0000928816-17-001518.txt : 20170526 0000928816-17-001518.hdr.sgml : 20170526 20170526111156 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000928816-17-001518 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: N-Q PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 2 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 20170331 FILED AS OF DATE: 20170526 DATE AS OF CHANGE: 20170526 EFFECTIVENESS DATE: 20170526 FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: PUTNAM MULTI-CAP GROWTH FUND CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000865177 IRS NUMBER: 043091455 STATE OF INCORPORATION: MA FISCAL YEAR END: 0630 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: N-Q SEC ACT: 1940 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-06128 FILM NUMBER: 17872409 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE CITY: BOSTON STATE: MA ZIP: 02109 BUSINESS PHONE: 6172921000 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 1: ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE CITY: BOSTON STATE: MA ZIP: 02109 FORMER COMPANY: FORMER CONFORMED NAME: PUTNAM NEW OPPORTUNITIES FUND DATE OF NAME CHANGE: 19920703 0000865177 S000006295 PUTNAM MULTI-CAP GROWTH FUND C000017306 Class A Shares PNOPX C000017307 Class B Shares PNOBX C000017308 Class C Shares PNOCX C000017309 Class M Shares PNOMX C000017310 Class R Shares PNORX C000017311 Class Y Shares PNOYX N-Q 1 a_multicapgrowthfund.htm PUTNAM MULTI-CAP GROWTH FUND a_multicapgrowthfund.htm


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

FORM N-Q

QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF REGISTERED
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY



Investment Company Act file number: (811-06128)
Exact name of registrant as specified in charter: Putnam Multi-Cap Growth Fund
Address of principal executive offices: One Post Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Name and address of agent for service: Robert T. Burns, Vice President
One Post Office Square
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
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, 2017
Date of reporting period: March 31, 2017



Item 1. Schedule of Investments:













