PPEAX Performance — Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund, Class A
Data updated: 2026-09-25
PPEAX returned +8.61% year to date and +16.25% over one year to Jul 2026. Annualised returns are +14.28% over 3 years and +7.56% over 5 years. Against its Target-Date category average the fund came out ahead over three years but behind over one: $100 invested three years ago grew to $149, against $146 for the category, and to $116 over one year, against $116. Volatility over the past three years was 11.61% a year. In the 12 months to Jul 2026 the fund lost a net $385.0M, and assets reached $3.16B.
PPEAX Growth of $100
What $100 invested in Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund grew to, compounded from monthly returns reported on SEC Form N-PORT, against the Target-Date category average over the same months.
| Period | PPEAX | Category average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year (Aug 2025 – Jul 2026) | $116 | $116 |
| 3 years (Aug 2023 – Jul 2026) | $149 | $146 |
| 5 years (Aug 2021 – Jul 2026) | $144 | $142 |
| Since data start (Aug 2019 – Jul 2026) | $203 | $186 |
PPEAX Trailing Returns
Total returns to Jul 2026, from SEC N-PORT.
| Period | Total return |
|---|---|
| YTD | +8.61% |
| 1 year | +16.25% |
| 3 years (annualised) | +14.28% |
| 5 years (annualised) | +7.56% |
PPEAX Annual Returns
Calendar-year total returns of Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund, compounded from monthly SEC N-PORT returns. Partial years show the months covered.
| Year | Total return |
|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Jul) | +8.61% |
| 2025 | +17.12% |
| 2024 | +12.87% |
| 2023 | +19.93% |
| 2022 | −19.11% |
| 2021 | +16.74% |
| 2020 | +16.10% |
| 2019 (Aug–Dec) | +7.36% |
PPEAX 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 | +2.6% | +0.6% | −5.5% | +7.5% | +3.1% | +0.2% | +0.2% | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2025 | +3.8% | −0.5% | −4.0% | −0.1% | +5.0% | +4.1% | +1.0% | +2.5% | +2.1% | +0.9% | +1.0% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | +0.1% | +4.1% | +3.3% | −3.8% | +3.7% | +0.7% | +2.4% | +2.3% | +1.5% | −2.1% | +4.4% | −3.9% |
| 2023 | +7.4% | −3.0% | +1.7% | +1.4% | −1.7% | +6.0% | +2.9% | −2.4% | −4.5% | −2.9% | +9.0% | +5.3% |
| 2022 | −5.4% | −3.1% | +1.1% | −7.9% | +0.6% | −8.1% | +7.8% | −4.2% | −9.1% | +6.7% | +7.2% | −4.5% |
| 2021 | −0.9% | +3.4% | +2.4% | +4.3% | +1.2% | +0.9% | +1.0% | +2.0% | −4.0% | +4.7% | −3.1% | +4.1% |
| 2020 | −0.8% | −6.6% | −14.5% | +10.9% | +5.2% | +2.4% | +5.1% | +4.7% | −2.4% | −1.6% | +11.2% | +4.6% |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | −1.3% | +1.4% | +1.9% | +2.6% | +2.6% |
PPEAX Risk
Risk measures from monthly returns over Aug 2023 – Jul 2026.
- 3-year volatility (annualised): 11.61%
- 3-year Sharpe ratio: 0.84 (vs 4.5% risk-free rate)
- Best month: +9.01% (Nov 2023)
- Worst month: −5.53% (Mar 2026)
PPEAX Fund Flows
Monthly money in and out of Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund, from SEC Form N-PORT.
- 12-month net flow: −$385.0M
- 12-month gross sales (incl. reinvestments): $459.8M
- Sales ÷ redemptions: 0.54×
| Month | Sales | Redemptions | Net flow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 2026 | $8.8M | $92.5M | −$83.7M |
| Jun 2026 | $8.5M | $52.8M | −$44.3M |
| May 2026 | $9.6M | $59.8M | −$50.2M |
| Apr 2026 | $9.6M | $159.9M | −$150.3M |
| Mar 2026 | $15.6M | $68.7M | −$53.1M |
| Feb 2026 | $17.7M | $43.1M | −$25.3M |
| Jan 2026 | $85.3M | $132.5M | −$47.2M |
| Dec 2025 | $258.6M | $69.0M | $189.6M |
| Nov 2025 | $10.1M | $14.2M | −$4.0M |
| Oct 2025 | $8.7M | $83.7M | −$75.0M |
| Sep 2025 | $8.1M | $40.2M | −$32.0M |
| Aug 2025 | $19.2M | $28.6M | −$9.4M |
PPEAX Assets Under Management
Net assets of Principal LifeTime 2050 Fund by report date, from SEC N-PORT filings.
| Report date | Net assets |
|---|---|
| 2026-07-31 | $3.16B |
| 2026-04-30 | $3.22B |
| 2026-01-31 | $3.38B |
| 2025-10-31 | $3.42B |
| 2025-07-31 | $3.35B |
| 2025-04-30 | $3.13B |
| 2025-01-31 | $3.32B |
| 2024-10-31 | $3.33B |
| 2024-07-31 | $3.29B |
| 2024-04-30 | $3.09B |
| 2024-01-31 | $3.00B |
| 2023-10-31 | $2.67B |
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.