Principal International Equity ETF (PIEQ) belongs to the Foreign Large Cap Equities category. Below you'll find alternative ETFs from the same category, ranked by key criteria, plus funds that investors commonly compare with PIEQ. Use the tables to find lower-cost options, better risk-adjusted returns, or a closer substitute for your current allocation.
Cheapest Alternatives to PIEQ
PIEQ charges 0.48% annually. There are 105 ETFs in the Foreign Large Cap Equities category with lower expense ratios, going as low as 0.03%.
| Symbol | Name | Expense Ratio | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanguard FTSE Developed Markets ETF | 0.03% | 316.30B | Jul 2007 | PIEQ vs VEA | |
| Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF | 0.04% | 94.90B | Mar 2007 | PIEQ vs VEU | |
| BNY Mellon International Equity ETF | 0.04% | 1.31B | Apr 2020 | PIEQ vs BKIE | |
| SPDR Portfolio World ex-US ETF | 0.04% | 40.07B | Apr 2007 | PIEQ vs SPDW | |
| iShares Core MSCI International Developed Markets ... | 0.05% | 31.64B | Mar 2017 | PIEQ vs IDEV |
Best Risk-Adjusted Alternatives to PIEQ
PIEQ has a PortfoliosLab risk / return rank of 71. There are 82 ETFs in the Foreign Large Cap Equities category with higher risk-adjusted ranks, going as high as 96.
| Symbol | Name | Risk / Return Rank | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMO International Value ETF | 96 | 489.00M | Oct 2024 | PIEQ vs GMOI | |
| Global X MSCI SuperDividend® EAFE ETF | 94 | 52.73M | Nov 2016 | PIEQ vs EFAS | |
| VictoryShares International Free Cash Flow ETF | 94 | 196.67M | Jun 2025 | PIEQ vs IFLO | |
| ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF | 93 | 549.25M | Jun 2013 | PIEQ vs IDOG | |
| Fidelity International High Dividend ETF | 93 | 325.11M | Jan 2018 | PIEQ vs FIDI |
Top Performing PIEQ Alternatives (YTD)
PIEQ is at 10.07% YTD. There are 130 ETFs in the Foreign Large Cap Equities category with higher YTD returns, going as high as 32.73%.
| Symbol | Name | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renaissance International IPO ETF | 32.73% | 11.77M | Oct 2014 | PIEQ vs IPOS | |
| Pacer Nasdaq International Patent Leaders ETF | 27.96% | 190.45M | Sep 2024 | PIEQ vs PATN | |
| Invesco S&P International Developed High Quality E... | 26.27% | 939.30M | Jun 2007 | PIEQ vs IDHQ | |
| Harbor International Equity ETF | 23.34% | 7.71M | Jun 2025 | PIEQ vs EPIN | |
| VictoryShares International Free Cash Flow ETF | 22.59% | 196.67M | Jun 2025 | PIEQ vs IFLO |
Lowest Volatility Alternatives to PIEQ
PIEQ has 17.37% 1-year volatility. There are 140 ETFs in the Foreign Large Cap Equities category with lower 1-year volatility, going as low as 6.80%.
| Symbol | Name | Volatility 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF | 6.80% | 31.30M | Aug 2015 | PIEQ vs CIL | |
| AB International Buffer ETF | 9.04% | 122.81M | Dec 2024 | PIEQ vs BUFI | |
| First Trust S&P International Dividend Aristocrats... | 10.17% | 167.77M | Aug 2013 | PIEQ vs FID | |
| iShares MSCI EAFE Min Vol Factor ETF | 10.67% | 5.44B | Oct 2011 | PIEQ vs EFAV | |
| Franklin Sustainable International Equity ETF | 10.71% | 2.98M | Nov 2015 | PIEQ vs MCSE |
Lowest Drawdown Alternatives to PIEQ
PIEQ has a 1-year max drawdown of -9.53%. There are 26 ETFs in the Foreign Large Cap Equities category with shallower 1-year drawdowns, going as shallow as -4.60%.
| Symbol | Name | Max Drawdown 1Y | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF | -4.60% | 31.30M | Aug 2015 | PIEQ vs CIL | |
| Global X MSCI SuperDividend® EAFE ETF | -5.30% | 52.73M | Nov 2016 | PIEQ vs EFAS | |
| AB International Buffer ETF | -5.69% | 122.81M | Dec 2024 | PIEQ vs BUFI | |
| VictoryShares International Free Cash Flow ETF | -6.44% | 196.67M | Jun 2025 | PIEQ vs IFLO | |
| ALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF | -6.47% | 549.25M | Jun 2013 | PIEQ vs IDOG |
Other ETFs from Principal
The 10 most viewed Principal ETFs shown here include USMC, PREF, YLD and span 10 categories. AUM among these funds goes as high as $4B.
| Symbol | Name | Category | Risk / Return Rank | YTD Return | AUM | Inception | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 59 | 8.72% | 3.50B | Oct 2017 | PIEQ vs USMC | |
| Principal Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF | Preferred Stock | 69 | 1.65% | 1.70B | Jul 2017 | PIEQ vs PREF | |
| Principal Active High Yield ETF | High Yield Bonds | 64 | 3.34% | 572.20M | Jul 2015 | PIEQ vs YLD | |
| Principal U.S. Small Cap Multi-Factor ETF | Small Cap Blend Equities, Multi-factor | 73 | 18.31% | 1.30B | Sep 2016 | PIEQ vs PSC | |
| Principal Quality ETF | Quality Factor, Large Cap Growth Equities | 19 | 3.11% | 53.80M | Mar 2016 | PIEQ vs PSET | |
| Principal Spectrum Preferred and Income ETF | Preferred Stock | 63 | 1.57% | 70.10M | Jun 2020 | PIEQ vs PQDI | |
| Principal Value ETF | Large Cap Value Equities | 64 | 9.01% | 124.50M | Mar 2016 | PIEQ vs PY | |
| Principal Investment Grade Corporate Active ETF | Corporate Bonds, Investment Grade Bonds | — | — | 133.79M | Apr 2018 | PIEQ vs IG | |
| Principal Real Estate Active Opportunities ETF | REIT | 47 | 15.21% | 28.20M | May 2022 | PIEQ vs BYRE | |
| Principal Focused Blue Chip ETF | Large Cap Growth Equities | 10 | 0.96% | 228.00M | Jul 2023 | PIEQ vs BCHP |
Often Compared With PIEQ
Investors most often compare PIEQ with JHID, KEMX, GSG. These 20 comparison targets span 10 categories, based on PortfoliosLab usage data.
Compare PIEQ with Any Fund or Stock
Compare PIEQ with any ETF, mutual fund, or stock using PortfoliosLab's comparison tool.
Pair PIEQ with funds that move differently
Principal International Equity ETF alternatives help with substitution. Diversifiers are the next step when you want funds with lower historical correlation to PIEQ.
Explore PIEQ Diversifiers