SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION
PROXY STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 14(a)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
(Amendment No. )
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Filed by the Registrant / X /
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Filed by a party other than the Registrant / /
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Check the appropriate box:
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/ / Preliminary Proxy Statement
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/ / Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as
- ---- permitted by Rule 14a-6(e) (2))
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/ X / Definitive Proxy Statement
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/ / Definitive Additional Materials
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/ / Soliciting Material Pursuant to Sec. 240.14a-11(c) or
- ---- Sec. 240.14a-12
PUTNAM HIGH INCOME CONVERTIBLE AND BOND FUND
(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement,
if other than Registrant)
Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
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/ X / No fee required
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/ / Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rule 14a
- ---- 6(i)(1) and 0-11
<PAGE>
(1) Title of each class of securities to which
transaction applies:
(2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction
applies:
(3) Per unit price or other underlying value of
transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11
(set forth the amount on which the filing fee is
calculated and state how it was determined):
(4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
(5) Total fee paid:
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/ / Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
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/ / Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided
- ---- by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing
for which the offsetting fee was paid previously.
Identify the previous filing by registration statement
number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its
filing.
(1) Amount Previously Paid:
(2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
(3) Filing Party:
(4) Date Filed:
<PAGE>
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
FOR SHAREHOLDERS IN
PUTNAM HIGH INCOME CONVERTIBLE AND BOND FUND
The document you hold in your hands contains your proxy statement
and proxy card. A proxy card is, in essence, a ballot. When you
vote your proxy, it tells us how to vote on your behalf on
important issues relating to your fund. If you complete and sign
the proxy, we'll vote it exactly as you tell us. If you simply
sign the proxy, we'll vote it in accordance with the Trustees'
recommendations on page 3.
We urge you to spend a couple of minutes with the proxy
statement, fill out your proxy card, and return it to us. When
shareholders don't return their proxies in sufficient numbers, we
have to incur the expense of follow-up solicitations, which can
cost your fund money.
We want to know how you would like to vote and welcome your
comments. Please take a few moments with these materials and
return your proxy to us.
(PUTNAM LOGO APPEARS HERE)
BOSTON * LONDON * TOKYO
<PAGE>
Table of contents
A Message from the Chairman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Notice of Shareholder Meeting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
Trustees' Recommendations. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3
Proxy card enclosed
If you have any questions, please contact us at the special toll-
free number we have set up for you (1-800-225-1581) or call your
financial adviser.
<PAGE>
A Message from the Chairman
(Photograph of George Putnam appears here)
Dear Shareholder:
I am writing to you to ask for your vote on important questions
that affect your investment in your fund. While you are, of
course, welcome to join us at your fund's meeting, most
shareholders cast their vote by filling out and signing the
enclosed proxy. We are asking for your vote on the following
matters: (1) to fix the number of Trustees and elect your fund's
Trustees and (2) to ratify your fund's independent auditors.
Although we would like very much to have each shareholder attend
his or her fund's meeting, we realize this is not possible.
Whether or not you plan to be present, we need your vote. We
urge you to complete, sign, and return the enclosed proxy card
promptly. A postage-paid envelope is enclosed.
I'm sure that you, like most people, lead a busy life and are
tempted to put this proxy aside for another day. Please don't.
When shareholders do not return their proxies, their fund may
have to incur the expense of follow-up solicitations. All
shareholders benefit from the speedy return of proxies.
Your vote is important to us. We appreciate the time and
consideration that I am sure you will give this important matter.
If you have questions about the proposals, contact your financial
adviser or call a Putnam customer service representative at
1-800-225-1581.
Sincerely yours,
/s/ George Putnam
(signature of George Putnam)
George Putnam, Chairman
<PAGE>
PUTNAM HIGH INCOME CONVERTIBLE AND BOND FUND
Notice of a Meeting of Shareholders
This is the formal agenda for your fund's shareholder meeting.
It tells you what matters will be voted on and the time and place
of the meeting, if you can attend in person.
To the Shareholders of Putnam High Income Convertible and Bond
Fund:
A Meeting of Shareholders of your fund will be held on July 10,
1997 at 2:00 p.m., Boston time, on the eighth floor of One Post
Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts, to consider the following:
1. Fixing the number of Trustees and electing Trustees. See
page 4.
2. Ratifying the selection by the Trustees of the independent
auditors of your fund for its current fiscal year. See
page 20.
3. Transacting other business as may properly come before the
meeting.
By the Trustees
George Putnam, Chairman
William F. Pounds, Vice Chairman
Jameson A. Baxter Robert E. Patterson
Hans H. Estin Donald S. Perkins
John A. Hill George Putnam, III
Ronald J. Jackson A.J.C. Smith
Elizabeth T. Kennan W. Nicholas Thorndike
Lawrence J. Lasser
WE URGE YOU TO MARK, SIGN, DATE, AND MAIL THE ENCLOSED PROXY IN
THE POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE PROVIDED SO YOU WILL BE REPRESENTED AT
THE MEETING.
April 11, 1997<PAGE>
Proxy Statement
This document will give you the information you need to vote on
the matters listed on the previous pages. Much of the
information in the proxy statement is required under rules of the
Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"); some of it is
technical. If there is anything you don't understand, please
contact us at our special toll-free number, 1-800-225-1581, or
call your financial adviser.
Who is asking for my vote?
