- ISIN
- US74255Y8883
- CUSIP
- 74255Y888
- Issuer
- Principal
- Inception Date
- Jul 10, 2017
- Region
- Developed Markets (Broad)
- Leveraged
- 1x (No leverage)
- Index Tracked
- No Index (Active)
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Preferred Stock
- Asset Class Size
- Multi-Cap
- Assets Under Management
- $2B
Share Price Chart
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Performance
PREF Performance Chart
Principal Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF (PREF) is up 2.0% since the beginning of the year. PREF is currently trading at $19 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of PREF shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,164.
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Returns By Period
Principal Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF (PREF) has returned 1.95% so far this year and 6.17% over the past 12 months.
Principal Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF
- 1D
- -0.03%
- 1M
- 0.71%
- YTD
- 1.95%
- 6M
- 2.02%
- 1Y
- 6.17%
- 3Y*
- 9.30%
- 5Y*
- 3.09%
- 10Y*
- —
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%
PREF Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Jul 26, 2017, PREF's average daily return is +0.02%, while the average monthly return is +0.36%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 16.1 years.
Historically, 66% of months were positive and 34% were negative. The best month was Apr 2020 with a return of +8.8%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -13.2%. The longest winning streak lasted 13 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 6 months.
On a daily basis, PREF closed higher 53% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 13, 2020 with a return of +3.5%, while the worst single day was Mar 18, 2020 at -9.4%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 0.31% | 1.00% | -1.76% | 1.52% | 0.60% | 0.29% | 1.95% | ||||||
| 2025 | 0.81% | 0.55% | -0.07% | -0.69% | 1.75% | 1.57% | 0.19% | 0.99% | 0.93% | 0.68% | 0.12% | 0.56% | 7.64% |
| 2024 | 2.34% | 0.56% | 1.53% | -0.44% | 1.46% | 0.57% | 1.42% | 1.13% | 1.85% | -0.65% | 1.15% | 0.00% | 11.43% |
| 2023 | 5.26% | -1.84% | -3.12% | 0.13% | -0.32% | 1.11% | 2.41% | -0.61% | -1.10% | -2.49% | 4.80% | 3.30% | 7.36% |
| 2022 | -2.07% | -3.17% | -0.59% | -3.14% | -1.76% | -3.43% | 5.20% | -1.68% | -4.95% | -0.25% | 2.89% | 0.91% | -11.80% |
| 2021 | -0.15% | -0.70% | 0.05% | 1.46% | 0.38% | 0.88% | 0.70% | 0.59% | -0.16% | -0.50% | -1.54% | 1.09% | 2.08% |
Benchmark Metrics
Principal Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF has an annualized alpha of 2.49%, beta of 0.13, and R2 of 0.15 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since July 26, 2017.
- This ETF participated in 33.82% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 25.95% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- Beta of 0.13 may look defensive, but with R2 of 0.15 this ETF is largely uncorrelated with S&P 500 Index - low beta reflects independence, not downside protection. See the Volatility section for a true picture of this ETF's risk.
- R2 of 0.15 means this ETF moves largely independently of S&P 500 Index - capture ratios reflect limited market correlation rather than active downside protection. Consider using a more representative benchmark.
- Alpha
- 2.49%
- Beta
- 0.13
- R²
- 0.15
- Upside Capture
- 25.95%
- Downside Capture
- 33.82%
Expense Ratio
PREF has an expense ratio of 0.55%, placing it in the medium range.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
PREF ranks 61 for risk / return — better than 61% of ETFs 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 Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF (PREF) 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.
| PREF | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.04 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.10 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.41 | 1.37 | +0.04 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.15 | 2.78 | -0.64 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 11.17 | 12.44 | -1.26 |
Dividends
Dividend History
Principal Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF provided a 5.14% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.98 per share. The fund has been increasing its distributions for 3 consecutive years.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.98 | $0.93 | $0.87 | $0.82 | $0.79 | $0.82 | $0.90 | $0.94 | $0.99 | $0.47 |
Dividend yield | 5.14% | 4.87% | 4.65% | 4.67% | 4.63% | 4.07% | 4.35% | 4.67% | 5.49% | 2.35% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for Principal Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF. 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 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.42 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.07 | $0.08 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.08 | $0.17 | $0.93 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.14 | $0.87 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.06 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.06 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.14 | $0.82 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.06 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.06 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.06 | $0.13 | $0.79 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.08 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.07 | $0.06 | $0.13 | $0.82 |
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 Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF. 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 Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF was 22.99%, occurring on Mar 19, 2020. Recovery took 110 trading sessions.
The current Principal Spectrum Preferred Secs Active ETF drawdown is 0.03%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
COVID crash2020 | -22.99%Mar 2020 | 24d | 5mo 9d | 6mo 3dFeb 2020 - Aug 2020 |
Bear market2022 | -16.99%Oct 2022 | 1y 1mo | 1y 8mo | 2y 9moSep 2021 - Jul 2024 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -6.42%Dec 2018 | 11mo 11d | 2mo 26d | 1y 2moJan 2018 - Mar 2019 |
2026 pullback2026 | -2.88%Mar 2026 | 1mo | 2mo 1d | 3mo 1dFeb 2026 - May 2026 |
2025 selloff2025 | -2.56%Apr 2025 | 20d | 1mo 2d | 1mo 22dMar 2025 - May 2025 |
Drawdown Indicators
| PREF | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -22.99% | -56.78% | +33.79% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -2.88% | -9.10% | +6.22% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -4.39% | -18.90% | +14.51% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -16.99% | -25.43% | +8.44% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -33.92% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.03% | -1.80% | +1.77% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -3.64% | -10.71% | +7.07% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 0.55% | 2.03% | -1.48% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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