Putnam’s outlookArrows in the table indicate the change from the previous quarter.

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erw

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tral

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l ove

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ght

Fixed-income asset class

U.S. government and agency debt l

U.S. tax exempt l

Tax-exempt high yield l

Agency mortgage-backed securities l

Collateralized mortgage obligations l

Non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities l

Commercial mortgage-backed securities l

U.S. floating-rate bank loans l

U.S. investment-grade corporates l

Global high yield l

Emerging markets l

U.K. government l

Core Europe government l

Peripheral Europe government l

Japan government l

CURRENCY SNAPSHOT

Dollar vs. yen: DollarDollar vs. euro: DollarDollar vs. pound: Dollar

The end of QE coming into focusIn the second quarter of 2013, the debate over the end of quantitative easing (QE) became the focus of markets globally, which culminated in June with a statement by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on the economically driven prospects for curtailing the Fed’s bond-buying programs. This marked what may prove to be a critical inflection point for the Federal Reserve, the U.S. economy, and global securities markets.

Since the financial crisis of 2008, the Fed has been firmly committed to keeping interest rates low for an extended period of time, providing liquidity to bond markets. But with the recent talk of QE tapering, the markets are faced with a potential liquidity drain as the Fed may soon claim success and back away from its QE program. The market’s reaction to this potential change was anything but calm. Across most fixed-income markets, bond yields rose, spreads to Treasuries widened, and bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, for example, backed up in dramatic fashion, moving from an intra-quarter low of 1.63% on May 2 to 2.67% following Chairman Bernanke’s remarks. As a result of this new phase in the recovery dialogue, we believe markets will continue to see higher volatility in rates, although the range we expect in the near term for 10-year Treasuries — between 2.25% and 2.75% — is not high by historical standards.

Volatility has generally been elevated since May, and has cut across fixed-income and equity sectors alike. The questions that are raised by increased volatility as a result of merely discussing the pullback in QE are

Key takeaways•WeexpecttheU.S.economytoimprove,whichcouldtilttheFedtowardcurtailingbondpurchasesinthefall.

•Weexpectinterestrateswillstayelevated—inarangeof2.25%to2.75%for10-yearTreasuries—andvolatile.

•Spreadsectorslookattractivetousgoingforward,althoughsecurityselectionwilllikelyaddmorevaluethanbroadsectorbets.

•Interest-ratevolatilitymayprovideopportunitiesfortacticaldurationpositioningandprepaymentstrategies.

Fixed-Income OutlookQ3 2013 » Putnam Perspectives

2

Q3 2013 | Fixed-Income Outlook

difficult to answer: Can the United States stay on the path of economic recovery and normalization in an environ-ment of higher rates? And what do fixed-income markets look like if government-provided liquidity support is no longer part of the equation? As the Fed continues to publicly consider its exit plan from QE, we see markets grappling with these questions in the months ahead — particularly as the Fed nears its mid-September meeting for reopening the end-of-QE debate.

Our outlook for continued economic recoveryDespite higher taxes, generally rising interest rates, and broad-based budget cuts enforced by the federal sequester, the U.S. recovery appeared to remain on track through the second quarter, and we see the United States maintaining this course in the months ahead. From housing market gains and declining unemployment figures to encouraging manufacturing data and corpo-rate fundamentals, the balance of data was pleasantly surprising through the end of the second quarter of 2013.

This was a welcome change over recent years, where the end of the second quarter saw the onset of a summer slowdown. While the economy initially appeared to be in the process of repeating this pattern in 2013, data improved toward quarter-end. And while this may have contributed to the Fed’s willingness to discuss its processes for evaluating and implementing an end to QE, we think it bodes well for select areas of the fixed-income markets.

Importantly, we expect that the benchmark Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index will continue to be a poor representative of value in the domestic fixed-income marketplace. At an average duration of approximately five years, the index, and strategies that are aligned closely to it, may be overexposed to interest-rate risk. Given the climate of rising rates — and the degree to which rates have shown their ability to back up on fears of the eventual QE withdrawal — we believe term structure risk, which dominates the Aggregate Index, is best avoided in favor of sectors with more attractive risk-and-return profiles.

