Putnam Global Utilities Fund NCSR Certified annual shareholder report (management investment company)


	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:	(811-05989)


	Exact name of registrant as specified in charter:	Putnam Global Utilities 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:	August 31, 2014


	Date of reporting period :	September 1, 2013 — August 31, 2014


	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:

Putnam
Global Utilities
Fund

Annual report
8 | 31 | 14

Message from the Trustees	1
About the fund	2
Performance snapshot	4
Interview with your fund’s portfolio manager	5
Your fund’s performance	10
Your fund’s expenses	13
Terms and definitions	15
Other information for shareholders	16
Important notice regarding Putnam’s privacy policy	17
Trustee approval of management contract	18
Financial statements	23
Federal tax information	48
Shareholder meeting results	49
About the Trustees	50
Officers	52

Consider these risks before investing: International investing involves currency, economic, and political risks. Emerging-market securities carry illiquidity and volatility risks. Investments in small and/or midsize companies increase the risk of greater price fluctuations. The utilities industries may be affected by increases in fuel costs, technological obsolescence, changes in regulatory policies, and deregulation. The fund concentrates on a limited group of industries and is non-diversified. Because the fund may invest in fewer issuers, it is vulnerable to common economic forces and may result in greater losses and volatility. Growth stocks may be more susceptible to earnings disappointments, and value stocks may fail to rebound. The use of short selling may result in losses if the securities appreciate in value. 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. Stock prices may fall or fail to rise over time for several reasons, including general financial market conditions and factors related to a specific issuer or industry. You can lose money by investing in the fund.

Message from the Trustees

Dear Fellow Shareholder:

The U.S. stock market has continued to climb this year. With a better-than-expected second-quarter earnings season, the S&P 500 Index was up 8.34% for the first nine months of 2014. This benchmark eclipsed the 2000 level for the first time in late August — one of many record highs set year to date. Government bonds, including municipal bonds, and other fixed-income securities have also performed well, particularly as interest rates have remained steady and even declined from historically low levels.

In the United States, economic indicators have gradually improved. Notably, second-quarter GDP expanded at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.6%, according to a revised estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In addition, the unemployment rate has steadily declined, and data show that the housing and manufacturing sectors are gaining strength. World markets have lagged, however. Geopolitical risk has increased in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, although there has been little negative impact on oil and commodity prices to date. In Europe, a sputtering recovery ground to a halt in the second quarter. The European Central Bank has responded by cutting interest rates further and announcing asset- and bond-buying programs to help lift the region out of its economic doldrums.

As U.S. markets enter the fourth quarter on a high note and geopolitical concerns continue, we encourage you to meet with your financial advisor to ensure that your portfolio is properly diversified and aligned with your objectives and risk tolerance. Keep in mind that Putnam offers a wide range of strategies for all environments, as well as new ways of thinking about building portfolios for today’s markets.

As always, thank you for investing with Putnam.

Respectfully yours,

Robert L. Reynolds
President and Chief Executive Officer
Putnam Investments

Jameson A. Baxter
Chair, Board of Trustees

October 10, 2014

Performance
snapshot

Annualized total return (%) comparison as of 8/31/14

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 pages 5 and 10–12 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.

*The fund’s benchmark, the MSCI World Utilities Index (ND), was introduced on 1/1/01, which post-dates the inception of the fund’s class A shares.

4 Global Utilities Fund

Interview with your fund’s portfolio manager

Sheba M. Alexander, CFA

Global utilities stocks were up about 20%, as measured by the fund’s benchmark, during the 12 months ended August 31, 2014. What factors influenced their solid performance?

Global utilities stocks did reasonably well over the year-long period. Indeed, the benchmark MSCI World Utilities Index (ND) had a very respectable total return of 20.29% for the 12 months, although market conditions for global utilities continued for the most part to be quite volatile.

A number of factors were at play during the period. In Europe, economic activity picked up for a portion of the period. The upside of this movement was particularly pronounced in the peripheral eurozone countries of Spain, Italy, and Portugal, where those markets ran up a lot, thanks largely to extremely low interest rates. Unfortunately for the fund, we were underweight in our holdings in those markets and the momentarily missed opportunities detracted from the fund’s performance versus the benchmark. From a fundamental perspective, the recent rally in the peripheral economies notwithstanding, we expect to remain underweight there because we still do not like the fundamentals of the power business in these markets.

In the United States, the 12-month period was one of two distinct environments. First, from September to December 2013, interest rates were on the rise and were expected to continue along that path. The prospect of rising rates had a negative impact on

Broad market index and fund performance

This comparison shows your fund’s performance in the context of broad market indexes for the 12 months ended 8/31/14. See pages 4 and 10–12 for additional fund performance information. Index descriptions can be found on page 15.

Global Utilities Fund 5

the stocks of regulated utilities. U.S. power markets also were challenged during the first half of the reporting period, as natural gas prices declined following weak demand during the summer of 2013. Second, from January through April, interest rates reversed course and began to decline, which had a positive effect on regulated utilities. Natural gas prices also spiked, driving power prices higher on the back of the “polar vortex” and its severe winter weather, which spurred the power markets to levels not seen in several years.

Utility stocks generally are highly correlated with borrowing rates. Since this past spring, interest rates have been fairly stable, and regulated utilities also have seen their stock prices remain stable. On the other hand, a fairly cool summer caused power prices to slump due to weaker demand, which had a dampening effect on the stock prices of power producers. Overall, the picture for U.S. utilities was one of continuing volatility, as expectations for interest-rate movements affected the regulated utility stocks and weather-related events challenged the power producers.

In Japan, we continued to de-emphasize nuclear-related stocks, as we believed — correctly as it turned out — that the optimism surrounding nuclear plant restarts was premature, so our strategy to avoid nuclear stocks worked to the fund’s benefit.

In spite of its strong absolute performance, the fund lagged its benchmark. What caused this underperformance?

The fund produced a total return of 17.56% for the 12-month period, compared with the benchmark’s 20.29% result. Its strong absolute performance was buoyed by the same factors that led the index. But, unfortunately, the fund’s relative performance did lag the benchmark’s return — not because of

Global composition

Allocations are shown as a percentage of the fund’s net assets as of 8/31/14. Short-term investments 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, and the exclusion of as-of trades, if any. Holdings and allocations may vary over time.

6 Global Utilities Fund

“I am cautiously optimistic for a
recovery in the U.S. power markets as
we head into 2015.”

Sheba Alexander

what it owned, but mostly because of what it chose not to own.

Three European stocks that were benchmark constituents did extraordinarily well, but were not among our holdings. The largest of these was Enel, the Italian power company, whose stock price soared during the period. RWE, a German power company, and Gas Natural, a Spanish natural gas distributor, also were among the stocks not held by the fund, and we missed their significant upside contributions as well. As a point of reference, Italian utilities stocks rose nearly 50% during the period, Spanish utilities gained in excess of 52%, while those in Germany were up about 30%.

Among the names owned by the fund, the biggest relative detractor was FirstEnergy, a U.S. utility that saw its earnings and cash-flow projections decline on lower forward natural gas prices. We sold our position in FirstEnergy late in the reporting period and redeployed the sale proceeds to names in which we saw more promising prospects.

Which of the fund’s holdings were the most notable contributors to its performance versus the benchmark?

Edison International, a Southern California electric utility, was a relatively large holding in the fund and one of its top contributors. During the period, the company went through the regulatory process of determining how much the company would be allowed to recover from rate payers for two nuclear plants that were being shut down. With the company able to reach a fair and favorable settlement, the stock recovered nicely. Another notable contributor was

Top 10 holdings

This table shows the fund’s top 10 holdings by percentage of the fund’s net assets as of 8/31/14. Short-term holdings and derivatives, if any, are excluded. Holdings may vary over time.

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Exelon, a power generation company that does business across the United States. We chose to underweight the stock because of the company’s exposure to lower natural gas prices, which we felt would hurt its earnings and its share price, and the decision to underweight the stock helped early in the period. We liked Exelon’s long-term earnings profile, however, and bought the stock after it fell, and the risk/reward on the stock improved. NextEra Energy, a power producer that operates in Florida, was also a solid contributor, with its stock price rising as investors hailed the spinning off of the company’s renewable energy assets into a separate entity, which helped unlock greater value for the parent company. National Grid, a regulated U.K. utility with exposure in the U.S. power market, was another strong contributor, along with American Water Works, a water and wastewater utility that operates in more than 30 states and two Canadian provinces.

I should also mention that fund performance got a considerable lift during the period from an out-of-benchmark holding in Numericable Group, a telecommunications company that benefited from consolidation activity in its native France.

What is your outlook for the global utilities market though year-end into 2015?

I am cautiously optimistic for a recovery in the U.S. power markets as we head into 2015. As a reminder, approximately 60 gigawatts of power from coal-fired plants is scheduled to come off-line in the April/May time frame of 2015, which will affect the supply/demand equation, especially in the PJM market, which encompasses a number of Eastern states. Furthermore, in the wake of a significant number of plants failing to function on key high-demand days during last winter’s harsh weather, public utilities regulators in the PJM market appear to be concerned about the reliability of the system as a whole. I believe

Comparison of top industry weightings

This chart shows how the fund’s top weightings have changed 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, and the use of different classifications of securities for presentation purposes. Holdings and allocations may vary over time.

8 Global Utilities Fund

these factors will spur higher capacity payments for guaranteeing reliability, which should be favorable for both the earnings and share prices of companies that are able to do that. I believe the fund is well positioned in the companies most likely to benefit from these dynamics.

While I have no visibility into where interest rates are likely to go over the next 6 to 12 months, I have preferred to own regulated names that operate in states like California, where there are currently mechanisms for regulated utilities to adjust their allowed returns when interest rates rise above certain levels.

As for European utilities, there is no change to my fundamental outlook. In Japan, I am comfortable with the fund’s current positioning, which, as I mentioned earlier, de-emphasizes nuclear power producers in favor of more-stable earners, such as natural gas distributors.

In summary, we continue to position the fund more heavily toward U.S. holdings, which we believe have greater growth potential than holdings in other major world markets.

Thanks for your time and insights, Sheba.

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.

Distribution rate decrease

In June 2014, the fund’s quarterly distribution rate per class A share decreased from $0.067 to $0.053. The decrease occurred because the portfolio generated lower distributable income.

Portfolio Manager Sheba M. Alexander has an M.B.A. from Dartmouth College Tuck School of Business, a Master of Finance and Control from the University of Delhi in New Delhi, India, and a B.A. from the University of Delhi. She joined Putnam in 1999 and has been in the investment industry since 1995.

