PPLIX vs. PQIAX

Last updated Jun 5, 2026

PPLIX (Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund) and PQIAX (Principal Equity Income Fund) are both mutual funds - PPLIX is a Target Retirement Date fund managed by Principal, while PQIAX is a Large Cap Value Equities fund managed by Principal. Over the past 10 years, PPLIX returned 11.51%/yr vs 12.29%/yr for PQIAX. Their correlation of 0.93 suggests significant overlap in exposure. PPLIX charges 0.01%/yr vs 0.86%/yr for PQIAX.

Performance

PPLIX vs. PQIAX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund (PPLIX) and Principal Equity Income Fund (PQIAX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with PPLIX having a 8.51% return and PQIAX slightly lower at 8.30%. Over the past 10 years, PPLIX has underperformed PQIAX with an annualized return of 11.51%, while PQIAX has yielded a comparatively higher 12.29% annualized return.

PPLIX

• 1D: -0.86%
• 1M: 2.83%
• YTD: 8.51%
• 6M: 8.86%
• 1Y: 21.33%
• 3Y*: 18.97%
• 5Y*: 9.25%
• 10Y*: 11.51%

PQIAX

• 1D: -0.43%
• 1M: -0.36%
• YTD: 8.30%
• 6M: 7.99%
• 1Y: 22.22%
• 3Y*: 20.55%
• 5Y*: 10.61%
• 10Y*: 12.29%

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

PPLIX vs. PQIAX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PPLIX Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund	8.51%	17.55%	19.12%	20.36%	-18.78%	17.04%	16.56%	26.67%	-8.74%	22.12%
PQIAX Principal Equity Income Fund	8.30%	15.29%	26.56%	10.77%	-10.82%	21.88%	6.12%	28.44%	-5.44%	20.53%

Correlation

The correlation between PPLIX and PQIAX is 0.80, 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	0.80
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.85
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.89
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.90
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Mar 5, 2001	0.93

The correlation between PPLIX and PQIAX shifts across timeframes, from 0.80 (1 year) to 0.93 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Return for Risk

PPLIX vs. PQIAX — Risk / Return Rank

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

PPLIX

PPLIX Risk / Return Rank: 45
PPLIX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 41
PPLIX Sortino Ratio Rank: 40
PPLIX Omega Ratio Rank: 42
PPLIX Calmar Ratio Rank: 44
PPLIX Martin Ratio Rank: 57

PQIAX

PQIAX Risk / Return Rank: 57
PQIAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
PQIAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 54
PQIAX Omega Ratio Rank: 49
PQIAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 67
PQIAX Martin Ratio Rank: 62

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.

PPLIX vs. PQIAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund (PPLIX) and Principal Equity Income Fund (PQIAX). 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.

	PPLIX	PQIAX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.85	2.08	-0.23
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.63	3.07	-0.44
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.34	1.38	-0.04
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.51	3.12	-0.62
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	11.27	12.21	-0.93
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PPLIX vs. PQIAX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PPLIX Sharpe Ratio is 1.85, which is comparable to the PQIAX Sharpe Ratio of 2.08. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PPLIX and PQIAX, 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

	PPLIX	PQIAX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.85	2.08	-0.23
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.60	0.70	-0.10
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.74	0.75	-0.01
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.45	0.42	+0.03

Drawdowns

PPLIX vs. PQIAX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PPLIX drawdown since its inception was -55.61%, roughly equal to the maximum PQIAX drawdown of -54.68%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PPLIX and PQIAX.

Drawdown Indicators

	PPLIX	PQIAX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-55.61%	-54.68%	-0.93%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-8.57%	-7.07%	-1.50%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-15.59%	-15.47%	-0.12%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.85%	-21.22%	-5.63%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-32.67%	-37.67%	+5.00%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.86%	-1.21%	+0.35%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.30%	-7.01%	-1.29%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.90%	1.80%	+0.10%

Volatility

PPLIX vs. PQIAX - Volatility Comparison

Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund (PPLIX) has a higher volatility of 3.39% compared to Principal Equity Income Fund (PQIAX) at 2.55%. This indicates that PPLIX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than PQIAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PPLIX	PQIAX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.39%	2.55%	+0.84%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.25%	7.84%	+1.41%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	11.60%	10.61%	+0.99%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.47%	15.27%	+0.20%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	15.59%	16.41%	-0.82%

PPLIX vs. PQIAX - Expense Ratio Comparison

PPLIX has a 0.01% expense ratio, which is lower than PQIAX's 0.86% expense ratio.

Dividends

PPLIX vs. PQIAX - Dividend Comparison

PPLIX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.17%, which matches PQIAX's 9.18% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
PPLIX Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund	9.17%	9.95%	11.56%	4.41%	9.40%	8.04%	5.23%	7.16%	8.64%	5.12%	4.82%	6.07%
PQIAX Principal Equity Income Fund	9.18%	9.92%	20.62%	2.58%	5.37%	5.05%	1.52%	4.30%	7.41%	6.28%	3.73%	2.11%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PPLIX and PQIAX in my portfolio?

PPLIX and PQIAX have a correlation of 0.80, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, PPLIX or PQIAX?

PPLIX has higher volatility (3.39%) compared to PQIAX (2.55%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PPLIX dropped -55.61% vs PQIAX's -54.68%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PQIAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.08 vs 1.85), 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.