than 85% of their market value); in the United Kingdom, up to a 20% discount is permitted.

August 31, 2015  II-126 

 



United Kingdom

➢ The funds will vote for an employee stock purchase plan or share save scheme that has the following features: (1) the shares purchased under the plan are acquired for no less than 80% of their market value; (2) the offering period under the plan is 27 months or less; and (3) dilution is 10% or less.

Commentary: These are the same features that the funds require of employee stock purchase plans proposed by U.S. issuers, except that, to conform to local market practice, the funds support plans or schemes at United Kingdom issuers that permit the purchase of shares at up to a 20% discount (i.e., shares may be purchased for no less than 80% of their market value). By comparison, for U.S. issuers, the funds do not support employee stock purchase plans that permit shares to be acquired at more than a 15% discount (i.e., for less than 85% of their market value).

Capitalization 

 

Unless a proposal is directly addressed by a country-specific guideline:

➢ The funds will vote for proposals

•  to issue additional common stock representing up to 20% of the company’s outstanding common stock, where shareholders do not have preemptive rights, or

•  to issue additional common stock representing up to 100% of the company’s outstanding common stock, where shareholders do have preemptive rights.

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to authorize share repurchase programs that are recommended for approval by the funds’ proxy voting service; otherwise, the funds will vote against such proposals.

Australia

➢The funds will vote for proposals to carve out, from the general cap on non-pro rata share issues of 15% of total equity in a rolling 12-month period, a particular proposed issue of shares or a particular issue of shares made previously within the 12-month period, if the company’s board meets the funds’ independence standards; if the company’s board does not meet the funds’ independence standards, then the funds will vote against these proposals.

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to approve the grant of equity awards to directors, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

China

➢The funds will vote for proposals to issue and/or to trade in non-convertible, convertible and/or exchangeable debt obligations, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

August 31, 2015  II-127 

 



Hong Kong

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to approve a general mandate permitting the company to engage in non-pro rata share issues of up to 20% of total equity in a year if the company’s board meets the funds’ independence standards; if the company’s board does not meet the funds’ independence standards, then the funds will vote against these proposals.

➢ The funds will for proposals to approve the reissuance of shares acquired by the company under a share repurchase program, provided that: (1) the funds supported (or would have supported, in accordance with these guidelines) the share repurchase program, (2) the reissued shares represent no more than 10% of the company’s outstanding shares (measured immediately before the reissuance), and (3) the reissued shares are sold for no less than 85% of current market value.

France

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to increase authorized shares, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

➢ The funds will vote against proposals to authorize the issuance of common stock or convertible debt instruments and against proposals to authorize the repurchase and/or reissuance of shares where those authorizations may be used, without further shareholder approval, as anti-takeover measures.

New Zealand

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to approve the grant of equity awards to directors, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

Commentary: In light of the prevalence of certain types of capitalization proposals in Australia, China, Hong Kong, France and New Zealand, the funds have adopted guidelines specific to those jurisdictions.

Other Business Matters 

 

➢ The funds will vote for proposals permitting companies to deliver reports and other materials electronically (e.g., via website posting).

➢ The funds will vote for proposals permitting companies to issue regulatory reports in English.

➢ The funds will vote against proposals to shorten shareholder meeting notice periods to fourteen days.

Commentary: Under Directive 2007/36/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, companies have the option to request shareholder approval to set the notice period for special meetings at 14 days provided that certain electronic voting and communication requirements are met. The funds believe that the 14 day notice period is too short to provide overseas shareholders with sufficient time to analyze proposals and to participate meaningfully at special meetings and, as a result, have determined to vote against such proposals.

August 31, 2015  II-128 

 



➢The funds will vote for proposals to amend a company’s charter or bylaws, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

Commentary: If the substance of any proposed amendment is covered by a specific guideline included herein, then that guideline will govern.

France

➢The funds will vote for proposals to approve a company’s related party transactions, except that the funds will consider these proposals on a case-by-case basis if the funds’ proxy voting service has recommended a vote against the proposal.

➢If a company has not proposed an opt-out clause in its articles of association and the implementation of double-voting rights has not been approved by shareholders, the funds will vote against the ratification of board acts for the previous fiscal year, will withhold votes from the re-election of members of the board’s governance committee (or in the absence of a governance committee, against the chair of the board or the next session board member up for re-election) and, if there is no opportunity to vote against ratification of board acts or to withhold votes from directors, will vote against the approval of the company’s accounts and reports.

Commentary: In France, shareholders are generally requested to approve any agreement between the company and: (i) its directors, chair of the board, CEO and deputy CEOs; (ii) the members of the supervisory board and management board, for companies with a dual structure; and (iii) a shareholder who directly or indirectly owns at least 10% of the company’s voting rights. This includes agreements under which compensation may be paid to executive officers after the end of their employment, such as severance payments, supplementary retirement plans and non-competition agreements. The funds will generally support these proposals unless the funds’ proxy voting service recommends a vote against, in which case the funds will consider the proposal on a case-by-case basis.

Under French law, shareholders of French companies with shares held in registered form under the same name for at least two years will automatically be granted double-voting rights, unless a company has amended its articles of association to opt out of the double-voting rights regime. Awarding double-voting rights in this manner is likely to disadvantage non-French institutional shareholders. Accordingly, the funds will take actions to signal disapproval of double-voting rights at companies that have not opted-out from the double-voting rights regime and that have not obtained shareholder approval of the double-voting rights regime.

Germany

➢ The funds will vote in accordance with the recommendation of the company’s board of directors on shareholder countermotions added to a company’s meeting agenda, unless the countermotion is directly addressed by one of the funds’ other guidelines.

Commentary: In Germany, shareholders are able to add both proposals and countermotions to a meeting agenda. Countermotions, which must correspond to a proposal on the agenda, generally call for shareholders to oppose the existing proposal, although they may also propose separate voting decisions. Countermotions may be proposed by any shareholder and they are typically added throughout the period between the publication of the meeting agenda and the meeting date. This guideline reflects the funds’

August 31, 2015  II-129 

 



intention to focus on the original proposal, which is expected to be presented a reasonable period of time before the shareholder meeting so that the funds will have an appropriate opportunity to evaluate it.

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to approve profit-and-loss transfer agreements between a controlling company and its subsidiaries.

Commentary: These agreements are customary in Germany and are typically entered into for tax purposes. In light of this and the prevalence of these proposals, the funds have adopted a guideline to vote for this type of proposal.

Taiwan

➢ The funds will vote for proposals to amend a Taiwanese company’s procedural rules.

Commentary: Since procedural rules, which address such matters as a company’s policies with respect to capital loans, endorsements and guarantees, and acquisitions and disposal of assets, are generally adopted or amended to conform to changes in local regulations governing these transactions, the funds have adopted a guideline to vote for these transactions.

As adopted January 23, 2015

August 31, 2015  II-130 

 



Proxy voting procedures of the Putnam funds 

 

The proxy voting procedures below explain the role of the funds’ Trustees, proxy voting service and Director of Proxy Voting and Corporate Governance (“Proxy Voting Director”), as well as how the process will work when a proxy question needs to be handled on a case-by-case basis, or when there may be a conflict of interest.

The role of the funds’ Trustees

The Trustees of the Putnam funds exercise control of the voting of proxies through their Board Policy and Nominating Committee, which is composed entirely of independent Trustees. The Board Policy and Nominating Committee oversees the proxy voting process and participates, as needed, in the resolution of issues that need to be handled on a case-by-case basis. The Committee annually reviews and recommends, for Trustee approval, guidelines governing the funds’ proxy votes, including how the funds vote on specific proposals and which matters are to be considered on a case-by-case basis. The Trustees are assisted in this process by their independent administrative staff (“Office of the Trustees”), independent legal counsel, and an independent proxy voting service. The Trustees also receive assistance from Putnam Investment Management, LLC (“Putnam Management”), the funds’ investment advisor, on matters involving investment judgments. In all cases, the ultimate decision on voting proxies rests with the Trustees, acting as fiduciaries on behalf of the shareholders of the funds.

The role of the proxy voting service

The funds have engaged an independent proxy voting service to assist in the voting of proxies. The proxy voting service is responsible for coordinating with the funds’ custodian(s) to ensure that all proxy materials received by the custodians relating to the funds’ portfolio securities are processed in a timely fashion. To the extent applicable, the proxy voting service votes all proxies in accordance with the proxy voting guidelines established by the Trustees. The proxy voting service will refer proxy questions to the Proxy Voting Director for instructions under circumstances where: (1) the application of the proxy voting guidelines is unclear; (2) a particular proxy question is not covered by the guidelines; or (3) the guidelines call for specific instructions on a case-by-case basis. The proxy voting service is also requested to call to the attention of the Proxy Voting Director specific proxy questions that, while governed by a guideline, appear to involve unusual or controversial issues. The funds also utilize research services relating to proxy questions provided by the proxy voting service and by other firms.

The role of the Proxy Voting Director

The Proxy Voting Director, a member of the Office of the Trustees, assists in the coordination and voting of the funds’ proxies. The Proxy Voting Director will deal directly with the proxy voting service and, in the case of proxy questions referred by the proxy voting service, will solicit voting recommendations and instructions from the Office of the Trustees, the Chair of the Board Policy and Nominating Committee, and Putnam Management’s investment professionals, as appropriate.

August 31, 2015  II-131 

 



The Proxy Voting Director is responsible for ensuring that these questions and referrals are responded to in a timely fashion and for transmitting appropriate voting instructions to the proxy voting service. In addition, the Proxy Voting Director is the contact person for receiving recommendations from Putnam Management’s investment professionals with respect to any proxy question in circumstances where the investment professional believes that the interests of fund shareholders warrant a vote contrary to the fund’s proxy voting guidelines.

On occasion, representatives of a company in which the funds have an investment may wish to meet with the company’s shareholders in advance of the company’s shareholder meeting, typically to explain and to provide the company’s perspective on the proposals up for consideration at the meeting. As a general matter, the Proxy Voting Director will participate in meetings with these company representatives.

Voting procedures for referral items

As discussed above, the proxy voting service will refer proxy questions to the Proxy Voting Director under certain circumstances. Unless the referred proxy question involves investment considerations (i.e., the proxy question might be seen as having a bearing on the economic interests of a shareholder in the company), the Proxy Voting Director will assist in interpreting the guidelines and, if necessary, consult with a senior staff member of the Office of the Trustees and/or the Chair of the Board Policy and Nominating Committee on how the funds’ shares will be voted.

For referred proxy questions that involve investment considerations, the Proxy Voting Director will refer such questions, through an electronic request form, to Putnam Management’s investment professionals for a voting recommendation. Such referrals will be made in cooperation with the person or persons designated by Putnam Management’s Legal and Compliance Department to assist in processing such referral items. In connection with each item referred to Putnam Management’s investment professionals, the Legal and Compliance Department will conduct a conflicts of interest review, as described below under “Conflicts of interest,” and provide electronically a conflicts of interest report (the “Conflicts Report”) to the Proxy Voting Director describing the results of such review. After receiving a referral item from the Proxy Voting Director, Putnam Management’s investment professionals will provide a recommendation electronically to the Proxy Voting Director and the person or persons designated by the Legal and Compliance Department to assist in processing referral items. Such recommendation will set forth (1) how the proxies should be voted; and (2) any contacts the investment professionals have had with respect to the referral item with non-investment personnel of Putnam Management or with outside parties (except for routine communications from proxy solicitors). The Proxy Voting Director will review the recommendation of Putnam Management’s investment professionals (and the related Conflicts Report) in determining how to vote the funds’ proxies. The Proxy Voting Director will maintain a record of all proxy questions that have been referred to Putnam Management’s investment professionals, the voting recommendation, and the Conflicts Report.

August 31, 2015  II-132 

 



In some situations, the Proxy Voting Director may determine that a particular proxy question raises policy issues requiring consultation with the Chair of the Board Policy and Nominating Committee, who, in turn, may decide to bring the particular proxy question to the Committee or the full Board of Trustees for consideration.

Conflicts of interest

Occasions may arise where a person or organization involved in the proxy voting process may have a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest may exist, for example, if Putnam Management has a business relationship with (or is actively soliciting business from) either the company soliciting the proxy or a third party that has a material interest in the outcome of a proxy vote or that is actively lobbying for a particular outcome of a proxy vote. Any individual with knowledge of a personal conflict of interest (e.g., familial relationship with company management) relating to a particular referral item shall disclose that conflict to the Proxy Voting Director and the Legal and Compliance Department and otherwise remove himself or herself from the proxy voting process. The Legal and Compliance Department will review each item referred to Putnam Management’s investment professionals to determine if a conflict of interest exists and will provide the Proxy Voting Director with a Conflicts Report for each referral item that (1) describes any conflict of interest; (2) discusses the procedures used to address such conflict of interest; and (3) discloses any contacts from parties outside Putnam Management (other than routine communications from proxy solicitors) with respect to the referral item not otherwise reported in an investment professional’s recommendation. The Conflicts Report will also include written confirmation that any recommendation from an investment professional provided under circumstances where a conflict of interest exists was made solely on the investment merits and without regard to any other consideration.

As adopted March 11, 2005 and revised June 12, 2009 and January 24, 2014.

August 31, 2015  II-133 

 



Appendix B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 31, 2015  II-134 

 









Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Trustees of Putnam Funds Trust and Shareholders of
Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund:

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio, 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 Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund (the “fund”) at May 31, 2015, and the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for each of the periods indicated, 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 investments owned at May 31, 2015 by correspondence with the custodian, brokers, and transfer agent, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
July 14, 2015




Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     17








The fund’s portfolio 5/31/15


COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)*

Shares

Value

Advertising and marketing services (0.1%)

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.

536

$17,736

Publicis Groupe SA (France)

510

40,783

58,519

Aerospace and defense (2.7%)

Airbus Group NV (France)

300

20,428

BAE Systems PLC (United Kingdom)

7,116

56,012

General Dynamics Corp.

3,235

453,418

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc.

1,005

124,610

Northrop Grumman Corp.

2,287

364,045

Orbital ATK, Inc.

42

3,213

Raytheon Co.

1,037

107,081

Safran SA (France)

1,122

79,372

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. Class A †

1,484

81,012

Triumph Group, Inc.

169

11,271

1,300,462

Agriculture (—%)

Andersons, Inc. (The)

158

7,006

7,006

Airlines (1.0%)

Air Arabia PJSC (United Arab Emirates) †

38,720

16,867

ANA Holdings, Inc. (Japan)

25,000

68,756

Delta Air Lines, Inc.

512

21,975

Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. †

694

16,809

JetBlue Airways Corp. †

829

16,713

Southwest Airlines Co.

9,515

352,530

493,650

Automotive (1.6%)

Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW) AG (Germany)

410

45,346

Dana Holding Corp.

445

9,688

Denso Corp. (Japan)

600

31,286

Dogus Otomotiv Servis ve Ticaret AS (Turkey)

2,138

13,571

Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd. (Japan)

2,200

82,831

Harley-Davidson, Inc.

2,663

142,444

Lear Corp.

1,141

132,379

Peugeot SA (France) †

2,222

46,368

Remy International, Inc.

198

4,376

Tata Motors, Ltd. (India)

3,864

29,128

Toyota Motor Corp. (Japan)

1,800

124,107

Valeo SA (France)

387

61,780

Visteon Corp. †

122

13,361

736,665

Banking (8.3%)

Access National Corp.

