N-CSRS 1 a_internationalvalue.htm PUTNAM FUNDS TRUST a_internationalvalue.htm


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES




Investment Company Act file number: (811-07513)
Exact name of registrant as specified in charter: Putnam Funds Trust
Address of principal executive offices: 100 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Name and address of agent for service: Robert T. Burns, Vice President
100 Federal Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Copy to:         Bryan Chegwidden, Esq.
Ropes & Gray LLP
1211 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10036
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (617) 292-1000
Date of fiscal year end: June 30, 2021
Date of reporting period: July 1, 2020 — December 31, 2020



Item 1. Report to Stockholders:

The following is a copy of the report transmitted to stockholders pursuant to Rule 30e-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940:



 


 

Message from the Trustees

February 12, 2021

Dear Fellow Shareholder:

The world welcomed 2021 with high hopes for improvement in the global economy and public health. Although COVID-19 infections have reached new levels, distribution of vaccines is underway, boosting optimism about a return to normal in the not-too-distant future. In the United States, new proposals to rebuild the economy are anticipated from the Biden administration. The stock and bond markets started the year in good shape, indicating that investors are willing to look beyond current challenges and see the potential for renewed economic growth.

Putnam continues to employ active strategies that seek superior investment performance for you and your fellow shareholders. Putnam’s portfolio managers and analysts take a research-intensive approach that includes risk management strategies designed to serve you through changing conditions.

As always, thank you for investing with Putnam.



 


Current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted past performance, which cannot guarantee future results. Share price, principal value, and return will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or a loss when you sell your shares. Performance of class A shares assumes reinvestment of distributions and does not account for taxes. Fund returns in the bar chart do not reflect a sales charge of 5.75%; had they, returns would have been lower. See below and pages 7–8 for additional performance information. For a portion of the periods, the fund had expense limitations, without which returns would have been lower. To obtain the most recent month-end performance, visit putnam.com.

* Source: Lipper, a Refinitiv company.

Returns for the six-month period are not annualized, but cumulative.


This comparison shows your fund’s performance in the context of broad market indexes for the six months ended 12/31/20. See above and pages 7–8 for additional fund performance information. Index descriptions can be found on pages 12–13.

* Source: Bloomberg Index Services Limited.

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How was the investment environment during the reporting period?

Despite a number of challenges in the macroeconomic environment, international value stocks, the focus of this fund, delivered solid gains for the period. International stocks began the period with losses amid ongoing uncertainty around the economic recovery and the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic. Worries about the pandemic’s impact on global growth largely outweighed any positive earnings news. In the second half of the period, performance for international stocks improved despite a surge in COVID-19 cases, the discovery of a new highly contagious COVID-19 variant in the United Kingdom, and ongoing debate around a trade deal between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Late in the period, a Brexit deal was reached, but the most significant boost to investor sentiment, in our view, came when distribution began for two COVID-19 vaccines with impressive efficacy results.

How did the fund perform in this environment?

The fund posted a return of 22.79%, outperforming its benchmark, the MSCI EAFE Value Index [ND], which posted a return of 20.62%.

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Allocations are shown as a percentage of the fund’s net assets as of 12/31/20. Cash and net other assets, if any, represent the market value weights of cash, derivatives, short-term securities, and other unclassified assets in the portfolio. Summary information may differ from the information in the portfolio schedule notes included in the financial statements due to the inclusion of derivative securities, any interest accruals, the exclusion of as-of trades, if any, and rounding. Holdings and allocations may vary over time.


This table shows the fund’s top 10 holdings by percentage of the fund’s net assets as of 12/31/20. Short-term investments and derivatives, if any, are excluded. Holdings may vary over time.

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The fund underperformed the average return of 23.05% for funds in its Lipper peer group, International Large-Cap Value Funds.

Could you provide some examples of stocks that contributed to the fund’s performance for the reporting period?

The top contributor to performance was our investment in Samsung Electronics, a South Korea-based maker of semiconductors as well as consumer goods and devices such as smart-phones and tablets. The company benefited from higher demand for semiconductors, computers, and mobile devices, as well as for home appliances like televisions in the midst of the pandemic lockdowns.

Another performance highlight was AIA, a Hong Kong-based life insurance company with a presence in 18 Asia-Pacific markets. The stock faced challenges in early 2020 as anti-government protests caused disruption in Hong Kong for months, with violent clashes between police and activists. The situation was disruptive for the economy and financial markets, and investors sold off stocks such as AIA. The stock rebounded during the period, and we believe AIA is the most well-established brand in parts of the world where insurance is a fast-growing industry.

What were some stocks that detracted from performance during the reporting period?

The top detractor for the period was AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company. The stock struggled when questions were raised around the safety profile and testing process of its COVID-19 vaccine. In addition, its efficacy data was not as strong as that of vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer. Also during the period, AstraZeneca announced its plans to acquire Alexion, a company that specializes in treatments for rare diseases. It was the largest acquisition in AstraZeneca’s history, and many investors believed the price paid for Alexion was excessive.

Also detracting from performance was Vinci, the largest French toll road operator and an airport owner. Vinci’s primary businesses have been enormously vulnerable to the pandemic lockdowns and their effect on economic activity, primarily in France. The stock declined during the period as a second wave of COVID-19 cases led to new rounds of lockdowns across Europe. Toll road driving volumes, airport passenger volumes, and overall economic activity once again declined sharply. Investors remained concerned about Vinci’s profitability due to uncertainty around the pace of the economic recovery.

As the fund begins the second half of its fiscal year, what is your outlook?

The news of an effective COVID-19 vaccine had a profound effect on investor sentiment. Suddenly, the idea of leaving our homes for shopping, dining, travel, and entertainment felt like a distinct possibility. While the pandemic has been a financial hardship for many, there are also many households that have built up significant savings in 2020. As we enter 2021, we expect considerable demand for leisure spending as well as more assets in savings accounts that are ready to be deployed.

We believe that there will be debate over whether multiple waves of the COVID-19 pandemic will result in more permanent economic damage. So far, the market has looked fully past that, anticipating a return to normal in the second half or final quarter of 2021. We have the prospect of herd immunity, pent-up demand from consumers who are eager to go out and spend their savings, and the potential for more fiscal stimulus for those who are struggling.

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Earnings trends are also key, in our view. In 2020, uncertainty about earnings potential and significant write-downs for companies across the value universe contributed to the underperformance of value stocks. In 2021, we believe the earnings backdrop will be much more favorable, and we don’t expect meaningful downgrades to earnings expectations. Assuming the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines goes well and the pandemic’s damage to the economy is not greater than expected, we believe we have a solid setup for value stocks in 2021.

Thank you for your time and insights, Darren.

The views expressed in this report are exclusively those of Putnam Management and are subject to change. They are not meant as investment advice.

Please note that the holdings discussed in this report may not have been held by the fund for the entire period. Portfolio composition is subject to review in accordance with the fund’s investment strategy and may vary in the future. Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to risk.


This chart shows the fund’s largest allocation shifts, by percentage, over the past six months. Allocations are shown as a percentage of the fund’s net assets. Current period summary information may differ from the portfolio schedule included in the financial statements due to the inclusion of derivative securities, any interest accruals, the exclusion of as-of trades, if any, the use of different classifications of securities for presentation purposes, and rounding. Holdings and allocations may vary over time.

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Your fund’s performance

This section shows your fund’s performance, price, and distribution information for periods ended December 31, 2020, the end of the first half of its current fiscal year. In accordance with regulatory requirements for mutual funds, we also include expense information taken from the fund’s current prospectus. Performance should always be considered in light of a fund’s investment strategy. Data represent past performance. Past performance does not guarantee future results. More recent returns may be less or more than those shown. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate, and you may have a gain or a loss when you sell your shares. Performance information does not reflect any deduction for taxes a shareholder may owe on fund distributions or on the redemption of fund shares. For the most recent month-end performance, please visit the Individual Investors section at putnam.com or call Putnam at 1-800-225-1581. Class R, R6, and Y shares are not available to all investors. See the Terms and definitions section in this report for definitions of the share classes offered by your fund.

Fund performance Total return for periods ended 12/31/20

  Annual                 
  average    Annual    Annual    Annual     
  (life of fund)  10 years  average  5 years  average  3 years  average  1 year  6 months 
Class A (8/1/96)                   
Before sales charge  5.23%  45.66%  3.83%  28.36%  5.12%  2.51%  0.83%  4.16%  22.79% 
After sales charge  4.97  37.28  3.22  20.98  3.88  –3.38  –1.14  –1.83  15.73 
Class B (8/1/96)                   
Before CDSC  4.96  37.14  3.21  23.61  4.33  0.25  0.08  3.33  22.25 
After CDSC  4.96  37.14  3.21  21.61  3.99  –2.55  –0.86  –1.67  17.25 
Class C (2/1/99)                   
Before CDSC  4.92  35.16  3.06  23.59  4.33  0.32  0.11  3.31  22.31 
After CDSC  4.92  35.16  3.06  23.59  4.33  0.32  0.11  2.31  21.31 
Class R (12/1/03)                   
Net asset value  4.97  42.16  3.58  26.82  4.87  1.78  0.59  3.86  22.64 
Class R6 (12/2/13)                   
Net asset value  5.51  51.27  4.23  31.17  5.58  3.91  1.29  4.60  23.01 
Class Y (10/2/00)                   
Net asset value  5.46  49.39  4.10  29.96  5.38  3.31  1.09  4.37  22.91 

 

Current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted past performance, which cannot guarantee future results. After-sales-charge returns for class A shares reflect the deduction of the maximum 5.75% sales charge levied at the time of purchase. Class B share returns after contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) reflect the applicable CDSC, which is 5% in the first year, declining over time to 1% in the sixth year, and is eliminated thereafter. Class C share returns after CDSC reflect a 1% CDSC for the first year that is eliminated thereafter. Class R, R6, and Y shares have no initial sales charge or CDSC. Performance for class C, R, and Y shares before their inception is derived from the historical performance of class A shares, adjusted for the applicable sales charge (or CDSC) and the higher operating expenses for such shares, except for class Y shares, for which 12b-1 fees are not applicable. Performance for class R6 shares prior to their inception 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.