Figure 1:  The second quarter erased first-quarter gains

-6%

-5%

-4%

-3%

-2%

-1%

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3%2Q 131Q 13

Japan gov’t

Eurozone gov’t

U.K. gov’t

Emerging-market

debt

Global high yield

U.S. investment-

grade corporate

debt

U.S. floating-

rate bank loans

Commercial mortgage-

backed securities

Agency mortgage-

backed securities

Tax-exempt

high yield

U.S. tax

exempt

U.S. government

Source: Putnam research, as of 6/30/13. Past performance is not indicative of future results. See page 10 for index definitions.

Fixed-income assets suffered as interest rates rose and bond prices fell.

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3

Mortgage-related debt: potential gains from tailwinds in the housing recoveryIf the economy makes advances as we think it will, the U.S. housing market should continue to grow stronger and opportunities in mortgage-related debt markets should continue to exhibit attractive characteristics. We do not see higher rates derailing or detracting significantly from the housing recovery. In our view, the housing market advance has not been a function of low mortgage rates, but rather has been driven by overall economic activity and confidence levels. With an economic recovery underway, nominally higher interest rates may simply be trumped by improving housing market fundamentals, new household formation trends, and growing consumer strength.

Our perspective on mortgage-related opportunities, regardless of the prevailing economic conditions, centers on two major forms of risk. The first of these is prepay-ment risk. In light of the prevailing policy uncertainty and the historically low rate environment at the start of the second quarter, we cut back on prepayment risk by reducing our holdings of collateralized mortgage obliga-tions (CMOs). Following significant underperformance and spread widening in April and May, we sought to capitalize on CMOs’ improved relative value by adding them back to a number of our portfolios. With the increase in interest rates, CMOs rallied as prepayments slowed within the pool of underlying mortgages. As the tug of war between housing strength and higher rates plays out, we expect to continue to operate tactically in this space, taking advan-tage of market volatility as much as possible.

The second area of mortgage-related risk is credit risk. Our mortgage credit holdings — both non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) — had mixed results in the second quarter. RMBS had an up-and-down quarter. Through mid-May, the sector had outperformed duration-adjusted Treasuries at a faster pace than in the first quarter. Average spreads for the sector tightened by approximately 50 basis points (bps) during this period, driven by a continued positive tech-nical environment as investors regained their appetite for higher-yielding securities and the declining size of the market supported prices. Fundamentals also supported the market with positive home-price data, reduced delin-quency trends, and continued activity from buy-to-rent investors. The latter part of the quarter exhibited signifi-cant underperformance due primarily to technical factors. Average spreads for the sector over the entire quarter widened by approximately 100 bps.

Despite underperformance for the overall sector, our holdings in commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) aided performance, especially earlier in the period as investors took advantage of attractive spreads and positive underlying fundamentals in the sector.

We sought to reduce risk during the quarter by shifting allocations from RMBS into better-performing CMBS. As with our prepayment strategies, toward the quarter’s end we began to add mortgage credit risk back into our port-folios in light of recent spread widening, and will continue to seek to make volatility work to our advantage.

Given the climate of rising rates — and the degree to which rates have shown their ability to back up on fears of the eventual QE withdrawal — we believe term structure risk is best avoided in favor of sectors with more attractive risk-and-return profiles.

4

Q3 2013 | Fixed-Income Outlook

High yield and bank loans: low default expectations and capital appreciation potentialWith respect to opportunities in high-yield bonds, the biggest change in the second quarter centered on market technicals. Outflows from some large mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), in addition to some large allocation changes by institutional investors, upset the balance of high-yield supply and demand, leading to a fairly disruptive environment for the sector. Along with other credit-sensitive fixed-income categories, high-yield bond results struggled during May and June, and our general allocation to the asset class detracted from port-folio performance.