187

4,026

Australia & New Zealand Banking Group, Ltd. (Australia)

1,410

35,595

Axis Bank, Ltd. (India)

2,695

24,643

Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA (Spain)

3,420

33,779

Banco Latinoamericano de Exportaciones SA Class E (Panama)

429

13,012

Banco Santander SA (Spain)

6,369

45,356

Bank of America Corp.

42,797

706,151





18     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Banking cont.

Bank of China, Ltd. (China)

54,000

$35,828

Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (The)

1,917

83,121

Bank of Yokohama, Ltd. (The) (Japan)

7,000

43,400

Bankia SA (Spain) †

20,036

25,901

Barclays PLC (United Kingdom)

4,824

19,907

BNP Paribas SA (France)

667

40,240

BofI Holding, Inc. †

135

12,712

Cardinal Financial Corp.

358

7,389

China Construction Bank Corp. (China)

62,000

62,283

Citizens & Northern Corp.

224

4,343

Commercial International Bank Egypt SAE GDR (Egypt)

5,661

38,721

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Australia)

1,812

117,080

Credicorp, Ltd. (Peru)

67

9,456

Credit Agricole SA (France)

4,485

66,967

Credit Suisse Group AG (Switzerland)

828

21,946

Customers Bancorp, Inc. †

561

14,081

DBS Group Holdings, Ltd. (Singapore)

3,100

46,479

Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC (United Arab Emirates) †

24,276

44,877

East West Bancorp, Inc.

137

5,877

Farmers Capital Bank Corp. †

172

4,728

FCB Financial Holdings, Inc. Class A †

406

11,681

Federal Bank, Ltd. (India)

9,210

20,669

Financial Institutions, Inc.

237

5,468

First Community Bancshares, Inc.

231

3,858

First NBC Bank Holding Co. †

289

9,823

FirstMerit Corp.

282

5,538

Flushing Financial Corp.

252

4,884

Gentera SAB de CV (Mexico)

11,969

20,559

Grupo Financiero Banorte SAB de CV (Mexico)

5,310

29,962

Hang Seng Bank, Ltd. (Hong Kong)

3,500

70,154

Hanmi Financial Corp.

486

10,753

Heartland Financial USA, Inc.

155

5,282

Heritage Financial Group, Inc.

246

6,659

Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, Ltd. (China)

50,000

43,522

Itau Unibanco Holding SA ADR (Preference) (Brazil)

1,774

18,982

Joyo Bank, Ltd. (The) (Japan)

7,000

37,754

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

12,231

804,555

King’s Town Bank Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)

33,000

32,310

Lloyds Banking Group PLC (United Kingdom)

80,610

108,136

MainSource Financial Group, Inc.

354

7,087

Meta Financial Group, Inc.

136

5,458

National Australia Bank, Ltd. (Rights) (Australia) F†

110

448

National Australia Bank, Ltd. (Australia)

1,497

39,050

Opus Bank

224

7,076

Pacific Premier Bancorp, Inc. †

237

3,733

PacWest Bancorp

96

4,309

Peoples Bancorp, Inc.

223

5,149

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

1,008

96,456





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     19









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Banking cont.

Popular, Inc. (Puerto Rico) †

187

$6,076

Republic Bancorp, Inc. Class A

141

3,463

Resona Holdings, Inc. (Japan)

13,300

75,886

Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (Sweden)

3,760

46,435

State Street Corp.

6,549

510,364

Swedbank AB Class A (Sweden)

1,812

42,503

Talmer Bancorp, Inc. Class A

435

6,912

UniCredit SpA (Italy)

4,844

33,889

United Community Banks, Inc.

245

4,692

Wells Fargo & Co.

3,388

189,592

Westpac Banking Corp. (Australia)

1,671

42,675

3,949,700

Basic materials (0.1%)

Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (Japan)

3,000

46,179

U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc.

199

6,139

52,318

Beverage (1.0%)

Anheuser-Busch InBev NV (Belgium)

551

66,235

Diageo PLC (United Kingdom)

1,264

35,074

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inc.

3,985

305,410

Heineken Holding NV (Netherlands)

668

46,456

SABMiller PLC (United Kingdom)

618

33,003

486,178

Biotechnology (2.2%)

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

556

38,686

Applied Genetic Technologies Corp. †

187

3,749

Ardelyx, Inc. †

655

7,172

ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

2,001

18,369

Avalanche Biotechnologies, Inc. †

84

3,132

Bluebird Bio, Inc. †

52

10,101

Celgene Corp. †

3,007

344,121

Dyax Corp. †

184

4,847

Dynavax Technologies Corp. †

600

13,662

Emergent BioSolutions, Inc. †

315

10,036

Gilead Sciences, Inc. †

4,708

528,566

Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

144

9,694

Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

47

4,141

Medicines Co. (The) †

193

5,473

Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

583

6,879

Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. †

126

5,526

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

121

3,015

Prothena Corp. PLC (Ireland) †

462

18,221

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. †

102

5,925

Puma Biotechnology, Inc. †

22

4,300

Repligen Corp. †

266

10,842

Retrophin, Inc. †

155

4,904

Sage Therapeutics, Inc. †

61

4,567

1,065,928





20     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Broadcasting (1.8%)

Discovery Communications, Inc. Class A †

14,398

$488,668

ITV PLC (United Kingdom)

18,721

77,914

Liberty Media Corp. Class A †

1,701

65,174

Scripps Networks Interactive Class A

1,107

74,180

Sirius XM Holdings, Inc. †

41,532

160,314

866,250

Building materials (0.1%)

Geberit International AG (Switzerland)

128

46,033

PGT, Inc. †

1,116

13,347

59,380

Capital goods (—%)

OM Group, Inc.

216

5,733

Stoneridge, Inc. †

554

6,609

12,342

Chemicals (2.6%)

Aceto Corp.

170

4,007

AK Holdings, Inc. (South Korea)

158

13,100

BASF SE (Germany)

576

53,267

Cabot Corp.

119

4,935

Cambrex Corp. †

532

21,291

EMS-Chemie Holding AG (Switzerland)

83

35,347

Innophos Holdings, Inc.

140

7,295

Innospec, Inc.

191

8,190

Koppers Holdings, Inc.

578

14,924

Kraton Performance Polymers, Inc. †

175

4,156

LG Chemical, Ltd. (South Korea)

66

14,789

LSB Industries, Inc. †

488

20,755

LyondellBasell Industries NV Class A

5,194

525,112

Minerals Technologies, Inc.

65

4,375

Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd. (Japan)

1,800

55,565

Orion Engineered Carbons SA (Luxembourg)

437

8,806

PolyOne Corp.

164

6,378

Sherwin-Williams Co. (The)

1,214

349,851

Soulbrain Co., Ltd. (South Korea)

496

20,571

Syngenta AG (Switzerland)

129

58,402

1,231,116

Commercial and consumer services (1.0%)

Adecco SA (Switzerland)

429

34,097

Babcock International Group PLC (United Kingdom)

2,135

36,710

Bunzl PLC (United Kingdom)

1,592

46,134

Bureau Veritas SA (France)

1,143

26,193

CEB, Inc.

63

5,329

Compass Group PLC (United Kingdom)

3,560

62,246

Ctrip.com International, Ltd. ADR (China) †

494

39,456

Deluxe Corp.

326

20,809

Ennis, Inc.

296

4,979

Experian PLC (United Kingdom)

2,005

38,183

Global Cash Access Holdings, Inc. †

721

5,573

Green Dot Corp. Class A †

204

2,989

Horizon Pharma PLC †

172

5,578





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     21









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Commercial and consumer services cont.

Landauer, Inc.

269

$9,168

LifeLock, Inc. †

330

5,023

Monster Worldwide, Inc. †

2,221

13,481

Net 1 UEPS Technologies, Inc. (South Africa) †

1,726

25,027

Pitney Bowes, Inc.

315

6,883

Qualicorp SA (Brazil)

1,600

9,541

RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. Class A

334

11,172

Securitas AB Class B (Sweden)

3,457

46,950

Sotheby’s Class A

193

8,652

464,173

Computers (4.8%)

A10 Networks, Inc. †

1,134

6,861

Apigee Corp. †

327

4,594

Apple, Inc.

12,101

1,576,518

Aspen Technology, Inc. †

154

6,591

AVG Technologies NV (Netherlands) †

218

5,345

Blackbaud, Inc.

139

7,125

Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.

1,703

21,058

Constant Contact, Inc. †

146

3,980

Cornerstone OnDemand, Inc. †

151

4,701

Cray, Inc. †

183

5,596

EMC Corp.

11,437

301,251

Fujitsu, Ltd. (Japan)

6,000

33,549

HCL Technologies, Ltd. (India)

1,218

19,274

Ixia †

1,078

13,561

Lexmark International, Inc. Class A

119

5,472

MTS Systems Corp.

63

4,287

Netscout Systems, Inc. †

58

2,325

Nimble Storage, Inc. †

147

3,804

QAD, Inc. Class A

304

7,266

Quantum Corp. †

2,927

5,971

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.

138

8,132

Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. †

145

6,386

VeriFone Systems, Inc. †

245

9,352

Verint Systems, Inc. †

138

8,924

Xerox Corp.

16,351

186,728

2,258,651

Conglomerates (0.1%)

Exor SpA (Italy)

616

30,661

Siemens AG (Germany)

352

37,029

67,690

Construction (0.4%)

Chicago Bridge & Iron Co. NV

233

12,643

China Singyes Solar Technologies Holdings, Ltd. (China)

12,000

18,578

Continental Building Products, Inc. †

692

15,432

DMCI Holdings, Inc. (Philippines)

41,100

12,258

IRB Infrastructure Developers, Ltd. (India)

9,714

37,461

Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster NV (Netherlands)

739

36,617

Matrix Service Co. †

514

8,671





22     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Construction cont.

Mota-Engil Africa NV (Angola) †

450

$3,138

Mota-Engil SGPS SA (Portugal) †

5,746

15,398

US Concrete, Inc. †

228

8,616

Wendel SA (France)

326

41,551

210,363

Consumer (0.7%)

Kimberly-Clark Corp.

2,880

313,517

Swatch Group AG (The) (Switzerland) †

57

22,634

336,151

Consumer finance (0.4%)

Cardtronics, Inc. †

262

9,563

Chailease Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)

13,500

34,016

Dewan Housing Finance Corp., Ltd. (India)

4,798

33,101

Encore Capital Group, Inc. †

280

11,119

Far East Horizon, Ltd. (China)

24,000

23,307

Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corp. Class C

174

5,493

Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Co., Ltd. (Japan)

8,800

46,092

Nelnet, Inc. Class A

291

11,963

PRA Group, Inc. †

149

8,457

183,111

Consumer goods (0.6%)

Avon Products, Inc.

473

3,179

Colgate-Palmolive Co.

1,245

83,154

Coty, Inc. Class A †

474

11,817

Kao Corp. (Japan)

1,400

63,472

L’Oreal SA (France)

252

47,591

Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC (United Kingdom)

445

40,162

Unilever NV ADR (Netherlands)

1,014

43,244

292,619

Consumer services (0.5%)

Geo Group, Inc. (The) R

85

3,224

Liberty Interactive Corp. Class A †

3,866

108,132

Liberty Ventures Ser. A †

2,568

106,572

RetailMeNot, Inc. †

572

11,532

Shutterfly, Inc. †

48

2,232

TrueBlue, Inc. †

456

12,987

244,679

Containers (0.6%)

Crown Holdings, Inc. †

4,753

262,793

262,793

Distribution (0.1%)

Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. †

304

9,533

SpartanNash Co.

347

10,847

United Natural Foods, Inc. †

73

4,896

25,276

Electric utilities (2.5%)

AES Corp.

4,403

59,881

Alliant Energy Corp.

355

21,762

American Electric Power Co., Inc.

5,889

331,492

China Resources Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (China)

12,000

33,345

Enel SpA (Italy)

10,085

48,935





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     23









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Electric utilities cont.

Enersis SA ADR (Chile)

1,128

$19,187

Entergy Corp.

5,503

420,814

First Gen Corp. (Philippines)

29,900

18,050

Huadian Fuxin Energy Corp, Ltd. (China)

40,000

20,971

Korea Electric Power Corp. (South Korea)

345

14,323

Malakoff Corp. Bhd (Malaysia) †

27,300

13,181

OGE Energy Corp.

496

15,624

Power Assets Holdings, Ltd. (Hong Kong)

4,000

38,287

Red Electrica Corporacion SA (Spain)

966

81,248

Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc. (Japan) †

11,000

62,614

1,199,714

Electrical equipment (0.2%)

ABB, Ltd. (Switzerland)

2,285

49,986

Jiangnan Group, Ltd. (China)

72,000

22,279

LS Industrial Systems Co., Ltd. (South Korea)

233

11,141

OSRAM Licht AG (Germany)

627

33,048

116,454

Electronics (3.2%)

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

4,459

183,666

Avago Technologies, Ltd.

1,629

241,206

Brother Industries, Ltd. (Japan)

2,700

42,138

Casetek Holdings, Ltd. (Taiwan)

3,000

21,041

Cavium, Inc. †

47

3,307

Ceva, Inc. †

419

8,606

Cirrus Logic, Inc. †

176

6,644

DSP Group, Inc. †

924

10,330

EnerSys

249

16,593

Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. †

249

4,960

FANUC Corp. (Japan)

400

87,904

Hollysys Automation Technologies, Ltd. (China)

830

21,132

Hoya Corp. (Japan)

2,100

77,186

Infineon Technologies AG (Germany)

3,905

50,909

L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc.

2,284

269,078

Marvell Technology Group, Ltd.

9,187

128,526

Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. (Israel) †

140

7,045

Mentor Graphics Corp.

676

17,650

Microsemi Corp. †

163

5,932

Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.

92

5,023

ON Semiconductor Corp. †

550

7,293

Plexus Corp. †

297

13,508

QLogic Corp. †

1,663

25,810

Qorvo, Inc. †

292

23,988

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea)

109

128,265

Sanmina Corp. †

281

6,086

Semtech Corp. †

150

3,204

SK Hynix, Inc. (South Korea)

672

30,770

Skyworth Digital Holdings, Ltd. (China)

14,000

13,376

Synaptics, Inc. †

303

30,191





24     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Electronics cont.

Wasion Group Holdings, Ltd. (Hong Kong)

10,000

$15,456

Woodward, Inc.

332

16,912

1,523,735

Energy (oil field) (1.5%)

Oil States International, Inc. †

751

30,701

Schlumberger, Ltd.

5,819

528,190

Superior Energy Services, Inc.

6,480

149,623

708,514

Energy (other) (0.2%)

Amec Foster Wheeler PLC (United Kingdom)

2,609

37,882

Canadian Solar, Inc. (Canada) †

340

11,104

Green Plains, Inc.

358

11,764

Pacific Ethanol, Inc. †

672

7,735

REX American Resources Corp. †

162

10,347

78,832

Engineering and construction (0.3%)

Drake & Scull International PJSC (United Arab Emirates) †

27,950

5,981

KBR, Inc.

5,318

101,840

KEPCO Plant Service & Engineering Co., Ltd. (South Korea)

124

12,024

119,845

Entertainment (0.4%)

Carmike Cinemas, Inc. †

619

17,227

Eros International PLC †

220

4,389

Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. †

387

11,068

Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corp.

128

11,300

National CineMedia, Inc.