For a portion of the periods, the fund had expense limitations, without which returns would have been lower.

The fund has had performance fee adjustments that may have had a positive or negative impact on returns.

Class B share performance reflects conversion to class A shares after eight years.

Class C share performance reflects conversion to class A shares after 10 years.

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Comparative index returns For periods ended 12/31/20

  Annual                 
  average    Annual    Annual    Annual     
  (life of fund)  10 years  average  5 years  average  3 years  average  1 year  6 months 
MSCI EAFE Value                   
Index (ND)  4.86%  39.33%  3.37%  22.87%  4.20%  –3.67%  –1.24%  –2.63%  20.62% 
Lipper International                   
Large-Cap Value                   
Funds category  5.59  40.21  3.40  25.98  4.70  1.70  0.55  3.21  23.05 
average*                   

 

Index and Lipper results should be compared with fund performance before sales charge, before CDSC, or at net asset value.

* Over the 6-month, 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, 10-year, and life-of-fund periods ended 12/31/20, there were 50, 38, 35, 34, 30, and 6 funds, respectively, in this Lipper category.

Fund price and distribution information For the six-month period ended 12/31/20

Distributions  Class A  Class B  Class C  Class R  Class R6  Class Y 
Number  1  1  1  1  1  1 
Income  $0.180  $0.073  $0.080  $0.153  $0.229  $0.213 
Capital gains               
Long-term gains  0.028  0.028  0.028  0.028  0.028  0.028 
Short-term gains             
Total  $0.208  $0.101  $0.108  $0.181  $0.257  $0.241 
  Before  After  Net  Net  Net  Net  Net 
  sales  sales  asset  asset  asset  asset  asset 
Share value  charge  charge  value  value  value  value  value 
6/30/20  $9.39  $9.96  $9.45  $9.41  $9.29  $9.43  $9.40 
12/31/20  11.32  12.01  11.45  11.40  11.21  11.34  11.31 

 

The classification of distributions, if any, is an estimate. Before-sales-charge share value and current dividend rate for class A shares, if applicable, do not take into account any sales charge levied at the time of purchase. After-sales-charge share value, current dividend rate, and current 30-day SEC yield, if applicable, are calculated assuming that the maximum sales charge (5.75% for class A shares) was levied at the time of purchase. Final distribution information will appear on your year-end tax forms.

 

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Your fund’s expenses

As a mutual fund investor, you pay ongoing expenses, such as management fees, distribution fees (12b-1 fees), and other expenses. In the most recent six-month period, your fund’s expenses were limited; had expenses not been limited, they would have been higher. Using the following information, you can estimate how these expenses affect your investment and compare them with the expenses of other funds. You may also pay one-time transaction expenses, including sales charges (loads) and redemption fees, which are not shown in this section and would have resulted in higher total expenses. For more information, see your fund’s prospectus or talk to your financial representative.

Expense ratios

  Class A  Class B  Class C  Class R  Class R6  Class Y 
Net expenses for the fiscal year             
ended 6/30/20*  1.40%  2.15%  2.15%  1.65%  0.95%  1.15% 
Total annual operating expenses for the             
fiscal year ended 6/30/20  1.43%  2.18%  2.18%  1.68%  0.98%  1.18% 
Annualized expense ratio for the             
six-month period ended 12/31/20  1.45%  2.20%  2.20%  1.70%  1.00%  1.20% 

 

Fiscal year expense information in this table is taken from the most recent prospectus, is subject to change, and may differ from that shown for the annualized expense ratio and in the financial highlights of this report.

Expenses are shown as a percentage of average net assets.

* Reflects Putnam Management’s contractual obligation to limit certain fund expenses through 10/31/21.

Includes an increase of 0.06% from annualizing the performance fee adjustment for the six months ended 12/31/20.

Expenses per $1,000

The following table shows the expenses you would have paid on a $1,000 investment in each class of the fund from 7/1/20 to 12/31/20. It also shows how much a $1,000 investment would be worth at the close of the period, assuming actual returns and expenses.

  Class A  Class B  Class C  Class R  Class R6  Class Y 
Expenses paid per $1,000*†  $8.14  $12.32  $12.33  $9.54  $5.62  $6.74 
Ending value (after expenses)  $1,227.90  $1,222.50  $1,223.10  $1,226.40  $1,230.10  $1,229.10 

 

* Expenses for each share class are calculated using the fund’s annualized expense ratio for each class, which represents the ongoing expenses as a percentage of average net assets for the six months ended 12/31/20. The expense ratio may differ for each share class.

Expenses are calculated by multiplying the expense ratio by the average account value for the period; then multiplying the result by the number of days in the period; and then dividing that result by the number of days in the year.

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Estimate the expenses you paid

To estimate the ongoing expenses you paid for the six months ended 12/31/20, use the following calculation method. To find the value of your investment on 7/1/20, call Putnam at 1-800-225-1581.


Compare expenses using the SEC’s method

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has established guidelines to help investors assess fund expenses. Per these guidelines, the following table shows your fund’s expenses based on a $1,000 investment, assuming a hypothetical 5% annualized return. You can use this information to compare the ongoing expenses (but not transaction expenses or total costs) of investing in the fund with those of other funds. All mutual fund shareholder reports will provide this information to help you make this comparison. Please note that you cannot use this information to estimate your actual ending account balance and expenses paid during the period.

  Class A  Class B  Class C  Class R  Class R6  Class Y 
Expenses paid per $1,000*†  $7.37  $11.17  $11.17  $8.64  $5.09  $6.11 
Ending value (after expenses)  $1,017.90  $1,014.12  $1,014.12  $1,016.64  $1,020.16  $1,019.16 

 

* Expenses for each share class are calculated using the fund’s annualized expense ratio for each class, which represents the ongoing expenses as a percentage of average net assets for the six months ended 12/31/20. The expense ratio may differ for each share class.

Expenses are calculated by multiplying the expense ratio by the average account value for the six-month period; then multiplying the result by the number of days in the six-month period; and then dividing that result by the number of days in the year.

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Consider these risks before investing

International investing involves currency, economic, and political risks. Emerging-market securities carry illiquidity and volatility risks. Because the fund currently invests, and may in the future invest, significantly in European companies, the fund is particularly susceptible to economic, political, regulatory, or other events or conditions affecting issuers in Europe. Investments in small and/or midsize companies increase the risk of greater price fluctuations. Value stocks may fail to rebound, and the market may not favor value-style investing. 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. 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. Risks associated with derivatives include increased investment exposure (which may be considered leverage) and, in the case of over-the-counter instruments, the potential inability to terminate or sell derivatives positions, and the potential failure of the other party to the instrument to meet its obligations. Our investment techniques, analyses, and judgments may not produce the outcome we intend. The investments we select for the fund may not perform as well as other securities that we do not select for the fund. We, or the fund’s other service providers, may experience disruptions or operating errors that could have a negative effect on the fund. You can lose money by investing in the fund.

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Terms and definitions

Important terms

Total return shows how the value of the fund’s shares changed over time, assuming you held the shares through the entire period and reinvested all distributions in the fund.

Before sales charge, or net asset value, is the price, or value, of one share of a mutual fund, without a sales charge. Before-sales-charge figures fluctuate with market conditions, and are calculated by dividing the net assets of each class of shares by the number of outstanding shares in the class.

After sales charge is the price of a mutual fund share plus the maximum sales charge levied at the time of purchase. After-sales-charge performance figures shown here assume the 5.75% maximum sales charge for class A shares.

Contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) is generally a charge applied at the time of the redemption of class B or C shares and assumes redemption at the end of the period. Your fund’s class B CDSC declines over time from a 5% maximum during the first year to 1% during the sixth year. After the sixth year, the CDSC no longer applies. The CDSC for class C shares is 1% for one year after purchase.

Share classes

Class A shares are generally subject to an initial sales charge and no CDSC (except on certain redemptions of shares bought without an initial sales charge).

Class B shares are closed to new investments and are only available by exchange from another Putnam fund or through dividend and/or capital gains reinvestment. They are not subject to an initial sales charge and may be subject to a CDSC.

Class C shares are not subject to an initial sales charge and are subject to a CDSC only if the shares are redeemed during the first year.

