Putnam Investments has over seventy years of investment experience and offers investors 82 mutual funds across a range of asset classes and investment styles. With over $124 billion in assets under management, it serves 110 institutional clients including the pension funds of several states and many large corporations. Putnam considers its seasoned team of investment professionals to be its biggest asset and relies primarily on original, fundamental research on a global scale.

Below we will share with you 5 top rated Putnam funds. Each has earned a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) as we expect the fund to outperform its peers in the future.  To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all Putnam funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of funds.

George Putnam Balanced A (PGEOX) seeks both capital appreciation and a steady income flow from a diversified portfolio of both stocks and bonds. The fund concentrates on investing in large and mid-cap companies and focuses on bonds with a minimum maturity period of three years. The fund has a three year annualized return of 16.42%

David H. Calabro is the fund manager and has managed this Putnam mutual fund since 2008.

Putnam Global Utilities A (PUGIX) invests primarily in utility companies across the world. The fund concentrates on acquiring stocks of large and mid-sized firms, but may also consider investing in smaller companies. It seeks both capital appreciation and current income. The fund has a three year annualized return of 8.51%

As of December 2011, this Putnam mutual fund held 89 issues, with 5.62% of its total assets invested in Ameren Corp.

Putnam Tax-Free High Yield A (PTHAX) seeks high current income free from federal income tax. The majority of the fund’s assets are invested in bonds interest from which is exempt from federal income tax. It purchases securities rated investment grade as well as those of lower quality. The fund has a three year annualized return of 14.02%

The Putnam mutual fund has a minimum initial investment of $500 and an expense ratio of 0.80% compared to a category average of 1.02%.

Putnam Multi-Cap Growth A (PNOPX) invests primarily in growth oriented domestic companies whose earnings are projected to increase in the future. The fund focuses on acquiring common stocks and invests in companies regardless of their size. The fund has a three year annualized return of 22.76%

Robert Brookby is the fund manager and has managed this Putnam mutual fund since 2010.

Putnam Small Cap Growth A (PNSAX) seeks capital appreciation. The fund invests heavily in domestic securities with an emphasis on growth oriented companies. It focuses on acquiring common stocks of small companies which are identical to those included in the Russell 2000 Growth Index. The fund has a three year annualized return of 27.11%

The Putnam mutual fund has a minimum initial investment of $500 and an expense ratio of 1.32% compared to a category average of 1.47%.

To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all Putnam mutual funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of funds.

About Zacks Mutual Fund Rank

By applying the Zacks Rank to mutual funds, investors can find funds that not only outpaced the market in the past but are also expected to outperform going forward. Learn more about the Zacks Mutual Fund Rank at http://www.zacks.com/funds.