IN THE NEWS

A pledge two years ago by the European Central Bank (ECB) to “do whatever it takes” to save the euro is reflected in a landmark decision made early this September. The ECB instituted a bond-buying program that earmarked upward of €700 billion, or $906 billion, aimed at jump-starting lending activity and, ultimately, at reigniting Europe’s decelerating economic recovery. In addition, the ECB slashed its main refinancing rate to a record low of 0.05% and drove its deposit rate deeper into negative territory. This means banks will now pay an even greater premium for parking money at the ECB for short periods of time rather than lending it to businesses. The new measures also seek to lift the eurozone’s historically low inflation rate to its target of 2%. Still, skeptics fear that more intensive fiscal and structural reforms among the 18-nation euro currency bloc will be needed to stimulate a long-term European economic recovery.

Global Utilities Fund 9

Your fund’s performance

This section shows your fund’s performance, price, and distribution information for periods ended August 31, 2014, the end of its most recent fiscal year. In accordance with regulatory requirements for mutual funds, we also include performance information as of the most recent calendar quarter-end and 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 and class 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 8/31/14

	Class A		Class B		Class C		Class M		Class R	Class Y
(inception dates)	(11/19/90)		(4/27/92)		(7/26/99)		(3/1/95)		(12/1/03)	(10/4/05)
	Before sales charge	After sales charge	Before CDSC	After CDSC	Before CDSC	After CDSC	Before sales charge	After sales charge	Net asset value	Net asset value
Annual average
(life of fund)	6.83%	6.57%	6.56%	6.56%	6.03%	6.03%	6.31%	6.15%	6.57%	6.93%
10 years	78.89	68.60	68.52	68.52	65.94	65.94	70.35	64.39	74.50	82.88
Annual average	5.99	5.36	5.36	5.36	5.19	5.19	5.47	5.10	5.73	6.22
5 years	33.58	25.90	28.67	26.67	28.77	28.77	30.39	25.83	31.96	35.28
Annual average	5.96	4.71	5.17	4.84	5.19	5.19	5.45	4.70	5.70	6.23
3 years	33.84	26.14	30.89	27.89	30.85	30.85	31.86	27.24	32.86	34.85
Annual average	10.20	8.05	9.39	8.55	9.38	9.38	9.66	8.36	9.93	10.48
1 year	17.56	10.80	16.65	11.65	16.76	15.76	17.00	12.90	17.33	17.84

Current performance may be lower or higher than the quoted past performance, which cannot guarantee future results. After-sales-charge returns for class A and M shares reflect the deduction of the maximum 5.75% and 3.50% sales charge, respectively, 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 and Y shares have no initial sales charge or CDSC. Performance for class B, C, M, 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.

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

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

10 Global Utilities Fund

Comparative index returns For periods ended 8/31/14

	MSCI World Utilities Index (ND)
Annual average (life of fund)	—*
10 years	101.63%
Annual average	7.26
5 years	30.12
Annual average	5.41
3 years	28.38
Annual average	8.68
1 year	20.29

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

* The fund’s benchmark, the MSCI World Utilities Index (ND), was introduced on 1/1/01, which post-dates the inception of the fund’s class A shares.

Change in the value of a $10,000 investment ($9,425 after sales charge)

Cumulative total return from 8/31/04 to 8/31/14

Past performance does not indicate future results. At the end of the same time period, a $10,000 investment in the fund’s class B and class C shares would have been valued at $16,852 and $16,594, respectively, and no contingent deferred sales charges would apply. A $10,000 investment in the fund’s class M shares ($9,650 after sales charge) would have been valued at $16,439. A $10,000 investment in the fund’s class R and class Y shares would have been valued at $17,450 and $18,288, respectively.

Global Utilities Fund 11

Fund price and distribution information For the 12-month period ended 8/31/14

Distributions	Class A		Class B	Class C	Class M		Class R	Class Y
Number	4		4	4	4		4	4
Income	$0.254		$0.164	$0.168	$0.195		$0.224	$0.283
Capital gains	—		—	—	—		—	—
Total	$0.254		$0.164	$0.168	$0.195		$0.224	$0.283
Share value	Before sales charge	After sales charge	Net asset value	Net asset value	Before sales charge	After sales charge	Net asset value	Net asset value
8/31/13	$11.08	$11.76	$11.04	$10.99	$11.07	$11.47	$11.04	$11.08
8/31/14	12.75	13.53	12.70	12.65	12.74	13.20	12.71	12.75

The classification of distributions, if any, is an estimate. Before-sales-charge share value and current dividend rate for class A and M 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 and 3.50% for class M shares) was levied at the time of purchase. Final distribution information will appear on your year-end tax forms.

Fund performance as of most recent calendar quarter
Total return for periods ended 9/30/14

	Class A		Class B		Class C		Class M		Class R	Class Y
(inception dates)	(11/19/90)		(4/27/92)		(7/26/99)		(3/1/95)		(12/1/03)	(10/4/05)
	Before sales charge	After sales charge	Before CDSC	After CDSC	Before CDSC	After CDSC	Before sales charge	After sales charge	Net asset value	Net asset value
Annual average
(life of fund)	6.65%	6.39%	6.38%	6.38%	5.85%	5.85%	6.12%	5.97%	6.38%	6.75%
10 years	70.56	60.75	60.49	60.49	58.10	58.10	62.03	56.36	66.21	74.48
Annual average	5.48	4.86	4.84	4.84	4.69	4.69	4.94	4.57	5.21	5.72
5 years	26.82	19.53	22.12	20.12	22.06	22.06	23.66	19.33	25.25	28.44
Annual average	4.87	3.63	4.08	3.74	4.07	4.07	4.34	3.60	4.61	5.13
3 years	33.05	25.40	30.09	27.09	30.05	30.05	31.08	26.50	32.07	34.18
Annual average	9.99	7.84	9.16	8.32	9.15	9.15	9.44	8.15	9.71	10.30
1 year	10.18	3.85	9.29	4.29	9.37	8.37	9.64	5.80	9.84	10.45

See the discussion following the fund performance table on page 10 for information about the calculation of fund performance.

12 Global Utilities Fund

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. 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 M	Class R	Class Y
Total annual operating expenses for the fiscal year ended 8/31/13	1.25%	2.00%	2.00%	1.75%	1.50%	1.00%
Annualized expense ratio for the six-month period ended 8/31/14*	1.19%	1.94%	1.94%	1.69%	1.44%	0.94%

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.

* For the fund’s most recent fiscal half year; may differ from expense ratios based on one-year data in the financial highlights.

Expenses per $1,000

The following table shows the expenses you would have paid on a $1,000 investment in the fund from March 1, 2014, to August 31, 2014. 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 M	Class R	Class Y
Expenses paid per $1,000*†	$6.21	$10.11	$10.12	$8.82	$7.52	$4.91
Ending value (after expenses)	$1,071.90	$1,068.20	$1,068.70	$1,070.20	$1,070.90	$1,073.10

* 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 8/31/14. 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.

Global Utilities Fund 13

Estimate the expenses you paid

To estimate the ongoing expenses you paid for the six months ended August 31, 2014, use the following calculation method. To find the value of your investment on March 1, 2014, 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 M	Class R	Class Y
Expenses paid per $1,000*†	$6.06	$9.86	$9.86	$8.59	$7.32	$4.79
Ending value (after expenses)	$1,019.21	$1,015.43	$1,015.43	$1,016.69	$1,017.95	$1,020.47

† 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.

14 Global Utilities Fund

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 and 3.50% for class M 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 not subject to an initial sales charge. They 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 M shares have a lower initial sales charge and a higher 12b-1 fee than class A shares and no CDSC (except on certain redemptions of shares bought without an initial sales charge).

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

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

Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index is an unmanaged index of U.S. investment-grade fixed-income securities.

BofA Merrill Lynch 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 World Utilities Index (ND) is a free float-adjusted market capitalization weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets in the utilities sector.

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.

Global Utilities Fund 15

Other information for shareholders

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, 2014, are available in the Individual Investors section of putnam.com, and on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 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-Q. Shareholders may obtain the fund’s Form N-Q on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. In addition, the fund’s Form N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You may call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for information about the SEC’s website or the operation of the Public Reference Room.

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 August 31, 2014, Putnam employees had approximately $498,000,000 and the Trustees had approximately $138,000,000 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.

16 Global Utilities Fund

Important notice regarding Putnam’s privacy policy

In order to conduct business with our shareholders, we must obtain certain personal information such as account holders’ names, addresses, Social Security numbers, and dates of birth. Using this information, we are able to maintain accurate records of accounts and transactions.

It is our policy to protect the confidentiality of our shareholder information, whether or not a shareholder currently owns shares of our funds. In particular, it is our policy not to sell information about you or your accounts to outside marketing firms. We have safeguards in place designed to prevent unauthorized access to our computer systems and procedures to protect personal information from unauthorized use.

Under certain circumstances, we must share account information with outside vendors who provide services to us, such as mailings and proxy solicitations. In these cases, the service providers enter into confidentiality agreements with us, and we provide only the information necessary to process transactions and perform other services related to your account. Finally, it is our policy to share account information with your financial representative, if you’ve listed one on your Putnam account.

Global Utilities Fund 17

Trustee approval of management contract

General conclusions

The Board of Trustees of the Putnam funds oversees the management of each fund and, as required by law, determines annually whether to approve the continuance of your fund’s management contract with Putnam Investment Management, LLC (“Putnam Management”), the sub-management contract with respect to your fund between Putnam Management and its affiliate, Putnam Investments Limited (“PIL”), and the sub-advisory contract among Putnam Management, PIL, and another affiliate, The Putnam Advisory Company (“PAC”). The Board of Trustees, with the assistance of its Contract Committee, requests and evaluates all information it deems reasonably necessary under the circumstances in connection with its annual contract review. The Contract Committee consists solely of Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as this term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”)) of the Putnam funds (“Independent Trustees”).

At the outset of the review process, members of the Board’s independent staff and independent legal counsel met with representatives of Putnam Management to review the annual contract review materials furnished to the Contract Committee during the course of the previous year’s review and to discuss possible changes in these materials that might be necessary or desirable for the coming year. Following these discussions and in consultation with the Contract Committee, the Independent Trustees’ independent legal counsel requested that Putnam Management furnish specified information, together with any additional information that Putnam Management considered relevant, to the Contract Committee. Over the course of several months ending in June 2014, the Contract Committee met on a number of occasions with representatives of Putnam Management, and separately in executive session, to consider the information that Putnam Management provided, as well as supplemental information provided in response to additional requests made by the Contract Committee. Throughout this process, the Contract Committee was assisted by the members of the Board’s independent staff and by independent legal counsel for the Putnam funds and the Independent Trustees.