Putnam Multi-Cap Growth Fund

The fund's portfolio
3/31/17 (Unaudited)
COMMON STOCKS (98.2%)(a)
Shares Value
Aerospace and defense (3.8%)
BWX Technologies, Inc. 274,700 $13,075,720
Northrop Grumman Corp. 284,689 67,710,432
Raytheon Co. 205,650 31,361,625
United Technologies Corp. 341,700 38,342,157
150,489,934
Banks (2.9%)
Bank of America Corp. 3,645,700 86,002,063
PacWest Bancorp 497,200 26,480,872
112,482,935
Beverages (2.7%)
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV ADR (Belgium)(S) 181,500 19,921,440
Constellation Brands, Inc. Class A 190,300 30,841,921
Monster Beverage Corp.(NON) 400,389 18,485,960
PepsiCo, Inc. 318,200 35,593,852
104,843,173
Biotechnology (4.8%)
Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(NON) 177,400 21,507,976
Amgen, Inc. 226,200 37,112,634
Biogen, Inc.(NON) 139,300 38,087,406
BioMarin Pharmaceutical, Inc.(NON) 131,400 11,534,292
Celgene Corp.(NON) 563,868 70,162,095
Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.(NON) 76,500 8,365,275
186,769,678
Building products (2.3%)
Johnson Controls International PLC 2,131,300 89,770,356
89,770,356
Capital markets (2.7%)
Charles Schwab Corp. (The) 1,276,200 52,081,722
Hamilton Lane, Inc. Class A(NON) 468,708 8,750,778
KKR & Co. LP 649,600 11,842,208
Morgan Stanley 771,400 33,046,776
105,721,484
Chemicals (3.1%)
Albemarle Corp. 357,500 37,766,300
Sherwin-Williams Co. (The) 93,700 29,064,803
Symrise AG (Germany) 534,335 35,535,575
W.R. Grace & Co. 274,400 19,128,424
121,495,102
Commercial services and supplies (1.2%)
Stericycle, Inc.(NON)(S) 263,200 21,816,648
Waste Connections, Inc. (Canada) 308,500 27,215,870
49,032,518
Consumer finance (1.0%)
Oportun Financial Corp. (acquired 6/23/15, cost $1,831,199) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 642,526 1,812,887
Synchrony Financial 1,048,400 35,960,120
37,773,007
Containers and packaging (1.1%)
RPC Group PLC (United Kingdom) 2,007,583 19,657,083
Sealed Air Corp. 589,500 25,690,410
45,347,493
Distributors (0.7%)
LKQ Corp.(NON) 890,100 26,053,227
26,053,227
Diversified telecommunication services (0.2%)
Zayo Group Holdings, Inc.(NON)(S) 190,028 6,251,921
6,251,921
Electronic equipment, instruments, and components (0.1%)
Jenoptik AG (Germany) 177,443 4,399,243
4,399,243
Energy equipment and services (0.9%)
Halliburton Co. 686,600 33,787,586
33,787,586
Equity real estate investment trusts (REITs) (0.5%)
Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc.(R) 565,200 18,888,984
18,888,984
Food and staples retail (2.4%)
Costco Wholesale Corp. 107,300 17,993,137
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. 902,791 74,976,793
92,969,930
Health-care equipment and supplies (6.7%)
Becton Dickinson and Co. 271,800 49,858,992
Boston Scientific Corp.(NON) 1,121,069 27,880,986
C.R. Bard, Inc. 235,900 58,630,586
Danaher Corp. 663,300 56,732,049
GenMark Diagnostics, Inc.(NON) 920,982 11,806,989
Hoya Corp. (Japan) 334,800 16,106,968
Intuitive Surgical, Inc.(NON) 43,900 33,648,033
Penumbra, Inc.(NON)(S) 75,862 6,330,684
260,995,287
Health-care providers and services (0.7%)
Humana, Inc. 130,400 26,880,656
Premier, Inc. Class A(NON) 66,525 2,117,491
28,998,147
Health-care technology (0.1%)
HTG Molecular Diagnostics, Inc.(NON)(S) 353,563 2,446,656
2,446,656
Hotels, restaurants, and leisure (2.2%)
Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc.(NON) 358,900 21,925,201
Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc. 455,667 26,638,293
Las Vegas Sands Corp. 351,800 20,077,226
Lindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc.(NON)(S) 1,860,890 16,673,574
85,314,294
Household durables (0.6%)
PulteGroup, Inc. 988,200 23,272,110
23,272,110
Insurance (0.5%)
Prudential PLC (United Kingdom) 860,190 18,170,569
18,170,569
Internet and direct marketing retail (5.7%)
Amazon.com, Inc.(NON) 161,477 143,155,820
Ctrip.com International, Ltd. ADR (China)(NON)(S) 220,000 10,813,000
Delivery Hero Holding GmbH (acquired 6/12/15, cost $6,354,151) (Private) (Germany)(F)(RES)(NON) 825 5,420,958
Expedia, Inc. 168,500 21,259,645
FabFurnish GmbH (acquired 8/2/13, cost $69) (Private) (Brazil)(F)(RES)(NON) 104 83
Global Fashion Group SA (acquired 8/2/13, cost $3,488,697) (Private) (Brazil)(F)(RES)(NON) 82,353 720,666
New Bigfoot Other Assets GmbH (acquired 8/2/13, cost $69) (Private) (Brazil)(F)(RES)(NON) 52 42
New Middle East Other Assets GmbH (acquired 8/2/13, cost $29) (Private) (Brazil)(F)(RES)(NON) 22 18
Priceline Group, Inc. (The)(NON) 22,990 40,921,510
222,291,742
Internet software and services (10.3%)
Alibaba Group Holding, Ltd. ADR (China)(NON)(S) 465,450 50,189,474
Alphabet, Inc. Class C(NON) 253,060 209,928,454
Facebook, Inc. Class A(NON) 775,713 110,190,032
Instructure, Inc.(NON) 221,800 5,190,120
Shopify, Inc. Class A (Canada)(NON) 269,600 18,357,064
Tencent Holdings, Ltd. (China) 334,100 9,578,264
403,433,408
IT Services (4.4%)
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. 480,500 38,257,410
Visa, Inc. Class A(S) 1,517,900 134,895,773
173,153,183
Life sciences tools and services (2.1%)
Agilent Technologies, Inc. 1,427,000 75,445,490
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Class A(NON) 26,398 5,262,177
80,707,667
Machinery (2.2%)
Dover Corp. 292,600 23,510,410
Fortive Corp. 327,000 19,691,940
KION Group AG (Germany) 113,001 7,381,242
Middleby Corp. (The)(NON)(S) 265,800 36,268,410
86,852,002
Media (4.1%)
Charter Communications, Inc. Class A(NON) 123,200 40,325,824
Comcast Corp. Class A 520,000 19,546,800
DISH Network Corp. Class A(NON) 212,000 13,459,880
Live Nation Entertainment, Inc.(NON) 1,340,527 40,711,805
Walt Disney Co. (The) 409,300 46,410,527
160,454,836
Metals and mining (0.4%)
Nucor Corp. 284,400 16,984,368
16,984,368
Oil, gas, and consumable fuels (2.4%)
Anadarko Petroleum Corp. 538,100 33,362,200
Cheniere Energy, Inc.(NON) 261,900 12,380,013
EOG Resources, Inc. 176,000 17,168,800
Plains GP Holdings LP Class A(S) 567,117 17,728,077
Suncor Energy, Inc. (Canada) 482,200 14,827,650
95,466,740
Personal products (0.4%)
Edgewell Personal Care Co.(NON) 218,376 15,972,021
15,972,021
Pharmaceuticals (1.4%)
Allergan PLC 121,600 29,052,672
Cardiome Pharma Corp. (Canada)(NON) 934,800 2,804,400
Jazz Pharmaceuticals PLC(NON) 155,067 22,504,874
54,361,946
Professional services (0.5%)
Equifax, Inc. 148,800 20,346,912
20,346,912
Real estate management and development (0.2%)
RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. Class A 137,955 8,201,425
8,201,425
Road and rail (2.7%)
Norfolk Southern Corp. 953,382 106,750,183
106,750,183
Semiconductors and semiconductor equipment (4.4%)
Applied Materials, Inc. 768,500 29,894,650
Broadcom, Ltd. 276,000 60,432,960
Cavium, Inc.(NON)(S) 109,400 7,839,604
Micron Technology, Inc.(NON) 908,100 26,244,090
NVIDIA Corp. 142,900 15,566,097
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ADR (Taiwan) 974,700 32,009,148
171,986,549
Software (7.0%)
Adobe Systems, Inc.(NON) 371,200 48,304,256
Microsoft Corp. 2,230,500 146,900,730
Proofpoint, Inc.(NON)(S) 212,700 15,816,372
RealPage, Inc.(NON) 340,000 11,866,000
salesforce.com, Inc.(NON) 478,100 39,438,469
ServiceNow, Inc.(NON) 127,500 11,152,425
273,478,252
Specialty retail (3.5%)
Home Depot, Inc. (The) 536,400 78,759,612
TJX Cos., Inc. (The) 487,944 38,586,612
Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance, Inc.(NON) 70,700 20,165,761
137,511,985
Technology hardware, storage, and peripherals (4.1%)
Apple, Inc. 1,122,732 161,291,679
161,291,679
Textiles, apparel, and luxury goods (0.4%)
NIKE, Inc. Class B 320,500 17,861,465
17,861,465
Water utilities (0.3%)
Select Energy Services Class A(F)(NON) 577,015 12,550,076
12,550,076
Wireless telecommunication services (0.5%)
T-Mobile US, Inc.(NON) 320,100 20,675,257
20,675,257
Total common stocks (cost $2,893,712,734) $3,845,605,330

