Putnam Investments named distribution team of the year

BOSTON, April 24, 2015 — Putnam Investments has been named Money Management Institute’s Advisory Solutions Manager Distribution Team of the Year for its effective distribution strategy and execution, successfully linking marketing and sales, and achieving significant and relative growth in net sales. The award was announced at Money Management Institute’s Gateway to Leadership Industry Recognition event in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Our firm takes great pride in serving as a solutions-oriented, relationship-driven partner that is continually focused on helping our clients and investors achieve success,” said Robert L. Reynolds, President and CEO of Putnam Investments. “Under the leadership of Bill Connolly, Putnam has raised the bar on what the financial advisor marketplace can expect from an investment provider, bringing a strong mix of client knowledge, investment product insight, access to practice management tools and the highest commitment to relationship management.” Reynolds noted that the marketplace has responded very positively to the firm’s approach.

In discussing the award, Bill Connolly, Co-Head of Global Distribution at Putnam Investments, indicated that the firm is constantly evaluating and investing in resources to best serve wirehouses, regional and independent broker-dealers, RIAs and financial planners. “My colleagues and I are extremely grateful for this recognition and continue to be fully dedicated to providing our clients with the products, services and capabilities they need to address the long-term needs and goals of investors.”

Since 1997, the Money Management Institute has been the leading voice for financial services organizations that provide advice and professionally managed investment solutions to investors. Its annual Industry Leadership Awards, now in their seventh year, recognize innovation and achievement in the advisory solutions industry.

Nominations for the 2015 Industry Leadership Awards were submitted by MMI members, and the finalists were selected by a special committee representing all segments of the MMI membership. The winners in each category were determined by a vote of MMI member firms.

Putnam won “Advisory Solutions Manager Distribution Team of the Year” — presented to the investment manager that exhibited the most effective distribution strategy and execution, successfully linking marketing and sales and achieving significant absolute and relative growth in net sales

About the Money Management Institute (MMI): Since 1997 MMI has been the leading voice for the global financial services organizations that provide advice and professionally managed solutions to individual and institutional investors. Through industry advocacy, educational initiatives, regulatory affairs, data reporting and professional networking, MMI supports and advances the growth of advisory solutions. MMI members’ advice-driven investment solutions serve an evolving worldwide financial landscape and their organizations are committed to the highest standards of fiduciary responsibility and ethical conduct and to creating the most successful outcomes for investors at every level of assets. For more information, visit www.MMInst.org.

Putnam Investments announces expanded marketing roster of PGA Tour professionals

BOSTON, April 2, 2015 — As the 2015 Masters kicks off professional golf’s championship season next week, Putnam Investments today officially announced the next phase of its sports marketing campaign, featuring Professional Golf Association (PGA) Tour golfers Keegan Bradley, Jon Curran and Brendan Steele. Curran and Steele, new members of Putnam’s Performance in Motion affinity marketing program, will join Bradley, who has been working with the firm since 2011.

“Keegan, Jon and Brendan are a triumvirate of extremely talented young golfers who have committed themselves to attaining excellence in their chosen field of play and are constantly striving for peak performance against the best in the world each and every day,” said Putnam Investments President and Chief Executive Officer Robert L. Reynolds. “The Putnam team is proud to partner with these fine professionals and wish them tremendous success throughout the 2015 PGA season.”

Putnam will be introducing several new digital advertisements during the Masters that feature Bradley, Curran and Steele playing on some of the nation’s greatest golf venues, noted Mark McKenna, Head of Global Marketing at Putnam Investments. The campaign is part of Putnam’s broader Performance in Motion sports marketing strategy, focused on partnering with athletes and teams whose characteristics and values closely align with those of the firm.

The new Putnam golf advertisements can be viewed on the firm’s Performance in Motion web site at https://www.putnam.com/performanceinmotion.

Partnering with PGA Tour Golfers Keegan Bradley, Jon Curran and Brendan Steele

The three PGA professionals will participate in Putnam’s advertising, social media efforts and overall support of brand development opportunities globally. In addition, the golfers will wear Putnam-branded competitive clothing and also participate in year-round events and activities attended by Putnam clients.

Putnam’s sponsorship helps support Bradley, Steele and Curran as they prepare for competition at the sport’s highest levels, including the PGA Tour.

Keegan Bradley — Five-time tournament winner, including 2011 PGA Championship victor
A native of Hopkinton, Massachusetts and alumnus of St. John’s University, the 28-year-old Bradley rocketed to fame with his sudden-death win in the 2011 Byron Nelson Championship, followed later that season by his dramatic, come-from-behind triumph at the Professional bGolfers’ Association Championship, one of the four major championships in men’s professional golf. His victory made Bradley one of only three professionals in golf history to win a championship in his first-ever appearance in a PGA major.