In May 2014, the Contract Committee met in executive session to discuss and consider its preliminary recommendations with respect to the continuance of the contracts. At the Trustees’ June 20, 2014 meeting, the Contract Committee met in executive session with the other Independent Trustees to review a summary of the key financial, performance and other data that the Contract Committee considered in the course of its review. The Contract Committee then presented its written report, which summarized the key factors that the Committee had considered and set forth its final recommendations. The Contract Committee then recommended, and the Independent Trustees approved, the continuance of your fund’s management, sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, effective July 1, 2014. (Because PIL and PAC are affiliates of Putnam Management and Putnam Management remains fully responsible for all services provided by PIL and PAC, the Trustees have not attempted to evaluate PIL or PAC as separate entities, and all subsequent references to Putnam Management below should be deemed to include reference to PIL and PAC as necessary or appropriate in the context.)

The Independent Trustees’ approval was based on the following conclusions:

• That the fee schedule in effect for your fund represented reasonable compensation in light of the nature and quality of the services being

18 Global Utilities Fund

provided to the fund, the fees paid by competitive funds, and the costs incurred by Putnam Management in providing services to the fund; and

• That the fee schedule in effect for your fund represented an appropriate sharing between fund shareholders and Putnam Management of such economies of scale as may exist in the management of the fund at current asset levels.

These conclusions were based on a comprehensive consideration of all information provided to the Trustees and were not the result of any single factor. Some of the factors that figured particularly in the Trustees’ deliberations and how the Trustees considered these factors are described below, although individual Trustees may have evaluated the information presented differently, giving different weights to various factors. It is also important to recognize that the management arrangements for your fund and the other Putnam funds are the result of many years of review and discussion between the Independent Trustees and Putnam Management, that some aspects of the arrangements may receive greater scrutiny in some years than others, and that the Trustees’ conclusions may be based, in part, on their consideration of fee arrangements in previous years. For example, with some minor exceptions, the current fee arrangements under the management contracts for the Putnam funds were implemented at the beginning of 2010 following extensive review by the Contract Committee and discussions with representatives of Putnam Management, as well as approval by shareholders. Shareholders also voted overwhelmingly to approve these fee arrangements in early 2014, when they were asked to approve new management contracts (with the same fees and substantially identical other provisions) following the possible termination of the previous management contracts as a result of the death of the Honorable Paul G. Desmarais. (Mr. Desmarais, both directly and through holding companies, controlled a majority of the voting shares of Power Corporation of Canada, which (directly and indirectly) is the majority owner of Putnam Management. Mr. Desmarais’ voting control of shares of Power Corporation of Canada was transferred to The Desmarais Family Residuary Trust upon his death and this transfer, as a technical matter, may have constituted an “assignment” within the meaning of the 1940 Act, causing the Putnam funds’ management contracts to terminate automatically.)

Management fee schedules and total expenses

The Trustees reviewed the management fee schedules in effect for all Putnam funds, including fee levels and breakpoints. The Trustees also reviewed the total expenses of each Putnam fund, recognizing that in most cases management fees represented the major, but not the sole, determinant of total costs to shareholders.

In reviewing fees and expenses, the Trustees generally focus their attention on material changes in circumstances — for example, changes in assets under management, changes in a fund’s investment style, changes in Putnam Management’s operating costs or profitability, or changes in competitive practices in the mutual fund industry — that suggest that consideration of fee changes might be warranted. The Trustees concluded that the circumstances did not warrant changes to the management fee structure of your fund.

Under its management contract, your fund has the benefit of breakpoints in its management fee schedule that provide shareholders with economies of scale in the form of reduced fee levels as assets under management in the Putnam family of funds increase. The Trustees concluded that the fee schedule in effect for your fund represented an appropriate sharing of economies of scale between fund shareholders and Putnam Management.

Global Utilities Fund 19

As in the past, the Trustees also focused on the competitiveness of each fund’s total expense ratio. In order to ensure that expenses of the Putnam funds continue to meet competitive standards, the Trustees and Putnam Management have implemented certain expense limitations. These expense limitations were: (i) a contractual expense limitation applicable to all retail open-end funds of 32 basis points on investor servicing fees and expenses and (ii) a contractual expense limitation applicable to all open-end funds of 20 basis points on so-called “other expenses” (i.e., all expenses exclusive of management fees, investor servicing fees, distribution fees, investment-related expenses, interest, taxes, brokerage commissions, extraordinary expenses and acquired fund fees and expenses). These expense limitations serve in particular to maintain competitive expense levels for funds with large numbers of small shareholder accounts and funds with relatively small net assets. Most funds, including your fund, had sufficiently low expenses that these expense limitations did not apply. Putnam Management’s support for these expense limitation arrangements was an important factor in the Trustees’ decision to approve the continuance of your fund’s management, sub-management and sub-advisory contracts.

The Trustees reviewed comparative fee and expense information for a custom group of competitive funds selected by Lipper Inc. (“Lipper”). This comparative information included your fund’s percentile ranking for effective management fees and total expenses (excluding any applicable 12b-1 fee), which provides a general indication of your fund’s relative standing. In the custom peer group, your fund ranked in the third quintile in effective management fees (determined for your fund and the other funds in the custom peer group based on fund asset size and the applicable contractual management fee schedule) and in the third quintile in total expenses (excluding any applicable 12b-1 fees) as of December 31, 2013 (the first quintile representing the least expensive funds and the fifth quintile the most expensive funds). The fee and expense data reported by Lipper as of December 31, 2013 reflected the most recent fiscal year-end data available in Lipper’s database at that time.

In connection with their review of the management fees and total expenses of the Putnam funds, the Trustees also reviewed the costs of the services provided and the profits realized by Putnam Management and its affiliates from their contractual relationships with the funds. This information included trends in revenues, expenses and profitability of Putnam Management and its affiliates relating to the investment management, investor servicing and distribution services provided to the funds. In this regard, the Trustees also reviewed an analysis of Putnam Management’s revenues, expenses and profitability, allocated on a fund-by-fund basis, with respect to the funds’ management, distribution, and investor servicing contracts. For each fund, the analysis presented information about revenues, expenses and profitability for each of the agreements separately and for the agreements taken together on a combined basis. The Trustees concluded that, at current asset levels, the fee schedules in place represented reasonable compensation for the services being provided and represented an appropriate sharing of such economies of scale as may exist in the management of the Putnam funds at that time.

The information examined by the Trustees as part of their annual contract review for the Putnam funds has included for many years information regarding fees charged by Putnam Management and its affiliates to institutional clients such as defined benefit pension plans, college endowments, and the like. This information included comparisons of those fees with fees charged to the Putnam funds, as well as an assessment of the differences in the services provided to these different types of clients. The

20 Global Utilities Fund

Trustees observed that the differences in fee rates between institutional clients and mutual funds are by no means uniform when examined by individual asset sectors, suggesting that differences in the pricing of investment management services to these types of clients may reflect historical competitive forces operating in separate markets. The Trustees considered the fact that in many cases fee rates across different asset classes are higher on average for mutual funds than for institutional clients, as well as the differences between the services that Putnam Management provides to the Putnam funds and those that it provides to its institutional clients. The Trustees did not rely on these comparisons to any significant extent in concluding that the management fees paid by your fund are reasonable.

Investment performance

The quality of the investment process provided by Putnam Management represented a major factor in the Trustees’ evaluation of the quality of services provided by Putnam Management under your fund’s management contract. The Trustees were assisted in their review of the Putnam funds’ investment process and performance by the work of the investment oversight committees of the Trustees, which meet on a regular basis with the funds’ portfolio teams and with the Chief Investment Officer and other senior members of Putnam Management’s Investment Division throughout the year. The Trustees concluded that Putnam Management generally provides a high-quality investment process — based on the experience and skills of the individuals assigned to the management of fund portfolios, the resources made available to them, and in general Putnam Management’s ability to attract and retain high-quality personnel — but also recognized that this does not guarantee favorable investment results for every fund in every time period.

The Trustees considered that 2013 was a year of strong competitive performance for many of the Putnam funds, with only a relatively small number of exceptions. They noted that this strong performance was exemplified by the fact that the Putnam funds were recognized by Barron’s as the second-best performing mutual fund complex for both 2013 and the five-year period ended December 31, 2013. They also noted, however, the disappointing investment performance of some funds for periods ended December 31, 2013 and considered information provided by Putnam Management regarding the factors contributing to the underperformance and actions being taken to improve the performance of these particular funds. The Trustees indicated their intention to continue to monitor performance trends to assess the effectiveness of these efforts and to evaluate whether additional actions to address areas of underperformance are warranted.

For purposes of evaluating investment performance, the Trustees generally focus on competitive industry rankings for the one-year, three-year and five-year periods. For a number of Putnam funds with relatively unique investment mandates for which meaningful competitive performance rankings are not considered available, the Trustees evaluated performance based on comparisons of fund returns with the returns of selected investment benchmarks. In the case of your fund, the Trustees considered information about your fund’s total return and its performance relative to its benchmark over the one-year, three-year and five-year periods ended December 31, 2013. Your fund’s class A shares’ return net of fees and expenses was positive and exceeded the return of its benchmark over the one-year, three-year and five-year periods. The Trustees did not find any evidence of underperformance that would suggest a need for concern regarding the investment process for your fund. (When considering performance information, shareholders should be mindful that past performance is not a guarantee of future results.)

Global Utilities Fund 21

The Trustees also considered Putnam Management’s continued efforts to support fund performance through initiatives including structuring compensation for portfolio managers and research analysts to enhance accountability for fund performance, emphasizing accountability in the portfolio management process, and affirming its commitment to a fundamental-driven approach to investing. The Trustees noted further that Putnam Management continued to strengthen its fundamental research capabilities by adding new investment personnel.

Brokerage and soft-dollar allocations; investor servicing

The Trustees considered various potential benefits that Putnam Management may receive in connection with the services it provides under the management contract with your fund. These include benefits related to brokerage allocation and the use of soft dollars, whereby a portion of the commissions paid by a fund for brokerage may be used to acquire research services that are expected to be useful to Putnam Management in managing the assets of the fund and of other clients. Subject to policies established by the Trustees, soft dollars generated by these means are used primarily to acquire brokerage and research services that enhance Putnam Management’s investment capabilities and supplement Putnam Management’s internal research efforts. However, the Trustees noted that a portion of available soft dollars continues to be used to pay fund expenses. The Trustees indicated their continued intent to monitor regulatory and industry developments in this area with the assistance of their Brokerage Committee and also indicated their continued intent to monitor the allocation of the Putnam funds’ brokerage in order to ensure that the principle of seeking best price and execution remains paramount in the portfolio trading process.

