<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 10/31/96
000 C000000 0000081260
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 Y
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 PUTNAM FUND FOR GROWTH & INCOME
001 B000000 811-781
001 C000000 6172921000
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-781
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02109
011 A000001 PUTNAM MUTUAL FUNDS CORP.
011 B000001 8-5088
011 C010001 BOSTON
011 C020001 MA
011 C030001 02109
012 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES, INC.
012 B000001 84-401299
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02109
013 A000001 PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
<PAGE> PAGE 2
013 B030001 02109
015 A000001 PUTNAM FIDUCIARY TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 BOSTON
015 C020001 MA
015 C030001 02109
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 98
019 C000000 PUTNAMFUND
020 A000001 PAINE WEBBER INC.
020 B000001 13-2638166
020 C000001 1790
020 A000002 SALOMON BROTHERS INC.
020 B000002 13-3082694
020 C000002 1551
020 A000003 BEAR STEARNS & CO.
020 B000003 13-4946705
020 C000003 930
020 A000004 EDWARDS (A.G.) & SONS INC.
020 B000004 43-0895477
020 C000004 913
020 A000005 FIRST BOSTON CO.
020 B000005 13-5659485
020 C000005 823
020 A000006 BANK OF AMERICA NT & SAES INC.
020 B000006 94-1687665
020 C000006 678
020 A000007 FINANCIAL NETWORK INVESTMENT CORPORATION
020 B000007 95-3845382
020 C000007 666
020 A000008 LEHMAN BROTHERS
020 B000008 13-2518466
020 C000008 540
020 A000009 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
020 B000009 13-5674085
020 C000009 439
020 A000010 ROYAL ALLIANCE ASSOCIATES, INC.
020 B000010 93-0987232
020 C000010 435
021 000000 19209
022 A000001 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
022 B000001 13-2518466
022 C000001 7489043
022 D000001 257662
022 A000002 MORGAN STANLEY INC.
022 B000002 13-2655998
022 C000002 4322608
022 D000002 43593
022 A000003 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 B000003 13-3224016
022 C000003 2909916
022 D000003 124162
022 A000004 GODMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000004 13-5108880
022 C000004 1684285
022 D000004 62328
022 A000005 HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI BANK
022 B000005 13-5146790
022 C000005 784385
022 D000005 388888
022 A000006 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
022 B000006 13-5674085
022 C000006 896263
022 D000006 152239
022 A000007 GREENWICH CAPITAL MARKET
022 B000007 13-3172275
022 C000007 294608
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 FIRST BOSTON CO.
022 B000008 13-5659485
022 C000008 219245
022 D000008 54919
022 A000009 LAZARD FRERES
022 B000009 13-5545100
022 C000009 121536
022 D000009 0
022 A000010 PAINEWEBBER INC.
022 B000010 13-2638166
022 C000010 929
022 D000010 94532
023 C000000 19228870
023 D000000 1325977
024 000000 N
025 D000001 0
025 D000002 0
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 Y
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 Y
026 G020000 Y
026 H000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 4
027 000000 Y
028 A010000 557752
028 A020000 5
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 201274
028 B010000 536019
028 B020000 80801
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 181047
028 C010000 589269
028 C020000 44
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 246419
028 D010000 539449
028 D020000 4
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 200261
028 E010000 525653
028 E020000 86688
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 188160
028 F010000 631502
028 F020000 10
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 216648
028 G010000 3379644
028 G020000 167552
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 1233809
028 H000000 3379644
029 000000 Y
030 A000000 40875
030 B000000 5.75
030 C000000 3.50
031 A000000 10734
031 B000000 0
032 000000 30141
033 000000 0
034 000000 Y
035 000000 7965
036 A000000 Y
036 B000000 0
037 000000 N
038 000000 0
039 000000 N
040 000000 Y
041 000000 Y
042 A000000 0
042 B000000 0
042 C000000 100
042 D000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 5
042 E000000 0
042 F000000 0
042 G000000 0
042 H000000 0
043 000000 93676
044 000000 0
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.000
048 A010000 500000
048 A020000 0.650
048 B010000 500000
048 B020000 0.550
048 C010000 500000
048 C020000 0.500
048 D010000 5000000
048 D020000 0.450
048 E010000 5000000
048 E020000 0.425
048 F010000 5000000
048 F020000 0.405
048 G010000 5000000
048 G020000 0.390
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 21500000
048 K020000 0.380
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 N
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 Y
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 6
054 O000000 Y
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 N
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 Y
060 B000000 Y
061 000000 0
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 0.0
066 A000000 Y
066 B000000 N
066 C000000 N
066 D000000 N
066 E000000 Y
066 F000000 N
066 G000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 Y
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 N
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 N
070 E020000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 7
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 N
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 11205858
071 B000000 6721111
071 C000000 16288508
071 D000000 41
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 70683
072 C000000 519230
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 73758
072 G000000 75
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 26733
072 J000000 -526
072 K000000 5529
072 L000000 1054
072 M000000 243
072 N000000 926
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 332
072 S000000 303
072 T000000 93676
072 U000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 8
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 694
072 X000000 202797
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 387116
072AA000000 1400607
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 1626422
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 223915
072DD020000 112039
072EE000000 362744
073 A010000 0.4000
073 A020000 0.2810
073 B000000 0.7200
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 10900
074 B000000 16002
074 C000000 467021
074 D000000 1171105
074 E000000 88807
074 F000000 18792111
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 129170
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 139152
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 20814268
074 O000000 185674
074 P000000 35208
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 21022
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 20572364
074 U010000 624029
074 U020000 480237
074 V010000 18.27
074 V020000 18.10
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 1115955
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 16927385
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 9
077 C000000 Y
077 D000000 N
077 E000000 N
077 F000000 N
077 G000000 N
077 H000000 N
077 I000000 N
077 J000000 N
077 K000000 N
077 L000000 N
077 M000000 N
077 N000000 N
077 O000000 N
077 P000000 N
077 Q010000 Y
077 Q020000 N
077 Q030000 N
078 000000 N
080 A000000 FEDERAL INSURANCE COMPANY
080 B000000 NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY
080 C000000 50000
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 97
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
SIGNATURE PAUL BUCUVALAS
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY
FINANCIAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED
FROM The Putnam Fund for Growth and Income
class A AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY
BY REFERENCE TO SUCH FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
</LEGEND>
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>OCT-31-1996
<PERIOD-END> OCT-31-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST >17,237,351,885
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE>20,535,046,497
<RECEIVABLES>268,321,926
<ASSETS-OTHER>10,900,193
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>20,814,268,616
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES>185,674,153
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT>0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 56,230,216
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 241,904,369
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 15,851,153,592
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 624,029,425
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 498,462,066
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 87,270,432
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 1,336,245,611
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 3,297,694,612
<NET-ASSETS> 20,572,364,247
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 519,230,004
<INTEREST-INCOME> 70,683,052
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 202,796,967
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 387,116,089
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 1,400,606,590
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 1,626,421,833
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 3,414,144,512
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (223,915,286)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> (362,744,121)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 174,995,766
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (82,235,085)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 32,806,678
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 7,409,117,870
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 46,517,767
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 546,751,609
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 73,757,675
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 207,873,998
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 9,707,286,832
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 15.77
<PER-SHARE-NII> .43
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 3.19
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.40)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> (.72)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 18.27
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .92
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
^^^^^^
</TABLE>
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
^^^^^^
</TABLE>
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
^^^^^^
</TABLE>
