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Managed Fund Since 2016
Equity
Putnam VT Global Health Care Fund
Popular Documents
Total Net Assets
$151.99M
As of 11/30/2025 (Updated Monthly)
Overview
Fund Facts
Fund description
The fund seeks to provide a balanced investment composed of a well-diversified portfolio of stocks and bonds that produces both capital growth and current income. One of the pioneering mutual funds, it offers exposure to high-quality bonds to help manage volatility, and high-conviction stocks to drive relative returns.
- Benchmark
- MSCI World Health Care Index-NR
- Fund Inception Date
- 04/30/1998
- Share Class Inception Date
- 04/30/1998
Identifiers
- Ticker
- —
- Fund Number
- 5472
- CUSIP Code
- 746896653
- Bloomberg Code
- VPHSIBV US
Geographic Focus
As of 11/30/2025 % of Total (Updated Monthly)
United States78.52% | |
United Kingdom6.26% | |
Switzerland5.35% | |
Denmark4.15% | |
Japan1.83% |
Additional Fund Info
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Morningstar Category
4 - Health
- Lipper Classification
- Health/Biotechnology Funds
- Investment Style
- Sector
Manager and Commentary
About the Team
Putnam Investments
Putnam Investments has been serving clients and shareholders for over 85 years. We manage a range of equity portfolios with a focus on stock-specific opportunities. Our approach — stock-driven rather than style-driven — is designed to offer consistent outperformance, regardless of the market environment. Our portfolios are fueled by a variety of independent views and perspectives, enhanced by fundamental research and ongoing dialogue and debate. We combine this with portfolio construction that aims to reduce broader macro exposures and manage downside risk.
Putnam Investments
Latest Insights
December 10, 2025
August 14, 2025
Portfolio
Assets
As of11/30/2025 (Updated Monthly)
- Total Net Assets
- $151.99 Million
Positions
As of 11/30/2025 (Updated Monthly)
Number of Issuers
- Fund
- 38
Portfolio Statistics
As of 11/30/2025 (Updated Monthly)
Price to Earnings (12-Month Forward)
- Fund
- 21.50x
- Fund
- $311.22 Billion
- Fund
- 6.29x
Sector Allocation
As of 11/30/2025 % of Total (Updated Monthly)
| Sector | % of Total | Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
Pharmaceuticals | 42.31% | 43.78% |
Biotechnology | 20.19% | 15.87% |
Health Care Equipment | 13.87% | 16.59% |
Life Sciences Tools & Services | 6.44% | 7.68% |
Managed Health Care | 5.06% | 5.19% |
Health Care Distributors | 5.03% | 2.91% |
Health Care Services | 2.39% | 3.19% |
Health Care Facilities | 2.14% | 1.19% |
Health Care Supplies | 0.84% | 2.93% |
Health Care Technology | — | 0.67% |
Cash & Other Net Assets | 1.74% | — |
Holdings
As of 10/31/2025 (Updated Monthly)
ELI LILLY & CO SEDOL 2516152
JOHNSON & JOHNSON SEDOL 2475833
ABBVIE INC SEDOL B92SR70
UNITEDHEALTH GROUP INC SEDOL 2917766
ASTRAZENECA PLC SEDOL 0989529
NOVARTIS AG-REG SEDOL 7103065
THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC INC SEDOL 2886907
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORP SEDOL 2113434
ABBOTT LABORATORIES SEDOL 2002305
INTUITIVE SURGICAL INC SEDOL 2871301
Portfolio holdings are based on the total portfolio and are subject to change at any time. Holdings are provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell any security.
Distributions & Tax
- Distribution Frequency
- AnnuallyThis fund is an ex-Dividend fund
- Capital Gain Distributions
- March
Final composition of the current year’s distribution—income, capital gains and/or return of capital—are based on US tax rules and will be determined by February of the following year. For tax characterization of a distribution, such as return of capital and tax-exempt income, click on the “Tax Information” tab above.
Distributions Per Share
03/28/2025
Annually, a fund must distribute all realized capital gains net of realized losses, so the fund will not be subject to an entity level income tax. A fund’s capital gain distribution in a particular year may be a result of the disposition of holdings that appreciated in value during prior years. Thus, while the fund may gain or lose value over the course of a year, a capital gain distribution paid by the fund may not be indicative of current performance of the fund.