Class R shares are not subject to an initial sales charge or CDSC and are only available to employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Class R6 shares are not subject to an initial sales charge or CDSC and carry no 12b-1 fee. They are generally only available to employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and institutional clients, and clients in other approved programs.

Class Y shares are not subject to an initial sales charge or CDSC and carry no 12b-1 fee. They are generally only available to corporate and institutional clients and clients in other approved programs.

Comparative indexes

Bloomberg Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is an unmanaged index of U.S. investment-grade fixed-income securities. Source: Bloomberg Index Services Limited.

ICE BofA (Intercontinental Exchange Bank of America) U.S. 3-Month Treasury Bill Index is an unmanaged index that seeks to measure the performance of U.S. Treasury bills available in the marketplace.

MSCI EAFE Value Index (ND) is an unmanaged index which measures the performance of equity securities representing the value style in countries within Europe, Australasia, and the Far East. Calculated with net dividends (ND), this total return index reflects the reinvestment of dividends after the deduction of withholding taxes, using a tax rate applicable to non-resident institutional investors who do not benefit from double taxation treaties.

S&P 500 Index is an unmanaged index of common stock performance.

Indexes assume reinvestment of all distributions and do not account for fees. Securities and performance of a fund and an index will differ. You cannot invest directly in an index.

BLOOMBERG® is a trademark and service mark of Bloomberg Finance L.P. and its affiliates (collectively “Bloomberg”). BARCLAYS® is a trademark and service

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mark of Barclays Bank Plc (collectively with its affiliates, “Barclays”), used under license. Bloomberg or Bloomberg’s licensors, including Barclays, own all proprietary rights in the Bloomberg Barclays Indices. Neither Bloomberg nor Barclays approves or endorses this material, or guarantees the accuracy of completeness of any information herein, or makes any warranty, express or limited, 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.

ICE Data Indices, LLC (“ICE BofA”), used with permission. ICE BofA permits use of the ICE BofA indices and related data on an “as is” basis; makes no warranties regarding same; does not guarantee the suitability, quality, accuracy, timeliness, and/or completeness of the ICE BofA indices or any data included in, related to, or derived therefrom; assumes no liability in connection with the use of the foregoing; and does not sponsor, endorse, or recommend Putnam Investments, or any of its products or services.

Lipper, a Refinitiv company, is a third-party industry-ranking entity that ranks mutual funds. Its rankings do not reflect sales charges. Lipper rankings are based on total return at net asset value relative to other funds that have similar current investment styles or objectives as determined by Lipper. Lipper may change a fund’s category assignment at its discretion. Lipper category averages reflect performance trends for funds within a category.


Other information for shareholders

Important notice regarding delivery of shareholder documents

In accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations, Putnam sends a single copy of annual and semiannual shareholder reports, prospectuses, and proxy statements to Putnam shareholders who share the same address, unless a shareholder requests otherwise. If you prefer to receive your own copy of these documents, please call Putnam at 1-800-225-1581, and Putnam will begin sending individual copies within 30 days.

Proxy voting

Putnam is committed to managing our mutual funds in the best interests of our shareholders. The Putnam funds’ proxy voting guidelines and procedures, as well as information regarding how your fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the 12-month period ended June 30, 2020, are available in the Individual Investors section of putnam.com and on the SEC’s website, 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 at no charge by calling Putnam’s Shareholder Services at 1-800-225-1581.

Fund portfolio holdings

The fund will file a complete schedule of its portfolio holdings with the SEC for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-PORT within 60 days of the end of such fiscal quarter. Shareholders may obtain the fund’s Form N-PORT on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

Prior to its use of Form N-PORT, the fund filed its complete schedule of its portfolio holdings with the SEC on Form N-Q, which is available online at www.sec.gov.

Trustee and employee fund ownership

Putnam employees and members of the Board of Trustees place their faith, confidence, and, most importantly, investment dollars in Putnam mutual funds. As of December 31, 2020, Putnam employees had approximately $541,000,000 and the Trustees had approximately $76,000,000 invested in Putnam mutual funds. These amounts include investments by the Trustees’ and employees’ immediate family members as well as investments through retirement and deferred compensation plans.

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Financial statements

These sections of the report, as well as the accompanying Notes, constitute the fund’s financial statements.

The fund’s portfolio lists all the fund’s investments and their values as of the last day of the reporting period. Holdings are organized by asset type and industry sector, country, or state to show areas of concentration and diversification.

Statement of assets and liabilities shows how the fund’s net assets and share price are determined. All investment and non-investment assets are added together. Any unpaid expenses and other liabilities are subtracted from this total. The result is divided by the number of shares to determine the net asset value per share, which is calculated separately for each class of shares. (For funds with preferred shares, the amount subtracted from total assets includes the liquidation preference of preferred shares.)

Statement of operations shows the fund’s net investment gain or loss. This is done by first adding up all the fund’s earnings — from dividends and interest income — and subtracting its operating expenses to determine net investment income (or loss). Then, any net gain or loss the fund realized on the sales of its holdings — as well as any unrealized gains or losses over the period — is added to or subtracted from the net investment result to determine the fund’s net gain or loss for the fiscal period.

Statement of changes in net assets shows how the fund’s net assets were affected by the fund’s net investment gain or loss, by distributions to shareholders, and by changes in the number of the fund’s shares. It lists distributions and their sources (net investment income or realized capital gains) over the current reporting period and the most recent fiscal year-end. The distributions listed here may not match the sources listed in the Statement of operations because the distributions are determined on a tax basis and may be paid in a different period from the one in which they were earned. 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.

Financial highlights provide an overview of the fund’s investment results, per-share distributions, expense ratios, net investment income ratios, and portfolio turnover in one summary table, reflecting the five most recent reporting periods. In a semiannual report, the highlights table also includes the current reporting period.

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The fund’s portfolio 12/31/20 (Unaudited)

COMMON STOCKS (97.1%)*  Shares  Value 
Aerospace and defense (0.7%)     
BAE Systems PLC (United Kingdom)  137,249  $917,954 
    917,954 
Airlines (1.2%)     
Qantas Airways, Ltd. (voting rights) (Australia)    420,651  1,574,973 
    1,574,973 
Auto components (1.3%)     
Magna International, Inc. (Canada)  22,913  1,622,037 
    1,622,037 
Automobiles (1.1%)     
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (Japan)  67,800  1,386,374 
    1,386,374 
Banks (13.1%)     
Australia & New Zealand Banking Group, Ltd. (Australia)  159,370  2,792,674 
BNP Paribas SA (France)    27,234  1,436,436 
CaixaBank SA (Spain)  295,756  760,027 
DBS Group Holdings, Ltd. (Singapore)  58,400  1,104,629 
DNB ASA (Norway)    68,254  1,343,842 
Hana Financial Group, Inc. (South Korea)  36,878  1,172,632 
ING Groep NV (Netherlands)    348,251  3,299,110 
Lloyds Banking Group PLC (United Kingdom)    1,014,265  511,273 
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (Japan)  71,020  905,299 
Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (Sweden)    30,210  310,119 
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (Japan)  64,800  2,005,113 
UniCredit SpA (Italy)    100,360  928,715 
    16,569,869 
Beverages (1.1%)     
Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. (Japan)  32,400  1,335,476 
    1,335,476 
Building products (1.0%)     
Compagnie De Saint-Gobain (France)    26,339  1,207,724 
    1,207,724 
Capital markets (3.7%)     
Partners Group Holding AG (Switzerland)  1,072  1,252,194 
Quilter PLC (United Kingdom)  767,466  1,613,691 
UBS Group AG (Switzerland)  127,685  1,785,857 
    4,651,742 
Chemicals (1.3%)     
LANXESS AG (Germany)  21,098  1,617,865 
    1,617,865 
Construction and engineering (2.7%)     
Vinci SA (France)  34,006  3,383,644 
    3,383,644 
Construction materials (1.2%)     
CRH PLC (Ireland)  36,801  1,555,664 
    1,555,664 
Containers and packaging (0.9%)     
SIG Combibloc Group AG (Switzerland)  49,549  1,147,514 
    1,147,514 

 

International Value Fund 15 

 


 