The flip side of this heightened illiquidity is that the prices of many high-yield bonds declined to what we believe are attractive levels. When we consider the general cohort of high-yield issuing companies, we see a strong fundamental backdrop and expect that defaults will hover near historically low levels.

Although we take a more skeptical view of cyclical sectors, such as natural resources — particularly coal and metals and mining companies — we are more posi-tive on retail, cable, and wireless industries, where we see the potential for continued consolidation. Merger and acquisition activity, which has room to grow in an improving macro environment, is largely beneficial for high-yield issuers. With economic tailwinds, and following an extended period of cost-cutting, many larger compa-nies want to buy smaller companies in order to gain scale, and add new capabilities or enhance existing ones. And with high-yield bond prices lower relative to more recent premium levels, the potential for capital appreciation cannot be overlooked.

Figure 2. Rates leapt higher as the Fed discussed winding down its bond-buying programs

0%

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3/31/136/30/13

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ars

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1  year

1 month

Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury, as of 6/30/13.

Policy uncertainty could keep rate volatility elevated in the months ahead.

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5

Figure 3. Current spreads relative to historical norms

n  Average excess yield over Treasuries (OAS, 1/1/98–12/31/07)

n  Current excess yield over Treasuries (OAS as of 6/30/13)

Year to date, one of the stronger-performing credit subsectors has been bank loans. Bank loans have been available at attractive spreads over prevailing short-term rates, and as short-term interest rates start to increase, bank loan coupons are structured to reset higher. In addi-tion, the sector has benefited from prevailing fundamental strength among loan issuers, and particularly in light of the fact that many issuers have refinanced other obliga-tions that they accumulated between 2007 and 2009.

Like high-yield debt, bank loans may stand to benefit from an improving macro environment in which M&A activity is on the rise. Funding acquisitions with bank loans is an attractive option for many companies, as interest rates on these loans tend to be lower and because the loans are generally free of restrictions on prepayment at par value. As we expect the broad market to continue to focus on the potential magnitude of rates’ upward trajec-tory, and as we expect a supportive economic backdrop to fuel M&A activity, bank loans may be relatively well posi-tioned to outperform.

Sources: Barclays, Putnam, as of 6/30/13.

Data are provided for informational use only. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. All spreads are in basis points and measure option-adjusted yield spread relative to comparable maturity U.S. Treasuries with the exception of non-agency RMBS, which are loss-adjusted spreads to swaps calculated using Putnam’s projected assumptions on defaults and severities, and agency IO, which is calculated using assumptions derived from Putnam’s proprietary prepayment model. Agencies are represented by Barclays U.S. Agency Index. Agency MBS are represented by Barclays U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities Index. Investment-grade corporates are represented by Barclays U.S. Corporate Index. High yield is represented by Barclays U.S. Corporate High Yield Index. AAA CMBS are represented by the Aaa portion of Barclays Investment Grade CMBS Index. EMD is repre-sented by Barclays Global Emerging Markets Index. Non-agency is estimated using average market level of a sample of below-investment-grade securities backed by Alt-A collateral. Agency IO is estimated from a basket of Putnam-monitored interest-only securities. Option-adjusted spread (OAS) measures the yield spread over duration equivalent Treasuries for securities with different embedded options.

56

13089

573

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130152

EMDAgency IONon-agency  RMBS

High yieldAAA CMBSInvestment-grade corporates

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Agencies

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EMDAgency IONon-agency  RMBS

High yieldAAA CMBSInvestment-grade corporates

Agency MBS

Agencies

Spreads widened but in many cases remained close to their historical averages.

6

Q3 2013 | Fixed-Income Outlook

Investment-grade credit: sector-based pockets of relative strengthLike most other sectors in the recent quarter, longer-dated, investment-grade markets were shaken by rate jitters and the knock-on performance effects of invest-ment outflows. Overall, we are finding better relative value opportunities in the short to medium range of the yield curve, as longer-dated credits may be overexposed to interest-rate risk.