830

13,222

Oriental Land Co., Ltd. (Japan)

500

32,008

Panasonic Corp. (Japan)

5,000

73,303

SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc.

552

11,923

Vail Resorts, Inc.

50

5,187

179,627

Environmental (0.1%)

MSA Safety, Inc.

95

4,247

Sound Global, Ltd. (China) † F S

25,000

18,776

Tetra Tech, Inc.

610

15,958

38,981

Financial (2.3%)

Credit Acceptance Corp. †

23

5,300

CTBC Financial Holding Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)

62,072

47,014

Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)

2,325

479,392

HSBC Holdings PLC (United Kingdom)

10,951

104,224

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (Japan)

8,800

64,842

Morgan Stanley

6,936

264,955

Moscow Exchange MICEX-RTS OAO (Russia)

12,918

17,683

SBI Holdings, Inc. (Japan)

3,100

44,202

Shriram Transport Finance Co., Ltd. (India)

843

10,841

UBS Group AG (Switzerland)

2,569

55,270

1,093,723

Food (3.3%)

Bunge, Ltd.

4,735

438,272

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc.

247

14,002





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     25









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Food cont.

Calbee, Inc. (Japan)

1,000

$38,239

Carrefour SA (France) †

1,350

45,823

Distribuidora Internacional de Alimentacion SA (Spain)

3,413

27,199

DO & CO AG (Turkey)

163

13,744

Farmer Bros Co. †

137

3,363

Gruma SAB de CV Class B (Mexico)

1,897

24,944

JBS SA (Brazil)

5,273

25,816

JG Summit Holdings, Inc. (Philippines)

10,850

16,664

John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc.

394

19,940

Mondelez International, Inc. Class A

14,045

584,132

Nestle SA (Switzerland)

2,241

173,824

Pinnacle Foods, Inc.

366

15,427

Sanderson Farms, Inc.

96

7,827

Sao Martinho SA (Brazil)

1,074

12,010

Shoprite Holdings, Ltd. (South Africa)

1,303

17,275

Unilever PLC (United Kingdom)

761

33,579

WH Group, Ltd. 144A (Hong Kong) †

22,000

16,851

X5 Retail Group NV GDR (Russia) †

822

15,988

1,544,919

Forest products and packaging (0.2%)

Amcor, Ltd. (Australia)

5,070

55,922

Boise Cascade Co. †

184

6,521

Domtar Corp. (Canada)

171

7,391

UPM-Kymmene OYJ (Finland)

2,590

46,452

116,286

Health-care services (3.4%)

Aetna, Inc.

1,297

153,007

AmerisourceBergen Corp.

4,415

496,952

AmSurg Corp. †

157

10,572

Anthem, Inc.

2,554

428,689

Cardinal Health, Inc.

2,879

253,841

Centene Corp. †

97

7,308

Chemed Corp.

193

23,969

Health Net, Inc. †

940

58,506

HealthEquity, Inc. †

314

8,324

HealthSouth Corp.

280

12,085

Kindred Healthcare, Inc.

317

7,262

Mediclinic International, Ltd. (South Africa)

2,444

21,502

Netcare, Ltd. (South Africa)

8,245

26,416

Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. R

131

4,720

Press Ganey Holdings, Inc. †

60

1,642

Providence Service Corp. (The) †

186

8,939

Ramsay Health Care, Ltd. (Australia)

796

38,517

Select Medical Holdings Corp.

830

13,571

Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

639

2,486

Triple-S Management Corp. Class B (Puerto Rico) †

215

5,160

WellCare Health Plans, Inc. †

123

10,537

1,594,005





26     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Household furniture and appliances (0.1%)

Conn’s, Inc. †

268

$9,913

Ethan Allen Interiors, Inc.

388

9,739

Haier Electronics Group Co., Ltd. (China)

6,000

18,137

37,789

Insurance (3.2%)

Ageas (Belgium)

1,307

48,950

AIA Group, Ltd. (Hong Kong)

11,600

76,184

Allianz SE (Germany)

441

69,141

Allied World Assurance Co. Holdings AG

353

14,999

American Equity Investment Life Holding Co.

453

11,511

American International Group, Inc.

314

18,404

Amtrust Financial Services, Inc.

245

14,744

Aon PLC

303

30,670

Aspen Insurance Holdings, Ltd.

532

24,664

Assicurazioni Generali SpA (Italy)

2,872

55,548

AXA SA (France)

1,650

41,526

Axis Capital Holdings, Ltd.

1,076

59,223

BB Seguridade Participacoes SA (Brazil)

2,654

27,779

CNO Financial Group, Inc.

483

8,694

CNP Assurances (France)

3,574

59,096

Employers Holdings, Inc.

635

14,364

Everest Re Group, Ltd.

85

15,428

Federated National Holding Co.

625

16,050

Genworth Financial, Inc. Class A †

24,673

195,904

Hanwha Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (South Korea)

3,181

23,669

HCI Group, Inc.

275

11,888

Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. †

634

13,314

Korean Reinsurance Co. (South Korea)

1,236

13,474

Legal & General Group PLC (United Kingdom)

12,486

50,724

Maiden Holdings, Ltd. (Bermuda)

397

5,550

Muenchener Rueckversicherungs-Gesellschaft AG in Muenchen (Germany)

146

26,939

Old Mutual PLC (South Africa)

4,568

15,451

Prudential Financial, Inc.

4,825

408,243

Prudential PLC (United Kingdom)

1,581

39,315

Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. Class A

232

21,704

Swiss Life Holding AG (Switzerland)

158

37,909

Symetra Financial Corp.

397

9,711

United Insurance Holdings Corp.

897

12,935

1,493,705

Investment banking/Brokerage (0.3%)

Ashford, Inc. †

6

579

China Cinda Asset Management Co., Ltd. (China) †

47,000

29,753

Deutsche Bank AG (Germany)

1,076

32,398

Gain Capital Holdings, Inc.

741

6,891

Huatai Securities Co., Ltd. 144A (China) †

3,200

10,235

KCG Holdings, Inc. Class A †

1,043

14,070





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     27









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Investment banking/Brokerage cont.

NorthStar Asset Management Group, Inc.

2,168

$47,436

Oppenheimer Holdings, Inc. Class A

256

6,641

148,003

Leisure (0.1%)

Shimano, Inc. (Japan)

300

42,442

Smith & Wesson Holding Corp. †

777

11,430

53,872

Lodging/Tourism (1.1%)

Grand Korea Leisure Co., Ltd. (South Korea)

508

19,024

Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc. †

8,679

251,344

Marcus Corp.

467

9,153

Marriott International, Inc./MD Class A

630

49,134

MGM China Holdings, Ltd. (Hong Kong)

12,800

23,217

Wyndham Worldwide Corp.

1,782

151,310

503,182

Machinery (1.1%)

Altra Industrial Motion Corp.

379

10,423

Atlas Copco AB Class A (Sweden)

2,421

73,199

Atlas Copco AB Class A (Sweden) †

2,421

1,689

Hyster-Yale Materials Holdings, Inc.

63

4,470

Kadant, Inc.

210

9,891

Middleby Corp. (The) †

49

5,326

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (Japan)

6,000

81,883

Roper Technologies, Inc.

1,665

291,308

THK Co., Ltd. (Japan)

1,600

38,396

516,585

Manufacturing (1.0%)

AZZ, Inc.

115

5,512

Chase Corp.

92

3,747

Greenbrier Cos., Inc. (The)

279

16,804

IDEX Corp.

1,194

92,248

Illinois Tool Works, Inc.

1,004

94,205

Ingersoll-Rand PLC

1,613

110,942

Leggett & Platt, Inc.

1,843

87,137

MasTec, Inc. †

679

11,991

Standex International Corp.

100

8,001

Trinity Industries, Inc.

381

11,426

Trinseo SA †

704

20,564

462,577

Media (0.5%)

Naspers, Ltd. Class N (South Africa)

278

40,861

Viacom, Inc. Class B

3,235

216,357

257,218

Medical technology (1.3%)

Accuray, Inc. †

586

3,601

Alere, Inc. †

468

24,139

AtriCure, Inc. †

227

5,207

C.R. Bard, Inc.

1,068

181,902

CHC Healthcare Group (Taiwan)

7,000

11,652

Coloplast A/S Class B (Denmark)

967

73,029

Conmed Corp.

197

10,941





28     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Medical technology cont.

Edwards Lifesciences Corp. †

1,456

$190,328

Globus Medical, Inc. Class A †

242

6,277

Greatbatch, Inc. †

295

15,334

Hill-Rom Holdings, Inc.

250

12,890

ICU Medical, Inc. †

215

20,855

Insulet Corp. †

126

3,562

MiMedx Group, Inc. †

535

5,537

OraSure Technologies, Inc. †

925

5,726

RadNet, Inc. †

810

5,273

Rockwell Medical, Inc. †

982

10,871

Sientra, Inc. †

112

2,523

Spectranetics Corp. (The) †

260

6,456

STAAR Surgical Co. †

446

4,166

Steris Corp.

73

4,879

Surgical Care Affiliates, Inc. †

274

10,409

Trinity Biotech PLC ADR (Ireland)

160

2,768

West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc.

257

13,914

632,239

Metals (0.8%)

Antofagasta PLC (United Kingdom)

2,050

23,374

ArcelorMittal SA (France)

2,591

27,598

BHP Billiton PLC (Australia)

1,419

29,919

BHP Billiton, Ltd. (Australia)

1,732

38,847

Constellium NV Class A (Netherlands) †

672

9,153

Glencore PLC (Rights) (United Kingdom) F

5,990

139

Glencore PLC (United Kingdom)

5,990

26,362

Hindustan Zinc, Ltd. (India)

4,110

10,876

Horsehead Holding Corp. †

984

12,221

Kaiser Aluminum Corp.

210

17,037

L.B. Foster Co. Class A

103

3,929

Mining and Metallurgical Co. GMK Norilsk Nickel OJSC ADR (Russia)

1,057

18,619

NN, Inc.

478

13,026

Rio Tinto PLC (United Kingdom)

739

32,258

Sibanye Gold, Ltd. (South Africa)

9,842

17,253

South32, Ltd. (Australia) †

1,732

2,900

South32, Ltd. (Australia) †

1,419

2,342

ThyssenKrupp AG (Germany)

2,514

66,598

Vale Indonesia Tbk PT (Indonesia)

108,500

25,575

378,026

Natural gas utilities (0.8%)

Centrica PLC (United Kingdom)

8,628

36,607

ENI SpA (Italy)

2,270

40,863

Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (Japan)

12,000

66,092

UGI Corp.

6,086

227,616

371,178

Office equipment and supplies (0.1%)

Canon, Inc. (Japan)

1,400

48,326

48,326





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     29









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Oil and gas (4.8%)

BG Group PLC (United Kingdom)

2,016

$35,034

BP PLC (United Kingdom)

14,087

97,049

Callon Petroleum Co. †

1,681

13,213

CVR Energy, Inc.

826

32,016

Delek US Holdings, Inc.

266

10,071

Diamondback Energy, Inc. †

44

3,424

EP Energy Corp. Class A †

590

7,759

Exxon Mobil Corp.

3,293

280,564

Ezion Holdings, Ltd. (Singapore)

15,300

11,528

Genel Energy PLC (United Kingdom) †

2,389

19,279

Gulfport Energy Corp. †

142

6,129

Marathon Petroleum Corp.

3,548

367,076

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. †

2,066

14,111

Occidental Petroleum Corp.

7,217

564,297

Royal Dutch Shell PLC Class A (United Kingdom)

2,286

67,887

Royal Dutch Shell PLC Class B (United Kingdom)

2,083

62,829

SM Energy Co.

158

8,267

Statoil ASA (Norway)

2,759

51,763

Stone Energy Corp. †

208

2,825

Total SA (France)

1,498

75,641

Triangle Petroleum Corp. †

1,141

5,853

Unit Corp. †

96

3,027

Valero Energy Corp.

8,636

511,597

W&T Offshore, Inc.

229

1,239

Whiting Petroleum Corp. †

244

8,050

Woodside Petroleum, Ltd. (Australia)

967

26,926

2,287,454

Pharmaceuticals (6.2%)

AbbVie, Inc.

3,004

200,036

ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

200

8,240

Akorn, Inc. †

78

3,580

Alimera Sciences, Inc. †

772

3,266

Alkermes PLC †

55

3,361

Astellas Pharma, Inc. (Japan)

3,400

49,341

AstraZeneca PLC (United Kingdom)

1,250

83,537

Bayer AG (Germany)

667

94,611

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. †

494

4,209

Biospecifics Technologies Corp. †

102

4,859

Cardiome Pharma Corp. (Canada) †

1,985

18,996

Conatus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

79

431

Depomed, Inc. †

259

5,403

DexCom, Inc. †

107

7,674

Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

134

5,478

GlaxoSmithKline PLC (United Kingdom)

3,425

76,087

Hua Han Bio-Pharmaceutical Holdings, Ltd. (Rights) (China) F

20,000

1,006

Hua Han Bio-Pharmaceutical Holdings, Ltd. (China)

40,000

8,716

Immune Design Corp. †

159

3,471

Impax Laboratories, Inc. †

335

15,748





30     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Pharmaceuticals cont.

Insys Therapeutics, Inc. †

233

$13,887

Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC †

294

52,729

Johnson & Johnson

2,249

225,215

Merck & Co., Inc.

11,053

673,017

Merck KGaA (Germany)

333

35,612

Novartis AG (Switzerland)

989

101,547

Novo Nordisk A/S Class B (Denmark)

1,349

75,327

Ophthotech Corp. †

133

6,653

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. †

109

8,525

Pernix Therapeutics Holdings †

958

6,102

Pfizer, Inc.

22,794

792,092

POZEN, Inc. †

1,449

9,346

Prestige Brands Holdings, Inc. †

160

7,027

Receptos, Inc. †

99

16,324

Roche Holding AG-Genusschein (Switzerland)

410

120,489

Sanofi (France)

717

70,204

Shionogi & Co., Ltd. (Japan)

1,200

42,198

Shire PLC (United Kingdom)

426

36,689

Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Class A †

389

6,313

TESARO, Inc. †

103

6,052

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. ADR (Israel)

629

37,803

Trevena, Inc. †

311

2,165

uniQure BV (Netherlands) †

133

3,822

XenoPort, Inc. †

1,085

6,467

2,953,655

Photography/Imaging (0.1%)

FUJIFILM Holdings Corp. (Japan)

1,300

49,591

49,591

Real estate (3.8%)

AG Mortgage Investment Trust, Inc. R

108

2,035

Agree Realty Corp. R

206

6,244

American Capital Agency Corp. R

5,004

104,383

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance, Inc. R

297

5,099

Apollo Residential Mortgage, Inc. R

497

7,912

Arlington Asset Investment Corp. Class A

131

2,710

ARMOUR Residential REIT, Inc. R

592

1,770

Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. R

704

6,054

Brixmor Property Group, Inc. R

3,123

77,388

Campus Crest Communities, Inc. R

940

5,320

CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. R

270

4,766

CBRE Group, Inc. Class A †

9,761

373,261

Chimera Investment Corp. R

1,086

15,671

China Overseas Land & Investment, Ltd. (China)

8,000

28,983

China Resources Land, Ltd. (China)

6,444

20,855

CYS Investments, Inc. R

365

3,267

DAMAC Properties Dubai Co. PJSC (United Arab Emirates) †

23,873

19,304

Dexus Property Group (Australia) R

6,543

39,863

Emlak Konut Gayrimenkul Yatirim Ortakligi AS (Turkey) R

20,724

23,274

EPR Properties R

110

6,344





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     31









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Real estate cont.