COMMON STOCKS (97.1%)* cont.  Shares  Value 
Diversified financial services (2.1%)     
Eurazeo SA (France)    19,743  $1,339,542 
ORIX Corp. (Japan)  85,900  1,333,085 
    2,672,627 
Diversified telecommunication services (3.5%)     
BCE, Inc. (Canada)  26,900  1,150,261 
Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. (Japan)  100,600  2,579,510 
Telstra Corp., Ltd. (Australia)  323,510  743,850 
    4,473,621 
Electric utilities (2.4%)     
Fortum OYJ (Finland)  51,847  1,247,241 
SSE PLC (United Kingdom)  86,523  1,783,334 
    3,030,575 
Electrical equipment (0.3%)     
Siemens Energy AG (Germany)    10,526  386,314 
    386,314 
Food and staples retail (2.2%)     
Koninklijke Ahold Delhaize NV (Netherlands)  61,062  1,724,402 
Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd. (Japan)  28,100  997,876 
    2,722,278 
Food products (1.6%)     
JDE Peet’s BV (Netherlands)    14,373  647,918 
Kerry Group PLC Class A (Ireland)  9,387  1,359,850 
    2,007,768 
Health-care equipment and supplies (2.1%)     
Alcon, Inc. (Switzerland)    7,320  488,681 
Hoya Corp. (Japan)  15,200  2,101,081 
    2,589,762 
Hotels, restaurants, and leisure (1.6%)     
Compass Group PLC (United Kingdom)  50,307  938,749 
Dalata Hotel Group PLC (Ireland)    245,720  1,136,222 
    2,074,971 
Household durables (3.2%)     
Panasonic Corp. (Japan)  118,400  1,368,104 
Sony Corp. (Japan)  26,200  2,634,244 
    4,002,348 
Industrial conglomerates (2.4%)     
Siemens AG (Germany)  21,053  3,013,243 
    3,013,243 
Insurance (9.4%)     
AIA Group, Ltd. (Hong Kong)  298,400  3,675,592 
Allianz SE (Germany)  7,234  1,769,957 
AXA SA (France)  90,431  2,169,518 
Prudential PLC (United Kingdom)  130,061  2,400,697 
QBE Insurance Group, Ltd. (Australia)  273,208  1,798,612 
    11,814,376 
Machinery (2.1%)     
MinebeaMitsumi, Inc. (Japan)  89,000  1,770,666 
NSK, Ltd. (Japan)  99,100  865,988 
    2,636,654 

 

16 International Value Fund 

 


 

COMMON STOCKS (97.1%)* cont.  Shares  Value 
Metals and mining (3.3%)     
Anglo American PLC (United Kingdom)  64,502  $2,148,388 
Rio Tinto PLC (United Kingdom)  26,987  2,019,273 
    4,167,661 
Multi-utilities (1.7%)     
Veolia Environnement SA (France)  87,735  2,146,479 
    2,146,479 
Oil, gas, and consumable fuels (4.6%)     
BP PLC (United Kingdom)  463,511  1,596,686 
Ovintiv, Inc.  25,760  370,139 
Royal Dutch Shell PLC Class B (United Kingdom)  58,012  999,449 
Suncor Energy, Inc. (Canada)  85,012  1,425,883 
TOTAL SA (France)  32,682  1,409,839 
    5,801,996 
Personal products (1.4%)     
Unilever PLC (United Kingdom)  28,173  1,705,906 
    1,705,906 
Pharmaceuticals (7.4%)     
AstraZeneca PLC (United Kingdom)  21,086  2,106,681 
Novartis AG (Switzerland)  48,812  4,610,332 
Sanofi (France)  27,388  2,646,243 
    9,363,256 
Semiconductors and semiconductor equipment (1.8%)     
Tokyo Electron, Ltd. (Japan)  6,200  2,312,513 
    2,312,513 
Technology hardware, storage, and peripherals (2.1%)     
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (South Korea)  35,087  2,622,312 
    2,622,312 
Tobacco (1.0%)     
Imperial Brands PLC (United Kingdom)  60,183  1,264,527 
    1,264,527 
Trading companies and distributors (8.2%)     
Ashtead Group PLC (United Kingdom)  62,379  2,935,477 
Ferguson PLC (United Kingdom)  19,627  2,386,859 
ITOCHU Corp. (Japan)  85,600  2,465,387 
Mitsubishi Corp. (Japan)  103,100  2,542,531 
    10,330,254 
Transportation infrastructure (0.8%)     
Aena SME SA (Spain)    6,057  1,057,656 
    1,057,656 
Wireless telecommunication services (2.6%)     
KDDI Corp. (Japan)  32,800  974,075 
Vodafone Group PLC (United Kingdom)  1,384,637  2,278,607 
    3,252,682 
Total common stocks (cost $109,256,624)    $122,420,615 

 

International Value Fund 17 

 


 

  Principal   
U.S. TREASURY OBLIGATIONS (0.2%)*  amount  Value 
U.S. Treasury Notes     
2.125%, 8/15/21 i   $118,000  $120,410 
2.00%, 2/15/25 i   105,000  113,226 
Total U.S. treasury obligations (cost $233,636)    $233,636 

 

  Principal amount/   
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (2.0%)*    shares  Value 
Putnam Short Term Investment Fund Class P 0.17% L   Shares   2,159,698  $2,159,698 
State Street Institutional U.S. Government Money Market Fund,       
Premier Class 0.03%   Shares   110,000  110,000 
U.S. Treasury Bills 0.081%, 3/18/21     $300,000  299,957 
Total short-term investments (cost $2,569,647)      $2,569,655 

 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS   
Total investments (cost $112,059,907)  $125,223,906 

 

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 July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, 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 “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures.

* Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $126,263,602.

This security is non-income-producing.

i This security was pledged, or purchased with cash that was pledged, to the fund for collateral on certain derivative contracts (Note 1).

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. Collateral at period end totaled $130,974 and is included in Investments in securities on the Statement of assets and liabilities (Notes 1 and 8).

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.

At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $248,549 to cover certain derivative contracts.

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 Kingdom  22.0%  Hong Kong  2.9% 
Japan  22.0  United States  2.3 
France  12.6  Spain  1.5 
Switzerland  7.4  Norway  1.1 
Australia  5.5  Finland  1.0 
Germany  5.4  Singapore  0.9 
Netherlands  4.5  Italy  0.7 
Canada  3.4  Other  0.6 
Ireland  3.2  Total  100.0% 
South Korea  3.0     

 

18 International Value Fund 

 


 

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 12/31/20 (aggregate face value $46,483,101) (Unaudited) 
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type*  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 
Bank of America N.A.           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/21  $939,423  $875,175  $64,248 
  British Pound  Buy  3/17/21  340,387  335,294  5,093 
  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/21  2,507,459  2,406,910  (100,549) 
  Euro  Buy  3/17/21  1,521,102  1,511,553  9,549 
  Japanese Yen  Sell  2/17/21  707,488  698,646  (8,842) 
Barclays Bank PLC             
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/21  226,316  210,740  15,576 
  British Pound  Sell  3/17/21  284,294  279,997  (4,297) 
  Euro  Sell  3/17/21  287,555  286,203  (1,352) 
  Hong Kong Dollar  Buy  2/17/21  1,061,475  1,061,223  252 
Citibank, N.A.             
  British Pound  Buy  3/17/21  339,840  334,776  5,064 
  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/21  568,038  557,385  (10,653) 
  Danish Krone  Buy  3/17/21  603,539  600,285  3,254 
  Euro  Sell  3/17/21  190,398  189,501  (897) 
  Japanese Yen  Sell  2/17/21  1,276,914  1,261,593  (15,321) 
  Swiss Franc  Buy  3/17/21  459,345  458,432  913 
Goldman Sachs International           
  Canadian Dollar  Buy  1/20/21  1,545,801  1,484,065  61,736 
  Euro  Buy  3/17/21  818,490  814,553  3,937 
  Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  2/17/21  323,262  323,212  (50) 
  Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/21  3,319,730  3,278,071  41,659 
HSBC Bank USA, National Association           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/21  1,509,184  1,429,248  79,936 
  British Pound  Sell  3/17/21  409,066  402,934  (6,132) 
  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/21  51,776  49,711  (2,065) 
  Euro  Buy  3/17/21  3,163,956  3,149,721  14,235 
  Hong Kong Dollar  Buy  2/17/21  205,165  205,285  (120) 
  Japanese Yen  Sell  2/17/21  638,341  631,021  (7,320) 
  Swedish Krona  Sell  3/17/21  557,583  547,097  (10,486) 
  Swiss Franc  Sell  3/17/21  691,847  689,003  (2,844) 
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/21  185,140  172,442  12,698 
  British Pound  Sell  3/17/21  77,162  76,008  (1,154) 
  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/21  1,630,811  1,565,575  (65,236) 
  Euro  Buy  3/17/21  1,893,210  1,884,077  9,133 
  Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/21  269,961  266,601  3,360 
  New Zealand Dollar  Buy  1/20/21  349,639  322,939  26,700 
  Norwegian Krone  Sell  3/17/21  80,395  79,217  (1,178) 
  Singapore Dollar  Buy  2/17/21  295,032  285,631  9,401 
  South Korean Won  Sell  2/17/21  3,685,842  3,571,495  (114,347) 
  Swiss Franc  Sell  3/17/21  730,107  728,710  (1,397) 

 

International Value Fund 19 

 


 

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 12/31/20 (aggregate face value $46,483,101) (Unaudited) cont. 
            Unrealized 
    Contract  Delivery    Aggregate  appreciation/ 
Counterparty  Currency  type*  date  Value  face value  (depreciation) 
Morgan Stanley & Co. International PLC         
  British Pound  Sell  3/17/21  $501,824  $494,353  $(7,471) 
  Euro  Buy  3/17/21  84,431  84,026  405 
  Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/21  405,740  402,448  3,292 
  Swedish Krona  Buy  3/17/21  376,283  369,598  6,685 
NatWest Markets PLC           
  Swedish Krona  Buy  3/17/21  1,757,736  1,727,292  30,444 
State Street Bank and Trust Co.           
  Australian Dollar  Buy  1/20/21  506,300  471,491  34,809 
  British Pound  Sell  3/17/21  2,570,140  2,527,962  (42,178) 
  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/21  288,733  277,196  (11,537) 
  Euro  Sell  3/17/21  172,655  171,822  (833) 
  Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  2/17/21  502,252  502,120  (132) 
  Israeli Shekel  Buy  1/20/21  717,990  678,625  39,365 
  Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/21  401,921  396,939  4,982 
  Swiss Franc  Buy  3/17/21  110,705  110,491  214 
UBS AG             
  Canadian Dollar  Sell  1/20/21  640,712  615,195  (25,517) 
  Euro  Buy  3/17/21  588,936  586,170  2,766 
  Hong Kong Dollar  Sell  2/17/21  324,668  324,601  (67) 
  Japanese Yen  Buy  2/17/21  1,341,403  1,324,935  16,468 
WestPac Banking Corp.           
  Australian Dollar  Sell  1/20/21  874,420  814,461  (59,959) 
  British Pound  Sell  3/17/21  1,215,707  1,189,197  (26,510) 
  Euro  Buy  3/17/21  391,685  389,850  1,835 
Unrealized appreciation          508,009 
Unrealized (depreciation)          (528,444) 
Total            $(20,435) 

 

* The exchange currency for all contracts listed is the United States Dollar.

