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Fund summary
Goal

Putnam Global Income Trust seeks high current income. Preservation of capital and long-term total return are secondary objectives, but only to the extent consistent with the objective of seeking high current income.

Fees and expenses

The following tables describe the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in class A shares of Putnam funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 19 of the fund’s prospectus, in the Appendix to the fund’s prospectus, and in How to buy shares beginning on page II-1 of the fund’s statement of additional information (SAI).

You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in class A shares of Putnam funds.
$ 100,000
Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees - Putnam Global Income Trust
Class A
Class B
Class C
Class R
Class R5
Class R6
Class Y
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of Offering Price) 4.00% none none none none none none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage) 1.00% [1] 5.00% [2] 1.00% [3] none none none none
[1] Applies only to certain redemptions of shares bought with no initial sales charge.
[2] This charge is phased out over six years.
[3] This charge is eliminated after one year.
Annual fund operating expenses (expenses you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
February 28, 2025
Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Putnam Global Income Trust
Class A
Class B
Class C
Class R
Class R5
Class R6
Class Y
Management Fees (as a percentage of Assets) 0.54% 0.54% 0.54% 0.54% 0.54% 0.54% 0.54%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 1.00% 1.00% 0.50% none none none
Other Expenses (as a percentage of Assets): 0.56% 0.56% 0.56% 0.56% 0.43% 0.36% 0.56%
Expenses (as a percentage of Assets) 1.35% 2.10% 2.10% 1.60% 0.97% 0.90% 1.10%
Fee Waiver or Reimbursement [1] (0.42%) (0.42%) (0.42%) (0.42%) (0.42%) (0.42%) (0.42%)
Net Expenses (as a percentage of Assets) 0.93% 1.68% 1.68% 1.18% 0.55% 0.48% 0.68%
[1] Reflects Putnam Investment Management, LLC’s contractual obligation to limit certain fund expenses through February 28, 2025. 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 example takes into account the expense reimbursement described above. Your actual costs may be higher or lower.

Expense Example - Putnam Global Income Trust - USD ($)
Expense Example, with Redemption, 1 Year
Expense Example, with Redemption, 3 Years
Expense Example, with Redemption, 5 Years
Expense Example, with Redemption, 10 Years
Expense Example, No Redemption, 1 Year
Expense Example, No Redemption, 3 Years
Expense Example, No Redemption, 5 Years
Expense Example, No Redemption, 10 Years
Class A 491 771 1,071 1,924        
Class B 671 917 1,290 2,206 171 617 1,090 2,206
Class C 271 617 1,090 2,206 171 617 1,090 2,206
Class R 120 464 831 1,865        
Class R5 56 267 495 1,151        
Class R6 49 245 457 1,069        
Class Y 69 308 566 1,302        
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 925%.

925.00%
Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

For this “non-diversified” fund, we invest mainly in bonds and securitized debt instruments (such as mortgage-backed investments) that are obligations of companies and governments worldwide; that are investment-grade in quality; and that have intermediate - to long-term maturities (three years or longer). The fund currently has significant investment exposure to residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities. Under normal circumstances, we invest at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in investment-grade securities. This policy may be changed only after 60 days’ notice to shareholders. We may also invest in bonds that are below investment-grade in quality (sometimes referred to as “junk bonds”).



 



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 to a significant extent derivatives, including credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, total return swaps, to-be-announced (TBA) commitments, futures, options and swaptions on mortgage-backed securities and indices, and certain foreign currency transactions, for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including to obtain or adjust exposure to mortgage-backed investments.

Risks

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

The value of investments in the fund’s portfolio may fall or fail to rise over extended periods of time for a variety of reasons, including general economic, political or financial market conditions, investor sentiment and market perceptions, government actions, geopolitical events or changes, outbreaks of infectious illnesses or other widespread public health issues, and factors related to a specific issuer, geography, industry or sector. These and other factors may lead to increased volatility and reduced liquidity in the fund’s portfolio holdings, may negatively impact the fund’s performance, and may exacerbate other risks to which the fund is subject.