Putnam Management may also receive benefits from payments that the funds make to Putnam Management’s affiliates for investor or distribution services. In conjunction with the annual review of your fund’s management, sub-management and sub-advisory contracts, the Trustees reviewed your fund’s investor servicing agreement with Putnam Investor Services, Inc. (“PSERV”) and its distributor’s contracts and distribution plans with Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership (“PRM”), both of which are affiliates of Putnam Management. The Trustees concluded that the fees payable by the funds to PSERV and PRM, as applicable, for such services are reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of such services, the fees paid by competitive funds, and the costs incurred by PSERV and PRM, as applicable, in providing such services.

22 Global Utilities Fund

Financial statements

A note about your fund’s auditors

Between July 18, 2013 and December 16, 2013, which included a portion of your fund’s fiscal year, a non-U.S. member firm in
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP’s (“PwC”) global network of firms had an investment in certain non-U.S. funds that became affiliated with Putnam Investments as a result of the acquisition of the funds’ advisor by Putnam’s parent company, Great-West Lifeco Inc. The investment consisted of pension plan assets for the benefit of the member firm’s personnel. This investment is inconsistent with the SEC’s independence rules applicable to auditors. Although upon the disposition of the investment by the member firm on December 16, 2013, PwC and its affiliates took all necessary steps to eliminate this issue, the requirements of the SEC’s independence rules were not met for your fund’s fiscal year because the SEC’s rules require an audit firm to be independent for the entire fiscal year under audit. Based on its knowledge of the facts and its experience with PwC, the Audit and Compliance Committee of your fund’s Board of Trustees concluded that the investment by the PwC member firm would not affect PwC’s ability to render an objective audit opinion to your fund. Based on this conclusion and consideration of the potential risks that the disruption of a change of auditor could present, the Audit and Compliance Committee determined that PwC should continue to act as auditor for your fund.

These sections of the report, as well as the accompanying Notes, preceded by the Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, 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 year.

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.

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.

Global Utilities Fund 23

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Trustees and Shareholders of
Putnam Global Utilities Fund:

In our opinion, the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities, including the portfolio, and the related statements of operations and of changes in net assets and the financial highlights present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Putnam Global Utilities Fund (the “fund”) at August 31, 2014, and the results of its operations, the changes in its net assets and the financial highlights for each of the periods indicated, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These financial statements and financial highlights (hereafter referred to as “financial statements”) are the responsibility of the fund’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these financial statements in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits, which included confirmation of investments owned at August 31, 2014 by correspondence with the custodian, brokers, and transfer agent, provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
October 10, 2014

24 Global Utilities Fund

The fund’s portfolio 8/31/14

COMMON STOCKS (98.4%)*	Shares	Value
Air freight and logistics (1.8%)
Deutsche Post AG (Germany)	123,805	$4,048,132
		4,048,132
Diversified telecommunication services (3.7%)
BT Group PLC ADR (United Kingdom)	41,700	2,695,905
Com Hem Holding AB (Sweden) †	388,196	2,874,292
Iliad SA (France)	7,620	1,674,056
Ziggo NV (Netherlands)	24,156	1,148,980
		8,393,233
Electric utilities (31.7%)
American Electric Power Co., Inc.	170,450	9,153,165
Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc. (Japan) †	320,900	3,705,717
Duke Energy Corp.	123,100	9,108,169
Edison International	223,835	13,237,602
Entergy Corp.	11,607	898,498
Exelon Corp.	318,200	10,634,244
Iberdrola SA (Spain)	838,662	6,154,446
NextEra Energy, Inc.	113,800	11,203,610
Northeast Utilities	25,705	1,179,602
OGE Energy Corp.	31,200	1,170,624
PPL Corp.	26,184	906,752
SSE PLC (United Kingdom)	143,264	3,610,408
		70,962,837
Gas utilities (5.9%)
China Resources Gas Group, Ltd. (China)	422,000	1,227,876
Snam SpA (Italy)	391,841	2,278,768
Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. (Japan)	1,702,000	9,666,123
		13,172,767
Independent power and renewable electricity producers (12.9%)
AES Corp.	126,348	1,917,963
Calpine Corp. †	602,584	14,323,422
Electric Power Development Co., Ltd. (Japan)	24,700	809,525
NextEra Energy Partners LP †	7,000	245,770
NRG Energy, Inc.	376,300	11,582,514
		28,879,194
Media (3.0%)
Comcast Corp. Class A	67,100	3,672,383
Numericable Group SA (France) † ^S	52,157	3,087,353
		6,759,736
Multi-utilities (29.5%)
Ameren Corp.	74,959	2,997,610
Centrica PLC (United Kingdom)	392,260	2,079,967
Dominion Resources, Inc.	49,100	3,447,802
GDF Suez (France)	146,950	3,619,377
National Grid PLC (United Kingdom)	837,073	12,493,108
National Grid PLC ADR (United Kingdom) ^S	94,600	7,070,404
PG&E Corp.	267,356	12,426,707
Public Service Enterprise Group, Inc.	59,300	2,217,227
Sempra Energy	96,743	10,251,856

Global Utilities Fund 25

COMMON STOCKS (98.4%)* cont.	Shares	Value
Multi-utilities cont.
Veolia Environnement SA (France)	447,650	$8,219,951
Wisconsin Energy Corp.	27,256	1,235,514
		66,059,523
Oil, gas, and consumable fuels (3.2%)
Origin Energy, Ltd. (Australia)	490,431	7,113,332
		7,113,332
Water utilities (6.0%)
American Water Works Co., Inc.	176,468	8,931,045
Severn Trent PLC (United Kingdom)	93,961	3,033,994
United Utilities Group PLC (United Kingdom)	104,669	1,523,930
		13,488,969
Wireless telecommunication services (0.7%)
Vodafone Group PLC (United Kingdom)	450,732	1,547,077
		1,547,077
Total common stocks (cost $176,519,674)		$220,424,800

SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS (4.3%)*	Principal amount/shares	Value
Putnam Cash Collateral Pool, LLC 0.18% ^d	Shares 5,580,729	$5,580,729
Putnam Short Term Investment Fund 0.04% ^L	Shares 3,621,658	3,621,658
SSgA Prime Money Market Fund 0.03% ^P	Shares 110,000	110,000
U.S. Treasury Bills with an effective yield of 0.06%, December 26, 2014	$10,000	9,999
U.S. Treasury Bills with an effective yield of 0.05%, December 18, 2014 Δ	110,000	109,994
U.S. Treasury Bills with an effective yield of 0.05%, November 20, 2014 Δ	281,000	280,992
Total short-term investments (cost $9,713,339)		$9,713,372

	TOTAL INVESTMENTS
	Total investments (cost $186,233,013)	$230,138,172

	Key to holding’s abbreviations
	ADR	American Depository Receipts: represents ownership of foreign securities on deposit with a custodian bank

	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 September 1, 2013 through August 31, 2014 (the reporting period). Within the following notes to the portfolio, references to “ASC 820” represent Accounting Standards Codification 820 Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures and references to “OTC”, if any, represent over-the-counter.
*	Percentages indicated are based on net assets of $223,973,625.
†	Non-income-producing security.
Δ	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.
^d	Affiliated company. See Note 1 to the financial statements regarding securities lending. The rate quoted in the security description is the annualized 7-day yield of the fund at the close of the reporting period.
^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.
	Debt obligations are considered secured unless otherwise indicated.
	The date shown on debt obligations are the original maturity dates.

26 Global Utilities Fund

^P	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 (Note 1).
^S	Security on loan, in part or in entirety, at the close of the reporting period (Note 1).
	At the close of the reporting period, the fund maintained liquid assets totaling $733,137 to cover certain derivatives 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 States	60.0%
United Kingdom	15.2
France	7.4
Japan	6.3
Australia	3.2
Spain	2.7
Germany	1.8
Sweden	1.3
Italy	1.0
China	0.6
Netherlands	0.5
Total	100.0%

⌂ Methodology differs from that used for purposes of complying with the fund’s policy regarding investments in securities of foreign issuers, as discussed further in the fund’s prospectus.

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 8/31/14 (aggregate face value $77,194,726)
Counterparty	Currency	Contract type	Delivery date	Value	Aggregate face value	Unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation)
Bank of America N.A.
	British Pound	Sell	9/17/14	$2,606,815	$2,630,035	$23,220
	Euro	Buy	9/17/14	3,326,393	3,440,927	(114,534)
Barclays Bank PLC
	British Pound	Sell	9/17/14	5,249,485	5,294,635	45,150
	Canadian Dollar	Buy	10/15/14	57,609	58,701	(1,092)
	Euro	Buy	9/17/14	4,398,397	4,559,238	(160,841)
	Hong Kong Dollar	Buy	11/19/14	10,114,433	10,115,420	(987)
	Japanese Yen	Buy	11/19/14	717,204	726,339	(9,135)
	Swedish Krona	Sell	9/17/14	571,325	587,250	15,925
Citibank, N.A.
	British Pound	Sell	9/17/14	4,265,787	4,299,041	33,254
	Euro	Sell	9/17/14	2,648,210	2,745,211	97,001
Credit Suisse International
	Euro	Buy	9/17/14	5,637,680	5,842,359	(204,679)
	Japanese Yen	Sell	11/19/14	732,033	741,364	9,331
	New Zealand Dollar	Buy	10/15/14	392,359	409,741	(17,382)
Deutsche Bank AG
	Australian Dollar	Sell	10/15/14	1,637,325	1,655,809	18,484
	British Pound	Sell	9/17/14	587,961	606,436	18,475
	Euro	Buy	9/17/14	2,588,815	2,683,670	(94,855)
Goldman Sachs International
	Japanese Yen	Sell	11/19/14	581,846	589,314	7,468
HSBC Bank USA, National Association
	Australian Dollar	Sell	10/15/14	1,052,440	1,064,321	11,881
	Euro	Buy	9/17/14	2,525,741	2,612,019	(86,278)

Global Utilities Fund 27

FORWARD CURRENCY CONTRACTS at 8/31/14 (aggregate face value $77,194,726) cont.
Counterparty	Currency	Contract type	Delivery date	Value	Aggregate face value	Unrealized appreciation/ (depreciation)
JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.
	British Pound	Buy	9/17/14	$6,611,987	$6,668,225	$(56,238)
	Canadian Dollar	Buy	10/15/14	3,551,520	3,618,645	(67,125)
	Euro	Sell	9/17/14	461,626	460,754	(872)
	Swedish Krona	Sell	9/17/14	2,458,887	2,576,907	118,020
State Street Bank and Trust Co.
	Euro	Buy	9/17/14	4,601,024	4,766,876	(165,852)
UBS AG
	Australian Dollar	Sell	10/15/14	628,279	635,308	7,029
	British Pound	Sell	9/17/14	3,697,414	3,728,137	30,723
	Euro	Buy	9/17/14	998,286	1,034,951	(36,665)
WestPac Banking Corp.
	British Pound	Buy	9/17/14	1,427,905	1,440,160	(12,255)
	Euro	Buy	9/17/14	1,544,932	1,602,933	(58,001)
Total						$(650,830)

	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	$6,759,736	$—	$—
Energy	7,113,332	—	—
Industrials	4,048,132	—	—
Telecommunication services	9,940,310	—	—
Utilities	192,563,290	—	—
Total common stocks	220,424,800	—	—
Short-term investments	3,731,658	5,981,714	—
Totals by level	$224,156,458	$5,981,714	$—

		Valuation inputs
	Other financial instruments:	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3
	Forward currency contracts	$—	$(650,830)	$—
	Totals by level	$—	$(650,830)	$—
* 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.

