PLSMX Performance — Principal LifeTime Strategic Income Fund, Class R-3
Data updated: 2026-09-25
PLSMX returned +3.31% year to date and +7.61% over one year to Jul 2026. Annualised returns are +7.51% over 3 years and +2.85% over 5 years. The fund trailed its Target-Date category average: $100 invested three years ago grew to $124, against $146 for the category, and to $108 over one year, against $116. Volatility over the past three years was 6.40% a year. In the 12 months to Jul 2026 the fund took in a net $36.8M, and assets reached $787.05M.
PLSMX Growth of $100
What $100 invested in Principal LifeTime Strategic Income Fund grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the Target-Date category average over the same months.
| Period | PLSMX | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) | $108 | $116 |
| 3 years (Aug 2023 – Jul 2026) | $124 | $146 |
| 5 years (Aug 2021 – Jul 2026) | $115 | $142 |
| Since data start (Aug 2019 – Jul 2026) | $134 | $186 |
PLSMX Trailing Returns
Total returns to Jul 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +3.31% |
| 1 year | +7.61% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +7.51% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +2.85% |
PLSMX Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of Principal LifeTime Strategic Income Fund, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Jul) | +3.31% |
| 2025 | +9.84% |
| 2024 | +6.08% |
| 2023 | +10.25% |
| 2022 | −13.57% |
| 2021 | +3.85% |
| 2020 | +9.54% |
| 2019 (Aug–Dec) | +3.01% |
PLSMX 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 | +1.3% | +0.9% | −3.0% | +3.1% | +1.4% | +0.1% | −0.3% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +1.7% | +0.8% | −1.5% | +0.2% | +1.6% | +2.3% | +0.3% | +1.6% | +1.3% | +0.5% | +0.7% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | +0.1% | +0.9% | +1.7% | −2.4% | +2.2% | +0.6% | +2.0% | +1.6% | +1.3% | −1.9% | +2.2% | −2.2% |
| 2023 | +4.2% | −2.2% | +1.8% | +0.9% | −1.2% | +2.0% | +1.3% | −1.2% | −2.7% | −1.8% | +5.3% | +3.8% |
| 2022 | −3.0% | −1.7% | −0.7% | −4.5% | +0.4% | −4.5% | +4.2% | −2.7% | −5.6% | +1.9% | +4.2% | −1.8% |
| 2021 | −0.6% | +0.2% | +0.2% | +1.7% | +0.5% | +0.6% | +0.9% | +0.4% | −1.5% | +1.2% | −1.4% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | +1.0% | −1.0% | −5.9% | +4.7% | +2.1% | +1.3% | +2.5% | +1.1% | −0.9% | −0.7% | +3.8% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | +0.8% | +0.1% | +0.7% | +0.6% | +0.9% |
PLSMX Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Aug 2023 – Jul 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 6.40%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 0.47 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +5.35% (Nov 2023)
- Worst month: −2.98% (Mar 2026)
PLSMX Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of Principal LifeTime Strategic Income Fund, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: $36.8M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $242.6M
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 1.18×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | $2.1M | $33.8M | −$31.7M |
| Jun 2026 | $160.4M | $18.8M | $141.6M |
| May 2026 | $3.0M | $14.8M | −$11.7M |
| Apr 2026 | $1.1M | $27.9M | −$26.8M |
| Mar 2026 | $2.7M | $19.2M | −$16.5M |
| Feb 2026 | $3.6M | $15.0M | −$11.4M |
| Jan 2026 | $32.6M | $19.8M | $12.9M |
| Dec 2025 | $20.2M | $10.8M | $9.4M |
| Nov 2025 | $3.4M | $9.6M | −$6.1M |
| Oct 2025 | $5.1M | $14.4M | −$9.3M |
| Sep 2025 | $3.4M | $14.1M | −$10.7M |
| Aug 2025 | $5.0M | $7.8M | −$2.8M |
PLSMX Assets Under Management
Net assets of Principal LifeTime Strategic Income Fund by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-31 | $787.05M |
| 2026-04-30 | $669.16M |
| 2026-01-31 | $717.47M |
| 2025-10-31 | $725.72M |
| 2025-07-31 | $723.00M |
| 2025-04-30 | $721.99M |
| 2025-01-31 | $760.60M |
| 2024-10-31 | $791.62M |
| 2024-07-31 | $801.99M |
| 2024-04-30 | $784.74M |
| 2024-01-31 | $802.83M |
| 2023-10-31 | $765.84M |
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.