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000 A000000 12/31/96
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001 C000000 6172921000
002 A000000 ONE POST OFFICE SQUARE
002 B000000 BOSTON
002 C000000 MA
002 D010000 02109
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004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
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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 801-7974
008 D010001 BOSTON
008 D020001 MA
008 D030001 02109
012 A000001 PUTNAM INVESTOR SERVICES
012 B000001 84-401299
012 C010001 BOSTON
012 C020001 MA
012 C030001 02109
013 A000001 COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P.
013 B010001 BOSTON
013 B020001 MA
013 B030001 02110
015 A000001 PUTNAM FIDUCIARY TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 BOSTON
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<PAGE> PAGE 2
015 C030001 02109
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
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020 A000001 BEAR STERNS & CO.
020 B000001 13-4946705
020 C000001 3
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020 C000004 0
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021 000000 3
022 A000001 LEHMAN BROTHERS
022 B000001 13-2518466
022 C000001 352950
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
022 B000002 13-3224016
022 C000002 124196
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022 A000003 MORGAN STANLEY INC.
022 B000003 13-2655998
022 C000003 52500
022 D000003 0
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022 B000004 13-2932996
022 C000004 25667
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022 C000005 20299
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022 A000007 SMITH, BARNEY, HARRIS, UPHAM & CO.
022 B000007 13-1912900
022 C000007 9767
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022 A000008 BAIRD (ROBERT W.) & CO. INC.
022 B000008 39-6037917
022 C000008 3344
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<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 A000009 WARBURG (S.G.) & CO., INC.
022 B000009 13-3340045
022 C000009 3000
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022 A000010 UNION BANK OF SWITZERLAND
022 C000010 3000
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025 D000008 0
026 A000000 Y
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
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026 E000000 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 4
028 F040000 0
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<PAGE> PAGE 5
048 K020000 0.550
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
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054 C000000 Y
054 D000000 N
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054 F000000 N
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054 H000000 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 6
066 B000000 N
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<PAGE> PAGE 7
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<PAGE> PAGE 8
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SIGNATURE PAUL BUCUVALAS
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<LEGEND>
Financial Data Schedule for Putnam Dividend Income Fund
</LEGEND>
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 1
<NAME> CLASS A
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> OTHER
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> JUN-30-1996
<PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1996
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 177,051,562
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 178,814,095
<RECEIVABLES> 1,281,183
<ASSETS-OTHER> 542
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 180,095,820
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 1,108,116
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 1,108,116
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 122,164,096
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 10,821,255
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 10,821,255
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 181,125
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> (5,120,050)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> (1,762,533)
<NET-ASSETS> 178,987,704
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 6,464,211
<INTEREST-INCOME> 127,607
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 857,799
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 5,734,019
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 260,025
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 4,130,194
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 10,124,238
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (5,200,472)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 4,923,766
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> (352,422)
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> (5,380,075)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 659,255
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 865,565
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 115,514,880
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 10.54
<PER-SHARE-NII> .53
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .40
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.50)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 10.97
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .75
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