INVESTMENT COMPANIES (0.5%)(a)
Shares Value
Vanguard Consumer Discretionary ETF 142,100 $19,676,587
Total investment companies (cost $18,448,100) $19,676,587

CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED STOCKS (0.4%)(a)
Shares Value
Oportun Financial Corp. Ser. A-1, 8.00% cv. pfd. (acquired 6/23/15, cost $4,999) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 1,754 $4,949
Oportun Financial Corp. Ser. B-1, 8.00% cv. pfd. (acquired 6/23/15, cost $95,634) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 30,360 94,678
Oportun Financial Corp. Ser. C-1, 8.00% cv. pfd. (acquired 6/23/15, cost $224,601) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 44,126 222,355
Oportun Financial Corp. Ser. D-1, 8.00% cv. pfd. (acquired 6/23/15, cost $325,791) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 64,006 322,533
Oportun Financial Corp. Ser. E-1, 8.00% cv. pfd. (acquired 6/23/15, cost $182,702) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 33,279 180,875
Oportun Financial Corp. Ser. F, 8.00% cv. pfd. (acquired 6/23/15, cost $551,501) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 71,810 545,986
Oportun Financial Corp. Ser. F-1, 8.00% cv. pfd. (acquired 6/23/15, cost $1,546,855) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 542,756 1,531,386
Oportun Financial Corp. Ser. G, 8.00% cv. pfd. (acquired 6/23/15, cost $1,955,989) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 686,312 1,936,429
Oportun Financial Corp. Ser. H, 8.00% cv. pfd. (acquired 2/6/15, cost $5,967,941) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 2,096,000 5,908,205
Ovid Therapeutics, Inc. 144A Ser. B, 8.00% cv. pfd. (acquired 8/10/15, cost $4,137,150) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 664,069 4,034,219
UNEXT.com, LLC zero % cv. pfd. (acquired 4/14/00, cost $10,451,238) (Private)(F)(RES)(NON) 125,000 —
Total convertible preferred stocks (cost $25,444,401) $14,781,615