The distributable amount of net capital gains are paid on a per-share basis to all investors who hold shares of the fund on the record date of the distribution and are recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes as of the ex-date of the distribution, regardless of when the gains or losses arose in the fund. Net gains on holdings held long term by the fund would be distributed to shareholders as a long-term capital gain distribution no matter how long the shareholder has owned shares in the fund.
Refer to the fund’s annual report or statement of additional information for specific information regarding distributions.
Documents
Regulatory Documents
| Name | Download | Add to Cart | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Financial Statements and Other Information - Putnam VT Global Health Care Fund | |||
| Annual Report - Putnam VT Global Health Care Fund - Class IB | |||
| Semi-Annual Report - Putnam VT Global Health Care Fund - Class IB | |||
| Semi-Annual Financial Statements and Other Information - Putnam VT Global Health Care Fund | |||
| Prospectus - Putnam VT Global Health Care Fund | |||
| Summary Prospectus - Putnam VT Global Health Care Fund | |||
| Statement Of Additional Information - Putnam Variable Trust | |||
| Fiscal Q1 Holdings - Putnam VT Global Health Care Fund | |||
| Fiscal Q3 Holdings - PUTNAM VARIABLE TRUST |
Risks
All investments involve risks, including possible loss of principal. International investments are subject to special risks, including currency fluctuations and social, economic and political uncertainties, which could increase volatility. These risks are magnified in emerging markets. Small- and mid-cap stocks involve greater risks and volatility than large-cap stocks. The investment style may become out of favor, which may have a negative impact on performance. To the extent the portfolio invests in a concentration of certain securities, regions or industries, it is subject to increased volatility. The portfolio is non-diversified and may invest in a relatively small number of issuers, which may negatively impact the performance and result in greater fluctuation in value. Derivative instruments can be illiquid, may disproportionately increase losses, and have a potentially large impact on performance. Active management does not ensure gains or protect against market declines. The manager may consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in the research or investment process; however, ESG considerations may not be a determinative factor in security selection. In addition, the manager may not assess every investment for ESG criteria, and not every ESG factor may be identified or evaluated. These and other risks are discussed in the fund’s prospectus.
Important Information
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. These portfolios are available as investment options under a variable annuity or variable life contract. Shares of the portfolios are offered only to insurance company separate accounts that fund certain variable annuity or life contracts. These portfolios may not be available in all states and may only be offered in certain variable products. Please refer to the prospectuses. Variable annuities are long-term, tax-deferred investment vehicles designed for retirement purposes. Gains from tax-deferred investments are taxable as ordinary income upon withdrawal. Withdrawals made prior to age 59 1/2 are subject to a 10% IRS penalty charge and/or surrender charges. Investments in a variable annuity are subject to market risks, including loss of principal. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the insurer.
VARIABLE ANNUITIES ARE SOLD BY PROSPECTUS ONLY. AN INVESTOR SHOULD CONSIDER THE INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, RISKS, CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF THE INSURANCE CONTRACT AND THE UNDERLYING PORTFOLIO CAREFULLY BEFORE INVESTING. THE PROSPECTUSES CONTAIN THIS AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSURANCE CONTRACT AND THE UNDERLYING PORTFOLIO. FOR A FREE PROSPECTUS ON THE UNDERLYING PORTFOLIO, PLEASE CLICK ON THE PROSPECTUS LINK. AN INVESTOR SHOULD READ THE PROSPECTUSES CAREFULLY BEFORE INVESTING.
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Important data provider notices and terms available at www.franklintempletondatasources.com.
CFA® and Chartered Financial Analyst® are trademarks owned by CFA Institute.
Indexes are unmanaged and one cannot invest directly in an index. They do not reflect any fees, expenses or sales charges.
The MSCI World Health Care Index is a free float-adjusted market capitalization-weighted index that is designed to measure the equity market performance of developed markets in the health care sector. Source: MSCI makes no warranties and shall have no liability with respect to any MSCI data reproduced herein. No further redistribution or use is permitted. This report is not prepared or endorsed by MSCI.
Net Returns (NR) include income net of tax withholding when dividends are paid.
Franklin Distributors, LLC. Member FINRA/SIPC. Putnam Investment is a Franklin Templeton company. Investment Products: NOT FDIC INSURED | NO BANK GUARANTEE | MAY LOSE VALUE.
Reports and other information about the fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC's Internet site at www.sec.gov.
FINANCIAL ADVISORS: Please note that not all share classes may be available for sale at your firm. Please call Franklin Templeton at (800) 530-2432 for more information.