Equity Lifestyle Properties, Inc. R

399

$21,861

First Industrial Realty Trust R

230

4,487

General Growth Properties R

9,904

280,580

Hammerson PLC (United Kingdom) R

2,771

28,312

Hersha Hospitality Trust R

800

5,088

Invesco Mortgage Capital, Inc. R

175

2,777

Investors Real Estate Trust R

531

3,844

Jones Lang LaSalle, Inc.

861

149,151

Kawasan Industri Jababeka Tbk PT (Indonesia)

467,600

9,629

KWG Property Holding, Ltd. (China)

20,000

19,081

Lexington Realty Trust R

1,018

9,345

LTC Properties, Inc. R

249

10,480

Mexico Real Estate Management SA de CV (Mexico) R

9,100

13,196

MFA Financial, Inc. R

5,720

45,417

National Health Investors, Inc. R

155

10,252

One Liberty Properties, Inc. R

242

5,372

Outfront Media, Inc. R

670

18,566

Post Properties, Inc. R

91

5,170

Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust R

296

5,097

Scentre Group (Australia) R

14,714

44,260

Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. (Japan)

3,000

40,390

Select Income REIT R

188

4,407

Summit Hotel Properties, Inc. R

648

8,657

Taubman Centers, Inc. R

290

21,469

Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd. (Japan)

7,000

54,121

Two Harbors Investment Corp. R

11,083

118,477

Universal Health Realty Income Trust R

52

2,491

Westfield Corp. (Australia) R

5,341

39,245

Wheelock and Co., Ltd. (Hong Kong)

13,000

69,706

1,805,431

Restaurants (0.1%)

Bloomin’ Brands, Inc.

246

5,525

Minor International PCL (Thailand)

12,920

11,714

Papa John’s International, Inc.

118

8,108

Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Inc. †

111

6,173

Sonic Corp.

340

10,248

41,768

Retail (5.7%)

Adidas AG (Germany)

292

22,940

Ascena Retail Group, Inc. †

690

10,198

Big Lots, Inc.

269

11,809

Caleres, Inc.

367

11,351

Children’s Place, Inc. (The)

126

8,240

Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA (Switzerland)

318

27,474

CVS Health Corp.

6,201

634,858

Deckers Outdoor Corp. †

134

9,132

Dillards, Inc. Class A

119

13,805

Five Below, Inc. †

139

4,622

Home Depot, Inc. (The)

6,026

671,417





32     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Retail cont.

Hyundai Department Store Co., Ltd. (South Korea)

144

$19,865

Iconix Brand Group, Inc. †

379

9,786

Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings, Ltd. (Japan)

2,300

38,485

KAR Auction Services, Inc.

2,188

81,525

Koninklijke Ahold NV (Netherlands)

3,225

65,580

Lowe’s Cos., Inc.

5,858

409,943

Macy’s, Inc.

2,848

190,674

Marks & Spencer Group PLC (United Kingdom)

4,887

43,546

Men’s Wearhouse, Inc. (The)

243

14,096

NIKE, Inc. Class B

3,150

320,261

Nutraceutical International Corp. †

160

3,510

Skechers U.S.A., Inc. Class A †

47

4,976

Steven Madden, Ltd. †

121

4,571

USANA Health Sciences, Inc. †

42

5,380

Vista Outdoor, Inc. †

85

3,918

Wal-Mart de Mexico SAB de CV (Mexico)

6,635

16,416

Woolworths, Ltd. (Australia)

702

14,974

2,673,352

Schools (—%)

Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Inc. †

100

5,567

Grand Canyon Education, Inc. †

288

12,300

ITT Educational Services, Inc. †

155

677

18,544

Semiconductor (0.8%)

Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. †

525

14,973

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering, Inc. (Taiwan)

21,000

29,972

Cypress Semiconductor Corp. †

1,366

18,755

Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.

3,346

117,344

Power Integrations, Inc.

107

5,431

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Taiwan)

19,000

90,505

Teradyne, Inc.

5,154

109,007

Xcerra Corp. †

1,503

11,603

397,590

Shipping (1.3%)

Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone, Ltd. (India)

2,173

11,014

Aegean Marine Petroleum Network, Inc. (Greece)

914

12,997

ArcBest Corp.

301

10,291

Saia, Inc. †

267

10,931

Scorpio Tankers, Inc.

760

6,931

Swift Transportation Co. †

897

20,873

Teekay Corp. (Bermuda)

1,158

53,060

United Parcel Service, Inc. Class B

4,784

474,668

600,765

Software (3.3%)

Amdocs, Ltd.

2,541

139,374

Glu Mobile, Inc. †

3,034

19,660

Intuit, Inc.

2,487

259,021

Manhattan Associates, Inc. †

160

8,776

Microsoft Corp.

1,962

91,939

MobileIron, Inc. †

492

2,962





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     33









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Software cont.

NetEase, Inc. ADR (China)

166

$23,474

NTT Data Corp. (Japan)

600

26,547

Oracle Corp.

14,396

626,082

Proofpoint, Inc. †

106

6,268

PROS Holdings, Inc. †

171

3,292

Rovi Corp. †

311

5,212

SAP AG (Germany)

271

20,058

Symantec Corp.

8,687

213,917

SYNNEX Corp.

126

10,416

Tencent Holdings, Ltd. (China)

3,500

69,942

Ultimate Software Group, Inc. †

43

6,957

Veeva Systems, Inc. Class A †

199

5,397

1,539,294

Staffing (0.2%)

Barrett Business Services, Inc.

76

2,737

Kforce, Inc.

441

9,706

Korn/Ferry International

231

7,413

ManpowerGroup, Inc.

507

42,918

On Assignment, Inc. †

707

26,505

89,279

Technology (0.2%)

CACI International, Inc. Class A †

155

13,271

SoftBank Corp. (Japan)

1,000

59,696

72,967

Technology services (3.9%)

Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. ADR (China) †

365

32,602

Baidu, Inc. ADR (China) †

274

54,088

Barracuda Networks, Inc. †

164

6,452

Computer Sciences Corp.

3,690

253,134

Dun & Bradstreet Corp. (The)

410

52,451

eBay, Inc. †

9,599

588,995

Engility Holdings, Inc.

361

10,079

Google, Inc. Class A †

1,168

636,934

Infosys, Ltd. (India)

741

23,453

Leidos Holdings, Inc.

2,856

121,380

MAXIMUS, Inc.

84

5,491

NCSoft Corp. (South Korea)

126

22,364

NIC, Inc.

204

3,437

Pandora Media, Inc. †

204

3,809

Perficient, Inc. †

310

5,865

Tyler Technologies, Inc. †

70

8,504

Web.com Group, Inc. †

429

9,725

1,838,763

Telecommunications (2.0%)

ARRIS Group, Inc. †

77

2,542

BT Group PLC (United Kingdom)

10,269

70,110

CalAmp Corp. †

596

11,765

China Mobile, Ltd. (China)

5,000

65,626

Comtech Telecommunications Corp.

451

13,548

EchoStar Corp. Class A †

330

16,533





34     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Telecommunications cont.

Idea Cellular, Ltd. (India)

5,271

$14,259

Inteliquent, Inc.

347

6,118

Iridium Communications, Inc. †

557

5,765

Juniper Networks, Inc.

9,744

270,883

magicJack VocalTec, Ltd. (Israel) †

927

7,648

NeuStar, Inc. Class A †

213

5,819

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. (Japan)

2,700

48,416

Orange SA (France)

2,853

44,996

SBA Communications Corp. Class A †

1,823

203,830

ShoreTel, Inc. †

680

4,678

Spok Holdings, Inc.

265

4,598

TCL Communication Technology Holdings, Ltd. (China)

13,000

13,912

Telefonica SA (Spain)

2,619

37,049

Telenor ASA (Norway) †

1,705

38,658

Telstra Corp., Ltd. (Australia)

10,932

51,739

Vodafone Group PLC (United Kingdom)

7,157

27,932

966,424

Telephone (1.4%)

CenturyLink, Inc.

7,984

265,388

Deutsche Telekom AG (Germany)

3,235

55,587

IDT Corp. Class B

235

4,228

Verizon Communications, Inc.

6,849

338,615

663,818

Textiles (0.5%)

Carter’s, Inc.

1,576

162,675

G&K Services, Inc. Class A

130

9,058

Oxford Industries, Inc.

166

12,594

Sequential Brands Group, Inc. †

515

7,195

VF Corp.

628

44,230

235,752

Tire and rubber (0.3%)

Apollo Tyres, Ltd. (India)

4,688

13,910

Continental AG (Germany)

406

93,753

Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.

362

13,289

120,952

Tobacco (0.8%)

Altria Group, Inc.

1,262

64,614

British American Tobacco PLC (United Kingdom)

958

52,792

Imperial Tobacco Group PLC (United Kingdom)

1,161

59,800

Philip Morris International, Inc.

2,256

187,406

364,612

Transportation services (0.2%)

ComfortDelgro Corp., Ltd. (Singapore)

21,100

47,860

Deutsche Post AG (Germany)

1,226

36,955

Matson, Inc.

98

3,947

Universal Truckload Services, Inc.

31

627

89,389

Trucks and parts (0.5%)

Allison Transmission Holdings, Inc.

5,585

170,901

American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings, Inc. †

196

4,922

Cooper-Standard Holding, Inc. †

166

10,387





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     35









COMMON STOCKS (94.9%)* cont.

Shares

Value

Trucks and parts cont.

Douglas Dynamics, Inc.

148

$3,004

Meritor, Inc. †

808

11,562

Miller Industries, Inc.

243

4,984

Standard Motor Products, Inc.

355

12,485

Tenneco, Inc. †

100

5,872

Tower International, Inc. †

266

7,318

Wabash National Corp. †

1,047

14,176

245,611

Water utilities (0.1%)

United Utilities Group PLC (United Kingdom)

3,475

52,899

52,899

Total common stocks (cost $39,145,538)


$44,990,265



INVESTMENT COMPANIES (0.9%)*

Shares

Value

ChinaAMC CSI 300 Index ETF (China)

3,000

$23,712

Hercules Technology Growth Capital, Inc.

413

5,299

iShares MSCI EAFE ETF

5,110

340,530

Market Vectors Russia ETF (Russia)

912

17,282

Market Vectors Vietnam ETF (Vietnam)

589

10,419

Medley Capital Corp.

886

8,302

Solar Capital, Ltd.

354

6,768

Total investment companies (cost $409,797)


$412,312



WARRANTS (0.2%)* †

Expiration date

Strike
price

Warrants

Value

AI Tayyar Travel Group 144A (Saudi Arabia)

6/10/15

$0.00

459

$13,134

China State Construction Engineering Corp., Ltd. 144A (China)

4/16/16

0.00

10,000

15,020

Daqin Railway Co., Ltd. 144A (China)

3/31/16

0.00

9,176

18,046

Kuwait Food Co. (Americana) 144A (Kuwait)

2/24/16

0.00

1,162

10,126

Qingdao Haier Co., Ltd. 144A (China)

3/16/17

0.00

4,000

18,953

Wuliangye Yibin Co., Ltd. 144A (China)

4/15/16

0.00

4,300

18,612

Total warrants (cost $91,071)


$93,891



PURCHASED OPTIONS
OUTSTANDING (0.0%)*

Expiration date/strike price

Contract amount

Value

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (Put)

Jun-15/$35.00

$28,165

$306

Total purchased options outstanding (cost $18,871)


$306



SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (7.6%)*

Principal amount/shares

Value

Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC 0.23% d

Shares

1,588,925

$1,588,925

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.07% L

Shares

1,617,817

1,617,817

SSgA Prime Money Market Fund Class N 0.03% P

Shares

110,000

110,000

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.02%, August 20, 2015 #

$30,000

29,999

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.02%, August 13, 2015 #

100,000

99,999





36     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (7.6%)* cont.

Principal
amount/shares

Value

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.02%, October 8, 2015

$50,000

$49,997

U.S. Treasury Bills 0.03%, July 2, 2015 #

100,000

99,998

Total short-term investments (cost $3,596,733)


$3,596,735



TOTAL INVESTMENTS

Total investments (cost $43,262,010)

$49,093,509




Key to holding’s abbreviations

ADR

American Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank

ETF

Exchange Traded Fund

GDR

Global Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank

OAO

Open Joint Stock Company

OJSC

Open Joint Stock Company

PJSC

Public Joint Stock Company

Notes to the fund’s portfolio

Unless noted otherwise, the notes to the fund’s portfolio are for the close of the fund’s reporting period, which ran from June 1, 2014 through May 31, 2015 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.

*

Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $47,394,650.

†

This security is non-income-producing.

#

This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.

d

Affiliated company. See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding securities lending. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

F

This security is valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities’ valuation inputs. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was also used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio (Note 1).

L

Affiliated company (Note 5). The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.

P

This security was pledged, or purchased with cash that was pledged, to the fund for collateral on certain derivative contracts. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period (Note 1).

R

Real Estate Investment Trust.

S

Security on loan, in part or in entirety, at the close of the reporting period (Note 1).

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $151,305 to cover certain derivative contracts, and the settlement of certain securities.

144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     37









DIVERSIFICATION BY COUNTRY

Distribution of investments by country of risk at the close of the reporting period, excluding collateral received, if any (as a percentage of Portfolio Value):

United States

76.4%

Japan

4.0 

United Kingdom

3.7 

China

1.8 

France

1.8 

Switzerland

1.7 

Germany

1.6 

Australia

1.3 

Hong Kong

0.7 

South Korea

0.7 

Taiwan

0.6 

Spain

0.5 

India

0.5 

Other

4.7 

Total

100.0%




FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 5/31/15 (aggregate face value $8,977,166)

Counterparty

Currency

Contract
type

Delivery
date

Value

Aggregate
face value

Unrealized
appreciation/
(depreciation)


Bank of America N.A.

Australian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

$3,433

$3,416

$17

British Pound

Buy

6/17/15

16,810

16,909

(99)

Canadian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

361,041

354,471

(6,570)

Euro

Buy

6/17/15

302,090

307,754

(5,664)

Mexican Peso

Buy

7/15/15

43,800

44,235

(435)

Norwegian Krone

Buy

6/17/15

8,772

8,209

563


Barclays Bank PLC

Australian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

45,157

46,855

(1,698)

British Pound

Buy

6/17/15

24,452

24,897

(445)

Canadian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

10,446

10,007

(439)

Euro

Sell

6/17/15

10,655

10,086

(569)

Hong Kong Dollar

Sell

8/19/15

12,380

12,389

9

Japanese Yen

Sell

8/19/15

177,481

182,632

5,151

Mexican Peso

Buy

7/15/15

45,774

46,470

(696)

New Zealand Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

45,794

48,638

2,844

Norwegian Krone

Buy

6/17/15

42,960

41,298

1,662

Singapore Dollar

Sell

8/19/15

98,703

100,310

1,607

Swedish Krona

Sell

6/17/15

69,872

70,086

214

Swiss Franc

Buy

6/17/15

160,000

155,326

4,674


Citibank, N.A.