In terms of sectors, we continue to see banking as one of the bright spots for investment-grade corporate credit. The passage of industry regulation, including higher capital requirements, has essentially transformed this still-recovering sector. What was once a high-growth industry with attractive returns from an equity perspective is now a source of low and stable growth, which from an income investor’s perspective is highly desirable.

Other sectors that we like going forward include utili-ties and economically sensitive industries. Like banking, the utilities sector is increasingly regulated, which confers a level of perceived stability that recommends the sector to income investors. On the economically sensitive front, the U.S. shale-gas boom has lowered input costs of fuel production and hence has given the entire petrochemical industry an enormous boost, including downstream industries focused on fertilizers and chemicals. Profit margins in these areas are as wide as they’ve been for some time, and we believe this condition is likely to persist.

Sectors with less compelling prospects include phar-maceuticals and defense, which are trading very tight to Treasuries, and where we don’t foresee a great deal of improvement in the near future. Consequently, these sectors form some of the largest underweights in our investment-grade credit portfolios.

Figure 4. Spread sectors’ negative excess returns relative to Treasuries

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-0.5%

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-0.3%

-0.2%

-0.1%

0.0%

U.S. agency

MBS

CorporatesCMBS

ABS

Source: Barclays, as of 6/30/13. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Bond returns suffered broadly as markets reacted poorly to a potential change in Fed policy.

To the extent that interest rates rise on the long end of the yield curve and people believe in the sustainability of U.S. economic strength, a variety of U.S. assets become more attractive.

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7

Global bonds: opportunities in the makingIn Europe, debt-challenged peripheral European coun-tries exhibited unanticipated health through the second quarter, which was largely a function of declining sover-eign borrowing costs. Italy and Spain, for example, appeared able to fund themselves, while core European countries experienced some economic setbacks. More recently, data out of Germany and Switzerland improved, which contributes to our sense of continued recovery in the eurozone.

In Japan, policymakers are actively pursuing a QE policy experiment, which has led to substantial volatility in equity markets there. Japanese stocks have appreci-ated at a rapid pace since last November, but in the recent quarter have retraced a good portion of their gains. Simi-larly, the yen very quickly declined substantially relative to other major currencies, but then reversed course for a time before resuming its weakening trend. Despite global competitiveness among certain Japanese exporters, we have yet to see the Japanese economy exhibit a funda-mental shift toward growth in response to policymakers’ QE program, and Japan remains an area that we will monitor closely for investment opportunities.

Figure 5. High-yield spreads and defaults generally move in tandem over credit cycles

0

4

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20%

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’11 ’12 6/30/13’10’09’08’07’06’05’04’03’02’01’00’99’98’97’96’95’94’93’92’91’90’89’88’87

Def

ault

rate

Sp

reads (b

ps)

1990–91recession

2001recession

2007–09recession

Current spread: 538 bps (as of 6/30/13)20-year median spread: 538 bpsAverage default rate: 4.3%

Today, the gap between spreads and defaults remains wide, signaling opportunity for investors

High-yield default rate

Spread to worst

Sources: JPMorgan, High Yield Market Monitor, 6/30/13. A basis point (bp) is one-hundredth of a percent. One hundred basis points equals one percent. Spread to worst measures the difference between the best- and worst-performing yields in two asset classes.

Below-average defaults and strong fundamentals suggest that spreads could potentially tighten further.

8

Q3 2013 | Fixed-Income Outlook

Figure 6: Municipal bond credit spreads widened

Municipal bond spreads by quality rating

0

100

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BBB

A

AA

201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999

Sources: Putnam, as of 6/30/13. Credit ratings are as determined by Putnam.

The most attractive relative values appear to be in the BBB-rated segment of the muni market.

The key weak spot that gives us pause is China, which we expect will continue to encounter downgrades to its growth outlook. Shortly into the third quarter, China’s GDP growth registered at 7.5%, but outlier forecasts of 3% to 4% growth rates in China going forward indicate the level of skepti-cism over China’s ability to maintain its profile of robust expansion. Commodity export-dependent emerging markets may continue to get caught in the wake of this slowdown, which contributes to our rationale for taking a cautious stance with respect to emerging-market debt.

