USD ($)

Year-to-date performance through

Sep. 30, 2020

20.39%

Best calendar quarter

Mar. 31, 2019

19.80%

Worst calendar quarter

Sep. 30, 2011

(24.96%)

Fund summary

Goal

Putnam Small Cap Growth Fund seeks capital appreciation.

Fees and expenses

The following tables describe 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 professional and in How do I buy fund shares? beginning on page 13 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 $50,000 in 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 13 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)

$ 50,000

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - Putnam Small Cap Growth Fund	Class A		Class B		Class C		Class R	Class R6	Class Y
Maximum Sales Charge Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of Offering Price)	5.75%		none		none		none	none	none
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (as a percentage)	1.00%	[1]	5.00%	[2]	1.00%	[3]	none	none	none

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

Annual Fund Operating Expenses - Putnam Small Cap Growth Fund		Class A	Class B	Class C	Class R	Class R6	Class Y
Management Fees (as a percentage of Assets)	[1]	0.73%	0.73%	0.73%	0.73%	0.73%	0.73%
Distribution and Service (12b-1) Fees		0.25%	1.00%	1.00%	0.50%
Other Expenses (as a percentage of Assets):		0.26%	0.26%	0.26%	0.26%	0.11%	0.26%
Expenses (as a percentage of Assets)		1.24%	1.99%	1.99%	1.49%	0.84%	0.99%

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.

Expense Example - Putnam Small Cap Growth Fund - 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	694	946	1,217	1,989
Class B	702	924	1,273	2,123	202	624	1,073	2,123
Class C	302	624	1,073	2,317	202	624	1,073	2,317
Class R	152	471	813	1,779
Class R6	86	268	466	1,037
Class Y	101	315	547	1,213

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 56%.

Prospectus          3

56.00%

Investments, risks, and performance

Investments

We invest mainly in common stocks of small U.S. companies, with a focus on growth stocks. Growth stocks are issued by companies whose earnings are expected to grow faster than those of similar firms, and whose business growth and other characteristics may lead to an increase in stock price. Under normal circumstances, we invest at least 80% of the fund’s net assets in companies of a size similar to those in the Russell 2000 Growth Index. This policy may be changed only after 60 days’ notice to shareholders. As of August 31, 2020, the index was composed of companies having market capitalizations of between approximately $54.1 million and $7.4 billion.

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.

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, 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. Growth stocks may be more susceptible to earnings disappointments, and the market may not favor growth-style investing. These risks are generally greater for small and midsize companies. 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 companies, industries or sectors.

There is no guarantee that the investment techniques, analyses, or judgements 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 the 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.

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

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. If it did, performance would be lower.

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  

Average annual total returns after sales charges (for periods ended 12/31/19)

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 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.

[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.

[1] Management fees reflect a performance adjustment. The fund’s base management fee is subject to adjustment, up or down, based on the fund’s performance relative to the performance of the Russell 2000 Growth Index (ND). Management fees for the most recent fiscal year are negative because the fund’s negative performance adjustment exceeded the fund’s base management fee. For the most recent fiscal year, the fund’s base management fee prior to any performance adjustment was 0.619%.