About | Absolute Return Blog

About

The unprecedented market volatility in recent years challenges investors and money managers to re-think traditional investment strategies. Putnam innovated with the launch of Putnam Absolute Return Funds, the industry’s first suite of mutual funds with an absolute return objective. These funds pursue positive targeted returns over a period of three or more years with less volatility than more traditional funds.

This blog focuses on the topic of absolute return investing to provide education, information, and commentary on this strategy and its potential to help investors meet their goals.

COMMENTS

We want to engage investors and the investment community in a conversation about Absolute Return investing. So we welcome your feedback! However, please be aware that the following guidelines apply to all comments published on the site:

Comments are moderated and are published at our discretion.
Your name, your e-mail address, and any other identifying information will be deleted.
Do not provide any account information in your reply.
We can’t respond to individual comments, and you will not receive personal responses through the blog.
We’re not able to publish comments that contain specific investment or financial advice.
Your comment has a better chance of being published if it pertains to a specific post.
We won’t publish any comments that include profanity or personal attacks.
Understand that the opinions expressed by other readers are theirs alone and don’t necessarily represent the views of Putnam Investments or its management.
Questions about your investments at Putnam or customer-service issues can’t be addressed here. Those queries should be made directly to your financial advisor, or to a Putnam customer service representative at 1-800-225-1581.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the Putnam Investments, are subject to change with market conditions, and are not meant as investment advice.

Putnam Absolute Return Funds pursue a positive return that exceeds the rate of inflation, as reflected by Treasury bills, over a period of three-years with less volatility than general securities markets.

Consider these risks before investing in Putnam Absolute Return Funds: Asset allocation decisions may not always be correct and may adversely affect fund performance. The use of leverage through derivatives may magnify this risk. Leverage and derivatives carry other risks that may result in losses, including the effects of unexpected market shifts and/or the potential illiquidity of certain derivatives. International investments carry risks of volatile currencies, economies, and governments, and emerging-market securities can be illiquid. Bonds are affected by changes in interest rates, credit conditions, and inflation. As interest rates rise, prices of bonds fall. Long-term bonds are more sensitive to interest-rate risk than short-term bonds, while lower-rated bonds may offer higher yields in return for more risk. Unlike bonds, bond funds have ongoing fees and expenses. For the Putnam Absolute Return 500 Fund and Putnam Absolute Return 700 Fund, these risks also apply: Stocks of small and/or midsize companies increase the risk of greater price fluctuations. REITs involve the risks of real estate investing, including declining property values. Commodities involve the risks of changes in market, political, regulatory, and natural conditions. Additional risks are listed in the funds' prospectus.

The funds are not intended to outperform stocks and bonds during strong market rallies.

Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, 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, visit the prospectus section of putnam.com, call your financial representative, or call Putnam at 1-800-225-1581. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Putnam Retail Management