WARRANTS (—%)(a)(NON)
Expiration date Strike Price Warrants Value
Citigroup, Inc. 1/4/19 $106.10 1,682,858 $247,380
Neuralstem, Inc. Ser. J (acquired 1/3/14, cost $—)(F)(RES) 1/3/19 3.64 721,455 —
Total warrants (cost $1,699,687) $247,380

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (6.0%)(a)
Principal amount/shares Value
Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC 1.03%(AFF) Shares 178,323,103 $178,323,103
Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.87%(AFF) Shares 53,797,756 53,797,756
U.S. Treasury Bills 0.767%, 7/13/17(SEG)(SEGSF) $1,121,000 1,118,563
U.S. Treasury Bills 0.735%, 4/20/17(SEG)(SEGSF) 669,000 668,770
U.S. Treasury Bills 0.491%, 4/6/17(SEG) 873,000 872,955
Total short-term investments (cost $234,781,122) $234,781,147

TOTAL INVESTMENTS
Total investments (cost $3,174,086,044)(b) $4,115,092,059













FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 3/31/17 (aggregate face value $53,271,317) (Unaudited)


Unrealized
Contract Delivery Aggregate appreciation/
Counterparty Currency type date Value face value (depreciation)
Bank of America N.A.
British Pound Sell 6/21/17 $20,110,957 $19,956,088 $(154,869)
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.
Euro Sell 6/21/17 22,216,376 21,952,279 (264,097)
UBS AG
Euro Sell 6/21/17 11,459,657 11,362,950 (96,707)
Total $(515,673)












FUTURES CONTRACTS OUTSTANDING at 3/31/17 (Unaudited)


             Unrealized
Number of             Expiration appreciation/
contracts Value             date (depreciation)
NASDAQ 100 Index E-Mini (Long) 27 $2,936,790             Jun-17 $33,581
Russell 2000 Index Mini (Long) 11 761,420             Jun-17 17,634
S&P 500 Index E-Mini (Long) 75 8,847,000             Jun-17 52,775
S&P Mid Cap 400 Index E-Mini (Long) 13 2,233,660             Jun-17 32,209
Total $136,199












Key to holding's abbreviations
ADR American Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank
ETF Exchange Traded Fund
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, 2016 through March 31, 2017 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to "ASC 820" represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, 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.
(a) Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $3,916,750,838.
(b) The aggregate identified cost on a tax basis is $3,179,373,279, resulting in gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of $994,710,261 and $58,991,481, respectively, or net unrealized appreciation of $935,718,780.
(NON) This security is non-income-producing.
(RES) This security is restricted with regard to public resale. The total fair value of this security and any other restricted securities (excluding 144A securities), if any, held at the close of the reporting period was $22,736,269, or 0.6% of net assets.
(AFF) Affiliated company. For investments in Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC and Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, the rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period. Transactions during the period with any company which is under common ownership or control, or involving securities of companies in which the fund owned at least 5% of the outstanding voting securities, were as follows:

Name of affiliate Fair value at the beginning of the reporting period Purchase cost Sale proceeds Investment income Fair value at the end of the reporting period
Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC*# $142,201,300 $1,070,939,374 $1,034,817,571 $911,989 $178,323,103
Putnam Short Term Investment Fund** 42,433,371 737,157,999 725,793,614 208,677 53,797,756
HTG Molecular Diagnostics, Inc.† 962,203—198,108——
Totals $185,596,874 $1,808,097,373 $1,760,809,293 $1,120,666 $234,567,515
* No management fees are charged to Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC.
# The fund may lend securities, through its agent, to qualified borrowers in order to earn additional income. The loans are collateralized by cash in an amount at least equal to the fair value of the securities loaned. The fair value of securities loaned is determined daily and any additional required collateral is allocated to the fund on the next business day. The remaining maturities of the securities lending transactions are considered overnight and continuous. The risk of borrower default will be borne by the fund's agent; the fund will bear the risk of loss with respect to the investment of the cash collateral. The fund received cash collateral of $178,323,103, which is invested in Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC, a limited liability company managed by an affiliate of Putnam Management. Investments in Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC are valued at its closing net asset value each business day. There are no management fees charged to Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield at the close of the reporting period. At the close of the reporting period, the value of securities loaned amounted to $173,930,213. Certain of these securities were sold prior to the close of the reporting period.
** Management fees charged to Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.
† Security was only in affiliation for a portion of the reporting period.