The enclosed proxy is solicited by the Trustees of Putnam High
Income Convertible and Bond Fund for use at the Meeting of
Shareholders of the fund to be held on July 10, 1997, and, if
your fund's meeting is adjourned, at any later meetings, for the
purposes stated in the Notice of Meeting (see previous page).
How do your fund's Trustees recommend that shareholders vote on
these proposals?
The Trustees recommend that you vote
1. For fixing the number of Trustees as proposed and the
election of all nominees; and
2. For ratifying the selection of Price Waterhouse LLP as the
independent auditors of your fund.
Who is eligible to vote?
Shareholders of record at the close of business on April 11,
1997, are entitled to be present and to vote at the meeting or
any adjourned meeting. The Notice of Meeting, the proxy, and the
Proxy Statement are being mailed to shareholders of record on or
about April 15, 1997.
Each share is entitled to one vote. Shares represented by duly
executed proxies will be voted in accordance with shareholders'
instructions. If you sign the proxy, but don't fill in a vote,
your shares will be voted in accordance with the Trustees'
recommendations. If any other business is brought before the
meeting, your shares will be voted at the Trustees' discretion.
The Proposals
I. ELECTION OF TRUSTEES
Who are the nominees for Trustees?
The Nominating Committee of the Trustees recommends that the
number of Trustees be fixed at thirteen and that you vote for the
election of the nominees described below. Each nominee is
currently a Trustee of your fund and of the other Putnam funds.
The Nominating Committee of the Trustees consists solely of
Trustees who are not "interested persons" (as defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940) of your fund or of Putnam
Investment Management, Inc., your fund's investment manager
("Putnam Management").
Jameson Adkins Baxter
[Insert Picture]
Ms. Baxter, age 53, is the President of Baxter Associates, Inc.,
a management and financial consulting firm which she founded in
1986. During that time, she was also a Vice President and
Principal of the Regency Group, Inc., and a Consultant to First
Boston Corporation, both of which are investment banking firms.
From 1965 to 1986, Ms. Baxter held various positions in
investment banking and corporate finance at First Boston.
Ms. Baxter currently also serves as a Director of Banta
Corporation, Avondale Financial Corp., and ASHTA Chemicals, Inc.
She is also the Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of
Mount Holyoke College, having previously served as Chairman for
five years and as a Board member for thirteen years; an Honorary
Trustee and past President of the Board of Trustees of the Emma
Willard School; and Chair of the Board of Governors of Good
Shepherd Hospital. Ms. Baxter is a graduate of Mount Holyoke
College.
Hans H. Estin
[Insert Picture]
Mr. Estin, age 68, is a Chartered Financial Analyst and the Vice
Chairman of North American Management Corp., a registered
investment adviser serving individual clients and their families.
Mr. Estin currently also serves as a Director of The Boston
Company, Inc., a registered investment adviser which provides
administrative and investment management services to mutual funds
and other institutional investors, and Boston Safe Deposit and
Trust Company; a Corporation Member of The Schepens Eye Research
Institute; and a Trustee of New England Aquarium. He previously
served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Boston
University and is currently active in various other civic
associations, including the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston, Inc.
Mr. Estin is a graduate of Harvard College and holds honorary
doctorates from Merrimack College and Boston University.
<PAGE>
John A. Hill
[Insert Picture]
Mr. Hill, age 55, is the Chairman and Managing Director of First
Reserve Corporation, a registered investment adviser investing in
companies in the world-wide energy industry on behalf of
institutional investors.
Prior to acquiring First Reserve in 1983, Mr. Hill held executive
positions with several investment advisory firms and held various
positions with the Federal government, including Associate
Director of the Office of Management and Budget and Deputy
Administrator of the Federal Energy Administration.
Mr. Hill currently also serves as a Director of Snyder Oil
Corporation, an exploration and production company which he
founded, Maverick Tube Corporation, a manufacturer of structural
steel, pipe and well casings, TransMontaingne Oil Company, a
refined oil product pipeline and distributor company, Weatherford
Enterra, Inc., an oil field service company, various private
companies controlled by First Reserve Corporation, and various
First Reserve Funds. He is also a Member of the Board of
Advisors of Fund Directions. He is currently active in various
business associations, including the Economic Club of New York,
and lectures on energy issues in the United States and Europe.
Mr. Hill is a graduate of Southern Methodist University.
Ronald J. Jackson
[Insert Picture]
Mr. Jackson, age 53, was Chairman of the Board, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Fisher-Price, Inc., a major toy
manufacturer, from 1990 to 1993. He previously served as
President and Chief Executive Officer of Stride-Rite, Inc., a
manufacturer and distributor of footwear, from 1989 to 1990, and
as President and Chief Executive Officer of Kenner Parker Toys,
Inc., a major toy and game manufacturer, from 1985 to 1987.
Prior to that, he held various financial and marketing positions
at General Mills, Inc. from 1966 to 1985, including Vice
President, Controller and Vice President of Marketing for Parker
Brothers, a toy and game company, and President of Talbots, a
retailer and direct marketer of women's apparel.
Mr. Jackson currently serves as a Director of Safety 1st, Inc., a
company which markets a wide range of child care and safety
products. He also serves as a Trustee of Salem Hospital and the
Peabody Essex Museum. Mr. Jackson is a graduate of Michigan
State University Business School.