28 Global Utilities Fund

	Statement of assets and liabilities 8/31/14
	ASSETS
	Investment in securities, at value, including $5,403,788 of securities on loan (Note 1):
	Unaffiliated issuers (identified cost $177,030,626)	$220,935,785
	Affiliated issuers (identified cost $9,202,387) (Notes 1 and 5)	9,202,387
	Dividends, interest and other receivables	875,016
	Receivable for shares of the fund sold	33,790
	Unrealized appreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)	435,961
	Prepaid assets	29,884
	Total assets	231,512,823
	LIABILITIES
	Payable for shares of the fund repurchased	168,818
	Payable for compensation of Manager (Note 2)	115,209
	Payable for custodian fees (Note 2)	4,062
	Payable for investor servicing fees (Note 2)	62,612
	Payable for Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)	190,442
	Payable for administrative services (Note 2)	768
	Payable for distribution fees (Note 2)	97,742
	Collateral on securities loaned, at value (Note 1)	5,580,729
	Unrealized depreciation on forward currency contracts (Note 1)	1,086,791
	Collateral on certain derivative contracts, at value (Note 1)	110,000
	Other accrued expenses	122,025
	Total liabilities	7,539,198
	Net assets	$223,973,625

	REPRESENTED BY
	Paid-in capital (Unlimited shares authorized) (Notes 1 and 4)	$191,653,462
	Undistributed net investment income (Note 1)	1,253,500
	Accumulated net realized loss on investments and foreign currency transactions (Note 1)	(12,184,080)
	Net unrealized appreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies	43,250,743
	Total — Representing net assets applicable to capital shares outstanding	$223,973,625
	(Continued on next page)

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

Global Utilities Fund 29

	Statement of assets and liabilities (Continued)
	COMPUTATION OF NET ASSET VALUE AND OFFERING PRICE
	Net asset value and redemption price per class A share ($206,305,008 divided by 16,176,057 shares)	$12.75
	Offering price per class A share (100/94.25 of $12.75)*	$13.53
	Net asset value and offering price per class B share ($5,504,897 divided by 433,474 shares)**	$12.70
	Net asset value and offering price per class C share ($4,851,092 divided by 383,576 shares)**	$12.65
	Net asset value and redemption price per class M share ($1,319,093 divided by 103,576 shares)	$12.74
	Offering price per class M share (100/96.50 of $12.74)*	$13.20
	Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class R share ($1,429,646 divided by 112,493 shares)	$12.71
	Net asset value, offering price and redemption price per class Y share ($4,563,889 divided by 357,834 shares)	$12.75
*	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.

30 Global Utilities Fund

	Statement of operations Year ended 8/31/14
	INVESTMENT INCOME
	Dividends (net of foreign tax of $165,780)	$8,487,306
	Interest (including interest income of $3,845 from investments in affiliated issuers) (Note 5)	4,672
	Securities lending (Note 1)	66,804
	Total investment income	8,558,782
	EXPENSES
	Compensation of Manager (Note 2)	1,333,880
	Investor servicing fees (Note 2)	460,123
	Custodian fees (Note 2)	17,253
	Trustee compensation and expenses (Note 2)	14,302
	Distribution fees (Note 2)	607,079
	Administrative services (Note 2)	5,367
	Other	236,528
	Total expenses	2,674,532
	Expense reduction (Note 2)	(21,987)
	Net expenses	2,652,545
	Net investment income	5,906,237

	Net realized gain on investments (Notes 1 and 3)	5,819,912
	Net realized loss on foreign currency transactions (Note 1)	(613,902)
	Net unrealized depreciation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies during the year	(616,682)
	Net unrealized appreciation of investments during the year	23,769,057
	Net gain on investments	28,358,385
	Net increase in net assets resulting from operations	$34,264,622

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

Global Utilities Fund 31

Statement of changes in net assets
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN NET ASSETS	Year ended 8/31/14	Year ended 8/31/13
Operations:
Net investment income	$5,906,237	$4,833,110
Net realized gain on investments and foreign currency transactions	5,206,010	4,954,336
Net unrealized appreciation of investments and assets and liabilities in foreign currencies	23,152,375	9,673,582
Net increase in net assets resulting from operations	34,264,622	19,461,028
Distributions to shareholders (Note 1):
From ordinary income
Net investment income
Class A	(4,185,614)	(4,831,193)
Class B	(75,076)	(100,031)
Class C	(58,006)	(62,363)
Class M	(21,229)	(25,163)
Class R	(26,000)	(29,074)
Class Y	(101,408)	(83,511)
Redemption fees (Note 1)	—	753
Decrease from capital share transactions (Note 4)	(9,633,516)	(22,580,932)
Total increase (decrease) in net assets	20,163,773	(8,250,486)
NET ASSETS
Beginning of year	203,809,852	212,060,338
End of year (including undistributed net investment income of $1,253,500 and $428,498, respectively)	$223,973,625	$203,809,852

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

32 Global Utilities Fund

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Global Utilities Fund 33

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

INVESTMENT OPERATIONS:					LESS DISTRIBUTIONS:						RATIOS AND SUPPLEMENTAL DATA:
Period ended	Net asset value, beginning of period	Net investment income (loss)^a	Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments	Total from investment operations	From net investment income	Total distributions	Redemption fees	Non-recurring reimbursements	Net asset value, end of period	Total return at net asset value (%)^b	Net assets, end of period (in thousands)	Ratio of expenses to average net assets (%)^c	Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets (%)	Portfolio turnover (%)
Class A
August 31, 2014	$11.08	.33	1.59	1.92	(.25)	(.25)	—	—	$12.75	17.56	$206,305	1.21	2.79	27
August 31, 2013	10.35	.25	.75	1.00	(.27)	(.27)	—^d	—	11.08	9.76	188,648	1.25 ��	2.33	36
August 31, 2012	10.30	.29	.08	.37	(.32)	(.32)	—^d	—	10.35	3.73	197,503	1.32	2.89	44
August 31, 2011	10.63	.36	(.36)	—^d	(.34)	(.34)	—^d	.01^e	10.30	(.04)	219,844	1.28	3.27	42
August 31, 2010	11.04	.28	(.29)	(.01)	(.40)	(.40)	—^d	—	10.63	(.15)	265,549	1.36^f	2.63^f	44
Class B
August 31, 2014	$11.04	.24	1.58	1.82	(.16)	(.16)	—	—	$12.70	16.65	$5,505	1.96	2.04	27
August 31, 2013	10.31	.17	.75	.92	(.19)	(.19)	—^d	—	11.04	8.98	5,291	2.00	1.58	36
August 31, 2012	10.26	.22	.08	.30	(.25)	(.25)	—^d	—	10.31	2.97	5,753	2.07	2.14	44
August 31, 2011	10.58	.27	(.35)	(.08)	(.25)	(.25)	—^d	.01^e	10.26	(.75)	5,889	2.03	2.50	42
August 31, 2010	10.99	.19	(.29)	(.10)	(.31)	(.31)	—^d	—	10.58	(.96)	8,496	2.11^f	1.81^f	44
Class C
August 31, 2014	$10.99	.24	1.59	1.83	(.17)	(.17)	—	—	$12.65	16.76	$4,851	1.96	2.04	27
August 31, 2013	10.27	.17	.74	.91	(.19)	(.19)	—^d	—	10.99	8.93	3,743	2.00	1.59	36
August 31, 2012	10.23	.22	.07	.29	(.25)	(.25)	—^d	—	10.27	2.89	3,452	2.07	2.14	44
August 31, 2011	10.55	.28	(.35)	(.07)	(.26)	(.26)	—^d	.01^e	10.23	(.70)	3,698	2.03	2.54	42
August 31, 2010	10.96	.20	(.29)	(.09)	(.32)	(.32)	—^d	—	10.55	(.90)	3,638	2.11^f	1.85^f	44
Class M
August 31, 2014	$11.07	.27	1.60	1.87	(.20)	(.20)	—	—	$12.74	17.00	$1,319	1.71	2.30	27
August 31, 2013	10.34	.20	.74	.94	(.21)	(.21)	—^d	—	11.07	9.21	1,259	1.75	1.83	36
August 31, 2012	10.29	.24	.08	.32	(.27)	(.27)	—^d	—	10.34	3.20	1,284	1.82	2.38	44 ��
August 31, 2011	10.61	.30	(.35)	(.05)	(.28)	(.28)	—^d	.01^e	10.29	(.45)	1,440	1.78	2.78	42
August 31, 2010	11.02	.23	(.30)	(.07)	(.34)	(.34)	—^d	—	10.61	(.66)	1,642	1.86^f	2.12^f	44
Class R
August 31, 2014	$11.04	.30	1.59	1.89	(.22)	(.22)	—	—	$12.71	17.33	$1,430	1.46	2.52	27
August 31, 2013	10.32	.23	.73	.96	(.24)	(.24)	—^d	—	11.04	9.43	1,349	1.50	2.09	36
August 31, 2012	10.27	.27	.08	.35	(.30)	(.30)	—^d	—	10.32	3.48	1,269	1.57	2.63	44
August 31, 2011	10.60	.33	(.36)	(.03)	(.31)	(.31)	—^d	.01^e	10.27	(.28)	1,205	1.53	3.05	42
August 31, 2010	11.01	.25	(.29)	(.04)	(.37)	(.37)	—^d	—	10.60	(.40)	1,095	1.61^f	2.37^f	44
Class Y
August 31, 2014	$11.08	.37	1.58	1.95	(.28)	(.28)	—	—	$12.75	17.84	$4,564	.96	3.10	27
August 31, 2013	10.36	.29	.73	1.02	(.30)	(.30)	—^d	—	11.08	9.94	3,520	1.00	2.61	36
August 31, 2012	10.30	.32	.09	.41	(.35)	(.35)	—^d	—	10.36	4.08	2,799	1.07	3.13	44
August 31, 2011	10.63	.39	(.36)	.03	(.37)	(.37)	—^d	.01^e	10.30	.22	3,082	1.03	3.53	42
August 31, 2010	11.04	.31	(.29)	.02	(.43)	(.43)	—^d	—	10.63	.10	3,155	1.11^f	2.84^f	44

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

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

Global Utilities Fund

Financial highlights (Continued)

^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 brokerage/service arrangements, if any (Note 2). Also excludes acquired fund fees and expenses, if any.