Australian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

50,726

50,501

(225)

British Pound

Buy

6/17/15

18,645

18,493

152

Canadian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

69,990

69,073

(917)

Chilean Peso

Buy

7/15/15

1,193

1,219

(26)

Danish Krone

Sell

6/17/15

26,452

28,873

2,421

Euro

Buy

6/17/15

46,028

47,730

(1,702)

Japanese Yen

Sell

8/19/15

48,898

50,345

1,447

Mexican Peso

Buy

7/15/15

53,892

54,700

(808)

New Zealand Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

15,548

16,529

(981)

Norwegian Krone

Buy

6/17/15

16,220

15,385

835





38     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund










FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 5/31/15 (aggregate face value $8,977,166) cont.

Counterparty

Currency

Contract
type

Delivery
date

Value

Aggregate
face value

Unrealized
appreciation/
(depreciation)


Citibank, N.A. cont.

Philippine Peso

Buy

8/19/15

$17,284

$17,293

$(9)

Swedish Krona

Sell

6/17/15

22,149

21,655

(494)

Swiss Franc

Sell

6/17/15

639

1,020

381


Credit Suisse International

Australian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

96,341

97,937

(1,596)

British Pound

Buy

6/17/15

101,322

95,266

6,056

Canadian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

16,875

15,050

(1,825)

Euro

Sell

6/17/15

122,154

122,305

151

Indian Rupee

Buy

8/19/15

33,590

33,439

151

Japanese Yen

Buy

8/19/15

642,778

665,265

(22,487)

New Zealand Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

26,006

28,598

2,592

Norwegian Krone

Sell

6/17/15

7,859

7,910

51

Singapore Dollar

Sell

8/19/15

44,131

44,849

718

Swedish Krona

Sell

6/17/15

869

1,768

899

Swiss Franc

Buy

6/17/15

53,334

50,000

3,334


Deutsche Bank AG

Australian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

27,689

26,714

(975)

British Pound

Buy

6/17/15

42,179

42,425

(246)

Canadian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

55,446

54,472

(974)

Euro

Buy

6/17/15

244,308

229,930

14,378

Japanese Yen

Sell

8/19/15

12,539

12,978

439

New Zealand Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

17,384

18,200

(816)

Norwegian Krone

Sell

6/17/15

22,844

22,992

148

Polish Zloty

Sell

6/17/15

37,176

37,299

123

Swedish Krona

Sell

6/17/15

32,766

33,483

717

Swiss Franc

Sell

6/17/15

8,303

8,187

(116)

Turkish Lira

Buy

6/17/15

14,506

15,648

(1,142)


Goldman Sachs International

Australian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

40,581

40,327

254

British Pound

Buy

6/17/15

17,269

17,803

(534)

Canadian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

8,437

8,289

(148)

Euro

Sell

6/17/15

121,385

124,205

2,820

Japanese Yen

Buy

8/19/15

288,485

298,632

(10,147)

New Zealand Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

38,868

40,695

(1,827)

Norwegian Krone

Sell

6/17/15

11,216

11,292

76


HSBC Bank USA, National Association

Australian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

16,629

17,662

(1,033)

British Pound

Sell

6/17/15

104,225

113,017

8,792

Canadian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

47,169

46,522

(647)

Euro

Sell

6/17/15

46,357

47,156

799

Japanese Yen

Buy

8/19/15

32,710

33,862

(1,152)

New Zealand Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

14,558

15,235

(677)

Swedish Krona

Sell

6/17/15

20,542

21,272

730





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     39










FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 5/31/15 (aggregate face value $8,977,166) cont.

Counterparty

Currency

Contract
type

Delivery
date

Value

Aggregate
face value

Unrealized
appreciation/
(depreciation)


JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.

Australian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

$32,266

$31,223

$1,043

British Pound

Buy

6/17/15

57,767

57,200

567

Canadian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

128,972

128,757

215

Euro

Sell

6/17/15

553,098

586,478

33,380

Indian Rupee

Buy

8/19/15

3,532

3,526

6

Japanese Yen

Sell

8/19/15

767,506

794,539

27,033

Mexican Peso

Buy

7/15/15

40,310

40,942

(632)

New Zealand Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

16,395

18,266

1,871

Norwegian Krone

Buy

6/17/15

55,385

54,866

519

Philippine Peso

Buy

8/19/15

29,106

29,090

16

Singapore Dollar

Sell

8/19/15

43,391

43,807

416

Swedish Krona

Buy

6/17/15

6,183

8,678

(2,495)

Swiss Franc

Buy

6/17/15

13,200

12,552

648


Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)

Australian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

26,316

27,224

(908)

British Pound

Buy

6/17/15

37,900

39,560

(1,660)

Canadian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

27,080

29,350

(2,270)

Euro

Buy

6/17/15

18,345

16,747

1,598

Japanese Yen

Sell

8/19/15

65,350

67,080

1,730

New Zealand Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

18,586

19,170

584

Norwegian Krone

Buy

6/17/15

43,385

43,560

(175)

Singapore Dollar

Buy

8/19/15

8,145

8,527

(382)

Swedish Krona

Sell

6/17/15

70,752

70,618

(134)


State Street Bank and Trust Co.

Australian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

25,782

25,299

(483)

Brazilian Real

Buy

7/2/15

41,169

42,452

(1,283)

British Pound

Sell

6/17/15

32,246

31,326

(920)

Canadian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

65,813

65,942

(129)

Chilean Peso

Buy

7/15/15

49

49

—

Euro

Sell

6/17/15

406,778

394,833

(11,945)

Hungarian Forint

Buy

6/17/15

37,887

39,031

(1,144)

Japanese Yen

Sell

8/19/15

160,409

166,324

5,915

New Zealand Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

16,748

17,535

(787)

Norwegian Krone

Sell

6/17/15

14,406

14,496

90

Singapore Dollar

Sell

8/19/15

37,541

37,858

317

Swedish Krona

Buy

6/17/15

24,448

23,695

753

Swiss Franc

Buy

6/17/15

2,768

2,730

38

Turkish Lira

Sell

6/17/15

11,029

9,850

(1,179)


UBS AG

Australian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

3,281

4,215

(934)

British Pound

Sell

6/17/15

1,987

7,524

5,537

Canadian Dollar

Sell

7/15/15

248,381

243,355

(5,026)

Chilean Peso

Buy

7/15/15

49

49

—





40     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund










FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 5/31/15 (aggregate face value $8,977,166) cont.

Counterparty

Currency

Contract
type

Delivery
date

Value

Aggregate
face value

Unrealized
appreciation/
(depreciation)


UBS AG cont.

Euro

Buy

6/17/15

$363,387

$352,797

$10,590

Israeli Shekel

Buy

7/15/15

285

1,008

(723)

Japanese Yen

Sell

8/19/15

161,896

167,607

5,711

New Zealand Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

8,551

8,766

(215)

Norwegian Krone

Buy

6/17/15

20,129

17,661

2,468

Swedish Krona

Buy

6/17/15

352

1,646

(1,294)

Swiss Franc

Sell

6/17/15

201,624

198,845

(2,779)


WestPac Banking Corp.

Australian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

5,721

6,624

(903)

Canadian Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

64,928

63,354

1,574

Euro

Buy

6/17/15

291,654

298,478

(6,824)

Japanese Yen

Buy

8/19/15

185,924

192,462

(6,538)

New Zealand Dollar

Buy

7/15/15

30,670

32,107

(1,437)

Total


$46,506




FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 5/31/15

Number of
contracts

Value

Expiration
date

Unrealized
appreciation/
(depreciation)

Euro STOXX 50 Index (Long)

9

$352,093

Jun-15

$26

FTSE 100 Index (Short)

4

425,782

Jun-15

(3,266)

Russell 2000 Index Mini (Short)

8

995,440

Jun-15

(11,681)

S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Long)

16

1,684,800

Jun-15

21,764

SPI 200 Index (Short)

3

$331,318

Jun-15

3,774

Total


$10,617




WRITTEN OPTIONS OUTSTANDING at 5/31/15 (premiums $12,576)

Expiration date/ strike price

Contract
amount

Value

iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (Put)

Jun-15/$33.00

$28,165

$132

WisdomTree India Earnings ETF (Call)

Jun-15/23.00

2,867

357

Total


$489




OTC TOTAL RETURN SWAP CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 5/31/15

Swap counterparty/
Notional amount

Upfront
premium
received (paid)

Termination
date

Payments
received (paid) by
fund per annum

Total return
received by
or paid by fund


Unrealized
appreciation/
(depreciation)


UBS AG

baskets

102

$—

4/14/16

(3 month USD-LIBOR-BBA plus 55 bp)

A basket (UBSPUTNH) of common stocks

$(523)

Total

$—


$(523)





Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     41









ASC 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of the fund’s investments. The three levels are defined as follows:

Level 1: Valuations based on quoted prices for identical securities in active markets.

Level 2: Valuations based on quoted prices in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

Level 3: Valuations based on inputs that are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the fund’s net assets as of the close of the reporting period:



Valuation inputs

Investments in securities:

Level 1 

Level 2 

Level 3 

Common stocks*:

Basic materials

$1,849,085 

$349,860 

$— 

Capital goods

2,891,151 

232,825 

— 

Communication services

1,232,460 

193,952 

— 

Conglomerates

67,690 

— 

— 

Consumer cyclicals

5,310,837 

547,743 

— 

Consumer staples

3,681,976 

150,200 

— 

Energy

3,036,346 

38,454 

— 

Financials

7,133,269 

1,540,404 

— 

Health care

6,094,397 

151,430 

— 

Technology

6,839,562 

841,029 

— 

Transportation

1,056,174 

127,630 

— 

Utilities and power

1,370,109 

253,682 

— 

Total common stocks

40,563,056 

4,427,209 

— 

Investment companies

$388,600 

$23,712 

$— 

Purchased options outstanding

— 

306 

— 

Warrants

— 

93,891 

— 

Short-term investments

1,727,817 

1,868,918 

— 

Totals by level

$42,679,473 

$6,414,036 

$— 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Valuation inputs

Other financial instruments:

Level 1 

Level 2 

Level 3 

Forward currency contracts

$— 

$46,506 

$— 

Futures contracts

10,617 

— 

— 

Written options outstanding

— 

(489)

— 

Total return swap contracts

— 

(523)

— 

Totals by level

$10,617 

$45,494 

$— 

* Common stock classifications are presented at the sector level, which may differ from the fund’s portfolio presentation.

During the reporting period, transfers within the fair value hierarchy, if any, (other than certain transfers involving non-U.S. equity securities as described in Note 1) did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund’s net assets measured as of the end of the period.

At the start and close of the reporting period, Level 3 investments in securities represented less than 1% of the fund’s net assets and were not considered a significant portion of the fund’s portfolio.


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.




42     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









Statement of assets and liabilities 5/31/15

ASSETS

Investment in securities, at value, including $1,547,641 of securities on loan (Note 1):

Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $40,055,268)

$45,886,767 

Affiliated issuers (identified cost $3,206,742) (Notes 1 and 5)

3,206,742 

Cash

553 

Foreign currency (cost $30,271) (Note 1)

30,388 

Dividends, interest and other receivables

106,464 

Receivable for shares of the fund sold

972,149 

Receivable for investments sold

10,528,805 

Receivable from Manager (Note 2)

7,517 

Receivable for variation margin (Note 1)

12,971 

Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)

167,824 

Prepaid assets

8,905 

Total assets

60,929,085 

LIABILITIES

Payable for investments purchased

11,136,075 

Payable for shares of the fund repurchased

400,814 

Payable for custodian fees (Note 2)

40,659 

Payable for investor servicing fees (Note 2)

16,226 

Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)

3,617 

Payable for administrative services (Note 2)

143 

Payable for variation margin (Note 1)

32,606 

Unrealized depreciation on OTC swap contracts (Note 1)

523 

Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)

121,318 

Written options outstanding, at value (premiums $12,576) (Notes 1 and 3)

489 

Collateral on securities loaned, at value (Note 1)

1,588,925 

Collateral on certain derivative contracts, at value (Note 1)

110,000 

Other accrued expenses

83,040 

Total liabilities

13,534,435 

Net assets

$47,394,650 

REPRESENTED BY

Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)

$39,852,385 

Undistributed net investment income (Note 1)

416,726 

Accumulated net realized gain on investments and foreign currency transactions (Note 1)

1,226,570 

Net unrealized appreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies

5,898,969 

Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding

$47,394,650 

(Continued on next page)


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.




Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     43









Statement of assets and liabilities (Continued)

COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE

Net asset value and redemption price per class A share ($33,993 divided by 2,789 shares)

$12.19 

Offering price per class A share (100/94.25 of $12.19)*

$12.93 

Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share ($47,360,657 divided by 3,884,807 shares)

$12.19 

*

 On single retail sales of less than $50,000. On sales of $50,000 or more the offering price is reduced.


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.




44     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund









Statement of operations Year ended 5/31/15

INVESTMENT INCOME

Dividends (net of foreign tax of $21,277)

$704,702 

Interest (including interest income of $941 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)

1,103 

Securities lending (Note 1)

817 

Total investment income

706,622 

EXPENSES

Compensation of Manager (Note 2)

200,803 

Investor servicing fees (Note 2)

79,357 

Custodian fees (Note 2)

113,622 

Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)

1,370 

Administrative services (Note 2)

885 

Auditing and tax fees

82,832 

Other

42,814 

Fees waived and reimbursed by Manager (Note 2)

(171,017)

Total expenses

350,666 

Expense reduction (Note 2)

(2,919)

Net expenses

347,747 

Net investment income

358,875 

Net realized gain on investments (net of foreign tax of $1,897) (Notes 1 and 3)

3,737,699 

Net realized gain on futures contracts (Note 1)

53,301 

Net realized gain on foreign currency transactions (Note 1)

435,849 

Net realized gain on written options (Notes 1 and 3)

11,480 

Net unrealized appreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies during the year

56,129 

Net unrealized depreciation of investments, futures contracts, swap contracts and written options during the year

(856,182)

Net gain on investments

3,438,276 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

$3,797,151 


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.




Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     45









Statement of changes in net assets

INCREASE IN NET ASSETS

Year ended 5/31/15 

Year ended 5/31/14 

Operations:

Net investment income

$358,875 

$279,502 

Net realized gain on investments and foreign currency transactions

4,238,329 

2,957,898 

Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies

(800,053)

1,494,504 

Net increase in net assets resulting from operations

3,797,151 

4,731,904 

Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):

From ordinary income

Net investment income

Class A

(611)

(280)

Class Y

(491,345)

(198,279)

Net realized short-term gain on investments

Class A

(1,154)

(947)

Class Y

(1,417,444)

(671,328)

From net realized long-term gain on investments

Class A

(2,914)

(1,580)

Class Y

(3,578,504)

(1,120,844)

Increase from capital share transactions (Note 4)

21,147,943 

176,731 

Total increase in net assets

19,453,122 

2,915,377 

NET ASSETS

Beginning of year

27,941,528 

25,026,151 

End of year (including undistributed net investment income of $416,726 and $104,910, respectively)

$47,394,650 

$27,941,528 


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.