Elizabeth T. Kennan
[Insert Picture]
Ms. Kennan, age 59, is President Emeritus and Professor of Mount
Holyoke College. From 1978 through June 1995, she was President
of Mount Holyoke College. From 1966 to 1978, she was on the
faculty of Catholic University, where she taught history and
published numerous articles.
Ms. Kennan currently also serves as a Director of NYNEX
Corporation, a telecommunications company, Northeast Utilities,
the Kentucky Home Life Insurance Companies, and Talbots. She
also serves as a Member of The Folger Shakespeare Library
Committee. She is currently active in various educational and
civic associations. Ms. Kennan is a graduate of Mount Holyoke
College, the University of Washington and St. Hilda College at
Oxford University and holds several honorary doctorates.
Lawrence J. Lasser*
[Insert Picture]
Mr. Lasser, age 54, is the Vice President of your fund and the
other Putnam funds. He has been the President, Chief Executive
Officer and a Director of Putnam Investments, Inc. and Putnam
Management since 1985, having begun his career there in 1969.
Mr. Lasser currently also serves as a Director of Marsh &
McLennan Companies, Inc., the parent company of Putnam
Management, and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. He is a
Member of the Board of Overseers of the Museum of Fine Arts in
Boston, The Council on Foreign Relations, and a Member of the
Board of Governors and Executive Committee at the Investment
Company Institute. He is also a Trustee of the Beth
Israel\Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. Mr. Lasser is a
graduate of Antioch College and Harvard Business School.
Robert E. Patterson
[Insert Picture]
Mr. Patterson, age 52, is the Executive Vice President and
Director of Acquisitions of Cabot Partners Limited Partnership, a
registered investment adviser which manages real estate
investments for institutional investors. Prior to 1990, he was
the Executive Vice President of Cabot, Cabot & Forbes Realty
Advisors, Inc., the predecessor company of Cabot Partners. Prior
to that, he was a Senior Vice President of the Beal Companies, a
real estate management, investment and development company. He
has also worked as an attorney and held various positions in
state government, including the founding Executive Director of
the Massachusetts Industrial Finance Agency.
Mr. Patterson currently also serves as Chairman of the Joslin
Diabetes Center and as a Director of Brandywine Trust Company.
Mr. Patterson is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law
School.
Donald S. Perkins*
[Insert Picture]
Mr. Perkins, age 70, is the retired Chairman of the Board of
Jewel Companies, Inc., a diversified retailer, where among other
roles he served as President, Chief Executive Officer and
Chairman of the Board from 1965 to 1980. He currently also
serves as a Director of various other public corporations,
including AON Corp., an insurance company, Cummins Engine
Company, Inc., an engine and power generator equipment
manufacturer and assembler, Current Assets L.L.C., a corporation
providing financial staffing services, Inland Steel Industries,
Inc., LaSalle Street Fund, Inc. and LaSalle U.S. Realty Income
and Growth Fund, Inc., real estate investment trusts, Lucent
Technologies Inc., Ryerson Tull, Inc., America's largest steel
service corporation, Springs Industries, Inc., a textile
manufacturer, and Time Warner, Inc., one of the nation's largest
media conglomerates. He previously served as a Director of
several other major public corporations, including Corning Glass
Works, Eastman Kodak Company, Firestone Tire & Rubber Company and
Kmart Corporation.
Mr. Perkins currently also serves as a Trustee and Vice Chairman
of Northwestern University and as a Trustee of the Hospital
Research and Education Trust. He is currently active in various
civic and business associations, including the Business Council
and the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago, of
which he is the founding Chairman. Mr. Perkins is a graduate of
Yale University and Harvard Business School and holds an honorary
doctorate from Loyola University of Chicago.
William F. Pounds
[Insert Picture]
Dr. Pounds, age 69, is the Vice Chairman of your fund and of the
other Putnam funds. He has been a Professor of Management at the
Alfred P. Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology since 1961 and served as Dean of that
School from 1966 to 1980. He previously served as Senior Advisor
to the Rockefeller Family and Associates and was a past Chairman
of Rockefeller & Co., Inc., a registered investment adviser which
manages Rockefeller family assets, and Rockefeller Trust Company.
Dr. Pounds currently also serves as a Director of IDEXX
Laboratories, Inc., PerSeptive Biosystems, Inc., Management
Sciences For Health, Inc. and Sun Company, Inc. He is also a
Trustee of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; an Overseer of WGBH
Educational Foundation, and a Fellow of The American Academy of
Arts and Sciences. He previously served as a Director of Fisher-
Price, Inc. and General Mills, Inc. Dr. Pounds is a graduate of
Carnegie-Mellon University.
George Putnam*
[Insert Picture]
Mr. Putnam, age 70, is the Chairman and President of your fund
and of the other Putnam funds. He is the Chairman and a Director
of Putnam Management and Putnam Mutual Funds Corp. and a Director
of Marsh & McLennan, their parent company. Mr. Putnam is the son
of the founder of the Putnam funds and Putnam Management and has
been employed in various capacities by Putnam Management since
1951, including Chief Executive Officer from 1961 to 1973. He is
a former Overseer and Treasurer of Harvard University; a past
Chairman of the Harvard Management Company; and a Trustee
Emeritus of Wellesley College and Bradford College.
