- ISIN
- US74254V8697
- CUSIP
- 74254V869
- Issuer
- Principal
- Inception Date
- May 31, 1939
- Category
- Large Cap Value Equities
- Min. Investment
- $1,000
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Large-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Value
Share Price Chart
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Performance
PQIAX Performance Chart
Principal Equity Income Fund (PQIAX) is up 9.6% since the beginning of the year. PQIAX is currently trading at $44 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of PQIAX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,747.
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Returns By Period
Principal Equity Income Fund (PQIAX) has returned 9.60% so far this year and 23.37% over the past 12 months. Over the last ten years, PQIAX has returned 12.48% per year, falling short of the S&P 500 Index benchmark, which averaged 13.88% annually.
Principal Equity Income Fund
- 1D
- 0.25%
- 1M
- 1.00%
- YTD
- 9.60%
- 6M
- 9.19%
- 1Y
- 23.37%
- 3Y*
- 19.69%
- 5Y*
- 11.80%
- 10Y*
- 12.48%
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.37%
- 1M
- -0.01%
- YTD
- 9.16%
- 6M
- 8.64%
- 1Y
- 25.22%
- 3Y*
- 19.78%
- 5Y*
- 11.99%
- 10Y*
- 13.88%
PQIAX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Dec 31, 1984, PQIAX's average daily return is +0.03%, while the average monthly return is +0.57%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 10.2 years.
Historically, 61% of months were positive and 39% were negative. The best month was Nov 2020 with a return of +11.6%, while the worst month was Oct 2008 at -17.1%. The longest winning streak lasted 12 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 5 months.
On a daily basis, PQIAX closed higher 52% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 24, 2020 with a return of +10.1%, while the worst single day was Dec 2, 1997 at -10.3%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3.50% | 2.98% | -4.52% | 7.33% | -1.10% | 1.46% | 9.60% | ||||||
| 2025 | 5.05% | -0.39% | -3.90% | -3.02% | 4.28% | 3.74% | 0.86% | 3.57% | 1.23% | -0.37% | 4.20% | -0.44% | 15.29% |
| 2024 | 0.32% | 2.79% | 4.64% | -4.04% | 3.33% | -0.05% | 4.60% | 3.34% | 1.32% | -0.99% | 6.23% | 2.75% | 26.56% |
| 2023 | 6.26% | -4.43% | -1.55% | 2.25% | -5.11% | 7.05% | 3.85% | -3.76% | -3.59% | -3.58% | 8.13% | 6.19% | 10.77% |
| 2022 | -2.60% | -3.62% | 2.37% | -5.74% | 2.72% | -8.41% | 6.66% | -3.15% | -9.45% | 8.82% | 7.37% | -4.25% | -10.82% |
| 2021 | -1.44% | 4.43% | 4.35% | 4.11% | 1.90% | -0.45% | 1.42% | 1.85% | -5.35% | 6.72% | -2.31% | 5.43% | 21.88% |
Benchmark Metrics
Principal Equity Income Fund has an annualized alpha of -0.30%, beta of 0.69, and R2 of 0.71 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since December 31, 1984.
- This fund participated in 77.12% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 66.28% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- Beta of 0.69 indicates this fund moves significantly less than S&P 500 Index - a genuinely defensive profile with reduced participation in both market rallies and downturns.
- Alpha
- -0.30%
- Beta
- 0.69
- R²
- 0.71
- Upside Capture
- 66.28%
- Downside Capture
- 77.12%
Expense Ratio
PQIAX has an expense ratio of 0.86%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
PQIAX ranks 71 for risk / return — better than 71% of mutual funds on our site. You're getting solid returns for the risk taken. A good sign, especially for investors who want growth without excessive volatility.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for Principal Equity Income Fund (PQIAX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| PQIAX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.18 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.49 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.40 | 1.37 | +0.03 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 3.35 | 2.78 | +0.56 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 13.11 | 12.44 | +0.67 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Principal Equity Income Fund provided a 9.15% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $4.07 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $4.07 | $4.05 | $8.04 | $0.97 | $1.87 | $2.08 | $0.54 | $1.47 | $2.05 | $1.97 | $1.03 | $0.53 |
Dividend yield | 9.15% | 9.92% | 20.62% | 2.58% | 5.37% | 5.05% | 1.52% | 4.30% | 7.41% | 6.28% | 3.73% | 2.11% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Principal Equity Income Fund. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.14 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.15 | $0.29 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.15 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.18 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $3.59 | $4.05 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.17 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.16 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $7.57 | $8.04 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.17 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.18 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.19 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.43 | $0.97 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.12 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.49 | $1.87 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.13 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.10 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.72 | $2.08 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Principal Equity Income Fund. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the Principal Equity Income Fund was 54.68%, occurring on Mar 9, 2009. Recovery took 883 trading sessions.
The current Principal Equity Income Fund drawdown is 0.69%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Financial crisis2007–2009 | -54.68%Mar 2009 | 1y 7mo | 3y 6mo | 5y 1moJul 2007 - Sep 2012 |
COVID crash2020 | -37.67%Mar 2020 | 2mo 2d | 7mo 28d | 10moJan 2020 - Nov 2020 |
Dot-com crash2000–2002 | -31.34%Oct 2002 | 5y 2d | 1y 3mo | 6y 3moOct 1997 - Jan 2004 |
Black Monday1987 | -21.42%Dec 1987 | 1y 21d | 1y 7mo | 2y 8moNov 1986 - Jul 1989 |
Bear market2022 | -21.22%Oct 2022 | 9mo 10d | 1y 4mo | 2y 1moJan 2022 - Feb 2024 |
Drawdown Indicators
| PQIAX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -54.68% | -56.78% | +2.10% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -7.07% | -9.10% | +2.03% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -15.47% | -18.90% | +3.43% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -21.22% | -25.43% | +4.21% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -37.67% | -33.92% | -3.75% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.69% | -1.80% | +1.11% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -7.00% | -10.71% | +3.71% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 1.80% | 2.03% | -0.23% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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