Emerging-market debt: unwinding the carry tradeAn important thread in the story of global markets over the past decade has involved the so-called “carry trade”: for example, borrowing yen and investing in higher-yielding commodity currencies in the 2002–2007 period or, more recently, borrowing dollars and investing in emerging-market bonds. As continued monetary stimulus in the United States began to look less certain in June, the carry trade in emerging-market debt started to unwind.

Consequently, we saw credit spreads start to widen in emerging markets in advance of spread widening in U.S. high-yield and investment-grade corporate debt markets. This growing perception of increasing credit risk put downward pressure on bond prices. From our perspec-tive, the near-term outlook for emerging-market debt argues for caution.

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9

To the extent that interest rates rise on the long end of the yield curve and people believe in the sustainability of U.S. economic strength, a variety of U.S. assets become more attractive while emerging markets become less attractive to investors. The risk is that talk of QE tapering and its eventual removal leads to real economic consequences for emerging markets and elsewhere. In this way, QE tapering — which has been forecast to begin later this year, provided that data indicate continued U.S. economic strength — runs the risk of causing economic deterioration elsewhere in the world, particularly in the emerging markets.

This is not to say that emerging markets no longer present opportunities. Importantly, we believe funda-mentals are generally positive in the emerging markets and that growth rates in these countries will continue to surpass those in the developed world. Emerging-market growth, compared with that of the past, has slowed some-what, particularly where it is linked to China’s demand for commodities. But the underlying credit strength of emerging-market sovereigns still looks quite good, in our view. In our emerging-market portfolios, we have established what we believe is a good mix of sovereign exposures, including a portfolio of U.S.-dollar-denomi-nated debt issued by what we consider to be relatively stable countries, such as Brazil, Mexico, and Peru, in addition to debt issued by some riskier countries. Our aggregate local-currency position, moreover, is tracking relatively close to the benchmark.

Municipal bonds: fundamental strength with headline risks to watchHeightened uncertainty on many fronts contributed to a mixed picture for the municipal bond market in the second quarter. In April, the market followed Treasuries to some extent, and benefited as rates moved lower and prices moved higher. However, following the Fed’s discussion around tapering its bond-buying program, there was a notable sell-off from May into June as investors worried about rising rates and a more hawkish Fed. This sell-off erased gains that were made in April.

While we expect market volatility among munis in the near term, we continue to have a constructive outlook and believe munis still offer a good option for long-term investors seeking tax-exempt income. Although signifi-cant outflows have compounded the sell-off in municipal

bonds, the recent rise in rates has resulted in a decreased supply of bonds for refunding purposes; and total supply is down 11.5% year-over-year through the end of June. Also, the increase in yields may bring in crossover buyers and direct retail investors to help support technicals in the market. Aside from isolated credits such as Detroit and Puerto Rico, fundamentals within the municipal market are generally improving. It is likely that factors such as interest rates and the direction of the economy could continue to influence market activity.

A degree of uncertainty over tax policy has been clarified, as income tax rates for 2013 are now certain. However, other policy issues that can affect the value of municipal bonds remain unresolved, including federal budget sequestration, the debt ceiling, and the potential for broader tax reform. We are monitoring developments in these areas.

As has been our strategy for some time, we continued to favor essential service revenue bonds over local general obligation bonds. From a credit-quality perspective, overall default rates remain low. In our analysis, the A-rated and BBB-rated segments of the market continue to offer attractive relative value opportunities. We generally favor higher-yielding sectors and issues with below-average sensitivity to interest rates.

CurrenciesWe favor long positions in the U.S. dollar. We think the Fed will be the first of the major central banks to start exiting unconventional monetary policy, and it seems that late summer/early fall is the most likely point for the Fed to begin this process. Over the medium term, the U.S. dollar should be supported by a relatively better growth outlook and a gradual reduction in the pace of accommodation by the FOMC, as well as by the time effect of approaching current forward guidance for the first rate hike in 2015.

