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<PAGE> PAGE 2
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015 C030001 02109
015 E010001 X
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020 C000002 2155
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020 C000003 1757
020 A000004 BEAR STEARNS & CO.
020 B000004 13-4946705
020 C000004 1711
020 A000005 MERRILL LYNCH,PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
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020 C000005 1581
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020 B000006 13-2655998
020 C000006 1382
020 A000007 SALOMON BROTHERS INC.
020 B000007 13-3082694
020 C000007 1337
020 A000008 CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON
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020 C000009 984
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020 C000010 783
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022 C000002 2648472
022 D000002 626072
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<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 C000003 2004357
022 D000003 485196
022 A000004 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH, INC.
022 B000004 13-5674085
022 C000004 1585058
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022 C000005 648486
022 D000005 19997
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022 A000009 WARBURG (S.G.) & CO., INC.
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
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SIGNATURE PAUL BUCUVALAS
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
The Putnam Fund for Growth and Income
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 4
<NAME> CLASS A
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> OCT-31-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 26,109,814,444
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 30,702,393,771
<RECEIVABLES> 454,671,615
<ASSETS-OTHER> 12,144,058
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 31,169,209,444
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 211,873,515
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 96,071,758
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 307,945,273
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 22,686,409,418
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 781,023,844
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 624,029,425
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 5,925,681
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 3,582,275,425
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 4,586,653,647
<NET-ASSETS> 30,861,264,171
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 678,775,559
<INTEREST-INCOME> 67,532,808
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 310,683,334
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 435,625,033
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 3,682,609,333
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 1,288,959,035
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 5,407,193,401
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (321,052,336)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> (788,135,634)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 246,322,319
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (145,128,774)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 55,800,874
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 10,288,899,924
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 87,270,432
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<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 20.87
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .86
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
The Putnam Fund for Growth and Income
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 4
<NAME> CLASS B
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> OCT-31-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 26,109,814,444
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 30,702,393,771
<RECEIVABLES> 454,671,615
<ASSETS-OTHER> 12,144,058
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 31,169,209,444
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 211,873,515
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 96,071,758
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 307,945,273
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 22,686,409,418
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 654,479,818
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 480,237,247
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 5,925,681
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 3,582,275,425
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
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<NET-ASSETS> 30,861,264,171
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<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 1,288,959,035
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<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (179,373,282)
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<SHARES-REINVESTED> 40,773,177
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 10,288,899,924
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<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 1,336,245,611
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<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 112,244,803
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
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<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
The Putnam Fund for Growth and Income
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 4
<NAME> CLASS M
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> OCT-31-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 26,109,814,444
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 30,702,393,771
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<ASSETS-OTHER> 12,144,058
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 31,169,209,444
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<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
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<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 22,686,409,418
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<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 5,925,681
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 3,582,275,425
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
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<NET-ASSETS> 30,861,264,171
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 678,775,559
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<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 310,683,334
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 435,625,033
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 3,682,609,333
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 1,288,959,035
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 5,407,193,401
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<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (4,362,788)
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<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 11,324,973
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<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 10,288,899,924
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 87,270,432
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 1,336,245,611
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
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<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 318,661,919
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 246,161,933
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<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 20.77
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<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
The Putnam Fund for Growth and Income
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 4
<NAME> CLASS Y
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> OCT-31-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 26,109,814,444
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<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
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<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 211,873,515
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
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<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 307,945,273
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
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<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 5,925,681
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<INTEREST-INCOME> 67,532,808
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 310,683,334
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 435,625,033
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 3,682,609,333
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 1,288,959,035
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 5,407,193,401
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (11,027,748)
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<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 23,896,961
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (11,053,337)
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</TABLE>
