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Principal International Equity ETF (PIEQ) Sortino Ratio: 3.65

PIEQ's Sortino Ratio of 3.65 indicates that for each unit of downside volatility, it generates 3.65 units of excess return. The ratio is calculated using historical daily returns over the past 12 months (as of Apr 15, 2026).

Unlike other measures, Sortino only focuses on downside volatility (losses), making it particularly useful for investors more concerned about protecting against drawdowns than overall price swings.

PIEQ Sortino Ratio Rank


PIEQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 75.475
Above Average

PIEQ ranks above 75.4% of all investments in our database based on Sortino Ratio over the past 12 months, indicating above-average returns relative to downside risk taken. Securities are ranked from 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

What moves the rank

  • Strong returns with minimal downside volatility → Higher rank
  • Severe or frequent drawdowns → Lower rank
  • Upside volatility → No impact (Sortino doesn't penalize upside swings)

What you can do with this information

  • Above-average downside protection with room for improvement
  • Compare against category peers to gauge relative positioning
  • Monitor for movement toward top tier or decline toward median
  • Consider pairing with top-tier holdings to improve portfolio risk profile

PIEQ Sortino Ratio Market Positioning

The chart shows PIEQ's Sortino Ratio relative to all ETFs on our platform, with color zones indicating percentile rankings. Higher ratios indicate better downside-adjusted returns.


  • Red zone (bottom 25%): 1.75 or lower
  • Yellow zone (middle 50%): 1.75 to 3.62
  • Green zone (top 25%): 3.62 or higher
  • Top 1%: 12.89+
  • Median: 2.80 — half of all investments score higher

How it compares to other similar ETFs

The table compares Principal International Equity ETF's Sortino Ratio with other ETFs in the Foreign Large Cap Equities category across multiple time periods, showing how PIEQ's risk-adjusted performance compares to similar funds.

Data shows 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods, plus each fund's all-time average, as of Apr 15, 2026.


SymbolName1Y Sortino Ratio5Y Sortino Ratio10Y Sortino RatioAll Time Sortino Ratio
EFASGlobal X MSCI SuperDividend® EAFE ETF5.95
VIDIVident International Equity Fund5.29
GMOIGMO International Value ETF5.22
JHIDJohn Hancock International High Dividend ETF5.14
JIVEJpmorgan International Value ETF5.11
DFIVDimensional International Value ETF4.98
RODMHartford Multifactor Developed Markets (ex-US) ETF4.94
IDOGALPS International Sector Dividend Dogs ETF4.89
CILVictoryShares International Volatility Wtd ETF4.87
XIDVFranklin International Dividend Booster Index ETF4.77
PIEQPrincipal International Equity ETF3.65

S&P 500 Index

How to choose period

Historical Sortino Ratio

The chart shows PIEQ's rolling Sortino ratio over time compared to your chosen benchmark. Rising trends indicate improving returns relative to downside risk, while declining trends may signal deteriorating risk-adjusted performance or increased volatility during market stress. Use multiple timeframes to distinguish short-term fluctuations from long-term patterns.

Identify market cycles by observing when PIEQ consistently outperforms (line above benchmark), underperforms (below benchmark), or aligns with the benchmark.


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Explore PIEQ risk-adjusted metrics in detail

Dive deeper into individual metrics with historical trends, benchmark comparisons, and performance across different time periods.