Jon Curran — Currently ranked 76th by Fed Ex in his PGA Tour rookie season
Curran, 28, was Keegan Bradley’s high school teammate in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. In between high school and the PGA, Curran starred in golf at Vanderbilt University, turning professional after college. The leading money winner on the National Golf Association (NGA) Pro Golf Tour in 2013, Curran is now regularly active on the PGA Tour.

Brendan Steele — Top 100 world ranking; currently 28th in Fed Ex standings
Steele, 32, whose first PGA Tour win came at the Valero Texas Open in 2011, also won the 2011 Franklin Templeton Shootout, a team event in which he was partnered with Keegan Bradley. The Idyllwild, California native and University of California-Riverside alumnus played in last year’s PGA Championship, his fifth appearance in one of the Tour’s iconic championship events.

Putnam Investments: Performance in Motion
The partnerships with PGA Tour golfers Keegan Bradley, Jon Curran and Brendan Steele are part of Putnam’s Performance in Motion sports marketing strategy that aligns the firm’s brand with sports that appeal to its advisor, institutional and investor audiences. Performance in Motion supports those partnerships through connections with the athletes who best personify Putnam’s emphasis on results. Putnam’s other Performance in Motion marketing partners include Olympic gold medal-winning skier Ted Ligety, the U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding, the New England Revolution soccer team and the four-time Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots. For more information, visit www.putnam.com/performanceinmotion.

Putnam Investments honored with five Lipper Fund Awards

BOSTON, April 1, 2015Putnam Investments today announced that five of its mutual funds received 2015 Lipper Fund Awards at an industry dinner held last night in New York City. The awards honor individual mutual funds for their consistently strong risk-adjusted performance, relative to their peers over periods of three years or more.

The Putnam Capital Spectrum Fund Y (PVSYX) received special recognition for wining in multiple performance periods. The fund was named the top performing fund in the Flexible Portfolio Funds category for both the three- and five-year periods. The full list of Putnam mutual funds receiving 2015 Lipper Awards for the period ending November 30, 2014, includes:

  • Putnam Capital Spectrum Fund Y (PVSYX) — 3 & 5 years
  • Putnam U.S. Government Income Trust Y (PUSYX) — 3 years
  • Putnam International Value Fund Y (PNGYX) — 5 years
  • Putnam RetirementReady 2050 Fund Y — 3 years
  • Putnam RetirementReady 2055 Fund Y — 3 years

“Achieving strong, sustained investment performance for our clients is our firm’s primary focus,” said Robert L. Reynolds, President and Chief Executive Officer, Putnam Investments. “It is an honor to receive these Lipper Fund Awards, which validate our company’s commitment to excellence — and exhibited by many talented professionals across our organization every single day.”

Putnam Capital Spectrum Fund Y (PVSYX) was the top-performing fund in the Flexible Portfolio Funds category for both the three- and five-year periods. Managed by David L. Glancy, the fund invests in total return opportunities across the capital structure, including common stocks, bonds, bank loans and convertibles. This is the second consecutive year that Putnam Capital Spectrum Fund has received this award.

Putnam U.S. Government Income Trust Y (PUSYX), managed by Michael Salm, was the top-performing fund within the GNMA Fund category for the three-year period. The fund invests its assets in U.S. government securities, including agency mortgage-backed securities.

Putnam International Value Fund Y (PNGYX) was honored for its performance over a five-year period in the International Large-Cap Value Fund category. The fund also received a Lipper Funds Award last year in the category. Managed by Darren A. Jaroch, CFA, and Karan S. Sodhi, CFA, Putnam International Value Fund invests in international large and midsize companies to benefit from business opportunities outside the United States.

Putnam RetirementReady 2050 Fund Y was named the top performing fund for the three-year period in the Mixed-Asset Target 2050 category. The fund seeks to provide capital appreciation and current income consistent with a decreasing emphasis on capital appreciation and an increasing emphasis on current income as it approaches its 2050 target date. The fund is managed by James Fetch, Robert Kea, Joshua Kutin, Robert Schoen and Jason Vaillancourt.

Putnam RetirementReady 2055 Fund Y, managed by James Fetch, Robert Kea, Joshua Kutin, Robert Schoen and Jason Vaillancourt, was named the no. 1 fund in the Mixed-Asset Target 2055 category for the three-year period. The fund seeks to provide capital appreciation and current income consistent with a decreasing emphasis on capital appreciation and an increasing emphasis on current income as it approaches its 2050 target date.
About the Lipper Fund Awards

The Lipper Fund Awards program honors funds that have excelled in delivering consistently strong risk-adjusted performance, relative to peers. The Lipper Fund Awards take place in 23 countries in Asia, Europe, MENA and the Americas. The award winners are formally announced between January and April. Ceremonies take place in select countries.