46     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund








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Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     47








Financial highlights (For a common share outstanding throughout the period)


INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:

LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:

RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:

Period ended

Net asset value, beginning of period

Net investment income (loss)a

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments

Total from investment operations

From
net investment income

From
net realized gain on investments

Total
distributions

Net asset value, end of period

Total return at net asset value (%)b

Net assets, end of period (in thousands)

Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%)c,d

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%)d

Portfolio turnover (%)

Class A

May 31, 2015

$13.08    

.13    

1.26    

1.39    

(.20)  

(2.08)  

(2.28)  

$12.19    

11.69    

$34    

1.03    

.96    

132    

May 31, 2014

11.81    

.14    

2.14    

2.28    

(.10)  

(.91)  

(1.01)  

13.08    

19.95    

39    

1.08    

1.08    

69    

May 31, 2013

10.11    

.16    

2.60    

2.76    

(.13)  

(.93)  

(1.06)  

11.81    

28.69    

33    

1.06    

1.42    

73    

May 31, 2012

12.28    

.13    

(1.12)   

(.99)   

—    

(1.18)  

(1.18)  

10.11    

(7.40)   

28    

1.07    

1.20    

82    

May 31, 2011

11.53    

.10    

2.79    

2.89    

(.30)  

(1.84)  

(2.14)  

12.28    

26.57    

31    

1.06    

.86    

110    

Class Y

May 31, 2015

$13.09    

.13    

1.25    

1.38    

(.20)  

(2.08)  

(2.28)  

$12.19    

11.59    

$47,361    

1.03    

1.04    

132    

May 31, 2014

11.81    

.13    

2.16    

2.29    

(.10)  

(.91)  

(1.01)  

13.09    

20.04    

27,902    

1.08    

1.08    

69    

May 31, 2013

10.11    

.16    

2.60    

2.76    

(.13)  

(.93)  

(1.06)  

11.81    

28.68    

24,993    

1.06    

1.43    

73    

May 31, 2012

12.28    

.13    

(1.12)  

(.99)   

—    

(1.18)  

(1.18)  

10.11    

(7.41)   

18,698    

1.07    

1.20    

82    

May 31, 2011

11.53    

.11    

2.78    

2.89    

(.30)  

(1.84)  

(2.14)  

12.28    

26.57    

33,597    

1.06    

.87    

110    


a  Per share net investment income (loss) has been determined on the basis of the weighted average number of shares outstanding during the period.

b  Total return assumes dividend reinvestment and does not reflect the effect of sales charges.

c  Includes amounts paid through expense offset and/or brokerage service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

d  Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts (Note 2):


Percentage of
average net assets

May 31, 2015

0.50%

May 31, 2014

0.57 

May 31, 2013

0.76 

May 31, 2012

0.75 

May 31, 2011

0.49 


The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.


48

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund

49








Notes to financial statements 5/31/15

Within the following Notes to financial statements, references to “State Street” represent State Street Bank and Trust Company, references to “the SEC” represent the Securities and Exchange Commission, references to “Putnam Management” represent Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the fund’s manager, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, LLC and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter. Unless otherwise noted, the “reporting period” represents the period from June 1, 2014 through May 31, 2015.

Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund (the fund) is a diversified series of Putnam Funds Trust (the Trust), a Massachusetts business trust registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as an open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek long-term growth by investing mainly in common stocks (growth or value stocks or both) of large and midsize companies worldwide. While Putnam Management typically allocates approximately 75% of the fund’s assets to investments in U.S. companies, and 25% of the fund’s assets to investments in international companies, these allocations may vary. The fund invests mainly in developed countries, but may invest in emerging markets.

The fund offers class A and class Y shares. Class A shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75%, and generally do not pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, but do not bear a distribution fee. Class Y shares are generally only available to corporate and institutional clients and clients in other approved programs. As of the end of the reporting period, all of the Class Y shares are held by the Putnam RetirementReady Funds.

In the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts that may include agreements to indemnify another party under given circumstances. The fund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown as this would involve future claims that may be, but have not yet been, made against the fund. However, the fund’s management team expects the risk of material loss to be remote.

Note 1: Significant accounting policies

The following is a summary of significant accounting policies consistently followed by the fund in the preparation of its financial statements. The preparation of financial statements is in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America and requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the reported amounts of increases and decreases in net assets from operations. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Subsequent events after the Statement of assets and liabilities date through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements.

Investment income, realized and unrealized gains and losses and expenses of the fund are borne pro-rata based on the relative net assets of each class to the total net assets of the fund, except that each class bears expenses unique to that class (including the distribution fees applicable to such classes). Each class votes as a class only with respect to its own distribution plan or other matters on which a class vote is required by law or determined by the Trustees. If the fund were liquidated, shares of each class would receive their pro-rata share of the net assets of the fund. In addition, the Trustees declare separate dividends on each class of shares.

Security valuation Portfolio securities and other investments are valued using policies and procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. The Trustees have formed a Pricing Committee to oversee the implementation of these procedures and have delegated responsibility for valuing the fund’s assets in accordance with these procedures to Putnam Management. Putnam Management has established an internal Valuation Committee that is responsible for making fair value determinations, evaluating the effectiveness of the pricing policies of the fund and reporting to the Pricing Committee.

Investments for which market quotations are readily available are valued at the last reported sales price on their principal exchange, or official closing price for certain markets, and are classified as Level 1 securities under Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (ASC 820). If no sales are reported, as in the case of some securities that are traded OTC, a security is valued at its last reported bid price and is generally categorized as a Level 2 security.

Investments in open-end investment companies (excluding exchange-traded funds), if any, which can be classified as Level 1 or Level 2 securities, are valued based on their net asset value. The net asset value of such investment companies equals the total value of their assets less their liabilities and divided by the number of their outstanding shares.




50     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund








Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the close of the New York Stock Exchange and therefore the closing prices for securities in such markets or on such exchanges may not fully reflect events that occur after such close but before the close of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, on certain days, the fund will fair value foreign equity securities taking into account multiple factors including movements in the U.S. securities markets, currency valuations and comparisons to the valuation of American Depository Receipts, exchange-traded funds and futures contracts. These securities, which would generally be classified as Level 1 securities, will be transferred to Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy when they are valued at fair value. The number of days on which fair value prices will be used will depend on market activity and it is possible that fair value prices will be used by the fund to a significant extent. At the close of the reporting period, fair value pricing was used for certain foreign securities in the portfolio. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate. Short-term securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value, and are classified as Level 2 securities.

To the extent a pricing service or dealer is unable to value a security or provides a valuation that Putnam Management does not believe accurately reflects the security’s fair value, the security will be valued at fair value by Putnam Management in accordance with policies and procedures approved by the Trustees. Certain investments, including certain restricted and illiquid securities and derivatives, are also valued at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. These valuations consider such factors as significant market or specific security events such as interest rate or credit quality changes, various relationships with other securities, discount rates, U.S. Treasury, U.S. swap and credit yields, index levels, convexity exposures, recovery rates, sales and other multiples and resale restrictions. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

To assess the continuing appropriateness of fair valuations, the Valuation Committee reviews and affirms the reasonableness of such valuations on a regular basis after considering all relevant information that is reasonably available. Such valuations and procedures are reviewed periodically by the Trustees. The fair value of securities is generally determined as the amount that the fund could reasonably expect to realize from an orderly disposition of such securities over a reasonable period of time. By its nature, a fair value price is a good faith estimate of the value of a security in a current sale and does not reflect an actual market price, which may be different by a material amount.

Security transactions and related investment income Security transactions are recorded on the trade date (the date the order to buy or sell is executed). Gains or losses on securities sold are determined on the identified cost basis.

Interest income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recorded on the accrual basis. Dividend income, net of any applicable withholding taxes, is recognized on the ex-dividend date except that certain dividends from foreign securities, if any, are recognized as soon as the fund is informed of the ex-dividend date. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded at the fair value of the securities received. Dividends representing a return of capital or capital gains, if any, are reflected as a reduction of cost and/or as a realized gain. All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

Foreign currency translation The accounting records of the fund are maintained in U.S. dollars. The fair value of foreign securities, currency holdings, and other assets and liabilities is recorded in the books and records of the fund after translation to U.S. dollars based on the exchange rates on that day. The cost of each security is determined using historical exchange rates. Income and withholding taxes are translated at prevailing exchange rates when earned or incurred. The fund does not isolate that portion of realized or unrealized gains or losses resulting from changes in the foreign exchange rate on investments from fluctuations arising from changes in the market prices of the securities. Such gains and losses are included with the net realized and unrealized gain or loss on investments. Net realized gains and losses on foreign currency transactions represent net realized exchange gains or losses on closed forward currency contracts, disposition of foreign currencies, currency gains and losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on securities transactions and the difference between the amount of investment income and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the fund’s books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized appreciation and depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

Options contracts The fund uses options contracts to enhance returns on securities owned, to gain exposure to securities and to manage downside risks.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of options contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move




Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     51








unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. Realized gains and losses on purchased options are included in realized gains and losses on investment securities. If a written call option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as an addition to sales proceeds. If a written put option is exercised, the premium originally received is recorded as a reduction to the cost of investments.

Exchange-traded options are valued at the last sale price or, if no sales are reported, the last bid price for purchased options and the last ask price for written options. OTC traded options are valued using prices supplied by dealers.

Options on swaps are similar to options on securities except that the premium paid or received is to buy or grant the right to enter into a previously agreed upon interest rate or credit default contract. Forward premium swap option contracts include premiums that have extended settlement dates. The delayed settlement of the premiums is factored into the daily valuation of the option contracts. In the case of interest rate cap and floor contracts, in return for a premium, ongoing payments between two parties are based on interest rates exceeding a specified rate, in the case of a cap contract, or falling below a specified rate in the case of a floor contract.

Written option contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Futures contracts The fund uses futures contracts to manage exposure to market risk, and to equitize cash.

The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange’s clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.

Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as “variation margin.”

Futures contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Forward currency contracts The fund buys and sells forward currency contracts, which are agreements between two parties to buy and sell currencies at a set price on a future date. These contracts are used to hedge foreign exchange risk.

The U.S. dollar value of forward currency contracts is determined using current forward currency exchange rates supplied by a quotation service. The fair value of the contract will fluctuate with changes in currency exchange rates. The contract is marked to market daily and the change in fair value is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. The fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed when the contract matures or by delivery of the currency. The fund could be exposed to risk if the value of the currency changes unfavorably, if the counterparties to the contracts are unable to meet the terms of their contracts or if the fund is unable to enter into a closing position. Risks may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Forward currency contracts outstanding at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Total return swap contracts The fund entered into OTC total return swap contracts, which are arrangements to exchange a market-linked return for a periodic payment, both based on a notional principal amount, to manage exposure to specific securities, and to gain exposure to a basket of securities.

To the extent that the total return of the security, index or other financial measure underlying the transaction exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the fund will receive a payment from or make a payment to the counterparty. OTC total return swap contracts are marked to market daily based upon quotations from an independent pricing service or market makers and the change, if any, is recorded as an unrealized gain or loss. Payments received or made are recorded as realized gains or losses. Certain OTC total return swap contracts may include extended effective dates. Payments related to these swap contracts are accrued based on the terms of the contract. The fund could be exposed to credit or market risk due to unfavorable changes in the fluctuation of interest rates or in the price of the underlying security or index, the possibility that there is no liquid market for these agreements or that the counterparty may default on its obligation to perform. The fund’s maximum risk of loss from counterparty risk is the fair value of the contract. This risk may be mitigated by having a master




52     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund








netting arrangement between the fund and the counterparty. Risk of loss may exceed amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

OTC total return swap contracts outstanding, including their respective notional amounts at period end, if any, are listed after the fund’s portfolio.

Master agreements The fund is a party to ISDA (International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc.) Master Agreements (Master Agreements) with certain counterparties that govern OTC derivative and foreign exchange contracts entered into from time to time. The Master Agreements may contain provisions regarding, among other things, the parties’ general obligations, representations, agreements, collateral requirements, events of default and early termination. With respect to certain counterparties, in accordance with the terms of the Master Agreements, collateral posted to the fund is held in a segregated account by the fund’s custodian and, with respect to those amounts which can be sold or repledged, is presented in the fund’s portfolio.

Collateral pledged by the fund is segregated by the fund’s custodian and identified in the fund’s portfolio. Collateral can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. Government or related agencies or other securities as agreed to by the fund and the applicable counterparty. Collateral requirements are determined based on the fund’s net position with each counterparty.

Termination events applicable to the fund may occur upon a decline in the fund’s net assets below a specified threshold over a certain period of time. Termination events applicable to counterparties may occur upon a decline in the counterparty’s long-term and short-term credit ratings below a specified level. In each case, upon occurrence, the other party may elect to terminate early and cause settlement of all derivative and foreign exchange contracts outstanding, including the payment of any losses and costs resulting from such early termination, as reasonably determined by the terminating party. Any decision by one or more of the fund’s counterparties to elect early termination could impact the fund’s future derivative activity.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund had a net liability position of $60,335 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. There was no collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements.

Securities lending The fund may lend securities, through its agent, to qualified borrowers in order to earn additional income. The loans are collateralized by cash in an amount at least equal to the fair value of the securities loaned. The fair value of securities loaned is determined daily and any additional required collateral is allocated to the fund on the next business day. The risk of borrower default will be borne by the fund’s agent; the fund will bear the risk of loss with respect to the investment of the cash collateral. Income from securities lending is included in investment income on the Statement of operations. Cash collateral is invested in Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC, a limited liability company managed by an affiliate of Putnam Management. Investments in Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC are valued at its closing net asset value each business day. There are no management fees charged to Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC. At the close of the reporting period, the fund received cash collateral of $1,588,925 and the value of securities loaned amounted to $1,547,641. Certain of these securities were sold prior to the close of the reporting period and are included in Receivable for investments sold on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Interfund lending The fund, along with other Putnam funds, may participate in an interfund lending program pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the SEC. This program allows the fund to borrow from or lend to other Putnam funds that permit such transactions. Interfund lending transactions are subject to each fund’s investment policies and borrowing and lending limits. Interest earned or paid on the interfund lending transaction will be based on the average of certain current market rates. During the reporting period, the fund did not utilize the program.

Lines of credit The fund participates, along with other Putnam funds, in a $392.5 million unsecured committed line of credit and a $235.5 million unsecured uncommitted line of credit, both provided by State Street. Borrowings may be made for temporary or emergency purposes, including the funding of shareholder redemption requests and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the Federal Funds rate plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% for the uncommitted line of credit. A closing fee equal to 0.04% of the committed line of credit and 0.04% of the uncommitted line of credit has been paid by the participating funds. In addition, a commitment fee of 0.11% per annum on any unutilized portion of the committed line of credit is allocated to the participating funds based on their relative net assets and paid quarterly. During the reporting period, the fund had no borrowings against these arrangements.

Federal taxes It is the policy of the fund to distribute all of its taxable income within the prescribed time period and otherwise comply with the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), applicable to regulated investment companies. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.




Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     53








The fund is subject to the provisions of Accounting Standards Codification 740 Income Taxes (ASC 740). ASC 740 sets forth a minimum threshold for financial statement recognition of the benefit of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. The fund did not have a liability to record for any unrecognized tax benefits in the accompanying financial statements. No provision has been made for federal taxes on income, capital gains or unrealized appreciation on securities held nor for excise tax on income and capital gains. Each of the fund’s federal tax returns for the prior three fiscal years remains subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service.

The fund may also be subject to taxes imposed by governments of countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on either income or gains earned or repatriated. The fund accrues and applies such taxes to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized gains as income and/or capital gains are earned. In some cases, the fund may be entitled to reclaim all or a portion of such taxes, and such reclaim amounts, if any, are reflected as an asset on the fund’s books. In many cases, however, the fund may not receive such amounts for an extended period of time, depending on the country of investment.