20 International Value 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*:       
Communication services  $1,150,261  $6,576,042  $—­ 
Consumer discretionary  1,622,037  7,463,693  —­ 
Consumer staples  1,705,906  7,330,049  —­ 
Energy  1,796,022  4,005,974  —­ 
Financials  —­  35,708,614  —­ 
Health care  —­  11,953,018  —­ 
Industrials  —­  24,508,416  —­ 
Information technology  —­  4,934,825  —­ 
Materials  —­  8,488,704  —­ 
Utilities  —­  5,177,054  —­ 
Total common stocks  6,274,226  116,146,389  —­ 
 
U.S. treasury obligations  —­  233,636­  —­ 
Short-term investments  2,269,698  299,957­  —­ 
Totals by level  $8,543,924  $116,679,982  $—­ 
 
      Valuation inputs   
Other financial instruments:  Level 1  Level 2  Level 3 
Forward currency contracts  $—­  $(20,435)  $—­ 
Totals by level  $—­  $(20,435)  $—­ 

 

* Common stock classifications are presented at the sector level, which may differ from the fund’s portfolio presentation.

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

International Value Fund 21 

 


 

Statement of assets and liabilities 12/31/20 (Unaudited)

ASSETS   
Investment in securities, at value, including of securities on loan (Notes 1 and 8):   
Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $109,900,209)  $123,064,208 
Affiliated issuers (identified cost $2,159,698) (Notes 1 and 5)  2,159,698 
Cash  2,415 
Foreign currency (cost $58,980) (Note 1)  59,368 
Dividends, interest and other receivables  288,119 
Foreign tax reclaim  189,838 
Receivable for shares of the fund sold  50,020 
Receivable for investments sold  1,195,006 
Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  508,009 
Prepaid assets  51,850 
Total assets  127,568,531 
 
LIABILITIES   
Payable for shares of the fund repurchased  37,915 
Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)  84,231 
Payable for custodian fees (Note 2)  18,275 
Payable for investor servicing fees (Note 2)  47,552 
Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)  130,418 
Payable for administrative services (Note 2)  1,384 
Payable for distribution fees (Note 2)  63,292 
Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)  528,444 
Collateral on certain derivative contracts, at value (Notes 1 and 8)  343,636 
Other accrued expenses  49,782 
Total liabilities  1,304,929 
 
Net assets  $126,263,602 
 
REPRESENTED BY   
Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)  $111,274,371 
Total distributable earnings (Note 1)  14,989,231 
Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding  $126,263,602 

 

(Continued on next page)

 

22 International Value Fund 

 


 

Statement of assets and liabilities cont.

COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE   
Net asset value and redemption price per class A share   
($103,927,410 divided by 9,183,908 shares)  $11.32 
Offering price per class A share (100/94.25 of $11.32)*  $12.01 
Net asset value and offering price per class B share ($561,715 divided by 49,072 shares)**  $11.45 
Net asset value and offering price per class C share ($1,374,351 divided by 120,594 shares)**  $11.40 
Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R share   
($858,262 divided by 76,585 shares)  $11.21 
Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R6 share   
($8,427,999 divided by 743,306 shares)  $11.34 
Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share   
($11,113,865 divided by 983,035 shares)  $11.31 

 

* 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.

International Value Fund 23 

 


 

Statement of operations Six months ended 12/31/20 (Unaudited)

INVESTMENT INCOME   
Dividends (net of foreign tax of $113,724)  $1,665,857 
Interest (including interest income of $2,995 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)  3,152 
Securities lending (net of expenses) (Notes 1 and 5)  356 
Total investment income  1,669,365 
 
EXPENSES   
Compensation of Manager (Note 2)  421,483 
Investor servicing fees (Note 2)  133,978 
Custodian fees (Note 2)  15,472 
Distribution fees (Note 2)  130,366 
Administrative services (Note 2)  1,953 
Blue sky expense  46,471 
Other  58,001 
Fees waived and reimbursed by Manager (Note 2)  (7,561) 
Total expenses  800,163 
Expense reduction (Note 2)  (22) 
Net expenses  800,141 
 
Net investment income  869,224 
 
REALIZED AND UNREALIZED GAIN (LOSS)   
Net realized gain (loss) on:   
Securities from unaffiliated issuers (Notes 1 and 3)  935,003 
Foreign currency transactions (Note 1)  11,854 
Forward currency contracts (Note 1)  473,725 
Total net realized gain  1,420,582 
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on:   
Securities from unaffiliated issuers  21,520,941 
Assets and liabilities in foreign currencies  20,446 
Forward currency contracts  (233,895) 
Total change in net unrealized appreciation  21,307,492 
 
Net gain on investments  22,728,074 
 
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations  $23,597,298 

 

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

24 International Value Fund 

 


 

Statement of changes in net assets

INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS  Six months ended 12/31/20*  Year ended 6/30/20 
Operations     
Net investment income  $869,224  $1,858,207 
Net realized gain on investments     
and foreign currency transactions  1,420,582  1,621,320 
Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)     
of investments and assets and liabilities     
in foreign currencies  21,307,492  (13,129,728) 
Net increase (decrease) in net assets resulting     
from operations  23,597,298  (9,650,201) 
Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):     
From ordinary income     
Net investment income     
Class A  (1,627,808)  (2,423,448) 
Class B  (3,677)  (11,505) 
Class C  (9,412)  (26,090) 
Class R  (11,486)  (18,191) 
Class R6  (167,080)  (120,961) 
Class Y  (203,379)  (160,565) 
From net realized long-term gain on investments     
Class A  (253,215)  (1,859,625) 
Class B  (1,410)  (15,231) 
Class C  (3,294)  (34,542) 
Class R  (2,102)  (15,760) 
Class R6  (20,429)  (77,350) 
Class Y  (26,735)  (110,572) 
Increase (decrease) from capital share transactions (Note 4)  228,488  (6,690,542) 
Total increase (decrease) in net assets  21,495,759  (21,214,583) 
 
NET ASSETS     
Beginning of period  104,767,843  125,982,426 
End of period  $126,263,602  $104,767,843 

 

* Unaudited.

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

International Value Fund 25 

 


 

