PCAOX Performance — Principal Capital Appreciation Fund, Class R-3
Data updated: 2026-09-25
PCAOX returned +8.36% year to date and +15.66% over one year to Jul 2026. Annualised returns are +17.49% over 3 years and +11.69% over 5 years. Against its US Large Blend category average the fund came out ahead over three years but behind over one: $100 invested three years ago grew to $162, against $153 for the category, and to $116 over one year, against $116. Volatility over the past three years was 13.10% a year. In the 12 months to Jul 2026 the fund lost a net $1.5B, and assets reached $3.93B.
PCAOX Growth of $100
What $100 invested in Principal Capital Appreciation Fund grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the US Large Blend category average over the same months.
| Period | PCAOX | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) | $116 | $116 |
| 3 years (Aug 2023 – Jul 2026) | $162 | $153 |
| 5 years (Aug 2021 – Jul 2026) | $174 | $159 |
| Since data start (Aug 2019 – Jul 2026) | $259 | $226 |
PCAOX Trailing Returns
Total returns to Jul 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +8.36% |
| 1 year | +15.66% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +17.49% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +11.69% |
PCAOX Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of Principal Capital Appreciation Fund, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Jul) | +8.36% |
| 2025 | +12.94% |
| 2024 | +25.54% |
| 2023 | +24.73% |
| 2022 | −16.58% |
| 2021 | +27.29% |
| 2020 | +18.11% |
| 2019 (Aug–Dec) | +7.86% |
PCAOX Monthly Returns
Monthly total returns as reported on SEC Form N-PORT.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +1.4% | 0.0% | −5.3% | +9.5% | +4.4% | −0.3% | −1.0% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +3.3% | −2.6% | −6.3% | −0.5% | +5.6% | +4.5% | +2.3% | +1.8% | +3.7% | +2.1% | +0.1% | −1.1% |
| 2024 | +2.2% | +5.7% | +3.5% | −4.3% | +5.1% | +3.1% | +1.1% | +2.1% | +2.1% | −0.8% | +6.6% | −3.0% |
| 2023 | +5.5% | −3.0% | +3.3% | +1.8% | −0.1% | +6.4% | +3.3% | −1.9% | −4.3% | −1.6% | +8.9% | +4.9% |
| 2022 | −5.9% | −4.0% | +3.9% | −8.8% | +0.6% | −7.4% | +8.7% | −3.4% | −8.2% | +8.1% | +6.4% | −5.7% |
| 2021 | −1.5% | +2.3% | +3.7% | +5.2% | +0.7% | +2.9% | +2.8% | +2.8% | −5.0% | +7.6% | −0.4% | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 0.0% | −8.8% | −11.7% | +11.3% | +5.6% | +1.8% | +7.3% | +6.5% | −3.3% | −2.4% | +9.7% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | −1.6% | +1.6% | +2.1% | +2.9% | +2.7% |
PCAOX Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Aug 2023 – Jul 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 13.10%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 0.99 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +9.48% (Apr 2026)
- Worst month: −6.31% (Mar 2025)
PCAOX Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of Principal Capital Appreciation Fund, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: −$1.5B
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $1.4B
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 0.47×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | $191.4M | $48.7M | $142.7M |
| Jun 2026 | $77.7M | $1.6B | −$1.5B |
| May 2026 | $61.2M | $68.6M | −$7.4M |
| Apr 2026 | $223.4M | $56.6M | $166.8M |
| Mar 2026 | $29.6M | $62.5M | −$32.9M |
| Feb 2026 | $44.2M | $69.3M | −$25.1M |
| Jan 2026 | $70.3M | $79.6M | −$9.3M |
| Dec 2025 | $474.1M | $265.1M | $209.0M |
| Nov 2025 | $71.8M | $264.4M | −$192.6M |
| Oct 2025 | $58.0M | $275.0M | −$217.0M |
| Sep 2025 | $24.7M | $86.7M | −$62.0M |
| Aug 2025 | $25.6M | $65.0M | −$39.4M |
PCAOX Assets Under Management
Net assets of Principal Capital Appreciation Fund by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-31 | $3.93B |
| 2026-04-30 | $5.12B |
| 2026-01-31 | $4.83B |
| 2025-10-31 | $5.18B |
| 2025-07-31 | $5.11B |
| 2025-04-30 | $4.42B |
| 2025-01-31 | $4.95B |
| 2024-10-31 | $4.67B |
| 2024-07-31 | $4.62B |
| 2024-04-30 | $4.20B |
| 2024-01-31 | $4.06B |
| 2023-10-31 | $3.50B |
For information only. Not investment advice: figures are as reported in SEC filings and may contain errors or be out of date. Past performance does not guarantee future results.