For the euro, as well, we favor a slightly long position, but not against the U.S. dollar. The single currency remains supported by healthy trade flows — the eurozone is set to run a current account surplus exceeding 2% of GDP this year. In contrast, the upside for the euro remains capped by the risk of further cyclical monetary easing from the European Central Bank.

While the beginning of the end of QE may have gotten off to a rocky start, we are generally optimistic about how the transition will progress.

10

Q3 2013 | Fixed-Income Outlook

With respect to the Japanese yen, we expect renewed weakness. Over the medium term, the Bank of Japan is expected to do much more easing and this should provide further impetus for the U.S. dollar to rally versus the yen. At this time of writing, the ruling Liberal Democrats had just retaken the Diet’s upper house, creating the prospect of political stability and policy continuity that should, we believe, encourage Japanese investors to take more risk in both the Nikkei and higher-yielding foreign assets.

For the Australian dollar, we favor a short position. The market now seems to view the Chinese growth outlook of 7.5% more carefully and no longer expects easier mone-tary or fiscal policy to keep growth rates more elevated. With external support a bit weaker, the RBA has main-tained an easing bias, stating that lower levels of inflation provide room for even easier policy, which should keep pressure on the currency.

Amid lower levels of global growth and lower commodity prices and inflation, emerging-market central banks have shifted into easing mode. Emerging-market currencies remain over-owned in a world where U.S. term structure is likely to grind higher. With weaker current account surpluses in emerging markets, large capital outflows are a major risk for emerging-market currencies.

ConclusionWhile the beginning of the end of QE may have gotten off to a rocky start, we are generally optimistic about how the transition will progress. As the general rate environment evolves from ultra low levels to higher — but still historically low — levels, we expect volatility in rates and spreads to remain high. In preparation for this condition, we dialed back risk in a variety of fixed-income sectors, but in some cases have already added risk back to portfolios where we deemed markets presented us with attractive re-entry points.

Overall, we see the United States as the safest haven among global markets going forward. If the U.S. economy continues to improve, as we expect it will, the market may anticipate impending action by the Fed to curb QE, in which case we would expect rates to move to and poten-tially exceed the high end of our projected range. In our view, this scenario makes thinking outside the index, with a focus on less interest-rate-sensitive securities and strat-egies, all the more vital to fixed-income investors.

Agency mortgage-backed securities are represented by the Barclays U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities Index, which covers agency mortgage-backed pass-through securities (both fixed-rate and hybrid ARM) issued by Ginnie Mae (GNMA), Fannie Mae (FNMA), and Freddie Mac (FHLMC).

Commercial mortgage-backed securities are represented by the Barclays U.S. CMBS Investment Grade Index, which measures the market of commercial mortgage-backed securities with a minimum deal size of $500 million. The two subcomponents of the U.S. CMBS Investment Grade Index are the U.S. aggregate-eligible securities and non-eligible securities. To be included in the U.S. Aggregate Index, the securities must meet the guidelines for ERISA eligibility.

Emerging-market debt is represented by the JPMorgan Emerging Markets Global Diversified Index, which is composed of U.S. dollar-denominated Brady bonds, eurobonds, traded loans, and local market debt instruments issued by sovereign and quasi-sovereign entities.

Eurozone government is represented by the Barclays European Aggregate Bond Index, which tracks fixed-rate, investment-grade securities issued in the following European currencies: euro, Norwegian krone, Danish krone, Swedish krona, Czech koruna, Hungarian forint, Polish zloty, and Swiss franc.

Global high yield is represented by the JPMorgan Global High Yield Index, an unmanaged index of global high-yield fixed-income securities.

Japan government is represented by the Barclays Japanese Aggregate Bond Index, a broad-based investment-grade benchmark consisting of fixed-rate Japanese yen-denominated securities.

Tax-exempt high yield is represented by the Barclays Municipal Bond High Yield Index, which consists of below-investment-grade or unrated bonds with outstanding par values of at least $3 million and at least one year remaining until their maturity dates.