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

  INVESTMENT OPERATIONS      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS        RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA   
                        Ratio of net   
  Net asset    Net realized                Ratio  investment   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From net  From    Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  of expenses  income (loss)  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  investment  net realized gain  Total  value, end  at net asset  end of period  to average  to average  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments­  operations­  income­  on investments­  distributions  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  net assets (%)c  net assets (%)  (%) 
Class A                           
December 31, 2020**   $9.39­  .08­  2.06­  2.14­  (.18)  (.03)  (.21)  $11.32­  22.79*  $103,927­  .73*  .76*  3* 
June 30, 2020­  10.62­  .16­  (.95)  (.79)  (.25)  (.19)  (.44)  9.39­  (8.11)  90,141­  1.40­g  1.60­g  19­ 
June 30, 2019  11.71­  .24­  (.92)  (.68)  (.22)  (.19)  (.41)  10.62­  (5.27)  108,690­  1.33­g  2.28­g  10­ 
June 30, 2018  11.35­  .22­  .28­  .50­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  11.71­  4.32­  132,078­  1.38­  1.84­  15­ 
June 30, 2017  9.59­  .17­  1.81­  1.98­  (.22)  —­  (.22)  11.35­  21.00­  133,974­  1.36­  1.66­  16­ 
June 30, 2016  11.06­  .19­  (1.55)  (1.36)  (.11)  —­  (.11)  9.59­  (12.36)  130,120­  1.31­d  1.85­d  20­ 
Class B                           
December 31, 2020 **   $9.45­  .04­  2.06­  2.10­  (.07)  (.03)  (.10)  $11.45­  22.25*  $562­  1.10*  .39*  3* 
June 30, 2020­  10.66­  .08­  (.96)  (.88)  (.14)  (.19)  (.33)  9.45­  (8.72)  585­  2.15­g  .81­g  19­ 
June 30, 2019  11.70­  .15­  (.90)  (.75)  (.10)  (.19)  (.29)  10.66­  (6.01)  1,019­  2.08­g  1.43­g  10­ 
June 30, 2018  11.32­  .11­e  .30­  .41­  (.03)  —­  (.03)  11.70­  3.59­  1,579­  2.13­  .95­e  15­ 
June 30, 2017  9.55­  .08­  1.82­  1.90­  (.13)  —­  (.13)  11.32­  20.09­  2,230­  2.11­  .81­  16­ 
June 30, 2016  10.98­  .10­  (1.52)  (1.42)  (.01)  —­  (.01)  9.55­  (12.97)  2,724­  2.06­d  .97­d  20­ 
Class C                           
December 31, 2020**   $9.41­  .04­  2.06­  2.10­  (.08)  (.03)  (.11)  $11.40­  22.31*  $1,374­  1.10*  .39*  3* 
June 30, 2020­  10.63­  .09­  (.98)  (.89)  (.14)  (.19)  (.33)  9.41­  (8.84)  1,275­  2.15­g  .84­g  19­ 
June 30, 2019  11.62­  .16­  (.89)  (.73)  (.07)  (.19)  (.26)  10.63­  (5.92)  2,331­  2.08­g  1.47­g  10­ 
June 30, 2018  11.26­  .09­e  .31­  .40­  (.04)  —­  (.04)  11.62­  3.57­  3,238­  2.13­  .79­e  15­ 
June 30, 2017  9.51­  .09­  1.80­  1.89­  (.14)  —­  (.14)  11.26­  20.10­  5,986­  2.11­  .88­  16­ 
June 30, 2016  10.96­  .11­  (1.53)  (1.42)  (.03)  —­  (.03)  9.51­  (13.01)  6,814­  2.06­d  1.07­d  20­ 
Class R                           
December 31, 2020**   $9.29­  .06­  2.04­  2.10­  (.15)  (.03)  (.18)  $11.21­  22.64*  $858­  .85*  .64*  3* 
June 30, 2020­  10.51­  .14­  (.95)  (.81)  (.22)  (.19)  (.41)  9.29­  (8.33)  747­  1.65­g  1.37­g  19­ 
June 30, 2019  11.56­  .18­e  (.87)  (.69)  (.17)  (.19)  (.36)  10.51­  (5.47)  911­  1.58­g  1.64­e,g  10­ 
June 30, 2018  11.22­  .20­  .26­  .46­  (.12)  —­  (.12)  11.56­  4.08­  2,104­  1.63­  1.64­  15­ 
June 30, 2017  9.50­  .16­  1.78­  1.94­  (.22)  —­  (.22)  11.22­  20.70­  1,667­  1.61­  1.52­  16­ 
June 30, 2016  10.88­  .15­  (1.52)  (1.37)  (.01)  —­  (.01)  9.50­  (12.57)  1,195­  1.56­d  1.45­d  20­ 
Class R6                           
December 31, 2020**   $9.43­  .10­  2.07­  2.17­  (.23)  (.03)  (.26)  $11.34­  23.01*  $8,428­  .50*  .94*  3* 
June 30, 2020­  10.66­  .21­  (.96)  (.75)  (.29)  (.19)  (.48)  9.43­  (7.68)  5,907­  .95­g  2.08­g  19­ 
June 30, 2019  11.77­  .30­  (.94)  (.64)  (.28)  (.19)  (.47)  10.66­  (4.85)  4,753­  .88­g  2.84­g  10­ 
June 30, 2018  11.40­  .28­  .28­  .56­  (.19)  —­  (.19)  11.77­  4.84­  4,083­  .93­  2.29­  15­ 
June 30, 2017  9.63­  .23­  1.81­  2.04­  (.27)  —­  (.27)  11.40­  21.55­  3,617­  .92­  2.18­  16­ 
June 30, 2016  11.11­  .23­  (1.56)  (1.33)  (.15)  —­  (.15)  9.63­  (12.02)  3,135­  .91­d  2.29­d  20­ 

 

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

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

26 International Value Fund  International Value Fund 27 

 


 

Financial highlights cont.

  INVESTMENT OPERATIONS      LESS DISTRIBUTIONS        RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA   
                        Ratio of net   
  Net asset    Net realized                Ratio  investment   
  value,    and unrealized  Total from  From net  From    Net asset  Total return  Net assets,  of expenses  income (loss)  Portfolio 
  beginning  Net investment  gain (loss)  investment  investment  net realized gain  Total  value, end  at net asset  end of period  to average  to average  turnover 
Period ended­  of period­  income (loss)a  on investments­  operations­  income­  on investments­  distributions  of period­  value (%)b  (in thousands)  net assets (%)c  net assets (%)  (%) 
Class Y                           
December 31, 2020**   $9.40­  .09­  2.06­  2.15­  (.21)  (.03)  (.24)  $11.31­  22.91*  $11,114­  .60*  .87*  3* 
June 30, 2020­  10.63­  .19­  (.96)  (.77)  (.27)  (.19)  (.46)  9.40­  (7.87)  6,113­  1.15­g  1.89­g  19­ 
June 30, 2019  11.72­  .26­e  (.91)  (.65)  (.25)  (.19)  (.44)  10.63­  (5.04)  6,333­  1.08­g  2.39­e,g  10­ 
June 30, 2018  11.36­  .29­f  .24­  .53­  (.17)  —­  (.17)  11.72­  4.59­  11,403­  1.13­  2.42­f  15­ 
June 30, 2017  9.60­  .22­  1.79­  2.01­  (.25)  —­  (.25)  11.36­  21.32­  7,539­  1.11­  2.08­  16­ 
June 30, 2016  11.07­  .22­  (1.55)  (1.33)  (.14)  —­  (.14)  9.60­  (12.07)  5,181­  1.06­d  2.15­d  20­ 

 

* 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 (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 less than .01% as a percentage of average net assets per share for each class (Note 2).

e The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period noted may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of redemptions out of the class.

f The net investment income ratio and per share amount shown for the period noted may not correspond with the expected class specific differences for the period due to the timing of subscriptions into the class.

g Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation and/or waivers, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amounts (Note 2):

  Percent of average net assets 
12/31/20  >0.01% 
6/30/20  0.03 
6/30/19  >0.01 

 

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

28 International Value Fund  International Value Fund 29 

 


 

Notes to financial statements 12/31/20 (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 July 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020.

Putnam International Value 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 capital growth. Current income is a secondary objective. The fund invests mainly in common stocks of large and midsize companies outside the United States, with a focus on value stocks. Value stocks are those that Putnam Management believes are currently undervalued by the market. If Putnam Management is correct and other investors ultimately recognize the value of the company, the price of its stock may rise. The fund invests mainly in developed countries, but may invest in emerging markets. 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 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, class B, class C, class R, class R6 and class Y shares. Purchases of class B shares are closed to new and existing investors except by exchange from class B shares of another Putnam fund or through dividend and/or capital gains reinvestment. Class A shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75%. Class A shares generally are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge, and class R, class R6 and class Y shares are not subject to a contingent deferred sales charge. Class B shares, which convert to class A shares after approximately eight years, are not subject to 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 are subject to a one-year 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge and generally convert to class A shares after approximately ten years. 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 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 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.

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 Amended and Restated Agreement and 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.

30 International Value Fund 

 


 

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 certain 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. The foreign equity 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

International Value Fund 31 

 


 

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, if any, and including amortization and accretion of premiums and discounts on debt securities, 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.

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 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 assets and liabilities other than investments at the period end, resulting from changes in the exchange rate.

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.

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 pledged 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

32 International Value Fund 

 


 

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 $261,145 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral pledged by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $130,974 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 $317.5 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 1.25% plus the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the Overnight Bank Funding Rate (overnight LIBOR prior to October 16, 2020) for the committed line of credit and 1.30% plus the higher of (1) the Federal Funds rate and (2) the Overnight Bank Funding Rate (1.30% prior to October 16, 2020) 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 0.21% 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.

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.

Tax cost of investments includes adjustments to net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) which may not necessarily be final tax cost basis adjustments, but closely approximate the tax basis unrealized gains and losses that may be realized and distributed to shareholders. The aggregate identified cost on a tax basis is $112,440,775, resulting in gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of $27,884,238 and $15,121,542, respectively, or net unrealized appreciation of $12,762,696.

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.

International Value Fund 33 

 


 

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 mutual 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:

0.850%  of the first $5 billion,  0.650%  of the next $50 billion, 
0.800%  of the next $5 billion,  0.630%  of the next $50 billion, 
0.750%  of the next $10 billion,  0.620%  of the next $100 billion and 
0.700%  of the next $10 billion,  0.615%  of any excess thereafter. 

 

In addition, 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 0.03 multiplied by the difference between the fund’s annualized performance (measured by the fund’s class A shares) and the annualized performance of the MSCI EAFE Value Index (Net Dividends) each measured over the performance period. The maximum annualized performance adjustment rate is +/–0.15%. 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 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.

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 management fee represented an effective rate (excluding the impact of any expense waiver in effect) of 0.374% of the fund’s average net assets, which included an effective base fee of 0.346% and an increase of 0.028% ($31,778) based on performance.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed, through October 31, 2021 to waive fees and/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 $7,561 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.

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.