Mr. Putnam currently also serves as a Director of The Boston
Company, Inc., Boston Safe Deposit and Trust Company, Freeport-
McMoRan, Inc., Freeport Copper and Gold, Inc., McMoRan Oil and
Gas, Inc., mining and natural resources companies, Houghton
Mifflin Company, a major publishing company, and Rockefeller
Group, Inc., a real estate manager. He is also a Trustee of
Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital, Vincent Memorial
Hospital, WGBH Educational Foundation, the Museum of Fine Arts
and the Museum of Science in Boston; the New England Aquarium; an
Overseer of Northeastern University; and a Fellow of The American
Academy of Arts and Sciences. Mr. Putnam is a graduate of
Harvard College and Harvard Business School and holds honorary
doctorates from Bates College and Harvard University.
George Putnam, III*
[Insert Picture]
Mr. Putnam, age 45, is the President of New Generation Research,
Inc., a publisher of financial advisory and other research
services relating to bankrupt and distressed companies, and New
Generation Advisers, Inc., a registered investment adviser which
provides advice to private funds specializing in investments in
such companies. Prior to founding New Generation in 1985, Mr.
Putnam was an attorney with the Philadelphia law firm Dechert
Price & Rhoads.
Mr. Putnam currently also serves as a Director of the
Massachusetts Audubon Society and The Boston Family Office,
L.L.C., a registered investment advisor that provides financial
services to individuals and families. He is also a Trustee of
the Sea Education Association and St. Mark's School and an
Overseer of the New England Medical Center. Mr. Putnam is a
graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Business School and Harvard
Law School.
A.J.C. Smith*
[Insert Picture]
Mr. Smith, age 62, is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of
Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. He has been employed by Marsh &
McLennan and related companies in various capacities since 1961.
Mr. Smith is a Director of the Trident Corp., and he also serves
as a Trustee of the Carnegie Hall Society, the Central Park
Conservancy, the Educational Broadcasting Corporation, the
Economic Club of New York, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and is a
Founder of the Museum of Scotland Society. He was educated in
Scotland and is a Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries in
Edinburgh, a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, a
Fellow of the Conference of Actuaries, an Associate of the
Society of Actuaries, a Member of the American Academy of
Actuaries, the International Actuarial Association and the
International Association of Consulting Actuaries.
W. Nicholas Thorndike**
[Insert Picture]
Mr. Thorndike, age 64, serves as a Director of various
corporations and charitable organizations, including Data General
Corporation, a computer and high technology company, Bradley Real
Estate, Inc., a real estate investment firm, Providence Journal
Co., a newspaper publisher, and Courier Corporation, a book
binding and printing company. He is also a Trustee of Eastern
Utilities Associates, Massachusetts General Hospital, where he
previously served as chairman and president, and Northeastern
University.
Prior to December 1988, he was the Chairman of the Board and
Managing Partner of Wellington Management Company/Thorndike,
Doran, Paine & Lewis, a registered investment adviser which
manages mutual funds and institutional assets. He also
previously served as a Trustee of the Wellington Group of Funds
(now The Vanguard Group) and was the Chairman and a Director of
Ivest Fund, Inc. Mr. Thorndike is a graduate of Harvard College.
- ----------------------------
* Nominees who are or may be deemed to be "interested persons"
(as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940) of your
fund, Putnam Management, and Putnam Mutual Funds Corp.
("Putnam Mutual Funds"), the principal underwriter for all
the open-end Putnam funds and an affiliate of Putnam
Management. Messrs. Putnam, Lasser, and Smith are deemed
"interested persons" by virtue of their positions as
officers or shareholders of your fund, or directors of
Putnam Management, Putnam Mutual Funds, or Marsh & McLennan
Companies, Inc., the parent company of Putnam Management and
Putnam Mutual Funds. Mr. George Putnam, III, Mr. Putnam's
son, is also an "interested person" of your fund, Putnam
Management, and Putnam Mutual Funds. Mr. Perkins may be
deemed to be an "interested person" of your fund because of
his service as a director of a certain publicly held company
that includes registered broker-dealer firms among its
subsidiaries. Neither your fund nor any of the other Putnam
funds currently engages in any transactions with such firms
except that certain of such firms act as dealers in the
retail sale of shares of certain Putnam funds in the
ordinary course of their business. The balance of the
nominees are not "interested persons."
** In February 1994 Mr. Thorndike accepted appointment as a
successor trustee of certain private trusts in which he has
no beneficial interest. At that time he also became
Chairman of the Board of two privately owned corporations
controlled by such trusts, serving in that capacity until
October 1994. These corporations filed voluntary petitions
for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in
August 1994.
Except as indicated above, the principal occupations and business
experience of the nominees for the last five years have been with
the employers indicated, although in some cases they have held
different positions with those employers. Except for Mr.
Jackson, all the nominees were elected by the shareholders in
July 1996. Mr. Jackson was elected by the other Trustees in May
1996. The 13 nominees for election as Trustees at the
shareholder meeting of your fund who receive the greatest number
of votes will be elected Trustees of your fund. The Trustees
serve until their successors are elected and qualified. Each of
the nominees has agreed to serve as a Trustee if elected. If any
of the nominees is unavailable for election at the time of the
meeting, which is not anticipated, the Trustees may vote for
other nominees at their discretion, or the Trustees may recommend
that the shareholders fix the number of Trustees at less than 13
for your fund.