(SEG) This security, in part or in entirety, was pledged and segregated with the broker to cover margin requirements for futures contracts at the close of the reporting period.
(SEGSF) 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.
(F) This security is valued by Putnam Management at fair value following procedures approved by the Trustees. Securities may be classified as Level 2 or Level 3 for ASC 820 based on the securities' valuation inputs.
(R) Real Estate Investment Trust.
(S) This security is on loan, in part or in entirety, at the close of the reporting period.
At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $563,149 to cover certain derivative contracts.
Unless otherwise noted, the rates quoted in Short-term investments security descriptions represent the weighted average yield to maturity.
144A after the name of an issuer represents securities exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. These securities may be resold in transactions exempt from registration, normally to qualified institutional buyers.
The dates shown on debt obligations are the original maturity dates.
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 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. Securities quoted in foreign currencies, if any, are translated into U.S. dollars at the current exchange rate.
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 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.
Futures contracts: The fund used futures contracts to equitize cash.
The potential risk to the fund is that the change in value of futures contracts may not correspond to the change in value of the hedged instruments. In addition, losses may arise from changes in the value of the underlying instruments, if there is an illiquid secondary market for the contracts, if interest or exchange rates move unexpectedly or if the counterparty to the contract is unable to perform. With futures, there is minimal counterparty credit risk to the fund since futures are exchange traded and the exchange's clearinghouse, as counterparty to all exchange traded futures, guarantees the futures against default. When the contract is closed, 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.
Futures contracts are valued at the quoted daily settlement prices established by the exchange on which they trade. The fund and the broker agree to exchange an amount of cash equal to the daily fluctuation in the value of the futures contract. Such receipts or payments are known as "variation margin".
For the fund's average number of futures contracts, see the appropriate table at the end of these footnotes.
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 were 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.
For the fund's average contract amount on forward currency contracts, see the appropriate table at the end of these footnotes.
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 posted 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 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 $515,673 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $676,478 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.












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*:
    Consumer discretionary $666,617,892 $— $6,141,767
    Consumer staples 213,785,124 — —
    Energy 129,254,326 — —
    Financials 272,335,108 — 1,812,887
    Health care 614,279,381 — —
    Industrials 503,241,905 — —
    Information technology 1,187,742,314 — —
    Materials 183,826,963 — —
    Real estate 27,090,409 — —
    Telecommunication services 26,927,178 — —
    Utilities — 12,550,076 —
Total common stocks 3,825,100,600 12,550,076 7,954,654
Convertible preferred stocks — — 14,781,615
Investment companies 19,676,587 — —
Warrants 247,380 — —
Short-term investments 53,797,756 180,983,391 —
Totals by level $3,898,822,323 $193,533,467 $22,736,269



Valuation inputs
Other financial instruments: Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Forward currency contracts $— $(515,673) $—
Futures contracts 136,199 — —
Totals by level $136,199 $(515,673) $—


* Common stock classifications are presented at the sector level, which may differ from the fund's portfolio presentation.
During the reporting period, transfers within the fair value hierarchy, if any (other than certain transfers involving non-U.S. equity securities as described in the Security valuation note above), did not represent, in the aggregate, more than 1% of the fund's net assets measured as of the end of the period. Transfers are accounted for using the end of period pricing valuation method.
At the start and close of the reporting period, Level 3 investments in securities represented less than 1% of the fund's net assets and were not considered a significant portion of the fund's portfolio.

Fair Value of Derivative Instruments as of the close of the reporting period
Asset derivatives Liability derivatives
Derivatives not accounted for as hedging instruments under ASC 815 Fair value Fair value
Foreign exchange contracts $— $515,673
Equity contracts 383,579 —
Total $383,579 $515,673


The volume of activity for the reporting period for any derivative type that was held at the close of the period is listed below and was based on an average of the holdings of that derivative at the end of each fiscal quarter in the reporting period:
Futures contracts (number of contracts)40
Forward currency contracts (contract amount)$98,000,000
Warrants (number of warrants)2,400,000
   
  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, if applicable, see note "(AFF)" above, and for borrowing transactions associated with securities sold short, if applicable, see the "Short sales of securities" note above.
   