Distributions to shareholders Distributions to shareholders from net investment income are recorded by the fund on the ex-dividend date. Distributions from capital gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date and paid at least annually. The amount and character of income and gains to be distributed are determined in accordance with income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles.

These differences include temporary and/or permanent differences from losses on wash sale transactions, and from foreign currency gains and losses. Reclassifications are made to the fund’s capital accounts to reflect income and gains available for distribution (or available capital loss carryovers) under income tax regulations. At the close of the reporting period, the fund reclassified $444,897 to increase undistributed net investment income, and $444,897 to decrease accumulated net realized gain.

The tax basis components of distributable earnings and the federal tax cost as of the close of the reporting period were as follows:


Unrealized appreciation

$6,577,307

Unrealized depreciation

(866,674)

Net unrealized appreciation

5,710,633

Undistributed ordinary income

457,482

Undistributed long-term gain

1,043,443

Undistributed short-term gain

310,840

Cost for federal income tax purposes

$43,382,876


Expenses of the Trust Expenses directly charged or attributable to any fund will be paid from the assets of that fund. Generally, expenses of the Trust will be allocated among and charged to the assets of each fund on a basis that the Trustees deem fair and equitable, which may be based on the relative assets of each fund or the nature of the services performed and relative applicability to each fund.

Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a management fee (based on the fund’s average net assets and computed and paid monthly) at annual rates that may vary based on the average of the aggregate net assets of most open-end funds, as defined in the fund’s management contract, sponsored by Putnam Management. Such annual rates may vary as follows:


0.750%

of the first $5 billion,

0.700%

of the next $5 billion,

0.650%

of the next $10 billion,

0.600%

of the next $10 billion,

0.550%

of the next $50 billion,

0.530%

of the next $50 billion,

0.520%

of the next $100 billion and

0.515%

of any excess thereafter.


Putnam Management has contractually agreed, through September 30, 2016, to waive fees or reimburse the fund’s expenses to the extent necessary to limit the cumulative expenses of the fund, exclusive of brokerage, interest, taxes, investment-related expenses, extraordinary expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses and payments under the fund’s investor servicing contract, investment management contract and distribution plans, on a fiscal year-to-date basis to an annual rate of 0.20% of the fund’s average net assets over such fiscal year-to-date period. During the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $171,017 as a result of this limit.




54     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund








Putnam Investments Limited (PIL), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund as determined by Putnam Management from time to time. Putnam Management pays a quarterly sub-management fee to PIL for its services at an annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund managed by PIL.

The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC (PAC), an affiliate of Putnam Management, is authorized by the Trustees to manage a separate portion of the assets of the fund, as designated from time to time by Putnam Management or PIL. Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, pays a quarterly sub-advisory fee to PAC for its services at the annual rate of 0.35% of the average net assets of the portion of the fund’s assets for which PAC is engaged as sub-adviser.

The fund reimburses Putnam Management an allocated amount for the compensation and related expenses of certain officers of the fund and their staff who provide administrative services to the fund. The aggregate amount of all such reimbursements is determined annually by the Trustees.

Custodial functions for the fund’s assets are provided by State Street. Custody fees are based on the fund’s asset level, the number of its security holdings and transaction volumes.

Putnam Investor Services, Inc., an affiliate of Putnam Management, provides investor servicing agent functions to the fund. Putnam Investor Services, Inc. received fees for investor servicing that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (“retail account”) of the fund and each of the other funds in its specified category, which was totaled and then allocated to each fund in the category based on its average daily net assets; (2) a specified rate of the fund’s assets attributable to defined contribution plan accounts; and (3) for the portion of the fund’s fiscal year beginning after January 1, 2015, a specified rate based on the average net assets in retail accounts. Putnam Investor Services has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts will not exceed an annual rate of 0.320% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts. During the reporting period, the expenses for each class of shares related to investor servicing fees were as follows:


Class A

$109

Class Y

79,248

Total

$79,357


The fund has entered into expense offset arrangements with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. and State Street whereby Putnam Investor Services, Inc.’s and State Street’s fees are reduced by credits allowed on cash balances. The fund also reduced expenses through brokerage/service arrangements. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $384 under the expense offset arrangements and by $2,535 under the brokerage/service arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $24, as a quarterly retainer, has been allocated to the fund, and an additional fee for each Trustees meeting attended. Trustees also are reimbursed for expenses they incur relating to their services as Trustees.

The fund has adopted a Trustee Fee Deferral Plan (the Deferral Plan) which allows the Trustees to defer the receipt of all or a portion of Trustees fees payable on or after July 1, 1995. The deferred fees remain invested in certain Putnam funds until distribution in accordance with the Deferral Plan.

The fund has adopted an unfunded noncontributory defined benefit pension plan (the Pension Plan) covering all Trustees of the fund who have served as a Trustee for at least five years and were first elected prior to 2004. Benefits under the Pension Plan are equal to 50% of the Trustee’s average annual attendance and retainer fees for the three years ended December 31, 2005. The retirement benefit is payable during a Trustee’s lifetime, beginning the year following retirement, for the number of years of service through December 31, 2006. Pension expense for the fund is included in Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of operations. Accrued pension liability is included in Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses in the Statement of assets and liabilities. The Trustees have terminated the Pension Plan with respect to any Trustee first elected after 2003.

The fund has adopted a distribution plan (the Plan) pursuant to Rule 12b–1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940. The purpose of the Plan is to compensate Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Putnam Investments, for services provided and expenses incurred in distributing shares of the fund. The Plan provides for payment by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership




Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     55








at an annual rate of up to 0.35% of the average net assets attributable to class A shares. The Trustees currently have not approved payments under the Plan.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% is assessed on certain redemptions of class A shares. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received no money on class A redemptions.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, the cost of purchases and the proceeds from sales, excluding short-term investments, were as follows:


Cost of purchases

Proceeds from sales

Investments in securities (Long-term)

$59,416,593

$43,902,449

U.S. government securities (Long-term)

—

—

Total

$59,416,593

$43,902,449



Written option contract amounts

Written option premiums

Written options outstanding at the beginning of the reporting period

$463 

$896 

Options opened

74,837 

29,235 

Options exercised

— 

— 

Options expired

(26,110)

(10,129)

Options closed

(18,158)

(7,426)

Written options outstanding at the end of the reporting period

$31,032 

$12,576 


Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:


Year ended 5/31/15 

Year ended 5/31/14 

Class A

Shares

Amount

Shares

Amount

Shares sold

2,694 

$36,426 

—

$—

Shares issued in connection with reinvestment of distributions

410 

4,679 

230 

2,807 

3,104 

41,105 

230 

2,807 

Shares repurchased

(3,311)

(43,930)

(2)

(15)

Net increase (decrease)

(207)

$(2,825)

228 

$2,792 



Year ended 5/31/15 

Year ended 5/31/14 

Class Y

Shares

Amount

Shares

Amount

Shares sold

5,506,528 

$68,448,082 

2,146,905 

$26,643,900 

Shares issued in connection with reinvestment of distributions

477,156 

5,487,293 

163,018 

1,990,451 

5,983,684 

73,935,375 

2,309,923 

28,634,351 

Shares repurchased

(4,231,047)

(52,784,607)

(2,293,935)

(28,460,412)

Net increase

1,752,637 

$21,150,768 

15,988 

$173,939 


At the close of the reporting period, Putnam Investments, LLC owned 2,325 class A shares of the fund (83.4% of class A shares outstanding), valued at $28,342.




56     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund








Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which is under common ownership and control, were as follows:


Name of affiliates

Fair value at the beginning of the reporting period

Purchase cost

Sale proceeds

Investment income

Fair value at the end of the reporting period

Putnam Short Term Investment Fund*

$645,569

$12,354,145

$11,381,897

$941

$1,617,817


*Management fees charged to Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

Note 6: Market, credit and other risks

In the normal course of business, the fund trades financial instruments and enters into financial transactions where risk of potential loss exists due to changes in the market (market risk) or failure of the contracting party to the transaction to perform (credit risk). The fund may be exposed to additional credit risk that an institution or other entity with which the fund has unsettled or open transactions will default.

Note 7: Summary of derivative activity

The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held during the period is listed below and was as follows based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:


Purchased equity option contracts (contract amount)

$15,000

Written equity option contracts (contract amount) (Note 3)

$17,000

Futures contracts (number of contracts)

30

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)

$15,900,000

OTC total return swap contracts (notional)

$2,000

Warrants (number of warrants)

33,000


The following is a summary of the fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period:

Fair value of derivative instruments as of the close of the reporting period


Asset derivatives

Liability derivatives

Derivatives not accounted for as hedging instruments under ASC 815

Statement of
assets and
liabilities location

Fair value

Statement of
assets and
liabilities location

Fair value

Foreign exchange
contracts

Receivables

167,824 

Payables

121,318 

Equity contracts

Investments, Receivables, Net assets — Unrealized appreciation

119,761*

Payables, Net assets — Unrealized depreciation

15,959*

Total

$287,585 

$137,277 


*Includes cumulative appreciation/depreciation of futures contracts and/or centrally cleared swaps as reported in the fund’s portfolio. Only current day’s variation margin is reported within the Statement of assets and liabilities.




Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     57








The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments on the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments


Derivatives not accounted for as hedging instruments under ASC 815

Warrants

Options

Futures

Forward
currency
contracts

Total

Foreign exchange
contracts

$— 

$— 

$— 

$423,864 

$423,864 

Equity contracts

6,825 

(579)

53,301 

— 

$59,547 

Total

$6,825 

$(579)

$53,301 

$423,864 

$483,411 


Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments


Derivatives not accounted for as hedging instruments under ASC 815

Warrants

Options

Futures

Forward
currency
contracts

Swaps

Total

Foreign exchange
contracts

$— 

$— 

$— 

55,586 

$— 

$55,586 

Equity contracts

(747)

(5,883)

31,051 

— 

(523)

$23,898 

Total

$(747)

$(5,883)

$31,051 

$55,586 

$(523)

$79,484 





58     Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund








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Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund     59








Note 8: Offsetting of financial and derivative assets and liabilities

The following table summarizes any derivatives, repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements, at the end of the reporting period, that are subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement. For securities lending transactions or borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if any, see Note 1. For financial reporting purposes, the fund does not offset financial assets and financial liabilities that are subject to the master netting agreements in the Statement of assets and liabilities.


Bank of America N.A.

Barclays Bank PLC

Citibank, N.A.

Credit Suisse International

Deutsche Bank AG

Goldman Sachs International

HSBC Bank USA, National Association

JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc.

Royal Bank of Scotland PLC (The)

State Street Bank and Trust Co.

UBS AG

WestPac Banking Corp.

Total

Assets:

OTC Total return swap contracts*#

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

Futures contracts§

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

12,971 

—

—

—

—

12,971 

Forward currency contracts#

580 

16,161 

5,236 

13,952 

15,805 

3,150 

10,321 

65,714 

—

3,912 

7,113 

24,306 

1,574 

167,824 

Purchased options**#

306 

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

306 

Total Assets

$886 

$16,161 

$5,236 

$13,952 

$15,805 

$3,150 

$10,321 

$65,714 

$12,971 

$3,912 

$7,113 

$24,306 

$1,574 

$181,101 

Liabilities:

OTC Total return swap contracts*#

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

523 

—

523 

Futures contracts§

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

32,606 

—

—

—

—

32,606 

Forward currency contracts#

12,768 

3,847 

5,162 

25,908 

4,269 

12,656 

3,509 

3,127 

—

5,529 

17,870 

10,971 

15,702 

121,318 

Written options#

489 

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

—

489 

Total Liabilities

$13,257 

$3,847 

$5,162 

$25,908 

$4,269 

$12,656 

$3,509 

$3,127 

$32,606 

$5,529 

$17,870 

$11,494 

$15,702 

$154,936 

Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets

$(12,371)

$12,314 

$74 

$(11,956)

$11,536 

$(9,506)

$6,812 

$62,587 

$(19,635)

$(1,617)

$(10,757)

$12,812 

$(14,128)

$26,165 

Total collateral received (pledged)†##

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

$62,587 

$—

$—

$—

$—

$—

Net amount

$(12,371)

$12,314 

$74 

$(11,956)

$11,536 

$(9,506)

$6,812 

$—

$(19,635)

$(1,617)

$(10,757)

$12,812 

$(14,128)



*

Excludes premiums, if any. Included in unrealized appreciation and depreciation on OTC swap contracts on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

**

Included with Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

†

Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.

#

Covered by master netting agreement (Note 1).

##

Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

§

Includes current day’s variation margin only as reported on the Statement of assets and liabilities, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts and centrally cleared swap contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund’s portfolio.



60

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund

Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund

61









PUTNAM FUNDS TRUST 
<R>   
Putnam Absolute Return Funds 
 
Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund 
</R>   
FORM N-1A 
PART C 
 
OTHER INFORMATION 

 

Item 28. Exhibits

(a) Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust dated March 21, 2014 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 28, 2014.

(b)(1) Amended and Restated Bylaws dated as of October 17, 2014 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 194 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2014.

(b)(2) Amendment to Amended and Restated Bylaws dated as of April 22, 2016 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 236 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 27, 2016.

(c)(1) Portions of Agreement and Declaration of Trust Relating to Shareholders' Rights -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 28, 2014.

(c)(2) Portions of Bylaws Relating to Shareholders' Rights -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 194 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2014.

(d)(1) Management Contract with Putnam Investment Management, LLC dated February 27, 2014 for Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund, Putnam Dynamic Risk Allocation Fund, Putnam Emerging Markets Income Fund, Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund, Putnam Global Consumer Fund, Putnam Global Energy Fund, Putnam Global Financials Fund, Putnam Global Industrials Fund, Putnam Global Sector Fund, Putnam Global Technology Fund, Putnam Global Telecommunications Fund, Putnam Intermediate-Term Municipal Income Fund, Putnam Low Volatility Equity Fund, Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund, Putnam Multi-Cap Core Fund, Putnam Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 2, Putnam Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 3, Putnam Short Duration Income Fund (effective March 7, 2014), Putnam Short Term Investment Fund and

C-1 

 



Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund; Schedule B amended as of October 1, 2015 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 218 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2015.

(d)(2) Management Contract with Putnam Investment Management, LLC dated February 27, 2014 for Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund, Putnam Asia Pacific Equity Fund, Putnam Capital Spectrum Fund, Putnam Emerging Markets Equity Fund, Putnam Equity Spectrum Fund, Putnam Global Dividend Fund, Putnam International Value Fund, Putnam Small Cap Growth Fund and Putnam Strategic Volatility Equity Fund -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 28, 2014.

(d)(3) Management Contract with Putnam Investment Management, LLC dated February 27, 2014 for Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund and Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 28, 2014.

(d)(4) Sub-Management Contract between Putnam Investment Management, LLC and Putnam Investments Limited dated February 27, 2014; Schedule A amended as of March 24, 2016 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 29, 2016.

(d)(5) Sub-Advisory Contract among Putnam Investment Management, LLC, Putnam Investments Limited and The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC dated February 27, 2014 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 28, 2014.

(e)(1) Amended and Restated Distributor's Contract with Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership dated July 1, 2013 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 174 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2013.

(e)(2)(i) Form of Dealer Sales Contract dated March 27, 2012 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to the Registrant's Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2012.