What are the Trustees' responsibilities?
Your fund's Trustees are responsible for the general oversight of
your fund's business and for assuring that your fund is managed
in the best interests of its shareholders. The Trustees
periodically review your fund's investment performance as well as
the quality of other services provided to your fund and its
shareholders by Putnam Management and its affiliates, including
administration, custody, distribution and investor servicing. At
least annually, the Trustees review the fees paid to Putnam
Management and its affiliates for these services and the overall
level of your fund's operating expenses. In carrying out these
responsibilities, the Trustees are assisted by an independent
administrative staff and by your fund's auditors and legal
counsel, which are selected by the Trustees and are independent
of Putnam Management and its affiliates.
Do the Trustees have a stake in your fund?
The Trustees believe it is important that each Trustee have a
significant investment in the Putnam funds. The Trustees
allocate their investments among the more than 96 Putnam funds
based on their own investment needs. The Trustees' aggregate
investments in the Putnam funds total over $58 million. The
table below lists each Trustee's current investments in the fund
and in the Putnam funds as a group based on beneficial ownership.
Except as otherwise noted, each Trustee has sole voting power and
sole investment power with respect to his or her shares.
<PAGE>
Share Ownership by Trustees
Year first Number of
elected as Number of shares of
Trustee of shares of the all Putnam
the Putnam fund owned funds owned
Trustees funds as of 3/10/97 as of 3/10/97(1)
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jameson A. Baxter 1994 122 51,712
Hans H. Estin 1972 709 29,276
John A. Hill 1985 2,100 144,950
Ronald J. Jackson 1996 200(2) 125,879
Elizabeth T. Kennan 1992 225(3) 31,361
Lawrence J. Lasser 1992 100 453,662
Robert E. Patterson 1984 616 63,232
Donald S. Perkins 1982 745 150,366
William F. Pounds 1971 500 300,959
George Putnam 1957 1,000 1,764,018
George Putnam, III 1984 500 310,620
A.J.C. Smith 1986 200(4) 37,947
W. Nicholas Thorndike 1992 159 81,800
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) These holdings do not include shares of Putnam money market funds.
(2) Mr. Jackson has shared investment power and shared voting power with
respect to such shares.
(3) Ms. Kennan is the Custodian of a Trust which owns 122 of these shares
and in which she has no economic interest.
(4) Mr. Smith has shared investment power and shared voting power with respect
to such shares.
As of March 10, 1997, the Trustees and officers of the fund owned a total
of 7,176 shares of the fund, comprising less than 1% of its outstanding shares
on that date.
What are some of the ways in which the Trustees represent
shareholder interests?
The Trustees believe that, as substantial investors in the Putnam
funds, their interests are closely aligned with those of
individual shareholders. Among other ways, the Trustees seek to
represent shareholder interests:
by carefully reviewing your fund's investment
performance on an individual basis with your fund's
managers;
by also carefully reviewing the quality of the various
other services provided to the funds and their
shareholders by Putnam Management and its affiliates;
by discussing with senior management of Putnam
Management steps being taken to address any performance
deficiencies;
by reviewing the fees paid to Putnam Management to
ensure that such fees remain reasonable and competitive
with those of other mutual funds, while at the same
time providing Putnam Management sufficient resources
to continue to provide high quality services in the
future;
by monitoring potential conflicts between the funds and
Putnam Management and its affiliates to ensure that the
funds continue to be managed in the best interests of
their shareholders; and
by also monitoring potential conflicts among funds to
ensure that shareholders continue to realize the
benefits of participation in a large and diverse family
of funds.
How often do the Trustees meet?
The Trustees meet each month (except August) over a two-day
period to review the operations of your fund and of the other
Putnam funds. A portion of these meetings is devoted to meetings
of various Committees of the board which focus on particular
matters. These include: the Contract Committee, which reviews
all contractual arrangements with Putnam Management and its
affiliates; the Communication and Service Committee, which
reviews the quality of services provided by your fund's investor
servicing agent, custodian and distributor; the Pricing,
Brokerage and Special Investments Committee, which reviews
matters relating to valuation of securities, best execution,
brokerage costs and allocations and new investment techniques;
the Audit Committee, which reviews accounting policies and the
adequacy of internal controls and supervises the engagement of
the funds' auditors; the Compensation, Administration and Legal
Affairs Committee, which reviews the compensation of the Trustees
and their administrative staff and supervises the engagement of
the funds' independent counsel; and the Nominating Committee,
which is responsible for selecting nominees for election as
Trustees.
Each Trustee generally attends at least two formal committee
meetings during each regular meeting of the Trustees. During
1996, the average Trustee participated in approximately 40
committee and board meetings. In addition, the Trustees meet in
small groups with Chief Investment Officers and Portfolio
Managers to review recent performance and the current investment
climate for selected funds. These meetings ensure that each
fund's performance is reviewed in detail at least twice a year.
The Contract Committee typically meets on several additional
occasions during the year to carry out its responsibilities.
Other Committees, including an Executive Committee, may also meet
on special occasions as the need arises.
What are the Trustees paid for their services?