34 International Value Fund 

 


 

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 for class A, class B, class C, class R and class Y shares that included (1) a per account fee for each direct and underlying non-defined contribution account (retail account) of the fund; (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, Inc. has agreed that the aggregate investor servicing fees for each fund’s retail and defined contribution accounts for these share classes will not exceed an annual rate of 0.25% of the fund’s average assets attributable to such accounts.

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  $118,448  Class R6  1,724 
Class B  720  Class Y  10,494 
Class C  1,574  Total  $133,978 
Class R  1,018     

 

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 $22 under the expense offset arrangements.

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $73, 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 the following share classes 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 payments by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to the following amounts (Maximum %) of the average net assets attributable to each class. The Trustees have approved payment by the fund at the following annual rate (Approved %) of the average net assets attributable to each class. During the reporting period, the class-specific expenses related to distribution fees were as follows:

  Maximum %  Approved %  Amount 
Class A  0.35%  0.25%  $119,092 
Class B  1.00%  1.00%  2,897 
Class C  1.00%  1.00%  6,332 
Class R  1.00%  0.50%  2,045 
Total      $130,366 

 

International Value Fund 35 

 


 

For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received net commissions of $2,238 from the sale of class A shares and received $87 and $26 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 $35 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)  $2,704,382  $4,553,778 
U.S. government securities (Long-term)     
Total  $2,704,382  $4,553,778 

 

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 of long-term securities 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.

Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there were an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions, including, if applicable, direct exchanges pursuant to share conversions, in capital shares were as follows:

  SIX MONTHS ENDED 12/31/20  YEAR ENDED 6/30/20 
Class A  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 
Shares sold  116,668  $1,186,410  544,841  $5,698,692 
Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  160,728  1,798,541  371,178  4,090,381 
  277,396  2,984,951  916,019  9,789,073 
Shares repurchased  (690,564)  (7,018,244)  (1,550,702)  (15,630,591) 
Net decrease  (413,168)  $(4,033,293)  (634,683)  $(5,841,518) 
 
  SIX MONTHS ENDED 12/31/20  YEAR ENDED 6/30/20 
Class B  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 
Shares sold    $—  138  $1,465 
Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  449  5,087  2,352  26,182 
  449  5,087  2,490  27,647 
Shares repurchased  (13,291)  (137,617)  (36,166)  (362,046) 
Net decrease  (12,842)  $(132,530)  (33,676)  $(334,399) 

 

36 International Value Fund 

 


 

  SIX MONTHS ENDED 12/31/20  YEAR ENDED 6/30/20 
Class C  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 
Shares sold  8,128  $85,300  14,544  $148,854 
Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  1,125  12,674  5,365  59,497 
  9,253  97,974  19,909  208,351 
Shares repurchased  (24,166)  (238,880)  (103,810)  (1,042,062) 
Net decrease  (14,913)  $(140,906)  (83,901)  $(833,711) 

 

  YEAR ENDED 6/30/20 
Class M *  Shares  Amount 
Shares sold  1,052  $11,004 
Shares issued in connection with     
reinvestment of distributions     
  1,052  11,004 
Shares repurchased  (183,775)  (2,048,268) 
Net decrease  (182,723)  $(2,037,264) 

 

  SIX MONTHS ENDED 12/31/20  YEAR ENDED 6/30/20 
Class R  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 
Shares sold  9,606  $95,621  33,933  $336,226 
Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  927  10,274  2,000  21,840 
  10,533  105,895  35,933  358,066 
Shares repurchased  (14,312)  (151,355)  (42,187)  (422,231) 
Net decrease  (3,779)  $(45,460)  (6,254)  $(64,165) 
 
  SIX MONTHS ENDED 12/31/20  YEAR ENDED 6/30/20 
Class R6  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 
Shares sold  189,643  $1,916,019  321,470  $3,003,808 
Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  16,727  187,509  17,963  198,311 
  206,370  2,103,528  339,433  3,202,119 
Shares repurchased  (89,502)  (925,758)  (158,774)  (1,582,543) 
Net increase  116,868  $1,177,770  180,659  $1,619,576 
 
  SIX MONTHS ENDED 12/31/20  YEAR ENDED 6/30/20 
Class Y  Shares  Amount  Shares  Amount 
Shares sold  435,352  $4,411,361  264,528  $2,774,952 
Shares issued in connection with         
reinvestment of distributions  19,700  220,245  23,690  260,831 
  455,052  4,631,606  288,218  3,035,783 
Shares repurchased  (122,339)  (1,228,699)  (233,641)  (2,234,844) 
Net increase  332,713  $3,402,907  54,577  $800,939 

 

* Effective November 25, 2019, the fund converted all of its class M shares to class A shares and class M shares were no longer available to be purchased.

 

International Value Fund 37 

 


 

Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with any company which is under common ownership or control were as follows:

          Shares 
          outstanding 
          and fair 
  Fair value as  Purchase  Sale  Investment  value as 
Name of affiliate  of 6/30/20  cost  proceeds  income  of 12/31/20 
Short-term investments           
Putnam Cash Collateral           
Pool, LLC*  $212,134  $71,870  $284,004  $34  $— 
Putnam Short Term           
Investment Fund**  2,078,067  5,830,898  5,749,267  2,995  2,159,698 
Total Short-term           
investments  $2,290,201  $5,902,768  $6,033,271  $3,029  $2,159,698 

 

* No management fees are charged to Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC (Note 1). Investment income shown is included in securities lending income on the Statement of operations. There were no realized or unrealized gains or losses during the period.

** Management fees charged to Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management. There were no realized or unrealized gains or losses during the period.

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.

Beginning in January 2020, global financial markets have experienced, and may continue to experience, significant volatility resulting from the spread of a virus known as COVID–19. The outbreak of COVID–19 has resulted in travel and border restrictions, quarantines, supply chain disruptions, lower consumer demand, and general market uncertainty. The effects of COVID–19 have adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, the global economy, the economies of certain nations, and individual issuers, all of which may negatively impact the fund’s performance.

38 International Value Fund 

 


 

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:

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)  $46,300,000 

 

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  Investments  $508,009  Payables  $528,444 
Total    $508,009    $528,444 

 

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 (Note 1):

 

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments   
Derivatives not accounted for as  Forward currency   
hedging instruments under ASC 815  contracts  Total 
Foreign exchange contracts  $473,725  $473,725 
Total  $473,725  $473,725 

 

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) 
on investments     
Derivatives not accounted for as  Forward currency   
hedging instruments under ASC 815  contracts  Total 
Foreign exchange contracts  $(233,895)  $(233,895) 
Total  $(233,895)  $(233,895) 

 

International Value Fund 39 

 


 

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
Citibank, N.A. Goldman
Sachs
International
HSBC Bank
USA, National
Association
JPMorgan
Chase Bank
N.A.
Morgan
Stanley & Co.
 International
PLC
NatWest
Markets PLC
State Street
Bank and
Trust Co.
UBS AG WestPac
Banking Corp.
Total
Assets:                         
Forward currency contracts#  $78,890  $15,828  $9,231  $107,332  $94,171  $61,292  $10,382  $30,444  $79,370  $19,234  $1,835  $508,009 
Total Assets  $78,890  $15,828  $9,231  $107,332  $94,171  $61,292  $10,382  $30,444  $79,370  $19,234  $1,835  $508,009 
Liabilities:                         
Forward currency contracts#  109,391  5,649  26,871  50  28,967  183,312  7,471    54,680  25,584  86,469  528,444 
Total Liabilities  $109,391  $5,649  $26,871  $50  $28,967  $183,312  $7,471  $—  $54,680  $25,584  $86,469  $528,444 
Total Financial and Derivative                         
Net Assets  $(30,501)  $10,179  $(17,640)  $107,282  $65,204  $(122,020)  $2,911  $30,444  $24,690  $(6,350)  $(84,634)  $(20,435) 
Total collateral                         
received (pledged)†##  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—   
Net amount  $(30,501)  $10,179  $(17,640)  $107,282  $65,204  $(122,020)  $2,911  $30,444  $24,690  $(6,350)  $(84,634)   
Controlled collateral received                         
(including TBA commitments)**  $—  $—  $—  $110,000  $113,226  $—  $—  $—  $120,410  $—  $—  $343,636 
Uncontrolled collateral received  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $— 
Collateral (pledged) (including                         
TBA commitments)**  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $(130,974)  $—  $—  $—  $—  $—  $(130,974) 

 

* 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.

40 International Value Fund  International Value Fund 41 

 


 

Putnam family of funds

The following is a list of Putnam’s open-end mutual funds offered to the public. Investors should carefully consider the investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses of a fund before investing. For a prospectus, or a summary prospectus if available, containing this and other information for any Putnam fund or product, contact your financial advisor or call Putnam Investor Services at 1-800-225-1581. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Blend  Income 
Emerging Markets Equity Fund  Convertible Securities Fund 
Focused Equity Fund  Diversified Income Trust 
Global Equity Fund  Floating Rate Income Fund 
International Capital Opportunities Fund  Global Income Trust 
International Equity Fund  Government Money Market Fund* 
Multi-Cap Core Fund  High Yield Fund 
Research Fund  Income Fund 
  Money Market Fund 
Global Sector  Mortgage Opportunities Fund 
Global Health Care Fund  Mortgage Securities Fund 
Global Technology Fund  Short Duration Bond Fund 
  Ultra Short Duration Income Fund 
Growth   
Growth Opportunities Fund  Tax-free Income 
Small Cap Growth Fund  Intermediate-Term Municipal Income Fund 
Sustainable Future Fund  Short-Term Municipal Income Fund 
Sustainable Leaders Fund  Strategic Intermediate Municipal Fund 
  Tax Exempt Income Fund 
Value  Tax-Free High Yield Fund 
Equity Income Fund   
International Value Fund  State tax-free income funds: 
Small Cap Value Fund  California, Massachusetts, Minnesota, 
  New Jersey, New York, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. 