The risks associated with bond investments include interest rate risk, which is the risk that the value of the fund’s investments is likely to fall if interest rates rise. Bond investments are also subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the issuer of a bond may default on payment of interest or principal. Bond investments may be more susceptible to downgrades or defaults during economic downturns or other periods of economic stress. Interest rate risk is generally greater for longer-term bonds, and credit risk is generally greater for below-investment-grade bonds, which can be more sensitive to changes in markets, credit conditions, and interest rates, and 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 in other investments with less attractive terms and yields. The fund’s investments in mortgage-backed securities, and in certain other securities and derivatives, may be or become illiquid.

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 economic sanctions or currency or other restrictions, or high levels of inflation, and may be or become illiquid.



 



The fund’s “non-diversified” status, which means the fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund, can increase the fund’s vulnerability to adverse developments affecting a single industry, country or issuer, which may result in greater losses and volatility for the fund.

Our use of derivatives may increase the risks of investing in the fund 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 derivative positions and the potential failure of the other party to the instrument to meet its obligations. The risk of a party failing to meet its obligations may increase if the fund has significant exposure to that counterparty. The value of derivatives may move in unexpected ways due to unanticipated market movements, the use of leverage, imperfect correlation between the derivative instrument and the reference asset, or other factors, especially in unusual market conditions, and volatility in the value of derivatives could adversely impact the fund’s returns, obligations and exposures. Derivatives are also subject to other risks, including liquidity risk (e.g., liquidity demands arising from the requirement to make payments to a derivative counterparty), operational risk (e.g., settlement issues or system failures) and legal risk (e.g., insufficient legal documentation or contract enforceability issues).

The fund expects to 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 and may incur higher transaction costs than funds with relatively lower turnover, which may detract from performance.

There is no guarantee that the investment techniques, analyses, or judgments that we apply in making investment decisions for the fund will produce the intended outcome or that the investments we select for the fund will perform as well as other securities that were not selected for the fund. We, or the fund’s other service providers, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could negatively impact the fund.

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.

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.



 



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.
Please remember that past performance is not necessarily an indication of future results.
putnam.com
Annual total returns for class A shares before sales charges
Best calendar quarter
Dec. 31, 2023
7.27%
Worst calendar quarter
Sep. 30, 2022
(7.09%)
Bar Chart
Average annual total returns after sales charges (for periods ended 12/31/23)
Average Annual Total Returns - Putnam Global Income Trust
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 0.89% (1.45%) (0.11%)
Class A | After Taxes on Distributions 0.08% (1.95%) (0.96%)
Class A | After Taxes on Distributions and Sales 0.50% (1.29%) (0.44%)
Class B (0.62%) (1.76%) (0.30%)
Class C 3.34% (1.38%) (0.30%)
Class R 4.84% (0.89%) 0.05%
Class R5 5.47% (0.28%) 0.64%
Class R6 5.58% (0.22%) 0.71%
Class Y 5.45% (0.39%) 0.56%
Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index (no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 5.72% (0.32%) 0.38%
All Bloomberg indices are provided by Bloomberg Index Services Limited.
BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Bloomberg’s licensors approve or endorse this material, or guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information herein, or make any warranty, express or implied, as to the results to be obtained therefrom, and to the maximum extent allowed by law, neither shall have any liability or responsibility for injury or damages arising in connection therewith.
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.
Class B and C share performance reflects conversion to class A shares after eight years.
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.
 
It is important to understand that you can lose money by investing in the fund.
 
The fund’s “non-diversified” status, which means the fund may invest a greater percentage of its assets in fewer issuers than a “diversified” fund, can increase the fund’s vulnerability to adverse developments affecting a single industry, country or issuer, which may result in greater losses and volatility for the fund.
 
An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.