PHTJX vs. VTINX

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

PHTJX (Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2035 Fund) and VTINX (Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund) are both mutual funds - PHTJX is a Target Retirement Date fund managed by Principal, while VTINX is a Diversified Portfolio fund managed by Vanguard. Over the past 10 years, PHTJX returned 9.60%/yr vs 5.31%/yr for VTINX. Their correlation of 0.88 suggests significant overlap in exposure. PHTJX charges 0.05%/yr vs 0.08%/yr for VTINX.

Performance

PHTJX vs. VTINX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2035 Fund (PHTJX) and Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund (VTINX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PHTJX achieves a 7.73% return, which is significantly higher than VTINX's 4.55% return. Over the past 10 years, PHTJX has outperformed VTINX with an annualized return of 9.60%, while VTINX has yielded a comparatively lower 5.31% annualized return.

PHTJX

• 1D: 0.42%
• 1M: 3.15%
• YTD: 7.73%
• 6M: 8.33%
• 1Y: 20.31%
• 3Y*: 14.95%
• 5Y*: 7.34%
• 10Y*: 9.60%

VTINX

• 1D: 0.07%
• 1M: 1.69%
• YTD: 4.55%
• 6M: 5.05%
• 1Y: 12.09%
• 3Y*: 9.43%
• 5Y*: 4.19%
• 10Y*: 5.31%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

PHTJX vs. VTINX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PHTJX Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2035 Fund	7.73%	15.57%	12.67%	16.45%	-17.37%	15.57%	15.13%	22.69%	-8.00%	18.13%
VTINX Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund	4.55%	11.31%	6.66%	10.66%	-12.75%	5.24%	10.02%	13.16%	-1.98%	7.46%

Correlation

The correlation between PHTJX and VTINX is 0.93, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.93
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.89
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.88
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.87
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 2, 2014	0.88

The correlation between PHTJX and VTINX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.87 to 0.93 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

PHTJX vs. VTINX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

PHTJX

PHTJX Risk / Return Rank: 69
PHTJX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 67
PHTJX Sortino Ratio Rank: 67
PHTJX Omega Ratio Rank: 66
PHTJX Calmar Ratio Rank: 68
PHTJX Martin Ratio Rank: 77

VTINX

VTINX Risk / Return Rank: 71
VTINX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 75
VTINX Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
VTINX Omega Ratio Rank: 77
VTINX Calmar Ratio Rank: 60
VTINX Martin Ratio Rank: 68

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

PHTJX vs. VTINX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2035 Fund (PHTJX) and Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund (VTINX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	PHTJX	VTINX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.40	2.51	-0.11
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	3.41	3.68	-0.27
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.45	1.50	-0.05
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.19	2.98	+0.21
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	14.50	13.16	+1.34
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PHTJX vs. VTINX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PHTJX Sharpe Ratio is 2.40, which is comparable to the VTINX Sharpe Ratio of 2.51. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PHTJX and VTINX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	PHTJX	VTINX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.40	2.51	-0.11
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.63	0.69	-0.07
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.77	0.93	-0.16
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.70	0.93	-0.22

Drawdowns

PHTJX vs. VTINX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PHTJX drawdown since its inception was -27.17%, which is greater than VTINX's maximum drawdown of -19.96%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PHTJX and VTINX.

Drawdown Indicators

	PHTJX	VTINX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-27.17%	-19.96%	-7.21%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-6.47%	-4.14%	-2.33%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-11.58%	-5.26%	-6.32%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-23.12%	-17.02%	-6.10%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-27.17%	-17.02%	-10.15%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-4.19%	-2.20%	-1.99%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.42%	0.94%	+0.48%

Volatility

PHTJX vs. VTINX - Volatility Comparison

Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2035 Fund (PHTJX) has a higher volatility of 2.70% compared to Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund (VTINX) at 1.77%. This indicates that PHTJX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than VTINX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PHTJX	VTINX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	2.70%	1.77%	+0.93%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	6.94%	4.02%	+2.92%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	8.67%	4.89%	+3.78%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	11.79%	6.06%	+5.73%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	12.51%	5.73%	+6.78%

PHTJX vs. VTINX - Expense Ratio Comparison

PHTJX has a 0.05% expense ratio, which is lower than VTINX's 0.08% expense ratio. Despite the difference, both funds are considered low-cost compared to the broader market, where average expense ratios usually range from 0.3% to 0.9%.

Dividends

PHTJX vs. VTINX - Dividend Comparison

PHTJX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 4.35%, less than VTINX's 4.81% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PHTJX Principal LifeTime Hybrid 2035 Fund	4.35%	4.68%	4.09%	3.37%	8.44%	4.96%	3.98%	3.71%	4.01%	2.31%	1.99%	1.67%
VTINX Vanguard Target Retirement Income Fund	4.81%	5.02%	5.89%	4.01%	3.08%	8.63%	3.42%	2.62%	4.19%	1.56%	2.27%	3.53%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PHTJX and VTINX in my portfolio?

With a correlation of 0.93, PHTJX and VTINX move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.

Which is riskier, PHTJX or VTINX?

PHTJX has higher volatility (2.70%) compared to VTINX (1.77%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PHTJX dropped -27.17% vs VTINX's -19.96%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

VTINX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.51 vs 2.40), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.