^d Amount represents less than $0.01 per share.

^e Reflects a non-recurring reimbursement related to restitution amounts in connection with a distribution plan approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) which amounted to $0.01 per share outstanding on July 21, 2011. Also reflects a non-recurring reimbursement related to short-term trading related lawsuits, which amounted to less than $0.01 per share outstanding on May 11, 2011.

^f Reflects an involuntary contractual expense limitation in effect during the period. As a result of such limitation, the expenses of each class reflect a reduction of the following amount:

	Percentage of average net assets
August 31, 2010	0.02%

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

36 Global Utilities Fund

Notes to financial statements 8/31/14

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 September 1, 2013 through August 31, 2014.

Putnam Global Utilities Fund (the fund) is a Massachusetts business trust, which is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, as a non-diversified open-end management investment company. The goal of the fund is to seek capital growth and current income by concentrating in the utilities industries. The fund invests mainly in common stocks (growth or value stocks or both) of large and midsize companies worldwide that Putnam Management believes have favorable investment potential. Potential investments include electric, gas or water utilities and companies that operate as independent producers and/or distributors of power. The fund may purchase stocks of companies with stock prices that reflect a lower value than that which Putnam Management places on the company.

The fund offers class A, class B, class C, class M, class R and class Y shares. Class A and class M shares are sold with a maximum front-end sales charge of 5.75% and 3.50%, respectively, and generally do not pay a contingent deferred sales charge. Class B shares, which convert to class A shares after approximately eight years, do not pay 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 have a one-year 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge and do not convert to class A shares. 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, class M and class R shares may differ based on the distribution fee of each class, which is identified in Note 2. Class Y shares, which are sold at net asset value, are generally subject to the same expenses as class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, but do not bear a distribution fee. 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.

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.

A short-term trading fee of 1.00% may have applied to redemptions (including exchanges into another fund) of shares purchased before January 2, 2013 and held for 90 days or less. The short-term trading fee was accounted for as an addition to paid-in-capital. No short-term trading fee applies to shares purchased on or after January 2, 2013.

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 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.

Global Utilities Fund 37

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 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. Short-term securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value and are classified as Level 2 securities.

Many securities markets and exchanges outside the U.S. close prior to the 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 close of the New York Stock Exchange. Accordingly, on certain days, the fund will fair value 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. These 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 and recovery rates. These securities are classified as Level 2 or as Level 3 depending on the priority of the significant inputs.

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.

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, 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. All premiums/discounts are amortized/accreted on a yield-to-maturity basis.

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 closed forward currency contracts, 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

38 Global Utilities Fund

currencies arise from changes in the value of open forward currency contracts and 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 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 $789,640 on open derivative contracts subject to the Master Agreements. Collateral posted by the fund at period end for these agreements totaled $360,964 and may include amounts related to unsettled agreements.

Securities lending 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 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. Income from securities lending is included in investment income on the Statement of operations. Cash collateral 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. At the close of the reporting period, the fund received cash collateral of $5,580,729 and the value of securities loaned amounted to $5,403,788.

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 $392.5 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

Global Utilities Fund 39

and trade settlements. Interest is charged to the fund based on the fund’s borrowing at a rate equal to the Federal Funds rate plus 1.25% for the committed line of credit and the Federal Funds rate plus 1.30% 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 0.11% 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. It is also the intention of the fund to distribute an amount sufficient to avoid imposition of any excise tax under Section 4982 of the Code.

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.

At August 31, 2014, the fund had a capital loss carryover of $12,184,080 available to the extent allowed by the Code to offset future net capital gain, if any. The amounts of the carryovers and the expiration dates are:

Loss carryover
Short-term	Long-term	Total	Expiration
$12,184,080	N/A	$12,184,080	August 31, 2017

Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, the fund will be permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an unlimited period. However, any losses incurred will be required to be utilized prior to the losses incurred in pre-enactment tax years. As a result of this ordering rule, pre-enactment capital loss carryforwards may be more likely to expire unused. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

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. These differences include temporary and/or permanent differences from foreign currency gains and losses. 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. At the close of the reporting period, the fund reclassified $613,902 to decrease undistributed net investment income and $613,902 to decrease accumulated net realized loss.

The tax basis components of distributable earnings and the federal tax cost as of the close of the reporting period were as follows:

Unrealized appreciation	$51,104,036
Unrealized depreciation	(7,198,877)
Net unrealized appreciation	43,905,159
Undistributed ordinary income	603,658
Capital loss carryforward	(12,184,080)
Cost for federal income tax purposes	$186,233,013

40 Global Utilities Fund

Note 2: Management fee, administrative services and other transactions

The fund pays Putnam Management a management 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 most open-end funds, as defined in the fund’s management contract, sponsored by Putnam Management. Such annual rates may vary as follows:

0.780%	of the first $5 billion,
0.730%	of the next $5 billion,
0.680%	of the next $10 billion,
0.630%	of the next $10 billion,
0.580%	of the next $50 billion,
0.560%	of the next $50 billion,
0.550%	of the next $100 billion and
0.545%	of any excess thereafter.

The fund’s shareholders approved the fund’s current management contract with Putnam Management effective February 27, 2014. Shareholders were asked to approve the fund’s management contract following the death on October 8, 2013 of The Honourable Paul G. Desmarais, who had controlled directly and indirectly a majority of the voting shares of Power Corporation of Canada, the ultimate parent company of Putnam Management. The substantive terms of the management contract, including terms relating to fees, are identical to the terms of the fund’s previous management contract and reflect the rates provided in the table above.

Putnam Management has contractually agreed, through June 30, 2015, to waive fees 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 not reduced 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. Putnam Management pays 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. Putnam Management or PIL, as applicable, pays 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.

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 based on the fund’s retail asset level, the number of shareholder accounts in the fund and the level of defined contribution plan assets in the fund. Investor servicing fees will not exceed an annual rate of 0.32% of the fund’s average net assets. During the reporting period, the expenses for each class of shares related to investor servicing fees were as follows:

Class A	$424,425
Class B	11,682
Class C	9,005
Class M	2,782
Class R	2,996
Class Y	9,233
Total	$460,123

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. The fund also reduced expenses through brokerage/service arrangements. For the reporting period, the fund’s expenses were reduced by $464 under the expense offset arrangements and by $21,523 under the brokerage/service arrangements.

Global Utilities Fund 41

Each Independent Trustee of the fund receives an annual Trustee fee, of which $135, 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 its class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares 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 for payments by the fund to Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership at an annual rate of up to 0.35%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 1.00% and 1.00% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. The Trustees have approved payment by the fund at an annual rate of 0.25%, 1.00%, 1.00%, 0.75% and 0.50% of the average net assets attributable to class A, class B, class C, class M and class R shares, respectively. During the reporting period, the class specific expenses related to distribution fees were as follows:

Class A	$494,014
Class B	54,322
Class C	42,065
Class M	9,708
Class R	6,970
Total	$607,079

For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received net commissions of $19,644 and $72 from the sale of class A and class M shares, respectively, and received $4,694 and $4 in contingent deferred sales charges from redemptions of class B and class C shares, respectively.

A deferred sales charge of up to 1.00% and 0.65% is assessed on certain redemptions of class A and class M shares, respectively. For the reporting period, Putnam Retail Management Limited Partnership, acting as underwriter, received $36 and no monies on class A and class M redemptions, respectively.

Note 3: Purchases and sales of securities

During the reporting period, cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of investment securities other than short-term investments aggregated $56,993,211 and $62,644,300, respectively. There were no purchases or proceeds from sales of long-term U.S. government securities.

Note 4: Capital shares

At the close of the reporting period, there was an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest authorized. Transactions in capital shares were as follows:

	Year ended 8/31/14		Year ended 8/31/13
Class A	Shares	Amount	Shares	Amount
Shares sold	1,084,854	$13,206,509	835,916	$9,185,281
Shares issued in connection with reinvestment of distributions	322,980	3,826,552	408,102	4,362,679
	1,407,834	17,033,061	1,244,018	13,547,960
Shares repurchased	(2,253,814)	(26,870,726)	(3,296,224)	(35,730,958)
Net decrease	(845,980)	$(9,837,665)	(2,052,206)	$(22,182,998)

42 Global Utilities Fund

	Year ended 8/31/14		Year ended 8/31/13
Class B	Shares	Amount	Shares	Amount
Shares sold	64,279	$770,515	65,741	$701,034
Shares issued in connection with reinvestment of distributions	6,059	71,285	8,809	93,799
	70,338	841,800	74,550	794,833
Shares repurchased	(116,277)	(1,385,424)	(152,996)	(1,650,930)
Net decrease	(45,939)	$(543,624)	(78,446)	$(856,097)

	Year ended 8/31/14		Year ended 8/31/13
Class C	Shares	Amount	Shares	Amount
Shares sold	84,552	$1,023,608	66,815	$729,526
Shares issued in connection with reinvestment of distributions	4,520	53,123	5,342	56,759
	89,072	1,076,731	72,157	786,285
Shares repurchased	(45,990)	(544,704)	(67,619)	(723,099)
Net increase	43,082	$532,027	4,538	$63,186

	Year ended 8/31/14		Year ended 8/31/13
Class M	Shares	Amount	Shares	Amount
Shares sold	2,663	$32,324	3,894	$43,575
Shares issued in connection with reinvestment of distributions	1,724	20,357	2,241	23,948
	4,387	52,681	6,135	67,523
Shares repurchased	(14,522)	(173,725)	(16,655)	(183,094)
Net decrease	(10,135)	$(121,044)	(10,520)	$(115,571)

	Year ended 8/31/14		Year ended 8/31/13
Class R	Shares	Amount	Shares	Amount
Shares sold	28,850	$348,793	30,416	$328,385
Shares issued in connection with reinvestment of distributions	1,995	23,595	2,346	24,984
	30,845	372,388	32,762	353,369
Shares repurchased	(40,492)	(483,120)	(33,624)	(361,588)
Net decrease	(9,647)	$(110,732)	(862)	$(8,219)

	Year ended 8/31/14		Year ended 8/31/13
Class Y	Shares	Amount	Shares	Amount
Shares sold	191,121	$2,318,151	122,187	$1,318,424
Shares issued in connection with reinvestment of distributions	6,943	83,079	6,603	70,554
	198,064	2,401,230	128,790	1,388,978
Shares repurchased	(157,883)	(1,953,708)	(81,396)	(870,211)
Net increase	40,181	$447,522	47,394	$518,767

Global Utilities Fund 43

Note 5: Affiliated transactions

Transactions during the reporting period with Putnam Short Term Investment Fund, which is under common ownership and control, 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 Short Term Investment Fund*	$6,599,293	$33,669,267	$36,646,902	$3,845	$3,621,658
Totals	$6,599,293	$33,669,267	$36,646,902	$3,845	$3,621,658

* Management fees charged to Putnam Short Term Investment Fund have been waived by Putnam Management.