Each Trustee receives a fee for his or her services. Each
Trustee also receives fees for serving as Trustee of the other
Putnam funds. The Trustees periodically review their fees to
assure that such fees continue to be appropriate in light of
their responsibilities as well as in relation to fees paid to
trustees of other mutual fund complexes. The Compensation
Committee, which consists solely of Trustees not affiliated with
Putnam Management, estimates that Committee and Trustee meeting
time together with the appropriate preparation requires the
equivalent of at least three business days per Trustee meeting.
The following table shows the fees paid to each Trustee by the
fund for fiscal 1996 and the fees paid to each Trustee by all of
the Putnam funds during calendar year 1996:
<PAGE>
COMPENSATION TABLE
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Pension or Estimated Total
Aggregate retirement annual benefits compensation
compensation benefits accrued from all from all
from the as part of Putnam funds Putnam
Trustees fund(1) fund expenses(2) upon retirement(3) funds(4)
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Jameson A. Baxter $921 $0 $85,646 $172,291(5)
Hans H. Estin 917 0 85,646 171,291
John A. Hill 912 0 85,646 170,791(5)
Ronald J. Jackson(6) 222 0 85,646 94,807(5)
Elizabeth T. Kennan 917 0 85,646 171,291
Lawrence J. Lasser 910 0 85,646 169,791
Robert E. Patterson 961 0 85,646 182,291
Donald S. Perkins 912 0 85,646 170,291
William F. Pounds(7) 935 0 98,146 197,291
George Putnam 917 0 85,646 171,291
George Putnam, III 917 0 85,646 171,291
A.J.C. Smith 910 0 85,646 169,791
W. Nicholas Thorndike 958 0 85,646 181,291
(1) Includes an annual retainer and an attendance fee for each meeting attended.
(2) The Trustees approved a Retirement Plan for Trustees of the Putnam funds on October 1,
1996. Prior to that date, voluntary retirement benefits were paid to certain retired
Trustees.
(3) Assumes that each Trustee retires at the normal retirement date. Estimated benefits for
each Trustee are based on Trustee fee rates in effect during calendar 1996.
(4) As of December 31, 1996, there were 96 funds in the Putnam family.
(5) Includes compensation deferred pursuant to a Trustee Compensation Deferral Plan.
(6) Elected as a Trustee in May 1996.
(7) Includes additional compensation for service as Vice Chairman of the Putnam funds.
</TABLE>
Under a Retirement Plan for Trustees of the Putnam funds (the
"Plan"), each Trustee who retires with at least five years of
service as a Trustee of the funds is entitled to receive an
annual retirement benefit equal to one-half of the average annual
compensation paid to such Trustee for the last three years of
service prior to retirement. This retirement benefit is payable
during a Trustee's lifetime, beginning the year following
retirement, for a number of years equal to such Trustee's years
of service. A death benefit is also available under the Plan
which assures that the Trustee and his or her beneficiaries will
receive benefit payments for the lesser of an aggregate period of
(i) ten years or (ii) such Trustee's total years of service.
The Plan Administrator (a committee comprised of Trustees that
are not "interested persons" of the fund, as defined in the
Investment Company Act of 1940) may terminate or amend the Plan
at any time, but no termination or amendment will result in a
reduction in the amount of benefits (i) currently being paid to a
Trustee at the time of such termination or amendment, or (ii) to
which a current Trustee would have been entitled to receive had
he or she retired immediately prior to such termination or
amendment.
For additional information about your fund, including further
information about its Trustees and officers, please see "Fund
Information," on page 24.
Putnam Investments
Putnam Investment Management, Inc. and its affiliate, Putnam
Fiduciary Trust Company, your fund's investor servicing agent and
custodian, are wholly owned by Putnam Investments, Inc., One Post
Office Square, Boston, Massachusetts 02109, a holding company
that is in turn wholly owned by Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.,
which has executive offices at 1166 Avenue of the Americas, New
York, New York 10036. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. and its
operating subsidiaries are professional services firms with
insurance and reinsurance brokerage, consulting, and investment
management businesses.
2. RATIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Price Waterhouse LLP, 160 Federal Street, Boston, Massachusetts,
independent accountants, has been selected by the Trustees as the
independent auditor of your fund for the current fiscal year.
Among the country's preeminent accounting firms, this firm also
serves as the auditor for approximately half of the other funds
in the Putnam family. It was selected primarily on the basis of
its expertise as auditors of investment companies, the quality of
its audit services, and the competitiveness of its fees.
A majority of the votes on the matter is necessary to ratify the
selection of auditors. A representative of the independent
auditors is expected to be present at the meeting to make
statements and to respond to appropriate questions.
Further Information About Voting and the Meeting
Quorum and Methods of Tabulation. A majority of the shares
entitled to vote -- present in person or represented by proxy --
constitutes a quorum for the transaction of business with respect
to any proposal at the meeting (unless otherwise noted in the
proxy statement). Shares represented by proxies that reflect
abstentions and "broker non-votes" (i.e., shares held by brokers
or nominees as to which (i) instructions have not been received
from the beneficial owners or the persons entitled to vote and
(ii) the broker or nominee does not have the discretionary voting
power on a particular matter) will be counted as shares that are
present and entitled to vote on the matter for purposes of
determining the presence of a quorum. Votes cast by proxy or in
person at the meeting will be counted by persons appointed by
your fund as tellers for the meeting.