 

42 International Value Fund 

 


 

Absolute Return  Asset Allocation (cont.) 
Fixed Income Absolute Return Fund  Putnam Retirement Advantage Maturity Fund 
Multi-Asset Absolute Return Fund  Putnam Retirement Advantage 2060 Fund 
  Putnam Retirement Advantage 2055 Fund 
Putnam PanAgora**  Putnam Retirement Advantage 2050 Fund 
Putnam PanAgora Managed Futures Strategy  Putnam Retirement Advantage 2045 Fund 
Putnam PanAgora Market Neutral Fund  Putnam Retirement Advantage 2040 Fund 
Putnam PanAgora Risk Parity Fund  Putnam Retirement Advantage 2035 Fund 
  Putnam Retirement Advantage 2030 Fund 
Asset Allocation  Putnam Retirement Advantage 2025 Fund 
Dynamic Risk Allocation Fund   
George Putnam Balanced Fund  RetirementReady® Maturity Fund 
  RetirementReady® 2060 Fund 
Dynamic Asset Allocation Balanced Fund  RetirementReady® 2055 Fund 
Dynamic Asset Allocation Conservative Fund  RetirementReady® 2050 Fund 
Dynamic Asset Allocation Growth Fund  RetirementReady® 2045 Fund 
  RetirementReady® 2040 Fund 
  RetirementReady® 2035 Fund 
  RetirementReady® 2030 Fund 
  RetirementReady® 2025 Fund 

 

* You could lose money by investing in the fund. Although the fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The fund’s sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the fund, and you should not expect that the sponsor will provide financial support to the fund at any time.

You could lose money by investing in the fund. Although the fund seeks to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it cannot guarantee it will do so. The fund may impose a fee upon sale of your shares or may temporarily suspend your ability to sell shares if the fund’s liquidity falls below required minimums because of market conditions or other factors. An investment in the fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The fund’s sponsor has no legal obligation to provide financial support to the fund, and you should not expect that the sponsor will provide financial support to the fund at any time.

Not available in all states.

** Sub-advised by PanAgora Asset Management.

Check your account balances and the most recent month-end performance in the Individual Investors section at putnam.com.

International Value Fund 43 

 


 

Services for shareholders

Investor services

Systematic investment plan Tell us how much you wish to invest regularly — weekly, semimonthly, or monthly — and the amount you choose will be transferred automatically from your checking or savings account. There’s no additional fee for this service, and you can suspend it at any time. This plan may be a great way to save for college expenses or to plan for your retirement.

Please note that regular investing does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining market. Before arranging a systematic investment plan, consider your financial ability to continue making purchases in periods when prices are low.

Systematic exchange You can make regular transfers from one Putnam fund to another Putnam fund. There are no additional fees for this service, and you can cancel or change your options at any time.

Dividends PLUS You can choose to have the dividend distributions from one of your Putnam funds automatically reinvested in another Putnam fund at no additional charge.

Free exchange privilege You can exchange money between Putnam funds free of charge, as long as they are the same class of shares. A signature guarantee is required if you are exchanging more than $500,000. The fund reserves the right to revise or terminate the exchange privilege.

Reinstatement privilege If you’ve sold Putnam shares or received a check for a dividend or capital gain, you may reinvest the proceeds with Putnam within 90 days of the transaction and they will be reinvested at the fund’s current net asset value — with no sales charge. However, reinstatement of class B shares may have special tax consequences. Ask your financial or tax representative for details.

Check-writing service You have ready access to many Putnam accounts. It’s as simple as writing a check, and there are no special fees or service charges. For more information about the check-writing service, call Putnam or visit our website.

Dollar cost averaging When you’re investing for long-term goals, it’s time, not timing, that counts. Investing on a systematic basis is a better strategy than trying to figure out when the markets will go up or down. This means investing the same amount of money regularly over a long period. This method of investing is called dollar cost averaging. When a fund’s share price declines, your investment dollars buy more shares at lower prices. When it increases, they buy fewer shares. Over time, you will pay a lower average price per share.

For more information

Visit the Individual Investors section at putnam.com A secure section of our website contains complete information on your account, including balances and transactions, updated daily. You may also conduct transactions, such as exchanges, additional investments, and address changes. Log on today to get your password.

Call us toll free at 1-800-225-1581 Ask a helpful Putnam representative or your financial advisor for details about any of these or other services, or see your prospectus.

44 International Value Fund 

 


 

Fund information

Founded over 80 years ago, Putnam Investments was built around the concept that a balance between risk and reward is the hallmark of a well-rounded financial program. We manage funds across income, value, blend, growth, sustainable, asset allocation, absolute return, and global sector categories.

Investment Manager  Trustees  Michael J. Higgins 
Putnam Investment  Kenneth R. Leibler, Chair  Vice President, Treasurer, 
Management, LLC  Liaquat Ahamed  and Clerk 
100 Federal Street  Ravi Akhoury   
Boston, MA 02110  Barbara M. Baumann  Jonathan S. Horwitz 
  Katinka Domotorffy  Executive Vice President, 
Investment Sub-Advisors  Catharine Bond Hill  Principal Executive Officer, 
Putnam Investments Limited  Paul L. Joskow  and Compliance Liaison 
16 St James’s Street  George Putnam, III   
London, England SW1A 1ER  Robert L. Reynolds  Richard T. Kircher 
  Manoj P. Singh  Vice President and BSA 
The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC  Mona K. Sutphen  Compliance Officer 
100 Federal Street     
Boston, MA 02110  Officers  Susan G. Malloy 
  Robert L. Reynolds  Vice President and 
Marketing Services  President  Assistant Treasurer 
Putnam Retail Management     
100 Federal Street  Robert T. Burns  Denere P. Poulack 
Boston, MA 02110  Vice President and  Assistant Vice President, Assistant 
  Chief Legal Officer  Clerk, and Assistant Treasurer 
Custodian     
State Street Bank  James F. Clark  Janet C. Smith 
and Trust Company  Vice President, Chief Compliance  Vice President, 
  Officer, and Chief Risk Officer  Principal Financial Officer, 
Legal Counsel    Principal Accounting Officer, 
Ropes & Gray LLP  Nancy E. Florek  and Assistant Treasurer 
  Vice President, Director of   
  Proxy Voting and Corporate  Mark C. Trenchard 
  Governance, Assistant Clerk,  Vice President 
  and Assistant Treasurer   

 

This report is for the information of shareholders of Putnam International Value Fund. It may also be used as sales literature when preceded or accompanied by the current prospectus, the most recent copy of Putnam’s Quarterly Performance Summary, and Putnam’s Quarterly Ranking Summary. For more recent performance, please visit putnam.com. Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses of a fund, which are described in its prospectus. For this and other information or to request a prospectus or summary prospectus, call 1-800-225-1581 toll free. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. The fund’s Statement of Additional Information contains additional information about the fund’s Trustees and is available without charge upon request by calling 1-800-225-1581.


 


Item 2. Code of Ethics:
Not applicable

Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert:
Not applicable

Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services:
Not applicable

Item 5. Audit Committee of Listed Registrants
Not applicable

Item 6. Schedule of Investments:
The registrant's schedule of investments in unaffiliated issuers is included in the report to shareholders in Item 1 above.

Item 7. Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures For Closed-End Management Investment Companies:
Not applicable

Item 8. Portfolio Managers of Closed-End Investment Companies
Not Applicable

Item 9. Purchases of Equity Securities by Closed-End Management Investment Companies and Affiliated Purchasers:
Not applicable

Item 10. Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders:
Not applicable

Item 11. Controls and Procedures:
(a) The registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded, based on their evaluation of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures as of a date within 180 days of the filing date of this report, that the design and operation of such procedures are generally effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by the registrant in this report is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Commission's rules and forms.

(b) Changes in internal control over financial reporting: Not applicable

Item 12. Disclosures of Securities Lending Activities for Closed-End Investment Companies:
Not Applicable

Item 13. Exhibits:
(a)(1) Not applicable

(a)(2) Separate certifications for the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the registrant as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, are filed herewith.

(b) The certifications required by Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, are filed herewith.

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Putnam Funds Trust
By (Signature and Title):
/s/ Janet C. Smith
Janet C. Smith
Principal Accounting Officer

Date: February 26, 2021
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

By (Signature and Title):
/s/ Jonathan S. Horwitz
Jonathan S. Horwitz
Principal Executive Officer

Date: February 26, 2021
By (Signature and Title):
/s/ Janet C. Smith
Janet C. Smith
Principal Financial Officer

Date: February 26, 2021