(e)(2)(ii) Schedule of Dealer Sales Contracts conforming in all material respects to the Form of Dealer Sales Contract filed as Exhibit (e)(2)(i) but which have not been filed as exhibits to the Registrant's Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 483(d)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 206 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 26, 2015.

C-2 

 



(e)(3)(i) Form of Financial Institution Sales Contract dated March 27, 2012 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 144 to the Registrant's Registration Statement filed on June 28, 2012.

(e)(3)(ii) Schedule of Financial Institution Sales Contracts conforming in all material respects to the Form of Financial Institution Sales Contract filed as Exhibit (e)(3)(i) but which have not been filed as exhibits to the Registrant's Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 483(d)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 206 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 26, 2015.

(f) Trustee Retirement Plan dated October 4, 1996, as amended July 21, 2000 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 to the Registrant's Registration Statement filed on January 28, 2005.

(g)(1) Master Custodian Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company dated January 1, 2007; Appendix A amended as of November 30, 2015 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 222 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 25, 2015.

(g)(2) Amendment to Master Custodian Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company dated August 1, 2013 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 174 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2013.

(h)(1) Amended & Restated Investor Servicing Agreement – Open-End Funds with Putnam Investment Management, LLC and Putnam Investor Services, Inc. dated July 1, 2013; Appendix A amended as of March 24, 2016 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 29, 2016.

(h)(2) Letter of Indemnity with Putnam Investment Management, LLC dated December 18, 2003 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 28, 2004.

(h)(3) Liability Insurance Allocation Agreement dated December 18, 2003 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 59 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on May 28, 2004.

(h)(4) Master Sub-Accounting Services Agreement between Putnam Investment Management, LLC and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated January 1, 2007; Appendix A amended as of November 30, 2015 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 222 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on November 25, 2015.

C-3 

 



(h)(5) Amendment to Master Sub-Accounting Services Agreement between Putnam Investment Management, LLC and State Street Bank and Trust Company dated August 1, 2013 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 174 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on October 28, 2013.

(h)(6) Master Interfund Lending Agreement with the Trusts party thereto and Putnam Investment Management, LLC dated July 16, 2010; Schedule A amended as of June 7, 2016; Schedule B amended as of March 24, 2016 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 236 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 27, 2016.

(h)(7) Credit Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company and certain other lenders dated September 24, 2015 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 218 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2015.

(h)(8) Amended and Restated Uncommitted Line of Credit Agreement with State Street Bank and Trust Company dated September 24, 2015 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 218 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 28, 2015.

(h)(9)(i) Form of Indemnification Agreement dated March 18, 2016 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 236 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 27, 2016.

(h)(9)(ii) Schedule of Indemnification Agreements conforming in all material respects to the Form of Indemnification Agreement filed as Exhibit (h)(9)(i) but which have not been filed as exhibits to the Registrant's Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 483(d)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 236 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 27, 2016.

<R>

(h)(10) Expense Limitation Agreement with Putnam Investment Management, LLC (“PIM”) dated June 24, 2016 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 240 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 26, 2016.

(h)(11) Expense Limitation Agreement with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. (“PSERV”) dated June 24, 2016 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 240 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 26, 2016.

</R>

(i)(1) Opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP, including consent, for Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund, Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund, Putnam Asia Pacific Equity Fund, Putnam Capital Spectrum Fund, Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund,

C-4 

 



Putnam Dynamic Risk Allocation Fund, Putnam Emerging Markets Equity Fund, Putnam Equity Spectrum Fund, Putnam Floating Rate Income Fund, Putnam Global Consumer Fund, Putnam Global Energy Fund, Putnam Global Financials Fund, Putnam Global Industrials Fund, Putnam Global Sector Fund, Putnam Global Technology Fund, Putnam Global Telecommunications Fund, Putnam International Value Fund, Putnam Money Market Liquidity Fund, Putnam Multi-Cap Core Fund, Putnam Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 2, Putnam Retirement Income Fund Lifestyle 3 and Putnam Small Cap Growth Fund -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 120 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 3, 2011.

(i)(2) Opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP, including consent, for Putnam Short Duration Income Fund -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 132 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on September 30, 2011.

(i)(3) Opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP, including consent, for Putnam Short Term Investment Fund -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 162 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on February 15, 2013.

(i)(4) Opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP, including consent for Putnam Emerging Markets Income Fund, Putnam Global Dividend Fund, Putnam Intermediate-Term Municipal Income Fund, Putnam Low Volatility Equity Fund, Putnam Short-Term Municipal Income Fund and Putnam Strategic Volatility Equity Fund -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 166 to the Registrant's Registration Statement filed on March 15, 2013.

(i)(5) Opinion of Ropes & Gray LLP, including consent for Putnam Mortgage Opportunities Fund -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 207 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on April 6, 2015.

<R>

(j)(1) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm -- KPMG LLP, for Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund and for Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund.

(j)(2) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm -- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund and for Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund.

(j)(3) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm -- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund.

</R>

C-5 

 



(k) Not applicable.

(l) Investment Letter from Putnam Investments, LLC to the Registrant -- Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant's Registration Statement filed on July 19, 1996.

(m)(1) Class A Distribution Plan and Agreement dated April 1, 2000 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to the Registrant's Registration Statement filed on May 17, 2000.

(m)(2) Class B Distribution Plan and Agreement dated April 1, 2000 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to the Registrant's Registration Statement filed on May 17, 2000.

(m)(3) Class C Distribution Plan and Agreement dated April 1, 2000 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to the Registrant's Registration Statement filed on May 17, 2000.

(m)(4) Class M Distribution Plan and Agreement dated April 1, 2000 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 27 to the Registrant's Registration Statement filed on May 17, 2000.

(m)(5) Class R Distribution Plan and Agreement dated May 8, 2003 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on January 30, 2004.

(m)(6)(i) Form of Dealer Service Agreement -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 5 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on June 30, 1997.

(m)(6)(ii) Schedule of Dealer Service Agreements conforming in all material respects to the Form of Dealer Service Agreement filed as Exhibit (m)(6)(i) but which have not been filed as exhibits to the Registrant's Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 483(d)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 206 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 26, 2015.

(m)(7)(i) Form of Financial Institution Service Agreement -- Incorporated by reference to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on July 19, 1996.

C-6 

 



(m)(7)(ii) Schedule of Financial Institution Service Agreements conforming in all material respects to the Form of Financial Institution Service Agreement filed as Exhibit (m)(7)(i) but which have not been filed as exhibits to the Registrant's Registration Statement in reliance on Rule 483(d)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 206 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 26, 2015.

(n) Rule 18f-3 Plan dated November 1, 1999, as most recently amended March 18, 2016 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 232 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on March 29, 2016.

(p)(1) The Putnam Funds Code of Ethics dated July 2016 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 240 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 26, 2016.

(p)(2) Putnam Investments Code of Ethics dated June 24, 2016 -- Incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 240 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement filed on August 26, 2016.

C-7 

 



Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Fund

The Registrant is not controlled by or under common control with any other person.

Item 30. Indemnification

Reference is made to Article VIII, sections 1 through 3, of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust, which is incorporated by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 186 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form N-1A under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, (File No. 811-07513). In addition, the Registrant maintains a trustees and officers liability insurance policy under which the Registrant and its trustees and officers are named insureds. Certain service providers to the Registrant also have contractually agreed to indemnify and hold harmless the trustees against liability arising in connection with the service provider’s performance of services under the relevant agreement.

The Massachusetts business trusts comprising The Putnam Funds (each, a “Trust”) have also agreed to contractually indemnify each Trustee. The agreement between the Trusts and each Trustee, in addition to delineating certain procedural aspects relating to indemnification and advancement of expenses to the fullest extent permitted by the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Agreement and Declaration of Trust and Amended and Restated Bylaws and the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as now or hereafter in force, provides that each Trust severally shall indemnify and hold harmless the Trustee against any and all expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Trustee in any proceeding arising out of or in connection with the Trustee’s service to the Trust, unless the Trustee has been adjudicated in a final adjudication on the merits to have engaged in certain disabling conduct.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant by the Registrant pursuant to the Registrant’s organizational instruments or otherwise, the Registrant is aware that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and, therefore, is unenforceable.

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser

Except as set forth below, the directors and officers of each of Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the Registrant’s investment adviser (the “Investment Adviser”), Putnam Investments Limited, investment sub-manager to certain Putnam funds (the “Sub-Manager”), and The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC, investment sub-adviser to certain Putnam funds, have been engaged during the past two fiscal years in no business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature other than as directors or officers of the Investment Adviser, Sub-Manager, or certain of the Investment Adviser’s corporate affiliates. Certain officers of the Investment Adviser serve as officers of some or all of the Putnam funds. The address of the Investment Adviser, its corporate affiliates other than the Sub-Manager, and the Putnam funds is One Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02109. The address of the Sub-Manager is Cassini House, 57-59 St James’s Street, London, England, SW1A 1LD.

C-8 

 



Name and Title  Non-Putnam business, profession, vocation or 
  employment 
N/A   

 

<R>

Item 32. Principal Underwriter

</R>

(a) Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership is the principal underwriter for each of the following investment companies, including the Registrant:

George Putnam Balanced Fund, Putnam American Government Income Fund, Putnam Arizona Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Asset Allocation Funds, Putnam California Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Convertible Securities Fund, Putnam Diversified Income Trust, Putnam Equity Income Fund, Putnam Europe Equity Fund, The Putnam Fund for Growth and Income, Putnam Funds Trust, Putnam Global Equity Fund, Putnam Global Health Care Fund, Putnam Global Income Trust, Putnam Global Natural Resources Fund, Putnam Global Utilities Fund, Putnam High Yield Advantage Fund, Putnam High Yield Trust, Putnam Income Fund, Putnam International Equity Fund, Putnam Investment Funds, Putnam Investors Fund, Putnam Massachusetts Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Michigan Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Minnesota Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Money Market Fund, Putnam Mortgage Recovery Fund, Putnam Multi-Cap Growth Fund, Putnam New Jersey Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam New York Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Ohio Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Pennsylvania Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam RetirementReady® Funds, Putnam Tax Exempt Income Fund, Putnam Tax-Free Income Trust, Putnam U.S. Government Income Trust, Putnam Variable Trust, and Putnam Voyager Fund.

(b) The directors and officers of the Registrant's principal underwriter are listed below. Except as noted below, no officer of the Registrant’s principal underwriter is an officer of the Registrant.

The principal business address of each person listed below is One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

Name  Position and Office with the Underwriter 

Connolly, William T.  President 

Richer, Clare  Treasurer 

Maher, Stephen B.  Assistant Treasurer 

Burns, Robert T.*  Secretary 

Ritter, Jesse D.  Assistant Secretary 

Ettinger, Robert D.  Vice President 

Clark, James F.**  Vice President and Assistant Secretary 

Trenchard, Mark C.***  Vice President 

 

*Mr. Burns is Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the Registrant.
**Mr. Clark is Chief Compliance Officer of the Registrant.
***Mr. Trenchard is Vice President and BSA Compliance Officer of the Registrant.

 

C-9 

 



Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records

Persons maintaining physical possession of accounts, books and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Rules promulgated thereunder are the Registrant's Clerk, Michael J. Higgins; the Registrant's investment adviser, Putnam Investment Management, LLC (PIM); the Registrant's principal underwriter, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership (PRM); the Registrant's custodian, State Street Bank and Trust Company (which, in addition to its duties as custodian, also provides certain administrative, pricing and bookkeeping services); and the Registrant’s transfer and dividend disbursing agent, Putnam Investor Services, Inc. The address of the Clerk, PIM, PRM and Putnam Investor Services, Inc. is One Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02109. State Street Bank and Trust Company is located at 225 Franklin Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110 and 2 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, Massachusetts 02111.

Item 34. Management Services

None.

Item 35. Undertakings

None.

C-10 

 



NOTICE 

 

A copy of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust of Putnam Funds Trust is on file with the Secretary of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and notice is hereby given that this instrument is executed on behalf of the Registrant by an officer of the Registrant as an officer and not individually and the obligations of or arising out of this instrument are not binding upon any of the Trustees, officers or shareholders individually but are binding only upon the assets and property of the relevant series of the Registrant.

 

C-11 

 



SIGNATURES 

 

<R>

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this Amendment to its Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Boston, and The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on the 29 th day of August, 2016.

</R>

Putnam Funds Trust 
 
By: /s/ Jonathan S. Horwitz, Executive Vice President, 
Principal Executive Officer and Compliance Liaison 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated:

 

Signature  Title 
 
Jameson A. Baxter *  Chair, Board of Trustees 
 
Robert L. Reynolds*  President and Trustee 
 
Jonathan S. Horwitz*  Executive Vice President, Principal Executive Officer and 
  Compliance Liaison 
 
Steven D. Krichmar*  Vice President and Principal Financial Officer 
 
Janet C. Smith*  Vice President, Principal Accounting 
  Officer and Assistant Treasurer 
 
Liaquat Ahamed*  Trustee 
 
Ravi Akhoury*  Trustee 
 
Barbara M. Baumann*  Trustee 
 
Robert J. Darretta*  Trustee 
 
Katinka Domotorffy*  Trustee 
 
John A. Hill*  Trustee 
 
Paul L. Joskow*  Trustee 

 

C-12 

 



Kenneth R. Leibler*  Trustee 
 
Robert E. Patterson*  Trustee 
 
George Putnam, III*  Trustee 
 
W. Thomas Stephens*  Trustee 

 

  By: /s/ Jonathan S. Horwitz, as Attorney-in-Fact 
<R>   
  August 29, 2016 
</R>   
  *Signed pursuant to power of attorney filed in Post- 
  Effective Amendment No. 150 to the Registrant’s 
  Registration Statement on September 28, 2012. 

 

C-13 

 



Item 28 Exhibit Index

<R>

(j)(1) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm -- KPMG LLP, for Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund and for Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund.

(j)(2) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm – PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund and for Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund.

(j)(3) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm -- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP for Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund.

</R>

C-14 

 



b_absrtn100300ex99j.htm

 

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

The Board of Trustees and Shareholders

Putnam Funds Trust:

 

We consent to the use of our reports, dated December 14, 2015 with respect to the financial statements of Putnam Absolute Return 300 Fund and dated December 15, 2015 with respect to the financial statements of Putnam Absolute Return 100 Fund, included herein, and to the references to our firm under the captions Financial Highlights in the prospectus and Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Financial Statements in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

/s/ KPMG LLP

 

Boston, Massachusetts

August 24, 2016

 

 

 


c_ar500700exj2.htm
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM 

 

We hereby consent to the use in this registration statement on Form N1-A (“Registration Statement”) of our report, on the financial statements and financial highlights included in the October 31, 2015 Annual Report to Shareholders dated December 11, 2015 and December 14, 2015 of the Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund and Putnam Absolute Return 5oo, series of Putnam Funds Trust, respectively. We also consent to the references to us under the headings “Financial Highlights,” “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Financial Statements” and “Other Disclosures” in such Registration Statement

 


Boston, Massachusetts
August 24, 2016


d_daaeqex99j3.htm

 

 

 

 

 

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

We hereby consent to the use in this registration statement on Form N1-A (“Registration Statement”) of our report, on the financial statements and financial highlights included in the May 31, 2016 Annual Report to Shareholders dated July 11, 2016 of the Putnam Dynamic Asset Allocation Equity Fund, a series of Putnam Funds Trust. We also consent to the references to us under the headings “Financial Highlights,” “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm and Financial Statements” and “Other Disclosures” in such Registration Statement

 

 

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Boston, Massachusetts

August 24, 2016