The tellers will count the total number of votes cast "for"
approval of the proposals for purposes of determining whether
sufficient affirmative votes have been cast. With respect to the
election of Trustees and selection of auditors, neither
abstentions nor broker non-votes have any effect on the outcome
of the proposal. With respect to any other proposals,
abstentions and broker non-votes have the effect of a negative
vote on the proposal.
Other business. The Trustees know of no other business to be
brought before the meeting. However, if any other matters
properly come before the meeting, it is their intention that
proxies that do not contain specific restrictions to the contrary
will be voted on such matters in accordance with the judgment of
the persons named as proxies in the enclosed form of proxy.
Simultaneous meetings. The meeting of shareholders of your fund
is called to be held at the same time as the meetings of
shareholders of certain of the other Putnam funds. It is
anticipated that all meetings will be held simultaneously. If
any shareholder at the meeting objects to the holding of a
simultaneous meeting and moves for an adjournment of the meeting
to a time promptly after the simultaneous meetings, the persons
named as proxies will vote in favor of such adjournment.
Solicitation of proxies. In addition to soliciting proxies by
mail, Trustees of your fund and employees of Putnam Management,
Putnam Fiduciary Trust Company, and Putnam Mutual Funds may
solicit proxies in person or by telephone. Your fund may also
arrange to have votes recorded by telephone. The telephone
voting procedure is designed to authenticate shareholders'
identities, to allow shareholders to authorize the voting of
their shares in accordance with their instructions and to confirm
that their instructions have been properly recorded. Your fund
has been advised by counsel that these procedures are consistent
with the requirements of applicable law. If these procedures
were subject to a successful legal challenge, such votes would
not be counted at the meeting. Your fund is unaware of any such
challenge at this time. Shareholders would be called at the
phone number Putnam Investments has in its records for their
accounts, and would be asked for their Social Security number or
other identifying information. The shareholders would then be
given an opportunity to authorize proxies to vote their shares at
the meeting in accordance with their instructions. To ensure
that the shareholders' instructions have been recorded correctly,
they will also receive a confirmation of their instructions in
the mail. A special toll-free number will be available in case
the information contained in the confirmation is incorrect.
Your fund's Trustees have adopted a general policy of maintaining
confidentiality in the voting of proxies. Consistent with this
policy, your fund may solicit proxies from shareholders who have
not voted their shares or who have abstained from voting.
Persons holding shares as nominees will upon request be
reimbursed for their reasonable expenses in soliciting
instructions from their principals. Your fund has retained at
its expense Management Information Services Corp., 61 Accord Park
Drive, Norwell, MA 02061, to aid in the solicitation of
instructions for registered and nominee accounts, for a fee not
to exceed $2,500 plus reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for
mailing and phone costs.
Revocation of proxies. Proxies, including proxies given by
telephone, may be revoked at any time before they are voted by a
written revocation received by the Clerk of your fund, by
properly executing a later-dated proxy or by attending the
meeting and voting in person.
Date for receipt of shareholders' proposals for the next annual
meeting. It is anticipated that your fund's next annual meeting
of shareholders will be held in July 1998. Shareholder proposals
must be received by your fund before December 17, 1997, to be
included in your fund's proxy statement for the next annual
meeting.
Adjournment. If sufficient votes in favor of any of the
proposals set forth in the Notice of the Meeting are not received
by the time scheduled for the meeting, the persons named as
proxies may propose adjournments of the meeting for a period or
periods of not more than 60 days in the aggregate to permit
further solicitation of proxies with respect to those proposals.
Any adjournment will require the affirmative vote of a majority
of the votes cast on the question in person or by proxy at the
session of the meeting to be adjourned. The persons named as
proxies will vote in favor of adjournment those proxies which
they are entitled to vote in favor of such proposals. They will
vote against adjournment those proxies required to be voted
against such proposals. Your fund pays the costs of any
additional solicitation and of any adjourned session. Any
proposals for which sufficient favorable votes have been received
by the time of the meeting may be acted upon and considered final
regardless of whether the meeting is adjourned to permit
additional solicitation with respect to any other proposal.
Financial information. Your fund will furnish to you upon
request, without charge, a copy of the fund's annual report for
its most recent fiscal year, and a copy of its semiannual report
for any subsequent semiannual period. Such requests may be
directed to Putnam Investor Services, P.O. Box 41203, Providence,
RI 02940-1203 or 1-800-225-1581.
Fund Information
Limitation of Trustee liability. The Agreement and Declaration
of Trust of your fund provides that the fund will indemnify its
Trustees and officers against liabilities and expenses incurred
in connection with litigation in which they may be involved
because of their offices with the fund, except if it is
determined in the manner specified in the Agreement and
Declaration of Trust that they have not acted in good faith in
the reasonable belief that their actions were in the best
interests of the fund or that such indemnification would relieve
any officer or Trustee of any liability to the fund or its
shareholders arising by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith,
gross negligence or reckless disregard of his or her duties.
Your fund, at its expense, provides liability insurance for the
benefit of its Trustees and officers.
Audit and Nominating Committees. The voting members of the Audit
Committee of your fund include only Trustees who are not
"interested persons" of the fund by reason of any affiliation
with Putnam Investments and its affiliates. The Audit Committee
currently consists of Messrs. Estin (Chairman), Jackson, Perkins
(without vote), Putnam, III (without vote), Smith (without vote),
and Ms. Kennan. The Nominating Committee consists only of
Trustees who are not "interested persons" of your fund or Putnam
Management. The Nominating Committee currently consists of Dr.