      Bank of America N.A. JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. UBS AG   Total
                 
  Assets:              
  Futures contracts§   —  —  —  —    — 
  Forward currency contracts#   $—  $—  $—  $—    $— 
                 
  Total Assets   $—  $—  $—  $—    $— 
                 
  Liabilities:              
  Futures contracts§   —  —  17,670  —    17,670 
  Forward currency contracts#   154,869  264,097  —  96,707    515,673 
                 
  Total Liabilities   $154,869  $264,097  $17,670  $96,707    $533,343 
                 
  Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets   $(154,869) $(264,097) $(17,670) $(96,707)   $(533,343)
  Total collateral received (pledged)##†   $(9,977) $(264,097) $—  $(96,707)    
  Net amount   $(144,892) $—  $(17,670) $—     
                 
†  Additional collateral may be required from certain brokers based on individual agreements.
                 
# Covered by master netting agreement.
                 
## Any over-collateralization of total financial and derivative net assets is not shown. Collateral may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.
§ Includes current day's variation margin only, which is not collateralized. Cumulative appreciation/(depreciation) for futures contracts is represented in the tables listed after the fund's portfolio.

For additional information regarding the fund please see the fund's most recent annual or semiannual shareholder report filed on the Securities and Exchange Commission's Web site, www.sec.gov, or visit Putnam's Individual Investor Web site at www.putnaminvestments.com



Item 2. 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 90 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 3. Exhibits:
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.

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 Multi-Cap Growth Fund
By (Signature and Title):
/s/ Janet C. Smith
Janet C. Smith
Principal Accounting Officer
Date: May 26, 2017

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: May 26, 2017

By (Signature and Title):
/s/ Janet C. Smith
Janet C. Smith
Principal Financial Officer
Date: May 26, 2017

EX-99.CERT 2 b_852certifications.htm CERTIFICATIONS b_852certifications.htm

Certifications

I, Jonathan S. Horwitz, the Principal Executive Officer of the funds listed on Attachment A, certify that:

1. I have reviewed each report on Form N-Q of the funds listed on Attachment A:

2. Based on my knowledge, each report does not contain any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by each report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the schedules of investments included in each report fairly present in all material respects the investments of the registrant as of the end of the fiscal quarter for which the report is filed;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrants and have:


a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which each report is being prepared;


b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;


c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report, based on such evaluation; and


d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed to each registrant's auditors and the audit committee of each registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):


a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect each registrant's ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and


b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in each registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

/s/ Jonathan S. Horwitz
_____________________________

Date: May 25, 2017
Jonathan S. Horwitz
Principal Executive Officer













Certifications

I, Janet C. Smith, the Principal Financial Officer of the funds listed on Attachment A, certify that:

1. I have reviewed each report on Form N-Q of the funds listed on Attachment A:

2. Based on my knowledge, each report does not contain any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by each report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the schedules of investments included in each report fairly present in all material respects the investments of the registrant as of the end of the fiscal quarter for which the report is filed;

4. The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the registrants and have:


a) designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which each report is being prepared;


b) designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;


c) evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report, based on such evaluation; and


d) disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed to each registrant's auditors and the audit committee of each registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):


a) all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect each registrant's ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and


b) any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in each registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

/s/ Janet C. Smith
_______________________________

Date: May 25, 2017
Janet C. Smith
Principal Financial Officer














Attachment A

NQ

Period (s) ended March 31, 2017
               Putnam Europe Equity Fund
               Putnam International Equity Fund
               Putnam Multi-Cap Growth Fund
               Putnam Small Cap Growth Fund
               Putnam International Value Fund

               Putnam VT Absolute 500 Fund
               Putnam VT American Government Income Fund
               Putnam VT Capital Opportunities Fund
               Putnam VT Diversified Income Fund
               Putnam VT Equity Income Fund
               Putnam VT George Putnam Balanced Fund
               Putnam VT Global Asset Allocation Fund
               Putnam VT Global Equity Fund
               Putnam VT Global Health Care Fund
               Putnam VT Global Utilities Fund
               Putnam VT Growth and Income Fund
               Putnam VT Growth Opportunities Fund
               Putnam VT High Yield Fund
               Putnam VT Income Fund
               Putnam VT International Equity Fund
               Putnam VT International Value Fund
               Putnam VT International Growth Fund
               Putnam VT Investors Fund
               Putnam VT Multi-Cap Value Fund
               Putnam VT Government Money Market Fund
               Putnam VT Multi-Cap Growth Fund
               Putnam VT Research Fund
               Putnam VT Small Cap Value Fund