U.K. government is represented by the Barclays Sterling Aggregate Bond Index, which contains fixed-rate, investment-grade, sterling-denominated securities, including gilt and non-gilt bonds.

U.S. floating-rate bank loans are represented by the S&P/LSTA Leveraged Loan Index, an unmanaged index of U.S. leveraged loans.

U.S. government and agency debt is represented by the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, an unmanaged index of U.S. investment-grade fixed-income securities.

U.S. investment-grade corporate debt is represented by the Barclays U.S. Corporate Index, a broad-based benchmark that measures the U.S. taxable investment-grade corporate bond market.

U.S. tax exempt is represented by the Barclays Municipal Bond Index, an unmanaged index of long-term fixed-rate investment-grade tax-exempt bonds.

You cannot invest directly in an index.

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11

Putnam’s veteran fixed-income team offers a depth and breadth of insightSuccessfulinvestingintoday’smarketsrequiresabroad-basedapproach,theflexibilitytoexploitarangeofsectorsandinvestmentopportunities,andakeenunderstandingofthecomplexglobalinterrelationshipsthatdrivethemarkets.ThatiswhyPutnamhasmorethan70fixed-incomeprofessionalsfocusingondeliveringcomprehensivecoverageofeveryaspectofthefixed-incomemarkets,basednotonlyonsector,butalsoonthebroadsourcesofrisk—andopportunities—mostlikelytodrivereturns.

D. William KohliCo-Head of Fixed IncomeGlobal StrategiesInvesting since 1987Joined Putnam in 1994

Michael V. SalmCo-Head of Fixed IncomeLiquid Markets and Securitized ProductsInvesting since 1989Joined Putnam in 1997

Paul D. Scanlon, CFACo-Head of Fixed IncomeGlobal CreditInvesting since 1986Joined Putnam in 1999

This material is provided for limited purposes. It is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument, or any Putnam product or strategy. References to specific securities, asset classes, and financial markets are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be, and should not be interpreted as, recommendations or investment advice. The opinions expressed in this article represent the current, good-faith views of the author(s) at the time of publication. The views are provided for informational purposes only and are subject to change. This material does not take into account any investor’s particular investment objectives, strategies, tax status, or investment horizon. The views and strategies described herein may not be suitable for all investors. Investors should consult a financial advisor for advice suited to their individual financial needs. Putnam Investments cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any statements or data contained in the article. Predictions, opinions, and other information contained in this article are subject to change. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Putnam assumes no duty to update them. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks, and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. As with any investment, there is a potential for profit as well as the possibility of loss.

The information provided relates to Putnam Investments and its affiliates, which include The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC and Putnam Investments Limited®.

Prepared for use in Canada by Putnam Investments Inc. [Investissements Putnam Inc.] (o/a Putnam Management in Manitoba). Where permitted, advisory services are provided in Canada by Putnam Investments Inc. [Investissements Putnam Inc.] (o/a Putnam Management in Manitoba) and its affiliate, The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC.

Consider these risks before investing: International investing involves certain risks, such as currency fluctuations, economic instability, and political developments. Additional risks may be associated with emerging-market securities, including illiquidity and volatility. Lower-rated bonds may offer higher yields in return for more risk. Funds that invest in government securities are not guaranteed. Mortgage-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk. Derivatives also involve the risk, in the case of many over-the-counter instruments, of the potential inability to terminate or sell deriv-atives positions and the potential failure of the other party to the instrument to meet its obligations.

Bond investments are subject to interest-rate risk, which means the prices of the fund’s bond investments are 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. 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. Unlike bonds, funds that invest in bonds have ongoing fees and expenses.

If you are a U.S. retail investor, please request a prospectus, or a summary prospectus if available, from your financial representative or by calling Putnam at 1-800-225-1581. The prospectus includes investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other information that you should read and consider carefully before investing.

In the United States, mutual funds are distributed by Putnam Retail Management.

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