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. The fund concentrates a majority of its investments in the utilities sector, which involves more risk than a fund that invests more broadly.

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 as follows based on an average of the holdings at the end of each fiscal quarter:

Forward currency contracts (contract amount)

$87,400,000

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 hedging instruments under ASC 815	Statement of assets and liabilities location	Fair value	Statement of assets and liabilities location	Fair value
Foreign exchange contracts	Receivables	$435,961	Payables	$1,086,791
Total		$435,961		$1,086,791

The following is a summary of realized and change in unrealized gains or losses of derivative instruments on the Statement of operations for the reporting period (see Note 1):

Amount of realized gain or (loss) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not accounted for as hedging instruments under ASC 815	Forward currency contracts	Total
Foreign exchange contracts	$(613,641)	$(613,641)
Total	$(613,641)	$(613,641)

Change in unrealized appreciation or (depreciation) on derivatives recognized in net gain or (loss) on investments

Derivatives not accounted for as hedging instruments under ASC 815	Forward currency contracts	Total
Foreign exchange contracts	$(608,673)	$(608,673)
Total	$(608,673)	$(608,673)

44 Global Utilities Fund

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Global Utilities Fund 45

Note 8: 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.	Credit Suisse International	Deutsche Bank AG	Goldman Sachs International	HSBC Bank USA, National Association	JPMorgan Chase Bank N.A.	State Street Bank and Trust Co.	UBS AG	WestPac Banking Corp.	Total
Assets:
Forward currency contracts#	$23,220	$61,075	$130,255	$9,331	$36,959	$7,468	$11,881	$118,020	$—	$37,752	$—	$435,961
Total Assets	$23,220	$61,075	$130,255	$9,331	$36,959	$7,468	$11,881	$118,020	$—	$37,752	$—	$435,961
Liabilities:
Forward currency contracts#	114,534	172,055	—	222,061	94,855	—	86,278	124,235	165,852	36,665	70,256	1,086,791
Total Liabilities	$114,534	$172,055	$—	$222,061	$94,855	$—	$86,278	$124,235	$165,852	$36,665	$70,256	$1,086,791
Total Financial and Derivative Net Assets	$(91,314)	$(110,980)	$130,255	$(212,730)	$(57,896)	$7,468	$(74,397)	$(6,215)	$(165,852)	$1,087	$(70,256)	$(650,830)
Total collateral received (pledged)†##	$(91,314)	$(110,980)	$110,000	$(109,989)	$—	$—	$—	$—	$—	$—	$—
Net amount	$—	$—	$20,255	$(102,741)	$(57,896)	$7,468	$(74,397)	$(6,215)	$(165,852)	$1,087	$(70,256)

†	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.

Global Utilities Fund

Federal tax information (Unaudited)

The fund designated 78.8% of ordinary income distributions as qualifying for the dividends received deduction for corporations.

For the reporting period, the fund hereby designates 100%, or the maximum amount allowable, of its taxable ordinary income distributions as qualified dividends taxed at the individual net capital gain rates.

For the reporting period, pursuant to §871(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, the fund hereby designates $2,799 of distributions paid as qualifying to be taxed as interest-related dividends, and no monies to be taxed as short-term capital gain dividends for nonresident alien shareholders.

The Form 1099 that will be mailed to you in January 2015 will show the tax status of all distributions paid to your account in calendar 2014.

48 Global Utilities Fund

Shareholder meeting results (Unaudited)

February 27, 2014 special meeting

At the meeting, each of the nominees for Trustees was elected, as follows:

	Votes for	Votes withheld
Liaquat Ahamed	12,637,890	579,155
Ravi Akhoury	12,659,729	557,316
Barbara M. Baumann	12,743,329	473,716
Jameson A. Baxter	12,734,147	482,897
Charles B. Curtis	12,730,121	486,923
Robert J. Darretta	12,728,545	488,500
Katinka Domotorffy	12,683,207	533,837
John A. Hill	12,729,124	487,920
Paul L. Joskow	12,733,457	483,587
Kenneth R. Leibler	12,733,033	484,012
Robert E. Patterson	12,730,409	486,635
George Putnam, III	12,691,984	525,060
Robert L. Reynolds	12,728,766	488,279
W. Thomas Stephens	12,702,858	514,186

A proposal to approve a new management contract between the fund and Putnam Management was approved as follows:

Votes for	Votes against	Abstentions	Broker non-votes
10,331,488	394,919	830,812	1,659,825

A proposal to adopt an Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust was approved as follows:

Votes for	Votes against	Abstentions	Broker non-votes
10,211,195	402,150	943,875	1,659,824

All tabulations are rounded to the nearest whole number.

Global Utilities Fund 49

About the Trustees

Independent Trustees

Liaquat Ahamed

Born 1952, Trustee since 2012

Principal occupations during past five years: Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World, whose articles on economics have appeared in such publications as the New York Times, Foreign Affairs, and the Financial Times. Director of Aspen Insurance Co., a New York Stock Exchange company, and Chair of the Aspen Board’s Investment Committee. Trustee of the Brookings Institution and Chair of its Investment Committee.

Other directorships: The Rohatyn Group, an emerging-market fund complex that manages money for institutions

Ravi Akhoury

Born 1947, Trustee since 2009

Principal occupations during past five years: Trustee of American India Foundation and of the Rubin Museum. From 1992 to 2007, was Chairman and CEO of MacKay Shields, a multi-product investment management firm.

Other directorships: RAGE Frameworks, Inc., a private software company; English Helper, Inc., a private software company

Barbara M. Baumann

Born 1955, Trustee since 2010

Principal occupations during past five years: President and Owner of Cross Creek Energy Corporation, a strategic consultant to domestic energy firms and direct investor in energy projects. Current Board member of The Denver Foundation. Former Chair and current Board member of Girls Incorporated of Metro Denver. Member of the Finance Committee, the Children’s Hospital of Colorado.

Other directorships: Buckeye Partners, L.P., a publicly traded master limited partnership focused on pipeline transport, storage, and distribution of petroleum products; Devon Energy Corporation, a leading independent natural gas and oil exploration and production company; UNS Energy Corporation, an Arizona utility; Cody Resources Management, a private company in the energy and ranching businesses

Jameson A. Baxter

Born 1943, Trustee since 1994, Vice Chair from 2005 to 2011, and Chair since 2011

Principal occupations during past five years: President of Baxter Associates, Inc., a private investment firm. Chair of Mutual Fund Directors Forum. Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of Mount Holyoke College. Director of the Adirondack Land Trust and Trustee of the Nature Conservancy’s Adirondack Chapter.

Charles B. Curtis

Born 1940, Trustee since 2001

Principal occupations during past five years: Senior Advisor to the Center for Strategic and International Studies. President Emeritus and former President and Chief Operating Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a private foundation dealing with national security issues. Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and U.S. State Department International Security Advisory Board.

Robert J. Darretta

Born 1946, Trustee since 2007

Principal occupations during past five years: From 2009 until 2012, served as Health Care Industry Advisor to Permira, a global private equity firm. Until April 2007, was Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Johnson & Johnson. Served as Johnson & Johnson’s Chief Financial Officer for a decade.

Other directorships: UnitedHealth Group, a diversified health-care company

Katinka Domotorffy

Born 1975, Trustee since 2012

Principal occupations during past five years: Voting member of the Investment Committees of the Anne Ray Charitable Trust and Margaret A. Cargill Foundation, part of the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies. Until 2011, Partner, Chief Investment Officer, and Global Head of Quantitative Investment Strategies at Goldman Sachs Asset Management.

Other directorships: Reach Out and Read of Greater New York, an organization dedicated to promoting childhood literacy

John A. Hill

Born 1942, Trustee since 1985 and Chairman from 2000 to 2011

Principal occupations during past five years: Founder and Vice-Chairman of First Reserve Corporation, the leading private equity buyout firm focused on the worldwide energy industry. Trustee and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sarah Lawrence College. Member of the Advisory Board of the Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership at The Columbia University Law School.

Other directorships: Devon Energy Corporation, a leading independent natural gas and oil exploration and production company

50 Global Utilities Fund

Paul L. Joskow

Born 1947, Trustee since 1997

Principal occupations during past five years: Economist and President of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a philanthropic institution focused primarily on research and education on issues related to science, technology, and economic performance. Elizabeth and James Killian Professor of Economics, Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Prior to 2007, served as the Director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research at MIT.

Other directorships: Yale University; Exelon Corporation, an energy company focused on power services; Boston Symphony Orchestra; Prior to April 2013, served as Director of TransCanada Corporation and TransCanada Pipelines Ltd., energy companies focused on natural gas transmission, oil pipelines and power services

Kenneth R. Leibler

Born 1949, Trustee since 2006

Principal occupations during past five years: Founder and former Chairman of Boston Options Exchange, an electronic marketplace for the trading of derivative securities. Serves on the Board of Trustees of Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Director of Beth Israel Deaconess Care Organization. Until November 2010, director of Ruder Finn Group, a global communications and advertising firm.

Other directorships: Northeast Utilities, which operates New England’s largest energy delivery system

Robert E. Patterson

Born 1945, Trustee since 1984

Principal occupations during past five years: Co-Chairman of Cabot Properties, Inc., a private equity firm investing in commercial real estate, and Chairman of its Investment Committee. Past Chairman and Trustee of the Joslin Diabetes Center.

George Putnam, III

Born 1951, Trustee since 1984

Principal occupations during past five years: Chairman of New Generation Research, Inc., a publisher of financial advisory and other research services. Founder and President of New Generation Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor to private funds. Director of The Boston Family Office, LLC, a registered investment advisor.