Pounds and Ms. Kennan (Co-chairpersons), Ms. Baxter, and Messrs.
Estin, Hill, Jackson, Patterson, and Thorndike.
Officers and other information. In addition to George Putnam and
Lawrence J. Lasser, the officers of your fund are as follows:
Year first
elected to
Name (age) Office office
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Charles E. Porter (58) Executive Vice President 1989
Patricia C. Flaherty (50) Senior Vice President 1993
John D. Hughes (62) Senior Vice President
& Treasurer 1987
Gordon H. Silver (49) Vice President 1990
Peter Carman (55) Vice President 1994
Brett C. Browchuk (34) Vice President 1994
Thomas V. Reilly (50) Vice President 1987
Charles S. Pohl* (36) Vice President 1993
Edward H. D'Alelio (44) Vice President 1988
Jennifer E. Leichter* (36) Vice President 1993
William N. Shiebler** (55) Vice President 1991
John R. Verani (57) Vice President 1987
Paul M. O'Neil (43) Vice President 1992
Beverly Marcus (52) Clerk 1987
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
* Portfolio manager
** President of Putnam Mutual Funds
All of the officers of your fund are employees of Putnam
Management or its affiliates. Because of their positions with
Putnam Management or its affiliates or their ownership of stock
of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc., Messrs. Putnam, George
Putnam, III, Lasser and Smith (nominees for Trustees of your
fund), as well as the officers of your fund, will benefit from
the management fees, custodian fees, and investor servicing fees
paid or allowed by the fund.
Assets and shares outstanding of your fund
as of March 31, 1997
Net assets $130,313,673
Common shares outstanding
and authorized to vote 12,227,310 shares
5% beneficial ownership of your fund as of March 31, 1997
Persons beneficially owning more than 5%
of the fund's Common shares NONE
PUTNAMINVESTMENTS
The Putnam Funds
One Post Office Square
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
Toll-free 1-800-225-1581 <PAGE>
PUTNAMINVESTMENTS
This is your PROXY CARD.
Please vote this proxy, sign it below, and return it promptly in
the envelope provided. Your vote is important.
Proxy for a meeting of shareholders to be held on July 10, 1997
for Putnam High Income Convertible and Bond Fund.
This proxy is solicited on behalf of the Trustees of the fund.
The undersigned shareholder hereby appoints George Putnam, Hans
H. Estin, and Robert E. Patterson, and each of them separately,
Proxies, with power of substitution, and hereby authorizes them
to represent and to vote, as designated below, at the meeting of
shareholders of Putnam High Income Convertible and Bond Fund on
July 10, 1997, at 2:00 p.m., Boston time, and at any adjournments
thereof, all of the shares of the fund that the undersigned
shareholder would be entitled to vote if personally present.
PLEASE BE SURE TO SIGN AND DATE THIS PROXY.
Please sign your name exactly as it appears on this card. If you
are a joint owner, each owner should sign. When signing as
executor, administrator, attorney, trustee, or guardian, or as
custodian for a minor, please give your full title as such. If
you are signing for a corporation, please sign the full corporate
name and indicate the signer's office. If you are a partner,
sign in the partnership name.
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Shareholder sign here Date
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Co-owner sign here Date
<PAGE>
HAS YOUR ADDRESS CHANGED?
Please use this form to notify us of any change in address or
telephone number or to provide us with your comments. Detach
this form from the proxy ballot and return it with your signed
proxy in the enclosed envelope.
Street
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
City State Zip
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
Telephone
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS?
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
DEAR SHAREHOLDER:
Your vote is important. Please help us to eliminate the expense
of follow-up mailings by signing and returning this proxy as soon
as possible. A postage-paid envelope is enclosed for your
convenience.
THANK YOU!
Please fold at perforation before detaching
- -----------------------------------------------------------------
<PAGE>
If you complete and sign the proxy, we'll vote it exactly as you
tell us. If you simply sign the proxy, it will be voted FOR
fixing the number of Trustees and electing Trustees as set forth
in Proposal 1 and FOR Proposal 2. In their discretion, the
Proxies will also be authorized to vote upon such other matters
that may properly come before the meeting.
THE TRUSTEES RECOMMEND A VOTE FOR FIXING THE NUMBER OF TRUSTEES
AND ELECTING ALL OF THE NOMINEES FOR TRUSTEES AND FOR PROPOSAL 2.
Please mark your choices / X / in blue or black ink. Do not use
red ink.
1. Proposal to elect Trustees
The nominees for Trustees are: J.A. Baxter, H.H. Estin,
J.A. Hill, R.J. Jackson, E.T. Kennan, L.J. Lasser, R.E.
Patterson, D.S. Perkins, W.F. Pounds, G. Putnam, G.
Putnam, III, A.J.C. Smith and W.N. Thorndike.
/ / FOR fixing the number of Trustees and electing all the
nominees (except as marked to the contrary below.)
To withhold authority to vote for one or more of the
nominees, write those nominees' names below:
----------------------------------------------------------
/ / WITHHOLD authority to vote for all nominees
2. Proposal to ratify FOR AGAINST ABSTAIN
the selection of / / / / / /
Price Waterhouse LLP
as the independent auditors
of your fund.
Note: If you have questions on any of the Proposals, please
call 1-800-225-1581.
