PQIAX vs. CAIFX

Last updated Aug 1, 2026

PQIAX (Principal Equity Income Fund) and CAIFX (American Funds Capital Income Builder Fund Class F-2) are both Dividend funds. Over the past 10 years, PQIAX returned 12.49%/yr vs 8.14%/yr for CAIFX. Their correlation of 0.89 means they have usually moved in the same direction. PQIAX charges 0.86%/yr vs 0.37%/yr for CAIFX.

Performance

PQIAX vs. CAIFX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Principal Equity Income Fund (PQIAX) and American Funds Capital Income Builder Fund Class F-2 (CAIFX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, PQIAX achieves a 12.73% return, which is significantly higher than CAIFX's 10.50% return. Over the past 10 years, PQIAX has outperformed CAIFX with an annualized return of 12.49%, while CAIFX has yielded a comparatively lower 8.14% annualized return.

PQIAX

• 1D: 0.48%
• 1M: 1.55%
• 6M: 8.92%
• YTD: 12.73%
• 1Y: 23.38%
• 3Y*: 19.10%
• 5Y*: 11.48%
• 10Y*: 12.49%
• ALL TIME*: 6.33%

CAIFX

• 1D: 0.76%
• 1M: 1.61%
• 6M: 7.05%
• YTD: 10.50%
• 1Y: 19.06%
• 3Y*: 14.97%
• 5Y*: 9.39%
• 10Y*: 8.14%
• ALL TIME*: 6.77%

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

Liquidity Comparison

Position	Avg. Volume Value (2W)	Avg. Volume Value (1M)	Avg. Volume Value (3M)
CAIFX American Funds Capital Income Builder Fund Class F-2	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00
PQIAX Principal Equity Income Fund	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00

PQIAX vs. CAIFX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PQIAX Principal Equity Income Fund	12.73%	15.29%	26.56%	10.77%	-10.82%	21.88%	6.12%	28.44%	-5.44%	20.53%
CAIFX American Funds Capital Income Builder Fund Class F-2	10.50%	20.63%	10.47%	9.21%	-6.95%	15.26%	3.41%	17.49%	-7.10%	14.19%

Correlation

The correlation between PQIAX and CAIFX is 0.83, meaning they have usually moved in the same direction, including during past declines.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most.	0.83
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history.	0.85
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period.	0.89
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions.	0.87
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Aug 1, 2008	0.89

The correlation between PQIAX and CAIFX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.83 to 0.89 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

PQIAX vs. CAIFX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare historical risk-adjusted metric ranks over the past 12 months.

PQIAX

PQIAX Risk / Return Rank: 84
PQIAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 83
PQIAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
PQIAX Omega Ratio Rank: 79
PQIAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 86
PQIAX Martin Ratio Rank: 89

CAIFX

CAIFX Risk / Return Rank: 85
CAIFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 88
CAIFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 86
CAIFX Omega Ratio Rank: 85
CAIFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 82
CAIFX Martin Ratio Rank: 86

The rank (0–100) uses a weighted average of the Sharpe, Sortino, Omega, Calmar, and Martin percentile ranks for the trailing 12 months. Higher means stronger historical risk-adjusted performance within the peer group.

PQIAX vs. CAIFX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Principal Equity Income Fund (PQIAX) and American Funds Capital Income Builder Fund Class F-2 (CAIFX). 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.

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	CAIFX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.99	2.19	-0.21
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	2.91	3.14	-0.23
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.36	1.41	-0.05
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.01	2.77	+0.24
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	12.01	11.12	+0.89

PQIAX vs. CAIFX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PQIAX Sharpe Ratio is 1.99, which is comparable to the CAIFX Sharpe Ratio of 2.19. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PQIAX and CAIFX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

PQIAX vs. CAIFX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PQIAX drawdown since its inception was -54.68%, which is greater than CAIFX's maximum drawdown of -36.83%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PQIAX and CAIFX.

Drawdown Indicators

	PQIAX	CAIFX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-54.68%	-36.83%	-17.85%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.07%	-6.47%	-0.60%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-15.47%	-8.88%	-6.59%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-21.22%	-17.51%	-3.71%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-37.67%	-25.27%	-12.40%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-0.80%	0.00%	-0.80%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-6.99%	-4.67%	-2.32%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.77%	1.61%	+0.16%

Volatility

PQIAX vs. CAIFX - Volatility Comparison

Principal Equity Income Fund (PQIAX) has a higher volatility of 3.02% compared to American Funds Capital Income Builder Fund Class F-2 (CAIFX) at 1.96%. This indicates that PQIAX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than CAIFX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	PQIAX	CAIFX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.02%	1.96%	+1.06%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.87%	6.55%	+1.32%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	10.75%	8.19%	+2.56%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.24%	9.98%	+5.26%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	16.35%	10.77%	+5.58%

PQIAX vs. CAIFX - Expense Ratio Comparison

PQIAX has a 0.86% expense ratio, which is higher than CAIFX's 0.37% expense ratio.

Dividends

PQIAX vs. CAIFX - Dividend Comparison

PQIAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 8.90%, more than CAIFX's 7.31% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CAIFX American Funds Capital Income Builder Fund Class F-2	7.31%	7.93%	5.98%	3.69%	3.66%	3.36%	3.60%	4.31%	3.76%	4.63%	3.73%	3.82%
PQIAX Principal Equity Income Fund	8.90%	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 PQIAX and CAIFX in my portfolio?

PQIAX and CAIFX have a correlation of 0.83, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, PQIAX or CAIFX?

PQIAX has higher volatility (3.02%) compared to CAIFX (1.96%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PQIAX dropped -54.68% vs CAIFX's -36.83%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

CAIFX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (2.19 vs 1.99), 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.