W. Thomas Stephens

Born 1942, Trustee from 1997 to 2008 and since 2009

Principal occupations during past five years: Retired as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Boise Cascade, LLC, a paper, forest products, and timberland assets company, in December 2008. Prior to 2010, Director of Boise Inc., a manufacturer of paper and packaging products.

Other directorships: TransCanada Pipelines Ltd., an energy infrastructure company

Interested Trustee

Robert L. Reynolds*

Born 1952, Trustee since 2008 and President of the Putnam Funds since 2009

Principal occupations during past five years: President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments since 2008 and, since 2014, President and Chief Executive Officer of Great-West Financial, a financial services company that provides retirement savings plans, life insurance, and annuity and executive benefits products, and of Great-West Lifeco U.S. Inc., a holding company that owns Putnam Investments and Great-West Financial. Prior to joining Putnam Investments, served as Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of Fidelity Investments from 2000 to 2007.

*Mr. Reynolds is an “interested person” (as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the fund and Putnam Investments. He is President and Chief Executive Officer of Putnam Investments, as well as the President of your fund and each of the other Putnam funds.

The address of each Trustee is One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

As of August 31, 2014, there were 116 Putnam funds. All Trustees serve as Trustees of all Putnam funds.

Each Trustee serves for an indefinite term, until his or her resignation, retirement at age 75, removal, or death.

Global Utilities Fund 51

Officers

In addition to Robert L. Reynolds, the other officers of the fund are shown below:

Jonathan S. Horwitz (Born 1955)

Executive Vice President, Principal Executive Officer, and Compliance Liaison

Since 2004

Steven D. Krichmar (Born 1958)

Vice President and Principal Financial Officer

Since 2002

Chief of Operations, Putnam Investments and Putnam Management

Robert T. Burns (Born 1961)

Vice President and Chief Legal Officer

Since 2011

General Counsel, Putnam Investments, Putnam Management, and Putnam Retail Management

Robert R. Leveille (Born 1969)

Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer

Since 2007

Chief Compliance Officer, Putnam Investments, Putnam Management, and Putnam Retail Management

Michael J. Higgins (Born 1976)

Vice President, Treasurer, and Clerk

Since 2010

Manager of Finance, Dunkin’ Brands (2008–2010); Senior Financial Analyst, Old Mutual Asset Management (2007–2008); Senior Financial Analyst, Putnam Investments (1999–2007)

Janet C. Smith (Born 1965)

Vice President, Principal Accounting Officer, and Assistant Treasurer

Since 2007

Director of Fund Administration Services, Putnam Investments and Putnam Management

Susan G. Malloy (Born 1957)

Vice President and Assistant Treasurer

Since 2007

Director of Accounting & Control Services, Putnam Investments and Putnam Management

James P. Pappas (Born 1953)

Vice President

Since 2004

Director of Trustee Relations, Putnam Investments and Putnam Management

Mark C. Trenchard (Born 1962)

Vice President and BSA Compliance Officer

Since 2002

Director of Operational Compliance, Putnam Investments and Putnam Retail Management

Nancy E. Florek (Born 1957)

Vice President, Director of Proxy Voting and Corporate Governance, Assistant Clerk, and Associate Treasurer

Since 2000

The principal occupations of the officers for the past five years have been with the employers as shown above, although in some cases they have held different positions with such employers. The address of each Officer is One Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109.

52 Global Utilities Fund

Fund information

Founded over 75 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 over 100 funds across income, value, blend, growth, asset allocation, absolute return, and global sector categories.

Investment Manager

Putnam Investment
Management, LLC
One Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109

Investment Sub-Manager

Putnam Investments Limited
57–59 St James’s Street
London, England SW1A 1LD

Investment Sub-Advisor

The Putnam Advisory Company, LLC
One Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109

Marketing Services

Putnam Retail Management
One Post Office Square
Boston, MA 02109

Custodian

State Street Bank
and Trust Company

Legal Counsel

Ropes & Gray LLP

Auditor

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Trustees

Jameson A. Baxter, Chair
Liaquat Ahamed
Ravi Akhoury
Barbara M. Baumann
Charles B. Curtis
Robert J. Darretta
Katinka Domotorffy
John A. Hill
Paul L. Joskow
Kenneth R. Leibler
Robert E. Patterson
George Putnam, III
Robert L. Reynolds
W. Thomas Stephens

Officers

Robert L. Reynolds
President

Jonathan S. Horwitz
Executive Vice President,
Principal Executive Officer, and
Compliance Liaison

Steven D. Krichmar
Vice President and
Principal Financial Officer

Robert T. Burns
Vice President and
Chief Legal Officer

Robert R. Leveille
Vice President and
Chief Compliance Officer

Michael J. Higgins
Vice President, Treasurer,
and Clerk

Janet C. Smith
Vice President,
Principal Accounting Officer,
and Assistant Treasurer

Susan G. Malloy
Vice President and
Assistant Treasurer

James P. Pappas
Vice President

Mark C. Trenchard
Vice President and
BSA Compliance Officer

Nancy E. Florek
Vice President, Director of
Proxy Voting and Corporate
Governance, Assistant Clerk,
and Associate Treasurer

This report is for the information of shareholders of Putnam Global Utilities 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:

(a) The fund’s principal executive, financial and accounting officers are employees of Putnam Investment Management, LLC, the Fund’s investment manager. As such they are subject to a comprehensive Code of Ethics adopted and administered by Putnam Investments which is designed to protect the interests of the firm and its clients. The Fund has adopted a Code of Ethics which incorporates the Code of Ethics of Putnam Investments with respect to all of its officers and Trustees who are employees of Putnam Investment Management, LLC. For this reason, the Fund has not adopted a separate code of ethics governing its principal executive, financial and accounting officers.

(c) In July 2013, the Code of Ethics of Putnam Investment Management, LLC was amended. The changes to the Code of Ethics were as follows: (i) eliminating the requirement for employees to hold their shares of Putnam mutual funds for specified periods of time, (ii) removing the requirement to preclear transactions in certain kinds of exchange-traded funds and exchange-traded notes, although reporting of all such instruments remains required; (iii) eliminating the excessive trading rule related to employee transactions in securities requiring preclearance under the Code; (iv) adding provisions related to monitoring of employee trading; (v) changing from a set number of shares to a set dollar value of stock of mid- and large-cap companies on the Restricted List that can be purchased or sold; (vi) adding a requirement starting in March 2014 for employees to generally use certain approved brokers that provide Putnam with an electronic feed of transactions and statements for their personal brokerage accounts; and (vii) certain other changes.


	Item 3. Audit Committee Financial Expert:

The Funds’ Audit and Compliance Committee is comprised solely of Trustees who are “independent” (as such term has been defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) in regulations implementing Section 407 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (the “Regulations”)). The Trustees believe that each of the members of the Audit and Compliance Committee also possess a combination of knowledge and experience with respect to financial accounting matters, as well as other attributes, that qualify them for service on the Committee. In addition, the Trustees have determined that each of Mr. Leibler, Mr. Hill, Mr. Darretta, and Ms. Baumann qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” (as such term has been defined by the Regulations) based on their review of his or her pertinent experience and education. The SEC has stated, and the funds’ amended and restated agreement and Declaration of Trust provides, that the designation or identification of a person as an audit committee financial expert pursuant to this Item 3 of Form N-CSR does not impose on such person any duties, obligations or liability that are greater than the duties, obligations and liability imposed on such person as a member of the Audit and Compliance Committee and the Board of Trustees in the absence of such designation or identification.


	Item 4. Principal Accountant Fees and Services:


	The following table presents fees billed in each of the last two fiscal years for services rendered to the fund by the fund’s independent auditor:


Fiscal year ended	Audit Fees	Audit-Related Fees	Tax Fees	All Other Fees


August 31, 2014	$59,201	$ —	$13,114	$ —
August 31, 2013	$56,726	$ —	$13,449	$ —


	For the fiscal years ended August 31, 2014 and August 31, 2013, the fund’s independent auditor billed aggregate non-audit fees in the amounts of $589,288 and $160,949 respectively, to the fund, Putnam Management and any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with Putnam Management that provides ongoing services to the fund.


	Audit Fees represent fees billed for the fund’s last two fiscal years relating to the audit and review of the financial statements included in annual reports and registration statements, and other services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.


	Audit-Related Fees represent fees billed in the fund’s last two fiscal years for services traditionally performed by the fund’s auditor, including accounting consultation for proposed transactions or concerning financial accounting and reporting standards and other audit or attest services not required by statute or regulation.


	Tax Fees represent fees billed in the fund’s last two fiscal years for tax compliance, tax planning and tax advice services. Tax planning and tax advice services include assistance with tax audits, employee benefit plans and requests for rulings or technical advice from taxing authorities.


	Pre-Approval Policies of the Audit and Compliance Committee. The Audit and Compliance Committee of the Putnam funds has determined that, as a matter of policy, all work performed for the funds by the funds’ independent auditors will be pre-approved by the Committee itself and thus will generally not be subject to pre-approval procedures.

The Audit and Compliance Committee also has adopted a policy to pre-approve the engagement by Putnam Management and certain of its affiliates of the funds’ independent auditors, even in circumstances where pre-approval is not required by applicable law. Any such requests by Putnam Management or certain of its affiliates are typically submitted in writing to the Committee and explain, among other things, the nature of the proposed engagement, the estimated fees, and why this work should be performed by that particular audit firm as opposed to another one. In reviewing such requests, the Committee considers, among other things, whether the provision of such services by the audit firm are compatible with the independence of the audit firm.


	The following table presents fees billed by the fund’s independent auditor for services required to be approved pursuant to paragraph (c)(7)(ii) of Rule 2-01 of Regulation S-X.


Fiscal year ended	Audit-Related Fees	Tax Fees	All Other Fees	Total Non-Audit Fees


August 31, 2014	$ —	$576,174	$ —	$ —

August 31, 2013	$ —	$147,500	$ —	$ —


	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 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 12. Exhibits:


	(a)(1) The Code of Ethics of The Putnam Funds, which incorporates the Code of Ethics of Putnam Investments, is filed herewith.


	(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 Global Utilities Fund


	By (Signature and Title):


	/s/Janet C. Smith Janet C. Smith Principal Accounting Officer


	Date: October 28, 2014


	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: October 28, 2014


	By (Signature and Title):


	/s/Steven D. Krichmar Steven D. Krichmar Principal Financial Officer


	Date: October 28, 2014

Putnam Global Utilities Fund N-CSRCertified annual shareholder report (management investment company)